Welcome to the WoW Weekly Design Corner! In this editorial series I (Mezzy) look at different parts of WoW and see how I would design the next new thing, or perhaps improve upon it. The following designs and mock content are NOT official content.
Last time we found ourselves in the Halls where we encountered the servants and occupants. But today, we climb the tower of Karazhan where we will find our final challenge to overcome before the rift in time and space can be closed: The Echo of Medivh.
When designing the final wing/boss I wanted to make something that was memorable. It was a final boss fight, but didn’t necessarily have to be complex. In the end it does have some more chaotic elements to it that you can’t control, but also some more fun aspects to it through the fighting of not just the Echo of Medivh, but the echoes of foes you’ve fought in the past. In normal/heroic you fight just those within TLHoK, but on mythic you’ll encounter the abilities of foes beyond the halls. Which in the end makes for a really fun (theoretical) encounter!
Due to the amount of abilities the encounter has, it’s been split into 2 tabs below. The first being the normal/heroic fight and the second tab being the mythic changes. These mythic changes replace the Echoes of normal/heroic. As usual, the encounter journal entires are at the bottom of the tabs.
Other than a video I hope to release in the future to bring the Time-Lost Halls of Karazhan further to life, this will be it for the TLHoK. I certainly hope you enjoyed it!
Echo of Medivh
The Echo of Medivh prevents the Time-Lost Halls from disappearing, keeping the portal to Draenor open. Defeat the Echo to close the rift in time and space.
Encounter description and design notes:
Arcane Blast – Deals 80,000 arcane damage to the target. Medivh gains Arcane Infusion on target.
Arcane Infusion – Increases Arcane Blast damage by 15%. Increases all magic damage by 1.5%. Stacks.
Note: Just means Medivh will do increasing damage on the target with this ability.. had to change wording to fit it in the photoshopped dungeon journal entry.
Arcanic Thunder – Puts an arcanic storm in the targeted area, any player standing in it will take 120,000 arcane damage per second.
Mana implosion – Medivh expels the mana from the targeted players, causing their mana to be depleted and spawns mana orbs around the room for each player’s mana that was depleted.
Mana Orb – Restores 30,000 mana when picked up by a player.
Mana explosion – Medivh detonates the mana orbs floating around in the room, dealing 30,000 arcane damage to every player per orb.
Consume Essence – Every 20% health the Echo of Medivh will draw on the essence from enemies once defeated, resulting in one final echo from your foes. Medivh can have up to 2 essences active at the same time. Resets Arcane Infusion stacks.
Howl of the Den Mother – Echo of Medivh summons Fel Pup Echoes.
Fel Pup Echo – Deals 30,000 auto attack damage every second.
Fire Pulse – Deals 100,000 fire damage to every player every 5 seconds. Medivh gains a stack of Fired Up! Resets on Essence change.
Fired Up! – Increases fire damage dealt by 1%.
Summon Duplicate Echo of Atiesh – The duplicate Echo of Atiesh deals 50,000 arcane damage to a random player.
Sore Spot – Increases magic damage by 10% per stack. Resets on Essence change.
Arcane Beam – A beam of arcane energy travels around the room, if the player gets hit by it they will take 250,000 arcane damage.
Empowered Staff – Atiesh becomes heavy, dealing heavy physical damage to the player
Wrath of the Last Guardian – At 30% health Echo of Medivh goes into a frenzy, breaking the barrier between the magical ley lines and the Time-Lost Halls.
Mirror Image – Summons 3 Mirror Images that each cast a bolt in a different spell school.
Sargeras’ Wrath
Sargeras’ spirit deep within the echo unleashes his anger, destroying any mortal who gets hit. Find cover!
Demonified Medivh voice over: “Die you pathetic mortals!”
Development notes:
The tower room is very big and circular. Next to the Echo of Medivh there are holograms of each of the previous bosses that have all been defeated by the raid. Medivh is seen channeling a beam with which he’s drawing the essence from Celeus.
During the 2nd phase, the air color will change, showing the collapse of the dimension of the Time-Lost Halls. After the defeat of the Echo of Medivh the environment will continue to have this light, creating a sense of urgency to get out and escape the dimension, back to Draenor.
Sargeras’ Wrath gets cast at 10% health, causing an explosion of chaos damage. A bubble safe zone will appear for players to stand in to not get killed by the ability.
When Mana Implosion is cast, the more mana a player had, the more mana orbs will spawn. This means later in the fight it’ll have less effect.
Mythic Abilities
On Mythic Difficulty Medivh draws upon the powers of enemies you have faced in the past, outside of the Time-Lost Halls. This replaces the Echoes from normal/heroic.
Development/Encounter Notes:
(M) Echo of the Lich King
Infest – Deals 75,000 Shadow damage to all players. In addition, the targets will take increasing Shadow damage per second. This effect is removed when the target has more than 90% health.
(M) Echo of Garrosh Hellscream
Touch of Y’Shaarj – Corrupts the targeted players minds. The targets snap out of their corruption when they hit 20% health.
(M) Echo of Yogg-Saron
Summon Crusher Tentacles – Summons 2 Crusher Tentacles that reduce the players damage done by 20% each while it has no target to attack.
(M) Echo of Lei Shen
Thunderstruck – Echo of Medivh hurls lightning at the targeted area, dealing 400,000 nature damage damage to nearby enemies. Damage decreases the further an enemy is away from the point of impact.
(M) Echo of Illidan Stormrage
Agonizing Flames – Deals 200,000 fire damage to every player and continues to deal 75,000 fire damage every 3 seconds to every player.
So what do you think of the final encounter in the Time-Lost Halls of Karazhan? Do you like the raid instance as a whole? Let me know in the comments!
We have some big news concerning some of the smallest residents in Azeroth. Gnome players will at long last be able to play the Hunter class! That’s right—in World of Warcraft: Legion, you too will be able to rise up to become a big game hunter.
One for the Gnomies
Long at the forefront of cutting-edge technology in Azeroth, the inventive gnomes are finally ready to break out the big guns. Their propensity for things that go “bang” and knack for high-tech weapons like rocket launchers, high-powered rifles, and death rays make them perfect candidates for hunting down prey.
And with the events about to unfold on the Broken Shore, High Tinker Mekkatorque has commanded his people to get outfitted and ready for battle—any way they know how.
Mecha-Minions
Of course, gnomes wouldn’t be gnomes if they didn’t apply their own particular brand of engineering to their job—this time in the form of a new Hunter pet family: Mechanical.
Gnome and Goblin players will be able to tame this new kind of hard-to-find pet right from the start. Other races will also be able to learn how to control these artificial animals via a device Engineers will be able to make.
Most Mechanical pets will be challenging to tame, requiring you to first locate them and then use your Hunter abilities in unusual ways. (You didn’t think we’d make it easy, did you?)
For example, one rare mechanostrider requires you to create a special punch card that grants access to a closed section of Gnomeregan (we hope you remember the way). Once you locate the clockwork creature, you’ll then need to figure out how to overload its circuits. Solve the puzzle, and you’ll have this magnificent mechanized minion striding by your side.
What do you feed a high-tech pet that’s not technically alive? Mechanical Bits, of course! Hunters will be able to keep their shiny metal friends “happy” and “healthy” through the creative use of Engineering supplies such as a Handful of Copper Bolts.
And just in case you think we’re lowering ourselves by making “small” jokes, we present to you the Gnome Hunter’s starting pet—the Giant Mechanical Rabbit—as proof!
Will you rise up to the challenge and collect them all?
The Legion Alpha has officially gone live and we were lucky enough to get invited! Currently just the Demon Hunter starting area is enabled, so that’s exactly what we’ll start with! LJ and Mezzy experience it first-hand and are just a tad excited!
The first Legion beta build has been datamined by MMO-Champion and wowhead! You should definitely check out their full datamining pages, but here’s a highlight summary:
During scheduled maintenance on Tuesday, November 17, we’ll release Patch 6.2.3, bringing cross-realm Mythic raiding, new Timewalking dungeons, the return of the Valor currency, the Grove Warden mount, and more to the game.
Tuesday’s maintenance period will also mark the end of the current PvP season and the beginning of Warlords Season 3. In the new season, you’ll have a chance to earn new PvP gear, including the Warmongering Aspirant (PvP item level 715), Warmongering Combatant (ilvl 730), and Warmongering Gladiator (ilvl 740) sets.
For those interested in diving into dungeons, the very first Cataclysm Timewalking Bonus Event begins Wednesday, November 18, featuring Grim Batol, Stonecore, Lost City of Tol’vir, Vortex Pinnacle, Throne of Tides, and End Time. We’re also expanding the Northrend Timewalking Bonus Event to include Pit of Saron and The Burning Crusade Timewalking Bonus Event to include Magister’s Terrace.
Check out the links below for more, and we’ll see you on Draenor!
A new Cataclysm Timewalking Bonus Event has been added to the holiday rotation, featuring the following dungeons:
End Time
Grim Batol
Lost City of Tol’vir
Stonecore
The Vortex Pinnacle
Throne of Tides
The existing Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King Timewalking events have been expanded to include an additional dungeon each:
Magister’s Terrace (Burning Crusade)
Pit of Saron (Wrath of the Lich King)
New rare mount: Infinite Timereaver, has been added as a random drop from any Timewalking boss.
Added a vendor near the Cataclysm portals in Stormwind and Orgrimmar during the Cataclysm Timewalking Bonus Event that sells modernized Cataclysm gear and cool new toys.
Cross-Realm Mythic Raiding
Cross-Realm raiding has been enabled for Hellfire Citadel on Mythic difficulty. You’ll now be able to join with friends or fill that last raid spot to take on the most difficult encounters in Warlords of Draenor.
Item Upgrades and Valor are back!
Item upgrades are back! Players will be able to earn and spend Valor to upgrade items from Hellfire Citadel, crafted profession items, items created from Baleful tokens in Tanaan Jungle, and all Draenor dungeon drops. All the items you’ve already earned are eligible for upgrades retroactively.
Characters can earn Valor in a number of ways.
Completing the first random Heroic Dungeon of the day
Completing Mythic Dungeons
Completing weekly Bonus Event quests (except for the Pet Battle Bonus Event)
Completing a Raid Finder wing for Highmaul, Blackrock Foundry, or Hellfire Citadel for the first time each week.
To upgrade, visit your friendly neighborhood ethereal in Orgrimmar and Stormwind, or Stormshield and Warspear to upgrade your gear by 5 item levels at a time for 250 Valor, up to twice per item, for a total potential boost of 10 item levels.
Improved Item Rewards
Mythic Dungeon Loot Improvements
Mythic Dungeons now have a chance to award items ranging from item level 685 to 725 in 5-item-level increments, with a progressively lower chance as item level increases.
Mythic Dungeon bosses now also have a chance to drop a new Heirloom Trinket that will scale up to level 110.
Baleful Item Level Boost
Baleful items now have a chance to create items ranging in quality from item level 655 to 695 in 5-item-level increments, with a progressively lower chance as item level increases.
Warlords Season 3
Around the release of Patch 6.2.3, a transition to Warlords Season 3 will take place. More information and details on the close of Warlords Season 2 and transition to the new season will be available in the future.
With the new season comes new gear. New Warmongering Aspirant gear scales up to PvP item level 715, Warmongering Combatant gear scales to 730, and Warmongering Gladiator gear scales to 740.
Class Tuning Changes
Death Knight
General
Blood Boil, Blood Plague, Death Coil, Death and Decay, Frost Fever, and Soul Reaper damage has been increased by 10%.
Frost
Frost Strike, Howling Blast, and Obliterate damage has been increased by 10%.
Unholy
Festering Strike, Necrosis, and Scourge Strike damage has been increased by 10%.
Talents
Defile and Necrotic Plague damage has been increased by 10%.
Druid
General
Moonfire and Wrath damage has been increased by 6%.
Balance
Starfall, Starfire, Starsurge, and Sunfire damage has been increased by 6%.
Paladin
General
Crusader Strike, Hammer of Wrath, and Judgmentdamage has been increased by 8%.
Retribution
Divine Storm, Seal of Truth, and Templar’s Verdict damage has been increased by 8%.
Shaman
General
Chain Lightning, Flame Shock, Lava Burst, Lightning Bolt, and Lightning Shield damage has been increased by 4%.
Elemental
Mastery: Molten Earth, Earth Shock, and Earthquake damage has been increased by 4%.
Enhancement
Lava Lash, Stormstrike, and Windfury damage has been increased by 4%.
Warriors
General
Enrage now increases all damage dealt by 15% (up from 10%).
Arms
Seasoned Soldier now increases all damage dealt by 15% (up from 10%).
Raids and Dungeons
Hellfire Citadel
Defeating Archimonde on Heroic difficulty or higher will reward players with a mysterious fragment of dark power that begins a quest which will lead to the Grove Warden mount.
Timewalking
Pepe should now remain with players that enter into a Timewalking dungeon.
Items
Increased the drop rates of Felblight from Skinning, Mining, Herbalism, and Fishing by about 20%.
Mirror of the Blademaster now summon magical blades as guardians, instead of mirror images of the caster.
Welcome to our World of Warcraft: Legion class preview series. In this entry, we’re exploring the Druid—to find out what’s in store for a different class, check out the overview.
We continue our early look at class and specialization design with the Druid. In these blogs, we’ll be exploring class identity, discussing Legion’s new designs, and presenting core combat abilities for each specialization—laying out the foundation upon which talents and Artifacts will build further. With that in mind, let’s delve into what it means to be a Druid in World of Warcraft.
Guardians of nature who seek to preserve balance and protect life, Druids have unmatched versatility on the field of battle. This is in part because druidism is much more than a fighting discipline—it’s a way of life steeped in traditions so ancient that even the origin of their kind is preserved largely in mythology passed on through millennia.
Druids harness nature’s raw energy for an incredible breadth of offensive and defensive abilities, as well as to restore life to the wounded. Through communion with nature and the demigod Cenarius, Lord of the Forest, Druids are supernaturally endowed with the gift of shapeshifting, allowing them to take the form of all manner of nature’s creature and access powers as distinct as they are diverse.
Known for hybrid utility and shapeshifting, Druids have four diverse and well-established specializations. In Legion, we’re focusing on empowering Balance gameplay, strengthening the cohesion of Guardian abilities and their fantasy themes, and renewing Druids’ overall trait of shapeshifting between forms to fulfill distinct functions.
Making use of multiple forms for different situations has been difficult for many years, either due to a lack of access to the “off-spec” talents that make your alternate forms feel strong or because the process itself has felt overwhelming and convoluted. To help solve this issue, we’re taking a new route by replacing Heart of the Wild with a full row of Affinity talents, which essentially allow every Druid to choose an off-spec from the remaining three specializations.
Affinities provide two benefits: first, a passive ability that is useful at all times, even to your main role; second, access to multiple key abilities to use in associated shapeshifting forms. To give you a sense for how choosing your Affinity will impact gameplay, regardless of what form you’re in, here’s a look at the passive abilities they grant:
Balance Affinity
Astral Influence: Increases the range of all spells, abilities, and autoattacks by 5 yds.
Feral Affinity
Feline Swiftness: Increases movement speed by 15%.
Guardian Affinity
Thick Hide: Reduces all damage taken by 10%.
Restoration Affinity
Ysera’s Gift: Constantly heals the Druid, or allies when the Druid is at full health.
Unlike Heart of the Wild, Affinities are not temporary buffs. This enhanced access to an off-spec, delivered through a cleaner game mechanic, empowers Druids of any specialization to make interesting situational combat decisions.
Balance
The elements that carve form into the universe are fluid forces of nature. Some beings seek to bend the power of these natural elements to their will. Druids, however, worship the protecting spirits of nature. Long ago, nature’s equilibrium was thrown out of balance, leaving the world vulnerable to catastrophic events, including the first invasion of the Burning Legion.
By leveraging the sacred powers of the moon, the sun, and the stars, balance druids access arcane and nature magics—made more potent still through shapeshifting, when the spellcaster takes the form of the moonkin—to aid in the fight against imbalance that threatens the natural order of all things.
“Balance druids access arcane and nature magics to fight imbalance in the natural order of all things”
Gameplay
Balance Druids have had a variety of cyclical rotations over the years. The core design problem in all of these cycles is that they’ve forced players into watching closely for UI cues and casting spells in largely predetermined orders. The Legion design is focused on providing a flexible combat experience, where you can use abilities as you’d like, and each has a specific purpose. The Eclipse Bar has been completely replaced by an Astral Power resource, which is built and spent, and provides a platform for abilities to create interesting, engaging, and powerful effects. Balance gameplay will center on maintaining your DoTs, generating Astral Power with a mixture of Lunar Strike and Solar Wrath, and spending Astral Power on either Starsurge or Starfall.
Here’s a basic look at the core combat abilities for Balance Druids:
Moonfire
45 yd range, Instant
A quick beam of lunar light burns an enemy for minor Arcane damage and then an additional strong Arcane damage over 18 sec.
Usable while in Bear Form.
Sunfire
45 yd range, Instant
A quick beam of solar light burns an enemy for minor Nature damage and then an additional strong Nature damage over 14 sec to the primary target and all enemies within 5 yards.
Lunar Strike
45 yd range, 2.5 sec cast
Call down a strike of lunar energy, causing strong Arcane damage to the target, and minor Arcane damage to all other enemies within 5 yards.
Generates 15 Astral Power.
Solar Wrath
45 yd range, 1.5 sec cast
Hurl a ball of solar energy at the target, dealing moderate Nature damage.
Generates 9 Astral Power.
Starsurge
40 Astral Power, 45 yd range, Instant
Launch a surge of stellar energies at the target, dealing massive Astral damage.
Also grants you Lunar and Solar Empowerments, which increase the damage of your next Lunar Strike or Solar Wrath by 30%, respectively. You can accumulate up to 3 of each Empowerment.
Starfall
60 Astral Power, 45 yd range, Instant
Calls down waves of falling stars that damage enemies at the targeted location. Deals strong Astral damage over 8 sec.
Enemies in your Starfall take 30% additional damage from your Moonfire and Sunfire.
Mastery: Starlight
Increases the damage of Starfall and Starsurge, and the effect of the Empowerments that they grant by an additional 30% (with Mastery from typical gear).
Additionally, to give you an idea of how some talents may build upon this, here’s an example of one of their Balance-specific talents:
Blessing of the Ancients
Instant
Gain a Blessing of the Ancients, activating or swapping between one of the two following beneficial effects:
Blessing of Elune – Increases Astral Power generated by Solar Wrath and Lunar Strike by 50%.
Blessing of An’she – Grants 3 Astral Power every 2 sec.
Feral
Feral druids also seek to curb imbalance in nature. They observe the fantastic intricacies of the physical world and the delicate fabric in which all living creatures are given purpose. Whether on land or in the sea, in a lush jungle or an uncultivated desert, death is part of the cycle which sustains life. Nature is an eternal dance between predator and prey.
As a shapeshifter, the feral druid endlessly pursues a greater understanding of this truth. They seek a visceral connection to the wild, and in combat take the form of a deadly feline predator. Feral druids become ferocious, agile stalkers—ripping, biting, and bleeding their enemies dry. The forces of chaos are tamed by the druid’s primal fury.
“Feral druids become ferocious, agile stalkers—ripping, biting, and bleeding their enemies dry”
Gameplay
Feral Druids have a solid gameplay foundation that complements their fiction. Design changes in Legion are tempered, and we’re paying the most attention to talent options that provide a wider array of combat customization. Making Savage Roar optional in the talent tree in Warlords worked well to open up gameplay opportunities. We’re taking this approach further by flipping it around—Savage Roar is now a talent choice matched against two compelling alternatives that cater to different play styles.
Here’s a basic look at the core combat abilities for Feral Druids:
Shred
40 Energy, Melee Range, Instant
Shred the target, causing moderate Physical damage to the target. Awards 1 combo point.
Damage increased by 20% against bleeding targets.
While stealthed, Shred deals 20% increased damage, and has double the chance to critically strike.
Rake
35 Energy, Melee Range, Instant
Rake the target for minor Bleed damage and an additional strong Bleed damage over 15 sec. Reduces the target’s movement speed by 50% for 12 sec. Awards 1 combo point.
While stealthed, Rake will also stun the target for 4 sec.
Rip
30 Energy, 1 to 5 Combo Points, Melee Range, Instant
Finishing move that causes massive Bleed damage over 24 sec. Damage increases per combo point.
Ferocious Bite
25 Energy, 1 to 5 Combo Points, Melee Range, Instant
Finishing move that causes damage per combo point and consumes up to 25 additional Energy to increase damage by up to 100%.
When used on targets below 25% health, Ferocious Bite will also refresh the duration of your Rip on the target.
Critical strike chance doubled against bleeding targets.
Omen of Clarity
Passive
Your autoattacks have a chance to reduce the Energy cost of your next Cat Form ability by 100%.
Primal Fury
Passive
You gain an additional combo point when you critically strike with a combo-generating attack.
Damage over time cannot trigger this effect.
Mastery: Razor Claws
Increases the damage done by your Cat Form bleed abilities by 60% (with Mastery from typical gear).
Additionally, to give you an idea of how some talents may build upon this, here’s an example of one of their Feral-specific talents:
Jagged Wounds
Passive
Your Rip, Rake, and Thrash abilities deal the same damage as normal, but in 33% less time.
Guardian
Like their feral brothers and sisters, guardian druids attune themselves to nature through the animal kingdom. They commune with the wild to understand how life perseveres through adversity. They know that the creatures who survive are often those built to best protect themselves and their kin. In this, the guardian druid finds a deep and harmonious value in the steadfast—all the while recognizing that sturdiness requires an aggressive stance when danger comes near.
Taking the form of a great bear, the guardian druid becomes a massive wall of fur, claw, tooth, and rage, aided by the forces of nature, standing between allies and any opposing threats.
“Taking the form of a great bear, the guardian druid becomes a massive wall of fur, claw, tooth, and rage”
Gameplay
Powerful themes fuel the Guardian Druid, but the gameplay falls short of delivering on them. In particular, Guardian Druids have had a strong emphasis on avoidance, dodging attacks more than almost any other tank, with abilities accentuating that. However, this doesn’t mesh well with the image of the tough and sturdy bear. We want Guardian Druids to survive through their sheer tenacity, thick hide, massive resilience, and strong regeneration. To this end, we’ve redesigned several parts of the Druid combat ability toolkit to instead focus on those core defensive ideas—health, armor, mitigation, and regeneration—while deemphasizing dodge.
Here’s a basic look at the core combat abilities for Guardian Druids:
Mangle
Melee Range, Instant, 6 sec cooldown
Mangle the target for strong Physical damage, reducing the target’s movement speed by 50% for 12 sec. Deals 20% additional damage against bleeding targets.
Generates 5 Rage.
Lacerate
Melee Range, Instant, 3 sec cooldown
Lacerates the enemy target, dealing moderate Bleed damage and an additional moderate Bleed damage over 15 sec. Stacks up to 3 times.
Lacerate has a 25% chance to reset the cooldown on Mangle.
Thrash
Instant, 6 sec cooldown
Strikes all enemy targets within 8 yards, dealing minor Bleed damage and applying Lacerate for an additional moderate Bleed damage over 15 sec.
Moonfire
40 yd range, Instant
A quick beam of lunar light burns the enemy for minor Arcane damage and then an additional strong Arcane damage over 12 sec.
Usable while in Bear Form.
Defensive
Ironfur
40 Rage, Instant
Increases armor by 100% for 6 sec.
Multiple uses of this ability may overlap.
Mark of Ursol
40 Rage, Instant
Reduces magical damage taken by 30% for 6 sec.
Frenzied Regeneration
10 Rage, Instant, 20 sec recharge (2 charges)
Heals you for 100% of all damage taken in the last 6 sec over 6 sec (minimum 5% of maximum health).
Mastery: Nature’s Guardian
Increases your maximum health and healing received by 40% (with Mastery from typical gear).
Also increases your attack power by 20% (with Mastery from typical gear).
Additionally, to give you an idea of how some talents may build upon this, here’s an example of one of their Guardian-specific talents:
Rend and Tear
Passive
Your Lacerate bleed now also reduces the target’s damage done to you, and increases damage you do to the target, by 3% per stack.
Restoration
The many gifts provided by nature must sometimes be reciprocated. Restoration druids seek order in the world by tending directly to its many life forms. Friend to flora and fauna alike, restoration druids celebrate birth and growth. Where there is decay, they bring rejuvenation. Where there is abatement, they summon regrowth. Life not only needs protection—it needs nourishment.
To foster this harmony, the restoration druid builds a bond with the things that grow, gaining inspiration from the flower’s bloom, the seed’s sprout, the mushroom’s spores, and the tree’s growth. Like nature, the restoration druid perseveres through patience and persistence, the foundation upon which all life is built and sustained. They use this power to mend wounds and provide persistent remedies that keep their allies from falling.
“Friend to flora and fauna alike, restoration druids celebrate birth and growth”
Gameplay
Restoration Druid themes are clearly defined, and there’s a lot of cohesive flavor to love in how the spec plays. As a result, we’re making minimal changes. Their Mastery had the most room for improvement, having basically become a passive effect. We’ve redesigned it to emphasize layering healing-over-time effects, favoring more engaging gameplay, while also catering to the Restoration themes.
Here’s a basic look at the core combat abilities for Restoration Druids:
Mastery: Harmony
Your healing is increased by 12% (with Mastery from typical gear) for each of your Restoration heal over time effects on the target.
Healing Touch
2% Mana, 40 yd range, 2.5 sec cast
Heals a friendly target for a moderate amount.
Regrowth
3.7% Mana, 40 yd range, 1.5 sec cast
Heals a friendly target for a moderate amount and another minor amount over 12 sec.
Regrowth has a 60% increased chance for a critical effect.
Rejuvenation
1.9% Mana, 40 yd range, Instant
Heals the target for a moderate amount over 15 sec.
Lifebloom
2% Mana, 40 yd range, Instant
Heals the target for a moderate amount over 10 sec. When Lifebloom expires or is dispelled, the target is instantly healed for a moderate amount.
Lifebloom can be active only on one target at a time.
Efflorescence
4.3% Mana, 40 yd range, Instant
Grow a healing blossom at the target location, restoring a moderate amount of health to three injured allies within 10 yards every 2 sec for 30 sec.
Only 1 Efflorescence can be placed at a time.
Swiftmend
1.6% Mana, 40 yd range, Instant, 30 sec cooldown
Instantly heals a friendly target for a large amount.
Heals up to 6 injured allies within 30 yards of the target for a moderate amount over 7 sec.
Healing amount starts high and declines over the duration.
Living Seed
Passive
When you critically heal a target with the direct healing portion of Switmend, Regrowth, or Healing Touch, you plant a Living Seed on the target.
When the target is next attacked, the Living Seed will bloom and heal for 50% of the initial amount healed.
Omen of Clarity
Passive
Your periodic healing from Lifebloom has a 4% chance to cause you to enter a Clearcasting state, causing your next Regrowth to be free.
Additionally, to give you an idea of how some talents may build upon this, here’s an example of one of their Restoration-specific talents:
Flourish
Instant, 1 min cooldown
Extend the duration of all of your heal over time effects on friendly targets within 60 yards by 10 sec.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this early preview of our approach to Druid class and specialization design in World of Warcraft: Legion. We’ll wrap up our series tomorrow with a look at Rogues.
Welcome to our World of Warcraft: Legion class preview series. In this entry, we’re exploring the Rogue—to find out what’s in store for a different class, check out the overview.
We finish off our early look at class and specialization design with the Rogue. In these blogs, we’ve been exploring class identity, discussing Legion’s new designs, and presenting core combat abilities for each specialization—laying the foundation upon which talents and Artifacts will build further. With that in mind, let’s delve into what it means to be a Rogue in World of Warcraft.
Rogues fend for themselves, looking for fights in which they dictate the terms. They’re the shadows in the night that remain unseen until the right moment comes to strike—then they dispatch an opponent with quick blade work or a deadly toxin snuck acutely into the bloodstream. Rogues are opportunistic thieves, bandits, and assassins, but there’s an unparalleled art to what they do.
As with Hunters, the three Rogue specializations have long suffered from a lack of distinct identity. What truly sets an Assassination Rogue apart from Subtlety? And just what is a “Combat” Rogue anyway? Aren’t all three pretty focused on the art of combat? With that in mind, we’re making some bold changes that take each spec in a much more pronounced direction. We’re finding what makes them each special and amplifying their fantasy by creating abilities and talents unique to each spec that better align with their core theme.
Assassination
One of the favorite tools of the assassin is a pair of daggers coated with vicious poisons. The damage they inflict is deceiving at first—the initial wounds often seem survivable, even superficial. Then the toxins set about their business. Wounds don’t close, and blood loss continues unabated. Assassins begin their work stealthily, choosing their targets and methods of engagement carefully—but once committed to a course of action, they stick to their target until the job is done rather than disappearing into the shadows to avoid their quarry’s blows.
“Assassins begin their work stealthily, choosing their targets and methods of engagement carefully”
Gameplay
For Rogues, no specialization describes itself better than Assassination, which also remains closely aligned with its existing fantasy. And we’re further enhancing those themes through their gameplay. First, this is now the only Rogue spec with access to poisons and bleeds, making much of your damage a little more delayed, but nonetheless massive. In addition, Venomous Wounds triggers based on a combination of bleeds and poisons now to accentuate that gameplay. Assassination is home to the most volatile combo-building. Mutilate is already effective in this regard, but Seal Fate needed some improvement—it now can trigger from both hands with Mutilate.
Here’s a basic look at the core combat abilities for Assassination Rogues:
Garrote
45 Energy, Melee Range, Instant, 15 sec cooldown
Garrote the enemy, causing strong damage over 18 sec and awarding 1 combo point. Silences the target for 3 sec when used from Stealth.
Mutilate
55 Energy, Melee Range, Instant
Attack with both weapons, dealing strong Physical damage. Awards 2 combo points.
Envenom
35 Energy, 1 to 5 Combo Points, Melee Range, Instant
Finishing move that drives your poisoned blades in deep, dealing instant Nature damage and increasing your poison application chance by 30%. Damage and duration increased per combo point.
Rupture
25 Energy, 1 to 5 Combo Points, Melee Range, Instant
Finishing move that tears open the target, dealing bleed damage over time. Lasts longer per combo point.
Seal Fate
Passive
When you critically strike with a melee attack that generates combo points, you gain an additional combo point.
Venomous Wounds
Passive
You regain 10 Energy each time you deal Bleed damage to a poisoned target.
Mastery: Potent Poisons
Increases the damage done by your poisons by 70% (with Mastery from typical gear).
Additionally, to give you an idea of how some talents may build upon this, here’s an example of one of their Assassination-specific talents:
Elaborate Planning
Passive
Your finishing moves grant 20% increased damage done for 4 sec.
Combat
GONE!
OK, not exactly. The lack of a clear theme for the Combat Rogue really gave us an opportunity to reimagine the spec in Legion, to ensure that they have their own depth of character and a unique fighting style that sets them apart from the other Rogue specs.
Outlaw
“To survive in such a world, outlaws must become master swordsmen in toe-to-toe combat—and they can’t shy away from fighting dirty”
Outlaw rogues are the unscrupulous scoundrels of Azeroth. Operating outside the law, they bend the rules and distort the truth to get what they need. While they share plenty in common with other rogues, these outlaws have little use for tact or discretion, happy to engage in a tavern brawl or spontaneous duel, rarely patient enough to wait in stealth for the opportune time to engage. To survive in such a world, outlaws must become master swordsmen in toe-to-toe combat—and they can’t shy away from fighting dirty. If blade fails to cut too deeply, the outlaw takes advantage of a concealed pistol, catching the enemy by surprise with a quick blast.
Gameplay
To achieve the “swordmaster” fantasy we’re going for with the Outlaw Rogue, we’re giving them several new and upgraded abilities, such as Saber Slash and Pistol Shot. We’re also deemphasizing Stealth, with Ambush being their only remaining opening move. Stealth will still provide its core Rogue utility, but Outlaws are more comfortable fighting toe-to-toe with a sword than skulking about. Finally, we’re ensuring that Outlaws retain several signature abilities from Combat, such as Adrenaline Rush and Blade Flurry. These abilities provide a good basis on which to build new and distinct flavor. A wide variety of talents enhance the fantasy further with themes of the swordmaster, brawler, or even pirate.
Here’s a basic look at the core combat abilities for Outlaws:
Saber Slash
50 Energy, Melee Range, Instant
Viciously slash an enemy, causing moderate Physical damage and awarding 1 combo point. Saber Slash has a 35% chance to strike an additional time, granting additional damage and combo point, and making your next Pistol Shot free.
Pistol Shot
40 Energy, 20 yd range, Instant
Draw a concealed pistol and fire a quick shot at an enemy, dealing moderate Physical damage and reducing movement speed by 50% for 6 sec. Awards 1 combo point.
Slice and Dice
25 Energy, Instant
Finishing move that consumes combo points to increase attack speed by 40%. Lasts longer per combo point.
Lunging finishing move that causes damage per combo point and has increased range.
Combat Potency
Passive
Your off-hand attacks have a chance to generate 15 Energy. Slower weapons have a higher chance.
Ruthlessness
Passive
Your finishing moves have a 20% chance per combo point spent to grant a combo point.
Mastery: Main Gauche
Your main-hand attacks have a 44% (with Mastery from typical gear) chance to trigger an attack with your off-hand that deals minor Physical damage.
Additionally, to give you an idea of how some talents may build upon this, here’s an example of one of their Outlaw-specific talents:
Quick Draw
Passive
Free uses of Pistol Shot granted by Saber Slash now generate 1 additional combo point, and deal 50% increased damage.
Subtlety
Subtlety rogues are the masters of the shadows, and they strike unseen. They don’t have the lethal poison-tipped daggers of the assassin or the brawling prowess of the outlaw, but their acumen on the battlefield and ability to hide in plain sight are unrivaled. Some claim the art of subtlety looks like malevolent shadow magic—but no matter from where their power is derived, these rogues are capable of performing devastating assaults on their enemies, slipping away unharmed to strike again without detection. Most rogues train their entire lives to learn how to walk in the shadows—subtlety rogues were born there.
“The subtlety rogue’s acumen on the battlefield and ability to hide in plain sight are unrivaled”
Gameplay
As the true masters of stealthy gameplay, we’ve pushed Subtlety further toward making heavy use of Stealth as their primary combat mechanic. The new version of Shadow Dance allows Subtlety to weave in and out of Stealth rotationally. Meanwhile, Shadowstrike provides incredible mobility for attacking from Stealth. Finally, to further reinforce the matter of their relationship with sinister Shadow magic, Subtlety makes use of a new ability called Nightblade, which applies Shadow damage over time.
Here’s a basic look at the core combat abilities for Subtlety Rogues:
Shadowstrike
40 Energy, 30 yd range, Instant, Requires Stealth
Strike through the shadows, appearing behind your target and dealing strong Physical damage. Awards 2 combo points.
Backstab
35 Energy, Melee Range, Instant
Stab the target, causing moderate Physical damage. Damage increased by 30% when behind your target. Awards 1 combo point.
Nightblade
25 Energy, 1 to 5 Combo Points, Melee Range, Instant
Finishing move that infects the target with shadowy energy, dealing Shadow damage over time and reducing movement speed by 50%. Damage and duration increased per combo point.
Eviscerate
35 Energy, 1 to 5 Combo Points, Melee Range, Instant
Finishing move that disembowels the target, dealing increased damage per combo point.
Shadow Dance
Passive
Your finishing moves have a 20% chance per combo point to activate Stealth. For 3 sec, this Stealth will not break when you autoattack or take damage. When this effect occurs, a Shadow Decoy will appear nearby, confusing your enemies.
Developer Comment: This will function differently in PvP, granting the use of abilities that require Stealth, but not actually providing Stealth.
Shadow Techniques
Passive
Your autoattacks have a chance to generate a combo point.
Mastery: Executioner
Increases the damage done by your finishing moves by 55% (with Mastery from typical gear).
Additionally, to give you an idea of how some talents may build upon this, here’s an example of one of their Subtlety-specific talents:
Relentless Strikes
Passive
You gain an additional 40 Energy when you enter Stealth.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this early preview of our approach to Rogue class and specialization design in World of Warcraft: Legion. We’re looking forward to hearing more feedback and sharing in ongoing conversations with the community regarding these and all of the other changes we’ve discussed in this series, and we’re excited to get this information out before our broader beta phase to make sure we have as much time as possible to iterate and carry on the conversation.
Thanks for reading, and we’ll see you in the Legion beta!
Welcome to our World of Warcraft: Legion class preview series. In this entry, we’re exploring the Warrior—to find out what’s in store for a different class, check out the overview.
We continue our early look at class and specialization design with the Warrior. In these blogs, we’ll be exploring class identity, discussing Legion’s new designs, and presenting core combat abilities for each specialization—laying the foundation upon which talents and Artifacts will build further. With that in mind, let’s delve into what it means to be a Warrior in World of Warcraft.
Warriors are the quintessential fearless fighters on the battlefield, and their pure martial prowess inspires courage in allies and despair in enemies. Experts in all manner of melee weaponry and possessing incredible physical strength and skill, Warriors are perfectly suited to serve as frontline combatants and battlefield commanders.
Warriors are thematically informed by our own history, dating back to ancient clashes when close-quarters, shield-and-sword combat was the backbone of battlefield strategy. Warriors in WoW are steeped in this tradition, with each specialization filling distinct niches.
One notable goal we have for Warriors in Legion is to significantly expand their customizability through talents, especially for Arms and Fury. If the below core abilities seem sparse, it’s to leave room for more from talents than ever before. Both specs now have five rows of core throughput talents (mostly different between Arms and Fury, too), with a strong mix of active rotational abilities, passives, procs, cooldowns, and other interesting effects. You’ll find old favorites like Overpower, Heroic Strike, and Opportunity Strikes, returning classics like Avatar, Dragon Roar, and Storm Bolt, along with a host of brand new talents. We look forward to seeing the combinations that you put together.
Arms
Across culture and kingdom, men and women who demonstrate great physical aptitude are transformed into mighty warriors through tests of strength, endurance, and fighting capability. Their friendships are forged not in the classroom, tavern, or workshop, but in the dueling pits and on the arena floor. As a childhood of sparring defines a warrior’s destiny, so too does one’s choice of weapon determine their role on the battlefield. Arms warriors gravitate toward two-handed weapons instinctively. It’s more than a matter of preference—it speaks to the character of the wielder. Arms warriors are patient in a fight, waiting to capitalize on moments when an opponent is left exposed. Two-handed weapons allow them to deliver devastating, overpowering blows, fully exploiting their enemies’ weaknesses.
“Arms warriors are patient in a fight, waiting to capitalize on moments when an opponent is left exposed.”
Gameplay
The defining character traits of Arms Warriors already mesh well with their gameplay, but there’s room for more flavor. In Legion we’ve opened up a wider variety of potential gameplay styles based on your talent choices, as discussed above. We also replaced their Mastery with Colossal Might, which increases the effectiveness of Colossus Smash, playing into their theme more directly. As before, Arms Warrior Rage generation comes from auto-attacks.
Here’s a basic look at the core combat abilities for Arms Warriors:
Mortal Strike
20 Rage, Melee Range, Instant, 6 sec cooldown
A vicious strike that deals strong Physical damage and reduces the effectiveness of healing on the target for 10 sec.
Slam
15 Rage, Melee Range, Instant
Slam an opponent, causing moderate Physical damage.
Colossus Smash
Melee Range, Instant, 45 sec cooldown
Smashes the enemy’s armor, dealing massive Physical damage, and increasing damage you deal to them by 20% for 6 sec.
Execute
10 Rage, Melee Range, Instant
Attempt to finish off a foe, causing strong Physical damage to the target, and consuming up to 30 additional Rage to deal up to massive additional damage. Only usable on enemies that have less than 20% health.
Tactician
Passive
Slam, Whirlwind, and Execute have a 20% chance per target hit to reset the cooldown on Colossus Smash.
Mastery: Colossal Might
Increases the damage of your Colossus Smash by 50%, and causes it to increase damage taken by an additional 50%.
Additionally, to give you an idea of how some talents may build upon this, here’s an example of one of their Arms-specific talents:
Titanic Might
Passive
Increases the duration of Colossus Smash by 200%, but halves its effectiveness.
Fury
On the battlefield and in the arena, the most feared combatants are often the furious berserkers who lust for battle and thirst for blood. Through a lifetime of training and sparring, these merciless warriors have become masters of carnage—often wielding a weapon in each hand to maximize the destruction. Even without the protection of a shield, the fury warrior leaves little opportunity for an opponent to strike without suffering grievous wounds in return—delivered in a whirlwind of blades that dooms anyone its wake. Brute force becomes a breathtaking display when fury warriors relentlessly dive into the fray.
“Brute force becomes a breathtaking display when fury warriors relentlessly dive into the fray.“
Gameplay
Fury is a thematically grandiose take on the classic warrior archetype, and in Legion we want the gameplay to convey this better. To help deliver on the fantasy of a relentless death-dealer, we’ve bolstered their gameplay around quickly building Rage and then going wild with Rampage. In particular, Enrage is now considerably more powerful, doubling your attack speed (and thus Rage generation, since the majority of Rage is still generated by auto-attacks), along with increasing damage based on Mastery. Similar to Arms, a multitude of talent options will expand your combat abilities in a wide variety of ways.
Here’s a basic look at the core combat abilities for Fury Warriors:
Bloodthirst
Melee Range, Instant, 4.5 sec cooldown
Attack the target in a bloodthirsty craze, dealing moderate Physical damage, generating 10 Rage, and restoring 5% of your health.
Bloodthirst has an additional 40% chance to be a critical strike.
Enrage
Passive
Bloodthirst critical strikes or activating Berserker Rage will Enrage you, increasing attack speed by 100% and damage taken by 30% for 6 sec.
Raging Blow
10 Rage, Melee Range, Instant
A mighty blow with both weapons that deals a total of strong Physical damage.
Only usable while Enraged.
Rampage
50 Rage, Melee Range, Instant
Unleash a series of 5 brutal strikes over 2 sec for a total of massive Physical damage.
Rampage always deals damage as if you were Enraged.
Execute
30 Rage, Melee Range, Instant
Attempt to finish off a foe, causing a total of massive damage Physical damage. Only usable on enemies that have less than 20% health.
Mastery: Unshackled Fury
Increases damage done while Enraged by 28% (with Mastery from typical gear).
Additionally, to give you an idea of how some talents may build upon this, here’s an example of one of their Fury-specific talents:
Frenzy
15 Rage, Melee Range, Instant
Furiously slash at the target, dealing moderate Physical damage, and increasing your Haste by 5% for 10 sec. Stacks up to 5 times.
Protection
Like their counterparts, protection warriors are virtually bred for physical dominance, having been raised in the art of close-quarters combat—but their measured approach to battle is what distinguishes them from their comrades-in-arms. They demonstrate an uncanny knack for blade and shield, nullifying an opponent’s advances and creating opportunities for counterattacks. For the protection warrior, being the toughest soldier on the front means nothing if allies are left vulnerable to the enemy’s attack. Stalwart defenders are integral to the success of any military campaign—the protection warrior seeks to be an unbreakable wall.
“For the protection warrior, being the toughest soldier on the front means nothing if allies are left vulnerable to the enemy’s attack.“
Gameplay
Protection gameplay ties strongly to Warrior lore and exemplifies the very foundation of the tank role in the game, so we’re primarily focused on fine-tuning their mechanics. Shield Block and Shield Barrier in particular often created a trap choice for players. We’ve replaced Shield Barrier with a new ability, Ignore Pain, which massively reduces damage taken (up to a cap based on maximum health) and functions as your primary defensive Rage-spender. It doesn’t compete as much with Shield Block, and thus provides you with distinct tools in your arsenal to apply to different situations. In terms of Rage, Protection Warriors now primarily generate Rage through taking damage, supplemented by a baseline Rage income from ability usage. This plays well with Ignore Pain as their primary Rage-spender; it’s most useful when you’re taking a lot of damage, which is also when you’ll have a lot of Rage to use on it.
Here’s a basic look at the core combat abilities for Protection Warriors:
Offensive
Devastate
Melee Range, Instant
A direct strike, dealing moderate Physical damage.
Devastate has a 30% chance to reset the cooldown of Shield Slam.
Revenge
Melee Range, Instant, 9 sec cooldown
Swing in a wide arc, dealing strong damage to all enemies in front of you.
Generates 4 Rage.
Your successful dodges and parries reset the cooldown of Revenge (cannot occur more than once every 3 sec).
Deep Wounds
Passive
Your Devastate and Revenge cause the target to bleed for strong Physical damage over 15 sec.
This effect is cancelled if the target reaches full health.
Thunder Clap
Instant, 6 sec cooldown
Blasts all enemies within 8 yards for moderate damage and reduces their movement speed by 50% for 10 sec.
Shield Slam
Melee Range, Instant, 9 sec cooldown
Slam the target with your shield, causing strong Physical damage.
Generates 6 Rage.
Heroic Strike
30 Rage, Melee Range, Instant
Instantly deals moderate Physical damage.
This ability is not on the global cooldown.
Defensive
Shield Block
10 Rage, Instant, 12 sec recharge, 2 charges
Raise your shield, blocking every melee attack against you for 6 sec. These blocks can be critical blocks.
Shield Slam deals 30% additional damage while Shield Block is active.
Ignore Pain
40 Rage, Instant
Fight through the pain, ignoring 90% of the next massive amount (based on maximum health) of damage you take.
Spell Reflection
Instant, 25 sec cooldown
Raise your shield, reflecting spells cast on you and reducing magical damage taken by 30%. Lasts 5 sec or until a spell is reflected.
Mastery: Critical Block
Increases your chance to block by 10% (with Mastery from typical gear) and your chance to critically block by 30% (with Mastery from typical gear).
Also increases your attack power by 20% (with Mastery from typical gear).
Additionally, to give you an idea of how some talents may build upon this, here’s an example of one of their Protection-specific talents:
Shield Discipline
Passive
Shield Slam extends the duration of Shield Block by 2 sec.
Shield Block increases the damage of Shield Slam by an additional 30%.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this early preview of our approach to Warrior class and specialization design in World of Warcraft: Legion. We’ll continue our series later today with a look at Monks and Druids.
Welcome to our World of Warcraft: Legionclass preview series. In this entry, we’re exploring the Monk—to find out what’s in store for a different class, check out the overview.
We continue our early look at class and specialization design with the Monk. In these blogs, we’ll be exploring class identity, discussing Legion’s new designs, and presenting core combat abilities for each specialization—laying out the foundation upon which talents and Artifacts will build further. With that in mind, let’s delve into what it means to be a Monk in World of Warcraft.
Monks were introduced in Mists of Pandaria, and their story is woven directly into the expansion’s rich and vibrant lore. Monks bring a unique martial arts style to any fight, and harness an exotic form of magical energy that’s unfamiliar to those who practice other arcane arts. They seek spiritual balance in life and in combat, and as dangerous as Monks can be on the battlefield, they’re rarely looking to pick a fight without just cause. They view the world through a different lens, finding power through serenity and inner peace—then expressing it through artful combat techniques and powers that mend life. Perhaps most surprisingly, Monks are also adept at producing powerful brews they consume to aid them in battle.
In Legion, we’re focusing on making sure Monk abilities and gameplay better match the class’s vivid backstory. We’re also looking at abilities that already lend themselves well to the Monk’s character, but whose mechanics are in need of polish.
Brewmaster
The brewmaster is a quirky character, though dangerous when underestimated. Brewmasters may seem to struggle with balance as they chug their concoctions in the middle of a fight, but this unpredictable behavior is far from foolhardiness. Most opponents barely have time to process the erratic nature of the brewmaster’s fighting tactics before they find themselves laid low—possibly the result of a keg smash to the head. When an opponent actually manages to land an attack, it’s often unclear how much the brewmaster feels it . . . if at all.
“The brewmaster is a quirky character, though dangerous when underestimated.”
Gameplay
The gameplay for Brewmasters hasn’t quite fit their archetypes to this point. Rather than being the tricky martial artists, staggering around with an evasiveness that frustrates their opponent while being a little squishy when taking an unmitigated blow, Brewmasters have been more focused around large absorption shields and clutch self-healing. Our new design approach is to get more gameplay depth out of their strong, thematic abilities. Instead of Chi as a resource, which had little depth for Brewmasters, we’re switching to charges on Brew abilities that other abilities still interact with.
Here’s a basic look at the core defensive and offensive combat abilities for Brewmaster Monks:
Defensive
Ironskin Brew
Instant, 20 sec recharge, 3 charges
Increases your Stagger amount by an additional 60% for 6 sec.
Shares charges with Purifying Brew.
Purifying Brew
Instant, 20 sec recharge, 3 charges
Instantly purifies all of your staggered damage.
Shares charges with Ironskin Brew.
Gift of the Ox
Passive
When you take damage, you have a chance to summon a Healing Sphere visible only to you. Moving through this Healing Sphere will heal you for 25% of your maximum health.
This chance is increased the lower health you are.
Mastery: Elusive Brawler
Each time you are hit by a melee attack, you gain 20% (with Mastery from typical gear) Dodge, until your next successful Dodge.
Also increases your attack power by 20% (with Mastery from typical gear).
Offensive
Keg Smash
40 Energy, 15 yd range, Instant, 8 sec cooldown
Smash a keg of brew on the target, dealing strong damage to all enemies within 8 yds and reducing their movement speed by 50% for 15 sec.
Reduces the remaining cooldown on your Brews by 4 sec.
Tiger Palm
50 Energy, Melee Range, Instant
Attack with the palm of your hand, dealing minor damage.
Reduces the remaining cooldown on your Brews by 1 sec.
Blackout Strike
Melee Range, Instant, 3 sec cooldown
Thwack the enemy with your weapon, dealing moderate Physical damage.
Shares cooldown with Breath of Fire.
Breath of Fire
Instant, 3 sec cooldown
Targets in front of the caster take minor Fire damage. If affected by Keg Smash, they will also burn for minor Fire damage over 8 sec.
Shares cooldown with Blackout Kick.
Additionally, to give you an idea of how some talents may build upon this, here’s an example of one of their Brewmaster-specific talents:
Elusive Dance
Passive
Purifying Brew also grants up to 15% Dodge for 6 sec, based on the level of Stagger damage purified.
Mistweaver
Mistweavers are unique among those who heal. The energies they channel are mysterious, oftentimes misunderstood by commoners—who rarely travel beyond the borders of their homelands—as some form of folk medicine. But those who weave the mists wield the power of life’s essence, using a mixture of preventative and restorative spells to mend their allies’ wounds. The inner tranquility that guides mistweavers allows them to sustain their healing for long periods of time, and gives them the strength to care for multiple injured allies.
“…those who weave the mists wield the power of life’s essence, using a mixture of preventative and restorative spells to mend their allies’ wounds.”
Gameplay
Our goal with Mistweaver Monks is to accentuate the existing characteristics that define them, and resolve some core gameplay issues. In simple terms, this means we’ve redesigned their abilities so that you can directly use the spells you want rather than having to set up an excessive amount of other abilities first.
The most prominent example of this was Renewing Mist, which served primarily as a setup for Uplift; we’ve reworked Renewing Mist to stand on its own, and replaced Uplift with a couple of new spells: Vivify and Essence Font. In addition, a new passive Soothing Mist mechanic gives Mistweavers a unique healing style with variable efficiency, over which you have more direct control.
We’re also focusing Mistweavers solely on healing, rather than supporting a type of mixed attack-healing gameplay that felt awkward and ultimately didn’t live up to our goals for the spec—it was unintuitive, and chiefly useful as a mana management tool. Lastly, Mistweavers will now use Mana, not Chi, as a resource, since it reduced choices and restricted gameplay in many situations.
Here’s a basic look at the core combat healing abilities for Mistweaver Monks:
Mastery: Gust of Mists
Your targeted heals also cause a gust of healing mists, instantly healing the target for a minor amount (increasing with Mastery from gear).
Soothing Mist
Passive
Your Effuse, Enveloping Mist, and Vivify also trigger Soothing Mist.
After casting these spells, you continue to channel healing mists into the target, healing them for a minor amount every 0.5 sec, until you take any other action.
Developer Comments
Need efficient healing? Cast any heal and let Soothing Mist continue to provide free healing as long as you feel comfortable!
Need high-throughput healing? Cast any heal and move onto the next target in need of healing, without spending time on Soothing Mist.
For Mistweavers, it’s OK to have open global cooldowns between heals—Soothing Mist fills these gaps.
Effuse
1.8% Mana, 40 yd range, 1.5 sec cast
A fast and efficient spell, healing the target for a minor amount.
Enveloping Mist
6.0% Mana, 40 yd range, 2 sec cast
Wrap the target in healing mists, healing them for a huge amount over 6 sec, and increasing healing received from your spells by 30%.
Renewing Mist
3.5% Mana, Instant, 6 sec cooldown
You surround the target with healing mists, restoring a huge amount of health over 20 sec.
If Renewing Mist causes any overhealing, it will travel to the most injured ally within 20 yds.
When Renewing Mist heals, it has a 4% chance to increase the healing of your next Vivify by 50%.
Essence Font
8.0% Mana, 40 yd range, Channeled
Unleash a rapid twirl of healing bolts at up to 6 allies within 25 yds, every 1 sec for 3 sec.
Each bolt heals the target for a moderate amount, plus an additional moderate amount over 8 sec.
Vivify
5.0% Mana, 40 yd range, 1.5 sec cast
Cause a surge of invigorating mists around the target, healing them and their 2 nearest injured allies for a moderate amount.
Additionally, to give you an idea of how some talents may build upon this, here’s an example of one of their Mistweaver-specific talents:
Mistwalk
40 yd range, Instant, 20 sec recharge, 2 charges
Instantly dash to an ally, and heal them for a large amount.
Windwalker
Among monks, none have mastered the martial arts as the windwalkers have, and few across Azeroth can fight with their grace. Windwalkers possess unparalleled physical finesse, and are capable of overwhelming their enemies with a dizzying flurry of punches and kicks. Their skill comes primarily from a lifetime of intense training and discipline, but the power they exhibit is shrouded in more mysticism than meets the untrained eye. The combination of their peak physical conditioning, state of inner calm, and leveraging of mystical chi makes windwalker monks a true force to be reckoned with.
“Windwalkers possess unparalleled physical finesse, and are capable of overwhelming their enemies with a dizzying flurry of punches and kicks.”
Gameplay
Similar to Brewmasters, here we focused on getting more depth out of less complexity. Windwalkers’ new Mastery, Combo Strikes, encourages mixing a variety of abilities, which provides a constant gameplay hook that influences every ability they use and draws inspiration from classic fighting games. In addition, we’ve polished Storm, Earth, and Fire to remove some cumbersome mechanics. Windwalkers still use a combination of Energy and Chi, along with a heavy dose of short cooldowns.
Here’s a basic look at the core combat abilities for Windwalker Monks:
Mastery: Combo Strikes
Your abilities deal 25% (with Mastery from typical gear) more damage when they are not a repeat of the previous ability.
Tiger Palm
50 Energy, Melee Range, Instant
Attack with the palm of your hand, dealing minor damage and generating 2 Chi.
Tiger Palm has an 8% chance to make your next Blackout Kick cost no Chi.
Blackout Kick
1 Chi, Melee Range, Instant
Kick with a blast of Chi energy, dealing moderate Physical damage.
Rising Sun Kick
2 Chi, Melee Range, Instant, 8 sec cooldown
You kick upwards, dealing strong damage, and reducing the effectiveness of healing on the target for 10 sec.
Fists of Fury
3 Chi, Melee Range, Channeled, 20 sec cooldown
Pummel all targets in front of you, dealing massive damage over 4 sec. Deals reduced damage to secondary targets.
Can be channeled while moving.
Spinning Crane Kick
1 Chi, Channeled
You spin while kicking in the air, dealing moderate damage over 1.5 sec to enemies within 8 yds.
Storm, Earth, and Fire
Split into 3 elemental spirits, suited to attacking 3 or more enemies. Each spirit deals 50% of normal damage and healing.
The Monk directly controls the Storm spirit, while Earth and Fire spirits mimic the Monk’s attacks on different nearby enemies.
Lasts until toggled off, or either Earth or Fire are destroyed.
Developer Comment: Now a simple toggle—no targeting necessary! Spirits will automatically seek out nearby enemies to attack while you attack your target.
Additionally, to give you an idea of how some talents may build upon this, here’s an example of one of their Windwalker-specific talents:
Hit Combo
Passive
Each successive attack that triggers Combo Strikes in a row grants 1% increased damage, stacking up to 10 times.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this early preview of our approach to Monk class and specialization design in World of Warcraft: Legion. We’ll continue our series later today with a look at Druids.
The Echo of Medivh prevents the Time-Lost Halls from disappearing, keeping the portal to Draenor open. Defeat the Echo to close the rift in time and space.
