Revision as of 2008-08-09 09:35:43
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Beta Patch Notes (WoW)  

The list below contains information on the current available content for testing and general information. This information is subject to change.

Updates for each patch are bolded.

Contents [hide]

General

  • The continent of Northrend is now available! To travel there, visit one of four transportation masters in either Orgrimmar, The Undercity, Stormwind Harbor,or Menethil Harbor.
  • The floating magical city of Dalaran is now available!
  • The Barber Shop has been implemented and you can now visit one of the Barber Shops in the major cities to change your appearance.
  • The all new Achievement System has been implemented.
  • Transportation between Howling Fjord and Borean Tundra can be found at the Tuskarr villages in those zones.
  • The level cap is currently set to 77.
  • Hit Rating, Critical Strike Rating, and Haste Rating now modify both melee attacks and spells.
  • Spell casting and spell channeling pushback has been changed to the following:
    • When casting a spell:
    • The first and second hit will add .5 secs each to the cast time.
    • All hits after the second will have no effect.
  • When channeling a spell:
    • The first and second hit reduces current duration by 25% of total duration each.
    • ll hits after the second will have no effect.
  • Spellpower:
    • All items and effects which grant bonuses to spell damage and spell healing are being consolidated into a single stat, Spellpower. This stat will appear with the same values found on items which grant “increased spell damage and healing” such as on typical Mage and Warlock itemization.
    • For classes which do not heal, they should see no change in the character sheet other than new tooltip wording.
    • Healing characters will see their bonus healing numbers on the character sheet decrease, however, all healing spells have been modified to receive more benefit from spellpower than they received from bonus healing, with a net effect of no change to the amount healed by their spells. Some talents have had to be rebalanced to accommodate this change, but the amount healed will remain roughly the same. In addition, some talents will provide only healing spell power.

NPC Transportation Locations

Horde:

  • Undercity to Vengeance Landing (Howling Fjord)
  • Orgrimmar to Warsong Hold (Borean Tundra)
Alliance:
  • Menethil Harbor to Valgarde (Howling Fjord)
  • Stormwind Harbor to Valiance Keep (Borean Tundra)

Racial Abilities

Known Issues

  • The current patch notes are incomplete, but will be progressively more comprehensive in each patch.

World Environment: Zones

  • The following zones are available for testing: Howling Fjord, Borean Tundra, Dragonblight, Grizzly Hills, Sholazar Basin, and Zul’Drak,.

Dungeons

Classes

  • All Classes are available for play. Spells and talents will be available for testing past 70.
  • The Death Knight Hero class is now available for play.
    • Death Knights will now start with 0 talent points at level 55.
    • Creating a new Death Knight will start you at level 55 in Eastern Plaguelands.
    • The Death Knight start zone, Acherus, the Ebon Hold, is fully implemented and is located in the Eastern area of Eastern Plaguelands.
    1. Death Knight spells that cost runes will now display the rune cooldowns on the spell buttons.

    Druids

    • Brambles (Balance): Now increases the damage done by your Treants, and also damage caused from your Treants and Barkskin has a 5/10/15% chance to Daze the target for 3 sec.
    • Celestial Focus (Balance): The stun proc now works with Starfall.
    • Challenging Roar now has a 3 minute cooldown, reduced from 10 minutes.
    • Entangling Roots: Can now be used indoors.
    • Faerie Fire (Feral): Now an 11-point talent, down from being a 21-point talent.
    • Feral Charge (Feral) is now a 21-point talent, up from being a 11-point talent.
    • Feral Charge (Feral): Can now be used in Cat form.
    • Feral Instinct (Feral) no longer increases threat generated in Bear form, but now increases damage done by your Swipe ability by 5/10/15%.
    • Feral Swiftness: The movement speed buff can now be used indoors.
    • Focused Starlight (Balance): Now also works with Starfall.
    • Force of Nature (Balance): Cooldown reduced to 2 minutes, down from 3.
    • Hurricane: No longer has a cooldown (was 1 minute).
    • Improved Faerie Fire (Feral): Now also works with spell hit, in addition to ranged and melee hit %.
    • Improved Mark of the Wild (Restoration): Now a 2-point talent, down from a 5-point talent.
    • Improved Tranquility (Restoration): Now also reduces the cooldown of your Tranquility spell by 25/50%.
    • Mangle (Feral): Now increases the damage done by Maul in addition to Shred.
    • Moonglow (Balance): Now also works with Starfall.
    • Moonkin Form (Balance) no longer increases your attack power or causes you to regenerate mana off melee attacks, but now has a chance to cause you to instantly regenerate 2% of your total mana every time you critically hit with a spell.
    • Nature's Focus (Restoration): Now a 3 point talent, down from a 5-point talent. Also moved to Tier 1, up from Tier 2. Now also includes Nourish.
    • Nature's Grace (Balance): Now also reduces the global cooldown of your Wrath spell by 50% while in effect.
    • Nature's Grasp (Balance): Can now be used and can proc indoors.
    • Nature's Reach (Balance): Now also reduces threat generated by Balance spells by 15/30%.
    • New Spell: Revive - Returns the spirit to the body, restoring a dead target to life with health and mana. Cannot be cast when in combat. (Ranks 1-7 added)
    • Omen of Clarity (Restoration): Now a passive spell. Now also works for spells (healing and damage). Proc rate is roughly 6% with a 10 second internal cooldown.
    • Primal Tenacity (Feral) now reduces damage while stunned by 5/10/15%, and reduces the duration of fear effects by 5/10/15%.
    • Remove Curse can now be used in Tree of Life form.
    • Soothe Animal can now be used on Dragonkin as well as Beasts.
    • Soothe Animal is now instant cast.
    • Subtlety (Restoration): Now a 3-point talent, down from a 5-point talent. Also moved to Tier 2, up from Tier 3. Also now only reduced threat for Restoration spells, and reduces the chance that your healing over time spells (Lifebloom, Regrowth and Rejuvenation) will be dispelled, rather than all Druid spells. Threat management for Balance can now be found in the Balance tree, within Nature's Reach.
    • Survival of the Fittest (Feral): Increased to 2/4/6%, up from 1/2/3%.
    • The mana regeneration penalty when in Bear Form, Dire Bear Form and Cat Form has been removed.
    • Tranquil Spirit (Restoration) now also includes Nourish.
    • Tree of Life (Restoration): 30% snare penalty has been removed.
    • Tree of Life (Restoration): Can now cast Dispel Curse.
    • Tree of Life (Restoration): You can now cast all Restoration spells (Healing Touch) in the form, but Tree of Life now only reduces the mana cost of your healing over time spells (Rejuvenation, Lifebloom, Regrowth and Flourish) by 20%.
    • Vengeance (Balance): Now also works with Starfall.

    Hunters

    • All pet families now have one unique ability. New abilities have been added for families such as bears and sporebats.
    • Arcane Shot: No longer dispels magic effects.
    • Aspects now no longer cost mana.
    • Aspect of the Beast: Now increases your melee attack power by 10%.
    • Avoidance, Dash / Dive and Cobra Reflexes are now pet talents instead of pet skills.
    • Bite now has no cooldown, does the same damage and costs the same Focus as Claw, so works as a Focus dump.
    • Clever Traps (Survival) has been renamed "Trap Mastery."
    • Concussive Barrage (Marksmanship) - Can now proc from Volley attacks.
    • Counterattack: Damage increased by 20%, and now also scales with your Ranged Attack Power.
    • Deterrence (Survival) - Cooldown reduced to 3 minutes, and now also increases your chance to resist spells by 60%. Now has a new spell effect.
    • Every hunter pet can learn Growl, Cower and either Bite or Claw (never both).
    • Hunter pets can now learn talents in one of three trees depending on family. Pets gain talent points starting at level 20 and earn an extra talent point every 4 levels.
    • If a hunter tames a pet that is more than five levels beneath their own level, the pet will then have their level increased to five levels beneath the hunter’s own level.
    • Improved Feign Death (Survival): Now also reduces damage taken during Feign Death by 15/30%.
    • Loyalty, Training Points and the hunter Beast Training button no longer exist. Hunter pets can now learn all skills at their level. They will get new ranks automatically as they gain levels.
    • Master Tactician (Survival) - Chance to proc increased to 10%, up from 6%.
    • Mongoose Bite: No longer requires you to dodge in order to use this ability.
    • Monster Slaying (Survival) and Humanoid Slaying (Survival) has been combined into "Improved Tracking".
    • New Talent - Improved Tracking (Survival) - Increases all damage done to targets that are being tracked 1/2/3/4/5%.
    • Savage Strikes: Now includes Counterattack.
    • Steady Shot now uses ammo. In result, its bonus damage has been slightly reduced. Players can notice a damage increase based upon what ammo they use.
    • Surefooted (Survival) now reduces the duration of movement impairing effects by 10/20/30% (instead of resist % chance).
    • Tranquilizing Shot: Cooldown reduced to 15 seconds (down from 20), and now dispels Enrage and Magic effects.
    • Trap Mastery (Survival) has been removed.
    • Wingclip: No longer does damage.

    Mages

    • Arcane Blast effect duration reduced to 3 seconds, and now increases damage by 15/30/45% instead of reducing cast time.
    • Arcane Focus (Arcane) is now 3 ranks and increases chance to hit and reduces mana cost of Arcane spells by 1/2/3%.
    • Arcane Fortitude moved to tier 2, increased to 3 ranks, now increases armor equal to 50/100/150% of Intellect.
    • Arcane Impact renamed Spell Impact and now affects Blast Wave, Fire Blast, Cone of Cold, and Ice Lance.
    • Arcane Potency now applies when Presence of Mind is active, talent prerequisite changed to Presence of Mind.
    • Arcane Subtlety now reduces the chance your spells will be dispelled by 15/35%, and no longer reduces the resistance of targets.
    • Arctic Reach now also affects Deep Freeze.
    • Blast Wave now knocks all affected targets back.
    • Conjured mana gems no longer disappear from your backpack after being logged out for more than 15 minutes. Higher ranks of Conjure Mana Gem will recharge an existing mana gem to maximum charges.
    • Counterspell now costs 9% of base mana.
    • Elemental Precision moved to tier 2.
    • Empowered Arcane Missiles renamed Arcane Empowerment and no longer increases mana cost. It now also increases damage caused by Arcane Blast.
    • Empowered Fireball reduced to 3 ranks, now increases damage by 5/10/15% of spell power.
    • Empowered Frostbolt reduced to 2 ranks, increases damage by 5/10% of spell power and increases critical hit chance by 2/4%.
    • Flame Throwing moved to tier 3.
    • Frost Armor, Ice Armor, Mage Armor and Molten Armor are no longer Magic effects and cannot be dispelled.
    • Frost Channeling now reduces mana cost of all spells by 4/7/10%.
    • Frost Warding now increases armor and resistances of Frost/Ice Armor by 25/50%, now gives Frost Ward and Fire Ward a 15/30/5 chance to negate damage caused and restore mana equal to damage caused by the warded spell.
    • Ice Floes renamed Cold as Ice, now reduces cooldown of Cold Snap, Ice Barrier, Summon Water Elemental, and Deep Freeze by 10/20%.
    • Impact moved to tier 3, reduced to 3 ranks for 4/7/10% chance to trigger, now triggers from any damaging spell (Fire, Frost or Arcane).
    • Improved Blink now also reduces mana cost by 25/50%.
    • Improved Counterspell now always silences the target for 2/4 seconds.
    • Improved Fire Blast moved to tier 1, reduced to 2 ranks, reduces the cooldown by 1/2 seconds.
    • Improved Flamestrike moved to tier 2, renamed World in Flames, now increases the critical hit chance of Flamestrike, Blast Wave, Dragon’s Breath, Living Bomb, Blizzard, and Arcane Explosion by 2/4/6%.
    • Improved Frost Nova renamed Ice Floes, moved to tier 1, increased to 3 ranks, now reduces cooldown of Frost Nova, Cone of Cold, Ice Block, and Icy Veins by 7/14/20%.
    • Improved Mana Shield has been renamed to Arcane Shielding , [1]reduces mana lost per damage absorbed by 17/33%,and now also increases resistances granged by Mage Armor by 25/50%.[2]
    • Invisibility now makes the caster invisible after 3 seconds, reduced from 5 seconds.
    • Magic Absorption reduced to 2 ranks, increases resistances by .5/1 point per level, and restores 1/3% of total mana on a resist.
    • Magic Attunement (Arcane) now also increases the range of your Arcane spells by 3/6 yards.
    • Mana Shield now drains 1.5 mana per damage absorbed.
    • Master of Elements now affects all spell criticals.
    • Mind Mastery reduced to 3/6/9/12/15%.
    • Molten Shields now gives Fire Ward and Frost Ward spells a 15/30% chance to reflect the warded spell.
    • Polymorph now costs 12% of base mana.
    • Portal spells now cost 18% of base mana.
    • Prismatic Cloak (Arcane)increased to 3 ranks for 1/2/3% and now also reduces the fade time of Invisibility by 1/2 seconds.
    • Pyroblast cast time has been reduced to 5 seconds.
    • Remove Lesser Curse has been renamed to Remove Curse.
    • Shatter no longer has a prerequisite.
    • Slow Fall now costs 6% of base mana.
    • Summoned Water Elemental's Waterbolt range increased, mana cost reduced, Freeze range increased, mana cost increased.
    • Teleport spells now cost 9% of base mana.
    • Winter's Chill reduced to 3 ranks, Frost damage spells have a 33/66/100% chance to trigger the effect and the effect increases chance to crit with Arcane, Fire and Frost spells.

    Paladins

    • All Auras now affect all party and raid members within the area of effect.
    • Anticipation (Protection) moved to tier 1, now increases chance to dodge by 1/2/3/4/5%.
    • Avenger's Shield (Protection) cast time reduced to .5 seconds, duration increased to 10 seconds.
    • Avenging Wrath no longer causes Forebearance, damage increase reduced to 20%, now increases healing done by 20%.
    • Blessing of Freedom renamed Hand of Freedom. Only one Hand spell can be on the target per paladin at any one time. Now costs 6% of base mana.
    • Blessing of Light and Greater Blessing of Light removed. Their effects have been folded into all relevant abilities.
    • Blessing of Protection renamed Hand of Protection. Only one Hand spell can be on the target per paladin at any one time. All ranks now cost 6% of base mana.
    • Blessing of Sacrifice renamed Hand of Sacrifice, is now only 1 rank and transfers 20% of the damage taken to the caster, duration reduced to 12 seconds, cooldown increased to 2 minutes.
    • Only one Hand spell can be on the target per paladin at any one time. Now costs 6% of base mana.
    • Blessing of Salvation renamed Hand of Salvation, now reduces total threat on the target by 2% per second for 10 seconds while also reducing all damage and healing done by 10%. Only one
    • Hand spell can be on the target per paladin at any one time. Now costs 6% of base mana.
    • Consecration now scales with attack power and spell power.
    • Conviction (Retribution) now increases critical chance with all spells and melee attacks.
    • Divine Intellect (Holy) moved to tier 2, increases total Intellect by 3/6/9/12/15%.
    • Divine Intervention cooldown reduced to 20 minutes.
    • Divine Protection and Divine Shield now cost 3% of base mana.
    • Divine Protection now reduces all damage taken by 50% and increases time between attacks by 100%.
    • Divine Purpose (Retribution) now reduces chance to be hit by spells and ranged attacks by 1/2/3%.
    • Divine Strength (Holy) moved to tier 1 in the Protection tree.
    • Exorcism mana cost reduced and now scales with attack power and spell power.
    • Eye for an Eye now reflects 10/20% damage from all critical hits.
    • Fanaticism now increases chance to critically hit by 5/10/15/20/25%.
    • Forbearance duration increased to 3 minutes.
    • Greater Blessing of Salvation removed.
    • Hammer of Justice now costs 3% of base mana.
    • Hammer of Wrath is now considered a Retribution spell, moved from Holy, mana cost reduced, missile speed increased, now usable on targets below 35% health.
    • Healing Light (Holy) moved to tier 2.
    • Holy Shield (Protection) cooldown reduced to 8 seconds.
    • Holy Shock (Holy) range changed to 20/40 yards when used on enemies/friends respectively, cooldown reduced to 6 seconds.

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    This page last modified 2008-08-09 09:35:43.