World of Warcraft SoD class tuning, explained

While World of Warcraft Classic has moved onto the Wrath of the Lich King expansion, Season of Discovery has breathed new life into Vanilla WoW. Longtime players and those new to the series are jumping in. However, there are some terms like “class tuning” being thrown around and this can leave some of us in the dark. So, what is it?

What is class tuning in WoW Season of Discovery?

Class tuning is simply another way of saying fixes and adjustments for classes and their abilities. Since Season of Discovery has runes that modify spells and abilities unlike anything else in World of Warcraft, some adjustments are to be expected. You’ll find each of the Class Tuning updates since the release of Season of Discovery, below.

December 21, 2023

Druid

• Lacerate’s base cost reduced from 15 to 10.
• Bear form’s Mangle’s base cost reduced from 20 to 15.

Priest

• Shadow Word: Death’s base damage increased by 103% and bonus damage received from spell power increased by 50%.

Shaman

• Shamanistic Rage will now always give 6% of the caster’s spell damage as mana.

December 19, 2023

Mage

• Living Flame now benefits from and consumes Arcane Blast.

Paladin

• Avenger’s Shield’s movement is now a Snare and can be removed by spells, abilities, and effects that remove movement-impairing effects.
• Increased the amount of mana granted by Seal of Martyrdom to party and raid members. Up from 10% to 20%.

Rogue

• Blade Dance now gives 10% parry at all ranks instead of increasing parry chance per combo point. Additional combo points increase duration.

Shaman

• Increased the amount of mana given to raid and party members by Shamanistic Rage. Up from 10% to 20%.

December 12, 2023

Druid

• Starsurge’s rune ability damage increased to 182%.
• Cooldown for Starsurge reduced from 10 to six seconds.
• Mana cost for Starsurge reduced from 3% of base mana to 1%.

Hunter

• Flanking Strike
  • Can now benefit from weapon enhancements like sharpening stones.
  • Is now on global cooldown.
  • Is now treated as a melee attack.
  • Can now be prevented by Pacify.
  • Now requires having a weapon equipped to use.
  • Pet damage is now treated as a melee attack.
• All pet abilities that deal damage gain damage from Attack Power based on the Focus costs and no longer gain any spell damage.
• Scorpid Poison now distributes the additional damage from attack power evenly over each stack on the target.
• Pet armor reduced from 45% to 30% and stamina from 45% to 20%.
• Aspect of the Lion now functions as an Aura.

Priest

• Homonculi damage increased by 100%.
• Void plague damage increased by 200%.
• Twisted Faith now increases damage by Mind Blast and Mind Flay by 50% (previously 20%) on targets suffering from Shadow Word: Pain.

Rogue

• Saber Slash, Shiv, and Main Gauche now consume Remorseless Attacks as intended.
• Saber Slash
  • Tooltip fixed as damage is not reduced.
  • Now considered a Bleed and benefits from the Mangle debuff, aside from Bleed-immune creatures.

Shaman

• Lava Lash
  • Weapon damage increased to 150% from 100%.
  • Mana cost reduced from 4% to 1% of base mana.
• Overload’s chance to trigger increased from 33% to 50%.
• Dual Wield Specialization grants 10% increased chance to hit when dual-wielding.