Forage/Tracking, some questions
 

Okay I have a bard already but I want a good tracker/forager. Do bards get forage as a class skill or only as a wood elf? Was wondering if anyone can provide some info on the skill differences between a bard/ranger/druid. Once sufficiently leveled, how much of a practical difference is there between using forage or track with these classes?

Rangers are the best at both.

I hear there's a real lack of endgame raid foragers in the top tier guilds right now.

yeah, I figured rangers to be the best at both but is there a huge difference between the skill of a ranger and that of a druid/bard? I mean, would you notice it?

Rangers get all the nifty track sorting/filter tools.

Small zones probably not, but I like how rangers could track Inny if you were raiding in fear.

And how about forage? Need it for baking more than anything

Forage is awesome, you will never have to buy food. Never. You will give it away by the stack and every now and then you get stuff that sells for cash. Not a lot mind you but it is better than a stick in the eye.

I play a Bard. Tracking caps at 100. It's useful as hell but I wish it was better. You will enjoy either class I'm sure, but to answer your question there is definitely a significant difference between the tracking skills of a Ranger and those of a Bard.

Would just like to add that as the expansions come along, foraging certain ingredients can earn some good cash. On Live, I used to forage Morning Dew and anyone who's played a ranger from scratch knows how hard it is to make money. For a low level ranger to be able to earn 75-100pp off a morning dew sale helps you earn some start up money and even when selling in mass, great profits later on. I already have a few for when morning dew becomes more regularly usable!