Changes worth checking
These are short editorial summaries of selected items in this build. Buff and nerf labels describe the specific listed change; they are not a verdict on a class's overall strength.
City of Dalaran opens for testing
The new dungeon is available in the beta build.
Player impact: Explore the dungeon while testing is open; encounter and loot details can still change.
Dungeon creature XP increased ~20%
Experience from killing creatures inside dungeons increased by approximately 20%.
Player impact: Dungeon runs yield more kill XP; this is a relative increase, not 20 percentage points of total XP.
Group XP calculation corrected
Lower-level enemy XP is again adjusted to each party member's own level rather than the highest party member's level.
Player impact: Mixed-level groups may receive more XP. A vastly overleveled party member still prevents XP, as Blizzard notes.
Multiple weapon swaps within one GCD
Players can again swap multiple weapons within the same global cooldown.
Player impact: Weapon-swap macros, including two-handed to sword-and-shield swaps, work again.
Bear Form threat bonus increased
Bear Form and Dire Bear Form threat bonus increased to 50% from 30%.
Player impact: Feral tank threat should improve; compare your build and test pulls in the beta.
Thorns spell power ratio reduced
Thorns returned to its Vanilla base damage and its spell power ratio fell to 6% from 13.3%.
Player impact: Spell-power-focused Thorns setups gain less scaling from gear.
Predatory Instincts becomes Natural Instinct
The renamed talent also increases spell healing by 12/25% of Intellect.
Player impact: Review Feral talent choices if you use hybrid healing.
Expose Prey lasts longer
The Survival effect now lasts 10 seconds instead of 5.
Player impact: The longer window may be easier to use in a Survival rotation.
Mage spell rank progression adjusted
Early ranks of Frostbolt, Fireball and Arcane Missiles were adjusted so each new rank is an upgrade.
Player impact: Check newly learned spell ranks while leveling; Blizzard did not publish a flat damage percentage for these changes.
Retribution Aura damage reduced
Base damage returned to Vanilla values (about 33% lower) and the spell power ratio fell to 6% from 13.3%.
Player impact: Aura damage contributes less to spell-power-based setups.
Reckoning gets a trigger cooldown
Reckoning can now trigger at most once every 1.5 seconds.
Player impact: Protection builds relying on rapid Reckoning triggers should review their talent plan.
Penance damage, healing and mana tuned
A channel-time bug correction reduces damage and healing; rank 1 costs 50% more mana, while healing rises on ranks 2 and 4.
Player impact: Discipline players should compare the affected rank and mana efficiency before changing a build.
Lightning Bolt ranks adjusted
Ranks 1–5 were adjusted so progression through rank 6 is more consistent and new ranks remain upgrades.
Player impact: Recheck spell ranks while leveling; no single percentage buff applies to all ranks.
Shadow Bolt ranks adjusted
Ranks 1–4 were adjusted so progression through rank 5 is more consistent and each new rank is an upgrade.
Player impact: Check the new rank's damage when training during beta leveling.
Deep Wounds again required for Impale
The Arms talent path again requires Deep Wounds before Impale.
Player impact: Arms builds targeting Impale need to account for the prerequisite.
Rogue quest map markers added
Map markers were added for the Rogue quest Plundering the Plunderers.
Player impact: The related quest should be easier to navigate; no Rogue damage adjustment was listed in this build.