I am a new player ... only lvl 20 and an Aquamancer. The guild recomends enchantment as a trade skill but I keep hearing how impossable it is to be an enchanter because of the cost of everything you need to practice your trade. So, I am wondering about some other trade skill where I can make a reasonable but fairly steady income.

I am quite confused about the role of a trade skill in the game anyway. How do you cook in game? How much time do you have to spend doing it? Upon what basis are you paid? Sence items are quite expensive in the shops a decent income seems to be quite necessary in game, so the choice of how you're going to make the money to feed and cloth yourself seems important.

Any and all comments would be most enlightening.

If in doubt, remember that you don't have to choose anything at all, ever. Or certainly not right away. I know of a certain someone who just finally decided to be a cook after reaching level ... hmm, somewhere between 70-80, I'm not sure exactly where ... and going for years and years without bothering.

A trade skill is, in most cases (and in my opinion), not a primary means of making money. For that, most would tend to hunt, influence, and quest. There are exceptions, of course.

Instead, trades are something additional you can do of benefit to yourself and others. It can add another facet to who your character is, if you'd like, or it might not make much of an impact. Trades all require something (other than lessons) to be put in to get finished products out. Time, power, gold for raw commodities, etc.

How much time an individual spends on their trade, if they have one, is entirely up to them. Those who devote a great deal of time to it are likely to get more recognition/customers than those who only practice their skill a bit. As for what someone gets paid, that's up to an agreement between their customer(s) and them. Shops, with the exception of Trader Bob's, are run by players. Tradespeople also can't sell their finished wares to NPCs, just to other players.

I'm sure others will have some input as well, but I hope that helps a bit.

First off, trade skills are the basic way to make money. Making things with your skills could take anywhere from a few seconds when making something to wear, or a 30 minutes like forging. I recomend doing whatever it is you want.

And yes, enchantment does cost alot.

Three professions don't make any money; artisans, enchanters, and alchemists.

I wouldn't call 5k per keg nothing...

Sweet Jesus! You guys are making money now?

Nevermind...I may have to start charging more per keg.

You need to know who to rip off how high.

Artisans might not make much, but enchanters and alchemists make enough to justify breaking away from a hunting expedition.

Artisan can make a bit of money, you just need to know how to work it better. I never had a problem with it.

I make decent money. What I did was took a tradeskill and specialised in a specific thing, rather than trying to be good at the whole skill

I do make a good profit on the jobs I get. But jobs are few, and Bashara and I compete head-to-head for each one.

And by that, you mean you get people drunk enough that they'll actually consider buying more of your booze?

I just sell the drinks, I don't control how much of them people choose to imbibe. I do not, however, advocate overdrinking

Each tradeskill can be profitable its all up to you. Sadly some skills will bring good profit only if you are near trans like enchantments, forging. But for some you will make nice profit even with related low skill rank, like herbs and alchemy.

Of course I didn't mean you...I made you the best prize possible!

But I still took less than any other alchemist, you have to admit!

I love being a cook. I make good money doing it. Alchemists can also make good money if they can successfully rip off a cook on the price of sugar...though not all cooks fall for the 150g per sugar that some alchemists will try and stick you with. *cough*Xavius*cough*

I just became a cook recently, and I just trade sugar for mercury with people I know and like, I just don't feel the need to sell it, when they have something I want and I have something they want, and we both know each other. I guess I'll never be a leader of business because I don't have that 'screw them before they screw you' attitude.



I'm level 79, 30% away from finally not falling asleep every 2 hours real-time. anywho, that's good advice, don't feel the need to rush into a trade right away, it took my character a quarter of a century to get around to getting one, it just feels like it's a new way I can apply myself to the game, dealing with serenwilde customers and shop owners.

I am level 77 and still dont have a trade skill I have made my living off bashing though a trade skill would be fun to practice when everything is dead. anyways whenever someone asked me what was good for a trade skill i told them choose something you like all of them make alright money if you know how to advertise correctly, but it isnt really worth it for most tradeskills unless you were going to put some major lessons into it.

I really should make an in-game tradeskills FAQ, then I could just direct people to look for it, or something...