Zul'Aman is a 10-player, level 70 outdoor instance located in the Ghostlands. Players will be able to confront six new bosses including the Forest Troll Warlord Zul'jin.
Guild Banks Introduced
The guild bank is a shared repository for an entire guild and will be accessible through new NPC's called guild bankers. The Guild Bank will allow players with the appropriate permissions to store items and money for use by the rest of the guild. Permissions to withdraw and deposit money and items are controlled by the guild leader through the guild controls menu. The Guild Bank is divided up into separate tabs so that the guild leader may restrict access or group items into distinct categories.
Up to 6 purchasable tabs each containing 98 item slots
Permissions to view/deposit/withdraw per tab
You may use your Guild Bank withdraw limits to pay for item repairs (now enabled on all merchants)
Transaction logs of the last 50 actions in the bank viewable on a per tab basis
General
Experience: The amount of experience needed to gain a level has been decreased between levels 20 and 60. In addition, the amount of experience granted by quests has been increased between levels 30 and 60.
Expertise: We have added a new stat and associated rating called expertise and expertise rating. Expertise rating converts to expertise at the same rate that weapon skill rating formerly converted at. Each point of expertise reduces the chance for your attacks to be dodged or parried by 0.25%.
Healing reduction effects will now affect all health drain spells and abilities (e.g. [Mortal Strike] will reduce health gained from [Drain Life]).
Healing: Almost all items and enchantments that provide bonus healing now also provide a smaller number (approximately 1/3) of bonus spell damage. There are a few items and enchantments where this was not possible, such as random-stat items and Zul'Gurub enchantments, but this is now the case on virtually all other items.
On Kill Effects: Items and abilities that trigger on killing an enemy will no longer trigger on using an ability that kills your pet.
Weapon skill: All items and abilities that granted weapon skill have been changed. In most cases, they were converted to expertise or expertise rating. Ranged attacks do not benefit from expertise, so ranged weapon skill has generally been replaced by critical strike bonuses or hit bonuses. In a few cases, talents have been changed to other effects to avoid granting players excessive amounts of expertise.
Flying units can see ground units and vice versa at any altitude.
Players no longer gain the moving AOE radius bonus if they are jumping.
Client spell cast requests are now sent to the server even if your player is already casting another spell. This eliminates the need for /stopcasting in macros to compensate for latency.
Vendor Discounts: All vendors with an associate faction now give discounts at all levels above neutral.
Friendly: 5% discount
Honored: 10% discount
Revered: 15% discount
Exalted: 20% discount
Quest givers who have available daily quests will have a blue exclamation point instead of a yellow one.
Pets will try to get behind their targets when engaging in melee combat.
Racial Abilities
Dwarf: Gun Specialization now increases chance to critically hit with Guns by 1% rather than increasing weapon skill.
Gnome: Escape Artist cooldown increased to 1 min, 45 sec.
Troll: Bow and Thrown Specialization now increases chance to critically hit with those weapons by 1% rather than increasing weapon skill.
Additional Warmasters no longer report for duty upon destroying an enemy tower. However, destroying an enemy tower still eliminates the associated opposing Warmaster.
All Warmasters are linked to each other and their respective Generals and can no longer be pulled individually.
Honor from capturing towers has been increased.
All Commanders and Lieutenants have left Alterac Valley in search for other battle opportunities.
Players will no longer be sent to their starting tunnels on death unless that team controls no graveyards in the battleground.
Many NPCs in Stormpike and Frostwolf holds are no longer elite
Bonus Honor in Alterac Valley is now only awarded during the battle for destroying enemy towers and slaying the enemy Captain. Upon conclusion of the battle, bonus honor is also awarded for intact towers, a surviving Captain, and for victory in the battle. The total bonus honor awarded should be similar to the previous total.
The Horde and Alliance now have a limited number of reinforcements available in the battle for Alterac Valley. The number of reinforcements available is reduced upon player death, loss of towers, and death of Captain Galvangar or Balinda Stonehearth. In addition, all available reinforcements are lost upon the death of General Drek'Thar or Vanndar Stormpike. If a team is reduced to zero reinforcements, the opposing team wins the battle.
Towers and Graveyards in Alterac Valley are now captured in 4 minutes (down from 5).
[Entangling Roots]: It is no longer possible for multiple Druids to have Entangling Roots on the same target. In addition, it will now always be removed correctly if multiple Druids overwrite each other's Entangling Roots.
Feral Attack Power: Items that granted bonus attack power in Cat, Bear, Dire Bear, and Moonkin forms have been re-evaluated. In almost all cases, the attack power on the item has been increased. This change corrects an issue where feral weapon damage was not keeping up with other classes in its rate of increase.
[Force of Nature]: This ability will no longer automatically break stealth on victims in its casting area. Nearby stealthed characters may still be attacked if they are too close to the summoned Treants.
[Heart of the Wild]: This talent no longer provides 4/8/12/16/20% bonus Strength in Cat Form. Instead it provides 2/4/6/8/10% bonus attack power.
[Hibernate]: This spell will now always be removed correctly if multiple Druids overwrite each other's Hibernate.
[Intensity] (Restoration) increased to 10/20/30% mana regeneration.
[Primal Fury]: This talent will now be learned correctly even if purchased while the Druid is dead.
[Rebirth] cooldown reduced to 20 minutes, from 30 minutes.
[Ice Barrier] now gains additional benefit from spell damage bonuses. Base absorb values of ranks 5 and 6 have been reduced.
[Improved Fireball]: The reduction in damage coefficient caused by this talent has been removed.
[Improved Frostbolt]: The reduction in damage coefficient caused by this talent has been removed.
[Polymorph]: It is no longer possible to polymorph a player and have that player remain mounted. In addition, it will now always be removed correctly if multiple Mages overwrite each other's Polymorph.
Portal Spells: Portal spells to capital cities can no longer be cast in battlegrounds.
[Judgement of Light]: The combat log will now show the mana gained from rank 5 of this ability as Judgement of Light instead of [Seal of Light].
Pursuit of Justice (Retribution) is now 3 ranks and increases movement speed by 5/10/15% and also reduces the chance you'll be hit by spells by 1/2/3%.
Sanctified Crusader (Retribution) renamed [Sanctified Seals], which now increases your chance to critically hit with all spells and melee attacks by 1/2/3% and reduces the chance your Seals will be dispelled by 33/66/100%.
Vengeance (Retribution) duration increased from 15 to 30 seconds.
[Vindication] (Retribution) frequency and duration increased and now reduces all attributes by 5/10/15%, not just Strength and Agility.
[Fanaticism] will now reduce threat caused by all actions by 6/12/18/24/30%, in addition to its current effect of course. [1]
Priests
[Chastise] (NEW) is now available to Dwarf and Draenei priests at level 20. Chastise causes Holy damage and incapacitates the target for 2 seconds.
[Circle of Healing]: The base amount of healing from this spell has been reduced along with increasing the bonus it receives from bonus healing effects. *Characters with more than 1338 healing will see their Circle of Healing heal for more than previous patches. Characters with less than 1338 healing will see their Circle of Healing heal for less.
[Divine Spirit]: It is no longer possible for a target to simultaneously have Divine Spirit rank 5 and [Prayer of Spirit] Rank 1 icons showing at the same time.
[Elune's Grace] (Night Elf) effect changed to reduce chance to be hit by melee and ranged attacks by 20% for 15 seconds. There is now only 1 rank of the spell.
[Fear Ward] is now available to all priests at level 20. Duration reduced to 3 minutes, cooldown increased to 3 minutes.
Inner Focus: This effect is now properly consumed by casting [Mind Soothe].
[Meditation] (Discipline) increased to 10/20/30% mana regeneration.
[Pain Suppression] (Discipline Talent) is now usable on friendly targets, instantly reduces the target's threat by 5%, reduces damage taken by 40% and its cooldown has been reduced to 2 minutes.
[Starshards] (Night Elf) is no longer channeled, costs 0 mana, is now a Magic effect, lasts 15 seconds, causes damage every 3 seconds and has a 30 second cooldown.
Rogues
All poisons will now enchant the weapon for 1 hour, increased from 30 minutes
[Blind] is now a physical (no longer a poison) attack. Reagent requirement removed. Now shares the same diminish category as [Cyclone] and is now diminished in PvE as well as PvP.
[Fleet Footed] (Assassination) now increases movement speed by 8/15%.
[Kick]: Interrupting a channeled spell with this ability will now always properly prevent casting spells from the same spell school for 5 sec.
Precision: This talent now also applies to ranged weapons.
Two-Handed Axes and Two-Handed Maces are now trainable by all Shaman at the appropriate weapon masters. The Enhancement talent has been replaced by Shamanistic Focus.
[Shamanistic Focus] (New Enhancement Talent): After landing a melee critical strike, you enter a Focused state. The Focused state reduces the mana cost of your next Shock spell by 60%.
[Shamanistic Rage] (Enhancement) now also reduces all damage taken by 30% for the duration.
[Spirit Weapons] (Enhancement) threat reduction increased to 30% from 15%.
[Rockbiter Weapon]: For ranks 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 the increased damage resulting from this enchantment has been reduced slightly to match the intended numbers given in the tooltip. Ranks 1, 2, 3, and 9 are unchanged.
[Water Shield]: This spell no longer costs any mana to cast and its duration has been shortened. At the end of its duration, it now grants mana for any remaining globes. In addition, the mana granted per globe has been substantially increased.
[Hellfire]: This spell will no longer cause enemy spells to increase casting time or reduce channel time. It will also no longer prevent flag captures in Battlegrounds.
[Nether Protection] (Destruction) now has a new, more distinct visual effect.
[Ritual of Souls] now takes significantly less time to cast and complete.
[Devastate] (Protection) now combines the effects of [Sunder Armor] into its effect. It is also now affected by all talents and items that affect Sunder Armor.
[Weapon Mastery] (Arms) now reduces duration of Disarm effects against you by 25/50% rather than giving you a 50% chance to avoid or full immunity to Disarm effects.
A new world drop recipe for an [Adamantite Weapon Chain] has been added. This new weapon chain both reduces [Disarm] duration and increases parry rating.
Daily cooking quests are now available from The Rokk in Shattrath City! In addition to gold, you can receive random cooking reagents and new recipes as a reward for completing these quests.
Reduced the casting time of Drums of Panic and added a global cooldown equal to the casting time.
Drums of Speed and Drums of Restoration are no longer world drop recipes, and can now be obtained from the Mag'har and Kurenai faction vendors with revered standing.
A new recipe is available from Grand Master leatherworking trainers to create glove [35-60] Reinforcements, providing a substantial armor bonus.
Reinforcements are a permanent enchantment and cannot be placed with other permanent enchantments.
New recipes are available from Grand Master leatherworking trainers to make 20 slot quivers and ammo pouches.
New recipes are available from the Honor Hold, Thrallmar, and Lower City quartermasters to create 24 slot quivers and ammo pouches.
Mining will no longer cause effects on items to trigger.
Items
All old world dungeons have had their loot revisited. Players will now find that all loot dropped inside instances will be of Superior quality.
Arena Relics: New relics have been added to support all talent trees for relic users. In addition, most of the arena-system relics have been renamed so there is a more consistent naming convention.
[Ashtongue Talisman of Zeal]: The damage over time affect from judgments has been adjusted so that it will work properly. It now has a shorter duration, and is not refreshed by melee attacks.
[Ashtongue Talisman of Zeal]: The damage over time effect from this trinket is no longer refreshed by autoattacks and does not charge mana.
[Band of Eternity] will now make the correct sound when moved in a player's inventory.
Dropped items that were rings/trinkets/one handed weapons that were previously unique are now unique-equipped. That means that you can have more than one of those items, but you can only have a single one of them equipped.
Felsteel Chests: The loot from these chests has been improved.
Gladiator's armor pieces of like nature from various seasons will now all meet the requirements for their shared set bonus. This means if you are using 2 pieces of Season 1 gear and 2 pieces of Season 2 gear of the same design you will now have your 4 piece set bonus.
[The Hand of Antu'sul]: The effect that triggers from this item will no longer cause a cooldown on Warrior's Thunderclap ability.
[Lightfathom Scepter] will now make the correct sound when moved in a player's inventory.
Lockboxes will now display the numerical lockpicking skill required to open them.
Low Level Cloth Items: All agility and strength on low-level cloth items has been replaced with other stats, usually bonus spell damage, but also sometimes other stats beneficial to mana users.
[Vambraces of Ending] will now make the correct sound when moved in a player's inventory.
Dungeons and Raids
Players that complete the attunement quests for Tempest Keep and Coilfang Resevoir may now choose to display a new title, "'character name' [Champion of the Naaru]."
Elite mobs outside of pre-Burning Crusade dungeons have been changed to non-elite.
The level ranges of pre-Burning Crusade dungeons have been adjusted to a narrower range.
Meeting Stone level requirements, the Looking For Group system, and quests have been adjusted to match the new dungeon level ranges.
The ability "Meteor" has been renamed to "Dive Bomb".
Quests
New random Daily Dungeon quests have been added for both the heroic and non-heroic five-person Outland dungeons, as well as for the 5-person Caverns of Time instances. Each day both a single heroic and a single non-heroic dungeon are randomly targeted by these quests. The Consortium quest givers can be located in Shattrath's Lower City.
Level 1-60 dungeon quests have had their experience and faction rewards increased.
Many elite creatures and quests in the level 1-60 experience have been changed to accommodate solo play.
Nutral, the flight master in Shattrath City, now has a quest for characters who are level 70 and do not yet have a riding skill of 225. The quest will direct a character to visit the appropriate riding instructor in Shadowmoon Valley so that the player will know where they can purchase the skill necessary to use a flying mount.
Upon completion of the Ghostlands quest, "A Little Dash of Seasoning", if a character still has the [Apothecary's Poison]; it will be removed from their inventory.
User Interface
The Auction House UI has been much improved. The useless categories have been removed (Plate-Cloak for instance) and a number of additional sub categories have been added. In addition, many items have had their category changed so that they make more sense.
The Auction house time periods have been changed. Now items can be put up for sale for 12, 24, or 48 hours. The option to put up items for 8 hours has been removed.
The Battle Map has been renamed to the Zone Map and can be turned on for any zone rather than just PvP objective zones. There is now a drop down in the world map screen that allows you to choose when the zone map should display.
Items that have cooldowns will now display the base cooldown time in the item tooltip.
Game objects that you can interact with have a glow around them and display their name over the object to make them more obvious.
Items with Metagems in them will now display the gems required to activate the metagem and whether those requirements have been met on the item tooltip.
When you take damage and have a full screen UI up, the edges of the screen will flash red so you know you are under attack.
When you hide the interface by pressing Alt-Z, all NPC names are hidden as well.
Inspect distance has been increased to 30 yards.
When you inspect another player, you can now see their talent choices as well as their equipment.
The Mind Control and Possession action bar has been revamped.
You can now send up to 12 items in a single mail message.
When you have an outgoing mail open, you can right-click on items to attach them to that outgoing mail.
When you have a trade window open, you can right-click an item to move it to the trade window.
When you have unopened mail, you can mouse over the recent mail icon and get the name of the people who most recently sent you the mail.
When you speak with an NPC with a single function (Banker, Flight Master, Etc) and who has no other gossip options or quests you will go straight to their functional pane rather than to the gossip pane. Most importantly this means that clicking on a flight master will bring up the flight path map directly rather than the gossip pane with the option to bring up the flight path map.
Quests that are much below your level will now have the tag (Low Level) in the gossip pane attached to the quest. This will make it easier to tell which quest to accept when a quest giver has both low and high level quests.
You can now set the loot threshold (/threshold) with a word as well as the loot threshold number for an instance-
/threshold Epic- also sets the party loot threshold to Epic items or better quality
/threshold Rare-sets the party loot threshold to Rare items or better quality
Corpses that belong to someone in your party, but that you cannot loot will say in the corpse mouseover who has loot rights on that corpse. This will help skinners who want to know who to talk to in order to skin their corpse, as well as master looters when special loot drops on a normal monster. *Everyone will then see that there is a monster that the master looter has loot rights on.
The raid panes that have been pulled out into the gamefield should save their option settings between sessions now.
When raid bosses send an important message to the center of your screen it will be larger and have an effect that makes it more noticeable.
The raid warning command now appears in a larger font in the center screen and grows and shrinks slightly when it appears to make it more noticeable.
NPCs with a single function will now display an icon that indicates their function on mouseover.
When an Addon attempts to perform an action that is prohibited in combat, you will get a chat message "Interface action failed because of an AddOn". This only occurs once per login.
Many interface elements now display players in their class color so you can easily recognize what class a player is. Interface elements affected by this are LFG, Channel UI, Guild and Who.
The value of the TargetNearestDistance setting is validated at load time.
If a non-standard refresh rate is selected in the video options, it will now be saved.
Many On Use items now display the cooldown in the item tooltip.
The tooltip for Block on the character sheet now displays the amount of damage reduced by a successful block.
New macro commands: /targetlastenemy, /targetlastfriend
New macro command to target by entire name: /targetexact
For more details on UI macro and scripting changes, see the UI & Macro forum.