This chapter lists many of the “extras” that you can do in World of Warcraft. Some of these activities earn in-game rewards, but most are for fun and socializing.
Get a Haircut
Several major cities offer Barbershop services. All races and genders have a makeover option for a small fee. Many features can be changed, including face, hair color, hairstyle, facial hair, horns, piercings, tattoos, and undead parts.
Socialize
There are always other players with whom you can chat, exchange items, inspect their gear, or check out their pets and mounts.
Use Training Dummies
Training dummies are mechanical NPCs for use in target practice. Training dummies of different levels are in all major cities.
Send People Gifts
If you want to remember a friend’s birthday or send a player a Thank You gift, here are some fun items to purchase:
• Fireworks in Ironforge
• Wine & Flowers in Stormwind
• Flowers in Thunder Bluff
Companion Pets & Pet Battles
Companion pets, as opposed to Hunter pets, are available to all classes in the game. For the most part, companion pets have no effect on gameplay, but Pet Battles were added in the Mists of Pandaria expansion.
By going to a Battle Pet Trainer, you can learn how to pit your pets against others’ pets, or face wild pets. Achievements are earned as you collect more pets and win more battles. There are a variety of ways to collect companion pets: purchasing them outright; gaining them as quest rewards; and capturing wild pets after weakening them in a fight. Some professions are capable of creating pets, and you can find more companions by completing Achievements, or by searching for enemies that drop pets on rare occasions.
The following tables show the pets available for purchase throughout the worlds of Azeroth and Draenor.
Common Horde Pets
|
Pet |
Location |
|---|---|
| Cockroach | Undercity |
| Snakes | Orgrimmar |
| Prairie Dog | Thunder Bluff |
| Dragonhawk Hatchling | Eversong Woods, Fairbreeze Village |
Common Alliance Pets
|
Pet |
Location |
|---|---|
| Cats | Elwynn Forest, Southeast of Stormwind |
| Snowshoe Rabbit | Dun Morogh, Amberstill Ranch |
| Owls | Darnassus |
| Moths | The Exodar |
Other Purchasable Pets
|
Pet |
Location |
|---|---|
| Frogs | Darkmoon Faire |
| Birds | Booty Bay, Stranglethorn Vale |
| Magical Creatures | Stormspire, Netherstorm |
Celebrate In-Game Holidays
The game offers numerous seasonal holidays with accompanying events, including quests, games, gifts, costumes, and holiday food. Most are week-long holidays that resemble some of our own.
Azeroth Holiday Calendar
|
JANUARY |
NEW YEAR'S DAY |
|---|---|
| Late Winter | Lunar Festival |
| February | Love Is in the Air |
| Spring | Noblegarden |
| May | Children’s Week |
| June | Midsummer Fire Festival |
| September | Harvest Festival |
| Pirate’s Day | |
| Fall | Brewfest |
| October | Hallow’s End |
| November | Day of the Dead |
| Pilgrim’s Bounty | |
| December | Feast of Winter Veil |
| New Year’s Eve |
Attend In-Game Events
The Darkmoon Faire opens monthly on its own island. The Darkmoon Faire offers unique vendors, games, and opportunities for prizes. Players can earn Darkmoon tickets by completing a quest or by bringing requested items to the carnival workers.
The Stranglethorn Fishing Extravaganza is a weekly fishing contest in the Stranglethorn region. This is predominantly a group activity for players who have passed level 30. When you reach Northrend around level 80, there’s another fishing contest run by the Kalu’ak.
The Gurubashi Arena Booty Run is a free-for-all battle experience in Stranglethorn Vale. Go to the arena every three hours when the call goes out throughout the zone. Everyone who attends is flagged for PvP, and the winner gets a prize.
Go Fishing
You can fish nearly anywhere in the game, depending on your fishing skill. Even the most unlikely bodies of water can yield fish and help increase your skill level. Even fishing in low-level areas eventually increases your skill.
Bait and lures are available from Trade Supply vendors all over Azeroth. Fishing Trainers have lures, but they may also have better Fishing Poles that increase your skill further.
Hunt for Achievements
Achievement hunting is incredibly addictive, especially for a certain type of player. There are people who look through the list each day, pick out a few things to try for, and make it all happen.
And why not? You don’t need to wait for the level cap to do this. Sometimes it seems strange to invest time in something that doesn’t improve the strength of your character, but is that really important? You can level whenever you want, and it doesn’t take that long to hit the cap. Instead, the happiest people seem to be those who set their own goals and have a great time meeting them.
Try this out. You too could become an achievement hunter.
Build Your Toy Collection
The Toy Box tab of your Collectibles window displays the items that have playful uses. Some items are created via professions, while others come from completing quests, or defeating certain enemies. Mouse over individual items to learn more about them.
