Self-Found Mode Guide for WoW Classic Hardcore

Trading in Self-Found Mode

You won’t be able to trade with other players in Self-Found mode. That means you can’t give or receive items or gold through the trade window. You can’t get your gear enchanted or your lockboxes unlocked by another player.

This will also prevent you from using any services that involve a tip, such as getting a portal from a mage (unless someone is generous enough to do it for free). You won’t be able to get items like Healthstones or mage water from other players either.

Mail in Self-Found Mode

You can’t send or receive mail from players in Self-Found Mode. That includes your own characters, so don’t expect to send a bunch of stuff to your bank alt. This means that you’re limited to your own bags and bank space for storage.

You will still be able to receive mail that is not from players, including quest rewards, so don’t forget to check for those.

The Auction House in Self-Found Mode

You will be able to browse the Auction House in Self-Found Mode, but you’ll be blocked from posting or purchasing anything for sale. This means that quests, vendors, and loot will be your only means of making money. On the other hand, you won’t need money to purchase anything from the AH, so it sort of evens out.

You’ll have to farm all of your own materials for quests and crafting, including any that are rare or difficult to obtain. So be prepared for a grind when you go to level your professions.

Professions in Self-Found Mode

Since you can’t get anything from other players in Self-Found Mode, your access to crafted items will be limited to those you can make yourself. That makes professions much more valuable. It and also makes your choice of professions much more significant.

You’ll most likely want to level all three secondary professions. The bandages you can make with First Aid are invaluable for any class in Hardcore WoW. Cooking provides you with valuable food buffs. Fishing gets you materials that can be used in Cooking.

Take a close look at what each primary profession has to offer before you choose. Tailoring is the only way for you to get crafted bags in Self-Found Mode. Enchanting is the only way for you to enchant your gear. And Alchemy is the only way to get crafted potions and elixirs.

Depending on the crafting profession you pick, you may also need to take a gathering profession to support it. You won’t be able to purchase herbs, ore, skins, or anything else from other players.

Quests in Self-Found Mode

The best source of gold and items in Self-Found Mode is quests. Some quest rewards in WoW Classic are especially powerful, and more so under this ruleset due to your limited access to alternatives. Loot is random and you’ll only be able to get crafted gear if you make it yourself, but quest rewards are guaranteed.

Keep in mind that if a quest requires items that you would normally try to buy from other players, you’ll have to farm or craft them yourself in this mode.

Vendors in Self-Found Mode

Vendors become much more valuable in Self-Found Mode, where you can’t get water from a mage or buy crafted ammunition from the Auction House. You’ll still have access to all of the vendor items you need, from reagents to crafting supplies.

If you’re not taking up Tailoring, vendors will also be your best bet for expanding your inventory space with larger bags. Some vendors even offer a limited supply of low-level crafting materials. These can be useful for leveling your professions since you can’t buy those items off the Auction House.

Loot in Self-Found Mode

Putting the “self-found” in Self-Found Mode is loot. You’ll be able to loot quest items, equipment, and gold, all of which you will need since you won’t have any other means of obtaining most of it.

Most loot has an element of randomness to it, so you may find yourself frustrated at times as you loot enemy after enemy with no useful drops. Other times you may get extremely lucky and find something that will significantly impact your character’s effectiveness.

You could also loot something that would be really valuable to other players, but which you have no means of selling to them. Your choice then is either to vendor it and lament the unrealized potential income or let it sit in your bank until you reach level 60 and can use the Auction House again.