Every few pulls in WoW Forever a gray-looking letter, a severed head or a soggy note drops into your bags, and a lot of new players sell it with the rest of the junk. Look at the tooltip first: if it says "This Item Begins a Quest", that drop is a free quest, often with a rare elite's worth of experience and sometimes a weapon or ring you would otherwise never see. Forever keeps the classic quest starters, such as An Unsent Letter from Edwin VanCleef, and adds dozens of new ones in the starting zones, Duskwood, Zephras Isle and the new dungeons. On top of that, a handful of quest rewards are good enough to plan your route around, and a few ordinary-looking items, from Blood Shard to library books, should never go to a vendor at all.
Below you will find how quest-starting items work in Forever, every worthwhile starter from level 1 to 60 sorted by level and zone for both factions, the quest rewards worth a detour, the items you should keep instead of selling, and the answers to the questions players ask most.
A quest-starting item is any drop or pickup whose tooltip carries the line "This Item Begins a Quest". Right-click it in your bags and the quest window opens, the same as talking to a quest giver. Most of these items are unique and bind when picked up, so you cannot buy them on the Auction House and every character has to loot its own.
They come in three flavors. Named rares such as Gazz'uz or Ursangous drop their starter almost every kill, usually 85% or more. Regular mobs drop some starters at a few percent, which is why many players only see them by luck. The rest are objects in the world: a chest, a bottle on a beach or a body on the ground.
Two beta changes matter for groups. Since the October 26 build some quest items can be looted by every member of the party, and dungeon starters such as An Unsent Letter and the Abominable Head drop for everyone in the group. At the same time, dungeon quests can no longer be shared, so each player has to grab their own starter item.
Forever also turns off the old sparkle on lootable quest objects in favor of outlines, which makes small items easy to miss. Two console commands bring the sparkle back:
/console outlineModeShowLootEffectWhenDisabled 1 /console graphicsOutlineMode 0
A graphics preset can switch outlines back on, so enter the commands again if the sparkle disappears. To undo them, set the two values back to 0 and 2 and restart the game.
The tables below list the quest starters worth picking up while leveling, grouped by level and zone. The payoff column shows the experience from the first quest and any item reward at the end of the chain, so you can decide at a glance whether a drop is worth the trip. Faction means who can complete the quest, not who can loot the item.
Each starting zone now has at least one named rare that drops a quest starter, and most of them are new in Forever. They are worth killing on the way out of town: the quests take a few minutes and pay close to a full quest's experience at level 10.
| Item | Where It Drops | Quest | Faction | Payoff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nibbled-On Book | Northshire, Elwynn Forest | Nibbled-On Book | Alliance | Opens the chain that ends in Book Return and the 6-slot Book Bag |
| Croaky's Head | Croaky, Elwynn Forest, 82% | Croaky's Head | Alliance | 880 XP |
| Elmpaw's Head | Elmpaw, Elwynn Forest, 91% | Elmpaw's Head | Alliance | 910 XP |
| Gold Pickup Schedule | Gruff Swiftbite, Elwynn Forest | The Collector | Alliance | 210 XP and a follow-up in Goldshire |
| Empty Powder Keg | Dun Morogh | Stolen Blasting Powder | Alliance | 90 XP, a quick turn-in at Gol'Bolar Quarry |
| Dark Iron Map | Dun Morogh | Underground Map | Alliance | 1,050 XP and the follow-up Old Ironforge Incursion |
| Fang of Githyiss | Githyiss the Vile, Shadowglen, Teldrassil, 11% | Fang of Githyiss | Alliance | 450 XP at level 5 |
| Moss-twined Heart | Blackmoss the Fetid, Teldrassil, 97% | The Moss-twined Heart | Alliance | 460 XP and a follow-up with Denalan |
| Ripped Missive | Commander Haalien, Shadowgale Forest, Zephras Isle, 47% | Ripped Missive | Both (Skyborne) | 910 XP |
| Aged Envelope | Benedict's Chest, Tiragarde Keep, Durotar | The Admiral's Orders | Horde | 630 XP, then 625 XP for the second part in Orgrimmar |
| Eye of Burning Shadow | Gazz'uz, Skull Rock, Durotar, 84% | Burning Shadows | Horde | 675 XP |
| Ukor's Lost Pack | Ukorsbane, Durotar, 100% | Ukor's Lost Pack | Horde | 530 XP from Ukor in southern Durotar |
| Halikor's Hoof | Halikor, 100% | Halikor's Hoof | Horde | 680 XP, turned in at Orgrimmar |
| Dull Storm Orb | Durotar | A Simmering Storm | Horde | 880 XP from Rezlak near Drygulch Ravine, then Stormy Potential |
| Dirt-stained Map | Dirt-stained Map near Camp Narache, Mulgore | Attack on Camp Narache | Horde | 360 XP and Thick Bark Buckler |
| Mulgore Expansion Plans | Supervisor Fizsprocket, The Venture Co. Mine, Mulgore, 13% | Fizsprocket's Notes | Horde | 840 XP and the follow-up Ceasing Operations |
| Demon Scarred Cloak | Ghost Howl, Mulgore, 90% | The Demon Scarred Cloak | Horde | 910 XP and Skorn's Hammer or Skorn's Rifle |
| Whispering Horror Residue | Whispering Horror, Tirisfal Glades, 100% | Whispering Horror Residue | Horde | 910 XP, turned in at Undercity |
Ghost Howl, Croaky and Elmpaw wander rather than sit at one spot, so kill them when you see them instead of planning a hunt. Our WoW Forever starting zones guide covers each zone's quests, free bag and best order.
This is where quest starters start paying real money. The named beasts of The Barrens drop their starters nearly every kill and each quest is worth 1,300 XP or more, while Captain Sander's Treasure Map sends Alliance players on a small treasure hunt that ends in an 8-slot bag.
Lakota'mani, Owatanka and Washte Pawne roam the southern Barrens and hit harder than the mobs around them, and their quests sit at level 22 to 25, so most Horde players pick up the starters in their low 20s, ideally with a friend. The quests stay green for a long time, which makes them easy experience on the way to Thousand Needles.
If you level a Horde character in the Barrens, also hold on to every Blood Shard: we explain what they buy in the section on items you should not vendor below.
Two new Forever sets of starters land here. Four Lost undead in Duskwood each drop the weapon of a fallen hero, and every one of them starts a quest with Sirra Von'Indi in Darkshire. The new dungeons add the Abominable Head, the Crest of Lordaeron and the Titan Relic.
The four Lost undead roam Duskwood, so you usually meet them while doing other quests in the zone. Each drop is unique, which means you can carry all four at once and turn them in together.
Dungeon starters are the easiest to forget, because the item is often the last thing in a boss's loot window. Our WoW Forever dungeon quests guide lists every early dungeon quest with its giver and prerequisites, so you can collect the town quests before the run.
If you would rather have a group carry you through every early dungeon with its quests done, our WoW Forever Dungeons Tour covers them in one go.
After 30 most quest starters are the Classic ones, and the best of them hide a real reward behind a few minutes of travel. The OOX distress beacons are the classic example: each one sends you to rescue a lost robot chicken, and after all three you can earn a pet of your own.
Rescue all three robots and An OOX of Your Own becomes available in Booty Bay, which rewards a mechanical chicken companion. Each beacon is a separate drop in a separate zone, so keep the first one in your bags until the escorts line up with your route.
A Crumpled Up Note is more than experience for the Alliance: it is the start of the long Marshal Windsor chain. Our WoW Forever Onyxia attunement guide picks it up from there.
A guaranteed reward can be worth more than a lucky drop, because you know exactly when you will have it. These are the quest rewards that leveling players single out as worth a detour in Forever. Some need a dungeon run or a group, so check the level and the faction before you plan the trip.
| Reward | Quest | Who Can Get It | Level | Why It Is Worth It |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Really Sticky Glue | A Solvent Spirit, Sen'jin Village in Durotar | Any class, Horde | 7 | Ten charges of a 10-second root, a free escape tool for any class |
| Cozy Sleeping Bag | This Must Be The Place | Any class, both factions | 14 or higher | Up to 3% bonus experience for an hour, reusable every hour |
| Night Watchman's Torch | An Unfortunate End, Duskwood | Any class, both factions | Any | A real light source for 5 minutes in dark caves and nights |
| Crescent Staff | Leaders of the Fang, Wailing Caverns | Horde | 22 | 26 spell damage and healing plus Agility, Stamina and Intellect |
| Verigan's Fist | The Test of Righteousness | Alliance Paladins | 20 to 22 | 25.6 DPS two-hander with a Holyfire proc |
| Gravestone Scepter | Blackfathom Villainy or Blackfathom Villainy, Blackfathom Deeps | Both factions | 27 | 29 DPS shadow wand, a big upgrade for Priests, Mages and Warlocks |
| Seal of Wrynn | An Audience with the King | Alliance | 31 | 17 points of mixed stats on a ring, great for hybrids |
| Light of Elune | Mage Summoner, Ashenvale | Alliance | 25 | 10 seconds of immunity to all damage and spells, an emergency button |
| Field Researcher's Loop or Philanthropist's Ring | Greater Friend of the Library | Both factions | 20, after 20 books | One of the few early rings, with spell power or physical stats |
| Whirlwind Axe | Whirlwind Weapon | Warriors, both factions | 30 | A level 40 two-hander at level 30, with 16 Strength and 15 Stamina |
| Lightning's Grasp | Shaman weapon quest | Shamans, both factions | 30 | 46 spell power on a fist weapon, plus a choice of shield |
The weapon quests have their own guides with every step and map: the WoW Forever Warrior weapon quest guide for the Whirlwind Axe, the WoW Forever Paladin weapon quest guide for Verigan's Fist and the Undead Paladin's Wolfsbane, and the WoW Forever Shaman weapon quest guide for Lightning's Grasp.
It is the most argued-about reward on the list. The chain runs across Westfall, The Barrens, Stonetalon Mountains, Loch Modan and Hillsbrad Foothills, and players report one to three hours for the whole trip. In return you get a 3% experience buff that you refresh every hour, and the chain itself pays well along the way. Most players agree on two things: wait for a speed boost such as a Shaman's Ghost Wolf or a Hunter's Aspect of the Cheetah, and pair it with library book hunting, since many of the stops are close to books. Horde players should expect a rough time on the Loch Modan step, which is full of high-level guards.
Every step, coordinate and the optional campfire quest ... and that note you found are in our WoW Forever Cozy Sleeping Bag guide.
The Night Watchman's Torch is a new Forever item with no quest giver at all. A slain Night Watch Guard lies on the ground somewhere in Duskwood with a yellow exclamation mark over him, and clicking the body completes the short quest An Unfortunate End at once. He spawns only at night, roughly after 20:00 game time, and the most reliable spot is behind the biggest building in Raven Hill at /way 18.1 55.2. Players also report him around the south and west of the zone and near Darkshire.
Right-click the torch for a light source that lasts 5 minutes on a 30-second cooldown. It goes out in combat, in water and in major cities. If you lose it, you can return to Duskwood for another one.
Two rewards on the list are consumables, and both are worth more in a bad moment than right away. Light of Elune grants 10 seconds of immunity on a 2-minute cooldown, so it can save a run when a pull goes wrong or a world PvP fight turns against you. Really Sticky Glue roots a target for 10 seconds with a 1-minute cooldown, and the quest gives only ten of them once. Keep both on your action bar rather than at the bottom of a bag.
Some of the most valuable things you loot while leveling do not say "This Item Begins a Quest" at all. They are currencies or turn-ins for systems that pay later, and they sell for a few copper. These are the ones to keep.
If you level several characters, keep the profession turn-ins and spare bags on a bank character instead of carrying them. Our WoW Forever bank alt guide shows how to set one up, and the WoW Forever bag guide covers every free and cheap bag for the space you need.
A few habits from the beta make quest starters a steady source of experience instead of a lucky surprise.
For the full zone order these items fit into, see our WoW Forever leveling guide, and if you are still choosing a class, the WoW Forever best leveling class ranking compares all of them for solo speed.
For a second character that does not need every detour, our WoW Forever leveling service takes it to the level you choose.
These guides cover the rest of the leveling journey, from bags and starting zones to the route to 60.
These are the questions players ask most often about quest items and rewards.
Its tooltip has the line "This Item Begins a Quest". Right-click the item in your bags to open the quest. If you sell it by mistake, you can buy it back from the same vendor before you log out.
Almost never. Nearly all of them bind when picked up and are unique, so every character has to loot its own copy.
Many do since the October 26 beta build. Dungeon starters such as An Unsent Letter and the Abominable Head drop for every party member, but dungeon quests themselves cannot be shared anymore.
It depends on your class. Casters get the most from the Crescent Staff for Horde and the Gravestone Scepter for both factions, Warriors from the Whirlwind Axe, Shamans from Lightning's Grasp, and every class can use the Cozy Sleeping Bag.
Reports differ. The item is unique and binds when picked up, and its effect is a 5-minute light source on a 30-second cooldown. If you lose it, the slain guard in Duskwood gives you a new one.
It is the second step of the Cozy Sleeping Bag chain. Alliance players find the first note in Westfall and the second in The Barrens; Horde players visit the same two spots in reverse order.
No. Horde players trade them to Mangletooth for free buffs, and they are worth far more as movement speed or Strength than the 25 copper a vendor pays.
Most of them do, with the same drop sources and quests. A few Season of Discovery starters, such as the Illegible Recipe and the Deciphered Troll Scroll, are marked on Wowhead as possibly missing from Forever, so we left them out of this guide.
