The Season of Discovery in World of Warcraft will have four phases of leveling content, each with a new level cap. Phase 1 started with a level cap of 25, and Phase 2 will increase the cap to level 40.
Along with the new level cap, Phase 2 will introduce revamped vanilla content, including a new 10-player raid version of the Gnomeregan instance and additional content for the Stranglethorn Vale zone. Many classes and talent specializations will gain access to higher-level abilities that were unavailable at level 25.
This guide covers everything to expect at level 40 in vanilla World of Warcraft and the new content in Phase 2 of the Season of Discovery.
Inventory & Travel
At level 40, your limited bag space will see some improvement. Tailors can craft the Mageweave Bag, and the Journeyman’s Backpack can drop from mobs level 41 and above.
The major convenience at level 40 is obtaining your first regular mount. In vanilla WoW, this involves spending 20 gold for the riding skill and another 80 gold for the mount. This cost was reduced in Season of Mastery but has reverted to the original amount. Paladins and Warlocks can skip this cost by completing a unique quest to summon a special class mount.
Traveling will be easier with the addition of mage portals. At level 40, mages can create portals to two major cities of their faction: Ironforge and Stormwind for the Alliance, and Orgrimmar and Undercity for the Horde. Mages can teleport to Darnassus and Thunder Bluff themselves but cannot create portals to these cities until Phase 3.
New Rested Experience Items
Blizzard has added two new items to boost your rested experience: the Cozy Sleeping Bag and Student Fodder. The Cozy Sleeping Bag is a reusable item that provides a buff granting up to 3% bonus experience for two hours.
Student Fodder is a consumable item that gives 20% (4 “bars”) of rested experience regardless of level, equivalent to resting in an inn or city for 36 hours.
Discoveries
Phase 2 will introduce Rune Engravings for at least two additional slots. These engravings will add new abilities and further expand the roles and builds introduced in Phase 1.
This phase also adds several new skill books that grant new permanent spells when used. These abilities primarily offer quality-of-life improvements, such as reduced mana costs for buffs.
Class Abilities
Phase 2 will unlock many higher-level class abilities that were previously inaccessible. Notably, capstone talents in talent trees will be available at level 40. Additionally, several classes will gain the ability to wear new armor types: Hunters and Shamans will use Mail, while Paladins and Warriors can equip Plate.
Class Quests
Several class quests offer valuable rewards at this level. Here are some of the best:
Professions
Professions in Phase 2 will be capped at skill-level 225, or Expert level. Specialization quests for Blacksmithing, Engineering, or Leatherworking will not be available, nor will the Triage quest for First Aid or Nat Pagle’s quests for Fishing. However, many higher-level recipes will be accessible.
Several new recipes will be added this phase, many unlocked through an epic quest chain similar to the one in Blackfathom Deeps.
CookingZones
The following zones will be available for questing up to level 40. You can enter higher-level zones in Phase 2, but you will find no quests there and the enemies will be extremely dangerous.
| Zone | Level Range | Faction |
|---|---|---|
| Dun Morogh | 1-10 | Alliance |
| Durotar | 1-10 | Horde |
| Elwynn Forest | 1-10 | Alliance |
| Mulgore | 1-10 | Horde |
| Teldrassil | 1-10 | Alliance |
| Tirisfal Glades | 1-10 | Horde |
| Darkshore | 10-20 | Alliance |
| Loch Modan | 10-20 | Alliance |
| Silverpine Forest | 10-20 | Horde |
| Westfall | 10-20 | Alliance |
| The Barrens | 15-25 | Horde |
| Redridge Mountains | 15-25 | Contested |
| Stonetalon Mountains | 15-27 | Contested |
| Ashenvale | 18-30 | Contested |
| Duskwood | 18-30 | Contested |
| Hillsbrad Foothills | 20-30 | Contested |
| Wetlands | 20-30 | Contested |
| Thousand Needles | 25-35 | Contested |
| Alterac Mountains | 30-40 | Contested |
| Arathi Highlands | 30-40 | Contested |
| Desolace | 30-40 | Contested |
| Stranglethorn Vale | 30-45 | Contested |
| Dustwallow Marsh | 35-45 | Contested |
| Badlands | 35-45 | Contested |
| Swamp of Sorrows | 35-45 | Contested |
Dungeons
Most of the dungeons available at level 40 are located in zones controlled by one faction. However, more entrances will be found in Contested zones in Phase 2.
Developers have stated that dungeons beyond Uldaman will be inaccessible in Phase 2, so Razorfen Downs, Zul’Farrak, and Maraudon will not be available.
Blackfathom Deeps and Gnomeregan have been converted into raids, making their original 5-player dungeon versions unavailable in the Season of Discovery.
| Dungeon | Level Range | Min Level | Entrance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ragefire Chasm | 13-18 | 8 | Orgrimmar |
| Wailing Caverns | 17-24 | 10 | The Barrens |
| The Deadmines | 17-26 | 10 | Westfall |
| Shadowfang Keep | 22-30 | 14 | Silverpine Forest |
| The Stockade | 24-32 | 15 | Stormwind City |
| Razorfen Kraul | 30-40 | 25 | The Barrens |
| The Scarlet Monastery: Graveyard | 26-35 | 21 | Tirisfal Glades |
| The Scarlet Monastery: Library | 30-40 | 21 | Tirisfal Glades |
| The Scarlet Monastery: Armory | 32-42 | 21 | Tirisfal Glades |
| The Scarlet Monastery: Cathedral | 35-45 | 21 | Tirisfal Glades |
| Uldaman | 35-45 | 30 | Badlands |
Notable Dungeon Loot at Level 40
Several notable dungeon loot items are worth mentioning, with additional new loot expected in Phase 2.
The Scarlet Monastery – Armory
Items of interest in Scarlet Monastery include:
Uldaman
The quest Uldaman Reagent Run/Uldaman Reagent Run rewards 5x Restorative Potion and leads you to the recipe if you’re an Alchemist.
The quest The Platinum Discs/The Platinum Discs rewards Thawpelt Sack, a 14-slot bag. Other notable loot in Uldaman includes:
- Digmaster 5000
- Horned Viking Helmet
- Ironaya’s Bracers
- Nordic Longshank
- Olaf’s All Purpose Shield
- Papal Fez
- Pendulum of Doom
Raids
Phase 2 introduces the 10-player Gnomeregan raid, featuring six bosses. This raid will open at Phase 2 launch with a one-week lockout for the first two weeks, then switching to a three-day lockout like Blackfathom Deeps.
The revamped Gnomeregan raid will include new bosses and loot. The entrance is in Dun Morogh, with a Teleportation Pad in Booty Bay for Horde players who complete the quest Chief Engineer Scooty from Sovik, the Engineering Supplies vendor in Orgrimmar. Alliance players can easily reach the raid from Ironforge.
Notable loot from the Gnomeregan raid includes the Automatic Crowd Pummeler, an upgraded version of the Manual Crowd Pummeler, previously farmed by Feral Druids as BIS in Vanilla and WoW Classic.
Player Versus Player
Phase 2 adds the Arathi Basin battleground alongside Warsong Gulch. New quests will help earn reputation with your Arathi Basin faction. Blizzard has announced changes to battleground matchmaking in Phase 2, favoring groups of five or fewer to match with smaller groups and avoid large premades.
A new zone-wide PvP event, The Blood Moon, will take place in Stranglethorn Vale. This 30-minute event, on a three-hour timer, turns the zone into a free-for-all PvP area. Killing players from any faction will earn a new currency, which can be spent on new gear items.
The Gurubashi Arena has not returned and seems to have been replaced by The Blood Moon event, meaning no Arena Grand Master or other arena chest rewards.
Changes to Phase 1 Content
Along with new content in Phase 2, there are changes to Phase 1 content. The biggest is the Discoverer’s Delight buff, which increases all experience gained by 50% for characters below level 25, helping them catch up to the new content.
Other significant changes include:
- The Battle for Ashenvale event will move to a 3-hour timetable, like the new event in Stranglethorn Vale.
- The Blackfathom Deeps raid will offer increased experience, encouraging players to keep running it as they level.
- The Boon of Blackfathom buff will work up to level 39 but not on level 40 characters.
- Waylaid Supplies can now stack but cannot be turned in partially filled. They offer increased experience when turned in.
