Season of Discovery Mages may remember spending an unreasonable amount of time wandering around Azeroth looking for books.
WoW Forever has apparently decided that reading should no longer be a Mage-exclusive problem.
The old book-collection idea has returned in Forever, but this time every class can participate. Books are scattered across Azeroth, and turning enough of them in to your faction librarian rewards actual gear: collect 10 for a necklace, then push all the way to 20 for a ring. Better still, beta players have already demonstrated that the full 20-book milestone can be completed at level 20.
So yes, your Warrior may now benefit from visiting the library.
10 Books Gets You a Necklace
The system begins with books hidden throughout the open world. Many occupy locations familiar from the Season of Discovery Mage book hunt, although Forever has repurposed the collection into something much broader.
Alliance players hand their discoveries to Garion Wendell inside Stormwind’s Mage Tower, while Horde players visit Owen Thadd in Undercity’s Magic Quarter. After turning in 10 books, the quest Friend of the Library becomes available and offers a choice between the Scholarly Pendant and Erudite’s Amulet.
The particularly interesting part is that there is no Mage requirement attached to the basic collection system. A Paladin, Rogue, Warrior or anyone else sufficiently determined to cross half of Azeroth in pursuit of suspiciously unattended literature can earn the reward. The current Forever beta implementation documented by Wowhead confirms that the book hunt has been opened to all classes.
20 Books Unlocks a Much Better Ring
Returning 20 books unlocks Greater Friend of the Library, which currently rewards a choice between two item-level 40 rings.
The caster-oriented Philanthropist’s Ring currently provides 6 Intellect and up to 10 additional spell damage and healing. The alternative, Field Researcher’s Loop, carries Strength, Agility and Stamina, but there is an important beta oddity: the physical ring is currently marked as Rogue-only.
That restriction looks strange when the collection activity itself is available to everyone, and players have already questioned whether it is simply an unfinished beta requirement. Blizzard has not yet confirmed that, so Warriors, Hunters and other physical classes should not spend an afternoon collecting 20 books purely for that ring unless they are comfortable with the possibility that the restriction remains.
The good news is that reaching 20 books at the current level cap is possible. One beta player documented completing the entire collection as a level-20 Human Paladin, which turns this into a surprisingly substantial gearing objective before Forever’s later leveling phases even open.
Mages Still Get Something Special
Blizzard has not completely robbed Mages of their traditional relationship with dangerous literature.
After a Mage hands in the first book, they can learn a new ability called Study. This works alongside Decipher Scrolls, which is learned from a trainer at level 6. When used inside the library, Study consumes a Light Feather and can provide a bundle of mysterious Mage scrolls on a one-day cooldown.
Current database finds include Scroll of Minor Evocation, Scroll of Rat Familiar, Scroll of Imbue Lesser Flame, Scroll of Comprehension and Scroll of Imbue Chillknife. More are expected to become available as characters level.
That fits nicely with some of the stranger Mage experimentation we have already seen in Forever, including the Coldflame Saber and the possibility of a genuine Battle Mage build. Blizzard seems considerably more interested in giving classes unusual toys than simply adding another two percent damage talent.
Study is, however, extremely beta at the moment. During testing reported by Wowhead, the ability repeatedly opened Cooking instead, eventually caused a complete PC crash and then disappeared. That is less “ancient arcane knowledge” and more “never open the cursed book again.”
This Is Exactly the Sort of Exploration Forever Needs
The book collection also fits a larger pattern in Forever. Blizzard wants players moving through old zones with new reasons to investigate places they would otherwise ride past. Our WoW Forever beginner’s guide already emphasizes that leveling is meant to be a journey rather than a queue for level 60, while the account-wide Legacy system similarly rewards players for doing more than following one efficient quest route.
Azeroth is already full of towers, crypts, abandoned houses and strange corners built twenty years ago. Hiding useful books in them is considerably cheaper than designing another continent, and perhaps more importantly, it gives players an excuse to actually look around.
Ten books gets you a necklace.
Twenty books gets you a ring.
And if you are a Mage, opening the wrong one may apparently launch Cooking and murder your computer.
Classic reading has never been more dangerous.
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