Choose a category There are 9 main categories for Diablo 3 speedruns. The Any% categories require you to complete act 1-5 in campaign mode as fast as possible but there are also categories focused on fast leveling or killing all bosses (usually played in adventure mode).

The main categories are:

• Any% NG (with all 7 classes as subcategories)
• Any% NG+ (with all 7 classes as subcategories)
• Any% co-op, NG
• Any% co-op, NG+
• Level 1 to 70, NG
• Level 1 to 70, NG+
• Any% Console, NG (with all 7 classes as subcategories)
• Any% Console, NG+ (with all 7 classes as subcategories)
• Boss Rush (with all 7 classes as subcategories), NG only

Difference between NG and NG+ NG stands for "New Game". These speedruns require the creation of a new character and you're not allowed to use paragon points, stash, jeweler, blacksmith, mystic or vendors. In NG+ runs, you use an existing character with any build and all of your paragon points (with a restriction in the Level 1 to 70 category). For these reasons, NG runs are longer than NG+ runs but you don't have to spend hours/days creating a build first.

Rules Each category has its own set of rules. It's important that you read and understand these rules before you start running. Check up on them every now and then, as changes do happen (the latest change disallowed seasonal characters). This is especially important when new patch notes are announced.

Recommendations before you start speedrunning It is highly recommended that you watch a speedrun in the category you want to run before you make your first attempt. If you have any questions, feel free to join the discord channel or ask in the forum (the discord channel is way more active though). Do also check out the guides in the Guides section.

PC options If you're running on PC, you want to have the following options enabled:

• "Automatically Skip All Cut Scenes" found in the Gameplay tab.
• "Close All Open Windows" assigned (e.g. to the mousewheel) in the Key Bindings tab. Spam this key whenever anyone is talking to skip the conversation.
• Install Diablo 3 on your PC's Solid State Drive (SSD) if it has one, as you can win several seconds from reduced loading times (credit goes to Garfm for these suggestions).

From here, the rest of this guide mainly applies to the any% categories (campaign mode)

How to get started If you've watched a speedrun and checked out the guides, it is up to you now whether you want to practice a bit before running or just dive in headfirst and complete a run. If you want to practice, there are three things I would recommend you to know about regardless of category: 1) Class strategies and benefits, 2) map layouts and 3) skips and pitfalls. Just keep reading.

The classes The most important difference between the classes is whether or not the class has an ability to "skip through walls" like the monk's Dashing Strike or the wizard's Teleport. Most skips and shortcuts rely on these abilities so you need to know how to utilize the skill optimally if it's a part of your build.

Builds To my knowledge, there currently is no complete list with up-to-date builds for NG or NG+ runs. Builds may also vary depending on the player's preferences. For NG builds, you can always watch a speedrun and pay attention to skills selected during the run. For NG+ runs (PC), I always show the build I used after talking to Tyrael. For alternative NG+ builds, Garfm has some links listed here.

The maps Most maps are randomly generated but it is way less random than many new speedrunners or casual players think. Each map has a limited set of "map tiles" they can be generated from and there's usually a pattern in how these map tiles get connected. As an example, in many maps the tiles form a loop you need to pass and if you during a run can identify that you've entered the loop, it gets easier to spot paths that will take you out of the loop again and proceed in the dungeon.

Best maps to learn for new speedrunners Some maps have "static borders" meaning that the outline will always be the same while the content inside varies. These maps include Fields of Misery, Dahlgur Oasis and Desolate Sands and the trick to all of them is to follow a specific path. The dungeon(s) you need to find in these maps can only spawn in a limited set of areas and when you know this, there is no need to check the parts of the map, where the dungeon(s) can never spawn. A map guide can be found in the Guides section and it describes the 9 maps new players should learn.

Skips and pitfalls The skips you need to learn and the pitfalls to look out for depend on which category (and class) you chose. For example, in NG runs you need to know about the "Haedrig level up trick" and for classes with wall skip abilities, you need to know how to skip the cultist battle in Leoric's Manor. Check out the guides in the Guides section and watch a speedrun of the category you want to run.

Console skips On consoles, you need to manually skip cutscenes and there is no button to skip conversations. It is possible to somewhat skip many conversations, if you move your character out of the "talking area". Do note though that this is not always faster than listening to the conversation. The fastest language to use has yet to be determined.

How difficult is it to speedrun Diablo 3? (My personal opinion) A new runner could get incredibly lucky with the maps and get a great run without much practice but it is highly unlikely. To consistently get good times, you need to practice each map and the classes you want to play and due to the randomness, you also need to be persistent. Whether you find NG or NG+ runs more difficult is personal but in my experience, the console version is a bit harder compared to PC due to the controls and the limited view. The technically most difficult (single-player) run I've tried is Monk NG+ on PC as it's so fast that it's extremely difficult to control (ironically, the speed also makes this the class I would recommend to casual players wanting to complete the Sprinter conquest).

Good luck, runners!