Nite_Moogle

specific changes since the initial posting are listed at the bottom

World of Warcraft Test Patch 2.3.0

The latest test realm patch notes can always be found at
WoW -> Test Realm Patch Notes

The latest patch notes can always be found at
WoW -> Patch Notes -> Current Patch Notes

Zul’Aman

Zul'Aman is a 10-player, level 70 outdoor instance located in the Ghostlands. Players will be able to confront six new bosses including the Forest Troll Warlord Zul'jin.

Guild Banks Introduced

The Guild Bank is a shared repository for an entire guild and will be accessible through new NPC’s called guild bankers. The Guild Bank will allow players with the appropriate permissions to store items and money for use by the rest of the guild. Permissions to withdraw and deposit money and items are controlled by the guild leader through the guild controls menu. The Guild Bank is divided up into separate tabs so that the guild leader may restrict access or group items into distinct categories.
- Up to 6 purchasable tabs each containing 98 item slots
- Permissions to view/deposit/withdraw per tab
- You may use your Guild Bank withdraw limits to pay for item repairs (now enabled on all merchants)
- Transaction logs of the last 50 actions in the bank viewable on a per tab basis

General
- Experience: The amount of experience needed to gain a level has been decreased between levels 20 and 60. In addition, the amount of experience granted by quests has been increased between levels 30 and 60.
- Expertise: We have added a new stat and associated rating called expertise and expertise rating. Expertise rating converts to expertise at the same rate that weapon skill rating formerly converted at. Each point of expertise reduces the chance for your attacks to be dodged or parried by 0.25%.
- Healing reduction effects will now affect all health drain spells and abilities (e.g. Mortal Strike will reduce health gained from Drain Life).
- Healing: Almost all items and enchantments that provide bonus healing now also provide a smaller number (approximately 1/3) of bonus spell damage. There are a few items and enchantments where this was not possible, such as random-stat items and Zul'Gurub enchantments, but this is now the case on virtually all other items.
- On Kill Effects: Items and abilities that trigger on killing an enemy will no longer trigger on using an ability that kills your pet. - Weapon Skill: All items and abilities that granted weapon skill have
been changed. In most cases, they were converted to expertise or expertise rating. Ranged attacks do not benefit from expertise, so ranged weapon skill has generally been replaced by critical strike bonuses or hit bonuses. In a few cases, talents have been changed to other effects to avoid granting players excessive amounts of expertise.
- A new flight path has been added to the Rebel Camp in northern Stranglethorn Vale.
- Flying units can see ground units and vice versa at any altitude.
- Players no longer gain the moving AOE radius bonus if they are jumping.
- Client spell cast requests are now sent to the server even if your player is already casting another spell. This eliminates the need for /stopcasting in macros to compensate for latency.
- Vendor Discounts: All vendors with an associate faction now give
discounts at all levels above neutral. Friendly: 5% discount
Honored: 10% discount
Revered: 15% discount
Exalted: 20% discount
- Quest givers who have available daily quests will have a blue exclamation point instead of a yellow one.
- Pets will try to get behind their targets when engaging in melee combat.

Racial Abilities
- Dwarf: Gun Specialization now increases chance to critically hit with Guns by 1% rather than increasing weapon skill.
- Gnome: Escape Artist cooldown increased to 1 min, 45 sec.
- Troll: Bow and Thrown Specialization now increases chance to critically hit with those weapons by 1% rather than increasing weapon skill.

PvP
- Battlegrounds
Daily quests have been added targeting a random battleground for that day. Look for Alliance Brigadier Generals and Horde Warbringers near your faction's battlemasters in all major capitals.
Dropping the Flag in a battleground will now result in a debuff that will not allow you to pick up the flag again for 3 seconds.
Druids who are shapeshifted when they receive the Restoration buff from battlegrounds will now correctly regenerate mana.
Players will now be able to cast spells for free in the Battleground before it begins.
Players will now be able to cast spells for free for a few seconds after being resurrected by a Spirit Guide in the Battleground.
Alterac Valley
Additional Warmasters no longer report for duty upon destroying an enemy tower. However, destroying an enemy tower still eliminates the associated opposing Warmaster.
All Warmasters are linked to each other and their respective Generals and can no longer be pulled individually.
Honor from capturing towers has been increased.
All Commanders and Lieutenants have left Alterac Valley in search for other battle opportunities.
Players will no longer be sent to their starting tunnels on death unless that team controls no graveyards in the battleground.
Many NPCs in Stormpike and Frostwolf holds are no longer elite Bonus Honor in Alterac Valley is now only awarded during the battle for destroying enemy towers and slaying the enemy Captain. Upon conclusion of the battle, bonus honor is also awarded for intact towers, a surviving Captain, and for victory in the battle. The total bonus honor awarded should be similar to the previous total.
The Horde and Alliance now have a limited number of reinforcements available in the battle for Alterac Valley. The number of reinforcements available is reduced upon player death, loss of towers, and death of Captain Galvangar or Balinda Stonehearth. In addition, all available reinforcements are lost upon the death of General Drek'Thar or Vanndar Stormpike. If a team is reduced to zero reinforcements, the opposing team wins the battle.
Towers and Graveyards in Alterac Valley are now captured in 4 minutes (down from 5).
Eye of the Storm
The points awarded from capturing the flag in Eye of the Storm is now increase based on the number of bases the capturing team owns. Warsong Gulch, Arathi Basin, Eye of the Storm Additional bonus honor is now awarded upon conclusion of the
battle.

Druids
- Barkskin: It is no longer possible to cast this spell while Cycloned.
- Cure Poison and Abolish Poison are now usable in Tree of Life Form.
- Cure Poison, Abolish Poison and Remove Curse range increased to 40 yards.
- Entangling Roots: It is no longer possible for multiple Druids to have Entangling Roots on the same target. In addition, it will now always be removed correctly if multiple Druids overwrite each other’s Entangling Roots.
- Feral Attack Power: Items that granted bonus attack power in Cat, Bear, Dire Bear, and Moonkin forms have been re-evaluated. In almost all cases, the attack power on the item has been increased. This change corrects an issue where feral weapon damage was not keeping up with other classes in its rate of increase.
- Force of Nature: This ability will no longer automatically break stealth on victims in its casting area. Nearby stealthed characters may still be attacked if they are too close to the summoned Treants.
- Heart of the Wild: This talent no longer provides 4/8/12/16/20% bonus Strength in Cat Form. Instead it provides 2/4/6/8/10% bonus attack power.
- Hibernate: This spell will now always be removed correctly if multiple Druids overwrite each other’s Hibernate.
- Intensity (Restoration) increased to 10/20/30% mana regeneration.
- Primal Fury: This talent will now be learned correctly even if purchased while the Druid is dead.
- Rebirth cooldown reduced to 20 minutes, from 30 minutes.
- Remove Curse is now usable in Moonkin Form.
- Shapeshifting Spells: Some of these spells were causing additional unintended threat. That additional unintended threat has been removed.
- Soothe Animal: This spell now properly consumes Nature’s Swiftness.
- Tranquility now gains additional benefit from spell damage and healing bonuses.

Hunters
- Arcane Shot (Ranks 6 and above) now dispel 1 Magic effect in addition to their normal damage.
- Explosive Trap: The initial damage dealt by this trap is now also increased by 10% of your ranged attack power.
- Immolation Trap: The total damage dealt by this trap is now also increased by 10% of your ranged attack power.
- Misdirection: This spell will now always be removed correctly if multiple Hunters overwrite each other’s Misdirection.
- Readiness: This talent now finishes the cooldown on Kill Command.
- Serpent Sting, Immolation Trap and Explosive Trap all gain additional damage based on ranged attack power.
- Serpent Sting: The total damage dealt by this sting is now also increased by 10% of your ranged attack power.
- Steady Shot: Tooltip clarified to indicate base weapon damage is used in the damage calculation.
- Trueshot Aura (Marksmanship) no longer costs mana to cast and will last until cancelled.
- Wyvern Sting (Survival) is now instant cast and has a maximum duration of 10 seconds in PvP.

Mages
- Arcane Intellect and Arcane Brilliance mana costs reduced.
- Arcane Meditation (Arcane) increased to 10/20/30% mana regeneration.
- Detect Magic removed. All players may now see their target's beneficial effects at all times.
- Evocation now regenerates 15% of total mana every 2 seconds rather than increase Spirit based regeneration.
- Fire Ward and Frost Ward now gain additional benefit from spell damage bonuses. Base absorb values of ranks 5 and 6 have been reduced.
- Hypothermia duration increased to 45 sec.
- Ice Barrier now gains additional benefit from spell damage bonuses. Base absorb values of ranks 5 and 6 have been reduced.
- Improved Fireball: The reduction in damage coefficient caused by this talent has been removed.
- Improved Frostbolt: The reduction in damage coefficient caused by this talent has been removed.
- Polymorph: It is no longer possible to polymorph a player and have that player remain mounted. In addition, it will now always be removed correctly if multiple Mages overwrite each other’s Polymorph.
- Portal Spells: Portal spells to capital cities can no longer be cast in battlegrounds.
- Remove Curse range increased to 40 yards.
- (NEW SPELL) Ritual of Refreshment available on trainers at level 70.

Paladins
- Blessing of Light: Lower ranks of Flash of Light and Holy Light are now properly penalized when used with this Blessing.
- Cleanse and Purify range increased to 40 yards.
- Crusader Strike (Retribution) cooldown reduced from 10 to 6 seconds.
- Exorcism mana cost reduced.
- Hammer of Wrath mana cost reduced.
- Holy Wrath mana cost reduced.
- Improved Seal of the Crusader (Retribution) benefits folded into the base spell. This talent now gives the benefits of the Sanctified Crusader talent instead.
- Judgement of Light: The combat log will now show the mana gained from rank 5 of this ability as Judgement of Light instead of Seal of Light.
- Pursuit of Justice (Retribution) is now 3 ranks and increases movement speed by 5/10/15% and also reduces the chance you'll be hit by spells by 1/2/3%.
- Sanctified Crusader (Retribution) renamed Sanctified Seals, which now increases your chance to critically hit with all spells and melee attacks by 1/2/3% and reduces the chance your Seals will be dispelled by 33/66/100%.
- Vengeance (Retribution) duration increased from 15 to 30 seconds.
- Vindication (Retribution) frequency and duration increased and now reduces all attributes by 5/10/15%, not just Strength and Agility.
- Weapon Expertise (Protection) renamed Combat Expertise, now increases expertise by 1/2/3/4/5 and total Stamina by 2/4/6/8/10%.
Priests
- Chastise (NEW) is now available to Dwarf and Draenei priests at level 20. Chastise causes Holy damage and incapacitates the target for 2 seconds.
- Circle of Healing: The base amount of healing from this spell has been reduced along with increasing the bonus it receives from bonus healing effects. Characters with more than 1338 healing will see their Circle of Healing heal for more than previous patches. Characters with less than 1338 healing will see their Circle of Healing heal for less.
- Cure Disease and Abolish Disease range increased to 40 yards.
- Elune's Grace (Night Elf) effect changed to reduce chance to be hit by melee and ranged attacks by 20% for 15 seconds. There is now only 1 rank of the spell.
- Fear Ward is now available to all priests at level 20. Duration reduced to 3 minutes, cooldown increased to 3 minutes.
- Fixed a bug where the global cooldown was triggered when shifting out of Shadowform.
- Holy Fire: The tooltip on rank 4 has been adjusted.
- Inner Focus: Rank 4 will now properly affect Lightwell.
- Inner Focus: This effect is now properly consumed by casting Mind Soothe.
- Meditation (Discipline) increased to 10/20/30% mana regeneration.
- Pain Suppression (Discipline Talent) is now usable on friendly targets, instantly reduces the target's threat by 5%, reduces damage taken by 40% and its cooldown has been reduced to 2 minutes.
- Prayer of Healing, Circle of Healing and Holy Nova (healing effect) now gain additional benefit from spell damage and healing bonuses.
- Power Word: Fortitude, Divine Spirit, Prayer of Fortitude and Prayer of Spirit mana costs reduced.
- Power Word: Shield now gains additional benefit from spell damage and healing bonuses. Base absorb values of ranks 10, 11 and 12 have been reduced.
- Shackle Undead: This spell will now always be removed correctly if multiple Priests overwrite each other’s Shackle Undead.
- Shadow Word: Death: Resilience no longer reduces the backlash damage from this spell.
- Starshards (Night Elf) is no longer channeled, costs 0 mana, is now a Magic effect, lasts 15 seconds, causes damage every 3 seconds and has a 30 second cooldown.

Rogues
- All poisons will now enchant the weapon for 1 hour, increased from 30 minutes
- Blind is now a physical (no longer a poison) attack. Reagent requirement removed. Now shares the same diminish category as Cyclone and is now diminished in PvE as well as PvP.
- Fleet Footed (Assassination) now increases movement speed by 8/15%.
- Kick: Interrupting a channeled spell with this ability will now always properly prevent casting spells from the same spell school for 5 sec.
- Remorseless Attacks: This talent can no longer be triggered by the death of a rogue’s target dummy or other pet.
- Riposte is now subject to diminishing returns in PvP.
- Rogue's Deadly Throw missile speed increased significantly and snare duration increased slightly.
- Ruthlessness now only affects melee finishing moves. It no longer works with Deadly Throw.
- Shadowstep (Subtlety) can now be used at any time, not only while stealthed. Threat caused by next Ambush, Garrote or Backstab is reduced by 50%. Cooldown increased to 40 seconds.

Shaman
- Chain Heal: The tooltips on ranks 1-3 have been adjusted.
- Chain Lightning cast time reduced to 2.0 (from 2.5), mana costs reduced, benefit from spell damage reduced appropriately.
- Cure Poison and Cure Disease range increased to 40 yards.
- Earth Shield: This spell will now always be removed correctly if multiple Shaman overwrite each other’s Earth Shield.
- Earth Shock: Interrupting a channeled spell with this spell will now always properly prevent casting spells from the same spell school for 2 sec.
- Elemental Focus (Elemental) now reduces the mana cost of the next 2 damage spells by 40%.
- Frost Shock is no longer subject to diminishing returns.
- Grounding Totem: This totem is now destroyed upon redirecting any spell to itself.
- Lightning Bolt cast time reduced to 2.5 (from 3.0 where applicable), mana costs reduced, benefit from spell damage reduced appropriately. - Lightning Mastery (Elemental) cast time reduction reduced to .1/.2/.3/.4/.5 seconds.
- Lightning Overload (Elemental) now has a 4/8/12/16/20% chance to occur and the additional spell causes half damage and no additional threat.
- Mana Spring Totem effect increased.
- Mental Quickness (Enhancement) now also increases spell damage and healing equal to 10/20/30% of your attack power.
- Two-Handed Axes and Two-Handed Maces are now trainable by all Shaman at the appropriate weapon masters. The Enhancement talent has been replaced by Shamanistic Focus.
- Shamanistic Focus (New Enhancement Talent): After landing a melee critical strike, you enter a Focused state. The Focused state reduces the mana cost of your next Shock spell by 60%.
- Shamanistic Rage (Enhancement) now also reduces all damage taken by 30% for the duration.
- Spirit Weapons (Enhancement) threat reduction increased to 30% from 15%.
- Rockbiter Weapon: For ranks 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 the increased damage resulting from this enchantment has been reduced slightly to match the intended numbers given in the tooltip. Ranks 1, 2, 3, and 9 are unchanged.
- Water Shield: This spell no longer costs any mana to cast and its duration has been shortened. At the end of its duration, it now grants mana for any remaining globes. In addition, the mana granted per globe has been substantially increased.
- Windfury Weapon: This enchantment can no longer be triggered while you are disarmed.

Warlock
- Banish can no longer be cast on targets tapped by other players or groups.
- Conflagrate: The Immolate debuff will now always be removed correctly when this spell is cast.
- Drain Life and Siphon Life now reduce the amount healed when the warlock is affected by healing reducing effects (e.g. Mortal Strike, Wounding Poison).
- Hellfire: This spell will no longer cause enemy spells to increase casting time or reduce channel time. It will also no longer prevent flag captures in Battlegrounds.
- Nether Protection (Destruction) now has a new, more distinct visual effect.
- Ritual of Souls now takes significantly less time to cast and complete.
- Seed of Corruption detonation will now obey line of sight.
- Shadow Embrace: This talent’s effect can no longer trigger other effects.
- Shadow Ward: This spell now gains additional benefit from spell damage bonuses. Base absorb value of rank 4 has been reduced.
- Soul Siphon (Affliction) now increases damage by 2/4% and no longer affects Drain Mana.

Warrior
- Charge will work more often when targets are up against unpathable areas like walls and poles.
- Defiance (Protection) now also grants 2/4/6 weapon expertise.
- Devastate (Protection) now combines the effects of Sunder Armor into its effect. It is also now affected by all talents and items that affect Sunder Armor.
- Disarm is now subject to diminishing returns in PvP.
- Improved Berserker Stance (Fury) now also reduces all threat caused while in Berserker Stance by 2/4/6/8/10%
- Improved Intercept and Weapon Mastery have swapped locations in the talent trees.
- Intervene will no longer place you in combat.
- Hamstring now has a 10 second duration when used on PvP targets.
- Mace Specialization (Arms) now has a reduced chance to occur but generates 7 rage instead of 6.
- Pummel: Interrupting a channeled spell with this ability will now always properly prevent casting spells from the same spell school for 4 sec.
- Shield Bash: Interrupting a channeled spell with this ability will now always properly prevent casting spells from the same spell school for 6 sec.
- Shield Slam (Protection) now always tries to dispel one Magic effect on the target.
- Tactical Mastery: This talent also now grants greatly increased threat from Mortal Strike and Bloodthirst when in Defensive Stance.
- Weapon Mastery (Arms) now reduces duration of Disarm effects against you by 25/50% rather than giving you a 50% chance to avoid or full immunity to Disarm effects.
- Whirlwind: This ability now strikes with both weapons when a Warrior is dual-wielding.
- Sweeping Strikes and Deathwish have swapped locations in the talent trees.
- Sweeping Strikes (Fury) now lasts 10 seconds and affects your next 10 swings.


Professions
- You can now control-click on a recipe to see how the item that is made by that recipe will look on you in the dressing room.
- Alchemy
Added a sound for when a cauldron is created.
- Blacksmithing
A new world drop recipe for an Adamantite Weapon Chain has been added. This new weapon chain both reduces disarm duration and increases parry rating.
- Cooking
Daily cooking quests are now available from The Rokk in Shattrath City! In addition to gold, you can receive random cooking reagents and new recipes as a reward for completing these quests.
- Enchanting:
Duration of wizard and mana oils created by enchanters has been increased.
- Engineering:
Engineers can now create incredible new flying machines! Find Niobe Whizzlespark in Shadowmoon Valley to learn these fantastic new plans. Plans for a new Field Repair Bot are rumored to belong to a select few Gan'arg Analyzers in Blade's Edge Mountains.
- Fishing:
Fishermen and women can now track fishing nodes. This ability is learned from a journal sometimes found in crates obtained through fishing.
New fish can now be caught in Zul'Aman and Deadwind Pass. Recipes for preparing these new fish are obtained through the daily cooking quests.
Fishing difficulty reduced for some areas in Nagrand.
- Herbalism
Picking herbs will no longer cause effects on items to trigger.
- Jewelcrafting:
A new skyfire meta gem recipe can be obtained from the Coilskar Siren of Shadowmoon Valley. This new meta gem increases critical strike rating and critical strike damage with spells.
- Leatherworking:
Stylin' hats no longer require Zhevra leather.
Greatly increased the radius of the Drums of Battle, Drums of Restoration, Drums of Speed, and Drums of War.
Removed the casting time from the Drums of Battle, Drums of Restoration, Drums of Speed, and Drums of War.
Slightly increased the radius of Drums of Panic.
Reduced the casting time of Drums of Panic and added a global cooldown equal to the casting time.
Drums of Speed and Drums of Restoration are no longer world drop recipes, and can now be obtained from the Mag'har and Kurenai faction vendors with revered standing.
A new recipe is available from Grand Master leatherworking trainers to create glove reinforcements, providing a substantial armor bonus.
Reinforcements are a permanent enchantment and cannot be placed with other permanent enchantments.
New recipes are available from Grand Master leatherworking trainers to make 20 slot quivers and ammo pouches.
New recipes are available from the Honor Hold, Thrallmar, and Lower City quartermasters to create 24 slot quivers and ammo pouches.
- Mining
Mining will no longer cause effects on items to trigger.

Items
- All old world dungeons have had their loot revisited. Players will now find that all loot dropped inside instances will be of Superior quality.
- Arena Relics: New relics have been added to support all talent trees for relic users. In addition, most of the arena-system relics have been renamed so there is a more consistent naming convention.
- Arakkoa Feather: This item can now be sold to a vendor.
- Ashtongue Talisman of Lethality: This item will no longer trigger when the victim of your finishing move is immune to that attack.
- Ashtongue Talisman of Vision: The mana granted by this trinket has been increased.
- Ashtongue Talisman of Zeal: The damage over time affect from judgments has been adjusted so that it will work properly. It now has a shorter duration, and is not refreshed by melee attacks.
- Band of Eternity will now make the correct sound when moved in a player's inventory.
- Bloodsea Brigand's Vest will now make the correct sound when moved in a player's inventory.
- Boundless Agony can now be disenchanted.
- Cataclysm Raiment: The bonuses on this set have been adjusted.
- Cooldown removed from Noggenfogger Elixirs. The shrink effect will no longer stack with other shrink effects.
- Cowl of Benevolence will now make the correct sound when moved in a player's inventory.
- Crystalforge Raiment: The bonuses on this set have been adjusted.
- Darkmoon Card: Vengeance: This item will no longer trigger from environmental damage.
- Dropped items that were rings/trinkets/one handed weapons that were previously unique are now unique-equipped. That means that you can have more than one of those items, but you can only have a single one of them equipped.
- Gladiator’s armor pieces of like nature from various seasons will now all meet the requirements for their shared set bonus. This means if you are using 2 pieces of Season 1 gear and 2 pieces of Season 2 gear of the same design you will now have your 4 piece set bonus.
- Gladiator's Chain Gauntlets: The bonus damage on these gloves has been increased from 4% to 5%.
- Grand Marshal's Dragonhide Helm: The intellect on this item was increased slightly to match the equivalent Horde-only item.
- Hand of Antu'sul: The effect that triggers from this item will no longer cause a cooldown on Warrior's Thunderclap ability.
- Lightfathom Scepter will now make the correct sound when moved in a player's inventory.
- Low Level Cloth Items: All agility and strength on low-level cloth items has been replaced with other stats, usually bonus spell damage, but also sometimes other stats beneficial to mana users.
- Merciless Gladiator's Chain Gauntlets: The bonus damage on these gloves has been increased from 4% to 5%.
- Mystical Skyfire Diamond: A cooldown has been added to this item’s effect, but the chance for it to trigger has been increased.
- Ogri'la Faction Vendor: This vendor now sells potions useable anywhere for a large number of Apexis Shards.
- Shadowmoon Grunts will no longer drop Black Temple quality loot.
- Shiffar's Nexus Horn: Many spells and abilities can now trigger this item that were unable to before.
- Tidefury Raiment: The additional mana granted to Water Shield by this set has been increased.
- Tome of Fiery Redemption: This item no longer can be triggered by casting blessings.
- Totem of the Thunderhead: The additional mana granted to Water Shield by this totem has been increased.
- Unstable Flask of the Sorcerer: This flask will now provide the bonus to healing specified in its tooltip.
- Vambraces of Ending will now make the correct sound when moved in a player's inventory.

Dungeons and Raids
- Elite mobs outside of pre-Burning Crusade dungeons have been changed to non-elite.
- The level ranges of pre-Burning Crusade dungeons have been adjusted to a narrower range.
- Meeting stone level requirements, the Looking for Group system, and quests have been adjusted to match the new dungeon level ranges.
- Auchenai Crypts
Wandering Ghosts are now neutral to players
Summoned Ghosts now take longer to summon in.
- Auchindoun: Sethekk Halls
Mobs inside Sethekk Halls will now continue to award Lower City reputation into Exalted.
- Hellfire Citadel: Magtheridon’s Lair
Mind Exhaustion is not applied until Magtheridon is successfully banished.
- Karazhan
The number of creatures that must be killed in the Karazhan Servants Quarters area before a miniboss spawns has been reduced.
Phase hounds in Karazhan will now phase out less frequently.
Coldmist Widows no longer wipe threat when casting Poison Bolt volley.
The Chess Event chess in Karazhan now has a tap list so it can only be looted by players who were involved in the chess event.
Wrath of the Titans will no longer cause Shackle Undead to break.
- Tempest Keep
All four advisors have had their health reduced by 10%.
All of the summoned weapons have had their health reduced by 10%.
The ability “Meteor” has been renamed to “Dive Bomb”.
The Blood Elves that patrol the Tempest Bridge no longer patrol directly into Prince Kael’thas Sunstrider’s chamber.

Quests
- New random Daily Dungeon quests have been added for both the heroic and non-heroic five-person Outland dungeons, as well as for the 5-person Caverns of Time instances. Each day both a single heroic and a single non-heroic dungeon are randomly targeted by these quests. The Consortium quest givers can be located in Shattrath's
Lower City
- Aether rays can now be wrangled earlier.
- Dustwallow Marsh
Many new quests have been added to the zone.
The Steamwheedle Cartel have just completed building the new town of Mudsprocket in south west Dustwallow Marsh.
- Level 1-60 dungeon quests have had their experience and faction rewards increased.
- Many elite creatures and quests in the level 1-60 experience have been changed to accommodate solo play.
- Nutral, the flight master in Shattrath City, now has a quest for characters who are level 70 and do not yet have a riding skill of 225. The quest will direct a character to visit the appropriate riding instructor in Shadowmoon Valley so that the player will know where they can purchase the skill necessary to use a flying mount.
- The icon for the Charged Crystal Focus has been changed.
- The Repolarized Magneto Sphere now only functions within the Blade's Edge Mountains.
- Upon completion of the Ghostlands quest, "A Little Dash of Seasoning", if a character still has the Apothecary's Poison; it will be removed from their inventory.

User Interface
- The Auction House UI has been much improved. The useless categories have been removed (Plate-Cloak for instance) and a number of additional sub categories have been added. In addition, many items have had their category changed so that they make more sense.
- The Auction house time periods have been changed. Now items can be put up for sale for 12, 24, or 48 hours. The option to put up items for 8 hours has been removed.
- The Battle Map has been renamed to the Zone Map and can be turned on for any zone rather than just PvP objective zones. There is now a drop down in the world map screen that allows you to choose when the zone map should display.
- Items that have cooldowns will now display the base cooldown time in the item tooltip.
- Game objects that you can interact with have a glow around them and display their name over the object to make them more obvious.
- Items with Metagems in them will now display the gems required to activate the metagem and whether those requirements have been met on the item tooltip.
- When you take damage and have a full screen UI up, the edges of the screen will flash red so you know you are under attack.
- Inspect distance has been increased to 30 yards.
- When you inspect another player, you can now see their talent choices as well as their equipment.
- The Mind Control and Possession action bar has been revamped.
- You can now send up to 12 items in a single mail message.
- When you have an outgoing mail open, you can right-click on items to attach them to that outgoing mail.
- When you have a trade window open, you can right-click an item to move it to the trade window.
- When you have unopened mail, you can mouse over the recent mail icon and get the name of the people who most recently sent you the mail.
- When you speak with an NPC with a single function (Banker, Flight Master, Etc) and who has no other gossip options or quests you will go straight to their functional pane rather than to the gossip pane. Most importantly this means that clicking on a flight master will bring up the flight path map directly rather than the gossip pane with the option to bring up the flight path map.
- Quests that are much below your level will now have the tag (Low Level) in the gossip pane attached to the quest. This will make it easier to tell which quest to accept when a quest giver has both low and high level quests.
- You can now set the loot threshold (/threshold) with a word as well as the loot threshold number for an instance- /threshold Epic- also sets the party loot threshold to Epic items or better quality /threshold Rare-sets the party loot threshold to Rare items or better quality
- Corpses that belong to someone in your party, but that you cannot loot will say in the corpse mouseover who has loot rights on that corpse. This will help skinners who want to know who to talk to in order to skin their corpse, as well as master looters when special loot drops on a normal monster. Everyone will then see that there is a monster that the master looter has loot rights on.
- The raid panes that have been pulled out into the gamefield should save their option settings between sessions now.
- When raid bosses send an important message to the center of your screen it will be larger and have an effect that makes it more
noticeable.
- The raid warning command now appears in a larger font in the center screen and grows and shrinks slightly when it appears to make it more noticeable.
- NPCs with a single function will now display an icon that indicates their function on mouseover.
- When an Addon attempts to perform an action that is prohibited in combat, you will get a chat message "Interface action failed because of an AddOn". This only occurs once per login.
- Many interface elements now display players in their class color so you can easily recognize what class a player is. Interface elements affected by this are LFG, Channel UI, Guild and Who.
- The value of the TargetNearestDistance setting is validated at load time.
- If a non-standard refresh rate is selected in the video options, it will now be saved.
- Many On Use items now display the cooldown in the item tooltip.
- The tooltip for Block on the character sheet now displays the amount of damage reduced by a successful block.
- New macro commands: /targetlastenemy, /targetlastfriend
- New macro command to target by entire name: /targetexact
- For more details on UI macro and scripting changes, see the UI and Macro forum.

Added after the initial posting

Druid
- Barkskin: It is no longer possible to cast this spell while Cycloned.
- Cure Poison, Abolish Poison and Remove Curse range increased to 40 yards.
- Entangling Roots: It is no longer possible for multiple Druids to have Entangling Roots on the same target. In addition, it will now always be removed correctly if multiple Druids overwrite each other’s Entangling Roots.
- Feral Attack Power: Items that granted bonus attack power in Cat, Bear, Dire Bear, and Moonkin forms have been re-evaluated. In almost all cases, the attack power on the item has been increased. This change corrects an issue where feral weapon damage was not keeping up with other classes in its rate of increase.
- Force of Nature: This ability will no longer automatically break stealth on victims in its casting area. Nearby stealthed characters may still be attacked if they are too close to the summoned Treants.
- Heart of the Wild: This talent no longer provides 4/8/12/16/20% bonus Strength in Cat Form. Instead it provides 2/4/6/8/10% bonus attack power.
- Hibernate: This spell will now always be removed correctly if multiple Druids overwrite each other’s Hibernate.
- Primal Fury: This talent will now be learned correctly even if purchased while the Druid is dead.
- Soothe Animal: This spell now properly consumes Nature’s Swiftness.

Hunters
- Misdirection: This spell will now always be removed correctly if multiple Hunters overwrite each other’s Misdirection.
- Readiness: This talent now finishes the cooldown on Kill Command.

Mages
- Polymorph: It is no longer possible to polymorph a player and have that player remain mounted. In addition, it will now always be removed correctly if multiple Mages overwrite each other’s Polymorph.

Paladins
- Blessing of Light: Lower ranks of Flash of Light and Holy Light are now properly penalized when used with this Blessing.
# Judgement of Light: The combat log will now show the mana gained from rank 5 of this ability as Judgement of Light instead of Seal of Light.
(Possibly more here, the post is cut off due to length)

Priest
- Holy Fire: The tooltip on rank 4 has been adjusted.
- Inner Focus: Rank 4 will now properly affect Lightwell.
- Inner Focus: This effect is now properly consumed by casting Mind Soothe.
- Shackle Undead: This spell will now always be removed correctly if multiple Priests overwrite each other’s Shackle Undead.
- Shadow Word: Death: Resilience no longer reduces the backlash damage from this spell.

Rogue
- Kick: Interrupting a channeled spell with this ability will now always properly prevent casting spells from the same spell school for 5 sec.
- Remorseless Attacks: This talent can no longer be triggered by the death of a rogue’s target dummy or other pet.

Shaman
- Chain Heal: The tooltips on ranks 1-3 have been adjusted.
- Earth Shield: This spell will now always be removed correctly if multiple Shaman overwrite each other’s Earth Shield.
- Earth Shock: Interrupting a channeled spell with this spell will now always properly prevent casting spells from the same spell school for 2 sec.
(Possibly more, post is cut off)

Warlock
- Conflagrate: The Immolate debuff will now always be removed correctly when this spell is cast.
- Shadow Embrace: This talent’s effect can no longer trigger other effects.

Warrior
- Defiance (Protection) now also grants 2/4/6 weapon expertise.
- Improved Intercept and Weapon Mastery have swapped locations in the talent trees.
- Pummel: Interrupting a channeled spell with this ability will now always properly prevent casting spells from the same spell school for 4 sec.
- Shield Bash: Interrupting a channeled spell with this ability will now always properly prevent casting spells from the same spell school for 6 sec.
- Whirlwind: This ability now strikes with both weapons when a Warrior is dual-wielding.
- Sweeping Strikes and Deathwish have swapped locations in the talent trees.
- Sweeping Strikes (Fury) now lasts 10 seconds and affects your next 10 swings.

 

◊ Rob

Wow, that's really frustrating. Implement a mechanic that takes months to figure out, make players bid on Weapon Skill items because 5 weapon skill is very important, and then convert it into something that's less than half as good.

 

Garanthir

Weapon Expertise

Was this announced earlier? If so I must have missed it. Seems like this is a big unknown that just popped up in 2.3. I wonder if Feral Weapon Skill will now be Feral Expertise?

 

Hamilburg

• Pets will try to get behind their targets when engaging in melee combat.

This could be really funny to watch while Hunters are soloing.

 

Nite_Moogle

Arguably, it's even better now since there was previously no way to reduce the amount that an NPC could dodge or parry. You could always get hit rating somewhere else. I imagine Quigon will be loading up on it!

There's a few surprises in this one that are really positive, like the vendor discounts and pet changes. There's a few "oh by the way" change too.

- Grounding Totem: This totem is now destroyed upon redirecting any spell to itself.

Ouch?

 

◊ s4dfish

Holy hell with Expertise... can't believe that dropped a change like that, what was wrong with the existing system? I suppose the racial weapons skills were a touch OP, but man...

 

Crimsonstorm

Yeah...

Perhaps 1 expertise skill rating will be less itemization than a weapon skill rating? And maybe an item that gave 10 weapon skill rating before would give like 15 or 20 expertise skill, so its still about the same value?

 

◊ Praetorian

Less of this, please.

I'm underwhelmed by a lot of the changes myself, but aimless vitriol isn't what anyone comes here to read.

 

Branar

While I haven't beaten Kael yet (phase 4!), I imagine this will make the fight quite a bit easier. That's a pretty big reduction in the DPS requirements.

 

◊ Rob

OK, sorry.

It is very frustrating, though, that an unexplained and confusing mechanic was implemented, then when people figured out how to take advantage of it, it was nerfed. It makes it appear as if Blizzard did not even understand what the mechanic did themselves.

Well, this is true for tanks and possibly classes that hit-cap, but it does worsen the skill for the rest of us. I know that to attain an equal percent chance to hit as what I have now, I will require 24 more hit rating in 2.3. My rogue counterpart said he will require 60 more hit rating to cap, so although he will gain 2.5% anti-dodge he will lose roughly 3.75% hit. Was weapon skill really overpowered?

 

◊ Turik

I think a lot of the changes were summed up a little briefly. A lot of the "old world" changes are huge, and make rerolling incredibly easy.


That being said, 10% stamina on paladins is <3, but HAVING to put 51 points in tree kinda sucks.

 

Charsi

I'm trying to figure out how they can justify raising Shaman to 30% melee threat reduction, and Fury Warriors 10% additional threat reduction on top of the existing Berserker Stance passive of 20%, yet continue to leave Retribution Paladins with nothing, talented nor passive.

I play a Warrior, but I raid with a Ret Paladin and this oversight just makes me scratch my head.

 

Nite_Moogle

1 point of expertise is as good as half a crit. It's not like hit where eventually it's not affecting your special attacks. Every single point of expertise is a .5 increase in your likelihood to do damage when you hit with any attack. I don't know the budget conversion off hand, but I'm guessing it will compare very favorably with other stats. The way it currently works is pretty absurd and I'm not sorry to see it change and I am very happy to finally see a way to counteract dodge and parry.

The Enhancement talent only applies to melee damage (so it's really more like 25-27%) and Fury warriors have very little in the way of synergy, but I agree, no threat reduction at all is a bit of a head-scratcher as is a lack of any improvement to the Arms tree.

edit: VVV Good point, it's not nearly so good for the usual DPSer. :/

 

◊ Praetorian

Not in PvE it isn't, unless you are tanking in which case Expertise is a very nice stat once you're hit-capped. You don't get parried, so you only get half the benefit.

 

sahamet

I'm hoping the lack of mention of new honor, arena, or badge of justice rewards is merely an oversight.

 

◊ Praetorian

That's a safe bet.

It's a safe bet that these patch notes are quite incomplete, and are going to see official revisions before hitting the live servers, to say nothing of undocumented changes.

 

songster

Hmmm. I wonder if Expertise is supposed to be a PvP or a PvE stat? There's obvious potential for Blizzard to invent a PvE-biased stat, which you can load up on PvE items to make them less desirable for arenas, just like they did in reverse with Resilience.

I'll be interested to see what happens to glancing blows, if anything. Just as a for instance, what if glancing blows were reduced and high level mobs given much higher parry/dodge instead?

Blizzard have also said they're looking into parry mechanics to avoid parry streaks gibbing the tank, so that may be something else to look out for changes in.

 

◊ Rob

I will agree with you on this, but I don't think that rogues and shamans should be getting an across-the-board nerf to weapon skill. It really, really makes me feel like nobody at Blizzard understood the true effect of weapon skill to begin with.
I think Blizzard's assumption here is that Enhance Shamans currently aren't viable in heroics without a Paladin to give them Salvation, whereas Ret Paladins can always give themselves Salvation and wear plate to begin with.

 

• goss

Do these set bonuses really need a change? From my experience, they've been some of the most well balanced and useful (without permanent-use status) set bonuses these classes have had.

 

snape

I'm really excited about the Guild Bank changes - especially how you can use guild bank funds for repair at the actual repair guy.

 

Nurru

Despite the gripes from some people I'd have to say this overall looks like a very positive patch (speaking from a Mage/Priest perspective, and old world changes). Some of them don't make a lot of sense to me however, such as increasing Hypothermia even further to 45, but overall I'm pleased. The old world changes in general, but especially to cloth, are a very nice touch,

Every single one of you complainers obviously missed the most important change:

< Aislinana> Why would it be my job to sleep with vontre? Don't I have standards?

 

sahamet

I know this change was supposed to be coming down the pipeline but I'm interested to see how it works in practice.

 

◊ Praetorian

Well we don't know what they got changed to, but they're among the best set bonuses in the game, pretty much, Plenty of paladins use 4pc t5 over t6 solely for the set bonus. They scale unbelievably well. Perhaps too well for Blizzard's liking.

 

snape

Yeah, the Hypothermia change is odd. I read it 3 times...why? I can't see anything game-breaking PvP-wise about Ice Blocking twice in 30 seconds - or 20 seconds non-Block time if you don't cancel it. Oh well.

And yes, the Defias Pillager change! I'm glad they acknowledged them, but I always felt they were kind of a "trial by fire" (no pun intended) to leveling up as a Human.

 

Caligula

I'm assuming it will just mean that you no longer get an "Unable to cast" message. The spell request will be sent to the server and if the previous spell has finished casting it will start another one.