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The fun doesn't stop once you have reached Level 50 in Diablo 4, as this is when part of the endgame really starts. At this level, you unlock the Paragon Board, a whole new screen separate from your Ability screen you've been working with that allows you to get even further into the nitty-gritty details of your build.
It's an overwhelming amount of decisions, to be honest, and you will need to be on top of what kind of build you are going for. The Paragon Board is confusing, which is why help about what it is and how it works is paramount to your success as you progress further into the endgame.
What Is The Paragon Board?
The Paragon Board opens up for you as soon as you hit Level 50 and will differ based on which class you are playing as. Prior to Level 50, you are essentially choosing the core facets of your build that will then carry over once you hit this level. From here on out, your XP will be going towards the Paragon Board and choosing the options here to further your build how you want.
Your XP bar will change at Level 50, as well, changing to a bar with four segments. Every time you fill out one of these segments, you will be given one Paragon Point to spend. This means that every level you gain will give you four Paragon Points to use.
Each of the nodes that you select in the Paragon Board are tied to your Attributes, rather than unlocking abilities like it was during Levels 1 to 49. There are four kinds of Attributes that you can build on:
- Strength - boosts your armor
- Intelligence - boosts your skill damage and resistance to all elements
- Willpower - boosts your resource generation, healing, and overpower
- Dexterity - boosts your dodge chance and critical hit change
You will need to also pay attention to the equipment you are using to help further bump up these Attributes to really bring the best out of your build. Be sure to choose the right armor and weapons that increase the Attributes you want to focus on, while also making up for any drawbacks in the other areas, and then use your Paragon Board to further help with these Attributes.
You will be progressing your Paragon Board to Level 100, at which point you reach the 200 Paragon Point cap. This is different from Diablo 3's system that allowed you to infinitely level your character up. No longer, though, and you will need to be strategic on how you spend your points as you have a finite amount.
Paragon Board Node Types
As you progress through the Paragon Board, you will come across six different types of nodes that will bring different effects to your character. Each one comes with it own color to help you know what kind of change you are investing in if you spend your points on it.
- Normal Node (Gray) - these basic Nodes will give you a +5 boost to any Attribute
- Magic Node (Blue) - while these will give some boosts to your Attributes, they will also give you a bump in armor, cooldown reduction, and more
- Rare Node (Yellow) - these nodes will give you the previous boosts, while also giving you another bump should you meet a certain criterion
- Legendary Nodes (Orange) - these nodes will be integral to your build as they grant specific boons that will help your character
- Glyph Sockets (Red) - these nodes let you socket a Paragon Glyph in this spot
- Board Attachment Gate (Silver and Blue) - as you finish a board, you can use these nodes to boost all Attributes by +5 and open a new board
Paragon Board Attachment Gates
While you are given an initial Paragon Board at Level 50, you will be unlocking more as you progress your character and gain more XP. Eventually, you will reach the Board Attachment Gates, which will unlock another board for you to add on to the one you have already filled out.
This new board will come with its own new batch of nodes to unlock and add to your character, and you can choose which path you take to build it out. You will want to pay attention to how the new board will interact with what you have done so far and decide if you want to focus on stats, abilities, or whatever you want.
Paragon Glyphs
The final part of the Paragon Board system is the Paragon Glyphs, which offer another unique effect to your board and nodes.
When you reach one of these sockets on the Board, you can choose to insert a Glyph into them, and their purpose is to enhance the effects of the Nodes that are surrounding them. Each one comes with its own radius of influence, which means that any Node within that radius will receive the effect of that Glyph.
This adds a whole new aspect of strategy where you need to pay attention to where the Glyph socket is and if the radius will cover enough of the Nodes that makes it worthwhile. A misplaced Glyph can completely throw off your Build and really mess things up for you. Glyphs are absolutely an integral part to building your character, and you need to be intentional about how you use them. It may be worth it to wait on socketing one until you have a point where it makes more sense.
Once you have reached this point in leveling your character, you will begin unlocking Paragon Glyphs in a variety of ways:
- Looted from enemies that you defeat
- Rewarded to you as part of finishing a quest
- Purchased from certain vendors
Glyphs come with their own rarity, as well, and the higher the rarity, the more difficult it will be to unlock them. However, the higher rarity ones also offer the biggest benefits and effects. Keep an eye out for the best of the best, and be sure to utilize them to the best of your ability.