Chain Lightning Sorcerer is easily one of the smoothest ways to level in Season 11, mostly because the build just "clicks" from the moment you unlock it. The spell bounces through crowds without effort, works well in Helltides, and has enough early single-target power to carry you into the first Pits. With a clean route and a bit of prep, hitting level 60 in a few hours isn't unrealistic, especially with the new Sanctification changes speeding up early gearing Diablo 4 gold.

Four-affix legendaries and simpler Tempering make Vulnerable and mana sustain much easier to stack, and Crackling Energy does a lot of the cleanup work for free. Start on Normal, pick up your pet for automatic collection, and breeze through the Seasonal intro so you can grab the XP-orb elixirs. If you've already cleared the campaign before, you should be in World Tier 3 somewhere around the mid-20s.

The skill progression is straightforward. Open with Fire Bolt to start generating Crackling Energy, then switch to Chain Lightning at level 2 and start putting points there right away. Take Enhanced and Greater upgrades as soon as you can—they help pull enemies together so each bounce hits harder. Teleport comes in early for mobility, Firewall helps with bosses, and Ice Blades at 15 keeps Vulnerable active. Lightning Spear at 20 adds a little single-target control and extra hits for procs. Passives like Elemental Dominance, Glass Cannon, Devastation, and Shocking Impact round everything out so you never feel starved for mana and can stun tougher enemies when needed.

Gear during the first thirty levels is mostly about movement speed, +Chain Lightning ranks, and anything that boosts Intelligence or Vulnerable damage. Imprint Storm Swell and Recharging from the Codex as soon as they're available since both push Chain Lightning's consistency. Don't worry too much about perfect rolls this early—just salvage and re-upgrade every ten levels or so. Elixirs stack nicely with Incense once you can use both, and simple rune pairs like Bac and Xan generate enough extra lightning orbs to keep the pace up.

The fastest leveling path sticks to Helltides almost nonstop from level 1 through the 30s. Ride between events, clear elites for Cinders, and snag Tortured Gifts whenever you have the currency. If you're comfortable on Hard, you'll pull in more Cinders and XP quickly. Capstone 1 at around level 35 gets you into the higher tier, then you can dip into a few low-tier Nightmare Dungeons just to get your glyphs moving. Strongholds are worth doing when you pass by them—they give solid XP chunks and unlock more map utility.

By the mid-40s, you can mix Kurast Undercity with low-tier Pits on Penitent difficulty. Chain Lightning still one-shots most trash mobs, and bosses melt once Firewall and Ice Blades are rolling. After level 50, finish Capstone 2 for Torment access and start working through Pit tiers to upgrade glyphs past their early ranks. Whispers, Helltide commanders, and the standard seasonal bosses fill out your materials and aspects. When you find a good helm, Sanctify it around level 55. Storm Swell is a natural choice, so you can lock in reliable power before heading deeper into Torment difficulty.

Paragon at this stage naturally leans into boards that boost multi-hit damage and crit scaling. Destruction and similar lightning-aligned glyphs pair well with Chain Lightning's rapid hits. Barrier layering, Unstable Currents, and a bit of Fortify from tempered gear are usually enough to survive the more aggressive monsters in this season. Maiven is the safer merc pick thanks to her mana support and crowd control cheap d4 gear.

By the time you settle into the early Torment brackets, the build basically plays itself: Teleport in, spam Chain Lightning, collect orbs, apply Vulnerable with Ice Blades, and drop Firewall when something chunky steps in. With steady gear upgrades and a few Sanctified items, you'll be ready for Pit pushing and the late-season grind without needing to overhaul anything.