Guide to Engineering Specializations in TBC Classic

At Engineering skill 200 and character level 30, you can specialize in Gnomish or Goblin Engineering. This guide will list the items that can be crafted by each specialization to help you choose between the two. Some items require a specific specialization to use, while other items are crafted by one specialization but are usable by any engineer.

Guide Contents

  1. Gnomish or Goblin Engineering?
  2. List of BoP and Exclusive items
  3. Gnomish Engineering Quest
  4. Goblin Engineering Quest
  5. Changing Engineering specialization

1. Gnomish or Goblin Engineering?

You should focus on items exclusive to one specialization when deciding which specialization to choose. A lot of recipes crafted by one specialization can be used by both, meaning you can buy them from other Engineers.

You should not base your decision on items that you will only craft once and could have just bought at the Auction House from another Engineer.

1.1. List of BoP and Exclusive items

This is the full list of items that require Goblin or Gnome Engineer specialization to use. The list also includes Bind on Pickup (BoP) items that the other specialization could theoretically use, but they Bind on Pickup. (you can still use them if you drop Engineering, re-level it, then choose the other specialization)

Item

Description
Gnomish Battle Goggles (TBC) Leather Helm (physical DPS)
Gnomish Power Goggles (TBC) Cloth Helm
Gnomish Poultryizer (TBC) +45 Stamina Tank trinket. Turns the target into a chicken for 15 sec. (5 Min CD)
Ultrasafe Transporter - Toshley's Station (TBC) Teleport to Toshley's Station in Blade's Edge Mountains
Ultrasafe Transporter - Gadgetzan Teleport to Gadgetzan in Tanaris
World Enlarger A fun item that makes you smaller. This effect is similar to the Noggenfogger elixir's shrink.
Lil' Smoky Non-combat pet.
Gnomish Battle Chicken A trinket that creates a Battle Chicken that will fight for you for 1.50 min or until it is destroyed. (20 Min CD)
Gnomish Death Ray A trinket that does high damage to both you and your target. 4-sec cast. (5 Min CD)
Gnomish Goggles Low-level Cloth helm

Item

Description
Foreman's Enchanted Helmet (TBC) Cloth helm with +10% stun resist
Foreman's Reinforced Helmet (TBC) Mail helm with +10% stun resist
Goblin Rocket Launcher (TBC) +45 Stamina Tank trinket. Can be used to Fire a rocket that does 960 to 1440 damage and stuns for 3 sec.(2 Min CD)
Dimensional Ripper - Area 52 (TBC) Teleport to Area 52 in Netherstorm
Dimensional Ripper - Everlook Teleport to Everlook in Winterspring
Pet Bombling Non-combat pet.
Goblin Bomb Dispenser Creates a mobile bomb that charges the nearest enemy and explodes for 315 to 385 fire damage. (30 Min CD)
Goblin Dragon Gun Trinket that Deals 61 to 69 fire damage for 10 sec to all targets in a cone in front of the engineer using the weapon.(5 Min CD)
Goblin Mining Helmet Mail helm with +5 Mining
Goblin Construction Helmet Cloth Helm with +15 Fire Resist. With on use effect that absorbs 300 to 500 Fire damage. Lasts 1 min. (1 Hour CD)

1.2. Consumables and Bind on Equip (BoE) items

Both specializations can use these items, but only one of them can craft them. You can buy them at the Auction House from another Engineer.

Goblin

Gnomish
Goblin Rocket Boots Gnomish Rocket Boots
Goblin Mortar Gnomish Shrink Ray
The Big One Alarm-O-Bot
Goblin Rocket Helmet Gnomish Mind Control Cap
Goblin Sapper Charge Gnomish Net-o-Matic Projector
Goblin Jumper Cables XL Gnomish Harm Prevention Belt
The Bigger One (TBC) Gnomish Flame Turret (TBC)
Super Sapper Charge (TBC) Nigh-Invulnerability Belt (TBC)

2. Gnomish Engineering Quest

To Become a Gnomish Engineer, you have to complete the following quests:

  1. Pick up the Gnome Engineering quest from Springspindle Fizzlegear in Ironforge.
  2. Deliver the quest to Tinkmaster Overspark, then pick up The Pledge of Secrecy.
  3. Right click on the Overspark's Pledge of Secrecy in your inventory to complete the quest.
  4. Accept the Show Your Work quest.
  1. Go to Rachet and pick up Gnome Engineering from Tinkerwiz.
  2. Use the ship to go to Booty Bay, then find Oglethorpe Obnoticus. Pick up the next quest The Pledge of Secrecy.
  3. Right click on the Oglethorpe's Pledge of Secrecy in your inventory to complete the quest.
  4. Accept the Show Your Work quest.

 

To complete the quest, you will need the following items:

The Schematic: Accurate Scope recipe is sold by Mazk Snipeshot in Booty Bay. It's a limited supply recipe, so you have to wait if someone bought it before you. (or just buy it at the Auction House)

Total Raw Materials needed:

3. Goblin Engineering Quest

To Become a Goblin Engineer, you have to complete the following quests:

  1. Pick up Goblin Engineering from Tinkerwiz in Ratchet.
  2. Go to Gadgetzan in Tanaris and pick up The Pledge of Secrecy from Nixx Sprocketspring.
  3. Right-click on the Nixx's Pledge of Secrecy in your inventory to complete the quest. Then pick up Show Your Work.

To complete the quest, you will need to craft the following items:

Total Raw Materials needed:

4. Changing Engineering Specialization

The only way to switch your specialization is to COMPLETELY unlearn Engineering and then level it back up again. Here is how to do it step by step:

4.1. Unlearn Engineering

Open your character info, click on the Skills tab at the bottom, and unlearn Engineering.

Doing this will cause you to lose all your recipes and skill points!!!

4.2. Level Engineering

You have to level Engineering back up to 200 again. You don't have to do any quests again after this.

Use my TBC Classic Engineering Leveling Guide 1-375 to quickly get back to 200.

4.3. "Soothsaying for Dummies"

Now go to Steamwheedle Port in Tanaris and click on the "Soothsaying for Dummies" book located inside a hut. You can see the exact location marked in the picture below. Once you've read it, you will be able to take up the other specialization.