WoW SoD Leveling Guide: Runes, XP Buff and the Route to 60
Season of Discovery is on Phase 8, its last released phase, so every new character levels straight to 60 with the Discoverer’s Delight buff giving 150 percent more XP. That means you earn about two and a half times the normal amount, and quest rewards are raised as well. Almost all runes cost one copper at the Rune Broker from level 1, so a fresh character is strong right away. This SoD leveling guide was checked on .
Level cap and the XP buff today
The level cap went up phase by phase: 25 in Phase 1, 40 in Phase 2, 50 in Phase 3 and 60 from Phase 4 on. Later phases added raids and dungeons but no new levels. Many older guides still plan around the old caps or quote smaller XP bonuses from earlier phases, so treat their numbers as history.
Today the buff gives 150 percent more XP from kills and quests. Because killing mobs pays so well, grinding a dense spot can keep up with questing, and mixing both works for most classes.
Buy your runes before you leave the starting zone
You will find a Rune Broker in each race’s starting area and in all major cities. Every rune costs one copper there, and so do the items some runes need for their discovery, so visit it at level 1 and engrave what your class can use. A few runes for Druids, Paladins and Shamans still need a relic equipped and a certain action before the rune appears, and the vendor sells that relic too.
Some abilities still come from leveling or class quests, and a rune that changes a spell does nothing until you have trained that spell. Check your trainer every few levels, and visit the broker again when a new rune slot opens.
A flexible SoD leveling route from 1 to 60
No zone-by-zone route has been timed for the current buff, so the brackets below follow the old phase caps and the raid that fits each one. Quest in your faction’s usual zones and move on when a zone’s quests give little XP.
| Levels | Level-up raid | What to focus on |
|---|---|---|
| 1–25 | None yet | Runes from the broker, starting zone quests, your first dungeons |
| 25–40 | Blackfathom Deeps (25+) | A weapon upgrade from the raid, then questing toward 40 |
| 40–50 | Gnomeregan (40+) | Raid loot that lasts for many levels |
| 50–60 | Sunken Temple (50+) | The last push, plus the level 60 dungeons from 55 |
The brackets are only a guide, because no server cap stops you at 25, 40 or 50 anymore. When a bracket feels slow, skip ahead to the next zone.
Questing, dungeons and level-up raids
Blackfathom Deeps and Gnomeregan are made for 10 players, and Sunken Temple, also called the Temple of Atal’Hakkar, is made for 20. You can enter all three with fewer, and a level 60 friend can clear the early ones quickly. They give a lot of XP and the strongest loot for their level, and that loot stays useful longer than most quest rewards.
Your weapon matters most while leveling. When it is 8 to 10 levels below you, look for a dungeon or raid group and take the first good weapon that drops. Keep in mind that the special effects on the crafted Gnomeregan helmets no longer work above level 59, so don’t plan your 60 around them. How fast a group forms depends on your realm and the time of day, so keep questing while you wait. The raid order and entrances are in our SoD dungeons and raids guide.
The Cozy Sleeping Bag quest and Student Fodder
The Cozy Sleeping Bag comes from a long questline across both continents. It starts at Burned-Out Remains in Westfall at Alexston Farmstead and at a burnt tower south of Camp Taurajo in the Barrens, and you need both. The trail then leads to Stonetalon Mountains, the Loch Modan dam and Thoradin’s Wall in Hillsbrad Foothills.
Sleeping in the bag gives 1 percent more XP for each minute you rest, up to 3 percent. The chain also rewards the 12-slot Sturdy Lunchbox and Student Fodder, a food that gives four bars of rested XP. Next to a 150 percent buff the extra 3 percent is small, so the trip pays off mainly when you pass those zones anyway or want the bag. The questline dates from 2024, so check the first step in game before you plan around it.
Turning XP off for phase-locked groups
Since you can turn XP gains off and back on at Grendag Brightbeard in the Forlorn Cavern in Ironforge or the Valley of Strength in Orgrimmar. On Blizzard added copies of him in Thunder Bluff and at the entrance to Undercity because the Orgrimmar one stopped working on some realms. Rune Brokers have offered the same option since early July.
When the feature arrived, Blizzard said the setting did not always stay after a logout and dropped the 1 gold fee while it looked into this. Whether that is fixed has not been confirmed, so check your XP bar after logging in. Community events such as phase-locked guilds use this to keep players at 25, 40 or 50 for a while. The guild sets those caps while the server still lets you level to 60, and our SoD status and realms guide explains how they work.
Your first steps at 60
At 55 and above most non-rare dungeon bosses drop Tarnished Undermine Reals once per day. Pix Xizzix in Booty Bay sells Tier 1 and Tier 2 tokens, relics, rings and more for them, and you can hold up to 250. Karazhan Crypts no longer needs its intro questline to enter, so a new 60 can gear up there quickly. The SoD gold farming guide covers how to fund consumables and crafted gear.
If you would rather skip the leveling on an alt, our SoD power leveling service can take it to 60 for you.
Frequently asked questions
The Discoverer’s Delight buff gives 150 percent more XP, so you earn about two and a half times the normal amount. Quest rewards are raised as well.
From the Rune Broker in each race’s starting area and in all major cities. Runes cost one copper each. A few Druid, Paladin and Shaman runes still need a relic and a certain action, and the broker sells the relic too.
Yes. Phase 8 is the current and last released phase, and the level cap is 60. Blizzard has not announced a Phase 9.
Blackfathom Deeps from level 25, Gnomeregan from 40 and Sunken Temple from 50. The first two are made for 10 players and Sunken Temple for 20, but all three can be done with fewer.
Only if you pass the zones anyway or want the 12-slot bag. The sleeping bag adds up to 3 percent XP, which is small next to the 150 percent buff, while the Student Fodder reward gives four bars of rested XP.
Yes. Grendag Brightbeard in Ironforge, Orgrimmar, Thunder Bluff and at the Undercity entrance turns XP off and on, and Rune Brokers offer the same option. Check your XP bar after a logout, because Blizzard reported that the setting did not always stay.
Change Log
- November 2, 2026: SoD leveling guide published.