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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsPassive buffs for gatherers
by Eliah Hecht 
Jul 18th 2008 at 3:30PM
We've seen some interesting things come out of the Wrath beta already for some of the crafting professions, including Jewelcrafting, Alchemy, Enchanting, and the new Inscription. But what about us humble gatherers? Skinners, Herbalists, and Miners need love too. Well, it looks like Blizz is ready to give us some of that love, at least for Skinners and Miners. Check out the following spells:
- Toughness (categorized under Mining)
- Master of Anatomy (categorized under Skinning)
Note that those buffs are passive. 35 stam all the time for all grand master miners, and 25 crit rating for grand master skinners. Each of those abilities have six ranks, which I take to correspond to the six ranks of profession skill: apprentice, journeyman, expert, artisan, master, and the new grand master.
This is awesome stuff, if you ask me. My analysis is that these benefits are meant to stand in for the epic BoP items that the production professions get access to. Why there is no benefit for herbalism is something of a mystery; it might not be implemented yet, or it might be absent on purpose. Natalie pointed out that it might be because several herbs already give buffs when you pick them, so that's another possibility.
I think these benefits are low enough that people with maxed-out professions aren't going to be dropping them just to get the extra 35 stam, but high enough to provide a meaningful, stabbity perk for those who've just about had it with skinning their ten-thousandth beast (who am I kidding, skinning is fun). Good change, and I do hope we see something for herbalism.
Filed under: Herbalism, Mining, Skinning, Wrath of the Lich King
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 3)
ninjasuperspy Jul 18th 2008 4:07PM
And here my paladin was about to drop mining for Eng/Alch. Dang. I may become the worlds first Ret paladin Eng/Skinner...
Adam Jul 18th 2008 4:15PM
"My analysis is that these benefits are meant to stand in for the epic BoP items that the production professions get access to."
The reason that crafting professions get BoP epics is that they have to sink thousands of Gold just to level it. Gatherers are making money right out of the gate.
Celton Jul 18th 2008 4:42PM
"The reason that crafting professions get BoP epics is that they have to sink thousands of Gold just to level it. Gatherers are making money right out of the gate."
That might be true, but the only thing they get out of it is gold. For min-maxers, gold doesn't help you in raids or PVP. Every other profession gets an actual buff from their profession that others can't get, especially in Wrath. Gatherers don't get anything. Someone has to gather those mats for you that you're spending that gold on. We don't want everyone to drop their gathering professions.
Tim Hettler Jul 18th 2008 4:30PM
The professions are already pigeon-holed for each class (How many Mage skinning/leatherworkers do you see?). I guess it's nice that we get a "welfare buff", but I always considered the money you make/save from a gathering profession to be an attractive benefit over taking a crafting profession.
Super Guest Man 9000 Jul 18th 2008 4:53PM
http://www.wowarmory.com/character-sheet.xml?r=Darkspear&n=Nymph
Guildie of mine, and he has every leatherworking pattern in game, he's crazy.
Hobbes Jul 18th 2008 4:31PM
This is a great change. Hopefully it will encourage more people to take up gathering professions. A lot of people gave up gathering because level-70 dailies provide a steady income stream. But the decrease in gatherers has pushed up the costs of mats, especially for raid consumables (potions & elixirs).
Terrant Jul 18th 2008 4:31PM
I hope Fishing gets one.
jbodar Jul 18th 2008 4:50PM
Fishing's a secondary profession. Let's not get crazy.
Ametrine Jul 18th 2008 5:25PM
Yeah... but it'll probably be something lame like +25 attack power, but only underwater, or something like that.
Angel Jul 18th 2008 4:44PM
Maybe i wont drop herbalism after all...
Super Guest Man 9000 Jul 18th 2008 4:54PM
Grand Master eh? What are they gonna do after that? "Super Awesome Master" I wait with bated breath.
Heike Jul 18th 2008 5:18PM
I'm guessing there'll be a better variety of herbs that only herbalists can use in the expansion - there were a few in TBC (Flame Cap and the hp buffing lotus which escapes my memory at this point) - more along those lines would probably be easy to implement and if they are well done provide herbalists with solid buffs.
Thorn Jul 21st 2008 6:09AM
Not trying to say there aren't any herbalist-only stuff, but flame caps aren't one of them. My tailor/enchanter fire mage loves those things.
Aaron Jul 18th 2008 5:27PM
Actually, I've been looking for a reason to drop mining/JC for ages now, and this post finally made me take the plunge. Im now a leatherworker/skinner! Say goodbye to being my guild's gem-cutting whore and hello to drums of battle!
Hufke Jul 18th 2008 6:19PM
Don't flame me for this, but I don't like the whole idea to be honest. Gatherers that only have the gathering professions, chose the way of easy cash, where crafers hardly ever get an item that we can sell loads of times with awesome profit.
People with crafting professions have to buy (or gether? yeah right) their mats, pay a lot of gold for new paterns/designs/whatever just because they can get that bit of extra awesomeness in the end. Now everyone has his bit of awesomeness in the end, so being a crafter will be of little use now.
Yeah, I'm biased, I'm tailor/enchanter. Oh and don't mind my typos and grammar in your flames, I'm Dutch ;p.
JPN Jul 18th 2008 6:50PM
now nihilum can rearrange their professions...again
Kit Jul 18th 2008 6:55PM
Personally Theory give goblin engineers some free fire resist, yeah we will likely see little fire in Northrend, but it makes sense.
Swarfy Jul 18th 2008 11:09PM
"25 crit rating for grand mister skinners" Grand mister? when's that go in? :P
I doubt this would have any REAL impact on anything. 350 health does seem a bit much, but most tanks i know are already pushing 20-24K health or more fully raid buffed. So It might help a bit for them to break a threshold, But I don't see this making any HUGE impact in the long run. (But that's my view on it.)
Shadowisp Jul 19th 2008 12:38AM
My issue with this is these are Passive...
crafting trades take a long time and money to level, gathering makes money.
Crafted BoP specialist items can be out-classed by drops at higher levels, the passives can not.
My Alchemist doesnt use the alchemy stones, cause his trinkets are better, not even my JC uses the trinkets. My shadow priest only wears one piece of FSW now too.
God! How many top end raiders just took up enchanting so they can squeeze that extra +24 Spell Dps by enchanting rings.
Overpowered... making money and getting buffs for easy leveling. OP
tfg Jul 19th 2008 1:27PM
I'd like a fishing buff that reduces threat due to the smell that just can't be washed away...