Zhevra Mounted

For those of you unfamiliar with the LFD (Looking for Dungeon), also called LFG (LFGroup), tool it is a fairly new feature in WoW that allows you to find people looking to join a dungeon group. You can start using it at level 15, and can either sign up for specific dungeons that are within your level range, or sign up for "random" which will do exactly as it says. When your group is ready you are automatically teleported into it, and can teleport out by leaving group or click the "eye" on your minimap. If you are DPS, expect a wait of about ~10 minutes, this depends on your server, time, and level range of course. Healers will expect a minute or two, and tanks are nearly "insta-queue", so try not to go AFK. Nothing more annoying than sitting there watching someone time out because they decided to go get a sandwich.

Word to the wise; signing up for random is both faster and usually more beneficial for you as you will get a Satchel of Helpful Goods, which contains a random enchantment blue, some gold and extra experience at the end of the dungeon. At 70 you will start to get badges from doing randoms.

As far as my experiences go, here is what you can generally expect out of the groups at certain levels. I'll update as my two lowbie alts get a little further along, as most of my alts were in Outlands or Northrend by the time LFD came out.

The Looking for Dungeon (LFD) tool. Bane and hero to us all.
My husband and I have started some characters on Deathwing (PvP-US) recently, and as a gold boost made some alts with professions that we're leveling through the LFD tool. He, Tai'za the Prot Warrior, and I, Jinmara the Disc Priest, haven't touched any quests or mobs since level 15, with the exception of two or three dungeon quests.
It's been fast, the gear/disenchantables/cloth fall like manna from the heavens, but it has been trying on the patience. First off are the people that realize there is a 15 minute timer before they can be kicked, and use it for general asshattery; pulling everything, ninjaing, afking at the entrance for free experience. I will not kick someone for low DPS, as long as they aren't doing anything else stupid, but some of the people that we have run into really have me wondering.

I'm a Disc priest, who has to be mana conservative with very little mana regen gear and oh..yeah, hey I'm healing. Yet I have managed to be in 7(!) different groups that I out damaged other group members. Included in those that I have beaten have been a Frost Mage that did nothing but cast Blizzard, a melee only Marks Hunter (I mean only, no pet either), and a Balance Druid that Moonfire spammed and then whacked at the mob with a staff.
I often ask the person if they're new to the game, or if they're just trying out a new playstyle and every single time the response has been "I don't have any tools as this spec!" or "I have no gear!" or even "I'm a level lower than you!". The most frustrating part is that 9 times out of 10, if you try to help someone they will only argue, call you an elitist, and then continue with what they were doing. We're not even mentioning the number of them that are in heirloom gear.

I've started a new project; partly because I want a new mage for a bit of battleground fun once the patch hits, and partly because I want all of the whelpling mini pets.

Meet Cryocore. She's a frost mage and I will be leveling her by grinding on Whelplings. Here's the plan; pick up skinning, good bags, and a sturdy wand.

From level 20-29 she will be grinding on the Red, Crimson, and Flamesnorting whelplings in the Wetlands. Obtain Tiny Crimson Whelpling.
Levels 33-38 she will moving on to the Dreaming and Adolecent whelps of the Swamp of Sorrows for Tiny Emerald Whelpling.
38-45 are the Scalding and Searing whelps of the Badlands for a Dark Whelpling.
Finally there is the Azure Dragonspawn, Scalebane, Magelord, and Mageweavers of Azshara from level 55-58. The final lootable whelpling, the Azure Whelpling.

Awww, Frosty is going to have a family again.

Seems like this is slowly turning into a Druid blog, eh? Probably because a.) my freshly 80 Druid is my current baby and b.) seems like a lot of Druid blogs are dieing as of late. Anyways, on to the lootz! The higher in the list the better (in a blanket sense, your Druid may be a mile under the hit cap so the next one down may be a bit better for you. Use your judgement!)

in full force. I just finally got my characters copied over to the PTR, and it seems like about 50% of the other players are druids playing around with the new forms.

I couldn't resist either, of course.



First image of reference for you. Yes, that is a Tauren Bear Form next to an Amani War Bear mount. Yes, they really are nearly the same size. Yes, that is one big bear butt.

Whether you're just rolling a new alt, or considering a serious re-roll, the prospect of starting over can be especially daunting.  I'm one of those freaks that finds it refreshing, so I have managed to collect a few tricks to getting on your feet. There are some basic things that you need on a character; bags, a mount, and gold to support any professions you may want.