On the evening of October 30, five days before launch, Blizzard pushed a series of hotfixes to the WoW Forever servers. They rework the Paladin tree, reshape the Druid’s Feral Combat and Restoration trees, adjust Frost and Arcane Mage, and take Binding Heal out of the Priest tree. The same day, the client the launcher pre-installs for November 4 (build 1.60.1.70707) brought its own series: another pass on the Mage, a reduced Aspect of the Hawk and Trueshot Aura, and Warrior Revenge scaling with attack power.
None of this is announced. Blizzard’s last message in the development notes thread dates from October 27 and only covers racial abilities. The changes below were found in the game files by wowforevertalents.com, then cross-checked line by line against a comparison of the client data between builds 1.60.1.70630, 70685 and 70707. Blizzard may still change them before November 4.
When a talent changes its number of ranks, we give its value at maximum rank. Comparing the old rank 2 with the new rank 2 suggests nerfs that do not exist: Spiritual Focus stays at 70% at maximum, it just takes 5 points instead of 2. Tooltips still show the values from before these hotfixes, and the talents created by this patch do not have one yet. Their names are our own translations, followed by the English name. The racial abilities of October 26, now in the game, are detailed in our dedicated article.
How to read this article
General changes
Outside the classes, the hotfixes add a speed enchant and finally ship the entries for 36 recipes that professions mentioned without the game containing them. Twelve interface texts also describe a subscription screen that points to a way of playing without a subscription, limited before level 60. The game does not say yet where or how.
Going up
- ▲Enchant Boots – Speed: 8% movement speed, learned from a Enchanting formula at 280 skill, tradeable. No client contained it until now.New
- ▲Toughened Leather Armor: becomes an uncommon item, bind on equip, with Stamina and Spirit. It used to be a white item with no stats.Changed
Going down
- ▼Enchant Boots – Minor Speed: 4% movement speed, down from 8%.Changed
Reworks and comfort
- ◆Crafting recipes: the server now sends 36 recipes whose name, quality and binding were unknown. Blacksmithing: plans for the Veteran’s, Guard’s, Protector’s, Acolyte’s and Crusader’s chain sets (shirt at 80, leggings at 95, helm at 125), bind on pickup. Leatherworking: patterns for the Brawler’s, Trapper’s, Defender’s, Totemic, Stormrider’s and Wisdom’s sets (armor at 75, pants at 100, helm at 125), tradeable. Enchanting: formulas for the Frozen, Molten and Dormant Heart of the Mountain, at 265.
- ◆Subscription screen: twelve new texts form an invitation to subscribe, with a “Subscribe Now” button and phrases such as “Play to level 60” or “Subscribe to continue your epic journey”. Nothing says yet when this screen will appear.New
- ◆Reserved names: the list of forbidden names is rebuilt, with 738 entries removed and 710 added. This is the fix promised on October 28 after the overzealous name refusals.
- ◆Racial abilities: the pass announced by Blizzard on October 26 and 27 is now in the game. Race-by-race details are in our October 26 article.
- ◆Quests: 16 quests change, mostly in the Barrens (Southsea Freebooters, Stolen Booty, Samophlange, WANTED: Baron Longshore). The files show that they changed, not how.
Druid(Druid)
Net nerfThe Feral Druid loses its only major cooldown. Berserk, the last talent of the Feral Combat tree, is gone: for 15 seconds, Primal Bite hit three targets with no cooldown, abilities that generate combo points gained 100% critical strike chance and the druid became immune to Fear. It is not moved to the class trainer or given to the other specializations: it no longer exists anywhere in the data. Primal Bite, the bear bite that generates a lot of threat, takes its place. It hits harder, but it now takes 30 points in the tree to get it, up from 15.
In PvP, this is the heaviest loss of the patch: against a Warlock or a Priest, Berserk was the cat’s answer to Fear. On the official forum, the thread “Feral Druid Completely Gutted PvE and PVP” opened the same evening. Restoration pays too: Wild Growth, instant until now, takes a 3-second cast. Balance is the only tree to lose nothing.
Going up
- ▲Primal Bite: the rank granted by the talent deals 100% weapon damage plus 42, up from plus 26. The maximum rank learned from the class trainer rises to plus 77, up from plus 59, but is learned later.Changed
- ▲Shifting Power: a single rank and an 8-second cooldown, down from 16. It still converts 55% of base mana into 40 energy.Changed
- ▲Predatory Discipline: row 4 of Feral Combat. Ferocious Bite no longer consumes the excess energy to convert it into damage, but keeps the damage bonus tied to that energy.New
- ▲Leader of the Pack: the 3% critical strike chance applies to all of the group’s critical strikes, spells included, and no longer only melee and ranged.Changed
- ▲Moonkin Form: its 3% critical strike chance aura applies to all of the group’s critical strikes, and no longer only to spell crits.Changed
- ▲Genesis: periodic damage and healing increased by 10% at maximum rank, up from 5%.Changed
- ▲Naturalist: all damage increased by 10%, up from 5%, and the Wild Growth cast time is reduced by 0.5 seconds, in addition to that of Healing Touch.Changed
- ▲Bloom: when Rejuvenation or Regrowth ends, the target is healed for an amount equal to 100% of the druid’s Spirit, 50% if the spell was dispelled.New
Going down
- ▼Berserk: removed. For 15 seconds (3-minute cooldown), it removed the cooldown of Primal Bite and made it hit three targets, gave 100% critical strike chance to abilities that generate combo points and made the druid immune to Fear.
- ▼Primal Bite: moves from row 4 to row 7, in place of Berserk. It takes 30 points in Feral Combat to get it, up from 15.Changed
- ▼Wild Growth: 3-second cast, instead of an instant spell. Naturalist brings this time down to 2.5 seconds.Changed
- ▼Gift of the Earthmother: removed, Bloom takes its place. It reduced the global cooldown of Rejuvenation, Swiftmend and Wild Growth by 0.5 seconds.
Reworks and comfort
- ◆Lacerate: becomes a row 4 talent of Feral Combat, which grants the first rank of the spell. The class trainer then teaches the following ranks. The bleed still stacks five times and generates a lot of threat.New
- ◆Improved Shifting Power: removed. The cooldown reduction it provided is now built into Shifting Power.
- ◆Shifting Power: moves from row 5 to row 7 and requires a point in Predatory Discipline.Changed
- ◆Swiftmend: now only consumes the druid’s own Rejuvenation or Regrowth, and heals for the full duration of the consumed spell.Changed
- ◆Ferocious Bite: gains a rank at the class trainer. The maximum rank values do not change.Changed
Paladin(Paladin)
BalancedThe Paladin is the most reworked class of the patch: three talents removed, five new ones, one renamed, eight that change their number of ranks and 28 that change position in the trees. The heaviest change is outside the trees: Salvation, Mass Salvation, Blessing of Light and its greater version disappear from the spellbook. In Classic, Salvation (30% less threat) was cast on every DPS in a raid. Without it, each player manages their own threat.
Blizzard compensates on the paladin itself. Righteous Fury now increases all threat generated by 33%, on top of the 90% on holy attacks, and Two-Handed Weapon Specialization removes 20% threat from the Retribution paladin. The Protection tank comes out ahead, with more blocking, less damage taken and Shieldsworn at the end of the tree. Holy trades Blessing of Light for an Oath of Light cast on a single ally. Several talents keep their maximum value but cost more points, such as Spiritual Focus and Improved Seals.
Going up
- ▲Righteous Fury: increases all threat generated by 33%, and that of holy attacks by an additional 90%. Before, only the threat of holy attacks increased.Changed
- ▲Redoubt: block chance increased by 30% at maximum rank, up from 20%.Changed
- ▲Improved Righteous Fury: damage taken reduced by 9% under Righteous Fury, up from 6%.Changed
- ▲Shield Specialization: 2 ranks instead of 3, for the same maximum values (30% more absorption, 100% chance to restore 4% mana on block).Changed
- ▲Reverence: 2 ranks instead of 3, for the same maximum value (30% of mana regeneration kept while casting).Changed
- ▲Conviction: 3 ranks instead of 5. It gives 6% critical strike chance with all spells and attacks, up from 5% in melee only.Changed
- ▲Voice of Truth: is no longer a talent. The spell is learned from the class trainer at level 20 and still makes the paladin immune to Silence and interrupts for 6 seconds.Changed
- ▲Oath of Light: row 4 of the Holy tree, in place of Voice of Truth. For 5 minutes, on a single ally, Holy Light heals up to 400 more, Flash of Light up to 115 and Holy Shock up to 230.New
- ▲Boundless Light: row 5 of the Holy tree, 2 ranks. Holy Shock gains 30% critical strike chance on allies who do not carry the Oath of Light.New
- ▲Shieldsworn: row 7 of Protection, requires Holy Shield. Holy Strike loses 4 seconds of cooldown, strikes with the shield (which triggers Holy Shield and Shield Specialization without consuming a charge) and allows blocking spells for 6 seconds.New
- ▲Stoicism: row 5 of Protection, 2 ranks. Duration of stuns and charms suffered reduced by 20%.New
- ▲Turn Evil: row 5 of Retribution, 2 ranks. Turn Undead loses 1 second of cast time and 10 seconds of cooldown, and also affects demons.New
- ▲Holy Shield, ranks learned: one more rank, and each rank is learned ten levels earlier. The maximum rank, at level 60, keeps its 221 damage per block.Changed
Going down
- ▼Salvation: removed from the spellbook. It reduced the threat generated by a group member by 30% for one hour.
- ▼Mass Salvation: removed from the spellbook. It was the group version, applied to all players of the same class.
- ▼Blessing of Light: removed from the spellbook. It increased the Holy Light healing received by the target by 400 and the Flash of Light healing by 115.
- ▼Greater Blessing of Light: removed from the spellbook, like the single-target version.
- ▼One-Handed Weapon Specialization: removed from the Protection tree. It increased one-handed weapon damage by 10%.
- ▼Improved Seal of Fury: removed. Shieldsworn takes its place.
- ▼Vindication: still reduces the target’s attack power, but no longer increases the paladin’s by 3%.Changed
- ▼Divine Precision: 2 ranks instead of 3. Hit chance of holy spells increased by 8%, down from 18%, and duration of Silences suffered reduced by 20%.Changed
- ▼Spiritual Focus: 5 ranks instead of 2. The maximum value does not change (70% chance to not lose casting time when hit), but it costs three more points.Changed
- ▼Improved Seals: 5 ranks instead of 3, for the same maximum value (15% damage from Seals and Judgements).Changed
- ▼Seal of Fury: the taunt triggered when releasing the Seal lasts 3 seconds, down from 4.Changed
Reworks and comfort
- ◆Twist of Light becomes Unsealed Wrath: melee attacks store a copy of the active Seal for 15 seconds, up to 3 stacks. Striking with another Seal consumes the stacks and gives the stored Seal its normal chance to trigger, once per stack. It now requires a point in Repentance.Changed
- ◆Holy Power: increases the healing bonus of holy spell critical strikes by 50%. Before, it gave 15% critical strike chance to Holy Shock and Holy Strike and 5% to other spells.Changed
- ◆Light’s Vigil: 40 yard range, up from 20, but can now only be cast on one ally. The next Holy Shock on the target has no cooldown and heals their group; the offensive version, which dealt damage and restored mana, disappears. Only one Vigil per paladin and per group.Changed
- ◆Iron Creed: 3 ranks instead of 5. Holy Strike threat increased by 30%, up from 25%, but the damage reduction under Righteous Fury drops to 6%, down from 10%.Changed
- ◆Champion of the Light: 5 ranks instead of 3. Still 60% of Intelligence as spell power at maximum, and it also reduces the Hammer of Wrath cast time by more than a second.Changed
- ◆Instrument of Law: removed. Its Hammer of Wrath cast time reduction moves into Champion of the Light; its threat reduction outside Righteous Fury disappears.
- ◆Two-Handed Weapon Specialization: increases all physical damage by 6% and reduces all threat generated by 20% while a two-handed weapon is equipped. Before, it only increased two-handed weapon damage by 6%.Changed
- ◆Sacred Duty: no longer increases Stamina by 4%. It still reduces the cooldown of Divine Shield, Divine Protection and Templar’s Bulwark by 60 seconds, and also reduces the duration of Forbearance by 10 seconds.Changed
- ◆Swift Judgement: releases the energy of a Seal on an enemy 10 yards away without consuming it, with a cooldown separate from Judgement’s. Before, it ended the Judgement cooldown and made the next one free. It now requires a point in Templar’s Bulwark.Changed
- ◆Holy Shield, talent rank: costs 100 mana, down from 150, deals 75 damage per block, down from 110, moves from row 7 to row 5 and no longer requires Templar’s Bulwark.Changed
- ◆Vengeance: now requires a point in Seal of Command, instead of three points in Sanctified Judgement.Changed
- ◆Revoke: removed along with Salvation, which it was used to cancel.
Mage(Mage)
Net buffThe Frost Mage comes out ahead. Ice Lance now deals 300% more damage against a frozen target, up from 200%: this is the counterpart of the 8-second cooldown raised on October 29, which we detailed in our article on Ice Lance. Ice Barrier multiplies its Frost damage bonus fivefold and Winter’s Chill quadruples its own. Arcane gains less power per Arcane Blast stack, but pays less mana for it. Fire trades critical strike chance on all its spells for targeted crit chance. Elemental Precision, now Precision, also covers Arcane spells, which makes up for the loss of Arcane Focus.
Going up
- ▲Ice Lance: 300% more damage against a frozen target, up from 200%. The 8-second cooldown stays in place.Changed
- ▲Ice Barrier: Frost damage increased by 15% for one minute, up from 3%, and by an additional 5% as long as the shield holds, up from 3%.Changed
- ▲Winter’s Chill: each stack increases the damage of the next Cone of Cold on the target by 20%, up from 5%.Changed
- ▲Arctic Reach: also increases the range of Ice Lance by 20%.Changed
- ▲Arcane Resilience: 3 ranks instead of 2. The armor gained rises to 75% of Intelligence, up from 50%.Changed
- ▲Elemental Precision becomes Precision: the 6% hit chance applies to all spells, and no longer only to Frost and Fire.Changed
- ▲Improved Fireball becomes Accelerant: the 0.5-second cast time reduction also applies to Arcane Wrath, in addition to Fireball and Frostfire Bolt.Changed
- ▲Incineration: 5 ranks instead of 3. It gives 10% critical strike chance to Fire Blast, Ice Lance, Arcane Blast and Scorch, up from 6%.Changed
- ▲Arcane Blast: each stack increases the mana cost by 100%, down from 175%, and stacks last 18 seconds, up from 15.Changed
Going down
- ▼Arcane Blast: each stack gives 12% of Intelligence as spell power, down from 15%.Changed
- ▼Critical Mass: 3 ranks instead of 5, and 6% critical strike chance for Fire spells, down from 10%. Combustion now only requires 3 points in this talent, down from 5.Changed
- ▼Arcane Focus: removed. It increased the hit chance of Arcane spells by 5%.
- ▼Frost Blast: class trainers no longer teach it.
Reworks and comfort
- ◆Missile Barrage: moves from row 1 to row 2 of Arcane, and Arcane Resilience from row 2 to row 1.Changed
- ◆Improved Fire Blast: moves from row 1 to row 3 of the Fire tree.Changed
Priest(Priest)
BalancedBinding Heal leaves the Holy tree: the spell is learned from the class trainer and gains a sixth rank. Its slot goes to Holy Binding, a passive heal that returns to the priest half of their Flash Heals cast on another player. Shadow takes the only real nerf of the class: when the target survives Shadow Word: Death, the backlash costs the priest 30% of maximum health, up from 10%.
Going up
- ▲Binding Heal: is no longer a talent. The spell is learned from the class trainer and goes from 5 to 6 ranks.Changed
- ▲Holy Binding: Holy tree, in place of Binding Heal. Each Flash Heal cast on another player also heals the priest for 50% of that amount, without generating threat.New
Going down
- ▼Shadow Word: Death: if the target survives, the backlash deals 30% of the priest’s maximum health, up from 10%.Changed
Reworks and comfort
- ◆Renewed Hope: no longer lists Binding Heal among the heals that benefit from its critical strike bonus on a weakened target.Changed
Hunter(Hunter)
Net nerfThe nerf to Aspect of the Hawk and Trueshot Aura only affects the leveling ranks. The first five ranks of the Aspect are nearly halved, as are the first four of the Aura. At level 60, the maximum ranks do not move: 120 ranged attack power for the Aspect, 50 for the Aura. The hunter who is leveling will feel it, the raiding hunter will not.
Going down
- ▼Aspect of the Hawk: ranks 1 to 5 give 15, 22, 30, 38 and 47 ranged attack power, down from 20, 35, 50, 70 and 90. Ranks 6 (55) and 7 (120) do not change.Changed
- ▼Trueshot Aura, talent rank: 15 ranged attack power for the group, down from 30.Changed
- ▼Trueshot Aura, ranks learned: 22, 30 and 40 at ranks 2 to 4, down from 40, 50 and 75. Rank 5 (50) does not change.Changed
Reworks and comfort
- ◆Pathfinding: moves from row 2 to row 3 of Beast Mastery.Changed
Warrior(Warrior)
Net buffRevenge, the tank’s counterattack after a block, dodge or parry, finally scales with attack power. About a quarter of it is added to its fixed damage, 22.5% in Defensive Stance, where damage dealt is reduced by 10%. The more gear the tank has, the harder it hits and the more threat it generates.
Going up
- ▲Revenge: at rank 6, 138 to 168 damage plus 22.5% of attack power, up from a flat 138 to 168.Changed
Warlock(Warlock)
BalancedA single change: the Improved Drains bonus leaves Wrack and moves to Drain Mana. The warlock who drains a healer’s mana in PvP gains from it, the one who counted on Wrack loses.
Reworks and comfort
- ◆Improved Drains: the 20% bonus applies to Drain Life, Drain Soul and Drain Mana, which replaces Wrack.Changed
Verdict on this patchFive days before launch, Blizzard touched both hybrid classes without a word of explanation. The Feral Druid loses its major cooldown and its answer to Fear, the Protection Paladin becomes sturdier, the Frost Mage hits harder and the raid loses Salvation. The Hunter loses nothing at level 60.
These changes may still move before November 4. This article will be updated if Blizzard publishes its notes. Our build pages and the talent calculator still show the trees from before these hotfixes. The other notes are collected on the WoW Forever patch notes page.
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