You know what’s always baffled me? Why WoW seems to have all the “traditional” holidays covered but is noticeably lacking anything honoring St. Patrick’s Day. So when I saw this blog topic, it seemed like a perfect way to expand on the non-existent holiday and see just what exactly it would be about.

I think the biggest difficulty with this holiday is making it unique. Lots of drinking? Brewfest has done that. Celebrating a holiday by turning into tiny green gnomes? Winterveil’s done that too. So while I actually do think those ideas would be fitting, I think they need a way to make them feel unique.  And I think that making a holiday built around the bad guys trying to celebrate something (while still giving players festivities!) will be a good start to mixing things up!

What’s the Holiday All About?

Like any good WoW holiday, there should be some lore behind the event itself, and while the idea would admittedly need a lot of fine-tuning, I think I’ve got a place to start. Every year on the anniversary of its re-taking-over (or, almost taking-over) the leper gnomes of Gnomeragon attempt to gain complete control of the place by invoking some ancient power of Lucky Leper. This effort is spearheaded by the luckiest of them all, Pat Tricksizzle <Bringer of Ire>, a boss that would make his home in a modified version of Gnomer.

The holiday doesn’t have to be limited to Gnomer though. As a side effect of invoking such massive power (of luck!) there are pots of gold springing up all over Azeroth. This not only gives the gnomes a reason to spread out in the world, it also gives players a reason to claim the luck before the gnomes get their tiny, green hands on it!

So What Do Players Do?

Players will need to infuse themselves with a Lucky Leper potion in order to fully see the hidden pots and enemies throughout the world. These potions will drop in small amounts from the boss, but can also be made by an alchemist who has obtained a recipe to do so. This potion will give the player’s character a green tint, as well as making their screen glow green around the edges.

While under this effect, invisible leper gnomes (hidden to all but the luckiest!) will be in all zones of Azeroth, and will vary in difficulty. When they get low enough on health, they will run away, leaving a faint rainbow trail to their treasure pot. Players will have to follow the trail while it’s still visible in order to claim the rewards.  These rewards will vary, but every pot will at least include some Gold Coins, the currency that will be used by participants to show their support against the leper gnomes.

Okay, But What Do We Get?

The holiday will feature all types of rewards, for all types of players!  If you are a pet collector, you can scour the lands with your Lucky Leper buff in search of the elusive Pot O’ Gold, a pet that can only be captured through pet battles.  While this pet will represent one of the more rare pets from the holiday meant specifically for pet battlers, there will also be a clover pet that has a chance to drop from Pat Tricksizzle <Bringer of Ire>!

That’s not all though!  If you’re someone who appreciates transmogrification, the holiday offers a chance to collect all the pieces of an outfit that represents everything about the holiday.  Some pieces will be rare drops from the treasure pots; a distinguishable hat will drop from the holiday boss; and the remaining pieces will be purchasable via Gold Coins.

And don’t worry, there will absolutely be holiday-themed weapons and even a mount – but only for the luckiest of players!

It doesn’t stop there though!  If you prefer PVP, you can gain Gold Coins by killing enemy players who are under the effects of the Lucky buff!  To encourage this, there will be giant, controllable pots o’ gold in various zones that will increase the amount of Gold Coins gained and number of leper gnome spawns for whichever faction controls the pot o’ gold!

Of course, what’s a holiday without everyone’s favorite…

Let’s See Some Achievements!

It’s not a holiday without some achievements to mark the occasion, right?

They’re Always After Me Lucky Charms!
Loot one of each type of charm from the different leper gnomes of Azeroth.

The Luck of the Gnomish
Loot one of the potions of luck from Pat Tricksizzle <Bringer of Ire>!!

Follow the Rainbow
Successfully find a treasure pot in Azeroth after defeating a leper gnome in combat.

Capturing My Own Luck
Capture a Pot O’ Gold pet in battle while under the effects of a Lucky Leper potion.

Gettin’ Jiggy With It
Perform a traditional jig of luck while wearing a lucky hat.

1000 Years of Luck
Loot a rare seven-leaf clover from one of the leper gnomes of Azeroth.

Not All Luck is Good
Kill a player of the opposite faction who is under the effects of Lucky Leper.

And There You Have It!

It may not be perfect, but it’s certainly a start and it’s something I’d be pretty excited to see happen!  Lore isn’t my absolute strong point, so if I’ve missed something feel free to let me know!  Any additional reward/holiday ideas would also be fun to discuss!


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