Everything You NEED to Do Before Level 40 in WoW Forever

WoW Forever: Levels 20–40

The stretch from level 20 to 40 brings more zone choices, new dungeons, the Legacy system, and the goal of saving for your first mount.

Leveling zones and efficiency

• Alliance: Consider Duskwood and the Wetlands. Ashenvale is another option for players leveling on Kalimdor, and Redridge quests can lead naturally into Duskwood.
• Horde: Options include Stonetalon Mountains, Ashenvale, Hillsbrad Foothills, and remaining quests in the Barrens. Hillsbrad is a natural follow-up to Silverpine Forest.
• In the 30s: Both factions can consider Stranglethorn Vale and Arathi Highlands. Desolace and Thousand Needles are other possibilities, depending on faction and route.
• On PvP realms: Contested zones—especially Stranglethorn Vale—can be dangerous or crowded. Switch zones if fighting or competition for quest targets slows you down.
• You don’t need to finish every quest in a zone. Skip quests that are too difficult, inefficient, or require excessive travel, and group nearby objectives together.
• WoW Forever adds new quests, so familiar vanilla routes may not be the most efficient choices.

Save for your level 40 mount

The standard mount increases movement speed by 60%. In WoW Forever, the main expense is riding training, so plan for roughly 100 gold, plus some extra.

To earn gold while leveling:

• Skin beasts you kill and gather useful herbs or ore along your route.
• Check whether materials such as cloth, leather, herbs, and crafting supplies are selling.
• Check auction-house prices and deposits before listing items.
• Avoid overspending on temporary equipment that may soon be replaced by quest rewards.

Legacy system

Most players receive their first Legacy point at level 25. Other ways to unlock it include raising a non-gathering crafting profession to 150, exploring the world map, or completing early dungeons.

Open the interface with Y or the shield icon. Its three perk categories are Professions, Adventure, and Resourcefulness. Legacy is mainly horizontal progression, offering playstyle and convenience benefits rather than simply adding a large damage increase.

Points are shared across non-hardcore characters on a Battle.net account, but each character chooses its own perks. Characters can eventually spend up to 16 points at launch, earned through challenges such as leveling, profession milestones, dungeons, and PvP. Review the perks and choose ones that suit how you plan to play.

Dungeons to look out for

• Excavation Site (approximately levels 24–29): Located in the Wetlands, near Thelgen Rock and Dun Algaz. An excavation has awakened something among ancient Titan constructs.
• City of Dalaran (approximately levels 28–33): Located in the Alterac Mountains and requires an attunement quest line:
  • Alliance: “An Alarming Request” from Emissary Jax in Southshore.
  • Horde: “Key to the City” and “Prison Break-in” from Magester Wardeen Voidglare in Tarren Mill.
• The Drowned City (approximately levels 35–40): Located off Stranglethorn’s coast, west of Grom’gol. This dungeon features submerged troll ruins, trolls and naga, and weather that builds toward a storm.
• Kraul Lok Stronghold: A new Riverglades dungeon intended for levels 40–45.

Existing dungeons—including the Stockades, Blackfathom Deeps, Gnomeregan, Razorfen Kraul, and Scarlet Monastery—remain available. Pick up relevant dungeon quests, and keep questing while looking for a group rather than waiting idle in a capital city.

Character and profession check-ins

Around level 30, reassess your talents and combat approach. New talents or abilities may make an older build less effective.

• Visit your class trainer for new abilities and spell ranks.
• Melee characters should check their weapons; casters should keep important spells and suitable gear up to date.
• Keep professions progressing, including training for higher skill caps so you can gather materials in later zones.
• Pay attention to camping: advancing professions can unlock campsite features, buffs, and conveniences.

New zone content: The Riverglades

The Riverglades is a substantial new Eastern Kingdoms region, with more than 150 quests and content spanning roughly the mid-30s to mid-40s. It is available to both factions.

The region offers new stories and routes, including a connection through Powder Fuse Port to the Steamwheedle Cartel sea route in Tanaris. Consider exploring it in the upper 30s rather than automatically following only classic leveling routes.

At level 40

• Buy your mount if you have saved enough gold.
• Revisit your talents. With a point gained each level from level 10, you should have 31 talent points, potentially enough to reach the bottom talent of a specialization.
• Learn relevant abilities and make sure professions are keeping pace.

Preparation checklist

The video’s broader checklist—framed as goals to have accomplished by around level 50—is to have:

• Started using Legacy perks.
• Progressed your professions.
• Saved for or bought a mount.
• Learned your class and specialization.
• Tried some new dungeons.
• Explored new content such as the Riverglades.

These are recommendations, not requirements for continuing to level.

Featured creator and sources: hammerdance is the video’s creator. RestedXP leveling guides are also mentioned as a promoted resource.