TL;DR
- Mounts unlock automatically in Act IV via the ‘Mount: Doran’s Favor’ quest – no risk of missing this progression milestone
- Waypoints provide both fast travel and 20 renown each – prioritize discovering all 35 across 5 regions
- Elixirs grant 5% experience boost for 30 minutes and require strategic material collection
- Start on Tier 2 Veteran, focus main quests until level 40, then expand to side content
- Transition to Tier 3 Nightmare around level 50 for superior loot and gold drops
Whether you’re experimenting with different character builds, aiming to acquire high-tier equipment early, or returning to the Diablo universe after an extended hiatus, understanding these foundational systems will dramatically accelerate your progression through Sanctuary’s early challenges. Mastering mounts, waypoints, and alchemy early creates compounding efficiency gains throughout your entire Diablo 4 journey.
Mount functionality becomes available during Act IV through an unavoidable story progression quest called “Mount: Doran’s Favor” that automatically triggers when interacting with any stable master. This systematic integration ensures players cannot accidentally bypass mount acquisition while following the primary campaign narrative.
The mount system revolutionizes traversal across Diablo 4’s expansive landscapes, reducing travel time between objectives by approximately 60-70%. Additionally, mounts feature customizable appearances and can be enhanced with various trophies and accessories discovered throughout your adventures.

When discovering new settlements, your immediate priority should be activating waypoints rather than engaging merchants or other NPCs. This strategic approach prevents frustrating scenarios where you must backtrack extensive distances to complete quests that require travel to remote locations.
Sanctuary’s cartography includes 35 strategically positioned waypoints distributed across five distinct regions. Each activation not only enables instant transportation but also rewards 20 renown points toward regional progression tiers.
Advanced players should develop systematic waypoint discovery routes, typically prioritizing major hubs before exploring peripheral areas. This method ensures efficient navigation when undertaking time-sensitive world events or dungeon clears.
Neglecting waypoint activation represents one of the most common early-game mistakes, potentially wasting hours of gameplay on unnecessary traversal. Establish the habit of immediately seeking out these transportation nodes upon entering any new territory.

Beyond standard health potions, alchemists can create specialized elixirs that provide resistance bonuses, combat enhancements, and crucially, a permanent 5% experience gain for 30 minutes duration. These consumables stack multiplicatively with other experience bonuses, making them essential for rapid leveling.
The consumable classification means elixirs won’t appear in your regular skill rotation. Develop the tactical discipline of consuming these buffs immediately before engaging challenging content like dungeons or world bosses.
Angel Breath stands out among crafting materials as a rare roadside resource that enhances elixir potency against specific monster types. Always prioritize collecting this material regardless of current urgency – future you will appreciate the accumulated stockpile.
Optimal elixir usage involves timing consumption with planned gameplay sessions. Since the 30-minute duration doesn’t pause during menu navigation or vendor interactions, activate them when you anticipate continuous combat engagement.

If your primary objectives involve efficient treasure acquisition and character build optimization rather than narrative immersion, begin your journey on World Tier 2: Veteran. This difficulty provides enhanced rewards without overwhelming combat complexity for newcomers.
Focus exclusively on main story quests while occasionally completing side objectives that align directly with your current location. This focused approach typically achieves level 40 within 15-20 hours while completing the central campaign narrative.
Around level 40, having mastered your core combat mechanics and equipment synergies, systematically clear remaining side content and explore undiscovered regions to reach level 50 and conquer the Cathedral of Light capstone dungeon.
Upon reaching level 50 and completing the Cathedral, unlock World Tier 3: Nightmare for significantly improved loot quality, enhanced experience gains, and increased gold acquisition rates. This transition unlocks the endgame progression systems and prepares you for the ultimate challenge of World Tier 4: Torment.
Action Checklist
- Activate every waypoint immediately upon discovering new settlements
- Complete Act IV to automatically receive mount quest from stable master
- Gather Angel Breath whenever encountered and craft experience elixirs regularly
- Consume elixirs before engaging dungeon content or world events
- Complete Cathedral of Light at level 50 to unlock Nightmare difficulty
No reproduction without permission:GameCDjnh » Diablo 4: Getting Mount, Unlocking Waypoints, Crafting Elixir, and a Method of Leveling Up Master Diablo 4's essential early-game systems: mounts, waypoints, elixirs, and efficient leveling strategies
