Act 1:
Keep an eye out for B-B-B links and one B-R link
Optionally look for a single B-B-G link
Pick up sapphire rings for merveil and wand vendor recipe
(can also pick up iron rings for the sapphire ring vendor recipe)
Sell Armourer Scraps and Blacksmith's Whetstones for Wisdom Scrolls
Sell magic items unidentified for transmutation shards
Sell rare items identified for alteration shards
Kill Hillock in the Twilight Strand
Enter Town - Grab Freezing Pulse, link with Arcane Surge
(Buy a second Arcane Surge, keep both Arcange Surges at level 1)
Mentally Prepare yourself to die 10 times to Rhoas, because GGG overtuned Act 1 and all the rares have frostweaver.
Unlock the Submerged Passage Waypoint
Kill Hailrake in the Tidal Island
Enter Town - Grab Flame Wall & Frost Blink, link together with the second Arcane Surge
Grab Holy Flame Totem & Summon Phantasm, link together
Grab Volley (optional), link with Freezing Pulse & Arcane Surge
Unlock the Prison waypoint
Enter Town - Grab Added Lightning Damage, link with Freezing Pulse & Arcane Surge (Or Volley)
Grab a second Added Lightning Damage (optional), link with Holy Flame Totem & Phantasmal Support
Kill Brutus in The Prison
Enter Town - Grab Clarity
Grab Flame Dash to replace Frost Blink, link with Flame Wall & Arcane Surge
Grab Vitality (optional, can be difficult to meet strength requirements)
Unlock the Cavern of Wrath waypoint
Enter Town - Do vendor recipe for flat added cold wands. (magic/blue wand + sapphire ring + alteration orb | Note: the wand will retain socket links and colors)q
(If you don't have sapphire rings you can vendor 1 blue gem + 1 iron ring to obtain a sapphire ring)
Kill Merveil in Merveil's Caverns
Act 2:
Pick up Topaz rings for vaal overseer and wand vendor recipe
(can also pick up iron rings for the topaz ring vendor recipe)
Kill all Bandits
Kill Fidelitas in the Chambers of Sins
Enter Town - Grab Herald of Thunder
Grab Herald of Ice (optional, can be difficult to obtain dexterity requirements)
Kill The Weaver in The Weaver's Chambers
Enter Town - Grab Controlled Destruction, link with Freezing Pulse & Added Lightning Damage
Grab a second Controlled Destruction, link with Holy Flame Totem & Added Lightning Damage
Unlock the Caverns waypoint
Enter Town - Do the vendor recipe for flat added wands if you haven't yet, using a magic/blue or rare/yellow ring.
Kill the Vaal Oversoul in the Ancient Pyramids (The Caverns)
Act 3:
Save all 4-links in your stash, you never know when you might need one.
Keep an eye out for:
B-B-B-R (For Freezing Pulse)
B-B-B-R (For Holy Flame Totem)
Fight Piety in the Crematorium
Enter Town - Grab Elemental Weakness
Help Siosa in the Library:
Grab Blade Blast and Chance to Poison (Start leveling in your offhand)
Grab Inspiration, link with Freezing Pulse, Added Lightning Damage, & Controlled Destruction
Grab Physical to Lightning (optional, as you will be replacing totems in act 4), link with Holy Flame Totem, Added Lightning Damage, & Controlled Destruction
Grab Molten Shell
Grab Determination (optional, since you'll probably need to drop your heralds to run this)
Ac 4:
Keep an eye out for
B-B-G-G (Blade Blast)
B-B-B-G (Bladefall)
Complete both Kaom and Daresso's Dreams & Help Dialla activate the Cannon unlocking Belly of the Beast. (Might be after killing piety, but I think next gems unlocks before)
Return to Nessa in Act 1
Grab Unbound Ailments
Return to Yeena in Act 2
Grab Faster Casting
Grab Herald of Purity (optional, use this to replace your elemental herald, but again you won't be able to run this with determination)
Return to Siosa at the Library in Act 3
Grab Bladefall
Grab Spell Cascade
Grab Herald of Agony (optional, use this to replace your elemental herald, but again you won't be able to run this with determination)
Return to Petarus and Vanja in Act 4
Grab Increased Area of Effect, link with Blade Blast, Chance to Poison, and Unbound Ailments
Grab Unleash, link with Bladefall (level 1), Spell Cascade (level 1), & Faster Casting