Transmogrification Rules

Since we announced the transmogrification feature coming to World of Warcraft with patch 4.3, we have monitored thousands of follow-up comments, questions and suggestions from players all over the world.

What follows is our current list of rules for transmogrification. This is a set of rules that we expect to change over time, and is not intended to be 100% comprehensive, but we hope that it can be referenced to answer most questions that players currently have about what they can and cannot expect to be able to do with transmogrification.

• The character must be able to equip both items.

• Only uncommon (green), rare (blue) or epic (purple) items may be transmogrified. (exceptions: a select few of these items will be prevented from being used to transmogrify if they are inappropriate)

• Items must share the same armor type (examples: plate for plate, cloth for cloth)

• Weapons must be the same weapon type (exceptions: Guns, Crossbows, or Bows)

• Guns, Crossbows, and Bows can be used to transmogrify Guns, Crossbows, or Bows.

• Main hand weapons can only be used to transmogrify Main hand weapons.

• Off-hand weapons can only be used to transmogrify Off-hand weapons.

• One handed weapons can be used to transmogrify a Main hand or Off-hand weapon.

• Using an item for transmogrify makes it soulbound.

• Using an item for transmogrify makes it non-refundable.

• Using an item for transmogrify makes it non-tradable.

• Heirlooms and Account Bound items can be transmogrified.

• Heirlooms and Account Bound items can be used to transmogrify.

• Legendary items cannot be transmogrified.

• Legendary items cannot be used to transmogrify.

• Fishing Poles cannot be transmogrified.

• Fishing Poles cannot be used to transmogrify.

• Mailing an item strips its transmogrification.

• Placing an item in Void Storage strips its transmogrification.

• Vendoring an item strips its transmogrification.

• The displayed enchant will be that of the currently equipped item.

• There may be individual items that are excluded from being transmogrified on the basis that they were originally added to the game as absurdities. (examples: a weapon that looks like a fish, or a chest piece that is invisible)

09/19/2011 05:56 PMPosted by Goodarthas

• There may be individual items that are excluded from being transmogrified on the basis that they were originally added to the game as absurdities. (examples: a weapon that looks like a fish, or a chest piece that is invisible)

Please allow The Emperor's New Cape to be used for transmog. I know it is invisible, but as a dual-spec person, it allows me to have one set of transmog with a cape and one without with the added benefit of not requiring me to change my game settings whenever i switch specs.

That will be a design decision, but I have to point out that one of the prime examples of an item that will not be allowed is one that it invisible. It is unlikely that some invisible items will be allowed, and others will not.

Thank you for the feedback and explanation though.

09/19/2011 06:00 PMPosted by Lohida

I've heard people claiming you can only do weapons to another weapon of the same stats type. Like only spellpower swords to spellpower swords and AGI swords to AGI swords. Is that a restriction or no?

At this time, that is not a restriction at all.

09/19/2011 06:09 PMPosted by Flute

There may be individual items that are excluded from being transmogrified on the basis that they were originally added to the game as absurdities. (examples: a weapon that looks like a fish, or a chest piece that is invisible)

So we get silly poop quests and pop culture references out the wazoo, but engaging in an epic battle with a Rockhide Strongfish equipped is too much to ask?

Exactly. The poop quests and pop culture references are not epic battles.

09/19/2011 06:11 PMPosted by Solderberg

Aw, Sandrene's vest is ineligible. That's too bad. I'd wanted to put it on this rogue's chest so she could show off her swashbuckler's shirt. I can see why it'd be off limits, though. I think it's fair. Can't have a bunch of rogues running around topless in Orgrimmar or Goldshire, now can we?

We already do!

09/19/2011 06:27 PMPosted by Murizzy

Only common (green), rare (blue) or epic (purple)

Do you mean Common as in White text or did you mean to say Uncommon for Green?

I had a pair of vendor axes I was hoping to transmog my current ones into, this will not be possible?

Also Forever Lovely Rose should totally be eligible to transmog with, how am I supposed to reach max cuteness now Kaivax?

Thank you for catching that. I have updated the rules list to reflect uncommon.

Max cuteness is, as you know, a theoretical construct that can only even be approached by individuals of very small stature.

09/19/2011 08:52 PMPosted by Esjael

This may have been asked or it may be a silly question...but can a hunter transmogrify an item to look like a mail piece that has intellect on it (as in shaman mail)? Right now I see no reason why I won't be able to; it's mail, and I can equip it if it's not shaman-specific.

Yes.

Forgive me if this has been answered. You mentioned that heirlooms will be eligible for transmogrification. Does that mean it would retain the look you transformed it into once the item is sent to another character?

Does this mean we will be seeing level 1 Paladins running around with a Reforged Truesilver Champion that looks like a Ashkandi, Greatsword of the Brotherhood?

Mailing removes the transmogrification.

Correct.

09/19/2011 09:00 PMPosted by Moneiiri

What are the plans for the weaponsmith/armorsmith only patterns?

Can you be more specific?

09/19/2011 09:09 PMPosted by Nerodius

Can you be more specific?

He means items like Stormherald. Weapons and armor that were formerly Armorsmith or Weaponsmith only. I'm not sure if he's asking if they're eligible for transmog or if some equivalent will be added to Darkmoon or something.

Considering they no longer have their "Armorsmith/Weaponsmith only" tags, my guess is if you have one you can transmog it and if you don't it's "tough luck" (like how if you don't have Corrupted Ashbringer already it's "tough luck").

I'm not seeing anything in the current rules that would exclude Stormherald or Corrupted Ashbringer from being transmogrified, or from being the source of a transmogrification.

Using an item for transmogrify makes it soulbound.

Mailing an item strips its transmogrification.

How can you mail a soulbound item? Or is it the item that you're copying the image from that becomes soulbound but the item that is getting changed doesn't become soulbound?

Those two rules are not strictly related.

With the first rule, you are prevented from acquiring a BoE item, making your current gear look like it, and then sending (selling) it to other characters.

With the second, you are prevented from sending (selling) items that look like other items.

Order of things that ruin a lot of the fun of this feature:

1) Item type restriction for weapons. I'd love to be able to transmog a dagger to look like a fist weapon, or sword. In fact, that's the only thing that would make fist weapons (which I happen to love the look of) worth grabbing.
2) Legendary restriction. I don't have any, but it's something I'd like to pick up at some point. I'd hate to go through the work to get a legendary item and them retire it a tier later simply because the stats aren't as good anymore. I'll never bother grabbing glaives or any other legendary item from old content just to dance around Stormwind with it.

The first one is by far the one that makes the least amount of sense. I get not wanting Warriors to be able to dual wield staves, but not allowing any other class to change things up a little that otherwise have one and only one option in front of them most of the time? Meh.

Just my opinion here -

1. I wouldn't like there being no distinction anymore between weapon types. I rather like finding out the weapon type of some awesome new epic that just dropped. If I'm just going to transmogrify it to look like whatever weapon type I prefer, then the drop need not have a type in the first place. It could just be an epic stick of type "weapon".

2. It seems to me like the incredible effort that I've gone through to obtain a legendary years ago is diminished if I join a raid and find myself standing around with 24 others who obtained that same legendary a few days ago (and put in much less effort doing so). Nowadays, I'm proud to brandish my legendary anywhere that I find myself not fighting endgame enemies. I don't want to trade away how cool that is, and only get in return... a raid where everyone else appears to be wielding the same thing as me.

Thanks for the infodump, Kaivax. Lots of useful information to be had. Still, I have quite a few questions on my mind that have yet to be clarified:

1): If we use an item for transmogrification, will it become consumed through the act of transmogrifying it? For instance, if I transmogrify a Tier 2 Helm to a Tier 12 Helm, will I lose the Tier 2 Helm? Furthermore, 2): If we transmogrify an item, will we be able to apply that appearance to another item? For instance, if I apply the same Tier 2 Judgment Helm to a Tier 12 Helm, will I be able to transmogrify the appearance of the Tier 12 Helm (with a Tier 2 appearance) to a Tier 13 Helm, if I were to get it? And finally, 3): Will we be able to revert the transmogrified item back to its original appearance?

My reading and understanding of the rules is --

1. No.
2. Not an issue, due to the answer to #1.
3. Yes.

09/19/2011 10:04 PMPosted by Puppypaws

• There may be individual items that are excluded from being transmogrified on the basis that they were originally added to the game as absurdities. (examples: a weapon that looks like a fish, or a chest piece that is invisible)

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO my plans for Sandrene's Invisible Vest with a White Swashbuckler's Shirt so i can look like a pirate all the time!

Once word leaks out that a pirate has gone soft, people begin to disobey you, and then it's nothing but work, work, work all the time.

• Heirlooms and Account Bound items can be transmogrified.

• Mailing an item strips its transmogrification.

but....but....but....but....but....but...but...why?

whats the point of transmogrifying looms then D:

alastere sad....

The point is that the character who is currently using the heirloom item can make it look like most any other item of the same type (that that character possesses and can use).

09/26/2011 03:20 PMPosted by Eldwldgrim

cool whens the release date for it though

Currently, the same date as the rest of patch 4.3.

11/15/2011 11:07 AMPosted by Lockyfuzzles

I really, honestly want to see a tank wielding a fish in a heated battle.

In a not-so-heated battle, you'd like to see the tank wielding a?.....