TAKEAWAY Alchemy is the classic match, because herbs are its main ingredient. Add First Aid (it is a free secondary profession) and your herbs also turn into healing potions. Want pure coin? Pair Herbalism with Mining or Skinning. The other professions use herbs only a little, so they work best as a second job for gold, not as a true team.
Herbalism is the one gathering profession with a built-in buddy that does not cost a profession slot. In WoW Forever, First Aid can now make healing potions, and those potions run on herbs. That changes the math a bit, so this guide starts with where herbs actually go and builds the combos from there.
You get two primary professions per character, and Herbalism takes one. The second one decides what your herbs turn into. Coins are shown as g (gold), s (silver) and c (copper).
What an Herbalist Picks Up
New herbs. Along with the Classic herbs, Forever adds Marefoil, Demonsage, Hive Thistle and Death Lotus. Death Lotus is the top endgame lotus, used for new raid flasks.
Scarce drops. Regular herbs can also drop three rare bonus items: Frilled Lichen, Rosecap and Stranglevine. Alchemists turn them (with Sulfuric Acid) into Cerulean, Magenta and Viridian Dyes. Those dyes go into more than 200 crafting recipes, including Woolen, Mageweave and Mooncloth reagent bags and some weapon enchants.
Herb seeds. While you gather, you also collect seeds in four tiers: Commonplace, Uncommon, Unusual and Scarce. You plant them at your camp (see below).
Bags. Starter trainers sell an Apprentice Herb Pouch, a 4-slot reagent bag, for 25c. Later you can get 12-slot pouches, 20-slot Cenarion Herb Bags and the 32-slot Satchel of Cenarius.
Tracking rules. You do not need a tool to gather. Find Herbs also works alongside Hunter tracking and Find Treasure, but not alongside Find Minerals. You have to switch it on again after you die.
Where Your Herbs Go
| Profession | Uses herbs? | How |
|---|---|---|
| Alchemy | Yes, most of all | Potions, elixirs and flasks, plus dyes from the scarce drops |
| First Aid (secondary) | Yes | Healing potions, one herb per tier |
| Enchanting | A little | Some recipes use herbs and the scarce drops |
| Tailoring | A little | Herbs and dyes for bags and gear |
| Leatherworking | A little | Dyes for gear and bags, and it crafts the Herbalist Gloves |
| Mining | No | A separate gathering supply |
| Skinning | No | A separate gathering supply |
| Blacksmithing | No | Runs on ore |
| Engineering | No | Runs on ore |
The three healing potion herbs are Peacebloom (Minor), Briarthorn (Lesser) and Bruiseweed (Healing). Alchemy no longer makes these potions. They moved to First Aid.
Herbalism + Alchemy: The Potion Line
Payoff. Herbs are Alchemy’s main ingredient, so you gather what you brew. Alchemy supplies most endgame consumables: elixirs, flasks and mana potions. You can also make dyes for expensive crafted items, and Alchemists can now place a portable lab at camp, so they no longer have to travel to Scholomance to craft top flasks.
Cost. Alchemy is less useful while leveling, because other crafting professions can make gear you actually wear. Vials are a small extra cost. Basic healing potions are gone from Alchemy.
Go for it if: you raid, you want to supply your own flasks, or you plan to sell consumables at the level cap.
Herbalism + First Aid: The Free Add-On
Payoff. First Aid is a secondary profession, so it takes no slot. It makes bandages, curatives and now healing potions, which are instant and work in combat. That helps every class, not just the ones without self-heals. Your gathered Peacebloom, Briarthorn and Bruiseweed become potions with a vial and cheap spices from a trade vendor.
Cost. Bandages still do most of your skill gains. The new curatives for bleeds and disease cannot be used in combat.
Go for it if: you want healing potions without buying them, whatever your other profession is.
Herbalism + Mining or Skinning: The Raw Gold Line
Payoff. Two gathering professions mean no crafting costs, so almost everything you collect is profit. On launch day, raw herbs sell well because crafters rush to level Alchemy and to fill Waylaid Crates. Bountiful Harvest boosts the scarce drops from all three gathering professions.
Cost. You make nothing for yourself, and your minimap cannot show herbs and minerals together with the default tracking.
Go for it if: you want coin for your mount and no crafting. Our Mining and Skinning guides cover each of these combos in more detail.
Herbalism + Leatherworking: The Gloves Shortcut
Payoff. Leatherworkers can craft Herbalist Gloves (+5 Herbalism) from level 22, a free skill boost for a gatherer. The same profession also uses the dyes your scarce drops become.
Cost. Leatherworking runs on leather and hides, so you buy those or gather them another way. It does not use herbs for its main recipes.
Go for it if: you want your own leather gear and a free gathering skill boost.
Herbalism + Enchanting: The Lotus Claw Angle
Payoff. Enchanting uses some herbs and the scarce drops. At 295 Enchanting and Honored reputation with Barkskin Burrow, you can learn the Lotus Claw glove enchant. It gives a small chance to find a Death Lotus whenever you gather any herb in Mount Hyjal.
Cost. That payoff comes late. Early on, Enchanting does not use much of what you gather, and it costs gold to level.
Go for it if: you are heading for the endgame and want one more way to find rare lotus plants.
Herbalism + Tailoring: The Dye Link
Payoff. Tailoring uses herbs and the dyes your scarce drops become, especially for reagent bags and gear. Warlocks often pick Tailoring with Herbalism or Alchemy for a strong economy and raid prep.
Cost. Cloth comes from humanoids, not plants, so you farm two different things.
Go for it if: you play a cloth class and want to sell bags and dyes.
Herbalism + Blacksmithing or Engineering: The Odd Ones Out
Both professions run on ore, so your herbs do nothing for them. You can still pair them if you love the profession, and sell your herbs on the side. Most players who take these two also take Mining.
Pick by Class
| Class | Common choice with Herbalism | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Druid | Alchemy | Druids can gather herbs in Travel Form |
| Shaman | Alchemy | Potions and resistance flasks for raids and support |
| Paladin (Holy) | Alchemy | Mana and healing support |
| Warlock | Tailoring, or Alchemy | Economy and raid prep |
| Tauren (any class) | Whatever fits your class | Cultivation helps any gatherer, see below |
| Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Mage, Priest | Usually another pair | These classes more often take Mining, Skinning or Tailoring. Herbalism works as a gold side job |
Tauren Cultivation, Explained
Cultivation is a Tauren racial ability that lets you duplicate an herb you find, which means two chances for loot from one plant.
- It is active. You press it, it takes about 3 seconds to cast, and you must stand very close to the herb.
- It has a 15 minute cooldown. The tooltip does not say so, but it does.
- You do not need Herbalism. You can use it, and pick the copy, without the profession. Herbalism does give you Find Herbs, so locating plants is easier with it.
- Each herb can be cultivated once.
- It has a level gate. Your character level must be high enough for the herb, roughly the herb’s gathering skill divided by 5. For top-end herbs, that means level 60.
Camp Items for Herbalists and Alchemists
| Item | What it does |
|---|---|
| Incense Candle (20 Herbalism) | Made from 1 Peacebloom and 1 Silverleaf. Gives resting group members an Intellect buff. Does not stack with Arcane Intellect |
| Greenhouse (140 Herbalism) | Needs 2 Simple Wood, 1 Arthas’ Tears and 1 Purple Lotus. The plan drops about 8% of the time from Shadetooth in the Wetlands excavation site. Keeps the Intellect buff and lets you plant seeds to grow herbs over time |
| Seed Hybridizer (300 Herbalism) | Combines or multiplies seeds into rarer tiers |
| Portable Alchemy Lab | Lets Alchemists craft high-tier flasks at camp |
Skill Boosts That Stack
You can add up to +25 skill with three items:
| Boost | Skill |
|---|---|
| Herbalist Gloves (a level 22 Leatherworking craft) | +5 |
| Enchant Gloves – Advanced Herbalism | +5 |
| Goldthorn Tea (10 second drink, lasts 15 to 30 minutes, also adds a 5% kill XP buff) | +15 |
At 275 skill, that stack lets you pick 300-skill herbs, such as Black Lotus and Death Lotus, early. You only wear one pair of gloves, so you will choose the gloves or the enchant, not both. The tea works with either.
Money Moves
- Sell raw herbs on launch day. Crafters pay well early.
- Pick up the dyes trade. Your scarce drops become Cerulean, Magenta and Viridian Dyes. Tailors and Leatherworkers need them for bags and gear, which means steady demand at the level cap.
- Use Bountiful Harvest. It has 5 ranks, each adding 20% more scarce drops, for up to 100%. It does not boost normal herb yield.
- Use Working Overtime. It gives up to a 20% chance of an extra skill-up on yellow and green recipes.
- Try Dedicated Study. It gives free skill points in your lowest profession once a day.
- Track both gathering jobs. If you take Mining too, the NodeSight addon shows herb and ore icons on your minimap, so you do not need to switch tracking.
Leveling Basics
Most herbs give skill until about 100 points and turn green around 50, so move to a new zone about every 50 skill levels. Start in your starter zone for the first 70 to 100 points. Then try zones like the Barrens, Darkshore and Loch Modan, and work up to Un’Goro Crater and Felwood for skill 250 and beyond.
FAQ
What is the best profession to take with Herbalism in WoW Forever? Alchemy, because herbs are its main ingredient. Add First Aid for free healing potions.
Is First Aid a good choice with Herbalism? Yes. It is a secondary profession, so it uses no slot, and it can now craft healing potions from Peacebloom, Briarthorn and Bruiseweed.
Does Alchemy still make healing potions? No. Healing potions moved to First Aid. Alchemy makes elixirs, flasks and mana potions.
What are Frilled Lichen, Rosecap and Stranglevine? Rare bonus drops from herbs. Alchemists turn them into dyes that are used in more than 200 recipes.
How much does Bountiful Harvest add? Up to 100% more scarce drops at full rank. It does not boost normal herbs.
Can I gather herbs without Herbalism? Tauren can use Cultivation to duplicate an herb without the profession. Everyone else needs Herbalism.
Can I use Find Herbs and Find Minerals together? No. The default tracking only shows one of them. Use an icon addon such as NodeSight, which shows both on the minimap.
Which classes take Herbalism? Druids, Shamans, Holy Paladins and Warlocks often take it with Alchemy or Tailoring. Other classes can use it as a gold side job.
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