[This is the first in a regular series of posts dedicated to the new WoW player.]If there is one thing I see over and over again in the sub-20 zones, it is casters beating on a nearly dead
mob with their melee weapon. They either ran out of mana or want to conserve their mana supply to eliminate downtime, so they have stopped casting spells and were looking for a mana-free form of
DPS.
A mage pounding on a mob with his staff is not the best way to deal damage. What would be better?
Get a wand. Wands provide casters with better DPS and will allow you to deal with
runners more effectively. Mages, warlocks and priests can equip a wand.
There are three ways to get a wand early on...
1. Take enchanting as a profession. Enchanters can make a low level wand with very little effort, and it will be just fine to get you started until you can afford something better. However, enchanting can be one of the more expensive and confusing professions for a new player, so this might not be the way to go. Finally, if one of your friends is an enchanter, they could hook you up very cheaply.
2. Head to the Auction House. If you are a caster, this should be your first auction house purchase,with the possible exception of bags. The low level wands come very cheap, usually no more than a couple silver. The Auction House method is probably the easiest way to aquire your first wand.
3. Hope for a drop. This is pretty ineffective, but sometimes you will get lucky. If you do, equip it immediately and start leveling up your wand skill.
The moral of the story...get a wand equipped ASAP and use it to finish off mobs or to contribute to DPS in instances when you run low on mana. Good luck on your quest to leave the newbie zone!
New Terms For Rookies:
DPS
Mob
Runner
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Every Wednesday Maureen Carter brings you World of WarCrafts, which features a recipe or craft that teaches you how to make your own real life version of in-game recipes and items. 
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