Diablo 4: How to Get Tempering Affixes

With Diablo 4, Blizzard completely overhauled the itemization system, introducing Tempering — a new crafting feature that lets players customize their gear even further. At the heart of this system are Tempering Affixes, special modifiers that can dramatically boost your build’s power when applied correctly. This guide breaks down everything you need to know about how to get Tempering Affixes, how to use them effectively, and Diablo IV gold tips for making the most of this new endgame crafting mechanic.

What Are Tempering Affixes?

Tempering Affixes are craftable stat modifiers that can be added to items using the Tempering system. Unlike traditional affixes that come baked into dropped items, Tempering Affixes are applied manually at the Blacksmith using a Tempering Manual.

Each Tempering Affix belongs to a specific category, such as Offensive, Defensive, Utility, or Resource, and can only be applied to compatible gear types. For example, a weapon can gain offensive affixes like “+X% Damage to Vulnerable Enemies,” while armor might roll defensive bonuses like “+X% Damage Reduction while Fortified.”

Tempering Affixes are randomized within a manual’s category, so you’ll need to farm multiple manuals to get the exact stats you want.

How to Get Tempering Manuals (and Unlock New Affixes)

To apply Tempering Affixes, you first need Tempering Manuals, which are consumable items that unlock a set of potential affixes you can use. These manuals are the key to the entire system — they determine what kinds of affixes you can apply.

Here’s how to get them:

1. Farm Helltide Chests

Tempering Manuals have a solid drop rate from Helltide Chests, especially weapon and armor caches. Open Tortured Gifts of Mysteries or class-specific chests to increase your chances. Helltide events rotate every two hours, so check your world map regularly.

2. Defeat Endgame Bosses

World Bosses, Nightmare Dungeon bosses, and other endgame encounters have a high chance of dropping manuals. These enemies tend to drop manuals suited to your class and current World Tier.

3. Run Nightmare Dungeons

Nightmare Dungeons are one of the most consistent sources for manuals. Higher-tier dungeons (Tier 30 and above) yield a better chance at Legendary or Sacred Manuals, which contain stronger affixes.

4. Whisper Caches and Grim Favors

Earning Grim Favors through the Tree of Whispers can also reward manuals. Choose equipment caches related to the slot you want to enhance — for example, selecting a weapon cache if you’re hunting for offensive affixes.

5. Treasure Goblins and Elite Packs

Tempering Manuals can occasionally drop from random elite packs or Treasure Goblins, making general open-world farming and Helltide roaming worth your time.

How to Use Tempering Affixes

Once you’ve acquired some manuals, you can start Tempering your gear. Here’s how:

Go to a Blacksmith in any major town.

Select the Tempering tab in the crafting menu.

Choose an eligible item (Rare, Legendary, or Unique).

Pick a Tempering Manual from your collection.

Roll for an affix — each roll consumes materials like Iron Chunks and Veiled Crystals.

Each item can be tempered up to two times, and once those rolls are used, the item cannot be tempered again. However, you can retemper if you’re unhappy with the outcome, at the cost of additional materials.

Keep in mind: Tempering Affixes stack with existing item affixes, allowing you to create combinations that weren’t possible before Season 4.

Best Tips for Tempering Success

Save your manuals: Manuals are one-time-use items, so don’t waste them on low-quality gear. Wait until you have Ancestral Legendaries or endgame-tier weapons before applying affixes.

Target your build: Different manuals suit different playstyles. For example, Rogues might want the Precision Offensive Manual for Critical Strike bonuses, while Sorcerers can benefit from Elemental Damage Manuals.

Use Masterworking afterward: Once you have ideal Tempering Affixes, you can further enhance the item’s power through Masterworking, which increases affix values even more.

Farm smart: Focus on Helltides and Nightmare Dungeons for manual drops — they offer the best time-to-reward ratio.

Final Thoughts

Tempering Affixes give Diablo 4 players unprecedented control over their gear, letting you fine-tune your weapons and armor for your exact build goals. Whether you’re optimizing for critical hits, survivability, or resource management, mastering Tempering is key to unlocking your character’s full potential.

Keep farming those manuals, experiment with different affix combinations, and buy Diablo IV gold push your builds to the limit, the power is truly in your hands.