4.3 went live on the Public Test Realms yesterday. There will obviously be some changes based on the PTR feedback between now and when it hits the live servers… but it’s a look into what direction this content patch is going and what we can expect. I’m collapsing this post so that it doesn’t take up a ton of room on the front page so click “Keep Reading” to see the patch notes.


General

  • North American realms (excluding Brazilian, Latin American, and Oceanic realms) no longer permit letters with accents in character or guild names. Existing character and guild names with special characters will be unaffected by this change.

Transmogrification

  • This new feature allows players to customize their gear like never before. You’ll find Transmogrification, Void Storage, and Reforging vendors in Cathedral Square, Stormwind and The Drag, Orgrimmar. The costs associated with this service are not yet final.

Void Storage

  • In addition to the bank, players will now have access to a new “deep storage” system, allowing characters to free bag space by setting aside coveted gear. You’ll find Transmogrification, Void Storage, and Reforging vendors in Cathedral Square, Stormwind and The Drag, Orgrimmar. The costs associated with this service are not yet final.

Reforging

  • The former Reforging vendors have been… retired. The ethereals have chosen to take over the business and joined their Transmogrification and Void Storage service providers. You’ll find them in Cathedral Square, Stormwind and The Drag, Orgrimmar.

Outland & Northrend Quest Flow

  • The amount of experience needed to gain levels 71 through 80 has been reduced by approximately 33%.
  • Many Group quests in Outland and Northrend have been re-tuned to allow players to complete them solo. They are no longer labeled as Group quests.
  • Relevant questgivers have been moved into Outland and Northrend dungeons. The majority of dungeon quests for these zones are now available from within their respective dungeons.

Achievements

  • The achievement Master of Alterac Valley no longer requires the Alterac Valley Blitz achievement.

Classes: General

  • Vengeance for Protection warriors, Protection paladins, Blood death knights, and Feral druids has been redesigned slightly. It no longer ramps up slowly at the beginning of a fight. Instead, the first melee attack taken by the tank generates Vengeance equal to 33% of the damage taken by that attack. In addition, as it updates periodically during the fight, it’s always set to at least 33% of the damage taken by the tank in the last 2 seconds. It still climbs from that point at the rate it did previously, still decays when damage is not taken, and still cannot exceed a maximum based on the health and Stamina of the tank.
  • Threat generated by classes in active tanking modes has been increased to 500% damage done, up from 300%. This applies to druids in Bear Form, death knights in Blood Presence, warriors in Defensive Stance, and paladins with Righteous Fury active.
  • Blood Fury now increases your spell power instead of your spell damage.

Death Knight (Forums / Cataclysm Talent Calculator / Beta Skills/Talents)
Blood

  • Death Strike now refunds health even if the attack misses or is parried/dodged.
  • Veteran of the Third War now also reduces the cooldown of Outbreak by 30 sec.
  • Abomination’s Might now increases melee attack power by 10/20%, up from 5/10%. still increases ranged attack power by 5/10%.
  • Blade Barrier has been revamped and is simpler – You take 2/4/6% less damage from all sources.
  • Bone Shield now has 6 charges.

Frost

  • Howling Blast now scales from 44% and 22% of Attack Power, down from 48% and 24% of AP.

Druid (Forums / Cataclysm Talent Calculator / Beta Skills/Talents)
Restoration

Glyphs

  • Glyph of Shred has been renamed Glyph of Bloodletting, and now also causes Mangle (Cat) to extend the duration of Rip, in addition to its existing Shred functionality.
  • Glyph of Wild Growth now also increases the cooldown on Wild Growth by 2 seconds.

Hunter (Forums / Cataclysm Talent Calculator / Beta Skills/Talents)
Survival

  • Cobra Shot now has a 2 sec cast time, up from 1.5 sec.

Marksmanship

  • Aimed Shot now has a 2.9 sec cast time, up from 2.4 sec.
  • Kill Shot now scales from 45% of Ranged Attack Power, up from 30%.
  • Chimera Shot now causes Nature damage. (Tooltip clarification)
  • Trueshot Aura now increases melee attack power by 20% and ranged attack power by 10%.

Paladin (Forums / Cataclysm Talent Calculator / Beta Skills/Talents)
Retribution

Holy

  • Divine Plea now grants a charge of Holy Power.
  • Holy Radiance has been revamped – Imbues a friendly target with radiant energy, healing that target and all party or raid members within 10 yards for 50 to 61 and another 683 every 1 sec for 3 sec and grants a charge of Holy Power. 40 yd range, 40% of base mana, 3 sec cast
  • Seal of Insight no longer restores the paladin’s mana.
  • Clarity of Purpose now also affects Holy Radiance.
  • Infusion of Light now also affects Holy Radiance.
  • Judgements of the Pure now also increases your mana regeneration from Spirit while in combat by 10/20/30%.
  • Light of Dawn now heals up to 6 targets, up from 5.
  • Paragon of Virtue now reduces the cooldown of Divine Protection by 15/30 sec, up from 10/20 sec.
  • Speed of Light no longer reduces the cooldown of Holy Radiance.
  • Tower of Radiance got an extra effect – In addition, casting Holy Radiance will always generate one charge of Holy Power.

Glyphs

  • Glyph of Light of Dawn now lowers the number of targets to 4, instead of increasing targets to 6, but increases healing by 25%.

Priest (Forums / Cataclysm Talent Calculator / Beta Skills/Talents)
Holy

  • Divine Hymn now heals up to 5 targets, up from 3. Maximum of 20 heals, up from 12.
  • State of Mind has been replaced with Heavenly Voice Increases the healing done by your Divine Hymn spell by 50/100%, and reduces the cooldown by 2.5/5 minutes.

Discipline

  • Atonement now affect a friendly target within 100 yards, up from 15.

Glyphs

Rogue (Forums / Cataclysm Talent Calculator / Beta Skills/Talents)
Combat

  • Backstab damage has been reduced by 50%. (This change is NOT in the official notes and could be a parsing error)

Assassination

  • Ambush damage has been reduced by 48%. (This change is NOT in the official notes and could be a parsing error)
  • Mutilate now deals 179% weapon damage, up from 150%. Damage no longer increased against poisoned targets.

Shaman (Forums / Cataclysm Talent Calculator / Beta Skills/Talents)
Elemental

  • Elemental Fury now removes the cooldown from your Chain Lightning spell.
  • Thunderstorm now also reduces the enemies movement speed by 40% for 5 sec.
  • Wind Shear now has a 25 sec cooldown, up from 6 sec.
  • Call of Flame no longer increase the duration of Flame Shock on Fire Nova damage.
  • Lava Flows now increases critical strike damage bonus of Lava Burst by 8/16%, up from 6/12%.
  • Reverberation now reduces the cooldown of Wind Shear by 10/20 sec.

Enhancement

  • Flametongue Weapon now increases magical damage done by 5%, instead of increasing spell damage by 747.
  • Lava Lash now deals 260% weapon damage, up from 200%.
  • Mental Quickness has been slightly revamped – Your spell power is now equal to 55% of your attack power, and you no longer benefit from other sources of spell power. Also, your instant beneficial, damaging, and totem spells cost 75% less mana.
  • Stormstrike no longer increases Nature damage against the target. Now grants you an additional 25% chance to critically strike that enemy with your Lightning Bolt, Chain Lightning, Lightning Shield, and Earth Shock spells for 15 sec.
  • Improved Lava Lash now increases the damage of Lava Lash by 10% for each application of Searing Flames, now also causes your Lava Lash to spread your Flame Shock from the target to up to four enemies within 12 yards.
  • Unleashed Rage now increases melee attack power by 20% and ranged attack power by 10%.

Restoration

  • Ancestral Healing got an extra effect – heals you cast increase allies’ maximum health by 10% of the amount healed, up to a maximum of 10% of their health.
  • Cleansing Waters – The heal effect can only occur once every 6 seconds.
  • Riptide healing effect has been increased by 50%, from 3725 to 5585.

Warlock (Forums / Talent Calculator / Skills/Talents)

  • Shadow Bolt has a new spell effect.

Warrior (Forums / Cataclysm Talent Calculator / Beta Skills/Talents)
Fury

  • Enrage now gives a physical damage bonus.

Arms

  • Shattering Throw no longer scales from Attack Power. (This change is NOT in the official notes and could be a parsing error)

Thrown

  • Throw now has a 0.5 sec cast time. (This change is NOT in the official notes and could be a parsing error)

Dungeons & Raids

  • Dungeon Journal entries have been added for the new dungeons: End Time, Well of Eternity, Hour of Twilight, and Dragon Soul.
  • Bosses in Ruins of Ahn’qiraj now drop a rare-quality Scarab Coffer Key which can be used to open the Scarab Coffers found within. These keys are zone-bound to Ruins of Ahn’qiraj and have a 17-hour expiration. This change also applies to Greater Scarab Coffer Keys used to open Large Scarab Coffers.

Races

  • The orc racial Blood Fury now increases spell power rather than only spell damage.

User Interface

  • Archaeology areas of interest will now show on the mini-map, in addition to the World Map.
  • Guilds with inactive guild leaders can now usurp the leader under specific conditions. More information on this coming soon.
  • The Reforging interface has been updated and improved.
  • Quest Tracking areas or points of interest will now show on the mini-map, in addition to the World Map.
  • The World Map now displays the expected character levels for each zone.

Bag Search

  • A search field has been added to allow players to search bag, bank, guild bank, and Void Storage inventories for specific items.

Companion Changes

  • Darkmoon Balloon Right click to summon and dismiss your Darkmoon balloon. Instant
  • Darkmoon Cub Right Click to summon and dismiss your Darkmoon Cub. Instant
  • Darkmoon Monkey Right Click to summon and dismiss your Darkmoon Monkey. Instant
  • Darkmoon Tonk Right click to summon and dismiss your Darkmoon tonk. Instant
  • Darkmoon Turtle Right Click to summon and dismiss your Darkmoon Turtle. Instant
  • Darkmoon Zeppelin Right click to summon and dismiss your Darkmoon zeppelin. Instant
  • Festival Lantern Right Click to summon and dismiss your Festival Lantern. Instant
  • Fetish Shaman Right Click to summon and dismiss your Fetish Shaman. Instant
  • Gregarious Grell Right Click to summon and dismiss your grell. Instant
  • Lumpy Right Click to summon and dismiss your coal elemental. Instant
  • Lunar Lantern Right Click to summon and dismiss your Lunar Lantern. Instant
  • Purple Puffer Right Click to summon and dismiss your Purple Puffer. Instant
  • Sand Scarab Right Click to summon and dismiss your Sand Scarab. Instant
  • Sea Pony Right Click to summon and dismiss your sea pony… because “seahorse fry” doesn’t sound very cute at all. Instant
  • Father Winter’s Helper no longer requires a Snowball. Helpers are very busy year-round, and only have leisure time during the Feast of Winter Veil.
  • Tiny Snowman no longer requires a Snowball. The snowman is larger and lasts longer during Winter Veil.
  • Winter Reindeer no longer requires a Snowball. The Winter Reindeer only dresses up for Winter Veil.
  • Winter’s Little Helper no longer requires a Snowball. Helpers are very busy year-round, and only have leisure time during the Feast of Winter Veil.

Mount Changes