How to Survive Your First Dungeon
My favorite part of leveling is doing dungeon runs, hands down. You get XP, some shiny blue items, and best of all – you get to develop your class/role expertise as part of a group. Whether you are a tank, healer, or DPS, dungeons are the best way to hone your skills; especially if you want to raid when you get to level 80! Here are a few tips to help you on your first dungeon run.
Pick a dungeon that’s suitable for your level. A quick way to find out which dungeons are available at your level is to use the Looking For Group tool. In the drop down box you will be able to see which dungeons are well suited to your level range.
Preparations. Repair. Clear out your bags. Stock up on food, water, potions, and elixirs if needed. Get any or all of the available quests for the dungeon where you are headed.
Bring a tank. The tank’s job is to keep all the mobs from going after everyone else. Protection-specced warriors and paladins, feral druids, or tanking-spec death knights are your friends here.
Bring a healer. Someone has to keep everyone alive, and that’s where the healer comes in. Restoration druids and shamans; holy paladins and priests.
Try to have a good variety of classes. Each class offers its own way to buff the group. Druids can buff Mark of the Wild, paladins have Blessings, mages have Arcane Intellect, priests have Prayer of Fortitude, shamans have Heroism, warlocks can Soulstone, death knights have Horn of Winter, and so on.
Don’t pull aggro off the tank. If you are a damage dealing class, give the tank some time to get aggro on the mobs before you pew pew. If you have any abilities which reduce your threat, such as Feign Death or Feint, use them regularly.
Ask before rolling on gear. A good way to prevent loot arguments is to ask before rolling on an item drop. If nothing else, it shows the rest of the group that you have good manners!
Ask lots of questions. If you are just starting out, dungeons are a great way to learn more about your class from other seasoned players. Ask and ye shall find!
Give constructive advice. If someone else in the party is doing something incorrectly, be tactful and let them know nicely.
Learn from mistakes. We all make them, the best you can do is learn from them!
Have fun!