Diablo 4 is the latest installment in the legendary action RPG series that pits players against the forces of hell. The game offers a vast open world, dynamic events, customizable skills, legendary loot and challenging endgame activities. One of these endgame activities is the Nightmare Dungeon, a modified, more difficult yet rewarding version of a regular dungeon that requires a special key to access. This key is called a Nightmare Sigil, and it transforms a specific dungeon and adds extra afflictions that make the run harder.

In this article, we will explain everything you need to know about Nightmare Dungeons and Sigils, including:

• How to unlock them and where to find them
• How they work and what modifiers they have
• What rewards they offer and how to improve them
• How to craft higher tier sigils and reach higher level dungeons
• Some tips and tricks to survive and conquer the nightmares

How to Unlock Nightmare Dungeons and Sigils

To unlock Nightmare Dungeons and Sigils, you need to be at World Tier 3: Nightmare, which is the highest difficulty level in Diablo 4. You can switch to this difficulty level after completing the Cathedral of Light Capstone Dungeon, which is the final dungeon of the main campaign.

Once you are at World Tier 3, you can start finding Nightmare Sigils as random loot drops from various activities, such as:

• Whispers of the Dead bounties: These are repeatable quests that send you to different locations in the open world to complete various objectives, such as killing enemies, destroying objects, rescuing allies, etc.
• Helltide Events: These are dynamic events that occur randomly in the open world and involve fighting waves of enemies, defending objectives, or participating in boss battles.
• Freeroam exploration: You can also find Nightmare Sigils by simply exploring the open world and killing enemies, opening chests, or discovering secrets.
• Nightmare Dungeons: You can also find more Nightmare Sigils while doing Nightmare Dungeons, allowing you to keep the cycle going.

To activate a Nightmare Dungeon, go to your consumables menu and select one of the Nightmare Sigils in your inventory. This will consume the Sigil and transform the dungeon into a Nightmare Dungeon with the specifications detailed on the Sigil you used . Note that you can only have one Nightmare Dungeon up at once, and consuming another Sigil will shut down the currently active Nightmare. With the Nightmare Dungeon active, you then have to physically make your way to that dungeon in order to enter it.

How Nightmare Dungeons and Sigils Work

Nightmare Dungeons still follow the procedurally generated layout and fixed objectives of the regular dungeon. The difference is that there are additional modifiers based on the Nightmare Sigil that you used . These modifiers can be positive or negative, and they can significantly alter the difficulty of the Nightmare Dungeon.

Each Nightmare Sigil has a tier and one or more affixes. The tier determines the level and difficulty of the dungeon, while the affixes determine what special effects or conditions are applied to the dungeon. Higher tier sigils and more affixes mean harder dungeons, but also better rewards.

The tier of a sigil ranges from 1 to 100+, with higher tiers corresponding to higher levels of enemies and loot . For example, a Tier 1 sigil will create a dungeon with level 53+ enemies, while a Tier 100 sigil will create a dungeon with level 153+ enemies.

The affixes of a sigil are randomly generated from a pool of possible options, and they can be either beneficial or detrimental for the player. For example, some affixes may increase your healing or damage output, while others may increase the damage or resistance of enemies, or add environmental hazards or debuffs. Each affix has a name and a description that tells you what it does.

Here are some examples of possible affixes for Nightmare Dungeons:

• Increased Healing: You heal more from all sources.
• Monster Shadow Damage: Monsters deal increased shadow damage.
• Drifting Shade: A spirit orb chases you around and explodes if it gets too close.
• Monster Fire Damage: Monsters deal increased fire damage.
• Monster Poison Damage: Monsters deal increased poison damage.
• Monster Cold Damage: Monsters deal increased cold damage.
• Monster Lightning Damage: Monsters deal increased lightning damage.
• Monster Physical Damage: Monsters deal increased physical damage.
• Monster Arcane Damage: Monsters deal increased arcane damage.
• Monster Holy Damage: Monsters deal increased holy damage.

The number of affixes on a sigil depends on the tier of the sigil. Lower tier sigils have fewer affixes, while higher tier sigils have more affixes. For example, a Tier 1 sigil will have only one affix, while a Tier 100 sigil will have four affixes.

Since you're playing on Nightmare difficulty, enemies will be level 53+. These Tier 1 Nightmare Dungeons only allow up to 12 revives. As such, you'll want to stay alive while you're doing the activity.

What Rewards do Nightmare Dungeons and Sigils Offer

Nightmare Dungeons offer several rewards for completing them, such as:

• Loot: You can expect better loot drops from Nightmare Dungeons than from regular dungeons, especially if you use higher tier sigils . You can also find more Nightmare Sigils while doing Nightmare Dungeons, allowing you to keep the cycle going .
• Paragon Glyphs: These are special items that allow you to level up your Glyphs, which are crucial for improving your Paragon boards. Paragon boards are a system that lets you customize your character's stats and abilities beyond the level cap of 100. Each Paragon board has several Glyph slots that can be filled with Glyphs of different types and rarities. By using Paragon Glyphs, you can increase the level and power of your Glyphs, making your character stronger and more versatile.
• Experience: You can also gain experience from Nightmare Dungeons, which can help you reach the level cap of 100 and unlock more Paragon boards.

How to Craft Higher Tier Sigils and Reach Higher Level Dungeons

To reach higher level Nightmare Dungeons, you need to craft higher tier Nightmare Sigils. But in order to unlock the ability to craft high-level Nightmare Sigils, you need to first complete a Tier 3 Nightmare Dungeon (or higher).

To get a Tier 3 Nightmare Sigil, you have two options:

• Find one as a random drop from World Tier 3 activities or Nightmare Dungeons.
• Craft one using Nightmare Dust, a special resource that you can get from completing Nightmare Dungeons or bounties.

Once you have a Tier 3 Nightmare Sigil, you can use it to enter a Tier 3 Nightmare Dungeon. If you manage to complete it, you will unlock the Nightmare Sigil crafting system. This system allows you to craft any Nightmare Sigil of any tier, as long as you have enough Nightmare Dust and other materials.

The materials required for crafting Nightmare Sigils are:

• Nightmare Dust: The main resource for crafting sigils. You can get it from completing dungeons or bounties, or salvaging sigils that you don't need.
• Dungeon Essence: A secondary resource that determines the dungeon type of the sigil. You can get it from completing dungeons or bounties of the same type, or salvaging sigils of the same type.
• Affix Essence: A tertiary resource that determines the affixes of the sigil. You can get it from completing dungeons or bounties with the same affixes, or salvaging sigils with the same affixes.

The amount of materials required for crafting sigils depends on the tier and the number of affixes. Higher tier sigils and more affixes require more materials.

To craft a Nightmare Sigil, you need to go to the Sigil Forge, a special station that can be found in some towns or camps. There, you can select the tier, dungeon type and affixes of the sigil you want to craft, and pay the required materials. You can also reroll the affixes of an existing sigil for a lower cost.

By crafting higher tier sigils, you can access higher level dungeons and get better rewards. However, be prepared for tougher challenges and more modifiers.

Tips and Tricks for Surviving and Conquering Nightmare Dungeons

Nightmare Dungeons are not for the faint of heart. They require skill, strategy and teamwork to overcome. Here are some tips and tricks to help you survive and conquer them:

• Know your enemy: Before entering a Nightmare Dungeon, check the modifiers on the sigil and plan accordingly. Some modifiers may require you to change your skills, gear or playstyle to adapt. For example, if the dungeon has increased fire damage, you may want to equip some fire resistance or use skills that mitigate fire damage.
• Know your objective: Each dungeon has a fixed objective that you need to complete in order to finish it. Some objectives may be time-limited or have special conditions. For example, some dungeons may require you to kill a certain number of enemies within a time limit, or collect a certain number of items while avoiding traps. Make sure you know what your objective is and focus on it.
• Know your limits: Don't bite off more than you can chew. If a dungeon is too hard for you, don't be afraid to lower the tier or change the affixes. You can always try again later when you're stronger or more prepared.
• Know your allies: If possible, team up with other players who share your goals and playstyle. Communication and coordination are key for tackling Nightmare Dungeons. Use voice chat or text chat to communicate with your teammates, share information, call out enemies or hazards, request help or buffs, etc.
• Know when to retreat: Sometimes, things may go wrong and you may find yourself in a bad situation. If that happens, don't panic and don't be stubborn. Know when to retreat and regroup with your allies, heal up, change your strategy or try another dungeon.

Conclusion

Nightmare Dungeons and Sigils are one of the most exciting and rewarding features of Diablo 4. They offer a challenging and varied endgame experience that tests your skills, strategy and teamwork. They also provide you with loot, Paragon Glyphs and experience that can help you improve your character and unlock more customization options. By crafting higher tier sigils, you can access higher level dungeons and get better rewards. However, be prepared for tougher challenges and more modifiers.

If you're looking for a thrilling and satisfying endgame activity in Diablo 4, look no further than Nightmare Dungeons and Sigils. They will keep you on your toes and make you feel like a true hero of Sanctuary.