Human
Dwarf
Night Elf
Gnome
Orc
Undead
Tauren
TrollWoW Forever Class Changes
Every class in World of Warcraft: Forever gets reworked talent trees and new abilities. Blizzard’s aim is to fill each class’s gaps without erasing what makes it unique. Here is what changes for every class, with a page for each one.
Rules and the Paladin rework come from Blizzard's Deep Dive and What's Next panels; talent counts come from our talent dataset, built from the BlizzCon demo, and may change in the beta. Last reviewed: .
- Talents
- 470
- 432 in Classic
- New talents
- 143
- 105 removed
- New 31-point talents
- 15
- across 27 trees
- Tree layout
- 7 rows
- new key talent at 16 points
Pick a class
Each class has a page of its own: what changes outside the talent trees, the races that can play it, and its trees at a glance.
WarriorThe weapon specialization talents are gone, and Mortal Strike, Bloodthirst and Shield Slam stay at the top of their trees.
PaladinThe biggest rework of any class, with a tank seal, baseline Consecration and two new 31-point talents.
HunterAimed Shot is no longer a talent, and Marksmanship and Survival end in new 31-point talents.
RogueMutilate joins Assassination, the weapon specialization talents are gone, and two trees end in new talents.
PriestDiscipline gains Penance and Divine Aegis, and Holy now ends in Prayer of Mending.
ShamanAll three trees end in new 31-point talents: Lava Burst, Rage of the Farseer and Riptide.
MageArcane Blast, Ice Lance and Hot Streak join the trees, and all three 31-point talents stay as they were.
WarlockCurses gain Banes, the Succubus line becomes the Sayaad, and every tree ends in a new talent.
DruidFeral ends in Berserk and Restoration in Wild Growth, with Mangle and Eclipse in the trees.
What changes for every class
Choices you can feel
Fewer small +1% talents and more real trade-offs. Trees keep 7 rows and the key talents at 11, 21 and 31 points, and add one at 16.
Hit and crit merged
Spell, melee and ranged hit are one stat, and so is critical strike. Healing power also adds a third as much damage.
Every spec has a place
Blizzard wants all 27 talent trees to be a real option for a dungeon or raid group.
Raid buffs that are now part of the class
Divine SpiritPriest, no longer a talent
Blessing of KingsPaladin, no longer a talent
Improved Mark of the WildDruid, now baseline
New and removed talents by class
Talents removed from each class grow to the left, new talents to the right. Warlock changes the most, with 22 new talents and 20 removed.
31-point talents: Classic → Forever
15 of the 27 trees end in a new 31-point talent. Shaman and Warlock replace all three; Warrior and Mage keep all of theirs.
Warrior
A vicious strike that deals weapon damage plus 85 and wounds the target, reducing the effectiveness of any healing by 50% for 10 sec.
Mortal Strike Same as Classic
Instantly attack the target causing damage equal to 35% of your Attack Power plus 30 and increasing your movement speed by 10% for 10 sec.
Bloodthirst Same as Classic
Slam the target with your shield, causing 421 to 439 damage, increased by your Block Value, and has a 50% chance of dispelling 1 magic effect on the target. Causes a very high amount of threat.
Shield Slam Same as ClassicPaladin
Applies Light's Vigil to the target for 30 sec. Your next Holy Shock cast on them triggers no cooldown and causes friendly targets to heal their party for 315 to 333, or enemy targets to suffer 175 to 189 Holy damage and refund 75% of Light's Vigil's Mana cost. You may only have 1 Light's Vigil active per Paladin, per party.
Light's Vigil Was Holy Shock
Increases chance to block by 20% for 10 sec, and deals 110 Holy damage for each attack blocked while active. Damage caused by Holy Shield causes 20% additional threat. Each block expends a charge. 4 charges.
Holy Shield Same as Classic
When you replace your Seal of Command, Seal of Righteousness, Seal of Fury, or Seal of Justice with a different Seal, gain an Echo. Your next melee attack applies the replaced Seal's effects, consuming the Echo.
Twist of Light Was RepentanceHunter
Send your pet into a rage causing 50% additional damage for 18 sec. While enraged, the beast does not feel pity or remorse or fear and it cannot be stopped unless killed.
Bestial Wrath Same as Classic
A steady snipe that increases ranged damage by 160.
Sniper Shot Was Trueshot Aura
Your Mongoose Bite also causes the target to Bleed for damage over 21 sec equal to 40% of the damage done by Mongoose Bite.
Lacerating Strikes Was Wyvern StingRogue
Finishing move that increases the damage of your Poisons by 30% and your chance to apply Poisons by 10%. Lasts longer per combo point: 1 point: 9 seconds; 2 points: 12 seconds; 3 points: 15 seconds; 4 points: 18 seconds; 5 points: 21 seconds.
Venom Was Vigor
Increases your Energy regeneration rate by 100% for 15 sec.
Adrenaline Rush Same as Classic
When your Rupture ability deals periodic damage, the Energy cost of your next Hemorrhage or Backstab ability within 10 sec is reduced by 3, stacking up to 5 times.
Thousand Cuts Was PremeditationPriest
Infuses the target with power, increasing their spell damage and healing done by 20% for 15 sec.
Power Infusion Same as Classic
Places a spell on the target that heals them for 231 the next time they take damage or receive non-periodic healing. When the heal occurs, Prayer of Mending jumps to a party or raid member within 20 yards. Jumps up to 5 times and lasts 30 sec after each jump. This spell can only be placed on one target at a time per caster.
Prayer of Mending Was Lightwell
Assume Shadowform, increasing your Shadow damage by 10%, reducing the Mana cost of all Shadow spells by 50%, increasing the critical strike damage bonus of your Shadow spells by 100%, and reducing Physical damage taken by you by 15%. However, you may not cast healing spells while in this form.
Shadowform Same as ClassicShaman
You hurl molten lava at the target, dealing 158 to 187 Fire damage. If your Flame Shock is on the target, Lava Burst deals 20% increased damage.
Lava Burst Was Elemental MasteryIncreases your melee attack speed and spell casting speed by 30% for 25 sec.
Rage of the Farseer Was Stormstrike
Heals a friendly target for 479 to 528, an additional 499 over 15 sec, and increases the effectiveness of your Chain Heal casts directly on that target by 25%.
Riptide Was Mana Tide TotemMage
For the next 15 sec, your spells deal 30% more damage while costing 30% more mana to cast.
Arcane Power Same as Classic
When activated, this spell causes each of your Fire damage spell hits to increase your critical strike chance with Fire damage spells by 10%. This effect lasts until you have caused 4 non-periodic critical strikes with Fire spells.
Combustion Same as Classic
Instantly shields you, absorbing 431 damage. Lasts 1 min. While the shield holds, your spellcasts will not be interrupted or delayed from taking damage.
Ice Barrier Same as ClassicWarlock
Drains all hope from the target, dealing 52 Shadow damage every 1 sec and increasing all other Shadow damage over time you deal to that target by 10%. Lasts 6 sec.
Drain Hope Was Dark Pact
Your Demonic Sacrifice effect is no longer cancelled by summoning a different Demon pet. Resummoning the sacrificed pet will still cancel the effect.
Demonic Pact Was Improved Spellstone / Soul Link
Deals 125 to 140 Fire damage to your target and an additional 25% damage if the target is afflicted by Immolate.
Incinerate Was ConflagrateDruid
Transforms the Druid into Moonkin Form. While in this form, the armor contribution from items is increased by 360% and all party members within 45 yards have their critical chance increased by 3%, exclusive with Leader of the Pack. The Moonkin cannot cast healing spells while shapeshifted. The act of shapeshifting frees the caster of Polymorph and Movement Impairing effects.
Moonkin Form Same as Classic
Causes your Mangle ability to strike up to 3 targets, removes its cooldown, and increases the critical strike chance of your Combo Point-generating abilities by 100%. Clears and grants immunity to Fear effects for the duration. Lasts 15 sec.
Berserk Was Leader of the Pack
Heals the target and their party for 285 over 7 sec. Party members must be within 43 yards of target. The amount healed is applied quickly at first, and slows down as Wild Growth reaches its full duration.
Wild Growth Was SwiftmendNew race and class combinations
- Gnome Priest
- Human Hunter
- Dwarf Shaman
- Orc Mage
- Troll Warlock
- Undead Paladin
The new Skyborne race plays Shaman on the Horde side or Mage on the Alliance side, plus Warrior, Hunter, Rogue and Druid on both, with its own Druid forms. Every race’s racials: WoW Forever races.
WoW Forever class changes FAQ
How many talents are in WoW Forever?
470 across 27 trees in the BlizzCon demo, compared with 432 in Classic; 143 of them are new.
Does WoW Forever have dual spec?
Blizzard’s talent window screenshot shows a Primary tab and a locked Secondary tab. How the second one unlocks hasn’t been explained yet.
Can Paladins tank in WoW Forever?
Yes. Seal of Fury is a tank seal that adds a small absorb and makes Judgement taunt, and Consecration becomes a baseline ability at level 20.
Which class changes the most in WoW Forever?
By talents, Warlock: 22 new and 20 removed. The Paladin gets the biggest rework of its abilities, with Holy Strike, Seal of Fury and baseline Consecration.
Are Blessing of Kings and Divine Spirit still talents?
No. They, and Improved Mark of the Wild, are now baseline for their classes.
Do weapon skills still matter?
Weapon skill works as before, but gear gives less of it, and racial weapon bonuses now add critical strike chance instead of weapon skill.
Are spell and melee hit separate in WoW Forever?
No. Hit is one stat for spells, melee and ranged attacks, and so is critical strike.
Do you have to buy a mount after learning riding?
No. As in The Burning Crusade, the cost moves into riding training and you get a mount when you learn it.
Which races get new classes?
Gnome Priest, Human Hunter, Dwarf Shaman, Orc Mage, Troll Warlock and Undead Paladin, plus the new Skyborne race.
Will talents change in the beta?
They may. Blizzard’s designers said they’ll watch class balance during the beta and adjust where needed.
Still unconfirmed
- How the Secondary talent tab unlocks
- Final talent values; demo numbers can change in the beta
- Whether Instrument of Law makes Holy Wrath or Hammer of Wrath instant (sources disagree)
- Class abilities the panels and the demo didn’t show
Sources
- Blizzard: World of Warcraft: Forever Deep Dive panel recap (talent trees, baseline buffs, stats, Paladin)
- Blizzard: World of Warcraft: Forever Deep Dive panel, full video
- Blizzard: World of Warcraft: Forever What's Next panel recap (class design goals)
- IGN: interview with the Forever designers (class balance in the beta)