WoW SoD: How to get the Master of Subtlety Rune in WoW Classic Season of Discovery

Back stabbath.

A stealthed Rogue in Darkshire, Duskwood in WoW Classic SoD
Screenshot by Dot Esports

If you’re a sneaky Rogue like me, stealth is the name of the game. Subtlety Rogues weren’t really a thing in Season of Discovery phase one, but now that phase two is here and we have 15 more talent points to play with, building a Rogue that relies more on stealth isn’t just possible—it’s surprisingly effective.

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The main piece of the puzzle is the Master of Subtlety Rune. It’s a Boots Rune in WoW Classic Season of Discovery that gives you a passive ability increasing your damage by 10 percent while in stealth and for six seconds after leaving stealth. This is great for PvP, especially if you’re planning to lurk in the shadows and pick off unsuspecting players during the Blood Moon PvP event in Stranglethorn Vale.

Where to find the Master of Subtlety Rune in WoW Classic Season of Discovery

Wendel Mathers location on the Stranglethorn Vale map in WoW SoD
Wendel Mathers location in Stranglethorn Vale. Screenshot by Dot Esports

First off, head to northern Stranglethorn Vale. You can get there from Duskwood as Alliance, or take the zeppelin to Grom’Gol from Undercity or Orgrimmar as Horde. Go to Kurzen’s Compound in the far north of Stranglethorn Vale, marked on the map above.

At the coordinates 44, 8, there’s an NPC called Wendel Mathers imprisoned in a cage inside a stone tower. Your task is to free him, and you need to pickpocket the enemy Kurzen NPCs in this area to get the key to his cage. The key also reportedly drops from elites in the same area. They’re level 35 to 38, so make sure you’re around this level if you want to stand a chance. There’s also a locked chest in the nearby cave that you need 125 Lockpicking to open.

After you’ve got the key and opened the chest, head to Wendel Mathers and speak with him to free him. Be careful—there are three stealthed enemy Kurzen Rogues near Wendel, so make sure to free him quickly and Vanish before the Rogues kill you.

Captain Aransas location on the Booty Bay, Stranglethorn Vale map in WoW SoD
Captain Aransas location in Booty Bay, Stranglethorn Vale. Screenshot by Dot Esports

After you’ve freed Wendel, head to Booty Bay. There’s an NPC on the boardwalk overlooking the ocean called Captain Aransas. She’s at coordinates 27.8, 76.6, but it’s easier to find her if you type /tar Captain Aransas into chat and look around the platform for your highlighted target.

Captain Aransas in Booty Bay in WoW SoD
Speak to Captain Aransas after freeing Wendel and she’ll give you the Rune. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Speak to Captain Aransas and she’ll give you the Rune of Subtlety, which you can use in your inventory to unlock the Master of Subtlety passive ability. She also gives you Jani’s Charm, an Uncommon Trinket that Rogues need to help Priests get their Dispersion Rune.

If you’re after more Rogue Runes, check out my guides on how to get the Waylay Rune and how to get the Shuriken Toss Rune in WoW Classic SoD.

Author
Image of Tom Foley
Tom Foley
Tom is the UK Associate Editor for Dot Esports. He's the former TCG Editor for CBR and holds a Master's degree in Chemistry from the University of Edinburgh. Tom spent six years as a Science Editor for the Royal Society of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, and AstraZeneca before leaving science to pursue his dream career in games journalism at the start of 2023. He loves MMOs, RPGs, TCGs, and pretty much every game by FromSoftware—especially Dark Souls.