Can You Change Legendary Aspects in Diablo 4? A Comprehensive Guide
The question of whether you can change Legendary Aspects in Diablo 4 is a common one, and the answer is nuanced. Yes, you can change the Legendary Aspect on a piece of gear, but not in the way you might initially expect. You can’t directly modify an existing aspect’s effect or its numerical value on a Legendary item itself. Instead, you replace it with a new one using the game’s Aspect Imprinting system. Let’s delve into the mechanics of this process and address all the related questions you may have about Aspects in Diablo 4.
Understanding Diablo 4 Aspects
Before exploring how to change aspects, it’s crucial to understand what they are and how they function. Aspects are special modifiers that grant powerful abilities or stat enhancements. They come in two main forms:
- Codex of Power Aspects: These are unlocked by completing specific dungeons and are a permanent resource in your account. They can be applied to any compatible piece of gear, unlimited times, as long as you have the required materials. Codex Aspects are generally found at set values.
- Extracted Aspects: Found on Legendary items, these Aspects can be extracted at the Occultist and applied to another piece of gear. These aspects come with varied numerical values, so a lucky roll can give you a much better Aspect than a Codex version. Once extracted, these Aspects are destroyed, making them a finite resource.
How to Change Legendary Aspects
The core mechanic for changing aspects involves two steps: Extraction and Imprinting.
- Extraction: If you find a Legendary item with an Aspect you desire, you can visit the Occultist to extract the Aspect. This process destroys the original Legendary item, and you’ll gain the Aspect as a single-use consumable.
- Imprinting: With the extracted aspect, you can now imprint it onto a new piece of Rare or Legendary gear at the Occultist. Imprinting on a rare item transforms it into a Legendary, while imprinting on a Legendary will overwrite its existing aspect with the new one.
Crucially, you’re not directly altering the original Aspect; you’re replacing it. Therefore, if you want to swap back to the previous Aspect, you’d need to find another source of that Aspect.
Why Change Aspects?
There are several reasons to change Legendary Aspects
- Build Optimization: You might find a better Aspect that better complements your build.
- Improved Rolls: Extracted Aspects on legendary gear can come with variable numerical values. So, if you have a low roll of a certain aspect, you would want to extract a higher roll and imprint it to get more benefit from that aspect.
- Adaptability: The meta and your character’s requirements may change as you progress and explore more of the endgame.
Considerations When Changing Aspects
- Cost: Imprinting and Extraction both cost gold and crafting materials like Veiled Crystals and, in some cases, rarer resources like Fiend Roses.
- One-Time Use: Extracted Aspects are destroyed after being applied once.
- Codex Aspects as Reliable Basics: Codex Aspects, though typically at lower rolls, provide a reliable way to apply specific effects, and are a free resource as long as you have the required materials.
- Rerolls are not Aspect Changes: Remember that re-rolling passives on Legendary gear costs gold, Veiled Crystals, and very rare Fiend Roses. This process changes other stats, and is completely different from changing aspects, but still takes place at the Occultist.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Legendary Aspects in Diablo 4
Here are 15 frequently asked questions to provide a more in-depth understanding of Diablo 4 Aspects.
1. Can I remove an Aspect after imprinting it?
No, once an Aspect is imprinted onto an item, you cannot remove it. You would need to overwrite it with another Aspect by imprinting on top of it. The original Aspect is lost.
2. Can I re-roll the values of a Legendary Aspect?
No, you cannot directly re-roll the numerical values of a Legendary Aspect. The only way to get better values is to find another instance of that Aspect that has higher values and extract that.
3. Do Legendary Aspects stack?
No, Legendary Aspects do not stack. If you equip two items with the same aspect, only one will function. The redundant aspect on the second item will be grayed out, indicating it provides no benefit.
4. Can I use Codex of Power Aspects indefinitely?
Yes, Codex of Power Aspects are available indefinitely after being unlocked. As long as you have the required materials, you can imprint these as many times as you want.
5. Can you imprint Aspects on any gear?
No, Aspects have specific item type requirements. For example, some aspects can only be applied to weapons, while others are limited to armor pieces. Also, they have class restrictions, meaning that you cannot use a Barbarian aspect on a Sorcerer for example.
6. What happens if I imprint a Legendary with another Aspect?
If you imprint a Legendary item with a new Aspect, you overwrite the existing Aspect with the new one. The original Aspect is lost, so be sure you no longer need it.
7. Should I extract or salvage Legendary gear?
If you see a Legendary with a high roll Aspect that’s very useful for your build, you should extract it. If the Aspect is weak, you should salvage the item for crafting materials.
8. Can you salvage Legendary items with imprinted aspects?
Yes, you can salvage Legendary items, including those with imprinted Aspects. Salvaging destroys the gear but returns crafting materials. The imprinted Aspect is also lost.
9. Can I use the same extracted aspect more than once?
No, extracted Aspects are destroyed upon use. You can only use an extracted Aspect one time.
10. How rare are Fiend Roses in Diablo 4?
Fiend Roses are very rare, and they’re used for re-rolling stats, not changing aspects. Be cautious when re-rolling stats because they’re a very finite resource.
11. Do item power levels affect Aspects?
While Item Power Level affects the gear itself, the numerical value of an Aspect is independent of it. For extracted aspects, the roll of the aspect is determined when the item drops.
12. When should I start imprinting Aspects?
It is generally a good idea to start imprinting aspects as soon as you find an aspect with a decent roll that complements your build. You will likely find better gear eventually, but it’s more important to push your power forward so that you can efficiently farm and acquire better gear.
13. Can I change the effect of a legendary power?
No, the effect of a Legendary Power is fixed. Upgrading a legendary item only increases its base stats, not the power’s effect. The only way to change the power is to imprint an item with another Aspect, effectively replacing it.
14. What is the highest Item Power Level possible in Diablo 4?
The highest observed Item Power Level (IP) in Diablo 4 so far has been 870, achieved by upgrading an 845 Item Power level weapon.
15. What should I do with useless Legendary Items?
You have two options for useless Legendary items: sell them for gold or salvage them for crafting materials. Salvaging is often the better choice because crafting materials are crucial for upgrading your equipment.
Conclusion
Changing Legendary Aspects in Diablo 4 is a fundamental part of optimizing your build. While you can’t directly modify an existing Aspect, the system of extracting and imprinting gives you a flexible way to customize your gear with powerful effects. Understanding this process and the related costs and restrictions will help you make the most of your Aspect progression and equip your character to face the challenges of Sanctuary. Remember to balance your use of finite resources, and make the most of your Codex Aspects and the variable rolls from extracted ones!