All About Pandaren

The Pandaren are a race of panda-like people added to the game in Mists of Pandaria.  They are native to Pandaria, and until very recently, they have been isolated from the rest of the world by a shroud of mists surrounding their homeland.  Once slaves to a fierce race of warlords known as the mogu, the Pandaren have overcome, and are now honorable warriors and farmers, artists and cooks.  However, when Azeroth's future looked bleakest, the Pandaren Emperor obscured the continent with mists, hiding it away from the world for ten-thousand years.  Pandaria remained undiscovered until a naval battle between Horde and Alliance ventured into uncharted waters and crashed upon the shore.   

Pandaria Gold Guide

Not every Pandaren was hidden away with the shrouding of Pandaria, however.  Now and then, tenacious explorers made their way beyond the mist. Hundreds of years ago, a group of these explorers set out on the back of a giant turtle, determined to discover new lands.  As the turtle wandered the seas of Azeroth, generations of Pandaren lived their lives out on its back.  Life was peaceful for these Pandaren until the turtle wandered too close to the Maelstrom, a great rift in Azeroth caused by immensely powerful magic. 

 

Players who create a Pandaren character start out on the back of the turtle, completing their training to become powerful fighters.  As life on the turtle becomes less stable, the young Pandaren must uncover the threat and decide how best to deal with it.  In the process, they will come into contact with outsiders for the first time, and must choose their allies and enemies carefully.  

The Pandaren are a neutral race, meaning they belong to neither the Alliance nor the Horde.  At the end of the Pandaren starting zone, players must choose a side, and decide if they wish to become one of the Alliance, or a member of the Horde.  Players do not choose a faction until around level 20, and they cannot join guilds or receive mail until they do.  

Pandaren characters have several classes to choose from.  They can be monks, the new melee class added with the expansion, as well as rogues, shamans, hunters, priests, mages, and warriors.  The Pandaren were hidden behind mists when the Lich King created death knights, however, and so Pandaren characters cannot be death knights.  They are also unable to be warlocks or druids.

There are a few innate talents unique to Pandaren characters.  Because the Pandaren are known for their love of good food and drink, they get a bonus to the "Well Fed" effect, a stat increase that comes from eating certain types of food.  The amount of stat points temporarily gained by eating food is doubled for Pandaren characters.  In addition, their cooking skill starts out at 15 points, rather than 1.   

Pandaren are also known for their inner tranquility and enlightened approach to the world.  The "Inner Peace" racial ability causes their rested experience bonus to last twice as long.  The rested experience bonus is gained by logging out in an inn or major city.  The rested effect doubles the amount of experience received from killing monsters, however it only lasts for a certain amount of time based on how long a character was logged out and not gaining experience.  For Pandaren characters, it will take twice as long for the effect to wear off.  

The Pandaren body type is also naturally bouncy, so all Pandaren take 50% less damage from a fall.  And most Pandaren are somewhat familiar with the combat arts of the monk, and able to use the "Quaking Palm" ability.  This move is an instant ability that suddenly strikes a target, incapacitating them for 4 seconds.  This ability will be especially useful in player versus player combat, where it can be used to keep other players from casting powerful spells or attacking. 

The Pandaren are a noble race, with much to teach and learn from the races of Azeroth.  Their special abilities make them a good choice for any of the classes, as well as allowing them to level a bit faster than other characters.  In addition, Pandaren can choose to be either Horde or Alliance, so any player can create a Pandaren on the same faction as their friends.   

How To Make Gold in Pandaria