Sunken Temple rewards

At Level 50, all classes have access to a quest chain culminating in the Sunken Temple, and are given the choice of three class-specific

items of Item Level 52. These items are all very good for their level, and most of them will be difficult to replace prior to the Tier 0.5 upgrade quests, 20-man raid drops or high level PvP rewards. Some even have unique properties and abilities that cannot currently be recreated by other means.

As only one item can be selected and can never be exchanged, it is an important choice that a player will make. Each of the items conveys benefits to different play-styles; and many of the items can be useful even in end-game. This is an attempt to consolidate the various long-standing debates as to the best choice for a particular player while avoiding POV judgement calls as to the "best" possible choice.

As the Burning Crusade expansion will raise the level cap to 70, and the stat allocations give generous stamina for new items after level 60, many of these items that were usable up to end-game will become less useful. Still, some of the trinkets and even armor items provide utility that may prove worth holding on to.

Note that none of the rewards can be disenchanted.

Druid

Druids can complete the quest chain culminating in  [52D] 9053 to receive one of the following rewards.

Option 1	Option 2	Option 3
Template:Lrare Binds when picked up Chest Leather 151 Armor +17 Strength +16 Agility +11 Stamina Sells for Template:Gsc to vendors Item Level 52	Template:Lrare Binds when picked up Chest Leather 151 Armor +8 Intellect +7 Spirit Equip: Increases healing done by spells and effects by up to 55. Sells for Template:Gsc to vendors Item Level 52	Template:Lrare Binds when picked up Two-Hand Staff 133 - 200 Damage Speed 3.70 (45.0 damage per second) Equip: Increases damage and healing done by magical spells and effects by up to 18. Equip: Restores 7 mana per 5 sec. Equip: Improves your chance to get a critical strike with spells by 1%. Sells for Template:Gsc to vendors Item Level 52

Druids are given the choice between three

items; each of which clearly corresponds with a particular talent tree.

• The Template:Lrare gives stat bonuses that are suitable for a Feral Druid. It provides all of the base stats important to a Feral druid, and for that reason may be a better option than the same level leatherworking  [Stormshroud Armor].
• The Template:Lrare healing bonus is great for Restoration-specced Druids. It provides one of the highest bonuses to healing spells available in a leather chestpiece-- even more than the equivalent Tier 0.5 chestpiece, the Template:Lrare, preventing Restoration druids from having to use Cloth armor for the healing bonus. In fact, Druids looking to maximize their healing power will not find an individual chestpiece with more +healing until the Template:Lepic, the Tier 3 set (although some lower set items will provide that amount when factoring in set bonuses).
• The spell bonus and mana generation of the Template:Lrare are well suited for a Balance-specced Druid, although it would also be fine for a Restoration specced Druid. Of the three pieces, this one is probably the most versatile, but it does not provide any benefit to a Feral druid. Certain Druids will choose to put an intellect/spirit enchant on the stave, increasing its use up to the higher instances, since no other stave carries simillar stats. A 22 intellect enchant is recommended. It must be noted, however, that Zum'Ra's Vexing Cane from Zul'Farrak, two instances below Sunken Temple, has +3 more spelldamage and +10 intellect and stamina. However, the mana regen and (more importantly to a balance druid) crit chance increase is still favorable.

Hunter

Hunters can complete the quest chain culminating in  [52D] 8232 to receive one of the following rewards.

Option 1	Option 2	Option 3
Template:Lrare Binds when picked up Two-Hand Polearm 111 - 168 Damage Speed 3.10 (45.0 damage per second) +17 Stamina Durability 100 / 100 Equip: Increases your critical strike rating by 14. Equip: Restores 5 mana per 5 sec. Sells for Template:Gsc to vendors Item Level 52	Template:Lrare Binds when picked up Trinket Use: Increases your attack power by 150 and hit rating by 20. Effect lasts for 20 sec. Cooldown: 2 min Item Level 52	Template:Lrare Binds when picked up Trinket Use: Grants your pet 1400 melee critical strike rating until the next time it gets a critical strike. Cooldown: 2 min Item Level 52

Hunters are given the choice between three

items:

• The Template:Lrare gives an amazing boost to both ranged and melee attack power and an increased chance to hit that is useful against high-level bosses and mobs. Though it is on a cooldown, the relatively low 2 minute cooldown means it can be used in almost every battle.
• The Template:Lrare is obviously geared toward Beast Mastery specced. The effect pretty much guarantees a critical strike on the next hit (cf. the old, pre-BC wording: "Your pet's next attack is guaranteed to critically strike if that attack is capable of striking critically.") and.
• The Template:Lrare increases crit chance with both ranged and melee attacks, and has a passive mana regeneration built in. Unlike the other two rewards, the bonuses are completely passive. The crit bonus makes it very useful. However, as with all weapon rewards from the Sunken Temple class quests, the weapon will probably be replaced fairly soon, and therefore arguably is the least useful choice, esepecially since hunters can feign death and replace an on-use trinket in combat while it is cooling down.

Mage

Mages can complete the quest chain culminating in  [52D] 8253 to receive one of the following rewards.

Option 1	Option 2	Option 3
Template:Lrare Binds when picked up One-Hand Dagger 31 - 59 Damage Speed 1.30 (34.6 damage per second) +4 Intellect Equip: Your Frostbolt spells have a 6% chance to restore 50 mana when cast. "Diabolical runes adorn the blade." Sells for Template:Gsc to vendors Item Level 52	Template:Lrare Binds when picked up Neck +3 Intellect Equip: Increases damage and healing done by magical spells and effects by up to 16. "Arcane crystals are best utilized for the purposes of a mage." Item Level 52	Template:Lrare Binds when picked up Trinket Use: Restores 1 to 500 mana and increases the damage of your next Fire spell by up to 100. Effect lasts for 1 min. "Unpredictability leads to both victory and death." Cooldown: 3 min Sells for 50 to vendors Item Level 52

Mages are given the choice between three

items; like many other classes, the rewards are each closely aligned with specific talent trees:

• The Template:Lrare is the choice for Frost-spec mages as it augments their staple [Frostbolt] ability.
• The Template:Lrare is the most versatile of the three, as its benefit is not limited to one school of magic.
• The Template:Lrare is the choice for Fire-spec mages, as it only benefits Fire spells, but the fast mana generation is useful for any school of magic, of course.

Paladin

Paladins can complete the quest chain culminating in  [52D] 8418 to receive the  [Holy Mightstone] as well as one of the following rewards.

Option 1	Option 2	Option 3
Template:Lrare Binds when picked up Two-Hand Sword 118 - 178 Damage Speed 3.30 (44.8 damage per second) +9 Strength +9 Stamina +10 Fire Resistance +10 Frost Resistance +10 Shadow Resistance Requires Level 47 Equip: Increases damage done by Holy spells and effects by up to 16. Sells for Template:Gsc to vendors Cooldown: 2 Min Item Level 52	Template:Lrare Binds when picked up Trinket Use: Increases your critical strike chance with spells and melee attacks by 3%. Lasts 25 sec. Cooldown: 3 min Item Level 52	Template:Lrare Binds when picked up Finger +7 Strength +7 Stamina +7 Intellect Equip: Increases healing done by spells and effects by up to 15. Sells for Template:Gsc to vendors Item Level 52

Paladins are given the choice between three

items:

• The Template:Lrare provides a diverse amount of resistance and also increases damage from holy spells. Arguably this is the least useful reward as it can be easily replaced with other swords in terms of damage.
• The Template:Lrare provides a high amount of crit chance to melee, spell damage and healing effects, and lasts for 25 seconds with only a 3 minute cooldown. With illumination, it can be a good choice for healing, espcially given the lack of trinkets untill level 60.
• The Template:Lrare gives good bonuses to Strength, Intellect, Stamina, as well as healing, which is rare for rings.

Priest

Priests can complete the quest chain culminating in  [52D] 8257 to receive one of the following rewards.

Option 1	Option 2	Option 3
Template:Lrare Binds when picked up Trinket Use: Increases healing done by spells and effects by up to 190 for 20 sec. "A friend in need is a friend without beads." Cooldown: 2 Min Item Level 52	Template:Lrare Binds when picked up Wand 68-127 Shadow Damage Speed 1.90 (51.3 damage per second) +3 Stamina Equip: Increases damage done by Shadow spells and effects by up to 11. "Woe to those who oppose." Sells for Template:Gsc to vendors Item Level 52	Template:Lrare Binds when picked up Finger +6 Shadow Resistance Equip: Increases the critical effect chance of your Holy spells by 1%. "Forged from pure light." Item Level 52

Priests are given the choice between three

items:

• Template:Lrare is a trinket that provides a fairly unique functionality. It provides even more pure healing power than the similar epic trinket Template:Lepic that drops in Molten Core; it should be noted that the effects of the two trinkets can actually be stacked. The Prayer Beads are a good choice for a priest who plans on primarily acting as a healer.
• The Template:Lrare is a wand that provides shadow damage and also increases shadow damage; it is therefore the obvious choice for priests Shadow-spec'd priests. Because of the stamina bonus, some argue that it is even better than the level 57 Template:Lrare for PVP.
• The Template:Lrare seems to be the least attractive of the potentional awards, considering the level 57 Template:Lrare increases critical chance with all spells by 1%, and provides a mana regen boost, while this reward only increases Holy spells critical chance and a small Shadow Resistance boost.

Rogue

Rogues can complete the quest chain culminating in  [52D] 8236 to receive one of the following rewards.

Option 1	Option 2	Option 3
Template:Lrare Binds when picked up Head Leather 122 Armor +11 Stamina Equip: Increases your chance to get a critical strike by 1% Equip: +36 Attack Power Sells for Template:Gsc to vendors Item Level 52	Template:Lrare Binds when picked up Feet Leather 104 Armor +18 Agility +4 Stamina Equip: Increases your effective stealth level by 1. Sells for Template:Gsc to vendors Item Level 52	Template:Lrare Binds when picked up Back Leather 37 Armor +14 Agility Equip: Reduces damage from falling. Sells for 44 to vendors Item Level 52

Rogues are given the choice between three

items:

• The Template:Lrare is a great helm that will be almost impossible to replace before the Template:Lrare or the Template:Lrare, both only attainable in high level instances. At an estimated AEP of 41, it has the highest immediate contribution to DPS of the three choices.
• The Template:Lrare are one of only three boots in the game that increase your [Stealth] skill. The Template:Luncommon (attainable at level 42) are far worse in terms of armor and stat contribution, and the Template:Lepic are only available through the Tier 0.5 upgrade quests at level 60. The Whisperwalk Boots increase stealth by a modifier of 5, and their estimated AEP is 25.
• The Template:Lrare is the only cloak with a passive reduction of falling damage available to Rogues. The Drape gives a fall damage reduction modifier of 10. Combined with the level 40 [Safe Fall] ability, a Rogue will have a total fall damage reduction modifier of 27, allowing certain falls such as the drop into Un'Goro Crater and the fall from Freewind Post. Though it is much more situational than the other two items and it only has an estimated AEP of 16, the effect of the cape is unique; the closest thing to it is the Template:Luncommon which requires Engineering, and is on a 30 minute cooldown.

All AEP values are calculated using the formula and charts at http://shadowpanther.net/.

Shaman

Shamans can complete the quest chain culminating in  [52D] 8413 to receive one of the following rewards.

Option 1	Option 2	Option 3
Template:Lrare Binds when picked up Hands Mail 195Armor +6 Agility +7 Stamina +7 Intellect +6 Spirit Equip: Improves your chance to get a critical strike with spells by 1%. Sells for 75 to vendors Item Level 52	Template:Lrare Binds when picked up Trinket Use: Summons a Mana Spring Totem with 5 health at the feet of the caster for 24 sec that restores 27 mana every 2 seconds to group members within 20 yards. Cooldown: 3 min Item Level 52	Template:Lrare Binds when picked up Two-Hand Staff 90-135 Damage Speed 2.50 (45.0 damage per second) +10 Strength +10 Stamina +9 Intellect Equip: Improves your chance to hit by 1%. Equip: Improves your chance to get a critical strike by 1%. Sells for Template:Gsc to vendors Item Level 52

Shamans are given the choice between three

items, each of which is closely aligned with one of their talent trees.

• The Template:Lrare are primarily suited for an Elemental spec Shaman, as the critical strike spell bonus does not benefit their melee damage, but would increase the critical effect chance of healing spells. However, the diverse stat bonuses make the gloves easily as good as end game gloves, and almost as good as Template:Lrare, a quest reward in Dire Maul.
• The Template:Lrare is like a [Mana Spring Totem], except it requires no mana and does not share a cooldown. It is a very good choice for a Restoration spec Shaman, as it provides another option to replenish your party's mana during your Mana Tide and [Mana Spring] cooldowns.
• The Template:Lrare gives strong benefits to melee, so is appropriate for Enhancement spec Shamans, however the fast speed and low damage range of it might turn some enhancement shaman off. Template:Lrare or Dreadforge Retaliator will easily replace it at later levels.

The Enamored Water Spirit is unique and unusual, providing a mana regeneration totem that is better than Mana Spring and does not share a cool down with Mana Tide. The other items can be replaced with Silithus, Dire Maul, or UBRS-level gear, but the Water Spirit can be used even by shamans with 40-man raid-level equipment.

Warlock

Warlocks can complete the quest chain culminating in  [52D] 8422 to receive one of the following rewards.

Option 1	Option 2	Option 3
Template:Lrare Binds when picked up Two-Hand Staff 118 - 178 Damage Speed 3.30 (44.8 damage per second) +16 Stamina Equip: Improves your chance to hit with spells by 1%. Equip: Increases damage done by Shadow spells and effects by up to 24. Sells for Template:Gsc to vendors Item Level 52	Template:Lrare Binds when picked up Trinket Use: Casts your Summon Voidwalker spell with no mana or Soul Shard requirements. "Dark rituals are trapped in dark gems." Cooldown: 30 min 10 sec cast Item Level 52	Template:Lrare Binds when picked up Chest Cloth 75 Armor +15 Stamina +10 Intellect Equip: Increases damage done by Fire spells and effects by up to 23. Equip: Increases damage done by Shadow spells and effects by up to 23. Sells for Template:Gsc to vendors Item Level 52

Warlocks are given the choice between three

items; each of which clearly corresponds with a particular talent tree.

• The Template:Lrare gives strong +Stamina bonuses and Warlocks looking to go into a PVP environment will be hard-pressed to replace this weapon until the Template:Lepic, an exalted faction reward from Arathi Basin. Another good alternative at later levels would be Template:Lrare.
• The Template:Lrare is unique in that it provides the only method of summoning a demon without consuming a Soul Shard. Note that this trinket actually can be augmented with talents; a Demonology-specced Warlock with [Fel Domination] and [Master Summoner] could use this trinket to insta-summon a Voidwalker in combat.
• The Template:Lrare are well suited for a Destruction-specced Warlock. Short of robes found in a 20-man raid, or the Template:Lepic which actually requires the wearer to be a 300 Tailor, these robes will be useful even in end-game situations.

Warrior

Warriors can complete the quest chain culminating in  [52D] 8425 to receive one of the following rewards.

Option 1	Option 2	Option 3
Template:Lrare Binds when picked up Head Plate 445 Armor +18 Strength Equip: Improves your chance to get a critical strike by 1%. Equip: Improves your chance to hit by 1%. Sells for 37 to vendors Item Level 52	Template:Lrare Binds when picked up Trinket Use: Restores 9 health every 5 sec and increases your Strength by 75. Lasts 1 min. "Served on the rocks." Cooldown: 6 min 10 sec cast Item Level 52	Template:Lrare Binds when picked up Shoulder Plate 410 Armor +10 Strength +10 Agility +9 Stamina Equip: Improves your chance to hit by 1%. Sells for 97 to vendors Item Level 52

Warriors are given the choice between three

items:

• The Template:Lrare greatly increases a Fury-specced Warrior's DPS, and is unlikely to be replaced before the Template:Lepic.
• The Template:Lrare gives a Warrior a quick boost of 150 AP for the duration of the effect. It does not rely on weapon procs like most other AP increasing trinkets, so it can be switched in and out situationally in accordance with the 6 minute cooldown. This effect cannot be reliably recreated by any other trinket until the Template:Lepic, and even that proc only lasts for 20 seconds. It also regenerates 108 HP over that minute.
• Template:Lrare provide strong bonuses to all of the Warrior's core stats, as well as increase chance to hit, which is valuable against higher level mobs and bosses. The +hit makes these shoulders arguably better than the Tier 0 Template:Lrare.