Advice for a Newb Crafter / Scholar

[Qinadyen]

Greetings,

I have only just started crafting following my recent gain of my first plat through mob grinding and questing. I am now a level 14 Scholar however I find although I am leveling, I am not really crafting anything that will help replen my funds. Although this is not my main focus on the trade, is there anyone out there who found a nice template to follow that produced some nice sell items as well as good exp? :) Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!!

[eepjr24]

Well, it can be done, just a little slower on the leveling portion. What I do when I am leveling for a specific purpose (to get to next level for a spell I need for example) is as follows:

1. Forage everything myself or buy at trivial prices on the broker (<1s per item)
2. Make a pristine of everything you can, for the XP bonus. This includes cross class skills. These will sell back for the cost materials at least. For spells, you can often make a decent profit by brokering them at reasonable rates. If they don't sell, you can always vendor to break even.
3. Start doing Society or Guild TS writs until I ding next level, then wash rinse repeat.

Whether you do Society or Guild depends on:
A) if you are in a guild
B) whether you are a patron in said guild
C) whether you or the guild needs the XP at the moment
D) whether you need the xp or money more

Society writs pay 1.6x materials, guild pays 1.2x materials. Status can get you access to breaks on horses, nice looking clothes, house items, etc. depending on your guild level and the amount of status you have.

Feel free to correct specifics above if you see errors, but that is my general strategy.

Dibbler
Fatua Negotium (Foolish Pursuit)
Unrest

[Qinadyen]

WOW that is awesome. I am both in a guild and a patron in said guild so all is good. I will do as you recommend and start crafting out some writs that way everyone wins. Another noob question, Are writs given by the NPC standing behind the counter across from the Broker in the crafting zones? Or do I need to find someone in the City itself. Thanks for your time, patience and expertise.

[Zendaken]

The society writs are from the NPC in the society tradeskill instance. Same position as the person in the wholesaler who gives out harvesting quests.

The guild writs are from the Ironforge Exchange in Qeynos or The Coalition in Freeport - I don't have the specific names, but you'll find them in the oddball tradeskill instance in the city proper. (Or are they outside the instance? I never do them.)

[Qinadyen]

Thanks for the advice folks, it is greatly appreciated. I will let you know how I make out :D

[kieroth_whiteleaf]

In Qeynos (so I'd assume Freeport as well) the Tradeskill instance is exactly like the ones in the 'burbs - there's a broker on the top and a person who gives out the writs (only they're guild writs instead of society writs), on the bottom floor is a merchant (who only sells fuel-type stuff, aerated water, suspensions/solutions.. PROBABLY all the stuff provies need as well but I don't know them, but no books).

I actually like crafting there better than the other places mostly because the merchant doesn't have as much junk you have to scroll through, although you still have to go back to your society for your recipe books (OR, do what I do and buy them in blocks of 5 or so, bank the extras and when you get to the level you just grab it out of your bank). The only problem is that NQ is less well connected to the world than the subburbs, so it's less convenient to characters that travel.

SFG

[Elyana]

One thing I would like to add. Make sure you do the EXACT level of quality they want you to make. If you exceed it, they will not count toward the writ =)

[kieroth_whiteleaf]

Good point - and supremely annoying (the fact it doesn't count, not the fact you posted ;) ) - I get in the habit of trying for pristine on pretty much everything (sometimes I'm lazy with my subs, but otherwise close to 100% pristine) and sometimes I get a pristine on a writ out of habit. I've also had a few instances where I was close to finishing shaped on one round (end of the bar) and had a particularly good round and it ended up bypassing and jumping straight to normal. Only happened a couple times though.

A lot of the woodworker writs are kinda nice though - since some of the recipes make different quantities of the same item you can actually get through the writ faster by doing pristines.. totems and arrows are a good example. Arrow writs ask for 150 arrows... I'd assume that's 10 "shaped" combines, but you can get it in six "pristines", and since the final product is the same it still counts.. less overall money but I do it more for XP and status than anything else.. doing it in six combines lets me move on to the next thing so XP difference is negligible, it's more efficient in resources, and status increases faster. Gold efficiency isn't as good, but you can do writs faster that way so it roughly evens out. Totems work well too.. it asks for 10 (I think) and you can make them in threes (? some multiple... 3 or 4 iirc) so you have to do fewer combines. Insturments I THINK come out at the same quality level no matter what (and why they exist is beyond me, from what I read bards don't actually use them) so you can either go "crude" for speed or run "pristine" for xp. I've never done that so I'm not 100% sure it works that way but my current writ is for some drums so I'll know tonight.

Weaponsmiths can do the same with thrown weapons... I can't think of anything else that works like that though.

SFG

[Qinadyen]

Hey folks,

Thanks again for all the excellent advice. I have been crafting away at writs and making a little extra coin at the same time so all is good. As well I have actually been able to sell some non-pristine items for a few gold which is excellent. Sorry took so long to post a reply, Life is busy and don't often get a chance to check out the forums much. Thanks again. :)