Secrets of Ulduar
- Since discovering Ulduar in the Storm Peaks,
adventurers have journeyed to the titan city to learn more about its
mysterious past. Further exploration has revealed that the magnificent
complex is above all a prison, intended to permanently confine the Old God
of death, Yogg-Saron. This ancient horror has corrupted its guards, and
now it is breaking through the last of its restraints. Faced with the
peril of Yogg-Saron's imminent freedom, a band of mortals has made preparations
for a sweeping assault on the city. Overcoming the legions of iron minions
and towering defenses at the city's entrance will take tremendous
strength, but even that great victory may not be enough to overcome the
madness that dwells below.
- As the might of the Scourge wanes under the pressure of
Azeroth's heroes, the Argent Crusade have taken a foothold in Arthas's
back yard. Off the northeastern coast of Icecrown, the Argent Crusade have
sounded the call for the most bold and brave adventurers of the Horde and
Alliance to take part in the Argent Tournament. Representatives of all ten
faction capitals, from Undercity to Exodar, have traveled to the
tournament grounds to find champions among their heroes who will prepare
for the inevitable battle against the enemy of all living beings, the Lich
King.
In Memoriam: Dave Arneson
- Blizzard Entertainment would like to dedicate Secrets
of Ulduar in memory of Dave Arneson. We were greatly saddened by the news
of Dave’s passing. His work, passion, and creativity helped give life to
an entirely new genre of gaming, and our fondest memories of playing
Dungeons&Dragons continue to inspire us. Farewell, Dave, and thank
you. You will be missed.
General
- Due to significant talent tree revisions, all players
will have their talent points reimbursed. Several new spells and abilities
have been added for select classes. Players will need to visit their class
trainer to learn new spells.
- All Ground Mounts may now swim without dismounting the
rider. Flying Mounts still may NOT, and will dismount the rider upon
entering water.
- The Argent Tournament, a permanent in-game event, has
come to Icecrown. Players interested in taking part in this event should
visit the Argent Pavilion located on the west side of the tournament
grounds. Features include:
- New ways of gaining reputation with capital cities.
- All new daily quests, achievements and titles.
- New rare and epic items, tabards, pets, banners,
faction shirts and mounts.
- Mounted combat, and much more to come!
- Players level 40 and higher will now be able to visit
their trainer to pay a one-time fee and access the dual talent
specialization feature.
- The achievement Brew of the Year has been removed from
the Brewmaster meta-achievement. The achievement Brew of the Month has
been added in its place.
- Noblegarden has been redesigned into a week-long
holiday with new items, quests, and more. Various achievements have been
added, including the meta-achievement Noble Gardener, which is now
required for the meta-achievement What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been.
- Applying a glyph no longer requires a Lexicon of Power.
The same rules for switching between dual talent specializations now apply
to switching glyphs and cannot be performed while in combat, Battlegrounds
(except when Preparation is up), or Arenas (no exceptions).
- New music can be heard at the Argent Tournament grounds
and in Ulduar.
PvP
- Arenas
- Enemy Unit Frames: This feature is only available
while in Arenas, with several options in the Interface Options.
- Battlegrounds
- Battleground quests “Concerted Efforts” (Alliance) and
“For Great Honor” (Horde) now require an Alterac Valley Mark of Honor in addition
to the current requirements. These quests now award more honor upon
completion.
- Players will now be able to queue for battlegrounds
from any location. Leaving a battleground will return you to the location
from which you entered.
- Alterac Valley
- Drek’Thar, Vanndar Stormpike, the tower Heralds and
Warmasters have received a hit point and damage upgrade in the level 80
version of Alterac Valley.
- Strand of the Ancients
- Capturing the Southern Graveyard will now
automatically capture both the East and West Graveyards.
- Seaforium Barrels can now be looted while mounted,
seen from anywhere in the zone, and found at the Central Graveyard.
- Teleporters can now be used while mounted and can now
be seen from anywhere in the zone.
- Lake Wintergrasp
- Daily quests “Slay Them All!” (Horde) and “No Mercy
for the Merciless” (Alliance) have had their PvP kill requirements
reduced to 10 from 20. NPCs defending the fortress and south towers now
count toward these dailies as well.
- The number of NPCs defending fortress has been
increased.
- Siege Engines now have Steam Pressure as a resource
type (replaces energy).
- The southern Siege Factories can be captured.
- The time between battles will be saved should a realm
shut down. If Wintergrasp is active when a realm shuts down, the battle
will restart from the beginning when the realm is once again live.
- Towers in Southern Wintergrasp now have more defensive
cannons.
Races: General
- Command (Orc Racial): Applies to shaman pets, and now
correctly applies to death knight pets.
- Gift of the Naaru (Draenei Racial): The heal has been
changed to an instant-cast heal-over-time.
- Stoneform (Dwarf Racial): No longer makes you immune to
poison, disease and bleed effects for 8 seconds. Instead, using Stoneform
will clear those effects when cast. Cooldown reduced to 2 minutes from 3
minutes.
Classes: General
- Armor Penetration Rating: All classes now receive 25%
more benefit from Armor Penetration Rating.
- The damage threshold for Fear, Psychic Scream, Hex,
Intimidating Shout, and Turn Evil to break early has been significantly
reduced.
- Haste Rating: shamans, paladins, druids, and death
knights now receive 30% more melee haste from Haste Rating.
- Hysteria, Tricks of the Trade, Enrage, Wrecking Crew,
Death Wish, Arcane Power, Owlkin Frenzy, Beast Within, and Avenging Wrath
damage bonuses no longer stack together.
- Mana Regeneration: The amount of mana regeneration
derived from intellect and spirit has been reduced by 40%; however,
talents that allow for mana regeneration while in combat have been
increased. As a result, in-combat regeneration for classes with those
talents will stay the same, while out-of-combat regeneration will be
lower.
- The shaman’s Fire Elemental and Spirit Wolves, mage’s
Water Elemental and Mirror Images, and druid’s Treants have all gained
avoidance from area-of-effect damage similar to what warlock and hunter
pets already have.
- Taunts: All player or pet-generated taunts now have a
shared diminish category. In addition, Taunt-type effects from pets and
from classes other than death knight, druid, paladin, and warrior have
been set such that bosses can be made immune to them while still affected
by death knight, druid, paladin, and warrior taunts.
Death Knights
- Anti-magic Shell: The amount of damage this ability can
absorb is now limited to 50% of the death knight’s health.
- Blood Boil’s damage increased to make up for Pestilence
no longer doing damage.
- Blood Boil now does some damage to undiseased targets
and extra damage to diseased targets. Its damage radius has been decreased
to 10 yards.
- Blood Plague: Now lasts 15 seconds untalented.
- Blood Strike: Bonus damage for diseases is now a
multiplier rather than a flat bonus.
- Death Pact: This heal cannot be critical.
- Death Strike: The amount of healing per damage done has
been reduced by 20%. Now deals 75% weapon damage, up from 60%.
- Frost Fever: Now lasts 15 seconds untalented.
- Frost Presence: Now grants 5% damage reduction instead
of 15% magic damage reduction.
- Obliterate: Bonus damage for diseases now increases
damage done by a percentage rather than a flat amount.
- Pestilence does no damage and has only 1 rank.
- Plague Strike and Blood Plague no longer remove
heal-over-time effects. Plague Strike’s damage increased quite a bit to
compensate.
- Raise Ally now has a cooldown greater than 15 minutes
and can no longer be used in Arenas.
- Raise Dead: Duration lowered to 60 seconds and cooldown
lowered to 3 minutes. The cooldown on this ability now begins when the pet
dies rather than when it is summoned.
- Rune of Cinderglacier now procs per minute instead of a
5% chance.
- Rune of the Fallen Crusader: This weapon enchant now
provides only 15% strength, but its chance to proc is doubled.
- Rune of Razorice now affects Frost damage done by the
death knight only, but stacks up to 10%.
- Strangulate no longer does damage and has been reduced
to 1 rank.
- Talents
- Blood
- Abomination’s Might: This effect can now also be
caused by Death Strike.
- Blade Barrier: Now grants 1/2/3/4/5% damage reduction
instead of 2/4/6/8/10% parry.
- Blood Aura: Replaced with Improved Blood Presence.
This allows the death knight to keep the healing-from-damage-done bonus
of Blood Presence in any presence, and increases healing received while
in Blood Presence.
- Blood-Gorged now grants armor penetration instead of
expertise.
- Bloody Strikes: The bonus damage this talent grants
to Blood Boil has been reduced to 10/20/30%.
- Bloodworms now heal more.
- Dancing Rune Weapon: Damage done by, and duration of
this pet is reduced by 50%, but the cooldown is reduced to 90 seconds.
Attack speed of pet increased from 2.0 to 3.5.
- New talent: Improved Death Strike: Increases Death
Strike damage by 10/20%, and critical strike chance by 3/6%.
- Heart Strike: Bonus damage for diseases is now a
multiplier rather than a flat bonus. No longer affected by Glyph of
Blood Strike.
- Hysteria: This ability now causes the target to lose
health rather than take damage.
- Might of Mograine: No longer affects Obliterate.
- Scent of Blood: Will now proc on a dodge, parry or
when taking damage, and now grants 10 runic power per charge. Internal
cooldown removed.
- Spell Deflection: This talent has been increased to
15/30/45% damage reduction from a direct damage spell.
- Sudden Doom now procs a free Death Coil instead of
requiring you to push the button. Ranks reduced from 5 to 3.
- Vampiric Blood: Cooldown increased to 2 minutes from
1 minute.
- Will of the Necropolis: This ability now has a 15
second cooldown on how often it can occur. No longer triggers from
damage amounts less than 5% of the player’s health.
- Frost
- The following talents have moved in the Frost tree:
Runic Power Mastery, Glacier Rot, Killing Machine, Chilblains, and
Endless Winter.
- Black Ice: This talent now provides a 2/4/6/8/10%
bonus to Frost and Shadow damage instead of 4/8/12/16/20% to Frost.
- Blood of the North: Now also increases damage dealt
by Frost Strike by 3/6/9/12/15%.
- Chillblains: Now a 15/30/50% movement speed debuff up
from 30%. Can no longer be dispelled.
- Frost Aura: Replaced with Improved Frost Presence.
Allows the deathknight to keep the health bonus of Frost Presence in any
presence, and decreases magic damage taken while in Frost Presence.
- Glacier Rot: 3rd rank added, and damage bonus
increased to 7/13/20%.
- Howling Blast: Base damage and scaling doubled. This
ability no longer deals bonus damage to targets with Frost Fever.
8-second cooldown. Swapped positions with Hungering Cold in the talent
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