Alchemy+Firstaid

[Akilleze]

I'm only L22. I have been doing alchemy and first aid as much as possible (cooking too). When I gouge (later stun/kidneyshot/blind) an oppenent and slap on a quick bandaid, while chugging heal potions in the middle of the fight; I find that I'm really hard to take down. What am I missing out on by not taking other professions? From what I've been reading, I'm spending some extra money on armor and not getting gadgets that only work half the time once per hour (and sometime explode). Alchemy seems too good to be true.

[Dresek]

Doesn't sound like you realize this but First Aid doesn't count as one of your two professions. It's a secondary profession, like cooking and fishing.

Since you're already doing alchemy, I suggest picking up herbalism. This will allow you to collect the herbs you need for alchemy but also let you get the herbs you need for two rogue items: Swiftthistle for Thistle Tea and Fadeleaf for Blinding Powder.

Right now, my rogue has Herbalism, Skinning, First Aid, Cooking, and Fishing. They all compliment each other and Skinning is my prime moneymaker. As the leather market continues to flood and prices drop, I'm going to drop skinning for alchemy.

[Akilleze]

Actually I do have Herb/Alchy, I'm trying to figure out why everyone doesn't. It seems so obvious to me.

Skinning/mining is for money; money is easy to come by.

Leatherworking makes armor; loot drops seems to be better than what can be crafted level per level.

Engineering makes fun but relatively ulsess stuff and is very expensive.

Which only leaves Enchanting, the most expensive trade in the game, that only really makes money in the higher skill range. So, its a very long protracted investment.

Is there some secret or 'fine print' I don't know about?


Also when first aid is combined with all of our rogue stun attacks, why is there any debate as to its usefullness? Its free in every sense of the word (except you don't get to sell the cloth from loot).

[Dresek]

Ah, OK, I misunderstood your post.

I'm currently skinning/herbalism but am dropping skinning for alchemy. I use WAY too many potions to rely on a friend and have, literally, a vault full of herbs (and a mule whose vault is half full).

Skinning was the key to my getting my mount money by level 39 because there were leatherworkers everywhere. I never had a stack of leather last longer than an hour on the AH even though I used pretty high buyouts. It's amazing what people will pay.

However, the market is drying up. I've had leather actually expire on the AH with buyouts far lower than anything else listed. I think people are realizing what you mentioned above: Drops > crafting so there are fewer and fewer people doing trade skills.

[Harvey]

Well, I rarely have a problem with getting potions dropped from mobs (esp healing potions). It's nice when I get an alchemy friend to drop me a couple extra, though I have an alt that is alch/herb so now he just sends them to my rogue.

The items I made with leatherworking at this point have generally surpassed most of my drops. And considering drops aren't always catering to you, you might go a while without something you need. Rather than having to buy them from the AH since I don't get the drop/quest, I can easily make something that is as good or better than your average drop and I do so at minimal cost. In addition, four pieces of armor are constantly "enchanted" when you're a leatherworker. :D

Leatherworking/skinning has proven quite useful to me and has saved me from any need to search for armor in the AH. It also allows me to auction looted green items instead of having to wear it and I make some decent extra money that way. It is much cheaper for me to skin animals, collect a few special drop items (pearls, scales, etc), pay a few coin for the thread or dye, and if I really need something special, I've got alts and guildmates that can make bolts of cloth or potions for me. I come out way ahead, then I can auction off drops that are no better than what I just made and get a few gold out of it.

My second rogue is working on engineering. While there are a number of funky items that can be produced, there are also some very good (and stable items). The kicker here is most of the best items can only be used by engineers, so you don't see them for sale in the AH. But, that does mean if you're the engineer, you're doing pretty well. I don't know that it has proven as useful to me yet as leatherworking (immediate results and can make everything "on the go"). But I'm also not as far along in it as I am with leatherworking.

I think the only fairly useless skills for a rogue are tailoring and blacksmithing. I'm not saying there isn't some use, but it is minimal since you won't be using most of what you make yourself.

Enchanting is it's own little beast and while it can prove useful, I have found so far it works better with other characters than any of my rogues.

First Aid has been one of my best friends as a rogue and actually lessens my need for alchemy. But it is seperate altogether from the other professions, so I can only guess you're saying "Why wouldn't you use First Aid?" It has no real bearing on choosing alch/herb over any other profession combo.

I know some people like to play scavangers (two collection professions) and I've got a couple of alts that went that path as well. But I haven't found a huge problem with getting money either. I mainly use my scavangers as extra suppliers for my main crafters - rather than wasting their advneture time with no professions at all.

My point - alch/herb is a good choice for rogues, but so are a few others.

[Dresek]

Yes, it is nice being able to make your own stuff. But is it really cheaper? When I think about how much money most leathercrafters dump into the skill, I can't see how it's cheaper to make your own stuff than it is to buy what you need.

Alchemy, yes, I see how it's cheaper. I use a lot of potions and am going to my alchemist friend every couple of days for resupply. I'm not talking heal potions, I get those as drops. I'm talking armor buffs, stamina buffs, agility buffs, Free Action, sprint, etc.

But with leatherworking, I only buy a new piece of armor every few levels so it's not like I'm spending 10g/level on leather. I bet it averages out to less than 3gp per level spent on armor. I know my leatherworking friends spend far more than that.

Of course, even if it's simply a 'break even' venture, I know many people like tradeskills so if that's your thing, then there's no reason not to. And, as with most MMORPGs, you can bet that Blizzard will be adding some nice things for crafters in the future.

[Harvey]

I have no idea what people are dumping money on with leatherworking. I make money on it. The only thing I can imagine is if people don't want to develop it naturally and instead go buy a bunch of leather.

Even at the higher levels that require special ingredients, the majority of the item is made from items gathered either through hunting or skinning. The vendor bought items have a VERY minimal cost. That only leaves things like potions or tailor-made items. I have a guildmate friend that is on-par with his alchemy with me, and it so happens he's a leather wearer. On the few items that require potions, I can make a pair for him, a pair for me, and a few extra to sell to a merchant (or asome items go well in the AH). The price from a merchant more than covers my costs for thread or whatever, and I still come out a good bit ahead. And just for a couple of potions, he has a nice new blue/green item. My girlfriend is a tailor and I give her all the cloth I find in return for any bolts of cloth I need. So basically, I've got a nice network going.

But, on another server, I'm doing it all myself with alts. I don't rely on guildmates and I don't rely on the AH. It isn't hard at all, and I come out way ahead on all accounts. All of my tradeskillers make money, with the exception of enchanter - which is a huge money sink unless you want to spend your time auctioning your services, which I don't.

So yes, it's much cheaper for me as well as being a money MAKER. I don't understand where people come from that continue to claim that tradeskills are a money sink, because either through guildmates or by using alts, I have never had that problem. Maybe it's because I don't depend on the AH for doing tradeskills. There are plenty of patterns per level that don't require special items - they just need leather, thread, and dropped items. All things I can get myself.

I can see it might get expensive for people that don't have alts or friends that will work with them. But the tradeskills are a bit like EQ in that to be efficient, you have to do one of three things: spend money, network with other tradeskillers, or create tradeskill alts. I choose the second two and I make money from my crafting. Well, except for the ebil enchanting.

I've never found a real need for potions. Maybe if I used them more I'd become addicted, but I participate in combat well enough without them. My mage is a different story and has become quite addicted to potions. But mages are freaks anyway. :evil

[Urusai]

Personally as an Goblin Engineer Rogue im pretty happy.
Yes I use healing potions like water on occasion. But generally im not to bad going without as well. I just fight differently.
My guild has a master alchemist that keeps me more or less supplied. The lack of sungrass is hurting that at the moment, but im getting by. Healing potions are actually about the only ones I use.
Sure I coudl use a swiftness potion or something but when I have them I generally find them to sit in my pack for a month before I actually use it. So I dont bother with them. Hell ive had 2 water breathing potions someone gave me at 32nd and im just about 45th and have been avoiding leveling for 3 levels so guildies can catch up.

Goblin Engineering I love for a few reasons. Sure the stuff can blow up but I use guns, so its nice to make my own there. I also supply guns to the guild. I also play ALOT with explosives. I carry more dynamite then goblin sappers.
As far as devices, I carry a couple and use them on occasion. The one hour thing dosnt bother me alot. The Goblin Mortor I only use on occasion because of the minimum range issues, the bomb dropper I use all the time, and if theres more than three adds I tend to pull out the dragon gun.

So for my playstyle Engineering is better than Alchemy. Though I will not discount the usefulness of rogues with alchemy, expecially if they dont have an alchemist to supply them with potions.

[Xantium]

One of the things I don't like about alchemy is that it doesn't have any quests, or subprofessions like the other skills do.

Also, getting the high lvl recipes, Major mana potion for instance, can be a huge hassle, if not impossible for some people.

Oh and the guild loves mana flasks, but soooo many materials, and why must the alchemy lab be so hard to get to? =*(

[Dresek]

So for my playstyle Engineering is better than Alchemy.

There's the best reason of all!

Play what ya like, I say!

[Zeno]

I've just been going the money-making route and doing Mining/Skinning.

I prefer it over herbalism/alchemy for the simple fact that it takes forever to gather up a stack of herbs. Whereas a single ore vein might give anywhere from 3 to 6 chunks of ore, a single plant never gave me more than 2 or 3 items. As a result, I was making the minor and lesser potions for far too long. Also, found that trainers didn't offer me the recipes I wanted... keep in mind though this was with a level 21 character I stopped playing.

Now, doing mining/skinning with this new rogue, I earned over a gold by level 10. I also rarely found greyed-out veins.

From 13 to 19, I pretty much always had more than 2 gold. This is in contrast to my original herbalism/alchemist rogue who was quite often behind in training by a level or two.

It seems to be most efficient because I can afford training, weapons, armor, and potions and still have a decent cushion.

Granted, I think since my server population is low-to-medium, there's still good sell prices on copper/bronze bars and light/medium leather.