Allods Online Forum

You can have multiple professions at later levels but at the moment only one gathering and crafting prof. I wouldn't bothrer with one while leveling the first character but I never bothered with professions in any game so someone else might be able to answer this question better. I think you will not get anything back from the AH at the moment so it isn't worth to level a prof for the sole prupose of getting gold. Also it's a huge gold sink while leveling and beyond that...

You can have 2 professions on P2P and 3 on F2P.
If you plan on leveling up 2 professions I would suggest to level 1 up while you are leveling. While you are leveling your profession you can craft the items needed to raise your rep up for that 2nd profession.

What I did and what I would suggest is to level your prospective gear that will help you while you level. There is a kinda a big difference in the epic crafted gear and the rep gear. But then to me grinding for your rep gear is very boring and can take time in which I would rather spend leveling. When you reach lvl 50 if you have leveled your profession while leveling, you can get your second profession. On the P2P server that is the soonest you can get it.

Each profession is expensive to level and it is also hard to make any gold while leveling them. As far as making gold...Crafting will basically help you while you level and until you get your blue astral gear. It will also help with your incarn if and only if you purchase recipes so they will be bound on equip instead of pick up. Long term, I would suggest alchemy as when you reach lvl 60 in alchemy you can craft amalgam concentrate. I am not sure how much it goes for on the P2P but you can look on the ah to see what they are going for.

Quoted from "Sanctuary"

Assuming reincarnates don't share your profession, perhaps picking up gathering profession to transfer materials to your progenitor and starting the profession race the second time around is smart. (I don't know anything)

Gathering professions have been merged into corresponding crafting professions, all alchemists can gather herbs, all weaponsmiths and blacksmiths can mine ore.

Quoted from "Sanctuary"

-Is it wise to bother with professions on your struggling first character?

Not until you reach max level, maybe if you're really struggle to level, but that shouldn't be the case on p2p. Only time you really need a bit (like few hours) of grind is level 39-40. Generally, the cost far outweighs the benefit.

Quoted from "Sanctuary"

-Will the gold drain and lack of return from the AH cripple me?

definitely yes

Quoted from "Sanctuary"

-Are there any un-chosen professions desperately needed for Smugglers Paradise, or should I do my alchemy thing?

Alchemy is just a "better" profession than all the others. Usefulness of other professions ends much faster as you progress trough the endgame.

Also, important thing to know: accumulating the required reputation to get second profession is much harder and more expensive with alchemy than with all the others (I learned "the hard way"), so I suggest you pick up the other profession first and alchemy as second.