Prime Time Professions

Posted by J.E. Douglas at 10:52 AM

Mommar here.

Get ready for a big shock.

Professions and crafting is one of the major backbone elements to your gold fortune.   Okay,  so it isn't that big of a shock.  The basic tenant is that if you don't craft you don't make gold.

I've shown over the months of talking to you that you could technically make gold without ever needing a crafting profession.  Between questing,  gathering and reselling you can make a large amount of gold.  Add onto this a network of crafters you can request items to be made and resold you never have to have a crafting profession of your own.

But then a man with a bad leg could technically walk around without a crutch.  It will be slow,  tedious and painful, but it is possible.   Every so often the popular question is 'what is the best gold making profession?".  It could easily be on repeat for every time it is spoken in forums and in game.  Players want to know what profession to jump to making their small fortune. 

But choosing that first profession is a personal choice.  Three rules that I set up when I tell anyone what profession they should choose.

1)   Choose a profession that looks beneficial to your character.

A freshly laundered Druid will get more benefits out of having a Leatherworker/Skinner than they will have a Blacksmith.  The same for a warrior running around with the tailoring profession.  This doesn't mean that you shouldn't ever have a profession that seems odd for the class,  but as a first profession look at what will be the most beneficial.

2)  Do not choose a crafting profession till you are close to the maximum level of the expansion pack.

I have always believed that the first two professions a player should take are gathering professions.  Mining/Herbalism/Skinning are all very strong base professions to have when you look to start building a gold fortune.  With the benefits of receiving experience points with each gathering node/skinning mob you get, the quicker leveling opportunities along with sales.

3)   Market conditions can tell a lot about what professions to choose.

Just looking at the market and seeing what sells will answer a lot of questions on the best profession that you take.  This is affected, especially if you have someone teaching you the ropes on what to sell and where to sell it.  Most players do not have a guru sitting around with them helping them to not make mistakes their first time out.  Looking at the conditions of the market should tell you what will be the best items to sell from the crafting professions.

4)  Have fun

The biggest item when choosing that first profession is to choose one that you will have fun with.  Even with the removal of profession quests there is a certain amount of enjoyment of crafting that plate item to strut around your home city to wear.  That uber awesome sword that people go ooo and ahh about.   Or just simply flexing your crafting muscle to raise your ilvl gear to shock and awe factor.  Making gold with professions, isn't just about putting items on the Auction House to sell.  Making gold becomes a new profession in itself.  If you are not having fun doing it,  then you will slowly drift away.

Keep in mind that choosing that first profession is a personal choice.  Everyone has an opinion about what to choose the same as everyone has a... well you know the rest of that saying.   Choosing your own profession path and your reasoning behind it is why every character is different, unique and enjoyable to come back to time and time again.

Good Luck and Good Profit Hunting


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