Man thats an eye full. WoLK shenanigans.

With the release of upcoming content patch players will see a change in the way we allow buffs and debuffs to stack exclusively in a raid. For the most part, what this change means is that many buffs and debuffs that were previously allowed to stack together no longer can, and that many buffs and debuffs that only a single talent specialization could bring can now be brought by multiple different specializations. The philosophy behind this change shows up in many of the changes we have made in Wrath of The Lich King, such as when we made almost all buffs raid-wide. We want players to be able to form raids and parties based on who they want to play with, rather than who has the correct talents and abilities to min-max their raid performance.

 

Raid composition will still matter to some extent, but without this change, it would have overwhelmed every other aspect of raid planning (as we added new capabilities to each of 30 different talent trees). You no longer need to rigidly control the melee/spellcaster balance of your raid, or make sure every group has all the critical buffing classes, etc. This change has many class balance implications.

 

IMPORTANT! Before we are done, we will thoroughly test the performance of every class. It should not be assumed that one class' current performance relative to others in beta is final. Some classes (and specializations) will need to be reduced in power and some increased. Many may feel the change has more impact on class X than class Y. We will address all of those concerns via our internal testing and community feedback.

 

There are thirty or so different categories into which buffs and debuffs fit. Here you will find a comprehensive list of the changes made broken down by category and which spells/talents are in that category.

 

* Armor Debuff (Major): Acid Spit (exotic Hunter pet), Expose Armor, Sunder Armor

* Armor Debuff (Minor): Faerie Fire, Sting (Hunter pet), Curse of Recklessness

* Physical Vulnerability Debuff: Blood Frenzy, (2nd Talent Spec TBA)

* Melee Haste Buff: Improved Icy Talons, Windfury Totem

* Melee Critical Strike Chance Buff: Leader of the Pack, Rampage

* Attack Power Buff (Flat Add): Battle Shout, Blessing of Might

* Attack Power Buff (Multiplier): Abomination's Might, Trueshot Aura, Unleashed Rage

* Ranged Attack Power Buff: Hunter's Mark (only Hunters benefit, so no need to exclude against other class abilities)

* Bleed Damage Increase Debuff: Mangle, Trauma

* Spell Haste Buff: Wrath of Air Totem

* Spell Critical Strike Chance Buff: Moonkin Aura, Elemental Oath

* Spell Critical Strike Chance Debuff: Improved Scorch, Winter's Chill

* Increased Spell Damage Taken Debuff: Ebon Plaguebringer, Earth and Moon, Curse of the Elements

* Increased Spell Power Buff: Focus Magic, Improved Divine Spirit, Flametongue Totem, Totem of Wrath, Demonic Pact

* Increased Spell Hit Chance Taken Debuff: Improved Faerie Fire, Misery

* Percentage Haste Increase (All Types): Improved Moonkin Aura, Swift Retribution

* Percentage Damage Increase: Ferocious Inspiration, Sanctified Retribution

* Critical Strike Chance Taken Debuff (All types): Heart of the Crusader, Totem of Wrath

* Melee Attack Speed Slow Debuff: Icy Touch, Infected Wounds, Judgements of the Just, Thunderclap

* Melee Hit Chance Reduction Debuff: Insect Swarm, Scorpid Sting

* Healing Debuff: Wound Poison, Aimed Shot, Mortal Strike, Furious Attacks

* Attack Power Debuff: Demoralizing Roar, Curse of Weakness, Demoralizing Shout

* Stat Multiplier Buff: Blessing of Kings

* Stat Add Buff: Mark of the Wild

* Agility and Strength Buff: Strength of Earth Totem, Horn of Winter

* Stamina Buff: Power Word:[/b] Fortitude

* Health Buff: Commanding Shout, Blood Pact

* Intellect Buff: Arcane Intellect, Fel Intelligence

* Spirit Buff: Divine Spirit, Fel Intelligence

* Damage Reduction Percentage Buff: Grace, Blessing of Sanctuary

* Percentage Increase Healing Received Buff: Tree of Life, Improved Devotion Aura

* Armor Increase Percentage Buff: Inspiration, Ancestral Healing

* Cast Speed Slow: Curse of Tongues, Slow, Mind-numbing Poison.

 

In each category, you can only benefit from the most powerful spell granting that effect. For example, Fel Intelligence grants spirit and intellect, both weaker than Arcane Intellect and Divine Spirit. If a player has Fel Intelligence and receives a stronger Arcane Intellect buff, he will gain the intellect value from Arcane Intellect and the spirit value from Fel Intelligence.

 

In most cases, fully-talented players will have exactly equal power on the strength of these buffs and debuffs. Fel Intelligence is an example of where one ability is weaker than others. The buffs in the "Increased Spell Power Buff" category are also not all the same potency, as they scale and grow in radically different ways. In virtually every other case, however, the buffs are equal. This means, for example, that fully-talented Battle Shout and Blessing of Might now grant the exact same amount of attack power.

 

In addition to this change, we also needed to address the "mana battery" roles in a raid. The mana regeneration effect they grant is no longer limited to their own party, and it no longer depends on the amount of damage they deal. Each time they trigger the mana regeneration effect, 10 people in their raid group will receive a buff which causes them to regenerate 0.5% of their maximum mana each second. This buff, Replenishment, will be given preferentially to raid members with the lowest mana, but will re-evaluate which raid members receive it each time it is fired. Replenishment is provided by Shadow Priests, Survival Hunters, and Retribution Paladins.

 

Finally, we have modified Heroism and Bloodlust to affect the entire raid. However, all affected raid members will be unable to cast or benefit from Bloodlust/Heroism for 5 minutes.

 

Below you will find a list of the changes to abilities which exhibit new behavior regardless of the exclusive categories. The changes usually mean the old behavior was removed and replaced by the new behavior. Numbers listed are for maximally-talented versions. Here is that list of changes:

 

* Improved Scorch: Increases spell critical strike chance against the target.

* Winter's Chill: Also increases spell critical strike chance against the target.

* Elemental Oath: Grants 5% spell crital strike to raid members.

* Improved Moonkin Aura: Grants 3% haste of all types.

* Earth and Moon: Increases spell damage taken from all schools by 13% on the target.

* Misery: Causes spells cast at the target to have +3% spell hit.

* Shadow Weaving: Buffs only self.

* Improved Shadow Bolt: Buffs only self.

* Expose Weakness: Buffs only self.

* Shadow Embrace: Buffs only self.

* Blood Pact: Grants health instead of Stamina.

* Fel Intelligence: Has replacement ranks that grant flat values of Intellect and Spirit.

* Frost Aura: Excludes properly against all other resistance buffs.

* Grace: Reduces damage taken by target by 3%.

* Rampage: Increases melee and ranged critical strike chance by 5% for the raid.

* Improved Faerie Fire: No longer benefits melee and ranged hit chance, only spell hit.

* Hunter's Mark: No longer increases attack power bonus from attacks against the target.

* Improved Hunter's Mark: No longer grants melee attack power.

* Sting (Hunter pet): Now acts as a minor armor debuff.

* Waylay: Attack speed reduction changed to 20%.

* Icy Touch: Only slows melee attack speed (not ranged or spell).

* Tree of Life: No longer grants healing based on spirit, grants 3% increased healing received to raid.

* Demonic Pact: Now buffs raid instead of debuffing monsters.

* Focus Magic: Now buffs raid instead of debuffing monsters.

* Totem of Wrath: Now grants a flat amount of spell damage, and all enemies in its radius have an increased chance of being struck by criticals.

* Heroism: Cannot be recast while caster has Exhausted debuff, and those with Exhausted debuff cannot be affected by it.

* Bloodlust: Cannot be recast while caster has Sated debuff, and those with Sated debuff cannot be affected by it.

* Vampiric Touch: Grants Replenishment mana regeneration buff to up to 10 raid members on dealing damage.

* Hunting Party: Grants Replenishment mana regeneration buff to up to 10 raid members on specified shots.

* Judgements of the Wise: Grants Replenishment mana regeneration buff to up to 10 raid members on Judging.

In addition to this change, we also needed to address the "mana battery" roles in a raid. The mana regeneration effect they grant is no longer limited to their own party, and it no longer depends on the amount of damage they deal. Each time they trigger the mana regeneration effect, 10 people in their raid group will receive a buff which causes them to regenerate 0.5% of their maximum mana each second. This buff, Replenishment, will be given preferentially to raid members with the lowest mana, but will re-evaluate which raid members receive it each time it is fired. Replenishment is provided by Shadow Priests, Survival Hunters, and Retribution Paladins.

 

whaaaaaaaat

 

i guess vampiric embrace will stay the same? hmm.

 

 

Ya know I've been thinking, 30 specs, 25 raid slots.

Five healing specs, four tanking specs.

11 melee specs. 9 spell damage specs. And hunters.

 

It'll be interesting.

And how are ret pallies mana batteries?

was it broken ?

 

And how are ret pallies mana batteries?

The new talent we're getting, where we restore mana as a percentage of the damage our Judgements do. Judgement of the Wise or something.

 

*Edit*

Also does this mean that Battle Shout and Blessing of Might no longer stack?

 

#$%!

Edited August 29, 2008 by Ecthelion

BS > BoM

#$%!

 

 

QFMFT!

BS > BoM

Unless you have imp BoM

The new talent we're getting, where we restore mana as a percentage of the damage our Judgements do. Judgement of the Wise or something.

 

according to that blue post it wont matter how much dmg that judgement does it'll only proc a "refreshment" buff.

BoM will be the same final number as BS, that's their "fix"

Unless you have imp BoM

 

WoLK@80

BS - 550 * 25% = 687.5

BoM - 350 * 50% = 525

 

Nice to know that spending points in Prot to get kings is a must still.

 

...

WoLK@80

BS - 550 * 25% = 687.5

BoM - 350 * 50% = 525

 

Until BS affects Ranged AP BoM will always be better.

Until BS affects Ranged AP BoM will always be better.

 

They'll just have battle shout for melee and BoM for hunters.

Curious, if BS and BoM don't stack, will they still both be applied and jsut not stack or will it say a more powerful spell is active?

Weird...but makes sense for you raiding people

I also noticed that in this same build, they essentially killed any utility that Affliction locks could offer.

 

- Maledicted CoE is ousted by Ebon Plague from DK

- CoR is ousted by FF

- Frailty CoW is beaten by Demo Shout/Roar

- ISB is personal DPS, doesn't affect other locks or SPriests

- Shadow Embrace only affects the caster.

 

 

/sadpanda

Below you will find a list of the changes to abilities which exhibit new behavior regardless of the exclusive categories. The changes usually mean the old behavior was removed and replaced by the new behavior. Numbers listed are for maximally-talented versions. Here is that list of changes:

 

* Judgements of the Wise: Grants Replenishment mana regeneration buff to up to 10 raid members on Judging.

 

So is this only in a raid setting, because if not that it's going to kind of suck outside of pve compared to the old mechanic.

Edited August 29, 2008 by Arlan

also did they say how long replenishment will last?

 

correct me if im wrong, but as a shadow priest the only thing we have that would proc replenishment would be vampiric touch. VT lasts 15 seconds, so hopefully replenishment lasts at least that long otherwise there's gonna be a window where mana regen won't be occurring.

 

if you knew the timing of replenishment and casted in a rotation that would keep it up constantly, would it just refresh it on those who had it, or do like it says and apply it to 10 raiders with the lowest mana?

 

+++edit+++

 

"This buff, Replenishment, will be given preferentially to raid members with the lowest mana, but will re-evaluate which raid members receive it each time it is fired" i guess that kinda answers my last question

Edited August 29, 2008 by Erlin

Until BS affects Ranged AP BoM will always be better.

 

 

Done.

 

Fury

 

* Battle Shout now increases both melee and ranged attack power of the raid.

Done.

 

Glyph of Blessing of Might - Your Blessing of Might also grants offensive spell power equal to 10% of the attack power it grants.

 

Hmmm... Bobthemage says "where is my blessing of might?"

 

Also,

 

Glyph of Blessing Of Kings - Your Blessing of Kings also increases attack power on affected targets by 3%.

 

 

 

 

oh, and

 

Glyph of Blessing of Might - Increases the duration of your Blessing of Might spell by 20 min when cast on yourself.

 

Yea... take that