When you're a Classic World of Warcraft character at level 50, it feels like being all grown up. You don't get ganked so quickly anymore, you have a few handfuls of gold in your pocket, and lower level players ask you for potions, enchants, and buffs. Max level is looming on the horizon along with raid attunements and battlegrounds, and so are the associated costs. All those repairs to your gear aren't exactly free and it's all uphill from here. Here's a quick synopsis of how hitting level 50 changes your 'toon in WoW forever.

RELATED: 10 Classic WoW Dungeons From Level 30 To 50, Ranked

10 Talent Tree Abilities

If you don't have a build by now, you had better get one, because at this level it gets obvious if you haven't done the research. This isn't something you can compensate for with macros, addons, or gear anymore. Level 50 dungeons and elite bosses are unforgiving when it comes to sub-par gear, slick macros or poor talent builds. There are so many guides on how to do this now that there's no excuse to put them all in one category with little variation because you don't know any better.

9 Searing Gorge

Via: Blizzard.com

One of several zones intended for players 50 and up, there's a lot to do in Searing Gorge that takes you right into level 60 activities like raiding and dungeons. Many of your adventures here actually start in Kargath, in the neighboring zone of the Badlands. That seems odd since that's a zone for toons in their 40s. There are several quests that become available here when you get to 50 from high-level toons from a variety of factions that look like they belong somewhere else. Most of these will be for quests in Blackrock Spire, and there's even one for a raid. Another starts you on the attunement for Onyxia.

8 Blackrock Spire

The last 5-man dungeon that most players will do, Blackrock Spire becomes available at level 50 but due to its difficulty and certain level-specific quests, most players don't actually come here until level 55. This is where training and questing for raids and their high-level rewards begin and continue. The mountain is neutral territory, and the dungeons are equally popular with both factions, so expect to experience some serious PVP here, as well.

7 Big Bags

The bank alt just isn't cutting it anymore. You need to find a way to get those 18 slot bags, and so does everyone else. Never mind those epic dungeon drops, you'll see best friends stabbing each other with their wands over big bags after level 50. You need space for that raiding set and the PVP set now, never mind all of the items you have to carry around for attunements and ingredients for your professions. Even after you buy a few more bank slots, you are not prepared.

6 The Hinterlands

Most Horde players head to the much more exciting Un'goro Crater when they hit level 50, leaving the Hinterlands behind since it's mostly a late level 40s area. If you know your raiding lore, however, this zone will be your home for several of your later levels. The Hinterlands is home to some of the games most epic quest chains, like the Ancient Egg. There's also the "raid training area" of Jintha'alor ad the historic Altar of Zul, all of which lead you to Zul'Gurub in Stranglethorn Vale eventually.

5 Molten Core

Okay, nobody runs this raid with level 50 'toons, we know that. However, 50 is the minimum level to enter the raid and it's also time to travel into the deepest, darkest heart of BRD to do some high level questing and get your attunement. You might not step into the raid at 50, but the time to start preparing is when you hit level 50. You're high enough level to visit Kargath and Thorium Point to get those flight paths and a few quests to get started on that endgame adventure.

4 Un'goro Crater

via.DVSGaming

Of course, you can and will wander down that inviting road that descends from the arid desert of Tanaris in your late 40s, but the quests and monsters are intended for characters level 50 and up. This zone is an essential part of every character leveling guide, and that goes for professions as well. Herbalists, miners, cooks, and fisherfolk can all benefit from spending a few levels here. Several of the high-level quest chains either start in or involve Un'goro Crater in some way, including the famous "It's a Secret to Everyone" a homage to the Legend of Zelda.

RELATED: Classic World Of Warcraft: 10 Most Epic Quest Chains, Ranked

3 Arcanite Dragonling

Your raid leader will tell you this is a waste of time and mats, and they are totally right. Just look at this list of materials required, and you have to be a Master Engineer with a maxed out skill to equip and make the thing. The minimum level to equip that, by the way? 50, of course. So, who would bother with this?

Well, pretty much everyone who has the skills because... well, just look at how cool it is! Keep in mind this is before everyone in the game had a non-combat pet and the ones that you could get at lower levels were cute but rather unimpressive. We're thinking of the cockroach pet from Undercity or the Mechanical Yeti, which only had three charges.

2 Smoking Heart of the Mountain

This is one of the most popular PvP trinkets in the game, giving the bearers a huge armor buff and improved resistance to virtually every school of magic. Only a high-level alchemist can craft it, but anyone level 50 and up can equip it.

What makes this trinket so special is one of the reagents required to make it, the Blood of the Mountain. The only way to find one of these is to loot it from the Molten Destroyer, a level 63 elite boss in Molten Core. Good luck getting that at level 50, but it's possible, if not probable.

1 Upper-Level Cooking and Fishing

tanaris-gadgetzan city view classic wow

You might have been able to avoid it up until this point, but now you're expected to bring potions and buff foods along with that high-level gear. The trainers and quests that you need to get those special and artisan recipes are in far-flung places like Dustwallow Marsh and Tanaris places that you won't be able to explore thoroughly until you're level 50. Having a few extra gold pieces for more expensive recipes, schematics, and patterns at this level is also helpful.

NEXT: Classic WoW: 10 Great Things About Level 40