In Diablo 4, understanding how currency and crafting materials work is essential if you want to progress efficiently through Sanctuary. Whether you're upgrading gear, enchanting affixes, or trading with other players, currency and materials form the backbone of your power curve. This guide breaks down every major type of currency and material in Diablo 4, what they're used for, and how to farm them efficiently so you can make the most of your time slaying demons.

 

Understanding Currency in Diablo 4

Unlike earlier entries in the series, Diablo 4 offers multiple interconnected systems of currency that control different aspects of the game: gold for general transactions, crafting materials for item upgrades, Murmuring Obols for gambling, and several unique endgame currencies tied to Helltides, Nightmare Dungeons, and PvP. Let's look at each of them in detail.

 

Gold - The Foundation of All Trade

Gold is the universal currency of Diablo 4, used for almost every core function in the game. From repairing your gear and respeccing skills to buying potions, upgrading weapons, and enchanting affixes, gold drains constantly from your pockets.

 

Uses for Gold

Item Enchanting: The Occultist lets you reroll one affix on a piece of gear, costing both gold and Veiled Crystals. Each reroll increases the price exponentially.

 

Skill Respecs: Changing skill points or Paragon allocations costs gold, especially at higher levels.

 

Gear Upgrading: Upgrading gear at the Blacksmith or Jeweler consumes gold and materials.

 

Vendor Purchases: Some rare and magic Diablo 4 Items can be purchased early on for quick gear improvements.

 

How to Farm Gold

Dungeons and Events: Dungeons, particularly those in higher World Tiers, drop large sums of gold along with loot.

 

Helltide Chests: These special events yield gold-rich caches and valuable loot.

 

Whispering Tree Rewards: Completing Grim Favors and collecting rewards often grants large amounts of gold.

 

Sell Unwanted Gear: Salvage rare gear for materials, but sell magic or normal items to vendors for quick cash. You can also buy Diablo 4 Gold directly.

 

Gold may seem plentiful at first, but by level 70+, enchanting and upgrading gear can burn through millions. Always keep a gold reserve for late-game optimization.

 

Murmuring Obols - Gambling Currency

Murmuring Obols are a special currency earned by completing world events. They are exchanged at the Purveyor of Curiosities vendor for a chance to obtain rare or even legendary items. Essentially, this is Diablo 4's "gambling" system, offering a way to target specific gear slots.

 

How to Obtain Obols

World Events: Completing orange-circle events scattered across Sanctuary is the main source of Obols.

 

Whispering Tree Rewards: Some caches also contain Obols.

 

Legion Events: These large-scale public battles provide hundreds of Obols per completion.

 

How to Spend Obols

Purveyor of Curiosities: Found in every major town, this vendor offers unidentified gear for Obols. Choose a category (weapons, armor, jewelry) and roll for loot.

 

Whispering Keys: You can also purchase keys here to open Silent Chests hidden in the open world.

 

Obols are capped (initially at 500, upgradable via Renown), so spend them regularly to avoid wasting potential gains.

 

Crafting and Upgrade Materials

Crafting materials are vital to improving gear power and socketing gems. There are multiple tiers of materials tied to item rarity and World Tier level. You'll spend a lot of time farming and managing them as you progress toward endgame.

 

Ore Materials

Used primarily for upgrading weapons and armor at the Blacksmith.

 

Iron Chunks: Found in lower-level zones and used for early upgrades.

 

Silver Ore: Commonly obtained from mining nodes and salvaging rare items in mid-level areas.

 

Scattered Prism: A rare drop from elite monsters and world bosses, used for adding sockets to gear.

 

Veiled Crystals: Gained from salvaging rare or legendary items. Required for high-tier upgrades and enchanting at the Occultist.

 

Farming Tip: Run dungeons or repeat Helltide events where elite monsters spawn frequently. Salvage unwanted legendary gear for a steady supply of Veiled Crystals.

 

Monster Parts and Reagents

Dropped by specific monster types, these materials are used for crafting elixirs and upgrading potions at the Alchemist.

 

Gallowvine: A universal herb found in every region, used in most Alchemist recipes.

 

Biteberry: Found in the Fractured Peaks and used for defensive elixirs.

 

Reddamine: Grows in the Dry Steppes, used in offensive or resistance elixirs.

 

Blightshade: Found in Hawezar, essential for poison and shadow resistance elixirs.

 

Howler Moss: Found in Scosglen, often tied to elixirs that boost critical chance or resource generation.

 

Crushed Beast Bones: Dropped by beasts and used for potion upgrades.

 

Forgotten Souls: A rare resource obtained from Helltide events and used for legendary upgrades.

 

Farming Tip: Always harvest herbs and ores as you travel - they respawn frequently. Save crafting materials for late-game recipes and higher-tier potion upgrades.

 

Helltide and Endgame Materials

Once you reach World Tier 3 (Nightmare), Helltides become one of the most rewarding events for farming rare materials. During these demonic storms, monsters drop Cinders, a temporary currency used to open special Helltide Chests. These chests can contain Forgotten Souls, Fiend Roses, and high-level loot.

 

Fiend Rose: A rare herb only found in Helltides, used for high-tier enchanting.

 

Forgotten Soul: Dropped from Helltide monsters and chests, necessary for rerolling legendary affixes.

 

Aberrant Cinders: Temporary Helltide currency lost upon death-use them before the event ends.

 

Farming Tip: Run Helltides regularly on higher World Tiers to stockpile materials for legendary crafting. Avoid dying, as Cinders are lost upon death.

 

Occultist and Enchanting Materials

The Occultist plays a central role in customizing your endgame build. Rerolling affixes or imprinting Aspects consumes a mix of Veiled Crystals, Forgotten Souls, and Fiend Roses, depending on the item's rarity.

 

Other Specialized Currencies

 

Whispers of the Dead (Grim Favors)

Earned from completing "Tree of Whispers" activities, these favors can be exchanged for caches of gold, crafting materials, or gear. The Tree system acts as a rotating quest hub, encouraging exploration across different regions.

 

Sigil Powder

Obtained by salvaging Nightmare Sigils at the Occultist. Used to craft higher-tier Sigils, which open Nightmare Dungeons with specific modifiers and increased rewards.

 

Red Dust (PvP)

In the Fields of Hatred, you collect Seeds of Hatred, which must be purified at altars to convert into Red Dust. Red Dust is a PvP currency used to purchase cosmetics and unique items from the PvP vendors.

 

Efficient Farming Strategies

To make the most of your time, it's important to combine activities that yield multiple currencies and materials simultaneously. Here are some proven routes and methods:

 

Rotate Between World Events and Dungeons:

Running a loop between local events grants Obols while dungeons yield gold, gear, and materials. Salvage unneeded gear afterward.

 

Run Helltides Frequently:

These events are the best sources of Forgotten Souls and Fiend Roses. Stock up whenever they appear.

 

Focus on Nightmare Dungeons in World Tier 4:

High-level dungeons drop vast quantities of gold and Veiled Crystals while giving Sigils to recycle for more runs.

 

Sell Instead of Salvage Early On:

Gold can be tight in early levels. Prioritize selling magic and rare items until you reach higher tiers where crafting dominates.

 

Conclusion

Currencies and materials in Diablo 4 form the invisible scaffolding behind every successful character build. From the humble Iron Chunk to the elusive Fiend Rose, every resource you gather plays a role in shaping your power. Efficient management and farming strategies can save you countless hours and millions of gold as you refine your gear, optimize affixes, and chase that perfect legendary drop.

 

Whether you're pushing Nightmare Dungeons, battling through Helltides, or simply grinding world events for Obols, understanding how each currency and material fits into the broader economy of Sanctuary will make you a far more effective Nephalem. Keep your stash organized, your gold flowing, and your potions upgraded - because in Diablo 4, mastery over materials is mastery over destiny itself.