Training
Mists of Pandaria (MoP) adds another rank - Zen Master Scribe. This is trained at 500 skill (and level 80), and takes the maximum skill to 600. Both new rank and trained techniques can be learnt from any Inscription trainer, once you have upgraded.
Leveling from 500 (or 525) to 600 is straightforward. A guide can be found here. Approximately 180 Pandarian herbs will be needed (see below).
Glyphs
Changes have occurred to the majority of existing glyphs:
- There is no longer a Prime glyph category, only Major and Minor glyphs.
- The purpose and name of many glyphs has changed.
Few of these changes affect the profession of Inscription directly: Renamed or re-classified glyphs simply replace an existing glyph, so there is no need to re-train.
There are a few exceptions - glyphs which have been completely removed. Removed glyphs become grey junk items, and can no longer be made. Known removed glyphs are: Death Strike, Frostbolt, Heart Strike, Rune Strike, Scourge Strike, and Shadowburn.
Entirely new glyphs have been added, especially for Monks. New glyphs are either trained (mostly between skills 300 and 500) or discovered using Scroll of Wisdom Research (described below).
Glyphs discovered via Book of Glyph Mastery are now reported to also be possible to discover using Northrend Glyph Research.
Milling
Pandaria contains a new tier of herbs, all of which can be milled with 500 Inscription skill:
- Desecrated Herb - Rarely from Sha-Touched Herb, found in Sha-infested areas of Pandaria. Most Sha-Touched Herbs contain other types of Pandarian herb.
- Fool's Cap - Water-side Townlong Steppes and Dread Wastes, plus some level 90 daily quest areas in lower level Pandarian zones.
- Green Tea Leaf - Almost everywhere in Pandaria.
- Rain Poppy - Waterside in The Jade Forest.
- Silkweed - Valley of the Four Winds.
- Snow Lily - Mountain areas of Kun-Lai Summit.
A random herb plant may also be grown on your Tillers farm, Sunsong Ranch, although gathering plants from the wild is normally more effective.
These herbs mill into 2 pigment types:
- Shadow Pigment - About 2.6 per milling. Makes Ink of Dreams.
- Misty Pigment - About 0.3 per milling. Makes Starlight Ink.
As with previous tiers of herb milling, there is some evidence that higher item-level herbs yield more pigment. This is especially important for Misty Pigment: Fool's Cap gives significantly more uncommon pigment than Green Tea Leaf.
Ink Traders
Exchanges are now:
- Ivory Ink, Moonglow Ink, Midnight Ink, Lion's Ink, Jadefire Ink, Celestial Ink, Shimmering Ink and Ethereal Ink - for 1 Ink of Dreams each.
- Inferno Ink, Snowfall Ink and Starlight Ink - for 10 Ink of Dreams each.
Research
The new research ability is Scroll of Wisdom Research. This is trained at skill 525, and discovers a range of glyphs made with Ink of Dreams. Scroll of Wisdom Research has a daily cooldown, with one (apparently guaranteed) discovery per day.
In addition to discoveries, the research creates an item called Scroll of Wisdom. This item is bound to the scribe, and used in certain high-end techniques, such as staves and Darkmoon Cards (described below).
Glyphs discovered via Book of Glyph Mastery are now reported to also be possible to discover using Northrend Glyph Research.
Darkmoon Cards
MoP adds a new level 90 tier of Darkmoon cards, decks and trinkets, similar to before: 8 cards (Ace through Eight) combine into a deck which anyone can use to gain an epic trinket from the Darkmoon Faire.
There is one important change: Each Darkmoon Card of Mists requires a Scroll of Wisdom (in addition to parchment and ink). Scroll of Wisdom are primarily from daily research, with a few more available each week via Quests. Scroll of Wisdom may also rarely be found in Treasures of the Vale a reward from certain Golden Lotus daily quests. Scroll of Wisdom are bound to the scribe, so cannot be traded.
Shoulder Inscriptions
Scribes can now make trade-able Shoulder Inscriptions, usable by non-scribes of level 85 or above. This gives scribes something simpler to sell than Glyphs, but which is not as complex to make as Darkmoon Cards.
There is also a new tier of scribe-only Shoulder Inscriptions. These are worth an extra 320 primary stat - Agility, Intellect, Stamina, or Strength - 450 for Stamina.
Staff
Scribes can now make staves.
Notable are epic-quality account-bound staff: Inscribed Crane Staff, Inscribed Serpent Staff and Inscribed Tiger Staff. These can be sent to, and used by, the scribe's employees (alts).
Minipets
Techniques to make a pair of minipets, Chi-ji Kite and Yu'lon Kite, are trained at 600 skill. Both make non-bound kites, which can be used by non-scribes. Neither Kite can be used as a Battlepet.
Quests
"Weekly" (although due to a glitch, repeatable indefinitely) Inscription Quests can be found at The Arboretum in The Jade Forest. These quests require several quest-only items to be made. They allow a small number of Spirit of Harmony to be exchanged for Scroll of Wisdom. Scroll of Wisdom are otherwise restricted by daily cooldown research.
Other Notable Changes
- All techniques now use Light Parchment instead of other parchment types.
- A new set of Origami - Origami Frog and Origami Crane. Touching the Frog moves it along the ground. The Crane is stationary until touched, then flies away.
- Relics have been removed. Any existing relics become grey junk items.
- Adventurer's Journal can no longer be produced or trained.
Learn More
- Leveling 500-600 - How to level your Inscription skill from 500 to 600.
- Monk Glyphs - List of glyphs used by Monks.
- Scroll of Wisdom Research - Lists glyph discoveries from Scroll of Wisdom research.
- Products - Introduces the different items produced by Inscription.
- Cards - Lists Tarot and Darkmoon Cards produced by scribes. Includes details of the Tarot quests available to inscribers.
- Shoulder Inscriptions - Lists shoulder inscriptions produced by Inscribers.
- Off Hands and Staff - List of off-hand equipment and staves produced by scribes.
- Quests - Describes the quests available to scribes.
- Mists of Pandaria - Official preview.
- Also in Advanced Topics: Milling Skill Required, Milling Pigments, and Raw Data.
