If you're a new player or just having early dementia, Karazhan is located in Deadwind Pass, next to Duskwood. Fastest way to get there is by using the portal to Blasted Lands in any of the capital cities!
Make even more gold from Karazhan
The instance is full of humanoids, so you will find loads of Netherweave cloth on top of direct gold drops. This means you should not skip any mobs here to maximize your gold earnings. The amount is noticeable, even after the Philanthropist nerf which made the mobs drop about 12g less gold per kill.
To make use of the cloth drops, Tailoring is a very good choice, but it's not a requirement for the solo-toon, as cloth can be sent to other alts. Netherweave has 2 profitable paths, Netherweave Bags or Netherweave Bracers, which will be disenchanted into Arcane Dust and Planar Essences. Check your realm's prices for them and see which path is more profitable. Usually Netherweave Cloth has too low prices for it to be more profitable to sell as it is.
Whatever you do, do NOT disenchant epics unless Void Crystals are more valuable than the item's vendor price. Most epics sell for 3-15g to a vendor, while a Voidie sells for about.. 30 copper usually in the Auction House!
Farming profession recipes
There are many profession recipes that are BOP in Karazhan, most well known being the enchanting formula for Mongoose. Most of the following enchants and items are profitable to sell on some realms, but at least on my realm the mats are more valuable and also sell faster than the creations. Tailoring patterns are profitable only if they have 3 sockets, as people are ready to pay even 3000g for a 70 epic with 3 sockets, especially if you insert some WOTLK epic gems into it and don't forget the best fitting Wrath enchant. :)
Here's a list of profession recipes you can find from Karazhan. I'm fairly sure there was blacksmithing plans aswell, but I can't seem to find them.
Formula: Enchant Weapon - Mongoose
Formula: Enchant Weapon - Soulfrost
Formula: Enchant Weapon - Sunfire
Formula: Enchant Boots - Surefooted
Pattern: Soulcloth Vest
Pattern: Soulcloth Shoulders
Fuck the key, we'll take the shortcut! When 4.2 arrives, the gate is no longer locked. But for now, you still need The Master's Key in order to enter Karazhan, or alternatively have engineering, blacksmithing or lockpicking available. Engineers can blast the door open, Blacksmiths can use skeleton keys and Rogues can lockpick.
However if you don't have any of those, you can just kill yourself next to the gate and walk through it as a ghost, releasing between the gate and the instance portal. To make a succesful suicide, hop onto your flying mount, fly high enough and unmount! Fun, fun, and it's not even friday! Or if you're slacking and don't have "old weather flying", you can pull nearby mobs and let them rape you. To save yourself from repair bills, strip a bit before doing so.
If that doesn't interest you either, the key quest starts next to Karazhan and leads you to Hillsbrad and then Shattrath. After that you have to clear a few TBC instances and the key is yours.
You also need to be in a raid group in order to enter a raid instance for some unknown reason. Perhaps so mentally challenged players don't accidentally enter green portals, pull elites and get some repair bills? :) *shrug*
Sources of gold
- You will find lots of greenies. Disenchant them!
- You will find lots of epics. BOE? Enchant/gem and sell them! BOP? Vendor!
- You will find lots of blues. Sell them!
- You will find profession recipes. Learn them and sell if they're profitable!
- Humanoids and bosses drop silver and gold!
- Netherweave can be turned into valuable bags and other items
Conclusion
If you're having "Lol, didn't read" thoughts, here's a quick summary!
- Get tailoring and enchanting- Commit a suicide or open the gate
- Invite a random player and convert the group into a raid
- Something moves? Pew pew! Leave no one alive.. Oh wait.
- Loot every corpse!
- If you are decently geared level 85, you can do huge pulls and AOE farm
- Turn trade goods into something more profitable