The Classes
Death Knight
Starting Zone
Death Knight introduction movie
http://www.vimeo.com/1362746
The Death Knight is a plate-wearing DPS/tank class (albeit one that is unable to use a shield) that uses a brand new resource system based primarily on cooldowns. Rather than the existing Mana/Rage/Energy mechanics, the Death Knight will be able to carve Runes into his/her weapon outside of combat, and then use those runes to power abilities
The Death Knight is the first hero class in World of Warcraft. This is a second and separate character from your original character and can be created as soon as one of the existing characters in your account reaches level 55. After making a Death Knight, you will not lose the access to any of your existing characters. The Death Knight will start at level 55 in Archerus, the Ebon Hold over the Eastern Plaguelands, with multiple spells and abilities ready to use (including a level 30 equivalent skeletal Deathcharger mount). Through the Death Knight-specific quests in this necropolis, the character learns to master the power of the Death Knight and learns to use this new power for their will. Quests will take them outside the necropolis and into an area within the Eastern Plaguelands. They will start with various greens and blues for equipment. Blizzard is currently exploring various options as to how the Death Knight will play and the types of abilities at its disposal, and they will continue to reveal information about this new class as they get further along in development.
Accounts will be limited to one Death Knight per realm, which will still have to follow the existing PvE/PvP server character creation rules.
The death knight uses a unique rune-based resource system to govern his spells and abilities. Three rune types: blood, frost, and unholy, each with an attached color and symbol. Death Knight players will have to carve these runes into their weapons anytime outside combat, so they'll have to choose which sort of runes to emphasize in their spec. As they use their abilities, the runes will be exhausted. After a period of time (10 seconds, for now) the runes will refresh. In addition, whenever the Death Knight uses a rune ability against a foe, it will build up a certain amount of Runic Power. This Runic Power is used by certain abilities, which completely drain all the Runic Power that has been accumulated. The more power stored, the more effective the ability. It is likely that the rune system will cause parallels of Warrior itemization rather than Paladin.
Talent Calculator:
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/classes/deathknight/talents2.html
Druid
* Brambles (Balance): Now increases the damage done by your Treants, and also damage caused from your Treants and Barkskin has a 5/10/15% chance to Daze the target for 3 sec.
* Celestial Focus (Balance): The stun proc now works with Starfall.
* Entangling Roots: Can now be used indoors.
* Faerie Fire (Feral): Now an 11-point talent, down from being a 21-point talent.
* Feral Charge (Feral) is now a 21-point talent, up from being a 11-point talent.
* Feral Charge (Feral): Can now be used in Cat form.
* Feral Instinct (Feral) no longer increases threat generated in Bear form, but now increases damage done by your Swipe ability by 5/10/15%.
* Focused Starlight (Balance): Now also works with Starfall.
* Force of Nature (Balance): Cooldown reduced to 2 minutes, down from 3.
* Hurricane: No longer has a cooldown (was 1 minute).
* Improved Faerie Fire (Feral): Now also works with spell hit, in addition to ranged and melee hit %.
* Improved Mark of the Wild (Restoration): Now a 2-point talent, down from a 5-point talent.
* Improved Tranquility (Restoration): Now also reduces the cooldown of your Tranquility spell by 25/50%.
* Mangle (Feral): Now increases the damage done by Maul in addition to Shred.
* Moonglow (Balance): Now also works with Starfall.
* Moonkin Form (Balance) no longer increases your attack power or causes you to regenerate mana off melee attacks, but now has a chance to cause you to instantly regenerate 2% of your total mana every time you critically hit with a spell.
* Nature's Focus (Restoration): Now a 3 point talent, down from a 5-point talent. Also moved to Tier 1, up from Tier 2. Now also includes Nourish.
* Nature's Grace (Balance): Now also reduces the global cooldown of your Wrath spell by 50% while in effect.
* Nature's Grasp (Balance): Can now be used and can proc indoors.
* Nature's Reach (Balance): Now also reduces threat generated by Balance spells by 15/30%.
* New Spell: Revive - Returns the spirit to the body, restoring a dead target to life with health and mana. Cannot be cast when in combat. (Ranks 1-7 added)
* Omen of Clarity (Restoration): Now a passive spell. Now also works for spells (healing and damage). Proc rate is roughly 6% with a 10 second internal cooldown.
* Primal Tenacity (Feral) now reduces damage while stunned by 5/10/15%, and reduces the duration of fear effects by 5/10/15%.
* Remove Curse can now be used in Tree of Life form.
* Soothe Animal can now be used on Dragonkin as well as Beasts.
* Soothe Animal is now instant cast.
* Subtlety (Restoration): Now a 3-point talent, down from a 5-point talent. Also moved to Tier 2, up from Tier 3. Also now only reduced threat for Restoration spells, and reduces the chance that your healing over time spells (Lifebloom, Regrowth and Rejuvenation) will be dispelled, rather than all Druid spells. Threat management for Balance can now be found in the Balance tree, within Nature's Reach.
* Survival of the Fittest (Feral): Increased to 2/4/6%, up from 1/2/3%.
* The mana regeneration penalty when in Bear Form, Dire Bear Form and Cat Form has been removed.
* Tranquil Spirit (Restoration) now also includes Nourish.
* Tree of Life (Restoration): 30% snare penalty has been removed.
* Tree of Life (Restoration): Can now cast Dispel Curse.
* Tree of Life (Restoration): You can now cast all Restoration spells (Healing Touch) in the form, but Tree of Life now only reduces the mana cost of your healing over time spells (Rejuvenation, Lifebloom, Regrowth and Flourish) by 20%.
* Vengeance (Balance): Now also works with Starfall.
Dire Bear Form will be receiving a new model to separate it from Bear Form. Dire Cat Form will also be introduced.
Talent Calculator:
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/classes/druid/talents2.html
Hunter
* All pet families now have one unique ability. New abilities have been added for families such as bears and sporebats.
* Aspects now no longer cost mana.
* Avoidance, Dash / Dive and Cobra Reflexes are now pet talents instead of pet skills.
* Bite now has no cooldown, does the same damage and costs the same Focus as Claw, so works as a Focus dump.
* Clever Traps (Survival) has been renamed "Trap Mastery."
* Concussive Barrage (Marksmanship) - Can now proc from Volley attacks.
* Deterrence (Survival) - Cooldown reduced to 3 minutes, and now also increases your chance to resist spells by 60%. Now has a new spell effect.
* Every hunter pet can learn Growl, Cower and either Bite or Claw (never both).
* Hunter pets can now learn talents in one of three trees depending on family. Pets gain talent points starting at level 20 and earn an extra talent point every 4 levels.
* If a hunter tames a pet that is more than five levels beneath than the hunter's level, then the pet jumps to five levels beneath than the hunter's level.
* Improved Feign Death (Survival): Now also reduces damage taken during Feign Death by 15/30%.
* Loyalty, Training Points and the hunter Beast Training button no longer exist. Hunter pets can now learn all skills at their level. They will get new ranks automatically as they gain levels.
* Master Tactician (Survival) - Chance to proc increased to 10%, up from 6%.
* Monster Slaying (Survival) and Humanoid Slaying (Survival) has been combined into "Improved Tracking".
* New Talent - Improved Tracking (Survival) - Increases all damage done to targets that are being tracked 1/2/3/4/5%.
* Steady Shot now uses ammo. In result, its bonus damage has been slightly reduced. Players can notice a damage increase based upon what ammo they use.
* Surefooted (Survival) now reduces the duration of movement impairing effects by 10/20/30% (instead of resist % chance).
* Trap Mastery (Survival) has been removed.
Talent Calculator:
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/classes/hunter/talents2.html
Mage (Best Class )
* Arcane Focus (Arcane) is now 3 ranks and increases chance to hit and reduces mana cost of Arcane spells by 1/2/3%.
* Counterspell now costs 9% of base mana.
* Frost Armor, Ice Armor, Mage Armor and Molten Armor are no longer Magic effects and cannot be dispelled.
* Invisibility now makes the caster invisible after 3 seconds, reduced from 5 seconds.
* Magic Attunement (Arcane) now also increases the range of your Arcane spells by 3/6 yards.
* Polymorph now costs 12% of base mana.
* Portal spells now cost 18% of base mana.
* Prismatic Cloak (Arcane) now also reduces the fade time of Invisibility by 1/2 seconds.
* Slow Fall now costs 6% of base mana.
* Teleport spells now cost 9% of base mana.
Mages are getting a Frostfire bolt dealing Frost-Fire damage to make elementalists more viable. [1] The increase from talents for Frostfire bolt will scale higher than Frostbolt and Firebolt.
Launches a bolt of frostfire at the enemy, causing 722 to 838 Fire damage, slowing movement speed by 40% and causing an additional 90 Fire damage over 9 sec. If the target is more vulnerable to Frost damage, this spell will cause Frost instead of Fire damage.
(450 Mana, 3 sec, 40 yd Range)
Mage Armor is changing to shorten the duration of magical effects afflicting the mage by 50% to encourage it's use.
Mages will see an increase of damage to compete with Warlocks in raiding. This also prevents issues of Mages being less desirable with other other classes receiving new crowd control abilities.
Talent Calculator:
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/classes/mage/talents2.html
Paladin
* All Auras now affect all party and raid members within the area of effect.
* Anticipation (Protection) moved to tier 1, now increases chance to dodge by 1/2/3/4/5%.
* Avenger's Shield (Protection) cast time reduced to .5 seconds, duration increased to 10 seconds.
* Avenging Wrath no longer causes Forebearance, damage increase reduced to 20%, now increases healing done by 20%.
* Blessing of Freedom renamed Hand of Freedom. Only one Hand spell can be on the target per paladin at any one time. Now costs 6% of base mana.
* Blessing of Light and Greater Blessing of Light removed. Their effects have been folded into all relevant abilities.
* Blessing of Protection renamed Hand of Protection. Only one Hand spell can be on the target per paladin at any one time. All ranks now cost 6% of base mana.
* Blessing of Sacrifice renamed Hand of Sacrifice, is now only 1 rank and transfers 20% of the damage taken to the caster, duration reduced to 12 seconds, cooldown increased to 2 minutes. Only one Hand spell can be on the target per paladin at any one time. Now costs 6% of base mana.
* Blessing of Salvation renamed Hand of Salvation, now reduces total threat on the target by 2% per second for 10 seconds while also reducing all damage and healing done by 10%. Only one Hand spell can be on the target per paladin at any one time. Now costs 6% of base mana.
* Conviction (Retribution) now increases critical chance with all spells and melee attacks.
* Divine Intellect (Holy) moved to tier 2, increases total Intellect by 3/6/9/12/15%.
* Divine Intervention cooldown reduced to 20 minutes.
* Divine Protection and Divine Shield now cost 3% of base mana.
* Divine Purpose (Retribution) now reduces chance to be hit by spells and ranged attacks by 1/2/3%.
* Divine Strength (Holy) moved to tier 1 in the Protection tree.
* Greater Blessing of Salvation removed.
* Hammer of Justice now costs 3% of base mana.
* Hammer of Wrath is now considered a Retribution spell, moved from Holy, mana cost reduced, missile speed increased, now usable on targets below 35% health.
* Healing Light (Holy) moved to tier 2.
* Holy Shield (Protection) cooldown reduced to 8 seconds.
* Holy Shock (Holy) range changed to 20/40 yards when used on enemies/friends respectively, cooldown reduced to 6 seconds.
* Holy Wrath is now instant cast, causes a 3 second stun, cooldown reduced to 30 seconds, radius reduced to 10 yards.
* Illumination (Holy) moved to tier 3.
* Improved Concentration Aura (Protection) moved to the Holy tree.
* Improved Concentration Aura moved from the Protection tree to tier 4 in the Holy tree.
* Improved Devotion Aura (Protection) moved to tier 4, reduced to 3 ranks, now increases armor of Devotion Aura by 17/34/50% and increases all healing done to units affected by Devotion Aura by 1/2/3%.
* Improved Hammer of Justice (Protection) now reduces cooldwon by 10/20/30 secs.
* Improved Righteous Fury (Protection) threat bonus folded into base spell, talent still reduces all damage taken by 2/4/6%.
* Improved Sanctity Aura (Retribution) renamed Sanctified Retribution, now causes all units affected by Retribution Aura to cause 2% more damage.
* Improved Seal of Righteousness (Holy) moved to tier 1, renamed XXX, now affects Seal of Righteousness, Seal of Vengeance and Seal of Corruption.
* Improved Seal of the Crusader (Retribution) renamed Heart of the Crusader and the effects now apply to all Judgement spells.
* Judgement of Justice will no longer prevent Fear effects, only prevent NPCs from fleeing (e.g. at low health).
* Lay on Hands no longer drains all mana, cooldown reduced to 20 minutes.
* Pure of Heart (Holy) reduced to 2 ranks, now reduces duration of Curse and Disease effects by 25/50%.
* Redoubt (Protection) moved to tier 2.
* Repentance (Retribution) mana cost changed to 9% of base, duration increased to 1 minute (10 second PvP duration), now usable against Demons, Dragonkin, Giants, Humanoids and Undead.
* Retribution Aura damage increased and now gains damage based on Holy spell power.
* Righteous Fury now increases threat caused by Holy damage by 90%.
* Sanctified Light (Holy) now also increases the critical chance of Holy Shock.
* Sanctity Aura (Retribution) removed.
* Seal of Justice/Judgement reduced to 1 rank with all the effects of the previous rank 2, the Judgement effect no longer prevents Fear.
* Seal of the Crusader has been removed. The effects of Judgement of the Crusader have been folded into all relevant abilities.
* Seal of Vengeance damage over time effect duration increased to 18 seconds.
* Spiritual Focus (Holy) moved to tier 1.
* Stoicism (Protection) moved to tier 2, now reduces duration of Stun effects by 10/20/30% and reduces chance your spells will be resisted by 10/20/30%.
* Toughness (Protection) moved to tier 3.
* Turn Undead (ranks 1 and 2) removed. Turn Evil now granted at level 24, mana cost changed to 9% of base.
* Unyielding Faith (Holy) moved to tier 2.
Talent Calculator:
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/classes/paladin/talents2.html
Priest
* Circle of Healing (Holy): Now works on any targets in the caster's raid, and is now a "smart" heal and chooses the lowest health targets to heal first within it's range. Also now has a 6 second cooldown. Also no longer will heal summoned Snakes from Hunter's Snake Trap.
* Enlightenment (Discipline): Now also gives 1% spell damage and 1% heal per point.
* Focused Will (Discipline): Now increases healing effects on you by 3/4/5%, down from 4/7/10%.
* Force of Will (Discipline): This talent now increases your spell damage by a flat amount, rather than increasing your spells by a %. (Now increases school %, rather than selected spells damage %). In other words, your spell damage gained from this talent is now reflected on your character sheet, rather than the skill tool-tips.
* Holy Fire: Cast time reduced to to 2 seconds, down from 3.5. Damage increased roughly 60%. Duration for the damage over time effect reduced to 7 seconds, down from 10. Holy Fire now has a 10 second cooldown.
* Improved Inner Fire (Discipline) - Now also increases the bonus healing on your Inner Fire spell by 10/20/30%.
* Improved Shadow Word: Pain (Shadow) - Now increases damage done by your Shadow Word: Pain by 5/10%, but no longer increases the duration of your Shadow Word: Pain.
* Levitate now costs 3% of base mana.
* Lightwell (Holy): Cast time reduced to .5 sec, down from 1.5 sec. Charges increased to 10, up from 5. Now breaks from any attack that hits you for 30% or more of your total health. Cooldown reduced to 3 minutes, down from 5.
* Mind Control now has only one rank and costs 12% of base mana.
* Mind Soothe now has only one rank, costs 6% of base mana and has no max target level.
* Mind Vision now costs 3% of base mana.
* New Talent: Improved Spirit Tap (Shadow) - Gives you a 50/100% chance to gain a 50% bonus to your Spirit after gaining a critical effect chance from your Mind Blast or Shadow Word: Death spells. For the duration, your mana will regenreate at a 25% rate while casting. Lasts 8 sec.
* New Talent: Twin Faiths (Discipline) - Increases your damage and healing by 1/2/3/4/5%.
* Pain Suppression (Discipline): Cooldown increased to 3 minutes, up from 2.
* Power Infusion (Discipline): Cooldown reduced to 2 minutes, down from 3.
* Psychic Scream now costs 15% of base mana.
* Searing Light (Holy): Now also increases the damage of your Holy Nova and Penance spells.
* Shackle Undead now costs 9% of base mana.
* Shadow Focus (Shadow): Now a 3 point talent, down from 5. Now also reduces the mana cost of your Shadow spells by 2/4/6%.
* Shadow Resilience (Shadow): Now reduces physical damage taken by 2/4%, but no longer reduces the chance to be critically hit by spells.
* Shadowform (Shadow): Now has an innate 30% threat reduction. Now has a shapeshift UI.
* Silent Resolve (Discipline): Now a 3 point talent, down from 5 points.
* Spirit Tap (Shadow) - Talent reduced to 3 points, down from 5. Now also leads into "Improved Spirit Tap"
* Wand Specialization (Discipline) has been removed.
Talent Calculator:
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/classes/priest/talents2.html
Rogue
* Blade Twisting (Combat) now cause all damaging melee attacks to have a 10% chance to daze for 4/8 seconds.
* Deadened Nerves (Assassination) now reduces all damage taken by 1/2/3/4/5%.
* Fleet Footed (Assassination) now reduces duration of movement impairing effects by 25/50% rather than increasing resist chance.
* Gouge is now only 1 rank and causes damage based on attack power.
* Kick is now only 1 rank and no longer causes damage.
* Nerves of Steel (Combat) now reduces the duration of all Stun and Fear effects by 15/30%.
* Pick Lock and Disarm Trap no longer require Thieve's Tools.
* Premeditation (Subtlety) duration increased to 20 seconds.
* Riposte (Combat) now slows the target's melee attacks by 20% instead of disarming them.
* Setup (Subtlety) chance to gain a combo point increased to 33/66/100%.
* Vanish no longer requires the reagent Flash Powder.
* Vile Poisons (Assassination) reduced to 3 ranks, now increases damage of poisons and Eviscerate by 7/14/20% and increases dispel resistance by 10/20/30%.
Talent Calculator:
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/classes/rogue/talents2.html
Shaman
* All totems are now considered on the "Physical" school, and no longer magical spells.
* Ancestral Knowledge (Enhancement): Now increases your Intellect by 2/4/6%, instead of increasing your total Mana by 2/4/6/8/10%.
* Call of Flame (Elemental): Now also increases the damage of your Lava Burst spell by 2/4/6%.
* Call of Thunder (Elemental) now also increases the critical strike chance of your Thunder spell.
* Concussion (Elemental) now increases the damage of your Thunder and Lava Burst spells.
* Convection (Elemental) is now a 3-point talent, down from a 5-point talent. Now lowers the mana cost of Thunder and Lava Burst.
* Earth's Grasp (Elemental) is now a tier-1 talent, up from tier-2.
* Elemental Detestation (Elemental) is now a tier-2 talent, up from tier-4.
* Elemental Focus (Restoration): Now also can proc off Lesser Healing Wave and Healing Wave, and can be used on all healing spells.
* Elemental Fury (Elemental) now requires Elemental Focus as a pre-requisite
* Elemental Precision (Elemental): Chance to hit reduced to 1/2/3% from 2/4/6%, but threat reduction increased to 10/20/30% up from 4/7/10%.
* Enhancing (Enhancement) Totems is now a Tier 1 talent, up from Tier-2.
* Flametongue Totem is now a flat spell damage totem. All ranks have been modified.
* Frostbrand's snare effect has been increased to 50%, up from 25%.
* Ghost Wolf's mana cost is now 13% base.
* Grace of Air Totem has been removed. (Agility has been rolled over into Strength of Earth Totem)
* Improved Fire Totems (Elemental) is now (again) Improved Fire Nova Totem. It now has a 50/100% chance to stun all targets for 2 sec.
* Improved Lightning Shield (Enhancement) is now Elemental Shields, and is in Tier-1.
* New ranks have been added of Water Shield, starting at level 20. (Level 20, 27, 34, 41, 48, 55, 62, 69)
* New Spell: Earthliving Weapon - Imbue the Shaman's weapon with earthen life. Increases healing done by x and each heal has a 20% chance to proc Earthliving on the target, healing an additionaly over 12 sec. Lasts 30 minutes.
* New Talent: Cleanse Spirit (Restoration) - Cleanse the spirit of a friendly target, removing 1 poison effect, 1 disease effect, and 1 curse effect.
* New Talent: Elemental Shields (Enhancement): Increases the damage done by your Lightning Shield orbs by 5/10/15%, increases the amount of mana gained from your Mana Shield orbs by 5/10/15% and increases the amount of healing done by your Earth Shield orbs by 5/10/15%.
* New Talent: Mental Dexterity (Enhancement) - Increases your Attack Power by 33/66/100% of your Intellect.
* Rockbiter ranks 5 through 9 have been removed. Windfury Weapon is intended to replace Rockbiter at level 30.
* Shapeshifting will no longer cancel Water Walking.
* Shield Specialization (Enhancement) - Now a 2-point talent, and increases the chance to block with attacks by 10/20%, and increases the amount blocked by 5/10%.
* Stoneskin Totem now increases armor instead of reducing physical damage.
* Storm Reach (Elemental): Now also increases the radius of your Thunder spell by 10/20%.
* Strength of Earth Totem now also increases agility.
* Tranquil Air Totem has been removed. (Threat is being addressed by modifications to the base threat of players and/or "baked" into tanking abilities.)
* Unleashed Rage is now raid wide.
* Windfury Totem is now a flat 20% melee haste totem. All ranks have been modified.
* Windwall Totem has been removed.
* Wrath of Air is now a flat 10% spell haste totem.
Talent Calculator:
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/classes/shaman/talents2.html
Continued below.