Diablo 4‘s Act 3, called the City of Lights, takes players across the stunning world of Dry Steppes where they must hunt down and confront Elias, the mysterious Pale Man that was freed from his imprisonment in Act 2. With 16 quests and a huge map area to explore, Act 3 is packed with undead hordes, sprawling dungeons, and deadly boss fights.
Act 3 begins right where Act 2 left off, with the hero and Lorath traveling to Dry Steppes to find the mysterious Elias before his powers grow too strong. This is where your journey through the difficulties of Diablo 4 truly starts to ramp up in difficulty and complexity.
In this complete guide, I‘ll walk you through all 16 Diablo 4 Act 3 quests, detailing how to complete each step and what rewards you can expect along the way.
Overview of Diablo 4 Act 3:
Act 3 Location: Dry Steppes and Kehjistan
Number of Quests: 16 main quests
Key Act 3 Characters: Lorath, Oyuun, Meshif
Noteworthy Dungeons: Orbei Monastery, Exalted Terrace
Act 3 Quests List:
- The Spreading Darkness
- Suffering Disquiet
- Whittling Sanity
- A Moment to Collect
- Brought Low
- The City of Blood and Dust
- Small Blessings
- Whispers from the Past
- Through the Dark Glass
- Descent into Flame
- Loose Threads
- Oasis of Memories
- Flesh from Bone
- Beneath the Mask
- Piercing the Veil
- Exhumed Relics
Without further ado, let‘s dive deep into each Diablo 4 Act 3 quest!
1. The Spreading Darkness
- Location: Ked Bardu, Dry Steppes
- Rewards: Gold, XP
This is the very first quest you unlock in Act 3 after arriving in Dry Steppes. To begin, find Lorath passed out drunk in a corner in Ked Bardu. After your initial conversation, your objective becomes gathering information on Elias, the Pale Man.
Speak to Teckrin to learn that Elias was an advisor to queen Xein, and seems to have a connection to demons. Return to Lorath with this intel to complete the quest.
This first quest mainly serves to set the stage and narrative for Elias and Act 3 as a whole. Expect a good dose of expository lore here!
2. Suffering Disquiet
- Location: Orbei Monastery, Dry Steppes
- Rewards: Gold, XP, Gear
Head to the nearby Orbei Monastery where you‘ll battle through haunted halls, vengeful spirits, and locked doors until finally confronting the spectral Eidolon of Orbei. Defeating this tough mini-boss completes the quest and wins you your rewards.
Tip: This quest is best tackled once you‘ve leveled up a bit. The monastery is crawling with tough enemies so be prepared for challenging fights!
3. Whittling Sanity
- Location: Tusma Rift, Dry Steppes
- Rewards: Gold, XP, Gear
Lorath has a lead that the mysterious Genbar may have useful information on Elias‘ location. Unfortunately, Genbar isn‘t too keen to cooperate.
Track down Genbar in Tusma Rift and defeat him in battle to complete the quest. Genbar hits hard though, so stack up on health potions before the confrontation!
4. A Moment to Collect
- Location: Ked Bardu, Dry Steppes
- Rewards: Gear, Lore
After the battle with Genbar, Lorath requests your assistance with an autopsy. This quest is light on combat, but does offer some interesting lore regarding Elias‘ past through conversational cutscenes with Lorath.
5. Brought Low
- Location: Guulrahn, Dry Steppes
- Rewards: XP, Lore
Finding Lorath deep within the Guulrahn Caves, a quick chat wraps up this brief quest. Enjoy a short rest before your next major battle!
6. The City of Blood and Dust
- Location: Guulrahn, Dry Steppes
- Rewards: Gold, XP, Gear
In one of Act 3‘s most challenging quests, you must fight through the streets and sewers of demon-infested Guulrahn city to rescue a villager named Oyuun being held prisoner.
Tips:
- Stock up on health potions
- The prison boss hits brutally hard so fight defensively
- Escape the prison carefully to protect Oyuun
Completing this multi-part rescue wraps up this intense quest with nice rewards.
7. Small Blessings
- Location: The Trail of Bones, Dry Steppes
- Rewards: XP, Lore
A simple escort quest, travel alongside Oyuun through the Trail of Bones to Zolaya where Lorath awaits. No major fights here, just light combat.
8. Whispers from the Past
- Location: Tyrant‘s Court, Dry Steppes
- Rewards: Gear, Gold, XP
This lengthy 4-part quest has you searching for clues while battling demons, before attempting to eavesdrop on Elias unseen. You‘ll also face the challenging Mother‘s Judgement mini-boss.
Tip: Lower difficulty if struggling, the boss fight is extremely tough for lower level heroes!
Once successful, discuss your findings with Lorath to finish this lore-filled quest.
9. Through the Dark Glass
- Location: Temples of the Primes, Dry Steppes
- Rewards: Gear, XP, Lore
Another lore-heavy quest focused on conversing with the spirits of Mephisto, Diablo and Baal to find a secret pathway. Apart from a brutal battle against the beast Gorm, this quest features less combat and more storytelling.
10. Descent into Flame
- Location: Temples of the Primes, Dry Steppes
- Rewards: Gear, Gold, XP
Battle through the ritual location beneath the Temples to confront the hulking monster Brol. This brawling series of fights has less focus on story, and more on simple hack-and-slash action.
11. Loose Threads
- Location: Chambatar Ridge, Dry Steppes
- Rewards: Gear, Lore
A quick wrap-up quest speaking with Lorath and the myserious woman after defeating Brol. Short but sweet!
12. Oasis of Memories
- Location: Tarsarak, Kehjistan
- Rewards: Lore
Your first quest bringing you to Kehjistan! Find a drug-addled informant and nurse him back to health to hear Elias‘ backstory in this lore-filled quest. There‘s minimal combat here.
13. Flesh from Bone
- Location: Forsaken Chapel
- Rewards: Lore
Brave an intense magical sandstorm alongside ally Meshif, before arriving at the eerie Forsaken Chapel. Lots of interesting dialogue and story beats here rather than combat.
14. Beneath the Mask
- Location: The Outer Gardens, Kehjistan
- Rewards: Lore
Chat with the nobility of Kehjistan to learn disturbing details regarding the sinister Elias and his past influence on their society. Soak up the dark lore!
15. Piercing the Veil
- Location: Exalted Terrace, Dry Steppes
- Rewards: Gear, Gold, XP, Lore
Infiltrate the heavily-guarded Exalted Terrace to finally confront Elias himself. After an intense showdown, you‘ll finish Elias off for good in this climactic conclusion to his story arc.
16. Exhumed Relics
- Location: The Outer Gardens, Kehjistan
- Rewards: Gear, Lore
With Elias defeated, speak to the wounded Meshif and Lorath to witness the outcome of your victory in this epilogue quest. Act 3 ends on a bittersweet note.
My Act 3 Experience
All in all, traversing the dusty wastes of Dry Steppes and glittering palaces Kehjistan during Diablo 4‘s Act 3 made for an epic adventure spanning many hours of gameplay.
The expanded lore deepened through conversations with Lorath was a highlight, strengthening our bonds even through disagreements at times. Elias also proved to be a fascinating villain – utterly twisted and malevolent despite his refined appearance.
Several quests could have benefited from more visual storytelling rather than long expository dialogue however. And the plethora of dungeons, while visually stunning, often felt repetitive with similar enemies over and over.
For newer heroes, the drastic difficulty spike compared to Acts 1 and 2 may also prove frustrating at points. My advice would be to revisit earlier zones to grind if finding Act 3 punishing.
With persistence and the right strategies however, Act 3 culminates in an immensely satisfying conclusion as you finally unravel the source of Elias‘ mysterious power.
Final Tips for Surviving Diablo 4 Act 3:
- Take time to grind earlier zones before entering Act 3 or if struggling with quests
- Stack up on health and mana potions – they‘ll be lifesavers
- Follow the recommended levels for each quest
- Adjust difficulty down if Repeated Loses frustrate you
So that covers everything you need to complete Diablo 4‘s Act 3! Let me know in the comments if this guide helped you out on your adventures. And stay tuned for my upcoming walkthroughs on Act 4 and the epic endgame.
