Blizzard's October 7 deep dive covered the Rogue and the Warlock, the two classes most associated with control and damage over time in original WoW. Rogues gain more ways to set up and adapt, plus a whole new weapon type. Warlocks get the cleanest restructuring in the series so far, with Banes split from Curses, pets that scale with their master, and three trees that each end in a brand new spell.
Below is every confirmed change, grouped by spec, with Blizzard's reasoning where it gave one. Blizzard notes abilities and talents may continue to change during the beta.
Shared Talent Rules
- Talents unlock at level 10, with gold medal milestones at 11, 16, 21 and 31 points.
- Change talents, including Legacy talents, at a class trainer in a major city.
- Dual Specialization unlocks at level 40.
Rogue: Every Advantage Counts
Rogue Baseline Changes
| Ability | Change |
|---|---|
| Poisons | More charges; can stack with Weightstones and Sharpening Stones |
| Feint | Threat reduction doubled |
| Sap | No longer breaks Stealth |
| Distract | Also reduces enemy Stealth detection for 10 seconds, but warns players a Rogue is near |
| Expose Armor | Matches 5 Sunder Armor stacks at about the same level; no longer blocks Sunder |
| Axes | Rogues can learn one-handed axes |
Two of these change how dungeons play. Sap no longer breaking Stealth means a Rogue can Sap a target and stay hidden, which Blizzard says is meant to give groups a Rogue-only crowd control tool for oversized pulls. And Expose Armor no longer blocking Sunder Armor means Warriors can keep generating threat from Sunder while the Rogue applies the stronger debuff.
Axes are added for itemization variety. Blizzard points to brigands and outlaws using axes in fantasy and says it lets the team offer more diverse weapons knowing Rogues can use them.
Assassination Talent Highlights
Blizzard wants Assassination to be the Poison-focused, dagger spec.
- Improved Gouge moves into Assassination row 1.
- Malice now adds crit to all attacks and Poisons.
- Murder now affects Giants, but no longer Beasts or Dragonkin.
- Improved Expose Armor reduces Expose Armor's Energy cost and refunds Combo Points at 5 points.
- Cold Blood becomes the 16-point gold medal talent and works with Mutilate.
- Improved Poisons gives a large chance for Poisons not to consume charges.
- Vigor becomes a 2-point row 5 talent with the same effect.
- Mutilate is the 21-point gold medal talent: 60 Energy, strikes with both daggers, bonus damage on Poisoned targets, 2 Combo Points.
- Seal Fate no longer requires Cold Blood and triggers once per Mutilate if either hand crits.
- Venom is the 31-point gold medal talent: a 25 Energy finisher that gives 30% more Poison damage and 10% more Poison application chance, with duration based on Combo Points.
Combat Talent Highlights
- Improved Eviscerate moves to Combat row 1 with a bigger bonus.
- Puncturing Wounds (formerly Improved Backstab) also adds Mutilate crit and a chance for Backstab to grant an extra Combo Point.
- Precision now covers all spells and attacks, including Poisons.
- Endurance reduces Sprint and Evasion cooldowns by a percentage.
- Flawless Execution is the 16-point gold medal talent, cutting Eviscerate's cost by 10 Energy.
- Hack and Slash (new, row 5) replaces Dagger, Mace, Sword and Fist Weapon Specialization. Axes get the Sword effect (extra attacks), and Maces now ignore armor instead of stunning.
- Weapon Expertise reduces the target's Dodge and Parry chance.
- Aggression also boosts Backstab, so Combat supports both Backstab and Sinister Strike builds.
Subtlety Talent Highlights
- Master of Deception costs 3 points.
- Setup and Initiative reach 100% chance at 3 points.
- Dirty Tricks (formerly Improved Sap) moves to row 2 and cuts Sap and Blind Energy costs.
- Improved Distract (new) widens Distract and worsens enemy Stealth detection.
- Premeditation becomes the 16-point gold medal talent, lasting 20 seconds.
- Serrated Blades ignores a percentage of armor that rises with level.
- Dirty Deeds lets Garrote be used from the front.
- Hemorrhage also increases your Rupture damage on the target for 15 seconds.
- Quietus (new) boosts Sinister Strike, Ghostly Strike and Hemorrhage below 35% health.
- Cutthroat (new) lets Backstab proc an Ambush that does not need Stealth.
- Thousand Cuts is the 31-point gold medal talent: each Rupture tick cuts 3 Energy from your next Hemorrhage or Backstab, stacking 5 times.
Rogue Identity
Blizzard's summary: Rogues remain the masters of Stealth, with the highest potential single-target melee damage in the game. Assassination specializes in daggers and finisher buffs; Combat and Subtlety support all weapon types, with Combat on direct damage and Blade Flurry cleave, and Subtlety on tricks and Bleeds.
Warlock: Power at Any Price
Warlock Baseline Changes
| Change | Detail |
|---|---|
| Banes | Curse of Agony and Curse of Doom become Banes; one Bane per Warlock per target |
| Curse interactions | Anything that affected Curses also affects Banes |
| Curse of the Elements | Applies to all magic damage |
| Curse of Shadows | Removed |
| Firestone | Weapon Imbue: more Fire damage and crit, stacks with Wizard Oil |
| Spellstone | Weapon Imbue: more Shadow damage and spell haste |
| Life Tap | Scales with Spirit; tooltip shows the correct value |
| Drain Soul | Progressive Soul Shard chance per tick until guaranteed |
| Pets | Scale from the Warlock's stats |
The Bane split is the biggest quality of life change for the class. Previously a Warlock had to choose between a damage Curse and a utility Curse. In Forever, Agony and Doom sit in their own Bane slot, so you can run a damage Bane alongside Curse of the Elements or another utility Curse. Drain Soul's progressive chance also removes the old frustration of a shard that refuses to drop.
Affliction Talent Highlights
- Improved Life Tap moves to row 1.
- Suppression gives up to 5% hit and up to 20% less threat.
- Improved Corruption also adds up to 10% Corruption damage.
- Malediction (new) adds up to 5% periodic damage.
- Improved Drains (new) adds up to 20% to Drain Life, Drain Soul and Wrack.
- Pandemic (new) adds up to 100% crit damage bonus to your DoTs and drains.
- Curse of Exhaustion becomes the 16-point gold medal talent at 30% movement reduction.
- Malevolence (new) adds up to 5% Shadow crit chance.
- Soul Siphon (new) adds up to 12% drain damage per other Affliction spell on the target, max 36%.
- Wrack is the 31-point gold medal talent: a Shadow drain-style spell that ticks every second and makes your other Shadow DoTs deal 10% more for 6 seconds.
Demonology Talent Highlights
- Improved Health Funnel moves to row 1, can cut Health Funnel threat by up to 100%, and works at any demon health.
- Demonic Aegis (new) boosts Demon Skin and Demon Armor by up to 30%.
- Fel Vitality (new) adds up to 15% health and Mana to your demons and 15% Mana to you.
- Demonic Energies (new) heals your pet from your spell damage and shares Life Tap Mana.
- Demonic Sacrifice is now the 11-point gold medal talent, lasting 2 hours, with reworked effects: Imp boosts Shadow damage, Voidwalker restores Mana, Succubus or Incubus boosts Fire, Felhunter restores Health.
- Fel Domination becomes the 16-point gold medal talent.
- Decimation (new) cuts Soul Fire's cooldown by up to 90% and makes it cheaper and faster after hitting low-health targets.
- Demonic Brand (new) makes Searing Pain empower your pet's next 2 attacks.
- Soul Link becomes the 21-point gold medal talent.
- Demonic Knowledge (new) adds spell damage to you and your demon based on your level.
- Master Demonologist bonuses are reworked per pet.
- Demonic Pact is the 31-point gold medal talent: your Demonic Sacrifice is no longer cancelled by summoning a different pet. Blizzard says this lets Warlocks benefit from Demonic Sacrifice and Master Demonologist at the same time for the first time.
Destruction Talent Highlights
- Destructive Reach moves to row 1 and now affects all damaging spells, so every spec can reach it.
- Bane moves to row 1 and also speeds Incinerate.
- Molten Skin (new) reduces all damage taken by up to 10%.
- Aftermath boosts Immolate's initial hit by up to 50% and lets Conflagrate Daze.
- Ruin moves to row 3 as a 5-point talent for hybrid builds.
- Conflagrate moves up to row 4 as the 16-point gold medal talent.
- Bane of Havoc is the 21-point gold medal talent: for 5 minutes, 15% of the damage you deal to other targets is also dealt to the Bane target.
- Shadow and Flame (new) links Conflagrate and Shadowburn so each boosts the other school for 20 seconds.
- Incinerate is the 31-point gold medal talent: 2.5-second cast, 30 yards, 25% more damage on Immolated targets.
Warlock Identity
Blizzard says Warlocks now compete with any other spellcaster on damage, with three very different styles: Affliction with drains and self-sustain, Demonology with pet synergy and Soul Fire, and Destruction mixing Shadowburn, Conflagrate and Incinerate. They stay physically weak and depend on demons for protection.
How These Changes Affect Groups
Several of these updates are about how Rogues and Warlocks fit into a party rather than their own damage.
- Sap as dungeon crowd control. Because Sap no longer breaks Stealth, a Rogue can Sap one target in a large pack and stay hidden to set up the next action. Blizzard describes this as a party and raid tool for groups with too many monsters to tank safely.
- Expose Armor and Sunder Armor together. Expose Armor now matches five Sunder Armor stacks at about the same level, and a Warrior can still use Sunder on the target for threat. Sunder will only overwrite Expose Armor if Expose is the weaker effect.
- Curse of the Elements for every caster. With Curse of Shadows gone and Curse of the Elements covering all magic damage, a single Warlock curse now helps Mages, Shaman, Priests and other Warlocks at once.
- Distract has a PvP cost. Distract now lowers enemy Stealth detection for 10 seconds, but Blizzard warns it also tells enemy players a Rogue is nearby.
- Bane of Havoc for cleave. Destruction can keep pressure on a priority target while fighting adds, since 15% of damage dealt to other targets also lands on the Bane target.
Launch Planning Notes
Rogue and Warlock are both strong picks for players who enjoy setup and resource management. For Rogues, decide early whether you want daggers (Assassination or Subtlety Backstab builds) or other weapons (Combat with Hack and Slash). For Warlocks, Banes and pet scaling help every spec while leveling, and Drain Soul's guaranteed shards make Soul Fire and Shadowburn easier to keep stocked. Check our names and rulesets guide before you reserve your character.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Sap break Stealth in WoW Forever?
No. Sap no longer breaks Stealth for any Rogue. The Subtlety talent Dirty Tricks now reduces the Energy cost of Sap and Blind instead.
Can Rogues use axes in WoW Forever?
Yes. Rogues can learn to equip one-handed axes, and Combat's Hack and Slash talent gives axes the same extra attack chance as swords.
Is Mutilate in WoW Forever?
Yes. Mutilate is Assassination's 21-point gold medal talent. It costs 60 Energy, requires daggers in both hands and awards 2 Combo Points.
What is the Rogue Venom finisher?
Venom is Assassination's 31-point talent, a 25 Energy finisher that increases Poison damage by 30% and Poison application chance by 10% for a duration based on Combo Points.
Can Poisons stack with Sharpening Stones in WoW Forever?
Yes. Poisons can now be applied at the same time as temporary enchantments like Weightstones and Sharpening Stones, and they have more charges.
What are Banes for Warlocks in WoW Forever?
Curse of Agony and Curse of Doom are now Banes. Only one Bane per Warlock can be on a target, but it no longer competes with your utility Curse.
Do Warlock pets scale with gear in WoW Forever?
Yes. Blizzard says Warlock pets now scale from their summoner's stats.
Is Curse of Shadows in WoW Forever?
No. Curse of Shadows is removed, and Curse of the Elements now applies to all magic damage.
What does Demonic Pact do in WoW Forever?
It is Demonology's 31-point talent. Summoning a different pet no longer cancels your Demonic Sacrifice, so you can combine it with Master Demonologist.
Do Warlocks get Incinerate in WoW Forever?
Yes. Incinerate is Destruction's 31-point gold medal talent, a 2.5-second Fire spell with 30-yard range that deals 25% more damage to Immolated targets.
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