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Choosing Professions
By admin | August 12, 2009
Each character can have their choice of two main skills. You can give up a skill and start a new one at any time but you can only have two at any given time. Many people wonder about what professions they should choose. This is a common question for a newbie to ask. Often we get asked what profession is best for a certain race, gender, etc. In all honesty, they are all good.
Technically, it is up to you what professions you choose. You can be anything you want to be and it is all a matter of personal preference and also what objectives and goals you have as a player. Some people may choose something that will make money, or something that will accent their guild or maybe just something that sounds interesting to them.
While it’s really all up to you to decide, there are some skills that complement each other. For example, if you want to take up leatherworking, you should probably choose skinning as your other profession so that you can have the leather you need for leatherworking. Herbalism and Alchemy tend to go together in the same way.
There are some skills that really do not need another skill to complement them such as tailoring. A good idea for tailors is to choose a gathering skill or something that will help them make money (especially since tailoring can get expensive in higher levels). A tailor might choose mining or herbalism to gain money.
There are also skills that cost more to get started and gathering skills (such as herbalism and skinning) can make you money just by saving stuff you pick up. So it’s really up to you and what you are hoping to achieve by your skills.
Main Skills
Below is a list of all the main skills and a description of each one. You must learn your skills from trainers that are located in various cities over the world. Typically you will find the original trainers in the first town you come to after the one your character starts out in. However, this may vary.
As your skills move up in level, you will have to return to trainers and search for higher level trainers in different cities.
Alchemy
Alchemy is the process of mixing ingredients to make potions. These nifty little concoctions can be used for many different things such as healing and mana potions as well as potions to as swiftness, stamina, rage and much more. As you move up the alchemy ladder, you will begin creating potions that other players will pay quite a bit of money for. Tools are not required for alchemy but keep in mind you do have to purchase vials.
Thotbot has a list of all the alchemy information here: http://www.thottbot.com/?t=Alchemy
Blacksmithing
Blacksmithing is one of the most popular crafting professions. You get to create mail and plate armor as well as really cool weapons. Pretty much anyone can use a blacksmith for something or another even if they are a class that can not wear mail or plate. As you move up into your blacksmithing skills, you can also use cloth, jewels and other items in your creations.
Find Thotbot info on blacksmithing here: http://www.thottbot.com/?t=Blacksmithing
Enchanting
This is a very easy skill but the downside is that it is very expensive to learn. Some players suggest you do not choose this for a new character. It is better if you already have an established character you can use to help fund your enchanter or to already be a higher level before taking on enchanting. You get your supplies by disenchanting magical items of worth. People love having their items enchanted and they will pay good money for it so once you get your skills up there, it can really pay off for you.
Thotbot info: http://www.thottbot.com/?t=Enchanting
Engineering
Engineering can be another fun profession. If you like toys, gadgets and other thinga-ma-bobs than this is the profession for you! Engineers use lots of stone and ore so if you choose to mine along with this profession, you will get through it fast. Or you might have an alt that is a miner or someone in your guild that will help supply you. You can make guns, bombs, pets, exploding animals, goggles, telescopes and much more.
Thotbot: http://www.thottbot.com/?t=Engineering
Herbalism
Herbalism is a gathering skill. You do not need to make anything to use this profession. You simply go out there and get the items. By getting herbs, you supply other professions with the items they need to level their skills. When you become a higher level or find rare herbs, people will pay quite nicely for them, especially since there is often no other way for them to get the item they want.
Thotbot: http://www.thottbot.com/?t=Herbalism
Inscription
The Inscription profession, introduced just before the Wrath of the Lich King expansion, allows players to augment spells. Inscriptors create Glyphs that can be applied to a player’s spellbook. A player can add up to six glyphs: one major and one minor at level 15 to three major and three minor at level 80.
The associated Milling skill allows Inscriptors to produce reagents (pigments) from herbs similar to how the Prospecting sub-skill of Jewelcrafting works.
The glyphs created by Inscription can be sold at the Auction House, making Inscription a good source of revenue.
Jewelcrafting
Jewelcrafting was introduced in the WoW Burning Crusades expansion. Jewelcrafters make necklaces, rings, trinkets, and more. The primary focus of Jewelcrafting is gems that fit into socketed items. As with Enchanting, your gear must be jeweled fully, and correctly.
Gems come in various colors which give bonuses to attributes, hit, defense, and other facets of your character. The sockets gems fit into offer bonuses if the correct gem color is uses.
Mining is a great compliment to Jewelcrafting. The associated Prospecting skill allows a Jewelcrafter to cut gems recovered from mineral ores.
Leatherworking
Leatherworking is a fantastic skill to have as most of the classes need leather armor at some time throughout the game. The items that you learn to make will sell really well. Not to mention, you will always be wearing the best.
If you choose skinning as your second profession, you will be able to control your own resources as well as supply needed leather to tailors and other professions that sometimes need leather.
Thottbot: http://www.thottbot.com/?t=Leatherworking
Mining
Mining is another gathering skill. You will need a mining pick to begin and then you simply get out there and mine for something good. You begin with copper and move up through the ores as your levels increase. You can also get gems that other professions need.
Along with mining, you will also learn smelting which allows you to smelt your ores into bars which can also be sold. This is a good profession for an engineer to pick up because they will need the supplies. It is also a good option for someone like a tailor to pick up to make money to support their main profession.
Thotbot: http://www.thottbot.com/?t=Mining
Skinning
We have mentioned skinning previously. This is also a gathering skill and requires only a skinning knife. When you kill or approach skinnable kill that someone else has killed, you can skin it with your knife and pick up the leather.
This is a good second profession for a leatherworker who will need the leather or for someone looking for a gathering skill as a second profession.
Thotbot: http://www.thottbot.com/?t=Skinning
Tailoring
Tailors make cloth armor and this is another good profession to have. But that’s not all a tailor can do. They also make cloaks that can be worn by anyone and also bags. If you have played the game at all you know how popular bags are. We all need to carry our items and people will pay good money of you can make them bags that they need. This profession can get expensive as you move up in levels so many tailors choose a gathering skill to help offset that.
Thotbot: http://www.thottbot.com/?t=Tailoring
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