After progressing to level 25 in Phase 1 and level 40 in Phase 2, Season of Discovery Phase 3 raises the level cap to 50 and introduces more reimagined and retuned Vanilla content.
The phase adds a new 20-player raid version of Sunken Temple, a new repeatable PvE activity called Nightmare Incursions, and the ability to level professions to their max skill of 300, including crafting specializations. Additionally, players can expect new runes for every class, more talents and abilities, and the highly anticipated Dual Talent Specialization.
This guide covers everything you can expect to see at level 50 in World of Warcraft, along with all the new content introduced in Phase 3 of Season of Discovery.
Leveling
Phase 2 introduced the Discoverer’s Delight buff, which continues in Phase 3 through level 49. Characters below level 40 will receive a 100% experience increase from Discoverer’s Delight, while those from level 40 to 49 get a reduced 75% version of the buff.
Gnomeregan joins Blackfathom Deeps as a leveling raid, offering significant experience on a three-day lockout. World buffs like Boon of Blackfathom remain usable through level 39, and Spark of Inspiration is usable through level 49.
The new Nightmare Incursions are available from level 25, providing an alternative leveling method if you tire of dungeons, raids, and questing.
The Cozy Sleeping Bag continues to provide a rested experience through level 50, and any Student Fodder you haven’t used should also work.
Blizzard is preventing players from hoarding items for a leveling head start. You cannot use Warsong Gulch Mark of Honor, Arathi Basin Mark of Honor, Wastewander Water Pouch, or Troll Tribal Necklace to level from 40-49. “Pre-questing” is only possible as far as your quest log allows.
Inventory & Travel
Most Vanilla WoW bags should now be accessible, including the world drop Traveler’s Backpack and most bags from Tailoring. The Mooncloth Bag is the largest until the Bottomless Bag can be crafted after the release of the Molten Core raid.
The level 40 mounts from Phase 2 remain the primary means of travel until epic mounts become obtainable at level 60.
At level 50, mages acquire their final portal spells: Portal: Darnassus and Portal: Thunder Bluff, facilitating travel to any major city of their faction.
Dual Talent Specialization
Phase 3 introduces Dual Talent Specialization, allowing players to switch between Builds without visiting a class trainer or paying for a respec. This feature becomes available at level 40 for a cost of 50 gold from Grendag Brightbeard in Orgrimmar or Ironforge.
Dual Talent Specialization enables players to switch between two saved talent setups anytime except during combat, allowing for flexibility in fulfilling different roles or switching between PvE and PvP setups.
Discoveries
Phase 3 introduces new Rune Engravings for the bracer and helm slots for every class. These engravings add new abilities and further expand the roles and builds from Phases 1 and 2. Known runes have been added to our class rune pages below.
Class Abilities
While most classes acquired the bulk of their new abilities by level 40, there are still some to obtain in Phases 3 and 4. Additionally, players who went deep into one talent tree for their capstone ability can now dip into a second talent tree for additional bonuses!
Class Quests
Each class has a unique quest at level 50 to be completed in the Sunken Temple raid. These quests have been upleveled along with their rewards to be more competitive at level 50. Below are the quests and their rewards, which will award all three options in Season of Discovery instead of just one as in Vanilla WoW.
Professions
Professions in Phase 3 are capped at 300 skill, or Artisan level, which is the maximum level for professions in Vanilla WoW. Specializations are now available for Blacksmithing, Engineering, and Leatherworking. Players can also complete the Triage quest for First Aid and Nat Pagle’s quests for Fishing to max out those skills.
New recipes will be obtainable for crafting, primarily through completing another epic quest chain in the Phase 3 raid, Sunken Temple.
Zones
The following are the zones available for questing up to level 50. While higher-level zones are accessible in Phase 3, they lack quests and have highly dangerous enemies.
| 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 |
| Feralas | 40-50 | Contested |
| The Hinterlands | 40-50 | Contested |
| Tanaris | 40-50 | Contested |
| Searing Gorge | 43-50 | Contested |
| Azshara | 45-55 | Contested |
| Blasted Lands | 45-55 | Contested |
| Un’Goro Crater | 48-55 | Contested |
| Felwood | 48-55 | Contested |
Dungeons
Three new dungeons are added in the level 40-50 range: Zul’Farrak, Maraudon, and Blackrock Depths. These dungeons are in contested zones, with Blackrock Depths completable up to the Grim Guzzler, the bar in the middle of the dungeon, beyond which bosses are located inside the Grim Guzzler and are not yet available.
Blackfathom Deeps, Gnomeregan, and The Temple of Atal’Hakkar have all been converted into raids, and their original 5-player dungeon versions are not available in 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 |
| Zul’Farrak | 44-54 | 35 | Tanaris |
| Maraudon | 46-55 | 30 | Desolace |
| Blackrock Depths | 52-60 | 40 | Blackrock Mountain |
Nightmare Incursions
Blizzard has added new repeatable PvE content to the game with Nightmare Incursions, utilizing the unused Emerald Dream portals from Vanilla WoW.
Nightmare Incursions are available from level 25, offering an alternative to quests and dungeons while leveling. Some incursions are solo-able, while others require a group.
Phase 3 also introduces a new faction, the Emerald Wardens, who grant reputation for completing Nightmare Incursions. Rewards include lower-level items for alts and new characters, as well as level 50 epics and a rune for every class. A new starter set of PvP gear is also available through this content.
The four Emerald Dream portals are located in Ashenvale, Duskwood, Feralas, and The Hinterlands. Ashenvale and Duskwood are level 18-30 zones, while Feralas and The Hinterlands are level 40-50 zones.
Raids
As in previous phases, one of the Vanilla dungeons has been reworked as a raid for Phase 3 of Season of Discovery. The Temple of Atal’Hakkar, better known as Sunken Temple, is a 20-player, level 50 raid with 8 bosses. The raid opened immediately when the phase launched and is on a one-week lockout, as will be all future raids going forward.
The entrance to Sunken Temple is in the Swamp of Sorrows. Horde players have a flightpath in the zone at Stonard, while Alliance players can travel through Deadwind Pass from Duskwood or from the Nethergarde Keep flightpath in Blasted Lands.
Tier tokens are divided into two versions covering four classes each:
- Hunter, Rogue, Warrior, and Paladin/Shaman
- Druid, Mage, Priest, and Warlock
There is also plenty of other gear to obtain in the raid.
Player Versus Player
There is no new PvP content in Phase 3, but there are new PvP rewards. Alterac Valley is not available in Vanilla WoW until level 51, so Warsong Gulch and Arathi Basin remain the only battlegrounds until Phase 4. The Blood Moon in Stranglethorn Vale remains the primary world PvP event, with the Battle for Ashenvale still in the game but not receiving any updates.
Nightmare Incursions provide a new PvP starter set for every class and role, complete with set bonuses. Rewards from the Blood Moon event have also been updated for level 50, with a new currency, Massacre Coins, replacing the old Bloodstained Commendations.
