Hello adventurers! The Embers of Neltharion PTR has been updated with the following changes:
DRAGONFLIGHT SEASON 2
- MYTHIC+
- The Vortex Pinnacle is available with this week’s Mythic+ test.
- There are new affixes and adjusted affixes available for testing. Players can purchase scrolls from the keystone vendor to add to these to their keystone.
- New Affix: Incorporeal – While in combat, incorporeal beings appear and attempt to destabilize players with spells that reduce their damage and healing done. Incorporeal beings are susceptible to all forms of crowd control.
- New Affix: Afflicted – While in combat, Afflicted Souls appear that seek the aid of players. Afflicted Souls spawn with poison, curse, and disease afflictions. Removing any of these afflictions or restoring the spirit to full health causes it to despawn. Fail to remove their afflictions in time will inflict players with a negative status effect.
- New Affix: Entangling – While in combat, entangling vines snare players.
- Updated Affix: Explosive – Fewer Explosive Orbs spawn, but they now have substantially higher health.
- The following affixes have been retired for Dragonflight Season 2:
- Quaking
- Grievous
- Volcanic
- We’re looking for feedback on keystone combinations:
- Keystone Level 4 Affixes:
- Spiteful
- Sanguine
- Bursting
- Bolstering
- Raging
- Keystone Level 7 Affixes:
- Incorporeal
- Afflicted
- Entangling
- Explosive
- Storming
- Keystone Level 4 Affixes:
NEW UPGRADE SYSTEM
- Discount cost tooltip added.
CHARACTERS
- 4 new eye colors and 5 new hair colors for Nightborne.
- Developers’ note: The new eye colors for male Nightborne will be available in a later PTR update.
CLASSES
- DEATH KNIGHT
- Frost
- Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 2-Set Bonus has been redesigned – Howling Blast damage increased by 20%. Consuming Rime increases the damage of your next Frostwyrm’s Fury by 5%, stacking 10 times. Pillar of Frost calls a Frostwyrm’s Fury at 40% effectiveness that cannot Freeze enemies.
- Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 4-Set Bonus has been redesigned – Frostwyrm’s Fury causes enemies hit to take 25% increased damage from your Critical Strikes for 12 seconds.
- Unholy
- Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 2-Set Bonus has been redesigned – Death Coil and Epidemic damage increased by 10%. Casting Death Coil or Epidemic grants a stack of Master of Death, up to 20. Dark Transformation consumes Master of Death and grants 1% Mastery for each stack for 20 seconds.
- Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 4-Set Bonus has been redesigned – Army of the Dead grants 20 stacks of Master of Death. When Death Coil or Epidemic consumes Sudden Doom, gain 2 extra stacks of Master of Death and 10% Mastery for 6 seconds.
- Frost
- DEMON HUNTER
- Havoc
- Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 2-Set Bonus has been adjusted – Gain Seething Fury every 175 Fury you spend (was 200).
- Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 4-Set Bonus has been adjusted – Each time you gain Seething Fury, the damage of your next Eye Beam is increased by 15% (was 12%).
- Havoc
- DRUID
- Balance
- Developers’ note: We’re continuing to work to tune Balance’s damage composition and resource generation. Wrath and Starfire gained a lot of the Astral Power generation in 10.1, and we’re moving some of that increase into more passive sources to make Balance Druids a little more mobile. We’re giving Stellar Flare a boost to make it a valid option in low target scenarios. We’re reducing Rattle the Stars’ top end a little to bring it more in line with other talents and making it a little easier to maintain.
- Wrath damage increased by 10%.
- Stellar Flare damage increased 12%. Stellar Flare Astral Power generation increased to 12 (was 10).
- Chance for Shooting Stars to fall increased by 15%.
- Soul of the Forest now increases Wrath Astral Power gain by 30% (was 50%) and increases Starfire’s damage and Astral Power generation by 20% for each target beyond the first, up to 60% (was 30% and 90%).
- Goldrinn’s Fang damage reduced by 10%.
- Rattle the Stars duration increased to 6 seconds (was 5 seconds).
- Rattle the Stars damage bonus reduced to 8% per stack (was 10% per stack).
- New Moon, Half Moon, Full Moon, and Fury of Elune Astral Power generation increased by 20%.
- Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 2-Set Bonus has been adjusted – Sunfire, Moonfire, and Shooting Stars damage increased by 20% (was 18%).
- Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 4-Set Bonus has been adjusted – Crashing Star damage increased to 76.5% of Spell Power (was 72%).
- Restoration
- Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 2-Set Bonus has been adjusted – Rejuvenation and Lifebloom healing increased by 12% (was 15%). Regrowth healing over time increased by 50% (was 75%).
- Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 4-Set Bonus has been adjusted – Flourish increases the rate of your heal over time effects by 30% for an additional 16 seconds after it ends (was 40%).
- Balance
- HUNTER
- Survival
- Lunge’s Wildfire Bomb cooldown reduction now requires you to have a 2-handed weapon equipped.
- Survival
- MAGE
- Arcane
- Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 4-Set Bonus has been redesigned – For every 24,000 mana spent on and during Arcane Surge, your spell damage is increased by 1% for 12 seconds after Arcane Surge fades, stacking up to 25 times. Mana regeneration is increased by 50% for this time.
- Arcane
- MONK
- Mistweaver
- Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 2-Set Bonus has been adjusted – Renewing Mists has a chance to grant Soulfang Infusion, granting 3% of your maximum Mana over 3 seconds. (was 5% over 5 seconds).
- Developers’ note: This change was deployed late last week to PTR.
- Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 2-Set Bonus has been adjusted – Renewing Mists has a chance to grant Soulfang Infusion, granting 3% of your maximum Mana over 3 seconds. (was 5% over 5 seconds).
- Windwalker
- Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 2-Set Bonus has been redesigned – Rising Sun Kick deals 12% increased damage and goes nova, dealing Shadowflame damage to all enemies within 8 yards.
- Mistweaver
- PALADIN
- Seal of the Crusader damage increased by 100%.
- Protection
- Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 4-Set Bonus has been redesigned – Judgment critical strikes apply Heartfire and can trigger Grand Crusader.
- Developers’ note: Additionally, the chance for Judgment’s critical strikes to trigger Grand Crusader has been significantly increased, while still respecting players’ talent selections.
- Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 4-Set Bonus has been redesigned – Judgment critical strikes apply Heartfire and can trigger Grand Crusader.
- Retribution
- Templar’s Verdict now correctly triggers Empyrean Legacy.
- Consecration, Divine Hammer, and Divine Storm tooltips now correctly update when Burning Crusade is talented.
- Crusading Strikes tooltip now updates damage types correctly.
- Expurgation tooltip has been updated to be clearer.
- Art of War changed to a circle on the talent tree.
- Templar’s Verdict and Justicar’s Vengeance changed to a square on the talent tree.
- Searing Light is now called down upon the target rather than on yourself.
- Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 2-Set Bonus has been adjusted – Judgment and Hammer of Wrath deal 10% increased damage and 20% increased critical strike damage. Hammer of Wrath applies Judgment to enemies.
- Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 4-Set Bonus has been adjusted – Judgment increases the damage enemies take from your Holy Power spenders by an additional 5%. Hammer of Wrath now hits 4 nearby enemies for 20% of its damage.
- PRIEST
- Discipline
- Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 2-Set Bonus has been redesigned – Shadow Word: Pain/Purge the Wicked damage increased by 25%. Power Word: Shield absorbs 20% additional damage.
- Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 4-Set Bonus has been redesigned – Every 3 casts of Power Word: Shield cause your next Atonement granted by Power Word: Shield to last an additional 15 seconds and heal 20% more.
- Holy
- Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 2-Set Bonus has been redesigned – When you cast Prayer of Mending, there is a 35% chance its effect is duplicated to another ally.
- Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 4-Set Bonus has been redesigned – When Prayer of Mending jumps or expires, it increases the damage and healing of your next Holy Word by 4%, stacking up to 15 times.
- Developers’ note: This set bonus change will not be in this week’s PTR deploy, but will be in for a future PTR build. We’re making this change to ensure that Holy’s 2-piece bonus remains in line with the other healer set bonuses, regardless of target count and randomness. This iteration should still offer strong value to the Holy priest kit and we’ll continue to monitor its performance to ensure it does.
- Shadow
- Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 2-Set Bonus has been redesigned – Increases the chance for Shadowy Insight to trigger by 25%. When consuming Shadowy Insight, Mind Blast deals 30% increased damage and generates 4 additional Insanity.
- Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 4-Set Bonus has been redesigned – Devouring Plague damage increased by 15%. Every 4 casts of Devouring Plague increases the damage of Shadowy Apparitions conjured within the next 10 seconds by 80%.
- Discipline
- ROGUE
- Assassination
- Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 2-Set Bonus has been adjusted – Rupture deals an additional 40% damage as Nature. Crimson Tempest deals an additional 20% damage as Nature (was 40%).
- Outlaw
- Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 4-Set Bonus has been adjusted – Between the Eyes grants 5% Agility for 15 seconds (was 7%).
- Developers’ note: This set bonus change will not be in this week’s PTR deploy, but will be in for a future PTR build.
- Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 4-Set Bonus has been adjusted – Between the Eyes grants 5% Agility for 15 seconds (was 7%).
- Assassination
- SHAMAN
- Deeply Rooted Elements should now activate more consistently for all specializations.
- Enhancement
- Maelstrom Weapon damage increase now has a separate value from its healing increase. This applies to Improved Maelstrom Weapon and Raging Maelstrom.
- Restoration
- Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 2-Set Bonus has been adjusted – Healing of Tidewaters increased to 175% of Spell Power (was 140%).
- Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 4-Set Bonus has been redesigned – Each ally healed by Tidewaters increases your healing done by 1% for 6 seconds and increases the healing of your next Healing Wave or Healing Surge by 10%, or your next Chain Heal by 2%.
- WARLOCK
- Demonology
- From the Shadows has been renamed to The Houndmaster’s Stratagem.
- The tooltip of The Houndmaster’s Stratagem has been updated to the following – Dreadbite causes the target to take 20% additional Shadowflame damage from your spells and abilities for the next 12 seconds.
- Developers’ note: It is intentional that From the Shadows, now The Houndmaster’s Stratagem, does not benefit Demonic Tyrant or your other pets. We’re updating the wording of this tooltip for clarity.
- Destruction
- Ruin no longer increases the damage of Channel Demonfire.
- Channel Demonfire damage increased by 20%.
- Shadowburn damage increased by 20%. Does not apply in PvP combat.
- Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 2-Set Bonus has been redesigned – Channel Demonfire bolts, Immolate, and Incinerate have a chance to fire an additional Demonfire bolt.
- Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 4-Set Bonus has been redesigned – Demonfire bolts increase the Fire damage you deal by 1% for 13 seconds for each bolt cast, stacking up to 8 times. Gaining a stack does not refresh the duration.
- Demonology
- WARRIOR
- Arms
- Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible: 2-Set Bonus has been adjusted – Deep Wounds critical strikes have a chance to increase the damage of your next Slam by 15% (was 25%).
- Arms
PLAYER VERSUS PLAYER
- The PvP gear vendor located in Stormwind and Orgrimmar has been updated to sell Season 2 PvP gear for testing.
- CLASSES
- DEATH KNIGHT
Spellwarden (PvP Talent) has been removed.- Spellwarden has been redesigned – Reduces the cooldown of Anti-Magic Shell by 10 seconds but reduces its duration by 50%. Anti-Magic Shell is now usable on allies.
- New PvP Talent: Bloodforged Armor – Death Strike reduces Physical damage taken by 20% for 3 seconds.
- Unholy
- Reanimation has been redesigned – Reanimates a nearby corpse, summoning a zombie for 20 seconds that slowly moves towards your target. If your zombie reaches its target, it explodes after 3 seconds. The explosion stuns all enemies within 8 yards for 3 seconds and deals 20% of their health in Shadow damage.
- The zombie summoned by Reanimation is no longer targetable or killable.
- Reanimation now costs 30 Runic Power (was 1 Rune) and now has a 12 second cooldown with 2 charges.
- DRUID
- Balance
- Dying Stars (PvP Talent) has been redesigned – Now causes the targets who remove Moonfire or Sunfire to be vulnerable to Moonfire and Sunfire for 15 seconds. If already vulnerable, they gain half the remaining duration of the removed effect.
- Feral
- Leader of the Pack now increases movement speed by 10% (was critical strike chance by 5%).
- New PvP Talent: Wild Attunement – After successful Cyclone casts, you are automatically shifted into Cat Form and your next Ferocious Bite, Rip, or Maim within 5 seconds also casts Feral Frenzy.
- Balance
- EVOKER
- New PvP Talent: Dream Catcher – Sleep Walk no longer has a cooldown, but its cast time is increased by 0.5 seconds.
- MAGE
- New PvP Talent: Master Shepherd – While an enemy player is affected by your Polymorph or Mass Polymorph, your movement speed is increased by 25% and your Versatility is increased by 6%. Additionally, Polymorph and Mass Polymorph no longer heal enemies.
- New PvP Talent: Ethereal Blink – Blink and Shimmer apply Slow at 100% effectiveness to all enemies you Blink through. For each enemy you Blink through, the cooldown of Blink or Shimmer are reduced by 1 second, up to 5 seconds.
- MONK
- Brewmaster
- Incendiary Breath (PvP Talent) has been removed.
- Hot Trub (PvP Talent) now has an additional effect – Also makes your next Breath of Fire incapacitate targets after purifying 100% of your max health.
- Brewmaster
- PALADIN
- Holy
- New PvP Talent: Bedazzle – Call upon the light to blind your enemies in a 20 yard cone, causing enemies to miss their spells and attacks for 3 seconds. 1.5 second cast time, 90 second cooldown.
- Vengeance Aura has been removed.
- Holy
- PRIEST
- Phase Shift now lasts 1 second (was 0.5 seconds).
- SHAMAN
- Swelling Waves (PvP Talent) has been removed.
- Spectral Recovery (PvP Talent) has been removed.
- Enhancement
- New PvP Talent: Stormweaver – Consuming Maelstrom Weapon on a damage spell causes your next Healing Surge or Chain Heal to gain the full benefits of Maelstrom Weapon based on the stacks consumed.
- The healing bonus from Improved Maelstrom Weapon is reduced by 75% in PvP combat (was 25%).
- The healing bonus from Raging Maelstrom is now reduced by 60% in PvP combat (was 40%).
- DEATH KNIGHT
PROFESSIONS
- Added an option to swap the Professions recipe window to a minimal view to allow other windows to open side by side.
- Search bar for learned recipes has been added to the minimized crafting UI.
- Skinning is now available in Zaralek Cavern.
QUESTS
- SNIFFENSEEKING
- After arriving in Loamm and meeting the Niffen in the early Campaign, Myrrit invites the player to go on adventures with him.
- Buddy up with Myrrit to explore secret caves hidden around Zaralek Cavern up to three times a week.
- These Sniffenseek digs are short puzzles that can involve stealth, sniffin’, diggin’, or using logic. They are approximately 5 minutes in length.
USER INTERFACE AND ACCESSIBILITY
- Legendary quest bang has an updated display art to improve readability and colorblindness considerations.
- Loamm Niffen is sorted to the top of the Dragon Isles Summary list.
- AddOn list will now display an icon or default to a question mark if the AddOn did not specify one.
- EDIT MODE
- Quest Tracker now has an option to enable a dark background.
- OPTIONS
- Options new to patch 10.1 will be marked with “NEW” tag.
There are lots of set bonus updates and tuning changes in the new PTR build today. Please give them a try!
Updated Designs
Frost Death Knight redesign
- (2) Set Bonus: Howling Blast damage increased by 20%. Consuming Rime increases the damage of your next Frostwyrm’s Fury by 5%, stacking 10 times. Pillar of Frost calls a Frostwyrm’s Fury at 40% effectiveness that cannot Freeze enemies.
- (4) Set Bonus: Frostwyrm’s Fury causes enemies hit to take 25% increased damage from your Critical Strikes for 12 sec.
Unholy Death Knight redesign
- (2) Set Bonus: Death Coil and Epidemic damage increased by 10%. Casting Death Coil or Epidemic grants a stack of Master of Death, up to 20. Dark Transformation consumes Master of Death and grants 1% Mastery for each stack for 20 sec.
- (4) Set Bonus: Army of the Dead grants 20 stacks of Master of Death. When Death Coil or Epidemic consumes Sudden Doom, gain 2 extra stacks of Master of Death and 10% Mastery for 6 sec.
Arcane Mage redesign
- (4) Set Bonus: For every 24,000 mana spent on and during Arcane Surge, your spell damage is increased by 1% for 12 sec after Arcane Surge fades, stacking up to 25 times. Mana regeneration is increased by 50% for this time.
Windwalker Monk redesign
- (2) Set Bonus: Rising Sun Kick deals 12% increased damage and goes nova, dealing (80% of Attack Power) Shadowflame damage to all enemies within 8 yds.
Protection Paladin redesign
- (4) Set Bonus: Judgment critical strikes apply Heartfire and can trigger Grand Crusader.
Retribution Paladin redesign
- (2) Set Bonus: Judgment and Hammer of Wrath deal 10% increased damage and 20% increased critical strike damage. Hammer of Wrath applies Judgment to enemies.
- (4) Set Bonus: Judgment increases the damage enemies take from your Holy Power spenders by an additional 5%. Hammer of Wrath now hits 4 nearby enemies for 20% of its damage.
Discipline Priest redesign
- (2) Set Bonsu: Shadow Word: Pain/Purge the Wicked damage increased by 25%. Power Word: Shield absorbs 20% additional damage.
- (4) Set Bonus: Every 3 casts of Power Word: Shield cause your next Atonement granted by Power Word: Shield to last an additional 15 sec and heal 20% more.
Shadow Priest redesign
- (2) Set Bonus: Increases the chance for Shadowy Insight to trigger by 25%. When consuming Shadowy Insight, Mind Blast deals 30% increased damage and generates 4 additional Insanity.
- (4) Set Bonus: Devouring Plague damage increased by 15%. Every 4 casts of Devouring Plague increases the damage of Shadowy Apparitions conjured within the next 10 sec by 80%.
Restoration Shaman redesign:
- (4) Set Bonus: Each ally healed by Tidewaters increases your healing done by 1% for 6 sec and increases the healing of your next Healing Wave or Healing Surge by 10%, or your next Chain Heal by 2%.
Destruction Warlock redesign
- (2) Set Bonus: Channel Demonfire bolts, Immolate, and Incinerate have a chance to fire an additional Demonfire bolt.
- (4) Set Bonus: Demonfire bolts increase your Fire damage by 1% for 13 sec, stacking up to 8 times. Gaining a stack does not refresh the duration. Casting Channel Demonfire resets this effect.
Tuning Updates
Havoc Demon Hunter:
- (2) Set Bonus: Gain Seething Fury every 175 Fury you spend (down from 200).
- (4) Set Bonus: Each time you gain Seething Fury, the damage of your next Eye Beam is increased by 15% (up from 12%).
Balance Druid:
- (2) Set Bonus: Sunfire, Moonfire and Shooting Stars damage increased by 20% (up from 18%).
- (4) Set Bonus: Crashing Star damage increased to (76.5% of Spell Power) (up from 72% of Spell Power).
Restoration Druid:
- (2) Set Bonus: Rejuvenation and Lifebloom healing increased by 12% (down from 15%). Regrowth healing over time increased by 50% (down from 75%).
- (4) Set Bonus: Flourish increases the rate of your heal over time effects by 30% for an additional 16 sec after it ends (down from 40%).
Mistweaver Monk:
- (2) Set Bonus: Renewing Mists has a chance to grant Soulfang Infusion, granting 3% of your maximum Mana over 3 sec. (down from 5% over 5 sec)
Assassination Rogue:
- (2) Set Bonus: Rupture deals an additional 40% damage as Nature. Crimson Tempest deals an additional 20% damage as Nature. (down from 40%)
Restoration Shaman:
- (2) Set Bonus: Healing of Tidewaters increased to 175% of Spell Power (up from 140%)
Arms Warrior:
- (4) Set Bonus: Deep Wounds critical strikes have a chance to increase the damage of your next Slam by 15%. (down from 25%)
Upcoming Changes
These changes will not be in this week’s PTR deploy, but will be in a for a future PTR build.
Holy Priest redesign
- (2) Set Bonus: When you cast Prayer of Mending, there is a 35% chance its effect is duplicated to another ally.
- (4) Set Bonus: When Prayer of Mending jumps or expires, it increases the damage and healing of your next Holy Word by 4%, stacking up to 15 times.
- Developers’ Note: We’re making this change to ensure that Holy’s 2 piece bonus remains in line with the other healer set bonuses, regardless of target count and randomness. This iteration should still offer strong value to the Holy priest kit and we’ll continue to monitor its performance to ensure it does.
Outlaw Rogue:
- (4) Set Bonus: Between the Eyes grants 5% Agility for 15s. (down from 7%)