wow Soulbinds and Conduits in Shadowlands

[Stan 5,240]

Soulbinds offer access to additional powers in Shadowlands through talent trees, and in this preview, we're looking at the early version of the system, all available trees, and more.

Soulbinds

After choosing your Covenant in Shadowlands, you will be gain access to additional powers through a system of research trees called Soulbinds. These are very similar to MOTHER's Titanic Research Archive in Patch 8.3.

The various passives you unlock through the system improve your Covenant Abilities in different ways.

Each Covenant comes with 3 NPCs that you can bind your soul to and each NPC provides a different set of abilities.

You will be able to gradually unlock the powers with two currencies. Freed Souls are the primary currency found in Torghast and Reservoir Anima is an NYI (not-yet-implemented) secondary currency.

• Freed Souls (Primary) - With enough Freed Souls, you may be able to advance aspects of your Covenant Sanctum. You can get Freed Souls from Torghast and spend them at your Covenant Sanctum.
• Reservoir Anima (Secondary)

Conduits

In addition to various passives that Soulbinds provide, you will also gain access to Utility, Throughput, and Survival Conduits.

Each empty Conduit slot grants you effects based on its type:

• Throughput Conduit Entry - Damage and healing increased by 4%.
• Survival Conduit Entry - [PH] Damage taken reduced by 3%.
• Utility Conduit Entry - [PH] Movement speed increased by 6%.

Here are some example Druid Conduits that we datamined:

Utility Conduits

• Continuing Stampede - When Stampeding Roar ends, it continues to increase movement speed by 10% for 8 sec.
• Controlled Affinity - The cooldowns of Typhoon, Maim, Incapacitating Roar, and Ursol's Vortex are reduced by 10%.
• High Winds - Cyclone leaves the target reeling, reducing their movement speed by 50% for 6 sec.

Throughput Conduits

• Trinary Efflux - Every third Starsurge deals 30% increased damage.
• Star Shower - Starfall extends the duration of your active Moonfires on enemies within the area by 4 sec.
• Chase the Sun - Entering Solar Eclipse increases the damage and Astral Power generation of your next Wrath by 50%.
• Dark Star - During Lunar Eclipse, Starfire has a 20% chance to Moonfire your primary target.

Utility Conduits

• Steel Leaves - Barkskin applies Ironfur, and its cooldown is reduced by 5 sec.
• Ethereal Shape - Soulshape reduces damage you take by 15%.
• Personal Growth - Your Regrowth's healing over time is increased by 200% on yourself.
• Master of Shapes - Gain 8% Dodge in Cat Form, 4% Armor in Bear or Moonkin Form, or 4% increased healing received in any other form.

Note that the system has not been tested on Alpha yet, and many abilities have not been implemented (NYI). Below is a very ROUGH preview of Soulbind trees and we also included all abilities that were available.

SOULBIND TREES

An example of Venthyr Soulbinds shown off at BlizzCon.

Soulbind Talent Tree Appearance (WIP from BlizzCon)

Kyrian Covenant

Soulbinds of the Kyrian Covenant are Forgelite Prime Mikanikos, Kleia, and Pelagos.

Forgelite Prime Mikanikos (365)

Tier 0

• Elite Mixture - NYI
• Forgelite Filter - Instead of healing, Phial of Serenity shields you for 20% of your maximum health, lasting 30 sec. While this shield is active, duration of incoming curses, poisons, diseases, and bleeds is reduced by 50%.

Tier 1

• Throughput Conduit
• Utility Conduit

Tier 2

• Survival Conduit

Tier 3

• Gracepetal Incense Burner - After killing an enemy, increases the Haste of 5 nearby allies by 1%% for 10 sec. This effect stacks up to 5 times.
• Sparkling Driftglobe Core - When reduced below 35% health, you stun nearby enemies for 3 sec. This effect may only occur once every 5 min.
• Soulsteel Clamps - After 5 sec of standing still, incoming stun and incapacitate durations are reduced by 30%. Lasts for 5 sec once you start moving.

Tier 4

• Survival Conduit
• Throughput Conduit
• Utility Conduit

Tier 5

• Utility Conduit

Tier 6

• Regenerating Materials - Casting or receiving healing has a chance to improve the remaining durability on your armor.
• Steward's Resilience - NYI

Tier 7

• Bron's Schematics - After using 20 spells and abilities, gain Centurion Anima Armor for 10 sec, reducing physical damage you take by 10% and blasting the target of your spells and abilities with 1,010 damage or 1,010 healing.

Kleia (360)

Tier 0

• Ascendant Phial - Phial of Serenity renders you immune to Curse, Disease, Poison, and Bleed effects for 15 sec.
• Phial of Patience - Phial of Serenity heals you for 35% additional health, but all of its healing is done over 20 sec.

Tier 1

• Survival Conduit

Tier 2

• Survival Conduit
• Throughput Conduit
• Utility Conduit

Tier 3

• Kyrian Grace - Your spells and abilities have a chance to decrease enemy target's movement speed by 20% or increase an allied target's movement speed by 20% for 10 sec.
• Kyrian Perseverance - When receiving healing or healing an ally, 5% of the healing is repeated on the target over 15 sec.
• Kyrian Insight - Critical strike is increased by 1% for every nearby enemy or ally, up to 5%.

Tier 4

• Throughput Conduit

Tier 5

• Cleansing Rites - After 5 sec out of combat, gain a shield for 10% of your health lasting for 30 sec.
• Inspiring Accomplishment - After defeating an enemy, you gain 10% movement speed for 20 sec. This effect is increased if defeating a powerful enemy.

Tier 6

• Survival Conduit
• Utility Conduit

Tier 7

• Valiant Strikes - You and your nearby allies' critical strikes grant you stacks of Valiant Strikes, up to 40. At 40 stacks, you heal nearby allies for 5% of their maximum health over 10 sec.

Pelagos (357)

Tier 0

• Let Go of the Past - Using a spell or ability increases your Versatility by 1% for 10 sec. Using another spell or ability increases this amount by 1% when it is not a repeat of the previous spell or ability, stacking to 5.

Tier 1

• Throughput Conduit
• Utility Conduit

Tier 2

• Aspirant's Zeal - Phial of Serenity heals you for an additional 10% health.
• Focusing Mantra - Defeating an enemy lowers the cooldown on your Phial of Serenity by 1 sec.

Tier 3

• Survival Conduit

Tier 4

• Throughput Conduit
• Survival Conduit
• Utility Conduit

Tier 5

• Bond of Friendship - Defeating an enemy reduces the cooldown on your steward's non-Phial services by 1 sec.
• Ever Forward - While above 90% health, your mounted movement speed is increased by 10%.
• Shared Progress - NYI

Tier 6

• Throughput Conduit

Tier 7

• Combat Meditation - Using your Kyrian class spell or ability increases your Haste by 5% for 20 sec and occasionally expels Sorrowful Memories. Walking through Sorrowful Memories extends this effect by 3 sec.

Venthyr Covenant

Soulbinds of the Venthyr Covenant are General Draven, Nadija the Mistblade, and Theotar, the Mad Duke.

General Draven (304)

Tier 0

• Anima Infusion - Earning Anima improves your armor's remaining durability.
• Expedition Leader - Leaving a resting area increases your mounted speed by 10%, and your out of combat regeneration by 100%. Lasts 10 min, and completing a World Quest refreshes the duration.

Tier 1

• Endurance Conduit

Tier 2

• Built for War - While you are above 80% health you gain 1% Primary Stat every 3 sec, stacking up to 5 times. If you fall below 50% health, this effect is lost.
• Superior Tactics - Successfully interrupting an enemy or dispelling an ally increases your critical strike chance by 10% for 10 sec. This may only occur once every 30 sec.
• Hold Your Ground - Standing still for at least 4 sec grants you 10% increased Stamina, and 4% increased healing done. This effect persists for 4 sec after you start moving.

Tier 3

• Finesse Conduit
• Endurance Conduit
• Potency Conduit

Tier 4

• Potency Conduit

Tier 5

• Enduring Gloom - Door of Shadows grants you a shield that absorbs [ 15% of Total Health ] damage, based on your maximum health. Lasts 8 sec.
• Move As One - When a nearby ally gains temporary increased movement speed, you also gain the benefit, up to 30%.

Tier 6

• Finesse Conduit
• Endurance Conduit

Tier 7

• Call to Action - Activating your Covenant Class Ability grants 10% Versatility to you, and 4% Versatility to up to 4 nearby allies. Lasts 15 sec.

Nadija the Mistblade (368)

Tier 0

• Agent of Chaos - Door of Shadows disorients all nearby enemies at the target location for 8 sec when you appear.
• Fancy Footwork - Door of Shadows increases your movement speed by 80%, decaying over 6 sec.

Tier 1

• Potency Conduit
• Endurance Conduit

Tier 2

• Finesse Conduit

Tier 3

• Friends in Low Places - (NYI) You loot 20% more Infused Rubies, and dredgers throughout Revendreth offer you an expanded selection of goods.

Tier 4

• Finesse Conduit
• Potency Conduit
• Endurance Conduit

Tier 5

• Exacting Preparation - The benefits of Well Fed, Flask, and weapon enchant effects are increased by 15%.
• Familiar Predicaments - The duration of incoming interrupt, snare, and root effects are reduced by 25%.
• Dauntless Duelist - The first enemy you damage in combat is marked as your Adversary. You deal 4% more damage to them, and they deal 2% less damage to you. You may only have one Adversary at a time.

Tier 6

• Potency Conduit

Tier 7

• Thrill Seeker - While in combat, you gain a stack of Thrill Seeker every 2 sec, or 4 stacks on killing an enemy. At 40 stacks Thrill Seeker is consumed to grant you Euphoria, speeding up everything you do by 20% for 10 sec. Thrill Seeker decays rapidly while you are not in combat.

Theotar the Mad Duke

This NPC has no tree assigned yet.

Night Fae Covenant

Soulbinds of the Night Fae Covenant are Dreamweaver, Korayn, and Emeni.

Dreamweaver (275)

Tier 0

• Field of Blossoms - When Soulshape ends, you increase the attack speed and spell haste of nearby allies by 10% for 15 sec.

Tier 1

• Survival Conduit

Tier 2

• Social Butterfly - When at least 2 allies are within 8 yds, your versatility increases by 5% for 5 sec. When this expires, 2 nearby allies gain this bonus for 5 sec before passing it back to you.
• Soothing Voice - When your roots, stuns, and incapacitating class effects end, your target's movement speed is reduced by 90%, decaying rapidly over 2 sec.
• Empowered Chrysalis - 10% of your overhealing received or done remains as a shield on the target up to 15% of the caster's health, lasting for 5 sec.

Tier 3

• Survival Conduit
• Throughput Conduit
• Utility Conduit

Tier 4

• Throughput Conduit

Tier 5

• Faerie Dust - When falling farther than 20 yd, faerie dust slows your fall.
• Somnambulist - While rested, the player gains increased gold rewards. At level 60, resting grants the player Somnambulist, which increases gold rewards.

Tier 6

• Utility Conduit
• Survival Conduit

Tier 7

• Podtender - When you would take damage that would kill you, instead rejuvenate within a pod, regaining 30% of HP over 10 sec. If the pod takes more than 10,000 damage during this time, you die. This effect may only occur once every 30 min.

Korayn (334)

Tier 0

• Horn of the Wild Hunt - Soulshape increases the movement speed of allies within 40 yds by 10%.
• Wild Hunt's Charge - Charges to your enemy, stunning them for 2 sec and ending Soulshape.

Tier 1

• Throughput Conduit
• Utility Conduit

Tier 2

• Survival Conduit

Tier 3

• Face Your Foes - When in front of your target, your spells and abilities decrease the damage they inflict on you by 2% for 3 sec.
• First Strike - Damaging an enemy before they damage you increases your critical strike chance by 10% for 10 sec.
• Hold the Line - When an enemy slows, roots, or snares you, you gain 10% increased Primary Stat for 20 sec. This effect may only occur once every 3 min.

Tier 4

• Throughput Conduit
• Survival Conduit
• Utility Conduit

Tier 5

• Utility Conduit

Tier 6

• Vorkai Sharpening Techniques - Your weapon takes no durability damage.
• Get In Formation - Your mounted movement speed is increased by 3%. Allies behind you within 40 yds gain this benefit.

Tier 7

• Final Moments - Your healing and damage to targets below 35% health is increased by 3%. When an ally dies, this benefit is increased by 500% for 30 sec. This enhancement may only occur once every 5 min.

Niya (276)

Tier 0

• Stay on the Move - Defeating an enemy reduces Soulshape's cooldown by 1.0 sec.
• Sylvari Mantle - When Soulshape ends, you are concealed until you move.

Tier 1

• Utility Conduit

Tier 2

• Niya's Tools: Burrs - Your damaging attacks and spells have a chance to toss Niya's Kyrian Grace under your target. The burrs latch onto the first enemy to cross them, reducing movement speed by 20% and inflicting [ 200% of Spell Power + 200% of Attack Power ] Nature damage over 20 sec.
• Niya's Tools: Poison - Your interrupts apply Niya's Paralytic Poison to your target, dealing [ 174% of Spell Power + 174% of Attack Power ] Nature damage over 30 sec. Targets with Niya's Paralytic Poison take an additional [ 100% of Attack Power ] Nature damage if interrupted once more.
• Niya's Tools: Herbs - Your helpful spells have a chance to apply Niya's Invigorating Herbs, increasing the target's haste by 0 for 20 sec.

Tier 3

• Survival Conduit
• Throughput Conduit
• Utility Conduit

Tier 4

• Throughput Conduit

Tier 5

• Care Package - Niya periodically sends you crafting materials to aid you, increasing for every dungeon, raid, battleground, and arena completed while soulbound.
• Swift Patrol - Movement speed increased by 20% for 2 min after defeating an enemy. Combat cancels this effect.

Tier 6

• Survival Conduit
• Throughput Conduit

Tier 7

• Grove Invigoration - When you use your Night Fae class ability or spell, gain 10% Mastery, slowly fading over 5 min.

Necrolord Covenant

Soulbinds of the Night Fae Covenant are Bonesmith Heirmir, Emeni, and Plague Deviser Marileth.

Bonesmith Heirmir (349)

Tier 0

• Serrated Spaulders - Inflict 485 Shadow damage to your attacker over 5 sec when hit at melee range.
• Resourceful Fleshcrafting - Defeating an enemy reduces Fleshcraft's cooldown by 1 sec.

Tier 1

• Survival Conduit
• Utility Conduit

Tier 2

• Throughput Conduit

Tier 3

• Heirmir's Arsenal: Ravenous Pendant - Defeating an enemy restores 1% of your maximum health after 3 sec. Stacks to 5.
• Heirmir's Arsenal: Marrowed Gemstone - After landing 10 critical strikes, you gain 20% increased Critical Strike for 10 sec. May only occur once per 1 min.
• Heirmir's Arsenal: Gorestompers - Damaging or healing a target below 35% grants you 25% increased movement speed for 5 sec. May only occur once per 1 min.

Tier 4

• Utility Conduit
• Throughput Conduit
• Survival Conduit

Tier 5

• Survival Conduit

Tier 6

• Bone Spurs - Mounted movement speed is increased by 5%. If attacked while mounted, mounted movement speed is increased by an additional 10% for 30 sec.
• Smithing Expertise - You gain mining materials from completing dungeons, raids, battlegrounds, and arenas while soulbound.

Tier 7

• Forgeborne Reveries - Upon death, your armor animates for 10 sec, allowing you to attack and use some spells and abilities as if alive.

Emeni (330)

Tier 0

• Emeni's Magnificent Skin - When you use your Necrolord class ability or spell, gain a stack of Emeni's Magnificent Skin, stacking up to 4 times. Using Fleshcraft consumes your Emeni's Magnificent Skin to increase your maximum health by 5% per stack for 2 min.

Tier 1

• Cartilaginous Legs - After taking falling damage, the health lost becomes a shield lasting 15 sec.
• Hearth Kidneystone - You may attune your Hearth Kidneystone to any resting location and return to it. 24 hour cooldown, reduced by 5 min every killing blow.

Tier 2

• Throughput Conduit
• Survival Conduit

Tier 3

• Utility Conduit

Tier 4

• Gristled Toes - Movement speed increased by 2% for every nearby enemy, up to 10%.
• Gnashing Chompers - Gain 1% Haste for 20 sec after defeating an enemy, up to 5%.
• Sulfuric Emission - When reduced below 20% health, you fear nearby enemies for 3 sec.

Tier 5

• Throughput Conduit
• Survival Conduit
• Utility Conduit

Tier 6

• Throughput Conduit

Tier 7

• Runescribed Bone - Each enemy you defeat grants you one stack of Runescribed Bone, reducing magic damage taken by 1% for 30 sec. At 5 stacks, your soulbind traits are empowered for 30 sec.
  • Emeni's Magnificent Skin: Releasing stacks deals [ 34.5% of Spell Power + 34.5% of Attack Power ] Shadow damage to nearby enemies, increased by 1% per stack.
  • Cartilaginous Legs: Shield amount doubled.
  • Hearth Kidneystone: Cooldown reduction doubled.
  • Gristled Toes: Movement speed now increased by 3%, up to 25%.
  • Gnashing Chompers: Haste increase doubled.
    Sulfuric Emission: Fear duration increased by 2 sec.

Plague Deviser Marileth (325)

Tier 0

• Volatile Solvent - Using Fleshcraft with nearby corpses derives a benefit from a corpse, differing based on the creature's type.
  • • Volatile Solvent: Humanoid - Mastery increased by 2%.
    • Volatile Solvent: Aberration -  Armor increased by 5%.
    • Volatile Solvent: Beast - Primary stat increased by 2%.
    • Volatile Solvent: Critter - Size decreased by 50%.
    • Volatile Solvent: Demon - Stamina increased by 5%.
    • Volatile Solvent: Dragonkin - Critical Strike increased by 2%.
    • Volatile Solvent: Elemental - Magic damage done increased by 2%.
    • Volatile Solvent: Gas Cloud - Visibility reduced by 25%.
    • Volatile Solvent: Giant - Size increased by 10%. Physical damage done increased by 5%.
    • Volatile Solvent: Mechanical - Magic damage taken reduced by 5%.
    • Volatile Solvent: Totem - Haste increased by 5%.
    • Volatile Solvent: Undead - Killing an enemy heals you for 5% of maximum health.

Tier 1

• Survival Conduit
• Throughput Conduit
• Utility Conduit

Tier 2

• Travel with Bloop - While standing still, you slowly build stacks of Bloop's Wanderlust. At 10 stacks, your movement speed is increased by 10% for 2 min.
• Ooz's Frictionless Coating - When reduced below 50% health, Ooz courses over you, granting you a shield for 10% of your maximum health for 20 sec.
• Plaguey's Preemptive Strike - Your first attack or spell cast on an enemy increases your damage done to them by 10% for 5 sec. Doesn't occur if Plaguey is busy Preemptively Striking another target.

Tier 3

• Utility Conduit

Tier 4

• Kevin's Keyring - Allows opening of locks that require up to 600 skill. Each second spent channeling Fleshcraft reduces Kevin's Keyring's cooldown by one hour.
• Plagueborn Cleansing Slime - Defeating enemies has a chance to deploy your Plagueborn Cleansing Slime, which improves the remaining durability on your armor.

Tier 5

• Survival Conduit
• Utility Conduit

Tier 6

• Throughput Conduit

Tier 7

• Ultimate Form - Fleshcraft renders you immune to crowd control.

A very early preview of the Soulbind system that grants you various powers in Shadowlands.

[durdyenglish 298]

This type of customization is amazing for people that love RPGs and a nightmare for people who want to min/max every decision.

[Ragingwolf 310]

1 hour ago, durdyenglish said:

This type of customization is amazing for people that love RPGs and a nightmare for people who want to min/max every decision.

Have to wait and see to be honest.........All I see now are 3 companions with 3 soulbind trees that I can turn my covenant ability more into single target base, another for multi target, and the last into survival/PvP.  I am curious on how and if we are going to upgrade the conduits themselves.

[Bobbis 208]

10 hours ago, Ragingwolf said:

Have to wait and see to be honest.........All I see now are 3 companions with 3 soulbind trees that I can turn my covenant ability more into single target base, another for multi target, and the last into survival/PvP.  I am curious on how and if we are going to upgrade the conduits themselves.

To add to this, are we able to change or swap them at all? Thinking for my main as a tank, early on I'll want more survival, but as we gear up and rotations smooth out, it's all about dps, generally AoE but some tyranical weeks change that...

Early days, will be interesting to see how it evolves.

I say early, it's 6/7 months until launch, so not that early, nor that long left really?

Edited May 29, 2020 by Bobbis
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[Seksi 208]

What is optimal also very much depends on the content type you prefer ? us guide writers are going to have a ton of work / fun with these systems!