Diablo 4 Patch 1.3.0a: Enhancements to Seneschal and Quality-of-Life Adjustments

Key Takeaways

• Echo of Malphas raised to level 100 (from 85) with a 30% health increase; Igneous Cores now exclusively summon it, freeing Pearls of Warding for Zoltun's Warding.
• Unique Stone drop rate from Malphas doubled from 0.25% to 0.5%, plus a new 3% chest drop after the kill.
• Governing and Tuning Stone crafting standardized to 200 Shattered Stones + 20 Iron Chunks at any level; stones now also drop from Whispers.
• Zoltun's Warding: each Pearl of Warding grants 10 stacks (was 3); maximum cap raised from 300 to 999 stacks.
• Heralds of Malphas guarantee a Legendary item at level 26+; Vault completion chests add a 35% chance for a second Legendary.
• Elemental Dart projectile speed reduced 20%; floor-trap and pillar hitboxes trimmed roughly 15%.

Patch 1.3.0a addressed each of these areas in detail, starting with the Echo of Malphas encounter.

Season 3 Feedback and Patch 1.3.0a

Patch 1.3.0a for Diablo 4 Season 3 launched within the first week of the Construct season's release, driven by community feedback on three areas: the Seneschal Construct's power at lower levels, the friction of spending Pearls of Warding on both Vault protection and Echo of Malphas access, and the difficulty of Vault traversal. A follow-up patch, 1.3.1, was already in development and released the following week with additional balance changes based on further Season 3 feedback.

Echo of Malphas Enhancements

The Echo of Malphas encounter was rebuilt around a new summoning item: Igneous Cores. Previously, players chose between spending Pearls of Warding on Zoltun's Warding (Vault trap protection) or saving them to access Malphas. Igneous Cores now exclusively gate the boss fight, eliminating the conflict.

The boss became harder in exchange for better rewards:

• Level raised from 85 to 100.
• Health pool increased by 30%.
• Igneous Cores drop from Vault Heralds, with a guaranteed drop from Son of Malphas on the highest difficulty tier.

Loot improved alongside the difficulty. Unique Stone drops from Malphas doubled from 0.25% to 0.5%, with a new 3% chest drop chance after the kill. Defeating Malphas now also awards more Legendary items overall, skewed toward item level 925.

Seneschal Companion Upgrades

The Seneschal Construct underperformed at lower levels because players lacked enough Governing and Tuning Stones to level it up. Patch 1.3.0a addressed this across multiple drop and craft sources:

• Stone crafting cost fixed at 200 Shattered Stones + 20 Iron Chunks at any level.
• Discovering a max-level stone now yields 150-200 Shattered Stones as compensation.
• Governing and Tuning Stones now drop from completed Whispers.
• Son of Malphas always drops 2-3 stones.
• Seneschal Stone Cache awards increased from 1 to 2 per cache.
• Stone experience requirements reduced for more natural leveling alongside your character.

Vault traversal received its own set of improvements aimed at reducing hazard frustration during Season 3.

Vaults and Arcane Tremors Quality-of-Life

Several hazard and reward changes hit all Vault layouts in Season 3:

• Pearl of Warding at a Zoltun Kulle statue now grants 10 stacks of Zoltun's Warding (was 3).
• Maximum stacks of Zoltun's Warding raised from 300 to 999.
• Grace period for simultaneous trap hits extended from 1 second to 1.5 seconds: 3 darts landing within 1.5 seconds drain only 1 stack instead of 3.
• Heralds of Malphas guarantee a Legendary item drop starting at level 26, with a 15% chance for a second Legendary.
• Knockback removed from all Obelisk Hazards in Vaults.
• Vault completion chests drop a guaranteed Legendary from level 26+, with a 35% chance for an additional one.
• Elemental Dart projectile speed reduced by 20%.
• Floor-based Elemental Grate and Spike hitboxes reduced roughly 15%; Elemental Pillar spout hitboxes also reduced roughly 15%.

Alongside the gameplay changes, Patch 1.3.0a resolved several display and interaction bugs.

Bug Fixes

Patch 1.3.0a also addressed several stability and display issues:

• Gatehall not appearing on the map for PlayStation players: resolved.
• Brazier interaction failing during the Drums of the Vault quest: fixed.
• Beckoning Thunder Horse cosmetic invisible for Druid players: corrected.
• Vault floor-trap damage and visual effects out of sync: resolved.

Season 3 Legendary Aspects went live alongside the patch, and Season 3 Unique items became available.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Diablo 4 Patch 1.3.0a change?

Patch 1.3.0a overhauled Echo of Malphas access with Igneous Cores, improved Seneschal leveling by adding Governing and Tuning Stone drop sources, and reduced Vault hazard difficulty with hitbox and projectile-speed reductions. It launched within the first week of Season 3 in response to community feedback.

What are Igneous Cores and how do I get them?

Igneous Cores are Season 3 items that exclusively summon the Echo of Malphas and open the Uber Vault, replacing Pearls of Warding for that role. They drop from Vault Heralds, with a guaranteed drop from Son of Malphas on the highest difficulty tier available in Season 3.

How do I level my Seneschal faster after Patch 1.3.0a?

Run Whispers — Governing and Tuning Stones now drop as Whisper rewards. Kill Son of Malphas for a guaranteed 2-3 stone drop each run. Craft stones via the flat-cost recipe (200 Shattered Stones + 20 Iron Chunks) when short. Stone Cache rewards also doubled from 1 to 2 per cache.

How does Zoltun's Warding work after Patch 1.3.0a?

Each Pearl of Warding spent at a Zoltun Kulle statue now grants 10 stacks (up from 3), with the maximum cap raised to 999 stacks. The 1.5-second grace window also means simultaneous trap hits drain only 1 stack instead of one per projectile, so dense trap rooms are significantly more survivable.

How hard is Echo of Malphas after the Patch 1.3.0a buff?

Substantially harder: the boss moved from level 85 to level 100, and its health pool grew by 30%. Blizzard paired this with improved loot; Unique Stone drop rate doubled to 0.5%, plus a new 3% chest drop after the kill, and more frequent item level 925 Legendary drops.

What Unique Stones drop from Malphas in Season 3?

Malphas drops Unique Stones at a 0.5% rate after Patch 1.3.0a (doubled from 0.25%), with an additional 3% chance from the post-kill chest. These stones were a key resource for advancing the Seneschal Construct upgrade path in Season 3.

Is Diablo 4 Season 3 still available?

Season 3 (The Construct) and its features, including the Seneschal Construct, Vaults, Arcane Tremors, and Echo of Malphas, concluded when Season 4 launched. The Patch 1.3.0a changes described here are archived season content. Current season information is available on the Browse the current Diablo 4 season.

Last reviewed 2026-06-13 against Diablo 4 Season 3 Patch 1.3.0a — Maintained by WowCarry’s Diablo 4 team.