Guide ·
WoW Forever Rogue Poisons Quest, Lockpicking and Pick Pocket
Rogues in WoW Forever learn Pick Pocket at level 4, Pick Lock at level 16 and Poisons through a faction questline that Warcraft Tavern says begins at level 20 in Stormwind or Orgrimmar and needs at least 80 Lockpicking. Levels come from the Warcraft Wiki's Forever ability list, as of November 9, 2026.
Quick answer: Train Pick Lock at 16 from any Rogue trainer, get Thieves' Tools, raise Lockpicking to 80 on practice lockboxes, then run your faction's poison questline. Warcraft Tavern suggests level 22 or help from other players, since the Horde chain is the harder one.
Related: Rogue guide, Rogue leveling guide, class quests and class trainers.
Key facts
- Pick Pocket: level 4, from a trainer (Warcraft Wiki)
- Pick Lock: level 16, from a trainer; needs Thieves' Tools, which are not used up (Warcraft Tavern)
- Poison quest: begins at 20 per Warcraft Tavern, Poisons listed at 20 by the wiki; 80 Lockpicking needed
- Poison types: Instant from the quest, Crippling 20, Mind-numbing 24, Deadly 30, Wound 32 (Warcraft Tavern)
- Shank: level 24, trainer, listed under Combat (Warcraft Wiki)
How do I get poisons as a Rogue in WoW Forever?
Warcraft Tavern says the questline starts at level 20, differs by faction and sends you into a guarded location full of dangerous mobs. It advises getting help or reaching level 22 first, when you have Vanish and Distract.
The Warcraft Wiki lists the Poisons ability at level 20, which agrees with Tavern, and names Klaven's Tower with a 24 and Mission: Possible But Not Probable with a 21 as its sources. The wiki does not say what those two numbers mean; I read them as the quests' own levels, which is not confirmed.
What is the Alliance poison questline?
Per Warcraft Tavern, it begins with Mathias and the Defias from Master Mathias Shaw in Stormwind's Old Town, then Klaven's Tower from Agent Kearnen in Westfall. Pick Pocket the Malformed Defias Drone for the Defias Tower Key, climb the tower and open the chest after dealing with Klaven Mortwake, the only elite. The chest gives you the Touch of Zanzil debuff for 7 real-time days, which hurts your Stealth; Anti-Venom or the follow-up quest removes it. Turning in Klaven's Tower teaches Poisons.
What is the Horde poison questline?
Warcraft Tavern calls it considerably harder. It starts with The Shattered Salute from Shenthul in Orgrimmar's Cleft of Shadow, continues to Taskmaster Fizzule and the Venture Co. tower in the northeastern Barrens, where you Pick Pocket a key from Foreman Silixiz, and ends with Hinott's Assistance in Hillsbrad Foothills. Tavern warns that Fizzule turns hostile if you skip the salute step. See the Barrens guide and Orgrimmar.
How do I learn lockpicking and raise it to 80?
Warcraft Tavern says Lockpicking is learned from a Rogue trainer at level 16 and needs Thieves' Tools, from an introductory quest or a Shady Dealer. Skill is capped at 5 times your level. Each faction has an introductory quest to practice lockboxes: Redridge Rendezvous from Renzik the Shiv in Stormwind (Alther's Mill), or Wrenix of Ratchet from Zando'zan in Orgrimmar (a pirate ship near Ratchet). Practice to 80 skill.
How does Pick Pocket fit in?
The Warcraft Wiki lists Pick Pocket at level 4. Both poison questlines use it for a tower key, and Warcraft Tavern says Pick Pocket on mid-level to high-level enemies can yield strongboxes.
How do poisons work once I have them?
Warcraft Tavern says you carry two poisons at a time, one per main weapon, each with limited charges, and craft them from a Poisons tab. It adds that poisons now scale with Attack Power.
What is not confirmed yet
- Quest levels: Warcraft Tavern and the wiki both put Poisons at 20; the wiki's 24 and 21 beside the two quests are not explained, so check the quest log.
- Shank: I found only the wiki's level 24 line, not a description.
- Rewards: I did not check them.
Can the Lore Forever add-on and Willo help with this?
The free Lore Forever add-on has quest stories in game. Willo can answer "where do I start the Rogue poison quest" out loud, but she can be wrong and is not official, so the quest log and Blizzard's pages come first. Willo is free to start (50 answers a day) and is a separate companion app for Windows 10 or 11 and Apple Silicon Macs (macOS 12 or later), per her page; her FAQ and the Lore Forever FAQ say Windows and Mac, though CurseForge still calls her a Windows app. The add-on has no internet access and uses generated voices; both are fan-made and not affiliated with Blizzard.
Frequently asked questions
What level do Rogues get poisons in WoW Forever?
Warcraft Tavern says the questline begins at level 20, and the wiki lists Poisons at 20; the wiki also shows 24 and 21 beside the two quests without explaining them.
What level is Pick Pocket?
Level 4, per the Warcraft Wiki.
What level is lockpicking?
Level 16, per Warcraft Tavern and the wiki's Pick Lock entry.
How much Lockpicking do I need for the poison quest?
At least 80, per Warcraft Tavern.
When do Rogues get Shank?
Level 24 from a trainer, per the Warcraft Wiki.
Sources
Reviewed November 9, 2026. Lore Forever and Willo are fan-made and are not affiliated with Blizzard Entertainment.