Rift: Guides to the Crafting and Gathering Professions

There are two types of professions in Rift:  crafting professions and gathering professions.  Here is a general guide to them all with help leveling the professions.  First up, gathering (butchery, foraging and mining).
http://www.riftlevelingguide.com/game/professions/gathering/

Now the crafting guide (apothecary, armorsmithing, artificing, outfitting, runecrafting, and weaponsmithing.
http://www.riftlevelingguide.com/game/professions/crafting/

UPDATE:  Rift Crafter has a website that will cover all the crafts.  It's just now getting started so there's not a lot there yet but the home page talks about the fixes Patch 1.1 will bring to the game.
http://www.riftcrafter.com/tradeskills/

If you want more details about the various crafting and gathering professions, check this series of articles out.  Note part three goes over the dailies, the UI, etc.
http://highplanesrifter.com/2011/02/the-beginners-guide-to-crafting-in-rift-part-1-gathering-professions/

http://highplanesrifter.com/2011/02/the-beginners-guide-to-crafting-in-rift-part-2-crafting-professions/

http://highplanesrifter.com/2011/02/the-beginners-guide-to-crafting-in-rift-part-3-making-it-happen/

From the Favorite Links, don't forget what Telarapedia says about professions (including the highly important chart that shows which gathering and crafting professions compliment each other).
http://telarapedia.com/wiki/Profession

Here are some foraging and mining maps to help you locate items.
http://rift.incgamers.com/foraging-and-mining-maps/

http://rift.incgamers.com/scarlet-gorge-gathering-maps/

The Solo MMO Player has hit the wall leveling in two foraging professions. We read in the forums to head to another zone looking for non-gray items and he discovered that buying some items to craft in combination with his foraged items broke the log jam and enabled him to level a bit higher.  If you are stuck leveling a profession, try doing either or both of these things.
http://forums.riftgame.com/archive/index.php/t-98895.html?s=25b09da632721b48ed9e906567ba7c8b

UPDATE:  I've found three guides (foraging, butchering and mining) that list some items that go gray at various levels.  This may be helpful with the wall crafters and gathers are hitting.
http://www.riftbro.com/rift-foraging-guide/

http://www.riftbro.com/rift-butchering-guide/

http://www.riftbro.com/rift-mining-guide/

The Solo MMO Player has discovered that the controls are inconsistent across characters.  If you push the left button and get the "you aren't trained to use a loom" type message, try the right button.

Crafting Station locations, etc.
http://rift.zam.com/wiki/Crafting_Stations_%28Rift%29

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Rift Butchery (Crafting Professions)

One of the professions in Rift is butchery.  Here is everything you ever wanted to know about butchery, including maps that show locations of trainers.
http://rift.incgamers.com/guides/Butchery

Telarapedia has a list of dropped and trainable recipes for butchery.
http://telarapedia.com/wiki/Butchery

Zam's Rift wiki has a Defiant butchering guide as well as a list of butchery quests plus other information as above.
http://rift.zam.com/wiki/Butchering_%28Rift_Profession%29

Can't find heavy leather?  It sounds as if one needs to move to a new area and find higher level skinable mobs.
http://forums.riftgame.com/archive/index.php/t-53292.html?s=a21996d169ec5bd63429d657746ff25c

The online Rift Manual (page 39) says, "To gather, you must find a source.  Sources are marked on your Minimap when.you.have your Track Ability active, and they shine and sparkle when you’re close enough to see them.  Stand by the source and right-click on it.  After a few seconds, a Loot window opens, with one or more items to gather." The gathering skills include butchery, foraging and mining.
http://www.riftgame.com/en/docs/RIFT_Manual_EN.pdf

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Rift: Gathering and Crafting Professions Help

Need information about the professions?  There are three gathering professions (butchery, foraging and mining) and six crafting professions (apothacary, armorsmithing, artificing, outfitting, runecrafting and weaponsmitthing).  A character can choose up to three professions.  Good explanations of all the professions are found here.
http://telarapedia.com/wiki/Profession

However, I think this explanation is clearer and covers all the crafting and gathering professions in a more comprehensive manner.  It also shows the various crafting windows you'll use.
http://thisisnotarift.blogspot.com/2011/02/crafting-101.html

All about runecrafting, from trainers to upgrading components, runebreaking and transforming components.
http://telarapedia.com/wiki/Runecrafting

Here's a list of runecrafting recipes.
http://rift.ign.com/wiki/Runecrafter

Mining trainers, recipes and ores are listed here.
http://rift.ign.com/wiki/Mining

Crafting videos (Meridian) shows how it works with the interface.
http://wn.com/Rift_Headstart_Crafting_Trainers_Pve_Pvp_Ashtone_Proper

http://wn.com/Rift_Headstart_Crafting_Trainers_Pve_Pvp_Ashtone_Proper#

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All About the Professions (UPDATED FOR CATACLYSM)

Alex left a comment here yesterday to let me know his new website is up and running.  It's full of guides to all the professions from alchemy to tailoring.  Here's the link to the main site.
http://www.wow-professions.info/

And here is the link to just the professions guides.  Since the professions are such work (and often for not much reward), I hope this makes the professions more attractive to players.
http://www.wow-professions.info/primary-professions-live/

Thanks, Alex!

UPDATE:  A summary article about profession changes in Cataclysm.
http://wow.joystiq.com/2010/12/04/countdown-to-cataclysm-profession-updates-and-changes/

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Gathering and Trade Skill Addons

This week WOW Insider's addon column talks about three addons that help you in gather and trading professions.  They cover Gatherer, Routes, and Panda.  The first two help you map resources while the last is a disenchanting help that organizes recipes and aids in prospecting.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/27/addon-spotlight-gathering-and-trade-skill-helpers/

If you are interested in gathering and professions addons, search on Advanced Trade Skill Window and Panda in the upper left hand corner.

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People's Choice Addons

WOW Insider invited readers to nominate their favorite addons.  Part One talks about Panda, RatingBuster and Align
http://www.wow.com/2010/03/25/addon-spotlight-community-choice-1/


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The Gathering Professions (Herbalism, Mining and Skinning)

Good information about the various gathering professions with links to other sources of information.
http://psynister.wordpress.com/2010/03/01/gathering-professions-benefits/

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WOW Professions Website (and Bonuses Discussed)

Help in the professions from a site that keeps things up to date.  It includes information about the new profession, archaeology.
http://www.wow-professions.com/

The best bonuses professions give are discussed here.
http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/guides/professions/profession_bonuses

Nice discussion of the gathering professions from March 2010.
http://psynister.wordpress.com/2010/03/01/gathering-professions-benefits/

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