Skill

Skill represents the proficiency required to perform a particular action. Skill requirements are distinct from race, class, or character level requirements. Professions and abilities that utilize skill are often called skills. Some skills need to be improved through active training, while others are simply acquired.

• Professions
• Your profession needs to be at a certain skill level to learn, create, harvest, equip, or use particular items related to that profession.
• You raise your skill level by creating or harvesting items of the appropriate level. Your maximum skill is determined by your proficiency; you can buy more advanced proficiencies from profession trainers.
• Armor Skills
• You need the right armor skills in order to equip particular types of armor.
• All classes learn the appropriate armor skills upon creation.
• Weapon Skills
• You need the right weapon skills in order to equip particular types of weapons.
• All classes learn the appropriate weapon skills upon creation.
• Languages
• You need the right language skills in order to use and understand particular languages.
• All races learn the appropriate language skills upon creation.
• Riding
• You need the required riding proficiency in order to ride particular types of mounts.
• You can buy proficiencies from riding trainers.
• Lockpicking
• Your lockpicking needs to be at a certain skill level to open certain locked chests or doors.
• If you're an engineer or blacksmith, you acquire lockpicking skill by using the appropriate crafted items. If you're a rogue, you do so by using your Pick Lock ability, which automatically scales with your character level.
• Runeforging
• If you're a death knight, you need runeforging skill to engrave runes on your weapons.
• You learn runeforging at maximum skill level (300) by completing the quest The Emblazoned Runeblade.

Before patch 4.0.1 the Character Info window had a Skills tab that listed the character's skills and current progress in those skills. This included skills that required training through "skillups" (e.g. Professions) and abstract skills that started out at maximum level (e.g. Languages). The traditional formula for determining a skill's maximum level was 5 * your current character level. In patch 4.0.1 most skills migrated to the Spellbook or Professions windows. Skills listed in the Skills tab which have been removed or changed significantly include:

• Weapon Skills - Each weapon type had an associated skill that needed to be learned, then trained. Included was Unarmed, which has been removed from the game as a weapon skill. Patch 4.0.1 made it so classes now start out with all their weapon skills.
• Defense - Improved your ability to avoid attacks. This mechanic was removed from the game in 4.0.1.
• Lockpicking - It used to be a rogue skill that worked like a like a profession in that it needed to be actively trained. In 4.0.1, Pick Lock was changed to scale automatically with your character level.
• Pickpocketing - Does not improve with use, was never really a skill even though it was listed for rogues.
• Poisons - Prior to patch 3.0.2, it worked like a profession. It has been removed from the game as a skill, and poisons are instead purchased ready to use.