Waking Nightmares: the Three Types and Where You Swap Splinters
Waking Nightmares are not one place but three differently sized encounters, and only the largest lets you swap your Splinter of Evil. This patch 3.2.1 guide covers the distinctions Blizzard states explicitly and how you reach each one. Specific entrances and reward amounts are not published, so they are not listed here.
There are three. The largest is a multi-level Capstone-type dungeon with a fixed difficulty, available as a pinnacle Capstone at Torment 10 and above. The second is a standard-length dungeon with fixed locations, like any normal dungeon. The third and smallest appears suddenly in the open world as a single room. To change which Splinter of Evil you carry, go to the largest type.
The Three Types
3Largest: multi-level Capstone-type dungeon
A multi-level dungeon recreating historic showdowns with the Prime Evils. You first meet these in the Seasonal Questline, then replay them for rewards on Torment levels. Like all Capstones, the difficulty level is fixed.
Middle: standard-length dungeon
Appears as a standard-length dungeon recreating familiar moments from Diablo's past, such as the Den of Evil from Diablo II. These have fixed locations across the world, just like normal dungeons.
Smallest: a single room in the open world
Appears suddenly in the open world. It is a one-room encounter with a past boss such as the giant spider Queen Araneae, or waves of memorable monsters such as dagger-wielding Flayers.
What Only the Largest One Does
3It is where you swap Splinters of Evil
You can only bear one Splinter of Evil at a time, but you can change it. To pick a different Prime Evil's reputation track and rewards, you acquire another Splinter from the largest Waking Nightmares. The mid-size and one-room versions do not offer this.
Fixed difficulty, not adjustable
Like all Capstones, the difficulty level is fixed. You cannot lower it to push through when your gear is not ready.
A pinnacle version opens at Torment 10+
At Torment 10 and above these become available as pinnacle Capstones. Blizzard describes them as carrying greater risk for bigger loot. The specific rewards are not published.
How to Reach Each One
3Largest: you pass through it in the Seasonal Questline
No searching required. Progressing the Seasonal Questline produces the first encounter, and replays open up afterwards.
Middle: look for fixed map locations
These behave like normal dungeons, so once you find one the location does not move. Enter from the dungeon markers on the map.
Smallest: encounter it while out in the world
This type appears suddenly, so it is not something you travel to. Treat it as something you enter when you come across it while farming. Blizzard has not published how often they spawn.
What This Page Does Not Cover Yet
4Blizzard describes the three types but not the entrances, spawn rates or reward amounts. Rather than guessing, the items below are held back until they can be confirmed in game.
- The specific entrances. Blizzard states only that the locations are fixed, without naming regions or coordinates.
- How often the open-world version spawns, and under what conditions.
- Reward amounts per Torment level and how the three types compare. Farming priority cannot be decided without this.
- The full list of bosses in the largest version and how to handle each.
Common Mistakes
4- Trying to swap Splinters at the one-room or mid-size version. Only the largest one offers that.
- Trying to lower the difficulty to clear the largest version. It is a Capstone, so the difficulty is fixed.
- Going looking for the open-world version. It appears suddenly, so travelling to a spot does not help.
- Treating Waking Nightmares and Soul Splinters as the same subject. The former is an activity; the latter are gems you slot into jewelry.
Confirmed in Patch 3.2.1
6- Waking Nightmares are provided as three types of encounters.
- The largest are multi-level Capstone-type dungeons with a fixed difficulty level.
- At Torment 10 and above they are available as pinnacle Capstones.
- The second type is a standard-length dungeon with fixed locations.
- The third type is a one-room encounter appearing suddenly in the open world.
- Swapping your Splinter of Evil happens at the largest Waking Nightmares.
Related Guides
4Season 15 Overview
How to start the season, the questline, and what to do first.
How to Choose and Switch Splinters of Evil
Activity mapping for Terror, Destruction and Hatred, and the switching rules.
All Eight Soul Splinters and How Fusion Works
The jewelry gems, a separate system from Waking Nightmares.
Difficulty and Torment
How Torment levels work and what it takes to reach Torment 10.