[2022] Class Tuning Incoming -- December 20

Now that Season 1 is underway, we’re planning the following tuning adjustments to classes, to take place during scheduled weekly maintenance on December 20.

Classes

Druid

• Restoration
  • All healing increased by 5%. This change does not apply to PvP combat.
  • Embrace of the Dream healing increased by 25%.
  • Luxuriant Soil now has a 1.5/3% (was 1/2%) chance to spread Rejuvenation.
    • The tooltip will not reflect this change, but it will be corrected in a future update.

Death Knight

• Soul Reaper damage increased by 10%.
• Icy Talons duration increased to 10 seconds (was 6 seconds).
• Unholy
  • Apocalypse ghoul duration increased to 20 seconds (was 15 seconds).
  • Death Coil damage increased by 10%.
  • Clawing Shadows damage increased by 6%.
  • Scourge Strike damage increased by 6%.
  • Plaguebringer duration increased to 10 seconds (was 5 seconds).
  • Reaping now increases the damage of Soul Reaper, Scourge Strike, Festering Strike, and Death Coil by 25% damage to enemies below 35% health (was 20% increased damage).

Evoker

• Disintegrate damage increased by 15%.

Hunter

• Marksmanship
  • All ability damage reduced by 3%.

Mage

• Fire
  • Pyroblast damage increased by 12%.
  • Ignite damage increased by 5%.
  • Fire Blast damage increased by 12%.
  • Fireball damage increased by 12%.
  • Scorch damage increased by 12%.
• Frost
  • Ice Lance damage increased by 12%.
  • Flurry damage increased by 15%.
  • Frostbolt damage increased by 15%.
  • Glacial Spike damage increased 15%.
  • Splitting Ice now causes Icicles and Ice Lance to hit another nearby target for 80% (was 65%).
    • The tooltip will not reflect this change, but it will be corrected in a future update.

Monk

• Windwalker
  • All ability damage reduced by 3%.

Priest

• Shadow
  • Increased the mana cost of Power Word: Shield to 5% of base Mana (was 4%).
  • Vampiric Touch damage increased by 10%.
  • Shadow Word: Pain damage increased by 10% for Shadow only.
  • Shadowy Apparition Damage increased by 10%.
  • Devouring Plague damage increased by 10%.
  • Void Bolt damage increased by 20%.
  • Mind Blast damage increased by 20% for Shadow only.
  • Mind Spike damage increased by 20%.
  • Mind Flay damage increased by 20%.
  • Idol of Y’shaarj increases damage done by 5% when Mindbender is summoned on a feared target (was 15%).

Rogue

• Resounding Clarity now causes Echoing Reprimand to Animacharge 2 additional combo points (was 3).
• Assassination
  • All ability damage reduced by 3%.
  • Fatal Concoction’s damage bonus for weapon poisons reduced to 10% (was 15%).
• Outlaw
  • All ability damage reduced by 3%.
• Subtlety
  • All ability damage reduced by 3%.

Shaman

• Enhancement
  • All ability damage reduced by 3%.

Warlock

• Affliction
  • Malefic Rapture damage increased 15%.
  • Drain Soul damage increased 20%.
  • Shadow Bolt damage increased 20%.
  • Pandemic Invocation damage increased 500%.
• Destruction
  • Chaos Bolt damage increased by 5%.

Warrior

• Arms
  • All ability damage increased by 3%.
  • Mortal Strike damage increased by 5%.
  • Execute damage increased by 10%.
• Fury
  • (2) Set Bonus: Execute critical hit chance bonus increased to 25% (was 10%).

Player versus Player

Based on data we’ve observed so far in Season 1, we’re making some PvP-specific adjustments. One of the broader changes we’re making is to target mana regeneration for different healers to better balance their longevity in relationship to throughput in PvP.

Demon Hunter

• The Hunt deals 20% less damage in PvP.
• Misery in Defeat now increased damage dealt to the target by 10% in PvP (was 20%).

Druid

• Restoration
  • Lifebloom healing reduced by 10% in PvP combat.
  • Lifebloom (Bloom) healing reduced by 10% in PvP combat.
• Developers’ note: Lifebloom continued to constitute a significant portion of a Restoration Druid’s healing in PvP, so we’re lowering it. We feel that Restoration Druid’s throughput with this adjustment will remain strong.
• Balance
  • Starsurge damage increased by 20% in PvP.
  • Wrath damage increased by 20% in PvP.
  • Starfire damage increased by 20% in PvP.
• Developers’ note: Balance Druid’s potential burst has gone down significantly, while at the same time their consistent spread damage has increased. Overall this is a healthier place, but we want Starsurge to also be a viable option for spending Astral Power in PvP. Additionally, we’d like to reward Balance Druids for casting Wrath and Starfire since those are more difficult to cast in PvP.
• Feral
  • Leader of the Pack now heals for 3% of maximum health (was 5%).
• Developers’ note: As a follow up to one of our goals in last week’s tuning of DPS specializations having higher self-healing than we were comfortable with, we are making an adjustment with Leader of the Pack to be more in line with other DPS specializations’ self healing.

Paladin

• Holy
  • Mana regeneration now reduced by 35% (was 40%) in PvP combat.

Priest

• Discipline
  • Mana regeneration now reduced by 5% (was 15%) in PvP combat.
• Shadow
  • Reduced the duration of Void Volley: Horrify to 2 seconds (was 3 seconds).
  • Reduced the damage of Void Volley by 30%.
  • Reduced the absorption value of Power Word: Shield by 20% in PvP Combat for Shadow only.
  • Reduced the healing transfer of Vampiric Embrace by 20% in PvP Combat.
  • Shadow Word: Death damage reduced by 20% in PvP Combat for Shadow only
• Developers’ note: Shadow Priest self-sustain is too high in PvP so we are making targeted adjustments to their healing. Additionally, we are targeting Void Volley and Idol of Y’Shaarj as we’ve seen it could lead to frustrating situations with minimal counterplay when paired with other instant cast damage dealing abilities.

Monk

• Blackout Kick damage increased by 15% in PvP combat.
• Tiger Palm damage increased by 15% in PvP combat.
• Mistweaver
  • Mana regeneration now reduced by 15% (was 5%) in PvP combat.
• Windwalker
  • Strike of the Windlord damage reduced by 30% in PvP combat.
• Developers’ note: Strike of the Windlord and Thunderfist are dealing more burst than we are comfortable with so we are adjusting them and increasing additional sustained damage.

Rogue

• Numbing Poison’s attack and cast speed debuff effectiveness reduced by 33% in PvP combat.
• Assassination
  • Deathmark’s damage dealt by duplicated poisons and bleeds reduced by 30% in PvP combat.
    • The tooltip will not reflect this change, but it will be corrected in a future update.
• Subtlety
  • Secret Technique damage reduced by 30% in PvP combat.
• Developers’ note: Assassination bleed damage is higher than we are comfortable with and Secret Technique has potential to lead to burst windows with minimal counterplay, so we are toning them down. Additionally, we are most comfortable with baseline cast speed reduction being 10% in PvP currently, so we’re reducing Numbing Poison to be in line with similar abilities.

Shaman

• Healing Stream Totem healing increased by 15% in PvP combat.
• Enhancement
  • Reduced the damage of Elemental Blast by 15% in PvP combat.
  • Primordial Wave causes your next Lightning Bolt to hit all targets with Flame Shock for 75% of normal damage for Enhancement only in PvP Combat (was 150%).
• Restoration
  • Riptide healing increased by 15% in PvP Combat.
• Elemental
  • Reduced the damage of Elemental Blast by 15% in PvP combat.
• Developers’ note: We’ve continued to see Elemental Blast be too bursty in PvP, for both Enhancement and Elemental. Additionally, Lightning Bolt burst with Primordial Wave for Enhancement was dealing more burst than desired, so we’re bringing down the value of Primordial Wave so that Lightning Bolt on its own can continue to shine. For Restoration, we’re targeting buffs to instant cast spells for improved survivability.

Warlock

• Demonic Embrace no longer gains 10% additional stamina in PvP.
• Developers’ note: Warlocks continued to be more survivable than we’d like so we are making further targeted adjustments.
• Affliction
  • Soulburn Port duration reduced to 6 seconds in PvP.
  • Soulburn Drain Life no longer grants an absorb when healing at full health in PvP.
  • Soulburn Healthstone healing is reduced to 20% (was 30%) in PvP combat.
• Demonology
  • The cooldown of Call Felhunter is now 60 seconds (was 30 seconds).
• Developers’ note: Demonology Warlocks have an abundance of control in their toolkit that can be used frequently so we are targeting the cooldown of Call Felhunter.
• Destruction
  • Chaos Bolt damage increased by 15% in PvP Combat.
  • Shadowburn damage increased by 30% in PvP Combat.
  • Incinerate damage increased by 30% in PvP Combat.
• Developers’ note: Destruction Warlocks traditionally shine in PvP through setting up big burst windows, and we feel like they have been lacking in that regard.

Warrior

• Fury
  • Warpaint now reduces damage taken by 5% (was 10%) while enraged in PvP combat.
• Developers’ note: We feel that Fury Warriors are too durable, even after last week’s adjustments to their self-healing from Bloodthirst.
• Protection
  • Shield Slam damage reduced by 20% in PvP combat.
  • Rend damage reduced by 20% in PvP combat (Protection Warrior only).
• Developers’ note: Protection Warriors are continuing to deal more damage than we would like even after recent adjustments. In some cases, we’ve observed them competing with damage-dealing specializations, so we’re making additional targeted adjustments on Shield Slam and Rend.

Added the below changes to this week’s class tuning update:

Player versus Player

Demon Hunter

• The Hunt deals 20% less damage in PvP.
• Misery in Defeat now increased damage dealt to the target by 10% in PvP (was 20%).