World of Warcraft is the first MMOG offering from Blizzard Entertainment. Set in the Warcraft universe, the timeline is four years after Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos.
Races
Alliance
Human
Start Location: Elwynn Forest
Home City: Stormwind
Racial Mount: Horse
Available Classes: Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Warrior, Warlock
Racial Traits
Perception - active - Activate to increase stealth detection radius by 10 yards - lasts 20 sec - 3 min cooldown
The Human Spirit - passive - Increase Spirit by 5%
Diplomacy - passive - 10% bonus to faction point gain
Sword Specialization - passive - Humans get +5 to Sword skill
Mace Specialization - passive - Humans get +5 to Mace skill
Night Elf
Start Location: Teldrassil
Home City: Darnassus
Racial Mount: Nightsaber
Available Classes: Druid, Hunter, Priest, Rogue, Warrior
Racial Traits
Shadowmeld - active - Activate while immobile and out of combat to enter stealth mode - lasts until canceled - no cooldown
Quickness - passive - Dodge chance increased by 1%
Wisp Spirit - passive - Become a wisp when dead with movement speed increase of 50% (25% faster than normal ghost)
Nature Resistance - passive - All Night Elves get +10 Nature Resistance
Gnome
Start Location: Coldridge Valley
Home City: Ironforge
Racial Mount: Mechano-Strider
Available Classes: Mage, Rogue, Warlock, Warrior
Racial Traits
Escape Artist - active - Activate to break out of a Root or Snare effect - 1.5 sec cast - 1 min cooldown
Expansive Mind - passive - Increase Intelligence by 5%
Arcane Resistance - passive - All Gnomes get +10 Arcane Resistance
Technologist - passive - 15 skill bonus to Engineering
Dwarf
Start Location: Coldridge Valley
Home City: Ironforge
Racial Mount: Ram
Available Classes: Paladin, Hunter, Priest, Rogue, Warrior
Racial Traits
Stoneform - active - While active, grants immunity to Bleed, Poison, and Disease effects. In addition, Armor increases by 5% and speed reduced to 70% of normal. Lasts 20 sec. - 3 min cooldown
Gun Specialization - passive - Dwarves get +5 to Gun Skill
Frost Resistance - passive - All Dwarves get +10 Cold Resistance
Treasure Finding - passive - Activate to see treasure chests on mini map - lasts until canceled - no cooldown
Horde
Orc
Start Location: Durotar
Home City: Orgrimmar
Racial Mount: Wolf
Available Classes: Shaman, Hunter, Warlock, Rogue, Warrior
Racial Traits
Blood Fury - active - Activate to increase Strength by 25% but take 5% health loss every 3 seconds - lasts 20 sec - 2 min cooldown
Hardiness - passive - 25% resistance to stun and knockout effects.
Command - passive - Pet melee damage increased by 5%.
Axe Specialization - passive - Orcs get +5 to Axe skill.
Undead
Start Location: Tirisfal Glades
Home City: Undercity
Racial Mount: Undead Steed
Available Classes: Mage, Warlock, Priest, Rogue, Warrior
Racial Traits
Will of the Forsaken - active - Activate to become immune to fear, sleep, and charm effects - lasts 20 sec - 3 min cooldown
Cannibalize - active - Increase health regeneration by 200% while consuming a corpse - lasts 15 sec - 3 min cooldown
Underwater Breathing - passive - Underwater breath increased by 4x
Shadow Resistance - passive - All Undead get +10 Shadow Resistance
Troll
Start Location: Durotar
Home City: Orgrimmar
Racial Mount: Raptor
Available Classes: Hunter, Mage, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warrior
Racial Traits
Berserking - active - Activate when "Wounded" to increase melee and spellcasting speed by 25% - lasts 20 sec - 2 min cooldown
Regeneration - passive - 10% health regen bonus, 10% active in combat
Beast Slaying - passive - 5% damage bonus to Beasts
Throwing Weapon Specialization - passive - +5 to Throwing Weapon skill
Tauren
Start Location: Mulgore
Home City: Thunder Bluff
Racial Mount: Kodo
Available Classes: Druid, Hunter, Shaman, Warrior
Racial Traits
War Stomp - active - Activate to stun opponents within 5 yards - lasts 2 sec - 2 min cooldown
Endurance - passive - Max Health increased by 5%
Cultivation - passive - 15 skill bonus to Herbalism
Nature Resistance - passive - All Tauren get +10 Nature Resistance
Classes
Warrior
The Warrior is your generic heavy tank with the ability to access almost all of the weapons and armor in the game. The warrior uses a rage system where by attacking an enemy generates rages and rage powers your attacks.
Allowable Races: Human, Dwarf, Night Elf, Gnome, Draenei, Orc, Tauren, Undead, Troll
Allowable equipment: Cloth, Leather, Mail, Plate, Shields
Allowable weapons: All
Paladin
Paladin's are the tank/healer hybrid class. At higher levels the Paladin excels at absorbing damage. Paladins have Auras(spells that affect your entire group) and Blessings (5 minute buffs) as well as Greater Blessings(15 minute buffs). Also they are able to cast Seals (30 second offensive spells) with the ability to then use judgements to release the energy of those seals on a target.
High level Holy Paladins have become very mana efficient and are often used as MH (Main Healers) in several of the smaller 5-man Group instances. But are best used as backup and supplimental healers in raid aspects.
Allowable Races: Human, Dwarf, Draenei, Blood Elf
Allowable Equipment: Mail, Leather, Cloth, Shields, and Plate
Allowable Weapons: Maces, Swords, Axes, Polearms (all weapons are specable in one or two handed variations)
Paladins are one of only two classes that get a summoned mount that is free at level 40
Priest
A Priest is the dedicated healer/buffer of WOW. While shadow spec priests have the ability to deal out descent damage its ability to get groups are heavily dependant on its ability to heal and is somewhat weak when it comes to soloing. For all these reason priests continue to be a minority on most server for people who tend to prefer the utility of Shaman's , Druid's or Paladin's
Allowable Races: Human, Night Elf, Dwarf, Draenei, Undead, Troll, Blood Elf
Allowable Equipment: Cloth
Allowable Weapons: One-Handed Maces, Daggers, Staves, Wands
Druid
A Druid is a jack of all trades class. Having the ability to cope with almost any situation. A Druid in normal form is a caster that can fight with spells or weapons. In Bear form the Druid becomes a Warrior with Rage. While in Cat form the Druid becomes a Rogue with Energy and stealth. The Aquatic form gives faster movement and the ability to breath underwater. The last form is a travel form similar the 20th level shaman ability.
Druids also have the ability to heal but are somewhat lacking compared to the Priest who is a specialized healer.
The class offers great utility however excels at nothing.
Allowable Races: Night Elf, Tauren
Available Armor: Cloth, Leather
Allowable Weapons: Staves, Maces, Daggers, Unarmed Weapons
Warlock
Warlocks are your traditional pet caster class with some utility thrown in. The pet mainly allows a Warlock to solo, since the classes primary damage spells come from DOT (damage over time) spells. The Warlocks most potent spells require soulshards that have to be harvested in combat. The Warlock community has long complained about the inability to get shards in PVP has severly limited their effectiveness in end game as well as over all server numbers. That being said Warlocks are far from weak they have a utility that is only rivaled by possibly the shaman. Through the use of Soulstones or Healthstones they create they can resurrect or heal party members, respectively. With the use of Soul Shards they can summon demonic minions, teleport people to themselves (requires help of 2 other people).
Allowable Races: Human, Orc, Undead, Gnome, Blood Elf
Allowable equipment: Cloth
Allowable weapons: Daggers, Wands, Swords, Staves
Warlocks are one of only two classes that get a summoned mount that is free at level 40
Mage
Mages are your stripped down raw damage casters. The Mages get a variety of damage spells making sure that they have a good chance to beat resistances and have powerful AoE (Area of Effect) spells. They are also the primary crowd control caster in the game. Mages also have the ability to summon their own food and drink ensuring as little down time as possible. If the Mage has a weakness its the managment of aggro, too many resists will equal death. This also limits soloabilty if you play this class make sure you enjoy grouping alot. Though with changes to the Frost/Ice tree, soloing has become much easier with crowd control and slowing spells.
Allowable Races: Human, Gnome, Draenei, Undead, Troll, Blood Elf
Allowable Equipment: Cloth
Allowable Weapons: Staves, Wands, Daggers, Swords
Hunter
A hunters primary abilities are their range attacks and their ability to train pets. These two factors make them one of the strongest solo classes in the game. Most hunters tend to use bear pets for PVE due to their high armor and hit points and cat pets for PVP, which have less armor but an increased attack speed. This is general though as any hunter you talk to will have their own opinion as to their favorite pets. Often life or death lie in aggro managment. Hunters also have limited crowd control in the form of traps.
Allowable Races: Night Elf, Dwarf, Orc, Tauren, Troll, Blood Elf, Draenei
Allowable Equipment: Cloth, Leather, Mail
Allowable Weapons: Axes, Daggers , Guns or Bows, Crossbows , Fist Weapons , Polearms , Staves , Swords, Thrown, Two-Handed Axes , Two-Handed Swords
Rogue
A Rogue is a nice damage dealer. Rogues use combination moves to ramp up their damage using an action point system whereas certain attack return action points which let you ramp up damage done in finishing moves. Rogues have the ability to stealth, while stealthed they have access to moves such as sap, pick pocket, not to mention the ability scout or sneak past aggro. Rogues have the ability to raise lock picking skill to open chests. They also get a sprint ability handy to do quick damage and then get out of trouble.
Allowable Races: Human, Dwarf, Night Elf, Orc, Undead, Gnome, Troll, Blood Elf
Allowable Equipment: Cloth, Leather
Allowable Weapons: Daggers, Thrown, Swords, Bows, Crossbows, Maces, Fist Weapons, Guns
Shaman
A shaman is another whose utility make it a very popular class to play. Shamans do well in the support field for a party fulfilling a role as a secondary healer, damage dealer, or secondary tank to a limited degree. They also have a few spells that come in handy such as: water breathing, water walking, ancestral recall(the ability to return home), reincarnation(the ability to resurrect yourself) and ghost wolf(a travel form that you earn at level 20)
Allowable Races: Orc, Tauren, Troll, Draenei
Allowable Equipment: Cloth, Leather, Shields, Mail
Allowable Weapons: One-Handed Maces, Staves, Fist Weapons, One-Handed Axes, Daggers , Axes, Two-Handed Maces
Professions
Trade skills in WOW are differant than most MOG's in the respect that most dont require a large time or resource investment. In fact most can be level as one level to 60 through the game. You are allowed to choose 2 primary professions and any of the secondary you like. Choosing professions that compliment each other allow you to save coin and make skilling up easier. Below are brief discriptions of professions and most possibilities for skills that compliment each other.
Primary Professions
These professions are the most time consuming as well as the most profitable.
Alchemy
Alchemy in WOW is chiefly the mixing of herbs to create potions. Alchemy is viable to any character class due to the versatility potions gives a character potions to heal, regenerate mana, buff yourself or sell on the Auction house. High level alchemy consists of transmutation of metals. This is also profitable but due to the long cooldown time isnt a viable source of income.
Skills are gained by learning recipes. These can be bought from your trainer or dropped off monsters as treasure.
Alliance Horde
Alchemist Mallory (Elwynn Forest) Carolai Anise (Trisfal Glades)
Cyndra Kindwhisper (Teldrassil) Doctor Martin Felben (Undercity)
Ghak Healtouch (Loch Modan) Kray (Thunder Bluff)
Apprentice Lilyssia Nightbreeze (Stormwind) Miao'zan (Durotar)
(0-75) Milla Fairancora (Darnassus) Whuut (Orgrimmar)
Tel'Athir (Stormwind)
Vosur Brakthel (Ironforge)
Alchemist Narett (Dustwallow Marsh) Bena Winterhoof (Thunder Bluff)
Jaxin Chong (Stranglethorn Vale) Doctor Marsh (Undercity)
Journeyman Kylanna (Ashenvale) Jaxin Chong(Stranglethorn Vale)
(150) Sylvanna Forestmoon (Darnassus) Serge Hinott(Hillsbrad Foothills)
Tally Berryfizz (Ironforge) Yelmak (Orgrimmar)
Expert Ainethil (Darnassus) Doctor Herbert Halsey (Undercity)
(225)
Artisan Kylanna Windwhisper (Feralas) Rogvar (Swamp of Sorrows)
(300)