This Public Test Realm (PTR) is a testing environment for the content coming with the Dragonflight: Guardians of the Dream update.
Dragonflight: Guardians of the Dream Update Development Notes
- ROGUE
Developer’s note: In Guardians of the Dream we are updating all 4 Rogue talent trees to bring them up to current standards. A sweeping pass was needed to make significant adjustments to address notable concerns, like: moving the first gate from row 3 to row 4 to match all other classes; improving pathing and increasing interconnectedness on every tree; removing 3-point nodes; and reducing the percentage of minor DPS talents taken in the Class tree to make room for more flavorful and robust utility options. We also wanted to use the opportunity where so many things are changing to rework or redesign some talents that needed the update, and also just to make some new talents to experience and (hopefully) enjoy. Let us know what you think! - Many changes have been made to Class talent positions and connections.
- Sap is now a baseline ability.
- Shiv damage increased by 20%.
- Shiv now costs 30 Energy (was 20) and has a 30 second cooldown (was 25 seconds).
- New Talent: Featherfoot (Passive) – Sprint increases movement speed by an additional 30%, and duration increased by 4 seconds.
- New Talent: Superior Mixture (Passive) – Crippling Poison reduced movement speed by an additional 10%.
- New Talent: Graceful Guile (Passive) – Feint has 1 additional charge.
- New Talent: Stillshroud (Passive) – Shroud of Concealment has 50% reduced cooldown.
- Vigor’s location has changed and is now a 2-point talent, increasing max Energy by 50/100 and increasing Energy regeneration by 8/15%.
- Deadly Precision is now a 1-point talent. Per point value has not changed.
- Nightstalker’s location has changed and now increases damage while Stealth is active by 8/15% (was 4/8%).
- Reverberation now increases Echoing Reprimand damage by 100% (was 75%).
- Deadened Nerves now reduces physical damage taken by 5% (was 3%).
- Echoing Reprimand now charges a combo point from 3/4/5 (was 2/3/4).
- Marked for Death has been adjusted:
Cooldown adjusted to 40 seconds for all specializations (was 30 seconds for Assassination and Subtlety, 60 seconds for Outlaw). - Grants full combo points (was 5).
- Now increases the damage your finishing moves deal to the target by 15%.
- Lasts 15 seconds (was 60 seconds) and resets cooldown if the target dies during the effect.
Nightstalker damage bonus reduced to 5/10% (was 8/15%).
Elusiveness now causes Evasion to reduce damage taken by 20% (was 10%).
- Developers’ note: This change will be deployed to PTR over the course of this week.
Airborne Irritant has been moved to the class tree (was in Outlaw) and has been adjusted – Blind has 50% reduced cooldown, 40% reduced duration, and applies to all enemies near the target.
Marked for Death has been removed.
Subtlety - Developers’ note: Subtlety and its talent tree have been in a similar position as Outlaw. The gameplay outcome has been mostly good during Dragonflight so far, but many talents are underused, and rigid pathing with insufficient connections have restricted talent options. We have changed, redesigned, and added new talents alongside improvements to pathing and interconnectedness that will hopefully add up to feeling like there is more gameplay diversity and flexibility in the tree. And while we noted that gameplay outcomes thus far in Dragonflight have been ‘good’, there have been some negative trends we hope to address. To start, Subtlety’s Energy and combo point resource economies have been overflowing, which creates a cascade of issues. Uptime for key cooldowns (predominantly Shadow Dance) has also been higher than expected, forcing overall damage tuning to result in a relatively flat damage profile, especially for a spec that is often known for having moments of increased intensity and burst within those frequent cooldown windows. So, in addition to the more general improvements and additions for talents, there are some changes that affect Subtlety’s Energy and combo point flow that will reduce the floor of their steady downtime rate, and increase the relative value of effects that temporarily offer more resources. It will require tuning and iteration to get to the amounts of total resource generation and damage output in a good state, so any gameplay feedback you would like to share on these topics is welcome. Let us know!
- Many changes have been made to Subtlety talent positions and connections.
- Shadowstep and Black Powder are now baseline abilities.
- Backstab Energy cost increased to 40 (was 35).
- Shadowstrike Energy cost increased to 45 (was 40) and damage increased by 16%.
- Shadow Techniques has been adjusted:
No longer grants a combo point immediately when its effect is triggered. - Now stores combo points with a stacking buff, up to double your max combo points.
- Abilities that generate combo points can expend any stored combo points to generate extra, up to your max combo points.
- Energy generation reduced to 3 (was 4).
Find Weakness has been adjusted:
- Moved from Class talent tree to Subtlety.
- Now a 1-point talent.
- Now causes attacks to bypass 30% of armor (was 15/30%).
Shadow Blades has been adjusted:
- Now causes all attacks (was combo point generating abilities) to deal 20% additional damage as Shadow (was 50%).
- Now causes abilities that generate combo points to generate full combo points (was 1 additional).
New Talent: Ephemeral Bond (Passive) – Increases healing received by 12%.
New Talent: Shadowcraft (Passive) – While Symbols of Death is active, your Shadow Techniques triggers after 1 fewer attack, stores 1 additional combo point, and finishing moves can also expend stored combo points.
New Talent: Goremaw’s Bite – Lashes out at the target, inflicting Shadow damage and causing your next 3 finishing moves to cost no Energy. Awards 3 combo points. Costs 25 Energy. 1 minute cooldown.
New Talent: Stunning Secret (Passive) – Kidney Shot has 100% increased cooldown and Energy cost, and now creates shadow clones to stun all other nearby enemies.
New Talent: Warning Signs (Passive) – Symbols of Death increases your Haste by 6%.
Shrouded in Darkness now causes Shroud of Concealment to persist after leaving its area, in addition to its previous effect.
Eviscerate damage increased by 10%.
Gloomblade Energy cost increased to 40 (was 35).
Planned Execution is now a 1-point talent and increases critical strike chance by 6% (was 5/10%).
Improved Shadow Dance is now a 1-point talent and increases Shadow Dance duration by 2 seconds (was 1/2 seconds).
Shadowed Finishers is now a 1-point talent and its effect causes 25% additional damage as Shadow (was 20/40%).
Shadow Focus now reduces Energy costs by 10% (was 15%).
Deepening Shadows now reduces Shadow Dance cooldown by 0.5 seconds per combo point spent (was 0.7).
Perforated Veins has been redesigned as a 1-point talent – After striking 5 times with Gloomblade, your next attack that generates combo points deals 50% increased damage.
Lingering Shadows is now a 1-point talent. Per point value has not changed.
Deeper Daggers is now a 1-point talent. Per point value has not changed.
Finality buffs no longer have a duration.
The Rotten has been adjusted:
- Bonus to damage and critical strike now applies to any attack that generates combo points (was Backstab, Gloomblade, and Shadowstrike).
- Effect no longer generates combo points.
Secret Technique shadow clone attacks no longer double-dip from the bonuses of Deeper Daggers, Veiltouched, and Dark Brew.
Goremaw’s Bite damage increased by 20%.
Shuriken Storm’s Energy cost increased to 45 (was 40).
Goremaw’s Bite now correctly consumes the Cold Blood buff.
- Developers’ note: This change will be deployed to PTR over the course of this week.
Stilleto Staccato and Stunning Secret have been removed.
Goremaw’s Bite cooldown reduced to 45 seconds (was 1 minute).
Secret Technique damage increased by 12%.
