There are two things you need to decide when creating your character. You will need to choose a race and class, but first you will need to pick a server to start on.
Choosing a Server
Assuming you don't have a friend on a server that you want to play with, the decision to be made is player versus player (PvP) or non-PvP. The non-PvP servers are called "normal" by the game, and PvE or "player vs environment" (or sometimes enemy) by players. There is also another variation on the servers called RP (role-playing) where people are supposed to be more intent on playing as their characters, rather than merely playing their characters. An RP server is usually just a special type of PvE server
Races
The other obvious dilemma in starting the game is choosing a combination of race and class.
By choosing your race, you also choose your faction. The two factions are the Alliance and the Horde, and each faction has 5 races. The member of rival faction cannot communicate with each other, nor can they form groups or join guild together. On pvp servers, you are in open war with them. If you are joining the game to play with a friend, it is important to make sure you are both on the same side.
Classes
Choosing a race is not as important as choosing a class, so you might want to look at the class below and pick the one that seems the most interesting and than think about the class available to it. Not all combinations are available. A class will greatly affect the way you play the game and how you interact with the world
Warrior
Races: all, except Blood Elf.Roles: Tank, DPS
Warriors are the guys up front in plate armor. They can take the blows, and are expected to try to keep anyone else from taking them if they can. They certainly can deal damage though, and have three battle stances to reflect their balance of offense and defense. Rather than having mana, warriors generate rage to activate their special abilities as the battle goes on, and have quite a few combat skills to use, not all of them available in every stance.
Warriors wear mail initially, later plate, and can use nearly all weapon types. They start with a one-handed sword and shield.
Paladin
Races: Human, Dwarf, Draenei, Blood Elf.Roles: Tank, DPS, Healer
Paladins have virtually no genuine combat skills. Instead, they have a few other abilities to juggle. First, they have auras, which are permanent effects around the paladin (armor bonus, damage reflection, etc.) Second, they have "blessings" that are short term buffs on their teammates which fairly potent effects, only one of which works at a time. Third, they have "seals" that are self-only effects that last for 30 seconds. Seals are both strong in nature, and can also be released as a "judgement" that then becomes a status effect on their target. (A seal that gives the paladin life per hit becomes a judgement than gives anyone hitting that target life per hit.) They can also heal and rez
Paladins can use mail armor, plate later on, and can equip many non-ranged weapons. They start with a two-handed mace.
Shaman
Races: Tauren, Troll, Orc, DraeneiRoles: DPS, Healer
While a shaman can potentially heal or do damage, it really is up to the shaman to choose a style that fits them, based on their talent choices. Shamans also have the ability to lay totems, which create local effects. The totems each have an element (fire, air, earth, water) and only one of each type can be used at a time. The totems are attackable, and most only have a few hit points, but are immune to AE effects. Examples of totems are a healing spring totem that gives nearby party members health over time, an earthbind totem that roots nearby enemies, and a fire nova totem that detonates after a few seconds in a fiery explosion.
Shamans can wear leather armor, learn mail later, and start with a staff.
Rogue
Roles: DPS
Rogues are perhaps the masters of combat damage. However, they can not take damage anywhere near as well as a warrior can, despite having an exceptionally high dodge rating. Rogues are also able to stealth and sneak up behind opponents, with special skills to initiate combat from hiding, including the ability to sap an opponent, stunning him for a lengthy period of time. Rogues do not use mana, but rather Energy that drains as they use it, but fills very quickly on its own. Unlike mana pools, a rogue's energy pool is always out of 100. Some skills the rogue performs adds a "combo point" to that target, and other skills are refered to as finishing moves, and have a stronger effect based on how many combo points are on that target. The points become spent when the rogue does this, and cannot be transferred to another target.
Rogues wear leather and can use most one-handed weapons and ranged weapons. They start with a dagger.
Druid
Races: Tauren, Night ElfTake those roles above lightly: druids are able to shapeshift into two animal forms, a bear and a cat, that make the druid behave like a warrior or a rogue. The bear can tank, the cat can sneak and deal melee damage, or the druid can remain in caster form and be a potent user of nature magic. As a caster, druids have arguably the best buff spell in the game, and various healing skills at their disposal. Compared to the priest, the druid's spells focus more on being over time. Druids can also nuke to some degree, although not as potently as the true caster classes.
Druids wear leather and can use daggers, one-handed maces, and staves. They start with a staff.
Hunter
Roles: DPS
Hunters are the masters of ranged combat, dealing damage more effectively with a bow or shotgun than anyone else. While their emphasis is on their ranged combat, they are also capable at close range, and are skilled survivalists that use traps and the beasts of the wild to their advantage. In fact, hunters can tame beast-type creatures to be their pets, and after building a degree of loyalty with that pet, teach them skills that make them effective at dealing damage or tanking for the hunter while he shoots his target. Hunters have a line of buff spells called aspects, of which they can only use one at a time, and which mostly only affect the hunter. Hunters are especially known for their mark ability that highlights a creature and puts a big floating arrow above it to indicate a target for others, as well as increasing ranged damage against it.
Hunters begin with leather armor and can learn to wear mail, and can use almost all weapon types. They usually start with a one-handed axe and either a gun or a bow (with ammo pouch or quiver.)
Priest
Roles: DPS, Healer
Priests are the stereotypical holy healers of the game. They are NOT clerics, though. These guys do not walk around with a shield and plate armor. Instead, they have two sets of magical spells - one divine and the other of darker "shadow" magic. Generally, the divine spells are more healing-oriented and the shadow powers deal damage and manipulate powers of the mind. Priests are known for their spell "Power Word: Shield", which is a short-term buff that absorbs a certain amount of damage before it fades, which allows the priest a sort of last-second heal or helps the priest channel spells while under attack. Priest can also focus on the darker side of divinity and cast shadow spell, become full fledged dps class.
Priests can only wear cloth armor, and can use daggers, wands, one-handed maces and staves. They start with a mace.
Warlock
Roles: DPS
Warlocks are not the masters of dealing damage quickly, but they can generate a lot of it over time with the use of "damage over time" spells - DoTs for short. They are the users of dark magics, and draw their powers largely for demonic arts. To that end, warlocks are able to summon different demon pets to fight for them. Warlocks have the ability to summon players from anywhere, so long as two group members assist with the ritual. They can also create soulstones that auto-resurrect a player with just a few HP and mana shortly after they die.
Warlocks can only use cloth armor, and wield staves, daggers, wands, or one-handed swords. They start with a dagger.
Mage
Roles: DPS
Mages are the blasters of the game, able to deal heavy amounts of magical damage in a very short period of time. Aside from being masters of frost, fire, and arcane arts, they can summon their own food and drink, as well as create teleportation portals to major cities. Mages are also widely-known for their use of polymorph, a spell that turns a target into a sheep for a period of time as long as it remains undisturbed, effectively removing it from combat.
Mages wear cloth, and wield staves, daggers, wands, or one-handed swords. They start with a dagger.
Death Knight
Roles: Tank, DPS
Death Knight requires you to have a level 55 character on a given server to be created. As such, when you can create one, you most likely won't need a newbie guide anymore.
All listed non-starting weapon proficiencies must be trained.
Finishing Touches
You have some minor options to adjust your appearance with things like skin shade, hair style, facial hair, etc. This isn't going to impact your gameplay, and both genders are equal in all ways, so just pick whatever looks prettiest to you or whatever.
Enter your name - something NAME-LIKE and moderately original, or you run the risk of having it changed - and press create. You're ready to start.
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