10 rare items worth getting while leveling in WoW Forever

Two kinds of items made the list. Some give you something regular loot doesn't, like an XP bonus or an extra bag, and others are clearly stronger than anything else you'll wear at those levels. None of them come free, since you need a long quest chain, a dungeon run, or some luck. We left out regular blue quest rewards. Forever has fewer of them, and almost all now come only from the last quest of a chain, so only the ones worth a detour made the top ten. There's more on that in our quests or dungeons guide.

A word on rare mobs. Almost everything they drop in Forever binds on pickup, so you can't buy it on the Auction House, and the drop chance for useful items runs from a fraction of a percent to 6%. That's why we moved rare hunting to the end of the guide and filled the top ten with items you get from quests, dungeons, or the Auction House. They cost you time or gold, but you won't spend weeks waiting on luck.

#	Item	Level	For	How to get it
1	Cozy Sleeping Bag	from 14, the last quests are level 32	everyone	a long chain across two continents
2	Philanthropist's Ring or Field Researcher's Loop	20, the bow at 40	everyone, the bow for Hunters	library books you find
3	Gravestone Scepter	from 18	Priest, Mage, Warlock	the final quest of Blackfathom Deeps
4	Verigan's Fist or Wolfsbane	Verigan's Fist from 20, Wolfsbane from 22-23	Paladin	a class chain through three dungeons
5	Heavehammer or Healer's Staff	from 24	Druid, Warrior, Paladin, Shaman, healers, Warlock	a relic from the last boss of the Excavation Site
6	Pyrewood Signet Ring and Ruby-Adorned Blade	first job around 23, second from 25	Rogue	solo jobs in dungeons
7	Glimmering Staff and Radiant Staff	25 and 45	Enchanters: Mage, Priest, Warlock, Druid, Shaman	formulas for Merchant's Favor, you craft them yourself
8	Whirlwind Axe or Rage of the Storm	30-40	Warrior, Shaman	class chains with Bath'rah the Windwatcher
9	Staff of Jordan	from 35	all casters and healers	a world epic, buy it on the Auction House
10	Soul Harvester	from 50	Warlock	a class chain and the Sunken Temple

The Cozy Sleeping Bag came back to Forever from Season of Discovery, and it's useful to literally everyone. Roll it out and lie in it for at least a minute to get Well-Rested, which gives +1% XP and stacks up to three times, so you can build up to +3% XP for a whole hour. You can roll the bag out once an hour. Going by the beta, Warcraft Tavern reports that the bag's bonus stacks with the food and camp bonuses and works for your whole group nearby, but the bag doesn't work in cities or inns.

The sleeping bag comes from a long chain that drags you across two continents, though there's almost no fighting in it. The Alliance starts at a board nailed up at Alexston Farmstead in Westfall (37.4, 50.6), and the Horde at some charred remains in The Barrens, south of Camp Taurajo (46.4, 73.8). From there the trail leads to Stonetalon Mountains, where Stepping Stones rewards a 12-slot bag, then to the Stonewrought Dam in Loch Modan, and on to Thoradin's Wall on the border of Hillsbrad Foothills and the Arathi Highlands.

• Steps: first ... and that note you found (the Horde gets a separate quest with the same name), then Stepping Stones, which gives the bag, then Scramble, Wet Job, Eagle's Fist, and the last quest, This Must Be The Place, which rewards the sleeping bag.
• Tip for the Horde. Grab the bag in Stonetalon Mountains on the way, but skip the Loch Modan quest. It's Alliance territory, and the guards there are around level 30. Come back for the sleeping bag later, at 30+ or with a group. That's how our 1-30 routes are built too.
• Lost your sleeping bag? The game files say you can buy a new one from Rix Xizzix in Booty Bay, but we didn't test this on the beta.

In Season of Discovery only Mages collected books, but in Forever every class can turn them in, and the reward is one of the best rings at level 20. The books are scattered all over the world, each one gets turned in with its own quest, and the rewards depend on how many you've handed in total. They're accepted in the capitals' mage districts, by Garion Wendell in Stormwind's Mage Quarter and Owen Thadd in Undercity's Magic Quarter.

According to the Method and Warcraft Tavern guides, your first 10 books get you a weak pendant, which is just a stop on the way to the ring. For 20 books at level 20, you pick the Philanthropist's Ring with +10 spell power or the Field Researcher's Loop with Agility and Stamina. Both rings are item level 35, so they're a lot stronger than the quest rings at those levels. You can turn in 25 books from level 30, and then you pick one of three: the Truthseeker's Bow for Hunters, the Crest of Elucidation shield for healers, or the Researcher's Night Light with Stamina and Fire damage for casters. You can only equip these from level 40. The bow hits almost as hard as the epic Bow of Searing Arrows, and all it costs you is the books you collected.

Nobody knows yet how many books there are in total. Method counted 36 spots, and Warcraft Tavern counted 40. Some of the spots carried over from Season of Discovery, and a few books might have moved, so you might not find a book where it used to be. If you pick up a book and throw it away, you can't find it again, so keep the books in your bags until you turn them in.

For anyone who shoots a wand, the Gravestone Scepter is the main prize in Blackfathom Deeps. It's a blue wand with 29 damage per second, and in Forever it got +6 Shadow damage, which makes it especially good for Shadow Priests and Warlocks. Our Priest class guide calls it the best wand before 30.

Twilight Lord Kelris is the second-to-last boss of Blackfathom Deeps, and the scepter is the reward for a quest to bring back the boss's head. The Alliance picks up the chain ahead of time. In Darnassus, Dawnwatcher Shaedlass gives you In Search of Thaelrid, and inside the dungeon Argent Guard Thaelrid gives you the next quest, Blackfathom Villainy. Alliance players carry the head back to Darnassus and hand it to Dawnwatcher Selgorm. The Horde gets its quest, Blackfathom Villainy, inside the dungeon from Thaelrid too, and turns it in at Thunder Bluff to Bashana Runetotem. Instead of the wand you can pick the Arctic Buckler or the Cultist's Armguards, new in Forever, which give attack power.

A leveling Paladin lives on two-handers, and there are two class chains for them, one for Alliance Paladins and one for Undead Paladins. Each one gets you one of the best two-handers for your 20s. Both are long, both go through three dungeons, and both are worth it.

Verigan's Fist goes to Alliance Paladins. It's a two-handed mace with 25.6 damage per second, Intellect, and Spirit, and in Forever it got an on-hit effect that deals Holy damage, tripled against fire and earth elementals. The chain starts with the Tome of Valor and then takes you to three NPCs. Duthorian Rall waits in Stormwind, Daphne Stilwell in Westfall, where you have to protect Daphne from the Defias Brotherhood, and Jordan Stilwell at the gates of Ironforge in Dun Morogh. Jordan needs lumber from the Deadmines, a hammer from Shadowfang Keep, and a gem from Blackfathom Deeps. Every step with coordinates is in our Dwarf Paladin route.

Wolfsbane is new in Forever and made for Undead Paladins. It's a two-handed sword that hits about as hard as Verigan's Fist and deals Holy damage on hit. That damage is tripled against wolves and worgen, which comes in really handy in Silverpine Forest, where they're everywhere. The chain starts at level 22-23 in Tirisfal Glades, where Danitha Morr at Bandarion Keep gives you Diplomatic Incident. From there the trail leads to Fenris Isle and the Sepulcher, and at the end, in southern Silverpine Forest, a level 25 elite is waiting for you, Old Fire-Eye. Along the way you'll need the same three dungeons, and the Deadmines are in Westfall on Alliance land, so as Horde you're better off going with a group. Learn two-handed swords ahead of time from Archibald in Undercity. Your sword skill starts at 1, and with low skill you'll miss a lot, so start raising it as soon as the sword is in your hands. Our route puts the final fight at level 30, and the details are in our Undead Paladin route.

Forever's new dungeon, Excavation Site: Wetlands, for levels 24-29, has one of the most interesting rewards of the whole leveling trip. The last boss here is Relic Guardian, and in roughly one run out of four it drops a Titan Relic (the Horde gets a separate item with the same name). The relic starts a quest that rewards your pick of a cloak (each faction gets its own) or one of the two strong items below.

Heavehammer is a two-handed mace with 27.7 damage per second, +32 attack power, and bonus armor. It's a good two-hander for Warriors, Paladins, and Shamans, but Druids get the most out of it. In Forever, a Druid's auto-attacks in Cat Form and Bear Form depend on the damage of the weapon in their hands, and Blizzard has confirmed this. So for bear tanks and cat Druids alike, the hammer is a straight upgrade.

The Healer's Staff gives +67 healing and +22 spell damage, and for a Priest, Druid, or healing Shaman at 24 that's a lot. Warlocks can use it for the spell damage too, and our Human Warlock guide calls it the best Warlock staff before 30.

The Alliance takes the relic to the Wetlands, where Prospector Whelgar accepts it, and then to Ironforge, where High Explorer Magellas is waiting. The Horde takes it to Thunder Bluff, where Bashana Runetotem accepts it, and from there to Mulgore, where Muln Earthfury is waiting. Nobody properly tested on the beta whether everyone in the group gets a relic or just one player, so agree with your group ahead of time on who gets it if only one drops.

In Forever, Rogues get a chain of solo "jobs" where you sneak into a dungeon, pick some pockets, and crack a chest while nobody's looking. It all starts with a letter from the mysterious "C.", which leads you to a dead drop near Pyrewood Village in Silverpine Forest (47.1, 71.0).

The first job, The Horn of Xelthos, sends you into Shadowfang Keep alone. First, pick the pockets of the Venture Co. goblins at Windshear Crag in Stonetalon Mountains. Veenix takes the order you find on them and gives you a charge for the gate in return. Inside the keep, pick the pockets of two rare elite guards. Each one carries half of a key, and the two halves make the key to a chest in the stables. Your reward is the Pyrewood Signet Ring with Agility and hit. The next job, The Eye of Bhossca, opens at level 25 and takes you to the Scarlet Monastery, and its reward is the Ruby-Adorned Blade, a one-handed sword with 23.9 damage per second, Agility, and Stamina.

If you're a Mage, Priest, Warlock, Druid, or Shaman leveling Enchanting, Forever gives you staves of your own that you can only make for yourself. They bind when crafted, so you can't buy one or order it from another enchanter. The formulas cost Merchant's Favor and are sold by Alynsia in Redridge Mountains for the Alliance and by Beneris in The Barrens for the Horde. How to earn Favor is in a separate guide.

At level 25 with skill 140, you make a Glimmering Staff with +34 spell power and Intellect, or a Soulstaff, which has Spirit instead of Intellect. That beats almost any quest staff at those levels. At 45 with skill 220, you swap them for the Radiant Staff with +56 spell power or the Dreamstaff with +105 healing. The level 25 staff needs three Pyrite, a new scarce material from copper, tin, silver, and iron veins, so if you don't mine yourself, look for it on the Auction House. The level 45 staves need dyes, and only alchemists make those, so find an alchemist to brew them for you ahead of time or look for the dyes on the Auction House. There's more in our Enchanting guide.

Both chains end in Alterac Mountains, where Bath'rah the Windwatcher hands out the reward, and both give you a weapon for levels 30-40.

Warriors pick up The Islander from their trainer in a capital and head to Fray Island in The Barrens, where Klannoc Macleod gives them The Affray. From there the road leads to Bath'rah, who has two quests for you. In Cyclonian you bring eight Liferoot, thirty Bloodscalp Tusks, and an Essence of the Exile, and in The Summoning you summon and kill Cyclonian. For your reward you pick the Whirlwind Axe with 35.6 damage per second, Strength, and Stamina, the Whirlwind Sword, or the Whirlwind Warhammer. You get Berserker Stance halfway through the chain, when you turn in The Affray, so you can finish the rest later, once you've got the time and a group.

Shamans got their own chain in Forever, and they need it more than most. Early rewards have almost no mail with spell power, so a good caster weapon is worth a lot here. The Horde starts with the Call of Air quest in Orgrimmar or Thunder Bluff, and the Alliance in Ironforge, from Eldrun Stormbreaker. Then you'll have to run Razorfen Kraul, collect five twisted totems of each of the four elements in Dustwallow Marsh, Swamp of Sorrows, Badlands, and Desolace, and fight off waves of elementals at the steam vents in Thousand Needles. Your reward is one of three: Rage of the Storm for Enhancement, Lightning's Grasp with +46 spell power for Elemental, or Tidebringer's Claw with +86 healing. Alliance Shamans also get a shield on top, the Elementalist's Guard. On the Horde side, the game files still list an old Season of Discovery reward where the shield should be, and we'll check this after launch.

The Staff of Jordan was a forgettable epic in Classic, but in Forever it's one of the best caster items for levels 35-50. Spell power went up from 26 to 60, Intellect from 11 to 20, and it got hit chance. The staff only binds when equipped, so you can buy it on the Auction House.

It drops very rarely from regular level 39-42 mobs all over the world, so farming it yourself is pointless. If you want the staff, save up gold and keep an eye on the Auction House, where players who got lucky out in the world will list it. How to earn gold for something like this is in our gold farming spots guide.

Soul Harvester is a Warlock class reward that went from decent to excellent in Forever. Its Shadow damage went up from 24 to 73, and it got Intellect and hit. For Affliction and Demonology Warlocks, it's one of the best staves in the 50s. That said, Wowhead's Forever database doesn't list it right now, so check it at launch.

The chain starts with An Imp's Request from the Warlock trainer in a capital, Demisette Cloyce in Stormwind or Zevrost in Orgrimmar. The trainer sends you to Felwood, where Impsy is waiting. First you have to gather Rotting Wood and Bloodvenom Essence. The last quest of the chain is Trolls of a Feather, where you collect voodoo feathers from the trolls in the Sunken Temple, and that's the one part you can't do without a group. Instead of the staff, you can take the Abyss Shard trinket, which summons a Voidwalker once every 15 minutes without costing mana or a Soul Shard. Wowhead's Forever database doesn't list this trinket right now either, so check it at launch.

• Warrior. In the Deadmines, Rhahk'Zor drops Rockslicer about once every twenty runs. In Forever it's blue and lets you mine an ore vein 30 times without Mining. Tanks will like the Aegis of the Scarlet Commander, which the last boss of the Scarlet Monastery Cathedral drops, and in Forever it also deals Holy damage every time you block.
• Paladin. Mograine's Might drops in the Scarlet Monastery Cathedral. In Forever the Spirit on this hammer was swapped for Intellect, which turned it into a real Paladin weapon. Wowhead's Forever database doesn't list it right now, though, so check it at launch. Healers can use the Crest of Elucidation shield from the library books.
• Hunter. The library bow (entry 2) will come in handy, and in the Excavation Site, Relic Guardian drops a gun with 16.6 damage per second and Agility in roughly a third of runs.
• Rogue. In the Deadmines, the last boss, Edwin VanCleef, drops the Cruel Barb, which is +12 attack power as early as level 19.
• Priest. Ankh of Life is a healer trinket from level 40. In Forever it heals almost five times as much as in Classic and gives Spirit. Look for it on the Auction House.
• Mage. In the Library, a wing of the Scarlet Monastery, Arcanist Doan drops the Hypnotic Blade, and its spell power went up from 9 to 44.
• Warlock. The Staff of Soran'ruk is the reward for the class quest The Orb of Soran'ruk, which Doan Karhan gives out in The Barrens. You collect the fragments for it in Blackfathom Deeps and Shadowfang Keep.
• Druid. Hammerbone, Horde only, is the reward for Leaders of the Fang, which Nara Wildmane gives out in Thunder Bluff. You can equip this two-hander from around level 20, and in Cat Form and Bear Form your auto-attack damage depends on it, just like with the hammer from entry 5. Later on, check out the two-handers from the new City of Dalaran dungeon.
• Shaman. Polished Driftwood Icon, if you level Enchanting yourself, keeps your mana regenerating while you cast. Healing Shamans can also use the Healer's Staff from entry 5.

Blizzard promised to make rare mobs more interesting, and in Forever they really do have their own items now. Rare beasts in The Barrens, for example, drop the Blessing of Kalimdor set: Raptor Hide Cloak, Signet of the Zhevra, and Mark of the Pack Leader. Wear two of the three pieces and the set gives +5% movement speed in The Barrens and Stonetalon Mountains. But all three bind on pickup, and they drop at 1-6%, so camping a spawn point for them isn't worth it. Take them only if a rare beast happens to cross your path.

Here's what's more interesting. Regular quests give items with a speed bonus too, it just only works in certain zones. The two-handers Forsaken Greataxe and Gnarled Necromancer's Staff from a Ruins of Lordaeron quest give +2% speed in Silverpine Forest and Hillsbrad Foothills, and the Staff of Westfall from the Defias Brotherhood chain gives the same bonus in Elwynn Forest, Westfall, Redridge Mountains, and the Deadmines.

World epics are better bought than farmed. Besides the Staff of Jordan, these are worth looking for on the Auction House: Fiery War Axe for melee, Wall of the Dead for tanks, and Bow of Searing Arrows for Hunters, although the library bow hits almost as hard. They drop extremely rarely, so there's no point farming them yourself. Just keep an eye on the Auction House.