Items and equipment
Player characters can acquire various "items" in the game, which can aid in character customization, or which can otherwise be of aid to them. Items can vary from resources such as herbs or raw ores to items to be retrieved for quests. Player characters can also equip different weapons and armor, either to customize their character or to improve abilities (such as better attack or defense skills). Items improve character effectiveness to such a degree as to make acquisition of these items necessary and highly desirable for progression. World of Warcraft’s item mechanics are complex and have undergone many changes in an attempt to keep the system balanced. Items play a significant role in the outcome of all confrontations within the game and a character’s effectiveness is directly linked to the quality of gear currently equipped. After the release of the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game, players could redeem codes found on "loot cards" for in-game items.
One of the more notable items are "mounts", which are items or spells which, when activated, summon an animal or machine which increase the character's land movement speed. In the expansion pack The Burning Crusade, the ability to purchase or acquire flying mounts became available in the expansion areas. Each playable race can use a certain mount type strongly associated with their race.
Professions
During the course of playing the game, players may choose to develop side skills for their character(s). These non-combat skills are called professions. Professions are divided into two categories, primary and secondary.
Primary professions are skills related to the creation and enhancement of weapons and armor, and can be subdivided into gathering and crafting professions. The gathering professions in WoW are herbalism, mining, and skinning. Crafting professions include blacksmithing, leatherworking, tailoring, alchemy, engineering, enchanting, jewelcrafting (added in The Burning Crusade expansion), and inscription (to be added in the Wrath of the Lich King expansion). Crafting professions also have specialization categories that when trained, allow for more diverse items to be created, depending on the character's direction in the game. There is also the Enchanting profession, which allows a character to enchant weapons and armor, and also disenchant magical items in his or her possession. A character is limited to two primary professions.
Secondary professions are skills that serve to enhance the player's experience and self-sufficiency. The secondary professions are first aid, cooking, and fishing. Characters can learn all three secondary professions. The Rogue class has two unique secondary professions: poisons and lock-picking.
PvP rankings
Upon defeating another player of the opposite faction in player versus player (PvP) combat the victor earns "Honor Points". Some servers allow for unrestricted PvP in most areas of the game, while others restrict this so-called "world PvP" to voluntary action only. All players also may choose to participate in the Battlegrounds - areas designed for multiplayer combat. In addition to honor points, the losing team in a Battleground receives one "mark of honor", while the winning team earns three marks. Honor Points and marks may be spent as currency to purchase various rewards like armor, weapons and mounts. Prior to patch 2.0.1, significant PvP achievements would allow characters to display various titles. After the patch new titles are no longer available, however previously earned titles can still be displayed.
The Arenas, added in The Burning Crusade, offer gladiator-like combat in a World of Warcraft setting. The Arenas have a separate system from the Battlegrounds. Instead of honor, the Arenas give "Arena Points" which can be spent to purchase items in a manner similar to Honor Points. Only level 70 players can participate in rated arena matches. Lower level players can participate in practice arena matches, or "skirmishes", but no arena points are awarded.
The Arena system is broken into seasons. At the end of each season the best Arena teams in each category (2 versus 2, 3 versus 3 and 5 versus 5) are rewarded with titles.From highest to lowest these ranks are Gladiator, Duelist, Rival and Challenger. More On World of Warcraft Joanas Horde leveling Guide