Rogues unlock Poisons in World of Warcraft: Forever with a class quest chain that opens at level 20, and it teaches Poisons along with Thistle Tea when you finish it. Alliance Rogues start with Mathias and the Defias from Master Mathias Shaw in Stormwind, and Horde Rogues start with The Shattered Salute from Shenthul in Orgrimmar, whatever their race.
The chain is one of the harder class quests in the game, with an elite to get past and a curse you pick up on the way out, so a little preparation helps. Below is what to train first, each faction’s route, the cure, and what to do with your new skill. Quest names and levels are checked against Forever’s data as of November 8, and the coordinates are close enough to find each spot, so read them as “about”.
What to Prepare First
- Train Pick Pocket from your Rogue trainer. Both routes need it.
- Raise Lockpicking to about 80. The chest needs roughly 75, so a bit of spare skill saves a trip. Practice on any lockboxes you have been saving.
- Wait for level 22 if you can. It brings Vanish and Distract, which make the tower far safer. The final quests are level 24 content, and the elites are level 23.
- Have Sap on your bar. It is the tool that gets you past the elites.
Alliance Route: Klaven’s Tower
- Start with Mathias and the Defias from Master Mathias Shaw in Old Town, Stormwind (78.3, 70.7).
- Find Agent Kearnen in Westfall (68.5, 70.1). He is stealthed by a large tree in the southeast of the zone.
- Take Klaven’s Tower. Find a Malformed Defias Drone and Pick Pocket it for the Defias Tower Key. The tower is east of Sentinel Hill.
- Enter the tower and climb. Klaven Mortwake, a level 23 elite, is at the top. Sap him rather than fighting him.
- Pick the chest for Klaven Mortwake’s Journal. Opening it gives you Touch of Zanzil, a debuff that stays on you.
- Leave and return to Master Mathias Shaw. He teaches Poisons and Thistle Tea.
The cure: take The Touch of Zanzil quests. Doc Mixilpixil is in the cellar of the Barracks in Old Town (80.1, 69.9), and curing you involves /lay and a shopping list of Simple Wildflowers, a Leaded Vial, a Bronze Tube and a Spool of Light Chartreuse Silk Thread. A Druid, Shaman or Paladin friend can also dispel it, or you can use Anti-Venom.
Horde Route: Gallywix’s Tower
- Start with The Shattered Salute from Shenthul in the Cleft of Shadow, Orgrimmar (43.1, 53.7).
- Type
/saluteat Shenthul. If you get no credit, abandon the quest and retake it. - Take Deep Cover. Use your Flare Gun twice, at a safe distance from enemies, and
/saluteTaskmaster Fizzule north of the Sludge Fen in The Barrens (55.4, 5.6). - Take Mission: Possible But Not Probable. Pick Pocket Foreman Silixiz for Silixiz’s Tower Key.
- Clear the tower. You need two each of Mutated Venture Co. Drones, Patrollers and Lookouts, and Gallywix’s Head from Grand Foreman Puzik Gallywix, a level 23 elite at the top.
- Pick the lockbox for the Cache of Zanzil’s Altered Mixture. Opening it gives you the Touch of Zanzil debuff.
- Return to Shenthul for Thistle Tea.
- Go to Serge Hinott in Tarren Mill, Hillsbrad Foothills (61.6, 19.2), for Hinott’s Assistance. Our Undercity route guide and flight paths guide cover the trip from Kalimdor.
- Take the second Hinott’s Assistance and wait. Serge makes Hinott’s Oil, which cures you and teaches Poisons.
The Horde route is longer, but the cure is built into the chain, so you do not need a separate shopping list.
Tips for the Tower
- Stay stealthed until you have to fight. Pulling too many at once is the usual way to die here.
- Do not fight the elite if you can avoid it. On the Alliance route you only need the chest. On the Horde route you need the head, so bring a friend if your gear is thin.
- Vanish when a fight goes wrong. It is the main reason to wait for level 22.
What to Do After You Unlock Poisons
Your Rogue trainer teaches recipes from here on, and materials come from Shady Dealers:
| Poison | Level | First rank’s tooltip in Forever |
|---|---|---|
| Instant Poison | 20 | 20% chance per strike for instant Nature damage, 60 charges |
| Crippling Poison | 20 | 30% chance per strike to slow movement by 50% for 12 seconds |
| Mind-numbing Poison | 24 | 20% chance per strike to raise casting time by 40% for 10 seconds, 75 charges |
| Deadly Poison | 30 | 30% chance per strike for Nature damage over 12 seconds, stacks 5 times, 90 charges |
| Wound Poison | 32 | 30% chance per strike to reduce healing on the target, stacks 5 times, 90 charges |
Each coats a weapon for 30 minutes. Start with Instant Poison, made from Dust of Decay and an Empty Vial, and put it on your main hand. Your Poisons skill caps at five times your level, up to 300, and any recipe raises it, so make a few stacks as soon as you can.
Poisons are better in Forever. They carry more charges, they sit on a weapon alongside a Sharpening Stone or Weightstone, and Blizzard’s launch notes doubled the Attack Power scaling of Deadly and Instant Poison. Blizzard also combined hit and crit chance, so those stats now help your Poisons as well. Our Rogue leveling guide shows how this fits your talent plan, our best Rogue race guide compares the racials, and learning new abilities covers trainers. Every guide is on our World of Warcraft hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
What level do Rogues get Poisons in WoW Forever? The class quest opens at level 20. You learn Poisons when you finish it, which is often closer to 22 or later because the final quests are harder.
Where do I start the Rogue poison quest? Alliance Rogues start with Master Mathias Shaw in Old Town, Stormwind. Horde Rogues start with Shenthul in the Cleft of Shadow, Orgrimmar.
How much Lockpicking do I need for the poison quest? At least about 75, and about 80 is safer.
How do I get rid of Touch of Zanzil? Alliance Rogues take The Touch of Zanzil quests with Doc Mixilpixil, or get a Druid, Shaman or Paladin to dispel it. Horde Rogues are cured by Serge Hinott’s oil.
Which poison should I make first? Instant Poison, on your main hand.