Waking Nightmares can normally be entered directly from their locations around Sanctuary, but Season 15 also introduces Chronicles of Nightmares that can modify these seasonal dungeons.
These Rare Nightmare Sigils work similarly to regular Nightmare Dungeon Sigils, opening one of the standard Waking Nightmares with additional dungeon affixes applied to the run.
Chronicles are also required for the Vessel of Horrors Season Rank challenge, making them something you will eventually need as you progress through the season.
What is a Chronicle of Nightmares?
A Chronicle of Nightmares is a seasonal Nightmare Sigil that can be used to open and modify one of the standard Waking Nightmares found throughout Sanctuary.
Each Chronicle is tied to a particular Waking Nightmare and can roll with different dungeon affixes, changing the enemies, rewards, or other conditions encountered during the run.
Unlike normal Nightmare Sigils, Chronicles recreate locations and encounters from previous Diablo games as part of Season 15’s Waking Nightmare system.
How To Get Chronicles of Nightmares?
Chronicles of Nightmares can be obtained as Rare Dungeon Keys, with each one corresponding to one of the nine standard Waking Nightmares.
One way we have obtained Chronicles is by completing Random Waking Nightmares, also known as Popup Waking Nightmares, which can appear unexpectedly while exploring Sanctuary.
These include encounters such as Stormpoint, Flayer Jungle, and Pandemonium Fortress, with Chronicles having a chance to drop among their rewards.
How To Use a Chronicle of Nightmares?
Open your inventory and use the Chronicle in the same way you would activate a Nightmare Sigil, which will modify and open the Waking Nightmare named on the item.
You can then travel to the marked dungeon and complete its normal objectives while dealing with any additional affixes applied by the Chronicle.
The item is consumed when activated, so another Chronicle will be required if you want to modify a different Waking Nightmare afterward.
Chronicle of Nightmares Affixes
Chronicles can roll with two random dungeon affixes, allowing repeated runs of the same Waking Nightmare to have different enemies, bonuses, or additional encounters.
The current affix pool includes effects involving Empowered Elites, additional treasure, materials, Shrines, Treasure Goblins, and other changes to the dungeon.
One particularly interesting affix can cause the Echo of Pindleskin to appear, providing another potential encounter while completing the modified Waking Nightmare.
Waking Nightmares That Use Chronicles
Chronicles of Nightmares can be used with the nine standard Waking Nightmares that we previously covered throughout Sanctuary.
- Diablo – Halls of the Blind
- Diablo – Unholy Altar
- Diablo II – Den of Evil
- Diablo II – Crystalline Passage
- Diablo II – Tal Rasha’s Tomb
- Diablo II – Forgotten Tower
- Diablo Hellfire – Lester’s Farm
- Diablo Immortal – Horadric Library
- Diablo III – The Scouring of Caldeum
- Chronicle of Nightmares Season Rank Challenge
The Vessel of Horrors challenge appears during Season Rank IV and requires you to collect a Chronicle of Nightmares alongside several other seasonal objectives.
You must also use Chronicles of Nightmares to modify and complete three Waking Nightmares, meaning simply entering their normal versions from the map will not satisfy this part of the challenge.
This makes it worth holding onto any Chronicles you obtain while progressing toward Season Rank IV instead of ignoring them as another Dungeon Key.
Best Chronicle of Nightmares To Use
Since Chronicles can open any of the nine standard Waking Nightmares, shorter dungeons are generally preferable when your main goal is completing modified runs quickly.
From the Waking Nightmares we’ve tested, Halls of the Blind is one of our preferred options because its objective can be completed quickly once you know where to find the Optic Amulet.
However, the affixes rolled on your Chronicle can also make a particular run more rewarding, so it is worth checking them before deciding which Sigils you want to use.
Verdict
Chronicles of Nightmares allow you to turn Season 15’s standard Waking Nightmares into modified runs with additional dungeon affixes and potential rewards.
They are also required for Season Rank progression, with Vessel of Horrors asking you to collect a Chronicle and complete three Waking Nightmares modified by them.
Once you start finding Chronicles regularly, checking their dungeons and affixes can help you decide whether to prioritize a quick clear or a more rewarding run.
