wow War Within Beta Development Notes: July 2nd

[Staff 1,488]

We have the development notes for today's War Within Beta build. The biggest addition are the previously announced Shaman changes, but there's plenty in here for DKs, Druids, Hunters, Mages, Paladins and Warlocks, as well as some PvP adjustments.

Notes (Source)

Greetings! Here are this week’s updates to the War Within Beta:

CLASSES

• DEATH KNIGHT
  • Hero Talents
    • Rider of the Apocalypse (Frost/Unholy)
      • A Feast of Souls no longer has a chance to refund a rune.
      • Damage from Runic Power abilities is increased by 30% while 2 or more Horsemen are active (was 20%).
    • San’layn (Unholy/Blood)
      • The Blood is Life accumulator deals reduced damage beyond 8 targets.
      • The Blood is Life accumulator can no longer critically strike.
      • Corrupted Blood ability of the Blood Beast deals reduced damage beyond 8 targets.
      • Essence of the Blood Queen’s Haste granted per stack reduced to 1% (was 1.5%).
      • Vampiric Strike now heals for 1%/2% of your maximum health for Blood/Unholy (was 3%/5%).
      • Vampiric Strike damage reduced by 15%.
      • Infliction of Sorrow now extends the duration of your disease by 2 seconds (was 3 seconds).
      • Infliction of Sorrow now deals 10% of the remaining damage (was 20%).
  • Frost
    • Icy Death Torrent has had the following changes:
      • Damage now scales with Mastery.
      • Damage increased by 100%.
      • Now has a 50% chance to trigger on auto-attack critical strikes while dual wielding and 100% while wielding a two-handed weapon.
      • Now deals reduced damage beyond 8 targets.
    • Pillar of Frost’s Strength increased to 30% (was 25%).
    • Enduring Strength’s Strength increased to 20% (was 15%).
    • Long Winter now extends Pillar of Frost by 2 seconds, up to a maximum of 6 seconds.
    • Shattering Blade now increases Frost Strike damage by 125% (was 100%).
    • Shattered Frost now causes Frost strike to deal 65% of its damage to nearby enemies (was 50%).
    • Hyperpyrexia’s chance to trigger has been increased to 35 and deals 45% additional damage (was 30%).
    • Rage of the Frozen Champion’s Runic Power generated from Howling Blast reduced to 6 (was 8).
    • Smothering Offense now increases auto attack damage by 10% (was 6%).
  • Unholy
    • Clawing Shadows damage reduced by 15%.
    • Raise Dead ghoul damage reduced by 10%.
    • Scourge Strike damage reduced by 15%.
    • Death Coil damage reduced by 15%.
    • Magus of the Dead damage reduced by 15%.
    • Apocalypse ghoul damage reduced by 15%.
    • Epidemic damage reduced by 15%.
    • Festering Wound damage reduced by 15%.
• DRUID
  • Hero Talents
    • Elune’s Chosen (Balance/Guardian)
      • Boundless Moonlight damage increased by 25%.
      • Minor Moon damage increased by 110%.
      • Lunar Calling increases Starfire damage by 65% (was 40%).
      • Lunar Insight increases Moonfire damage by 20% (was 10%).
      • Atmospheric Exposure increases damage taken by 6% (was 4%).
    • Keeper of the Grove (Balance/Restoration)
      • Bounteous Bloom causes your treants to generate 7 Astral Power every 2 seconds (was 6 Astral Power).
    • Wildstalker (Feral/Restoration)
      • Thriving Growth causes Bloodseeker Vines to grow 15% less frequently.
      • Vigorous Creepers increases damage done to targets afflicted by Bloodseeker Vines by 5% (was 6%).
      • Bursting Growth damage reduced by 15%.
      • Developer’s note: Please note that the entirety of this change will be applied with next week’s Beta deploy but will be present in this week’s PTR build.
  • Balance
    • Astral Smolder has a 40% chance to trigger (was 45%) and deals 50% of Wrath or Starfire damage over time (was 40%). Now a 1- point talent.
      • Developer’s note: Please note that the entirety of this change will be applied with next week’s 11.0.2 Beta deploy but will be present in this week’s 11.0.0 PTR build.
    • Stellar Flare damage increased by 10%.
    • Wild Surges increases Wrath and Starfire critical strike by 10% (was 12%).
    • Stellar Amplification damage bonus increased to 20% (was 12%).
    • Umbral Intensity increases the damage bonuses to Wrath and Starfire by 25/50% (was 20/40%).
    • Umbral Embrace’s damage bonus reduced to 75% (was 100%).
    • Umbral Inspiration’s duration increased to 6 seconds (was 5 seconds) and damage bonus increased to 30% (was 20%).
    • Touch the Cosmos’ chance to trigger from Wrath increased to 12% (was 8%) and chance to trigger from Starfire increased to 15% (was 10%).
    • Astral Communion now grants 20 Astral Power on entering eclipse (was 12).
    • Elune’s Guidance reduces the Astral Power cost of Starsurge by 10 (was ? and Starfall by 12 (was 10).
    • Power of Goldrinn damage reduced by 10%.
    • Orbit Breaker calls downs a Full Moon every 25 Shooting Stars (was 30).
    • Sundered Firmament calls down a Fury of Elune at 25% power (was 20%).
    • Convoke the Spirits is more likely to cast Starsurge.
    • Convoke the Spirits will now prefer to cast Starsurge or Full Moon on your current target, if valid.
    • All ability damage reduced by 5%.
  • Feral
    • Convoke the Spirits will now prefer to cast Ferocious Bite or Feral Frenzy on your current target, if valid.
• HUNTER
  • Implosive Trap cooldown reduced to 60 seconds (was 90 seconds).
  • Steady Shot cast time reduced to 1.65 seconds (was 1.75 seconds).
  • Marksmanship
    • Arcane Shot damage increased by 10%.
    • Penetrating Shots critical strike damage bonus increased to 40% of your critical strike chance (was 20%).
    • Aimed Shot damage increased by 10%.
    • Rapid Fire damage increased by 10%.
    • Trick Shots effectiveness reduced to 65% (was 70%).
  • Survival
    • Mongoose Fury reverted to previous functionality.
    • Flanking Strike range reduced to 15 yards.
    • Flanking Strike is no longer a passive override for Kill Command.
    • Flanking Strike once again gains twice the damage bonus from Tip of the Spear.
    • Bloody Claws has been updated – Now also causes Kill Command to extend the duration of Mongoose Fury by 1.5 seconds.
    • Flanking Strike now costs 15 Focus.
• MAGE
  • Hero Talents
    • Spellslinger (Frost/Arcane)
      • Spellfrost Teachings damage bonus reduced to 10% (was 20%).
      • Spellfrost Teachings chance to trigger reduced.
      • Arcane Splinter damage reduced by 3%.
      • Frost Splinter damage increased by 3%.
  • Arcane
    • Evocation has been updated – Increases your mana regeneration by 1500% for 2.8 seconds and grants Clearcasting. While channeling Evocation, your Intellect is increased by 2% every 0.5 seconds. Lasts 20 seconds.
    • Mana Adept is now learned automatically when specializing in Arcane.
    • Arcane Missiles damage increased by 20%.
    • Arcane Barrage damage reduced by 10%.
    • Arcane Orb damage reduced by 15%.
    • Aether Attunement damage bonus increased to 150% on primary target and 100% on nearby enemies (was 100% and 50% respectively).
    • Arcane Blast damage reduced by 10%.
    • The position of talents in Gates 2 and 3 have been changed.
    • The following talents have been removed:
      • Chrono Shift
      • Crackling Energy
      • Siphon Storm
      • Improved Arcane Missiles
  • Fire
    • Pyroblast damage increased by 5%.
  • Frost
    • Flurry damage increased by 10%.
    • Frostbolt damage increased by 10%.
    • Ice Lance damage increased by 10%.
• MONK
  • Brewmaster
    • Elixir of Determination reduced to 50% of recently Purified damage.
• PALADIN
  • Retribution Aura has been removed.
    • Developer’s note: As part of our process of examining raid buffs, we’ve come to the decision to remove Retribution Aura in order to reduce restrictions on group compositions. We believe that the utility options additional Paladins are able to bring is sufficiently valuable without becoming oppressive.
  • Auras of Swift Vengeance talent node replaced with Crusader Aura.
  • Retribution
    • Expurgation now lasts 9 seconds (was 6 seconds).
    • Templar Strikes now only has 1 charge (was 2 charges).
    • Templar Strike damage increased by 50%.
    • Templar Slash damage increased by 125%
    • An issue with Art of War (Blade of Justice reset) triggering more than it should has been fixed.
• PRIEST
  • Hero Talents
    • Voidweaver (Discipline/Shadow)
      • Entropic Rift now properly scales its damage up when it grows from casting Penance or Devouring Plague.
      • Entropic Rift damage reduced by 25%.
• SHAMAN
  • Many talents have moved locations or have had their pathing updated in all trees.
  • New Ability: Skyfury – Harness the fury of the Windlord to grant a target ally 2% Mastery and empower their auto attacks to have a 20% chance to instantly strike again for 1 hour. If the target is in your party or raid, all affected party and raid members will be affected. Learned at level 17.
    • Developer’s note: We’re aware of issues with the new Skyfury raid buff, and we expect to address it with hotfixes to the Beta tomorrow.
  • New Talent: Elemental Resistance – Healing from Healing Stream Totem reduces Fire, Frost, and Nature damage received by 6% for 3 seconds. Healing from Cloudburst Totem reduces Fire, Frost, and Nature damage taken by 3% for 3 seconds.
  • New Talent: Refreshing Waters – Your Healing Surge is 25% more effective on yourself.
  • New Talent: Traveling Storms – Thunderstorm now can be cast on allies within 40 yards, reduces enemies movement speed by 60%, and knocks enemies 25% further.
  • New Talent: Seasoned Winds – Interrupting a spell with Wind Shear decreases your damage taken from that spell school by 15% for 18 seconds. Stacks up to 2 times.
  • New Talent: Encasing Cold – Frost Shock snares its targets by an additional 10% and its duration is increased by 2 seconds.
  • New Talent: Arctic Snowstorm – Enemies within 10 yards of your Frost Shock are snared by 30%.
  • New Talent: Ascending Air – The cooldown of Wind Rush Totem is reduced by 30 seconds and its movement speed effect lasts an additional 2 seconds.
  • New Talent: Enhanced Imbues – The effects of your weapon imbues are increased by 20%.
  • New Talent: Stone Bulwark Totem – Summons an Earth Totem at the feet of the caster for 30 seconds, granting the caster a shield absorbing damage for 10 seconds, and an additional absorb every 5 seconds. 2 minute cooldown.
  • New Talent: Jet Stream – Wind Rush Totem’s movement speed bonus is increased by 10% and now removes snares.
  • New Talent: Primordial Bond – While you have an elemental active, your damage taken is reduced by 5%.
  • Voodoo Mastery has been redesigned – Your Hex target is slowed by 70% during Hex and for 6 seconds after it ends. Reduces the cooldown of Hex by 15 seconds.
  • Flurry moved from Class tree to the Enhancement tree.
  • The cooldown of Gust of Wind has been reduced to 20 seconds (was 30 seconds).
  • Earthgrab Totem and Windrush Totem no longer share a choice node.
  • Lightning Lasso and Thundershock no longer share a choice node.
  • The following talents are now 1 point:
    • Totemic Focus
    • Elemental Warding
    • Nature’s Guardian
    • Winds of Al’Akir
    • Nature’s Fury
    • Totemic Surge
  • The following talents have been removed:
    • Go With The Flow
    • Flurry
    • Maelstrom Weapon
    • Enfeeblement
    • Stoneskin Totem
    • Tranquil Air Totem
    • Ancestral Defense
    • Surging Shields
    • Swirling Currents
  • Hero Talents
    • Farseer (Restoration/Elemental)
      • Restoration
        • Undulation can now trigger Call of the Ancestors.
    • Totemic (Enhancement/Restoration)
      • Restoration
        • Healing from Chain Heal from Totemic Rebound increased by 400%.
  • Elemental
    • New Talent: Fusion of Elements – After casting Icefury, the next time you cast a Nature and a Fire spell, you additionally cast an Elemental Blast at your target at 60% effectiveness.
    • New Talent: Storm Frenzy – Your next Chain Lightning or Lightning Bolt has 40% reduced cast time after casting Earth Shock, Elemental Blast, or Earthquake. Can accumulate up to 2 charges.
    • New Talent: Elemental Unity – While a Storm Elemental is active, your Nature damage dealt is increased by 10%. While a Fire Elemental is active, your Fire damage dealt is increased by 10%.
    • New Talent: Lightning Conduit – While Lightning Shield is active, your Nature damage dealt is increased by 8%.
    • New Talent: Everlasting Elements – Increases the duration of your Elementals by 20%.
    • New Talen: Thunderstrike Ward – Imbue your shield with the element of Lightning for 1 hour, giving Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning a chance to call down 2 Thunderstrikes on your target for Nature damage.
    • New Talent: Earthen Rage – Your damage spells incite the earth around you to come to your aid for 6 seconds, repeatedly dealing Nature damage to your most recently attacked target.
    • New Talent: Echo of the Elementals – When your Storm Elemental or Fire Elemental expires, it leaves behind a lesser Elemental to continue attacking your enemies for 15 seconds.
    • New Talent: First Ascendant – The cooldown of Ascendance is reduced by 60 seconds.
    • New Talent: Preeminence – Your Haste is increased by 25% while Ascendance is active and its duration is increased by 3 seconds.
    • New Talent: Fury of the Storms – Activating Stormkeeper summons a powerful Lightning Elemental to fight by your side for 8 seconds.
    • Primordial Fury has been redesigned – Now increases the critical damage bonus of Elemental Fury by 25%.
    • Icefury has been redesigned – Casting Lava Burst has a chance to replace your next Frost Shock with Icefury, stacking up to 2 times.
    • Icefury now empowers the next 2 Frost Shocks (was 4).
    • Mastery: Elemental Overload has been redesigned – Now increases all Physical and Elemental damage dealt. The damage of Elemental Overloads is now 25% of normal damage (was 85%).
    • Lava Surge is now learned at level 12 and has been removed from the Class tree.
    • Inundate is now learned at level 14 and has been removed from the Elemental tree.
    • The trigger rate of Lava Surge and Searing Flames now scale based on the number of targets Flame Shock is on. In single target, it should trigger slightly more often, and in AoE, it should trigger less often.
    • Flash of Lightning now also increases the critical strike chance of Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning by 10%.
    • Swelling Maelstrom now also increases the damage of Earth Shock, Elemental Blast, and Earthquake by 5%.
    • Master of the Elements now increases the damage of the next spell by 15% (was 10%/20%).
    • Echo Chamber now increases the damage of Elemental Overloads by 10% (was 8%/15%).
    • Power of the Maelstrom now causes the next Lightning Bolt or Chain Lightning to trigger an additional Elemental Overload (was 2). Can now stack up to 2 times.
    • Magma Chamber now stacks up to 10 times (was 20).
    • Elemental Equilibrium is now a 10% damage bonus (was 8%/15%).
    • Elemental Equilibrium no longer has a tracking debuff.
    • Eye of the Storm now reduces the Maelstrom cost of Earth Shock and Earthquake by 5, and Elemental Blast by 10.
    • Maelstrom generation has been updated for the following abilities:
      • Lightning Bolt is now 6 (was 8).
      • Lightning Bolt Overload is now 2 (was 3).
      • Chain Lightning is now 2 per target hit (was 4).
      • Chain Lightning Overload is now 1 per target hit (was 3).
      • Lava Burst is now 8 (was 10).
      • Lava Burst Overload is now 3 (was 4).
      • Icefury is now 12 (was 25).
      • Icefury Overload is now 4 (was 12).
      • Frost Shocks empowered by Icefury is now 10 (was 14).
    • Flow of Power no longer increases Maelstrom generation from overloads.
    • Stormkeeper has been removed from its choice node with Lightning Rod.
    • Earth Shock is now a choice against Elemental Blast.
    • Earthquake is now a choice node with an option to have it be cast on your target.
    • All nodes are now 1 point.
    • The following talents have been removed:
      • Tumultuous Fissures
      • Focused Insight
      • Refreshing Waters
      • Primordial Bond
      • Call of Thunder
      • Call of Fire
      • Electrified Shocks
      • Windspeaker’s Lava Resurgence
      • Oath of the Farseer
      • Further Beyond
      • Rolling Magma
      • Primordial Surge
      • Maelstrom Weapon
  • Enhancement
    • Maelstrom Weapon is now learned at level 10 and has been removed from the Class tree.
    • Feral Lunge is now learned at level 14 and has been removed from the Enhancement tree.
    • Flurry moved from Class tree to the Enhancement tree.
    • Elemental Blast damage reduced by 25%.
    • The following talents have been removed:
      • Windfury Totem
      • Focused Insight
      • Refreshing Waters
  • Restoration
    • New Talent: Tidewaters – When you cast Healing Rain, each ally with your Riptide on them is healed.
    • New Talent: First Ascendant – The cooldown of Ascendance is reduced by 60 seconds.
    • New Talent: Preeminence – Your Haste is increased by 25% while Ascendance is active and its duration is increased by 3 seconds.
    • New Talent: Reactive Warding – When refreshing Earth Shield, your target is healed for each stack of Earth Shield they are missing. When refreshing Water Shield, you are refunded mana for each stack of Water Shield missing.
    • New Talent: White Water – Your critical heals have 215% effectiveness instead of the usual 200%.
    • New Talent: Spouting Spirits – Spirit Link reduces damage taken by an additional 5%, and it restores health to all nearby allies 1 second after it is dropped. Spouting Spirit’s healing is decreased beyond 5 targets.
    • Spiritwalker’s Tidal Totem has been redesigned – After using Mana Tide Totem, the cast time of your next 3 Healing Surges is reduced by 100% and their mana cost is reduced by 50%.
    • Master of the Elements has been redesigned – Casting Lava Burst increases the healing of your next Healing Surge by 30%, stacking up to 2 times. Healing Surge applies Flame Shock to a nearby enemy when empowered by Master of the Elements.
    • Improved Earthliving Weapon has been redesigned – Earthliving receives 150% additional benefit from Mastery: Deep Healing. Healing Surge always triggers Earthliving on its target.
    • Earthen Harmony has been redesigned – Earth Shield reduces damage taken by 5% and its healing is increased by up to 150% as its target’s health decreases. Maximum benefit is reached below 50% health.
    • Downpour has been redesigned – Casting Healing Rain activates Downpour, allowing you to cast Downpour within 6 seconds. Downpour: A burst of water at the target location heals up to 5 injured allies with 12 yards and increases their maximum health by 10% for 6 seconds.
      • Downpour is twice as effective for Totemic Restoration Shamans.
    • Living Stream has been redesigned – Now increases Healing Stream Totem’s healing by 100%, decaying over its duration.
    • Lava Surge is now learned at level 12 and has been removed from the class tree.
    • Current Control now reduces the cooldown of Healing Tide Totem by 45 seconds (was 30 seconds).
    • Mana Tide Totem’s radius is now 40 yards.
    • Ancestral Awakening now triggers at a 20% base chance and increases to a 40% chance when activated by a Critical Strike.
    • Torrent now additionally increases the chance for Riptide’s initial heal to critically strike by 8/15%.
    • Water Totem Mastery now activates on a chance, but its effect has been increased to 3 seconds of reduction.
    • Water Shield now has 9 charges.
    • Primordial Wave’s cooldown has been reduce to 30 seconds (was 45 seconds).
    • Healing Rain now heals 5 targets (was 6) and healing increased by 17%.
    • Acid Rain now damages 5 enemies (was 6) and damage increased by 16%.
    • Overflowing Shores now heals 5 targets (was 6) and healing increased by 14%.
    • Wavespeaker’s Blessing is now a 2-point talent.
    • The following talents are now 1 point:
      • Tidebringer
      • Deluge
      • Improved Earthliving Weapon
    • The following talents have been removed:
      • Improved Primordial Wave
      • Tumbling Waves
      • Continuous Waves
      • Resonant Waters
      • Flash Flood
      • Stormkeeper
      • Refreshing Waters
• WARLOCK
  • Hero Talents
    • Hellcaller (Destruction/Affliction)
      • Xalan’s Cruelty has been redesigned – Shadow damage dealt by your spells and abilities is increased by 2% and your Shadow spells gain 10% more critical strike chance from all sources.
      • Xalan’s Ferocity has been redesigned – Fire damage dealt by your spells and abilities is increased by 2% and your Fire spells gain 10% more critical strike chance from all sources.
      • The icons of Xalan’s Cruelty and Ferocity have been updated.
      • Developer’s note: We’ve redesigned Xalan’s Cruelty and Ferocity for clarity purposes as it was unclear that Shadowflame effects should benefit from both damage increases and both critical strike chance increases.
  • Demonology
    • Your Felguard now charges its target when using Soul Strike.
    • The Houndmaster’s Gambit has been moved to row 9.
    • Flametouched has been moved to row 10.
    • Shadowtouched has been moved to row 10.
    • Sacrificed Souls has been moved to row 5.
    • Developer’s note: We’ve adjusted the pathing of several talents in the bottom section of the Demonology tree to resolve issues where a talent could be chosen and have no functionality if another talent wasn’t taken. In addition, your Felguard now charges when using Soul Strike. This is restored functionality that Soul Strike lost after becoming a pet ability rather than a player ability.
• WARRIOR
  • Hero Talents
    • Slayer (Fury/Arms)
      • Fierce Followthrough now grants 10% additional damage to your next Mortal Strike/Bloodthirst (was 15%).
        • Developer’s note: Please note that the entirety of this change will be applied with next week’s Beta deploy but will be present in this week’s PTR build.
  • Arms
    • Blademaster’s Torment now grants 8 seconds of Sweeping Strikes instead of the full duration, however this 8 seconds will be added to any existing Sweeping Strikes (and vice-versa) similar to the other Warrior Torment talents.
      • The tooltip will not reflect this change until a later patch.
  • Fury
    • Rampage damage increased by 15%.
    • Raging Blow damage increased by 10%.
    • Improved Raging Blow’s chance for Raging Blow to reset its own cooldown increased to 25% (was 20%).
    • Bloodthirst damage reduced by 10%.
    • Odyn’s Fury damage reduced by 15%.
    • Crushing Force now gives 2/4% Bloodthirst critical strike chance (was 5/10%).
    • Fixed an issue that caused Crushing Force to increase Bloodthirst’s damage by 10/20% instead of the listed 5/10%.
    • Reckless Abandon’s Bloodbath damage reduced by 26% and Crushing Blow damage reduced by 3%.
    • Developer’s note: Please note that the entirety of these changes will be applied with next week’s Beta deploy but will be present in this week’s PTR build.

PLAYER VERSUS PLAYER

• CLASSES
  • SHAMAN
    • The following PvP talents have been removed:
      • Traveling Storms
      • Seasoned Winds
    • Elemental
      • New PvP Talent: Electrocute – When you successfully Purge a beneficial effect, the enemy suffers Nature damage over 3 seconds.
      • New PvP Talent: Shamanism – Your Bloodlust and Heroism spell now has a 60 second cooldown, but increases Haste by 20%, and only affects you and your friendly target when cast for 10 seconds. In addition, Bloodlust and Heroism is no longer affected by Sated or Exhaustion.
    • Enhancement
      • New PvP Talent: Electrocute – When you successfully Purge a beneficial effect, the enemy suffers Nature damage over 3 seconds.
    • Restoration
      • Living Tide now reduces the cooldown of Healing Tide Totem by 45 seconds (was 60 seconds).
      • Lightning Bolt damage increased by 44% in PvP combat.