Professions and gold in WoW Forever
Quick answer
While leveling, take two gathering professions such as mining, herbalism or skinning, and sell what you find; that steady income pays for training and your first mount. Learn cooking, fishing and first aid too, since they’re free alongside. Switch to a crafting profession later if you want to make your own gear.
Key takeaways
- Gathering earns gold from day one; crafting costs gold before it pays.
- Cooking, fishing and first aid don’t use up a profession slot.
- Spend little while leveling: training and your mount come first.
- Forever adds a Legacy tree for professions; details at launch.
Which professions should I pick?
You can learn two main professions. While leveling, the simplest choice is two gathering ones, because everything you pick up along the way can be sold. Mining and skinning suit fighters who already loot beasts; herbalism suits anyone who enjoys wandering off the road.
Crafting professions such as blacksmithing, leatherworking, tailoring, alchemy, enchanting and engineering are wonderful later, but they need materials before they give anything back. Many players switch one gathering profession to crafting once they have some gold and a clearer idea of what they want to make.
- Mining: ore and stone for smiths and engineers; pairs well with blacksmithing or engineering.
- Herbalism: herbs for alchemists; pairs well with alchemy.
- Skinning: leather from the beasts you already fight; pairs well with leatherworking.
What about cooking, fishing and first aid?
These three don’t take one of your two slots, so learn them all. First aid turns cloth into bandages and saves a lot of time sitting down to heal. Cooking turns the meat you loot into food that restores more health. Fishing is relaxing, sells well, and gives you a reason to sit by a lake at sunset.
Tip: Bandages are the single biggest time saver while leveling. Keep a stack in your bags.
How do I keep enough gold?
Gold in a Classic-style game is precious. Your main costs while leveling are class training, which grows as you level, and your first mount. Sell gathered materials at the auction house, vendor the grey items you loot, and avoid buying gear you’ll replace in a few levels.
Put a little aside every time you’re in town. It turns your first mount from a wall into a milestone.
How should I use the auction house?
Check the going price before you list anything, and undercut by a little rather than a lot. Materials that crafters need to level their professions often sell steadily. If something doesn’t sell, try again later; prices shift through the week.
What is Forever’s Legacy system?
Forever adds a Legacy progression system with three trees, one of them for professions, with 16 points at launch. We’ll explain how it affects crafting and gathering once the details are public. Until then, the advice above holds.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best professions for leveling in WoW Forever?
Two gathering professions, such as mining and skinning or herbalism and mining. They earn gold from the start and help pay for your mount.
Can I change professions later?
Yes. You can unlearn a profession and pick another, though you lose the skill you built in the old one.
Should I learn cooking, fishing and first aid?
Yes. They don’t use up a main profession slot, and bandages and food save a lot of time.
