Dragonflight Beta Development Notes - Phase 6

Here are the changes you can find in this week’s Dragonflight Beta update:

CHARACTERS

  • Resolved an issue that caused Da Voodoo Shuffle (Troll Racial) to reduce the duration of roots by less than intended. Duration reduced by 20%, matching current Snare reduction amount.

CLASSES

  • NEW TALENT SYSTEM
    • DEATH KNIGHT
      • Blood
        • Heart Strike now generates 15 runic power (was 10).
      • Frost
        • Obliterate – Damage increased by 15%.
        • Howling Blast – Damage increased by 12%.
        • Breath of Sindragosa – Damage increased by 15%.
        • Remorseless Winter – Damage increased by 10%.
        • Frost Strike – Damage increased by 20%.
        • Unleashed Frenzy – Strength per stack increased to 2% (was 1%).
        • Pillar of Frost – Strength increased to 25% (was 20%) and Strength per rune spent increased to 2% (was 1%).
        • Frostscythe – Damage increased by 15%.
        • Frigid Executioner – Obliterate damage increased to 15% (was 10%) and chance to refund 2 runes increased to 15% (was 12%).
        • Piercing Chill – Damage taken per bounce of Chill Streak increased to 10% (was 5%).
        • Shattering Blade – Bonus Frost Strike damage increased to 100% (was 60%).
        • Enduring Strength – Strength increased to 10/20% per rank (was 5/10%).
      • Unholy
        • Superstrain – Now applies Frost Fever and Blood Plague at 80% effectiveness. This includes runic power generated from Frost Fever which is now 4 (was 5).
        • Summon Gargoyle – Damage of Gargoyle Strike increased by 25%. Now properly scales with Mastery.
        • Commander of the Dead – Damage buff for your Army of the Dead Ghouls and Gargoyle increased to 35% (was 30%). Commander of the Dead will now apply to ghouls who were still being summoned in by Army of the Dead when Dark Transformation was pressed.
        • Death Coil – Damage reduced by 15%.
        • Raise Dead – All Pet ghoul damage reduced by 10%.
        • Death Rot – Now applies to all enemies damaged by Epidemic or Death Coil (was only your primary target).
        • Scourge Strike – Damage reduced by 8%.
        • Clawing Shadows – Damage reduced by 8%.
        • Festering Wound – Damage reduced by 10%.
        • Magus of the Dead – Frostbolt and Shadowbolt damage increased by 100%.
        • Unholy Pact – No longer grants 5% Strength.
        • Rotten Touch – Increases Scourge Strike damage by 50% for 6 seconds (was 30%).
        • Ghoulish Frenzy – Attack Speed and Damage gained decreased to 5/10% (was 6/12%).
        • Coil of Devastation – Now deals 30% of Death Coil damage over 4 seconds (was 35%).
    • DEMON HUNTER
      • Class Tree
        • Sigil of Silence – Moved to the Vengeance tree as a choice node with Roaring Fire.
        • New Talent: Soul Sigils – Afflicting an enemy with one of your Sigils generates 1 Lesser Soul Fragment.
        • A few Demon Hunter Class talents have moved positions due to the above change.
    • DRUID
      • Class Tree
        • Furor has been removed.
        • New Talent: Protector of the Pack
          • Restoration: Store 10% of your effective healing, up to 120% spell power. Your next Moonfire consumes all stored healing to increase its damage dealt.
          • Feral/Guardian/Balance: Store 10% of your damage, up to 120% spell power. Your next Regrowth consumes all stored damage to increase its healing.
      • Balance
        • Lunar Shrapnel has been redesigned – Starfall’s stars have a chance to deal an additional 25% damage to nearby enemies when they damage an enemy afflicted by Moonfire. Deals reduced damage beyond 8 targets.
        • Umbral Intensity – Now additive and the tooltip has been changed to the following: Solar Eclipse increases the damage of Wrath by an additional 10/20%. Lunar Eclipse increases the critical strike chance of Starfire by an additional 10/20%.
        • Sundered Firmament – Astral Power generation is now correctly granting 25% of Fury of Elune’s Astral Power generation.
        • Stellar Flare – No longer generates Astral Power when granted by Stellar Inspiration.
        • The chance for Shooting Stars to occur has been reduced.
        • Wild Mushrooms no longer have nameplates.
      • Feral
        • Rip – Damage increased by 10%.
        • Ferocious Bite – Damage decreased by 10%.
        • Thrash – Damage increased by 25%.
        • Rake – Damage increased by 25%.
        • In addition to the above rebalancing, Shred, Swipe, Brutal Slash, Rake, Thrash, Ferocious Bite, Rip, Primal Wrath damage reduced by 10%.
        • Ferocious Bites during Convoke the Spirits hit as if 4 combo points were spent (was 5).
          • Developers’ note: Convoke the Spirits damage needs to be tuned down, and the vast majority of Convoke’s damage comes from the Ferocious Bites it casts. Reducing the likelihood for Convoke to cast Ferocious Bite would increase the variability in the damage a single Convoke does in a way that could increase the dissatisfaction of getting a “bad Convoke.” This change reduces Convoke’s damage by about 12% but leave its variance about the same.
        • Tireless Energy – Energy recovery bonus reduced to 8%/15% (was 10%/20%).
        • Sabertooth – Ferocious Bite damage bonus reduced to 15% (was 20%). Bleed damage buff per combo point increased to 5% (was 4%).
        • Dreadful Bleeding – Damage bonus increased to 20% (was 15%).
        • Frenzied Assault – Effect reduced to 125% (was 150%).
        • Tear Open Wounds – Effect reduced to 60% (was 75%).
        • Rip and Tear – Bleed duration changed to 8 seconds (was 6 seconds) and bleed damage no longer incorporates the effect of Sabertooth’s Rip damage bonus.
        • Rampant Ferocity – Effect reduced to 20% (was 25%).
        • Bloodtalons – Effect reduced to 25% (was 30%).
        • Fixed an issue causing damage dealt by Rampant Ferocity to be reduced by armor.
        • Fixed issues causing Double-Clawed Rake to not choose targets for second Rake intelligently.
      • Restoration
        • Nature’s Splendor – Now increases the effectiveness of Nature’s Swiftness’s healing bonus by 35% (was 50%).
        • Dreamstate – Increased cooldown reduction to 15 seconds (was 12 seconds).
        • Soul of the Forest – Healing bonus to Wild Growth decreased to 60% (was 75%).
        • Unstoppable Growth – Now decreases Wild Growth’s falloff by 15%/30% (was 20%/40%).
        • Verdancy – Healing increased by 125%.
        • Convoke the Spirits – Flourishes cast by Convoke the Spirits now last 4 seconds and extend healing over time effects by 4 seconds.
        • Embrace the Dream – Healing increased by 20%.
        • Nurturing Dormancy – Now extends Rejuvenation by 1 second (was 2 seconds), up to 3 seconds (was 6 seconds).
        • Invigorate – Lifeblooms and Rejuvenations affected by Invigorate now complete 200% faster (was 100%).
        • Power of the Archdruid – Now causes your next Rejuvenation or Regrowth to apply to 2 additional allies (was 3).
    • EVOKER
      • Devastation
        • The starter build has been updated to use more appropriate talents.
        • Fire Breath has been redesigned – Empowering Fire Breath now shifts the proportion of damage between the instant effect and the periodic effect. Damage coefficients have been reduced by 15%, but total damage dealt has been increased by ~15%.
        • Blast Furnace has been redesigned – Fire Breath damage over time lasts 2 seconds / 4 seconds longer.
        • Heat Wave – Now affects all damage, not just periodic damage.
        • Eternity Surge – Damage radius has been increased to 12 yards (was 8 yards).
      • Preservation
        • The starter build has been updated to use more appropriate talents.
        • Lifebind has swapped places with Call of Ysera in the tree.
        • Lifeforce Mender – Now a 2 point node (was 3).
    • MAGE
      • General
        • Teleport: Valdrakken and Portal: Valdrakken have been added. These can be learned from the Portal Trainer in Valdrakken at level 62 and level 68 respectively.
        • Frostbolt deals 50% additional damage in PvP combat (was 100%).
      • Arcane
        • Nether Precision moved to Impetus position
        • Impetus moved to Slipstream position
        • Slipstream now available directly after Crackling Energy and Nether Precision
        • Arcing Cleave and Resonance swapped positions in the tree.
        • Nether Precision – Fixed an issue with this consuming a charge of the buff if a clearcasted Arcane Missiles was queued up after casting Arcane Blast.
      • Fire
        • Master of Flame swapped positions with Pyromaniac/Firefall choice node.
    • MONK
      • Mistweaver
        • Overflowing Mists – Now heals for 1%/2% of max health (was 1.5%/3%).
        • Invoker’s Delight – Now has an 8 second duration with Gift of the Celestials (was 7 seconds).
        • Enveloping Mist – Increased healing by 12.5%.
        • Rising Sun Kick – Increased damage by 25% for Mistweavers. Mana cost increased to 2.5% of base mana (was 1.5%).
        • Tiger Palm – Increased damage by 40% for Mistweavers.
        • Blackout Kick – Reduced damage by 20% for Mistweavers.
      • Windwalker
        • Strike of the Windlord damage has been adjusted.
        • Fixed an issue preventing Forbidden Touch from functioning.
        • Mark of the Crane – Now correctly grants its passive when talented.
        • Empowered Tiger Lightning – Now correctly grants its passive when talented.
    • PALADIN
      • Holy
        • Glimmer of Light – Healing and damage increased by 20%.
        • Divine Purpose and Awakening can no longer trigger from Second Sunrise.
    • PRIEST
      • Class Tree
        • Fade (Rank 2) – Removed. Functionality is now a part of base Fade.
        • Focused Will (Rank 2) – Removed. Discipline and Holy passively have the rank 2 effect.
      • Discipline
        • Mind Blast – Damage increased by 38%.
      • Shadow
        • Talent tree has been rearranged.
        • Dark Void – Cooldown no longer affected by Haste.
        • Shadow Crash – Cooldown no longer affected by Haste.
        • Mind Blast – Generates 6 Insanity (was 8). Damage reduced by 20%.
        • Mind Spike – Generates 4 Insanity (was 6). Damaged reduced by 50%.
        • Auspicious Spirits – Generates 1 Insanity (was 2).
        • Vampiric Touch – Generates 4 Insanity (was 5).
        • Shadow Word: Pain – Generates 3 Insanity (was 4).
        • Mind Flay: Insanity – Generates 4 Insanity per tick (was 6).
        • Idol of C’Thun – Mind Flay from Void Tendril generates 2 Insanity per tick (was 3). Mind Sear from Void Lasher now generates 2 Insanity per tick (was 1), and no longer generates additional Insanity based on number of targets hit.
        • Mind Flay – Generates 2 Insanity per tick (was 3).
        • Mindbender – Generates 3 Insanity per melee attack (was 5).
        • Hallucinations – Generates 4 Insanity (was 6).
        • Dark Void – Generates 15 Insanity (was 20). Applies Shadow Word: Pain to 15 additional targets (was 8).
        • Echoing Void – Damage reduced by 50%.
        • Idol of Yogg-Saron – Requires 100 Shadowy Apparitions (was 200). Damage of Void Spike increased by 1100%.
        • Surge of Darkness – Increases the damage of Mind Spike by 200% (was 50%).
        • Mind Sear – Damage increased by 115%.
        • Devouring Plague – Damage increased by 30%.
        • Void Bolt – Damage increased by 80%.
        • Coalescing Shadows – Increases the damage of Mind Spike and Mind Blast by 10% (was 20%).
        • Mind Melt – Increases the critical strike chance of Mind Blast by 25% (was 50%).
    • ROGUE
      • General
        • Instant Poison – Damage reduced by 21%.
      • Outlaw
        • Restless Crew – Removed.
        • New Talent: Improved Adrenaline Rush – Generate full combo points when you gain Adrenaline Rush, and again when it ends.
        • Between the Eyes – Now baseline (was talented).
        • New Talent: Improved Between the Eyes – Critical hits with Between the Eyes deal four times normal damage.
        • Some Outlaw talents have changed positions to account for the above change.
        • Keep it Rolling – Cooldown increased to 7 minutes (was 5 minutes).
        • Dreadblades – Cooldown increased to 2 minutes (was 1.5 minutes).
      • Subtlety
        • Improved Shadow Dance – Increases duration of Shadow Dance by 1/2 seconds (was 2/4 seconds).
    • SHAMAN
      • Enhancement
        • Windfury Totem functionality has been adjusted:
          • Main-hand auto attack interaction is unchanged.
          • Off-hand attacks can trigger an off-hand Windfury attack. This is an actual real “auto attack”, which means things like Flametongue Weapon, or whatever other effects may activate from off-hand attacks, can now potentially happen from this bonus attack.
          • Windfury Totem extra attacks can no longer miss. Targets can still dodge or parry these attacks, they are just no longer able to miss.
          • Enhancement Shaman who are under the effects of Ascendance can now benefit from Windfury Totem if they are auto-attacking from outside of melee range range with Windlash.
    • WARLOCK
      • Affliction
        • Nightfall – Now causes Drain Soul to channel 50% faster.
    • WARRIOR
      • Class Developer Notes
        • Our focus continues to be on bug fixing and tuning, things are progressing well here, and many small fixes have not been mentioned in the update notes.
        • We’ve also been working on the Rage economy across the Warrior class and have been taking small steps to reduce Rage generation throughout the Beta.
        • We’re purposely taking a measured approach here as we feel all three specializations are in fun places to play and part of that is due to the availability of Rage.
        • In turn, all three specializations should feel their Rage economy reduced a small amount in this update.
        • We’ve removed Wrenching Impact. We’d like to provide a different choice node for Heroic Leap but will not be looking to do this for the launch of Dragonflight as our priorities are currently on stability and tuning.
      • Class Tree
        • Avatar now appears on the personal resource bar when on cooldown
        • Seismic Reverberation (Arms / Fury) – The extra hit from Whirlwind now deals 30% of Whirlwind’s damage (was 50%).
        • Barbaric Training (Arms) – Slam and Whirlwind’s damage bonus reduced to 30% (was 40%) and now increases the Rage cost by 10 (was 5).
        • Thunderous Words – Damage bonus for Bleed effects reduced to 15% (was 20%).
        • Avatar – Generates 10 Rage (was 15).
        • Heroic Throw (Protection) – Now has a cooldown of 1 second.
        • Titanic Throw – Now has a cooldown of 3 seconds for Protection and 8 seconds for Arms and Fury.
        • Wrenching Impact has been removed.
        • Sidearm – Tooltip now matches the chance to trigger correctly.
        • Shockwave (Protection) – Base damage increased by 50%.
      • Arms
        • Storm of Swords – Damage bonus granted to Whirlwind reduced to 175% (was 200%).
        • Seasoned Soldier – Grants 20% bonus Rage from crits (was 30%).
        • Improved Overpower – Overpower deals 10% increased damage (was 5%).
        • Critical Thinking – Now refunds 5% of the Rage spent on Execute per rank (was 10%).
        • Skullsplitter – Cooldown is no longer modified by Haste.
        • Bloodsurge – Chance to grant Rage reduced to 15% (was 20%).
        • Deft Experience – Grants 0.45% increase to Tactician (was 0.5%).
      • Fury
        • Slaughtering Strikes – Auras now apply correctly and will no longer duplicate.
        • Improved Whirlwind – Multi target proc charges now appear in the personal resource bar.
        • Meat Cleaver – Whirlwind damage bonus reduced to 20% (was 25%).
        • Storm of Swords – Damage bonus of Whirlwind reduced to 70% (was 100%) and Whirlwind’s cooldown increased to 7 seconds (was 6 seconds).
        • Odyn’s Fury – Generates 15 Rage (was 20).
        • Raging Blow damage has been increased by 8%.
        • Crushing Blow damage has been increased by 3%.
      • Protection
        • Unbreakable Will – Now correctly applies to party members.
        • Revenge – Damage reduced to 45% (was 53%).
        • Thunderlord – Each enemy hit by Thunderclap reduces the remaining cooldown of Demoralizing Shout by 1 second up to 3 seconds (was up to 4 seconds).
        • Booming Voice – Generates 30 Rage (was 40).
        • Champion’s Bulwark – Grants 20 bonus Rage (was 30).
        • Violent Outburst – Now causes Shield Slam and Thunderclap to generate 50% additional Rage, rather than 30 and 10 additional Rage.
        • Impenetrable Wall – Now grants Shield Slam 3 extra Rage (was 5).
        • Heavy Repercussions – Now grants Shield Slam 2 extra Rage (was 3).
        • Champion’s Bulwark – No longer consumes a Charge of Shield Block or resets Shield Blocks cooldown.
        • Dance of Death – Now applies to your current Ravager and any future Ravager casts within the next 2 minutes.
        • Bloodsurge – Chance to grant Rage reduced to 15% (was 20%).
        • Bloodborne – Damage bonus granted to Bleeds now 10% (was 15%).

PROFESSIONS

  • Crafting Recipes now have a more representative Quality difficulty. Feedback on the difficulty of achieving a certain quality for any given piece of crafted gear is very welcome.
  • MINING
    • In this week’s build, we’ve updated a large majority of Mining nodes that were previously inaccessible. If you’re an avid Miner, please let us know how the current state of node density and placement feels!
  • Known Issue: Minimap tracking of Ore, Fish & Herbs can sometimes not display properly. If this is happening, please disable and enable tracking to resolve this.

USER INTERFACE AND ACCESSIBILITY

  • NEW HUD UI
    • Unit frame art updated
      • Target of Target
      • Minor Mobs
      • Boss Frames
    • EDIT MODE
      • Added a slider to adjust the sizes of Unit Frames of player, target, and party.
  • Added Dragonflight credits

Dragonriding

  • Players who unlock new customizations can now see them marked with a “NEW” tag when visiting the Rostrum of Transformation
  • We’ve made improvements to the Vigor bar to better indicate when the player is charging
  • Additional Winds of the Isles have been added to Thaldraszus for smoother navigation to Tyrhold
  • Winds of the Isles now provides a slight boost forward to better enable travel post-boost
  • Drake and Rider Training has swapped places with Redirection on the Dragonriding Skill Track
    • This provides players with an additional point of maximum Vigor as part of the tutorial
6 Oct 2022