Skinning is the simplest money profession, and Forever adds a bit to it. There are Pristine leathers, hides and scales, an Advanced Skinning glove enchant (+10), and the Camp Chair camp object. One change from the Oct 1 beta notes: a creature can be skinned only once.
TL;DR: take Pelt Collecting for Beginners at level 3–4. Skin everything you kill, and use the formula below to see which mobs you can skin. Pair it with Leatherworking, or take it with another gathering profession for gold.
The basics in Forever
- Ranks: Skinning uses the same four ranks as Classic Era: Apprentice (75), Journeyman (150), Expert (225) and Artisan (300). The cap is still 300.
- Character level to train: Zockify lists Journeyman at level 10, Expert at 20 and Artisan at 35. SenseOS notes that the client files don't contain level requirements, so these numbers are unconfirmed until launch.
- Slots: you get two primary professions. Cooking, First Aid and Fishing are secondary, so you can learn all three on top.
- Unlearning: open the profession window (K) and click the red X. Your skill and every recipe you know are gone.
Head start: at level 3–4, a starter quest offers Pelt Collecting for Beginners. It teaches Skinning and adds +2 skill, up to 15.
Which mobs can you skin?
Zockify's formula for the highest-level mob you can skin:
- Below 100 skill: (skill ÷ 10) + 10
- From 100 skill: skill ÷ 5
So at 50 skill you can skin level-15 mobs, and at 200 skill level-40 mobs.
Leveling path by zone
| Rough skill | Zone |
|---|---|
| Start | Elwynn Forest, Durotar, Zephras Isle |
| Next | Westfall, The Barrens |
| Then | Loch Modan |
| Then | Hillsbrad Foothills |
| Then | Alterac Mountains (yetis) |
| Then | The Hinterlands ⚠️ |
| Finish | Un'Goro Crater ⚠️ |
Zockify gives this as a zone order, not exact skill ranges. Use the formula above to time each move.
Pristine materials
SenseOS lists Pristine Leather, Pristine Hide and Pristine Scale as new scarce materials. We don't know drop rates or prices yet.
Best class & profession pairings
- Skinning + Leatherworking. Leatherworking makes mail now too, so Hunters and Shamans should look at this pair.
- Hunters kill beasts all day anyway.
- Skinning + Mining or Herbalism for gold from gathering alone.
Your camp objects
Forever adds Camping. A cook places a Basic Campfire, and each player can add one profession object to it. A camp holds 3 objects, and the objects share a 1-hour cooldown. Sit at the camp for 1 minute and you become rested and pick up the buffs. Camp buffs don't stack with the class buffs they copy. You get the first object at skill 20. The more advanced objects come from Blueprints that drop from dungeon bosses.
Skinning objects: Camp Chair (skill 20, 2% crit), Field Guide (skill 140, Track Beasts), Trapper's Workbench (skill 300).
Legacy points
SenseOS's client data shows Legacy points coming only from crafting professions (at 150, 225 and 300). Gathering and secondary professions give none. Wowhead's wording is "each tradeskill", which disagrees, so treat this as unconfirmed until launch. The Professions Legacy tree still has perks that matter here: Bountiful Harvest, Bartering, Master Chef, Luremaster and others.
Gold tips
- Waylaid Crate: Apprentice Textiles accepts 20 Light Leather (wow-professions) for Merchant's Favor.
- Sell leather in stacks to Leatherworkers who are leveling. The mail rework means more of them.
- Keep any Pristine mats until prices settle.
Common mistakes
- Leaving corpses behind. Each one can only be skinned once, so skin your own kills.
- Fighting mobs that are too high for your skill. Check the formula.
FAQ
Can more than one player skin the same mob? No. After the Oct 1 beta notes, a creature can be skinned once.
Is there a skill enchant? Yes, Enchant Gloves – Advanced Skinning (+10).
Sources
Images: the header and milestone card were made by Systematic with the Systematic wallpaper and brand colours. The third image is a camping screenshot © Blizzard Entertainment, from Blizzard News.
This is a fan guide written by Systematic for the community. World of Warcraft © Blizzard Entertainment. We're not affiliated with Blizzard. Everything here comes from the beta and the launch client, and things can change before the Nov 4 launch. If you spot something that's off once the game is live, or you have a better route, post it below!
