A Big Class Tuning Pass Just Hit Midnight Beta!

Hello beta testers! Here are the 12.0.1 changes for the week:

CLASSES

• APEX TALENTS
  • Developers’ notes: All 40 specializations have had their talent frame updated to include the new Apex Talent capstone node. This is a new Talent node type that you can increase and decrease in rank by left or right-clicking on the node directly. There are no functional changes to the Apex Talent abilities due to this, aside from what has been mentioned in the changelog for this week’s Beta. Check out this new presentation for Apex Talents and let us know what you think!
  • Please note that the current capstone level-up flow is duplicating the Rank 2 tooltip in the final tooltip. This is not intended and will be resolved in next week’s deploy.
• DEATH KNIGHT
  • Hero Talents
    • Rider of the Apocalypse
      • Developers’ notes: Reverting the 25% reduction to Unholy’s damage will fully offset this change. For Frost Death Knight, this adjustment is aimed at bringing Rider of the Apocalypse and Deathbringer closer in power.
      • All Horsemen damage reduced by 25%.
    • San’layn
      • Unholy
        • Frenzied Bloodthirst now increases the damage of Death Coil and Epidemic by 3% per stack of Essence of the Blood Queen.
        • Gift of the San’layn now increases the effectiveness of Essence of the Blood Queen by 80%.
        • Transfusion now increases the damage of a summoned Lesser Ghoul by 10% (was 20%).
        • Inevitable now increases the damage of diseases by up to 20% (was 30%).
  • Blood
    • All damage increased by 15%.
  • Unholy
    • Developers’ notes: Unholy Death Knight, especially San’layn, has been overperforming in low-target scenarios. We’re reducing its throughput and easing the weight of its cooldown windows. We’re also taking this opportunity to address the imbalance between Raise Abomination and Gargoyle.
    • All damage reduced by 25% hotfix has been reverted.
      • Developer’s notes: We are reverting the baseline aura reduction and will be applying it to Unholy’s ability coefficients to bring them closer to baseline expectations.
    • Each ability coefficient reduced by 25%.
    • Melee damage reduced by 25%.
    • Scourge Strike damage reduced by 10%.
    • Putrefy damage reduced by 10%.
    • Epidemic damage increased by 15%.
    • Virulent Plague damage increased by 15%.
    • Apex Talent: Forbidden Knowledge –
      • Necrotic Coil Shadowstrike damage reduced by 25%.
      • Graveyard damage increased by 15%.
    • Each Unholy specific summon attack and ability power reduced by 25% except for Gargoyle.
    • Army of the Dead Lesser Ghouls are now 75% more effective compared to regular Lesser Ghouls (was 100%).
    • Lesser Ghoul’s Sweeping Claw now has a global cooldown of 1 second (was 0 seconds).
    • Raise Abomination’s Disease Cloud now increases the damage targets take from your minions by 10% (was 20%).
    • Raise Abomination’s Disease Cloud now correctly increases the damage of Putrefy.
    • Infected Claws damage reduced by 25%.
    • Pet Ghoul’s Sweeping Claws main target damage reduced by 20%.
    • Pet Ghoul’s Sweeping Claws secondary target damage reduced by 15%.
    • Lesser Ghoul’s Sweeping Claws main target damage reduced by 20%.
    • Lesser Ghoul’s Sweeping Claws secondary target damage reduced by 15%.
    • Commander of the Dead now causes Dark Transformation to increase the damage of listed summons by 15%/30% (was 25%/50%).
• DEMON HUNTER
  • Hero Talents
    • Void-Scarred
      • Devourer
        • Student of Suffering now grants 5 Fury per tick (was 3 Fury).
        • Burning Blades damage bonus increased to 35% (was 30%).
  • Devourer
    • Reap damage increased by 15%.
  • Havoc
    • Cycle of Hatred no longer starts you off with 1 stack of the cool down reduction buff before you’ve cast Eye Beam.
• DRUID
  • Balance
    • Apex Talent: Ascendant Eclipses – Fixed an issue where Ascendant Eclipses Rank 4 would hit a single target with 4 Lunar Bolts, instead of 3.
  • Guardian
    • All damage increased by 20%.
• EVOKER
  • Hero Talents
    • Flameshaper
      • Devastation
        • Consume Flame now deals Fire Breath damage at 125% effectiveness (was 150%).
        • Consume Flame now causes Disintegrate to consume 1.5 seconds of Fire Breath (was 2 seconds).
        • Consume Flame now causes Pyre to consume 8 seconds of Fire Breath (was 10 seconds).
  • Devastation
    • Disintegrate damage increased by 20%.
• HUNTER
  • Hero Talents
    • Dark Ranger
      • Marksmanship
        • Blighted Quiver has been updated – Trick Shots damage bonus increased to 10% (was 8%). Aspect of the Hydra damage bonus increased to 12% (was 10%).
        • Black Arrow direct damage increased by 25%.
        • Black Arrow periodic damage increased by 50%.
        • Bleak Powder damage increased by 50%.
    • Pack Leader
      • Survival
        • Wyvern damage bonus increased to 15% (was 10%).
    • Sentinel
      • Survival
        • Sentinel’s Mark has been updated – Wildfire Bomb damage bonus reduced to 60% (was 80%).
        • Can’t Miss, Won’t Miss has been updated – Tip of the Spear damage bonus reduced to 8% (was 10%).
  • Beast Mastery
    • Wild Thrash damage bonus when striking 2 or more targets reduced to 200% (was 300%).
    • Stomp damage reduced by 20%.
    • Dire Beasts deal 15% increased damage.
  • Survival
    • Boomstick damage reduced by 10%.
• MAGE
  • Hero Talents
    • Frostfire
      • Fire
        • Frostfire Empowerment damage bonus reduced to 60% (was 80%).
      • Frost
        • Flash Freezeburn has been updated – Glacial Spike cleave percentage reduced to 25% (was 50%).
        • Frostfire Empowerment damage bonus reduced to 60% (was 80%).
    • Spellslinger
      • Arcane
        • Infused Splinters has been updated – Chance to grant Arcane Salvo increased to 25% (was 15%).
        • Controlled Instincts has been updated – Cleave percentage increased to 40% (was 30%).
        • Splintering Orbs has been updated – Arcane Orb damage bonus increased to 35% (was 25%). Now conjures 2 Arcane Splinters per target hit (was 1).
        • Arcane Splinter damage increased by 20%.
      • Frost
        • Controlled Instincts has been updated – Cleave percentage increased to 40% (was 30%).
        • Frost Splinter damage increased by 20%.
    • Sunfury
      • Arcane
        • Burden of Power has been updated – Arcane Blast and Arcane Pulse damage bonus reduced to 5% (was 15%).
        • Sunfury Execution has been updated – Arcane Barrage damage bonus reduced to 10% (was 15%).
        • Codex of the Sunstriders has been updated – Now grants 1% increased spell damage during Arcane Surge (was 2%).
      • Fire
        • Burden of Power has been updated – Flamestrike and Pyroblast damage increased to 8% (was 5%).
  • Arcane
    • Developers’ notes: Sunfury Arcane Mage has been overperforming in low-target encounters, so we’re tamping down the spec and hero talent tree while giving Spellslinger a bit of help. We’re also adding some compensation for Arcing Cleave and Arcane Orb to ensure multi-target profiles are not hindered too significantly.
    • Arcing Cleave has been updated – Additional targets are struck for 50% of initial damage (was 40%).
      • Developers’ notes: We identified an issue preventing Arcing Cleave’s damage from appropriately increasing. This will be resolved in a future update.
    • Arcane Barrage damage reduced by 10%.
    • Arcane Missiles damage reduced by 10%.
    • Arcane Blast damage reduced by 10%.
    • Arcane Orb damage increased by 20%.
  • Fire
    • Apex Talent: Fired Up – Fixed an issue where applications of Fired Up would not correctly overlap.
  • Frost
    • Developers’ notes: We’re reducing the power of Frostbolt and Flurry to help Ice Lance and Shatter continue to be the rotational priority. We’re moving some of that lost power into Ice Lance and Shatter to mitigate the throughput impact of these changes in low-target scenarios. We’re also tamping down Frostfire’s performance in AOE, since it has been overperforming.
    • Ice Lance damage increased by 25%.
    • Shatter primary target damage increased by 10%.
    • Flurry damage reduced by 10%.
    • Frostbolt damage reduced by 15%.
• MONK
  • Mistweaver
    • Way of the Serpent now reduces movement speed by 20% (was 40%).
    • Apex Talent: Spiritfont – Spiritfont’s Soothing Mists are now 20% effective (was 30%).
    • Sheilun’s Gift healing increased by 50%. Clouds now increase its effectiveness by 33% (was 50%).
    • Mistline now increases healing done by 500% (was 100%).
    • Amplified Rush now increases Gust of Mist healing from Renewing Mist by 100% (was 50%).
  • Windwalker
    • Threat generated by Zenith Stomp reduced by 50%.
• PALADIN
  • Hero Talents
    • Herald of the Sun
      • Retribution
        • Dawnlight damage reduced by 25%.
        • Sun’s Avatar damage reduced by 25%.
        • Solar Grace now grants 2% Haste (was 5%).
    • Templar
      • Retribution
        • Hammer of Light single target damage increased by 15%.
        • Hammer of Light secondary target damage increased by 25%.
  • Protection
    • Hammer and Anvil now deals reduced damage above 5 targets.
    • Hammer of Wrath damage reduced by 30%.
  • Retribution
    • Mastery: Highlord’s Judgment damage increased by 100%.
    • Fixed an issue that caused Avenging Wrath to not increase the damage of Mastery: Highlord’s Judgment damage.
    • Apex Talent: Light Within – Light Within damage increased by 10%.
    • Execution Sentence now deals 20% of the Holy damage dealt (was 10%).
    • Fixed an issue causing the Midnight 4-set bonus to significantly reduce the damage of Expurgation.
• PRIEST
  • Holy
    • All healing done increased by 10%.
  • Shadow
    • Void Torrent damage reduced by 20%.
    • Psychic Link now transfers 45% of damage dealt to enemies afflicted by Vampiric Touch (was 40%).
• SHAMAN
  • Restoration
    • Spirit Link Totem has been updated to trigger its pulse more immediately when summoned.
    • Spirit Link Totem’s visual now scales with talents that affect the size of the area.
• WARLOCK
  • Hero Talents
    • Hellcaller
      • Malevolence damage increased by 230%.
      • Destruction
        • Blackened Soul damage increased by 20%.
        • Wither damage increased by 25%.
        • Through the Felvine now increases Chaos Bolt damage by 10% (was 8%) and Rain of Fire damage by 8% (was 4%).
    • Soul Harvester
      • Wicked Reaping now increases the damage of Manifested Avarice’s Soul Swipe.
      • Affliction
        • Sataiel’s Volition no longer affects the chance of gaining Nightfall.
      • Demonology
        • Sataiel’s Volition now increases Wild Imp damage by 35% (was 5%).
        • Wicked Reaping now increases all demonic soul damage by 30% (was 10%).
        • Demonic Soul damage increased by 30%.
        • Soul Swipe damage increased by 20%.
        • Wicked Reaping damage increased by 100%.
        • Soul Anathema damage increased by 50%.
  • Affliction
    • Developers’ notes: We are reducing the duration of Haunt to match its cooldown. The reasoning for this change is to avoid situations where it is possible to have 2 active Haunts at one time causing high damage spikes while talented into Shadow of Nathreza. Additionally, we are removing the synergy between Creeping Death, Sataiel’s Volition, and Nightfall to reduce resource flooding.
    • Haunt’s duration reduced to 15 seconds (was 18 seconds).
    • Creeping Death no longer affects the chance of gaining Nightfall.
  • Destruction
    • Apex Talent: Embers of Nihilam – Echo of Sargeras damage reduced by 50%.
• WARRIOR
  • Hero Talents
    • Colossus
      • Demolish damage increased by 20%.
    • Mountain Thane
      • Fury
        • Crashing Thunder damage bonus to Thunder Clap reduced to 30% (was 40%).
    • Slayer
      • Imminent Demise now has an additional effect – Sudden Death has a 100% chance to trigger Reap the Storm.
      • Slayer’s Strike damage reduced by 10%.
      • Reap the Storm damage reduced by 20%.
      • Arms
        • Reap the Storm’s chance to trigger has been reduced to 15% (was 25%).
      • Fury
        • Reap the Storm’s chance to trigger has been increased to 35% (was 25%).
  • Arms
    • Barbaric Training now affects Slam, Whirlwind, and Cleave (was Slam, Whirlwind, and Thunder Clap).
    • Cleave damage increased by 10%.
    • Dreadnaught damage reduced by 20%.
  • Fury
    • Apex Talent: Rampaging Berserker – Increases Strength by 3% per stack (was 1%).
    • Auto-attack damage reduced by 25%.
    • Rampage damage reduced by 10%.
  • Protection
    • Revenge damage increased by 20%.
    • Apex Talent: Phalanx – Phalanx damage increased by 10%.

PLAYER VERSUS PLAYER

• DEMON HUNTER
  • Hero Talents
    • Fel-Scarred
      • Focused Hatred now increases Demonsurge damage by 10% (was 50%) when damaging a single target, reducing by 2% (was 10%) per additional target in PvP combat.
      • Demonsurge damage reduced by 20% in PvP combat.
  • Devourer
    • Developers’ notes: We’re taking a pass on Devourer’s damage profile in PvP with the goal of improving consistent damage and reducing the potential for one-shots. We’d like Void Metamorphosis to be a powerful cooldown, but are aiming for damage outside of the cooldown to be impactful.
    • Consume damage increased by 100% in PvP combat. Does not affect Devour.
    • Devour damage increased by 30% in PvP combat.
    • Reap damage increased by 50% in PvP combat. Does not affect Cull or Eradicate.
    • Voidblade damage increased by 15% in PvP combat. Does not affect Pierce the Veil.
    • Void Ray damage increased by 30% in PvP combat.
    • Hungering Slash damage increased by 15% in PvP combat. Does not affect Reaper’s Toll.
    • Impending Apocalypse now increases the damage of your next Collapsing Star by 15% in PvP combat (was 30%).
    • Focused Ray now increases the damage of Void Ray by 15% in PvP combat (was 50%).
    • Inevitable End now reduces the cast time of Collapsing Star by 25% instead of increasing its damage done.
    • Predator’s Wake damage reduced by 15% in PvP combat.
    • Devourer’s Bite now increases the damage your target takes by 5% per application (was 12%).
    • Surrender to the Void now increases damage dealt while in Void Metamorphosis by 10% (was 20%).
• MAGE
  • Arcane
    • Nether Flux now increases the damage of the next targeted spell by 10% (was 40%).
• SHAMAN
  • Elemental
    • Totem of Wrath is now summoned by Stormkeeper (was Primordial Wave).
  • Enhancement
    • Totem of Wrath is now summoned by Sundering (was Primordial Wave).
  • Restoration
    • Spirit Link Totem’s visual now displays a hostile variant when an enemy Shaman uses Spirit Link Totem in PvP combat.

USER INTERFACE AND ACCESSIBILITY

• TRANSMOGRIFICATION
  • When choosing an icon for an outfit slot, the icons for items that are currently used in the appearance will appear at the start of the list.
  • The currency text will change to red and an error tooltip will appear over the “Save Outfit” button if not enough gold is available to save outfit changes.
• NAMEPLATES
  • The clickable area for nameplate frames has been increased slightly on all sides to make them easier to interact with.
• TEXT-TO-SPEECH UPDATES
  • Added Voice and Volume settings to each of the following sections in the Combat Audio Alert settings, along with slash commands for each:
    • Say Your Health
    • Say Target Health
    • Say Party Health
    • Say Your Resources (Mana, Energy, etc)
    • Say Your Casts
    • Say Target Casts
• DAMAGE METERS
  • A session timer has been added to the title bar:
    • For Current and Overall sessions the timer displays when in combat and only for the duration of the session.
    • For previous sessions the duration is always displayed and does not update.
• The login screen environment has been updated with new artwork and sound.