Wrath of the Lich King Beta Build 8970 Class Changes (Sept. 20th)

We got a new build last night that so far hasn’t done much but add some pretty exciting class changes. A healthy mix of nerfs and buffs and some retooling that makes tree synergy much smoother.

Death Knight (8970: Skills | Talents)
Blood

• Blood Aura – Now healed by 2% of the damage done, up from 1%. (Rank 2)
• Blood Presence – Now “heals the Death Knight by 2% of damage dealt” instead of “heals the Death Knight by 2% of damage dealt by abilities”.
• Will of the Necropolis – Now reduces the cooldown of your Anti-Magic Shell by 1/2/3, down from 5/10/15.
• Blade Barrier – Duration increased to 10 seconds from 8 seconds.
• Blood Strike – Now does “an additional 33.0 bonus damage per disease” instead of “Each disease on the target causes an additional 33 damage”.
• Heart Strike – Wording change to “bonus damage per disease” from “Each disease on the target causes an additional”.

Frost

• Blood of the North – Changed to only work when spell hits, not on use. Now is caused by both Blood Strike and Pestilence.
• Frost Presence – Now reduces spell damage taken by 5% instead of increasing magic resistance by 1 per level.
• Icy Touch – Now reduces melee and ranged attack speed by 14% for 12 sec
• Obliterate – Now does “bonus damage per disease” instead of “additional damage for each of the Death Knight’s diseases on the target”

Unholy

• Death Grip – Now has an 8 to 30 yd range.
• Bone Shield – Changed to “Each damaging attack that lands consumes 1 bone” from “Each spell or attack that lands consumes 1 bone”.
• Death Strike – Now “heals the Death Knight for a percent of damage done” instead of “heals the Death Knight for 100% of the damage done “.
• Reaping – Changed to work only whenever you hit instead of whenever you use a spell.
• Scourge Strike – Now does “bonus damage per disease” instead of “additional damage for each of the Death Knight’s diseases on the target.”

Druid (8970: Skills | Talents)
Balance

• Improved Faerie Fire reworded. Now: Your Faerie Fire spell also increases the chance the target will be hit by spell attacks by 1/2/3%, and increases the critical strike chance of your damage spells (instead of all attacks) by 1% on targets afflicted by Faerie Fire.
• Improved Moonkin Form – Now causes affected targets to gain 1/2% (down from a flat 3%) haste.
• Lunar Guidance – “spell damage and healing” changed to “spell power.”
• Nature’s Focus – Now reduces the pushback suffered from damaging attacks while casting Healing Touch, Wrath, Entangling Roots, Cyclone, Nourish, Regrowth and Tranquility by 23/45/70% (instead of giving you a chance to avoid interruption).
• Nature’s Grace: Increased from 1 to 3 points. Now has a 33/66/100% (instead of a flat 100%) chance to grace you with a blessing of nature.
• Nature’s Splendor revamped – Reduced from 3 to 1 point. Now increases the duration of your Moonfire, Insect Swarm, and Rejuvenation spells by 3.0 sec, your Regrowth spell by 6.0 sec, and your Lifebloom spell by 3.0 sec.

Feral

• Dash – Now has a 3 min cooldown (down from 5 min).
• Survival Instincts (NEW TIER 3 TALENT) – When activated, this ability temporarily grants you 30% of your maximum health for 20 sec while in Bear Form, Cat Form, or Dire Bear Form. After the effect expires, the health is lost. Instant, 5 min cooldown
• Berserk revamped – Now when activated, this ability causes your Mangle (Bear) ability to hit up to 3 targets and have no cooldown, and reduces the energy cost of all your Cat Form abilities by 50%. Lasts 15 sec. You cannot use Tiger’s Fury while Berserk is active. Clears the effect of Fear and makes you immune to Fear for the duration.
• Brutal Impact – Moved from Tier 2 to Tier 5
• Mangle – No longer increases the damage of Maul and Shred.
• Predatory Instincts – Changed from 5 to 3 points. Now increases your damage from melee critical strikes by 3/7/10% and reduces the damage taken from area of effect attacks by 5/10/15%.
• Protector of the Pack – Now increases your attack power in Bear Form and Dire Bear Form by 2/4/6% (instead of bonus attack power by 20/40/60%), and for each friendly player in your party when you enter Bear Form or Dire Bear Form, damage you take is reduced while in Bear Form and Dire Bear Form by 3%.
• Rend and Tear – Now increases damage done by your Maul and Shred attacks on bleeding targets by 4/8/12/16/20% (up from 2/4/6/8/10%).
• Savage Fury – Moved from Tier 5 to Tier 2

Restoration

• Gift of the Earthmother – Now also effects Wild Growth.

Hunter (8970: Skills | Talents)
Marksmanship

• Master Marksman – Now reduces the Mana cost of your Steady Shot by 5/10/15/20/25% instead of increasing your total ranged haste by 1/2/3/4/5%.
• Focused Aim – Reduces the pushback suffered by 23/46/70% instead of giving you a 23/46/70% chance to avoid interruption.
  

Survival

• T.N.T. – Stun duration now 3 sec, up from 2 sec.

Pet Abilities

• Rabid – Duration reduced to 20 seconds from 30.

Mage (8970: Skills | Talents)
Arcane

• Spell Impact – Now also affects scorch and fireball.
• Arcane Potency – Now only affects “damaging spells” vs “any spells”.
  
• Polymorph – Black Cat – Transforms the enemy into a harmless black cat, forcing it to pussyfoot around for up to 50 sec. While wandering, the cat cannot attack or cast spells but will regenerate very quickly. Any damage will transform the target back into its normal form. Only one target can be polymorphed at a time. Only works on Beasts, Humanoids and Critters. 2 sec cast time.
  
• Dalaran Brilliance – Cosmetic version of Arcane Brilliance.
  

Fire

• World in Flames – Now also affects Pyroblast.

Paladin (8970: Skills | Talents)
Retribution

• Fanaticism – Now increases the critical strike chance of all Judgements capable of a critical hit by 4/8/12/16/20%, down from 5/10/15/20/25%.
• Two-Handed Weapon Specialization – Increases the damage you deal with two-handed melee weapons by 1/2/3%, down from 2/4/6%.
  

Holy

• Spiritual Focus – Reduces the pushback suffered by 14/28/42/56/70% instead of giving you a 14/28/42/56/70% chance to avoid interruption.

Priest (8970: Skills | Talents)
Discipline

• Martyrdom – The Focused Casting effect reduces the pushback suffered from damaging attacks while casting Priest spells and decreases the duration of Interrupt effects by 10/20%.

Holy

• Desperate Prayer – Mana cost increased to 21% of base mana from 19%.
• Healing Focus – Reduces the pushback suffered by 35/70% instead of giving you a 35/70% chance to avoid interruption.
  

Shadow

• Devouring Plague – Mana cost reduced to 25% of base mana from 31%.
• Dispersion – Part of description removed, “If Dispersion runs its full duration, and you are not the victim of any damage or harmful effects during its duration, your spells gain 25% damage for 60 sec.”
  

Rogue (8970: Skills | Talents)
Assassination

• Deadly Brew revamped – Now when you apply Instant, Wound or Mind-Numbing poison to a target, you have a 50% chance to apply Crippling poison.
• Improved Poisons – Now increases the chance to apply Instant and Deadly Poison to your target by 2/4/6/8/10% (down from 3/6/9/12/15%).
  
• Hunger for Blood – now only attempt to remove a Bleed effect. (Old – any harmful physical effect)
  

Combat

• Gouge – Now awards one combo point.
• Aggression – Moved from Tier 6 to Tier 5. Increased from 3 points to 5. Now increases the damage of your Sinister Strike, Backstab, and Eviscerate abilities by 2/4/6/8/10%.
  
• Endurance – Now also increases your total stamina by 2/4%.
  
• Blood Poisoning renamed Savage Combat – Now also increases your total attack power by 2/4%.
  
• Vitality – has been changed now increases your Energy renegeration rate by 3/6%.
  

Subtlety

• Tricks of the Trade – Now has a cost of 15 energy.
• Filthy Tricks – Now also reduces the cooldown of Preparation by 2.5/5 min
  

Shaman (8970: Skills | Talents
Elemental

• Lava Flows – Now increases the range of your Flame Shock by 5/10/15 yards instead of increasing the amount of bonus spell damage on your Flametongue Weapon by an additional 15/30/45%.
• Eye of the Storm – Now reduces the pushback suffered from damaging attacks while casting Lightning Bolt, Chain Lightning, Lava Burst and Hex spells by 23/46/70% instead of giving you a 23/46/70% chance to avoid interruption caused by damage.
  

Enhancement

• Static Shock – Now increases the number of charges of your Lightning Shield by 2/4/6 up from 1/2/3.
• Elemental Weapons – Now increases the spell damage on your Flametongue Weapon by 10/20/30% and increases the bonus healing on your Earthliving Weapon by 10/20/30% instead of increasing the damage caused by your Flametongue Weapon and Frostbrand Weapon by 5/10/15%.
  

Restoration

• Healing Focus – Reduces the pushback suffered by 23/46/70% instead of giving you a 23/46/70% chance to avoid interruption.
• Blessing of the Eternals – Now increases the chance to apply the Earthliving heal over time effect on the target by 40/80% when they are at or under 35% total health instead of increasing the bonus healing from your Earthliving weapon by 5/10%.
  
• Earthliving Weapon – All ranks saw a healing increase, max rank now 70 up from 26.
  
• Spirit Link – Removed, replaced with Riptide.
  
• Riptide – Heals a friendly target for 764 to 826 and another 477 over 15 sec sec. Your next Chain Heal cast on that primary target within 15 sec sec will consume the healing over time effect and increase the amount of the Chain Heal by 25%. 18% of base mana, 40 yd range, Instant Cast, 6 sec cooldown
  

Totems

• All totems now last 5 min.

Warlock (8970: Skills | Talents)
Affliction

• Fel Concentration – Reduces the pushback suffered by 35/70% instead of giving you a 35/70% chance to avoid interruption.
• Improved Felhunter – Shadow Bite now only returns mana on hit.
  
• Haunt – Base damage reduced ~40%.
  

Destruction

• Intensity – Reduces the pushback suffered by 35/70% instead of giving you a 35/70% chance to avoid interruption.
• Shadowflame – Base damage reduced ~30%.
  
• Chaos Bolt – Chaotic Mind effect removed.
  
• Ruin – Now increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Destruction spells by 20/40/60/80/100% instead of 100%.
  

Warrior (8970: Skills | Talents)
Arms

• Blood Frenzy – Now also increases your attack speed by 6%.
• Improved Mortal Strike – Now increases the damage caused by your Mortal Strike ability by 3/6/10% and reduces the cooldown by .33/.67/1 sec.
• Bladestorm – Changed from “you can move but cannot perform any other attacks or abilities” to “you can move but cannot perform any other abilities”.
• Taste for Blood – Now has one charge.
• Rend – Base damaged increased from 300 to 450 for max rank.

Fury

• Titan’s Grip – Chance to hit reduced by 1% (Could be our error)
• Battle Shout – Now increases attack power instead of melee attack power.

Protection

• Devastate – Reduced to 50% of weapon damage from 80%.

Quoted via WOR.