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Changes for leveling players in Cataclysm
The big boys and girls aren't the only ones getting new toys come Cataclysm. Players of all levels are getting new spells, abilities and mechanics that will change the way we level, all the way from 1 to 85. As Blizzard lets loose the first crop of class change details this week, WoW Rookie recaps the changes that will affect you most as a leveling player. It's a fairly short list this week -- shamans, warlocks and priests, as of press time for this post -- with the rest on tap for next week, after Blizzard has completed the first round of class info dumps.
New for leveling shaman
If you've wanted to level an enhancement shaman, Cataclysm sounds like the time to give it a whirl.
Cataclysm Shaman Class Changes
Primal Strike (available at level 3): Primal Strike is a new weapon-based attack that every shaman will learn very early in the game. Our goal with this ability is to make leveling as Enhancement rather than as Elemental more viable, since many key Enhancement talents become available at fairly high levels.
Adds Nethaera:
Last but not least, it's the intention of Primal Strike to let shaman play as an Enhancement at low levels. Currently when leveling in this spec, you end up just using Lightning Bolt a lot so you feel like an Elemental shaman instead. At a higher level, Primal Strike gets replaced by Storm Strike. They share a cooldown so Enhancement just won't ever use Primal Strike after that, in the same way that Prot warriors don't use Sunder Armor once they have Devastate or Feral druids don't use Claw once they get Mangle.
Resto shamans will get a boost to their toolkit, with a new direct healing spell in the earliest levels that will broaden their healing repertoire.
Healing Wave (level 4): While the shaman already has an ability called Healing Wave, we're adding another spell to the class's direct-healing arsenal and giving it a familiar name. The current Healing Wave will be renamed Greater Healing Wave, and the intent is for the "new" Healing Wave to be the shaman's go-to heal. Lesser Healing Wave and Greater Healing Wave will be used on a more situational basis.
Game-wide changes to cleansing mechanics will affect shamans in a big way.
We're making changes to which classes and specs are able to dispel magic, diseases, curses, and poison, largely for PvP purposes. Shaman will have Cleanse Spirit as a baseline ability, but it will only remove curses. Restoration shaman will have a talent that will improve Cleanse Spirit so that it also removes magic. Shaman will no longer be able to remove poison.
Cleansing Totem will be removed from the game, as we want dispels to be a decision for players, not something done mindlessly. To that end, all dispels will cost slightly more mana, and you will waste the spell if you cast it when there is nothing to remove. (Currently, the dispel is only cast when there is something to remove, which encourages spamming 'just in case.") We will balance PvE dispelling with this new model in mind.
For more extensive information on shaman changes ahead in Cataclysm, see our three-pronged analysis post.
New for leveling warlocks
No news yet on any leveling spells for warlocks in the coming expansion (besides fancy stuff beyond level 80, anyway -- not really WoW Rookie's target audience). Alas, no new demons, either, and nothing new on mounts. The hot news on the 'lock scene is the change to soul shard mechanics, which was initially announced at BlizzCon 2009.
Soul Shard Overhaul
This major change regarding Soul Shards was previously announced at BlizzCon 2009. Soul Shards will no longer be inventory items, but instead a new UI resource mechanic. Warlocks will have 3 Soul Shards that can be used during a fight and will not be able to gain additional shards during combat. Soul Shards will not be required outside of combat. Soul Burn will consume a Soul Shard resource, thereby allowing you to use the secondary effects of some spells. Soul Burn has no mana or health costs and is off the global cooldown. Planned secondary effects are outlined here.
- Summon Demon + Soul Burn = summon the demon instantly.
- Drain Life + Soul Burn = Reduces cast speed by 60%.
- Demonic Circle + Soul Burn = Increases movement speed by 50% for 8 seconds after teleporting.
- Unstable Affliction + Soul Burn = Instantly deals damage equal to 30% of its effect.
- Soul Fire + Soul Burn = Instant cast.
- Healthstone + Soul Burn = Increases total health by 20% for 8 seconds.
- Searing Pain + Soul Burn = Increases the crit chance of Searing Pain by 100%, and subsequent Searing Pain spells by 50% for 6 seconds.
