Race Changes in the Warlords of Draenor

As with everything else in the Warlords of Draenor there are race changes coming. Warlords is removing Hit and Expertise so any racials dealing with those stats are being removed or replaced. Similar things will be happening to various class abilities.

These are the changes as of 4/24/14 and it’s at least 6 months until WoD is released, so changes are quite possible, even likely. All of these changes will have to be poked and prodded in the alpha and beta testing. One might guess that racial changes might be more set in stone than ability and class changes, but we’ll see.

So here they are, as they stand now. The actual changes are marked in bold. The rest of the racials are added just to be able to see the whole picture. Abilities not linked are not (yet) in WoWhead‘s database.

Blood Elf

I think all Blood Elves will appreciate the increased Crit.

New: Arcane Acuity is a new racial passive ability that increases Critical Strike chance by 1%.
Arcane Torrent now restores 20 Runic Power for Death Knights (up from 15 Runic Power), 1 Holy Power for Paladins, or 3% of mana for Mages, Priests, and Warlocks (up from 2% of Mana). Other parts of the ability remain unchanged.
Arcane Affinity: Enchanting skill increased by 10.
Will still have the best hair.

Draenei

That heal is now a whole lot nicer. The increase to the primary stats will me the Draenei a lot more interesting for the min/max class.

Heroic Presence has been redesigned. It no longer increases Hit by 1%, and instead increases Strength, Agility, and Intellect, scaling with character level.
Gift of the Naaru now heals for the same amount over 5 seconds (down from 15 seconds).
Gemcutting increases Jewelcrafting skill by 10.
Shadow Resistance: Increases your resistance to harmful Shadow effects by a small amount.

Dwarf

Now more desirable as healers? With the extra crit bonus plus extra heals, so critical heals will be nice. Stoneform will make Dwarven healers that much harder to take down.

New: Might of the Mountain is a new racial passive ability that increases Critical Strike bonus damage and healing dealt by 2%.
Stoneform now also removes magic and curse effects in addition to poison, disease, and bleed effects, along with reducing damage taken by 10% for 8 seconds. It remains unusable while the Dwarf is under the effects of crowd control.
Explorer: You find additional fragments when looting archaeological finds and you can survey faster than normal archaeologists.
Frost Resistance: Increases your resistance to harmful Frost effects by a small amount.
Dead: Crack Shot has been removed (was 1% Expertise with ranged weapons).
Dead: Mace Specialization (was 1% Expertise with maces) has been replaced with Might of the Mountain.

Gnome

Now more desirable for all classes. A little less so for those that get nothing from Haste.

New: Nimble Fingers is a new racial passive ability that increases Haste by 1%. This replaces the 1% expertise with swords and daggers.
Expansive Mind now increases maximum mana, energy, rage, and Runic Power by 5% instead of only increasing maximum mana.
Escape Artist’s cooldown has been reduced to 1 minute (down from 1.5 minutes).
Arcane Resistance: Slightly increases your resistance to harmful Arcane effects.
Engineering Specialization: Engineering skill increased by 15 (and the Draenei only get +10?)
Dead: Shortblade Specialization (was 1% Expertise with one-handed swords and daggers) has been removed.

Goblin

The only change is to their Haste, which is now really Haste.

Time is Money: now grants a 1% increase to Haste (up from only attack speed and spell haste).
Best Deals Anywhere: Always receive the best possible gold discount, regardless of faction.
Better Living Through Chemistry: Alchemy skill increased by 15.
Pack Hobgoblin: Calls in your friend, Gobber, allowing you bank access for 1 min.
Rocket Barrage: Launches your belt rockets at an enemy, dealing fire damage.
Rocket Jump: Activates your rocket belt to jump forward. Other effects which slow the rate of falling cannot be used within 10 sec after using this ability.

Human

More Crit, Haste, or Mastery. Pick two. Will the new WoD stats (such as Readiness) be available to pick from?

Diplomacy: Reputation gains increased by 10%.
Every Man for Himself: Removes all movement impairing effects and all effects which cause loss of control of your character. This effect shares a cooldown with other similar effects.
The Human Spirit has been redesigned. It now increases 2 secondary stats by an amount scaling with character level. You can choose which 2 secondary stats it increases. It no longer increases Spirit by 3%
Dead: Mace Specialization has been removed (was 1% Expertise with maces).
Dead: Sword Specialization has been removed (was 1% Expertise with swords).

Night Elf

Obviously the game will have more visible day/night cyles now, right? Night Elve and Blood Elves can now be on the “have racials that contribute to DPS” list.

New: Touch of Elune is a new passive ability which increases Haste by 1% at night, and Critical Strike chance by 1% during the day.
Quickness: Quickness now also increases movement speed by 2% in addition to increasing Dodge chance by 2%.
Shadowmeld: Activate to slip into the shadows, reducing the chance for enemies to detect your presence. Lasts until cancelled or upon moving. Any threat is restored versus enemies still in combat upon cancellation of this effect.
Nature Resistance: Increases your resistance, slightly, to harmful Nature effects.
Wisp Spirit: Transform into a wisp upon death, increasing movement speed by 75%.

Orc

Nerfed with the reduction to Command and the removal of their expertise and nothing (yet) to replace it.

Command now increases pet damage by 1% (down from 2%).
Blood Fury: Increases melee attack power and your spell power. Lasts 15 sec.
Hardiness now reduces the duration of Stun effects by 10% (down from 15%).
Dead: Axe Specialization has been removed (was 1% Expertise with axes).

Pandaren

No WoD changes yet.

Bouncy: You take half falling damage.
Epicurean: Your love of food allows you to receive double the stats from Well Fed effects.
Quaking Palm: Strikes the target with lightning speed, incapacitating them for 4 sec, and turns off your attack.
Inner Peace: You earn twice as much rested experience.
Gourmand: Your Cooking skill is increased by 15.

Tauren

Now, as with Dwarves, the Tauren will be more desirable as Healers.

New: Brawn is a new racial passive ability that increases Critical Strike bonus damage and healing done by 2%.
Endurance now increases Stamina by an amount scaling with character level, instead of increasing Base Health by 5%.
War Stomp: Stuns up to 5 enemies within 8 yds for 2 sec.
Cultivation: Herbalism skill increased by 15 and you gather herbs faster than normal herbalists.
Nature Resistance: Slightly increases your resistance to harmful Nature effects.

Troll

Also nerfed (like the Orcs) with the nerf to Berserking and the removal of their expertise. They will level faster than before with the Beast Slaying change.

Berserking now increases Haste by 15% (down from 20%).
Beast Slaying now increases XP earned from killing Beasts by 20%, instead of increasing damage dealt versus Beasts by 5%.
Da Voodoo Shuffle: Reduces the duration of all movement impairing effects by 15%.
Regeneration: Health regeneration rate increased by 10%. 10% of total Health regeneration may continue during combat.
Dead: Dead Eye has been removed (was 1% Expertise with ranged weapons).

Undead

Small nerf with the increase to the cooldown of their Will of the Forsaken ability. Why was the cooldown increased??? Nice to see an improved version of an old ability come back.

New: Undead can now breathe underwater indefinitely. Note that they used to have a “hold breath longer” racial which was removed for Mists of Pandaria. It’s now back, new and improved.
Will of the Forsaken’s cooldown has been increased to 3 minutes (up from 2 minutes). Removes any Charm, Fear and Sleep effect. This effect shares a 30 sec cooldown with other similar effects.
Cannibalize: When activated, regenerates 7% of total health and mana every 2 sec for 10 sec. Only works on Humanoid or Undead corpses within 5 yds. Any movement, action, or damage taken while Cannibalizing will cancel the effect.
Touch of the Grave: Attacks have a chance to drain health from the target and heal you for the same amount.
Shadow Resistance: Increases your resistance to harmful Shadow effects.

Worgen