Monk 6.0 Alpha Patch Notes

[Orthios 271]

 

 

Hit and Expertise Removal

Hit and Expertise were not fun stats. They acted to remove a penalty, instead of making you stronger. Most players treated Hit/Expertise caps as mandatory (rightfully so), with failure to reach those caps as a trap of sorts. After adjusting, gemming, and reforging gear to meet that cap, players could then go after the actual damage-increasing stats. We decided to remove Hit and Expertise, and make it so you don't need them. We still want melee specializations to attack creatures from behind when possible, so non-tanking specializations will have a 3% chance to be parried that cannot be eliminated.

• General
  • All players now have a 100% chance to hit, 0% chance to be dodged, 3% chance to be parried, and 0% chance to glance, when fighting creatures up to 3 levels higher (bosses included).
    • Tank specializations receive an additional 3% reduction in chance to be parried, so tank attacks have a 0% chance to be parried vs. creatures up to 3 levels higher.
    • Creatures 4+ levels higher than you still have a chance to avoid your attacks in various ways, so as to discourage you from attempting to fight enemies that are much stronger than you.
    • Dual Wielding still imposes a 17% chance to miss, so as to balance it with two-handed weapon use.
  • Hit and Expertise bonuses on all items and item enhancements (gems, enchants, etc.) have been converted into Critical Strike, Haste, or Mastery.
• Monk
  • Stance of the Wise Serpent no longer increases Hit or Expertise.
  • Stance of the Sturdy Ox now also reduces the chance for attacks to be parried by 3%.

Ability Pruning

• Monk
  • Avert Harm has been removed.
  • Clash has been removed.
  • Adaptation has been removed.
  • Power Guard has been removed.
  • Disable is now available only to Windwalker Monks.
  • Healing Sphere (the spell, not any other sources of healing spheres) has been removed. Mistweavers' Gift of the Serpent, Brewmasters' Gift of the Ox, and Windwalkers' Afterlife still summon healing spheres.
  • Surging Mist is now available to all Monk specializations. It costs 30 Energy in Ox or Tiger Stance, and continues to cost mana in Serpent Stance and Crane Stance. However, it only generates Chi for Mistweaver Monks.
  • Stance of the Spirited Crane now replaces Stance of the Fierce Tiger for Mistweaver Monks (see Monks below for details).
  • Stance of the Sturdy Ox now replaces Stance of the Fierce Tiger for Brewmaster Monks.

Crowd Control and Diminishing Returns

• Monk
  • Fists of Fury no longer stuns a target more than once per cast.
  • Glyph of Breath of Fire's Disoriented effect now shares Diminishing Returns with all other Mesmerize effects.
  • Grapple Weapon has been removed.
  • Ring of Peace no longer Silences or Disarms enemies. It now incapacitates targets in the area for 3 seconds, or until the target takes damage. The ability now shares Diminishing Returns with all other Mesmerize effects.
  • Spear Hand Strike no longer Silences the target if they're facing the Monk.
  • Spinning Fire Blossom's Root effect now shares Diminishing Returns with all other Root effects.

Tank Vengeance and Resolve

The changes to tanking made in Mists of Pandaria turned out quite well, overall. But there were a few rough parts that we're going to smooth over. The biggest one is the offensive capabilities of Vengeance. We like that tanks can provide meaningful DPS to their group, however, it swung wildly based on the fight, even surpassing the dedicated damage dealers occasionally. To solve this, we're going to remove the offensive value of Vengeance, but preserve the defensive value, by making it increase the effect of your active mitigation buttons, instead of Attack Power.

• General
  • Vengeance has been removed and replaced with a new passive ability, Resolve.
    • Resolve: Increases your healing and absorption done to yourself, based on Stamina and damage taken (before avoidance and mitigation) in the last 10 seconds.

Then, to keep tank DPS meaningful, we'll be raising their damage, since it would be meager with no Vengeance Attack Power (Vengeance accounted for 70-90% of a tank's damage on high-tank-damage fights in Mists). To do that, we're increasing the damage of several prominent tank abilities, as well as having tanks also gain increased Attack Power from Mastery, in addition to the stat's existing benefits. That also helps keep secondary stats balanced in offensive value for them.

• Monk
  • Mastery: Elusive Brawler now also passively increases Attack Power by 12% (percentage increased by Mastery), in addition to its current effects.
  • Brewmasters no longer deal 15% less damage.

Class Changes

Monk

The brand-new class for Mists of Pandaria, Monks, turned out to be a ton of fun. Brewmasters stayed fairly solid all expansion long. Windwalkers needed a few tweaks here and there, especially to their Mastery, and still have a few shortcomings that we hope to improve, but overall worked quite well. Mistweavers had a bit of a rollercoaster ride, veering between weak and strong over the course of the expansion. Most of our changes to Monks will focus on Mistweavers, to try to get them just right.

About midway through the expansion, it became clear that mana was not valuable for Mistweavers. We tried some adjustments to solve that, but it proved too large of a change to make at the time. We chose to just live with that problem for the time being, and tune them around not really caring much about Spirit or mana (once they reached epic gear).

Now that we have the time to tweak things, and for Mistweavers to acquire new gear, we're going to make changes to get them in the right spot. Initially, we experimented with giving Mistwavers a 1-second GCD akin to that of the Rogue to give them a faster combat feel. However, it's proven difficult to balance. Haste is attractive to healers because it lowers not just cast time but GCD as well. Therefore, Monks valued Haste much less than other healers. We explored a few options, but ultimately landed on changing the core GCD for Mistweavers from 1 second to the standard 1.5 seconds, which you will be able to reduce with Haste. This will feel jarring at first, but we're confident that it's for the best, long-term.

• All abilities available to Mistweavers now have a 1.5 second global cooldown (up from 1 second).
  • Stance of the Sturdy Ox and Stance of the Fierce Tiger now reduce the global cooldown of the Monk's abilities by 0.5 seconds.
• Stance of the Wise Serpent no longer increases Haste from items by 50%.
• Focus and Harmony is a new passive ability for Mistweaver Monks.
  • Focus and Harmony: Haste effects lower the global cooldown of your spells and abilities.
• Crackling Jade Lightning no longer generates Chi for Mistweaver Monks.
• Soothing Mist no longer generates Chi for Mistweaver Monks.
• Thunder Focus Tea now causes the next Renewing Mist to jump up to 4 times (used to cause the next Uplift to refresh the duration of Renewing Mists on all targets).
• Healing Spheres now heal an ally within 12yd (up from 6yd) for 100% (up from 50%) of their normal healing, when they expire.
• Detonate Chi is a new spell available to Mistweavers:
  • Detonate Chi: Instantly detonate all of your Healing Spheres, causing each of them to heal a nearby ally within 12 yards of the sphere. 15 sec cooldown.

Another issue with Mistweavers is that of Eminence, which has never really played out how we had hoped. The intent with Eminence was to create an alternate play style to fulfill the fantasy of healing through dealing damage, since we knew a lot of players had that fantasy, and a new class was the perfect opportunity to satisfy that.

Having two play styles in one spec (Eminence, and traditional Mistweaving, healing primarily through casting heals) proved challenging to balance, because we don't want players to take the best parts of both and stack them into an unintended superior spec. The most notorious of these cases was "Jab-Jab-Uplift". In order to solve this problem, we're giving Mistweavers two stances. Stance of the Wise Serpent will continue to be the stance from which to do traditional Mistweaving. The new Stance of the Spirited Crane will be the stance to use for Eminence. You can swap stances at will, with only the cost of a GCD and any current Chi that you've accrued. The intention is that Crane Stance allows Mistweavers to trade healing for damage; it should fall somewhere in the middle between being a full healer, and being a full damage dealer.

• Stance of the Spirited Crane is a new ability for Mistweaver Monks, which replaces Stance of the Fierce Tiger.
  • The Spell-Power-to-Attack-Power conversion effect has been moved from Stance of the Wise Serpent to Stance of the Spirited Crane.
  • The Eminence effect has been moved from Stance of the Wise Serpent to Stance of the Spirited Crane.
• Teachings of the Monastery now makes Spinning Crane Kick heal friends instead of damaging enemies, while in Stance of the Wise Crane (previously, it would heal allies in addition to damaging enemies).
• Mastery: Gift of the Serpent's Healing Spheres now scale with Spell Power instead of Attack Power.
• Serpent's Zeal has been removed. Eminence now always includes Auto Attacks.
• Muscle Memory and Vital Mists have been merged. Muscle Memory now requires Stance of the Spirited Crane, and passively increases the damage of Crackling Jade Lightning by 100%, causes Tiger Palm to trigger the Vital Mists effect, and causes Blackout Kick to hit 4 additional nearby targets for 50% damage.
• The following abilities now require Stance of the Wise Serpent for Mistweavers:
  • Enveloping Mist, Renewing Mist, Soothing Mist, Uplift
• The following abilities now require Stance of the Spirited Crane for Mistweavers:
  • Blackout Kick, Jab, Tiger Palm

We also improved all Monk Healing Spheres. You'll no longer waste them when running over multiple at once when you only need a little healing. And we significantly improved the effect when Mistweavers' Healing Spheres expire. We also made Afterlife Healing Spheres consistent with the rest of the class.

• When a player runs through multiple Healing Spheres at once, only as many as needed to heal the player to full health will be consumed (instead of all of them if the player is injured at all).
• Healing Spheres from Gift of the Serpent now heal an injured ally within 12 yards (up from 6 yards) for 100% (up from 50%) of their normal effect, when they expire.
• Afterlife's Healing Sphere now heals for the same amount as other Healing Spheres (instead of healing for 15% of maximum health).

We also did some polishing on Brewmasters and Windwalkers. We made Storm, Earth, and Fire, Transcendence, and Touch of Death easier to use.

• Transcendence: Transfer no longer has an energy or mana cost.
• Storm, Earth, and Fire no longer has an energy cost, and is off the GCD.
• Touch of Death is now usable on targets that have 10% or less health remaining, or have less current health than your maximum health. The rules against players remain unchanged.
• Fists of Fury now always deal full damage to your primary target; additional targets are still affected by the damage split.
• Glyph of Leer of the Ox now also causes Black Ox Statue to passively pulse a minor amount of threat to all enemies within 30 yards.

• Warlords of Draenor Class Perks
• All
  • Enhanced Roll - Your Roll now travels the same distance in 25% less time.
  • Enhanced Transcendence - The cooldown of Transcendence is lowered by 35 sec, and Transcendence: Transfer is now instant cast.
  • Empowered Blackout Kick - Damage of Blackout Kick increased by 20%.
• Brewmaster
  • Improved Breath of Fire - Your Breath of Fire spell now always applies its damage over time effect to the target.
  • Improved Guard - Guard now has 2 charges.
  • Improved Dizzying Haze - Dizziying Haze no longer has an energy cost.
  • Empowered Keg Smash - Damage of Keg Smash increased by 20%.
  • Improved Elusive Brew - Elusive Brew now increases dodge chance by an additional 5%.
  • Improved Stance of the Sturdy Ox - Increases the Stamina bonus of Stance of the Sturdy Ox by 20%.
• Mistweaver
  • Improved Expel Harm - Increases the damage and healing of Expel Harm by 20%.
  • Improved Renewing Mist - Increases the duration of Renewing Mist by 2 sec.
  • Empowered Surging Mist - Increases the healing of Surging Mist by 20%.
  • Improved Life Cocoon - Reduces the cooldown of Life Cocoon by 20 sec.
  • Improved Soothing Mist - Increases the healing of Soothing Mist by 20%.
  • Empowered Tiger Palm - Increases the damage of Tiger Palm by 20%.
• Windwalker
  • Improved Energizing Brew - While Energizing Brew is active, your Multistrike chance is increased by 15%.
  • Empowered Chi - Increases your maximum Chi by 1.
  • Empowered Spinning Crane Kick - Spinning Crane Kick now deals damage twice as fast, but its duration is reduced by 50%.
  • Empowered Rising Sun Kick - Damage of Rising Sun Kick is increased by 20%.
  • Empowered Fists of Fury - Damage of Fists of Fury is increased by 20%.
  • Empowered Tiger Palm - Increases the damage of Tiger Palm by 20%.

Warlords of Draenor Talents - Level 100 Talents List

• Left
  • Soul Dance (Brewmaster) - You are now able to shrug off even spells, such that 30% of your normal stagger amount works against magic damage.
  • Breath of the Serpent (Mistweaver) - Your Jade Serpent Statue breathes healing mists toward you, healing allies in a cone within 20 yards for XXXX every 1 sec, split evenly between them. Lasts 10 sec. Instant, 1.5 min cooldown
  • Hurricane Strike (Windwalker) - Unleash a rapid series of kicks toward random enemies within 12 yards, dealing a total of XXXX damage over 2 sec. While kicking, you are immune to movement impairing and loss of control effects. 3 Chi, Instant, 45 sec cooldown
• Middle
  • Chi Explosion (Brewmaster) - Consumes up to 4 Chi to cause the target to explode with Chi energy, causing additional effects based on Chi consumed. 1 Chi, 40 yd range, Instant
    • 1+ Chi: Deals Nature damage to an enemy equal to XXXX plus XXXX per Chi consumed.
    • 2+ Chi: You also gain Shuffle for 2 sec plus 2 sec per Chi consumed.
    • 3+ Chi: Also purifies all of your staggered damage.
    • 4 Chi: The damage also hits all enemies within 8 yards of the target.
    • Replaces Blackout Kick.
  • Chi Explosion (Mistweaver) - Consumes up to 4 Chi to cause the target to explode with Chi energy, causing additional effects based on Chi consumed. 1 Chi, 40 yd range, Instant
    • 1+ Chi: Heals an ally for XXXX plus XXXX per Chi consumed.
    • 2+ Chi: Healed allies also receive an additional 50% healing over 6 sec.
    • 3+ Chi: This healing also heals all allies within 8 yards of the target.
    • 4 Chi: Also summons 8 Healing Spheres in an 8 yard radius ring around the target that last 15 sec.
    • Replaces Blackout Kick. Chi Explosion is Instant while in Stance of the Spirited Crane.
  • Chi Explosion (Windwalker) - Consumes up to 4 Chi to cause the target to explode with Chi energy, causing additional effects based on Chi consumed. 1 Chi, 40 yd range, Instant
    • 1+ Chi: Deals Nature damage to an enemy equal to XXXX plus XXXX per Chi consumed.
    • 2+ Chi: Damaged enemies also take an additional 50% Nature damage over 6 sec.
    • 3+ Chi: Also generates a charge of Tigereye Brew.
    • 4 Chi: The damage also hits all enemies within 8 yards of the target.
    • Replaces Blackout Kick. Combo Breaker: Blackout Kick is also replaced with Combo Breaker: Chi Explosion, which causes your next Chi Explosion to refund 2 Chi.

 

Edited April 4, 2014 by Orthios

[TLTeo 29]

I'm not sure i understand their opinion on fistweaving/mistweaving. Right now the interaction between the two works pretty well, and adding an additional stance seems really arbitrary.

[Archimage 98]

Finally MW monk Mastery is worth something.

Detonate Chi < I like

Surging Mist replaces the normal Healing Sphere spell . . . ok

 

Wonder how touch of death will work in instances. Instant kill a boss less than 10% hp, or deal damage equal to your hp.

 

Fist of Fury . . .  nice

Transcendence becomes even more awesome

[Krazyito 521]

They wanted to separate the two styles so that you know what you're getting into when choosing a particular stance.  They want you to also fully commit to doing one thing or the other, even if it means stance switching.  This also allows them to balance us between stances where being in crane stance will probably give you more potential damage output than fistweaving does now.  The same holds true for Serpent stance.

 

I don't know why they did it the way they did, but I feel that there has to be some leniency between switching the stances because the way i think it feels right now theres no point in doing damage unless there is absolutely no damage for a very long period, because now if you're in crane stance you lose ReM which means you have to start setting up your HoTs again.;

 

I'm not sure how this is going to work but I really just want to see how it feels before I make big claims.

[Orthios 271]

Ok, the last lvl 100 talent didn't get posted, so here it is:

 

 

• Right
  • Chi Serenity (Brewmaster, Windwalker) - You enter an elevated state of mental and physical serenity for 10 sec. While in this state, all Chi consumptions are instantly refilled. Instant, 1.5 min cooldown
  • Path of Mists (Mistweaver) - While in combat, you leave a trail of healing spheres behind you as you move, spaced 3 yards apart. These healing spheres last 15 sec.

I'm really interested in how Path of Mists will work out, and it seems to be really good for heavy movement fights.  For BM and WW, 10 sec of *basically* free chi consumers is really good.  That could be almost 1 min worth of shuffle for BM that you could get, and a free purify, 

[biqu 0]

I'm really excited about the Windwalker changes. Looks like Fists of Fury is going to be our top priority (after TP and RSK debuff) with the 240% dmg increase + cast on the move glyph. The 10 sec cd on transcendence and instant transfer can be very usefull!

[Momizi 1]

I'm going to miss having Grapple Weapon and Clash, but over all I'm very happy with all of the changes that are going in place. I am also a little sad to see Hurricane Strikes got nerfed but it was going to be a needed nerf anyways. Also Five Chi Baseline for Windwalkers. WOOO!

[Krazyito 521]

RIP CLASH. WHY DID YOU SACRIFICE YOURSELF FOR SPINNING FIRE BLOSSOM T_T

[Momizi 1]

Clash was clearly only doing it's job. Saving something else by forcing the chopping block to attack it.

[Marco 51]

I am a bit worried about the WW self-heal in PvP, because Healing Spheres were a really good spell to get out some healing. It saved my ass more than a dozen times. Though we get Surging Mist, the fact that it is a cast makes it less viable than the original Healing Spheres. I am sure they will rebalance the self-heal, but at its current state, it seems weaker than in 5.4.

 

At its 6.0 state, Ring of Peace is certainly weaker, especially combined with the DoT that is applied by Blackout Kick, which will instantly get the main target out of RoP's incapacitate. A Disarm/Silence is always better than a CC that can be broken out by taking damage. I am aware that the Disarm mechanic has been removed, but a Silence/Root would have been better than this. Together with the Spear Hand Strike nerf, we lack a bit on the Silence side. Yet it has to be seen in a more broad context, as CC is nerfed all together. We'll see how it plays out.

 

The change to Transfer is refreshing. Although the cast time was 0.5 seconds in the first place, it probably feels better as an instant cast. It also removes the danger for interrupt. Although the very low cast time ensures that this is not a major factor.

 

Chi Serenity sounds a bit OP. Blizzard said they want to take the high, cooldown-based burst out of the PvP, and this ability goes against that notion.