Item level

Every item you find has an item level. It equals the level of the monster or area it dropped in, from 1 to 100. A monster at area level 90 drops item level 90 items.

What item level controls

• Which affix tiers can roll. Better tiers unlock at higher item levels (Affixes).
• Which bases can drop. A source usually drops the best tier whose base level is at or below the area level, and often the tier or two behind it (Bases and tiers).
• Sockets. An item can only hold 1 socket from item level 1, 2 from 10, 3 from 25 and 4 from 40 (Sockets).
• Glyph tiers, too: tier 2 glyphs from level 20, tier 3 from 40, tier 4 from 60 and tier 5 from 80 (Glyphs).

What it does not control. A unique item has fixed lines; its item level does not change its mods (Unique items).

Level requirement. Separately, you need a character level equal to the base item's level to equip it. A base labelled level 40 needs you to be level 40, whatever its item level. A runeword can raise the requirement to the level of its highest rune (Runewords).

Crafting keeps item level. Orbs reroll affixes but keep the item level. Items that never dropped (bought, quest rewards) take your character level the first time you craft them, capped at 100 (Crafting basics).

Examples. A rare helmet found at area level 20 can have only low-tier affixes. The same base found at 68 can roll top-tier life and resistances. In the atlas, higher map tiers have higher area levels (68 to 83 for the sixteen tiers), so they feed better items (Maps).

Boss and special sources. The four pinnacles drop at area level 85, and Voruun Hale at 86. Only Voruun Hale drops the highest base tier (Bases and tiers).

Related: Item rarity, Loot and corpses.