What are the three main types of professions in Ashes of Creation?

Professions are divided into three main categories: Gathering (collecting raw resources), Processing (refining raw resources), and Crafting (creating items from refined materials).

Can a player master all professions?

Players are generally encouraged to specialize, as mastery in higher-tier professions often requires exclusive access to buildings within advanced Nodes, limiting the number of professions a player can master.

How important are professions to the game's economy?

Professions are the backbone of the player-driven economy, as almost all gear, consumables, and construction materials are created by players, not dropped by mobs.

Ashes of Creation Professions Guide

Professions in Ashes of Creation form one of the deepest systems in the game, connecting players, nodes, and the world economy. You can’t master everything, so knowing where to focus early can save you a lot of time and gold.

How Professions Work

Professions are grouped into three categories. Gathering, Processing, and Crafting. Each one levels separately and uses its own set of tools or stations. You gain experience by performing actions tied to that skill, like cutting trees or crafting armor.

You can only specialize in a limited number of professions. At higher tiers, you’ll have to choose which ones to master. This keeps the economy balanced and encourages trade between players.

Gathering Professions

Gathering is where progression starts. These skills let you collect natural resources from the world, feeding the crafting and processing tiers. Every gathering profession has tool requirements, from crude to rare-quality versions.

Mining lets you collect ore and metal fragments from veins
Lumberjacking focuses on cutting trees for wood
Herbalism collects plants and rare flowers for alchemy
Hunting gathers animal materials like hides and meat
Fishing provides food ingredients and rare crafting items

Each resource node you gather from adds experience to both your character and that profession. Once you reach level 10 in a gathering skill, you can upgrade to better tools that give more materials per action.

Processing Professions

Processing converts raw materials into refined goods used by crafters. These skills use stations found in developed nodes. You’ll need resources gathered from the wild, plus refining ingredients bought from NPCs or other players.

Metalworking refines ore into ingots
Lumber milling turns raw logs into planks
Tanning processes hides into leather
Stone masonry cuts stone into usable blocks
Weaving refines plants and fibers into cloth

Processing stations get better as nodes grow, unlocking higher-tier recipes and faster processing speeds.

Crafting Professions

Crafting is where you create finished goods. These include weapons, armor, consumables, and other trade goods. Crafting uses refined materials from processing and often requires recipes found through exploration or quests.

Armorsmithing creates plate, leather, and cloth armor
Weaponsmithing produces melee weapons
Alchemy makes potions and utility items
Cooking prepares food with buffs
Carpentry builds tools, furniture, and caravans

High-level crafters can add crests and bonuses to their items. Crafted gear can rival or even beat dungeon drops, depending on material quality and crafting mastery.

Mastery System

Each profession moves through ranks: Novice, Apprentice, Journeyman, Master, and Grandmaster. Progress slows as you go higher, and reaching Grandmaster is a serious commitment.

You can master only a few professions per character. Many players combine one gathering, one processing, and one crafting skill for balance. Others focus fully on a single area to become trade specialists.

Professions and the Economy

Professions link directly to the player-driven economy. Gatherers supply processors, processors supply crafters, and crafters sell finished gear back to the community. Trading and caravans keep the flow of materials moving between nodes.

Economic nodes give crafting bonuses, while other node types may unlock unique recipes. Keeping your tools upgraded and staying near your node’s storage will make profession leveling much smoother.

Final Blurb

Professions in Ashes of Creation define how you interact with the world and other players. Gathering feeds the economy, processing refines it, and crafting shapes it. Choose a path early, stick with it, and your name might end up on the best gear in the server.