Class specific buffs become craftable items
by Michael Gray 
Aug 27th 2009 at 2:00PM
The developers mentioned at BlizzCon 2009 that they wanted groups to be a little less reliant on specific classes for the buffs which are considered to be "must haves." Good examples of these include Blessing of Kings, Gift of the Wild, and even Power Word: Fortitude. These buffs are so commonplace in most raids that the lack of them feels wild and strange. Not to mention, you feel downright underpowered.
Patch 3.2.2 is going to help raids out with that issue. Three items will be making their way to Azeroth, each of which mimics a class-specific buff. MMO-Champ posted them, but I've transcribed them for you below:
- Runescroll of Stamina (Inscription) - Snowfall Ink, Resilient Parchment x 5 - Increases Stamina by 165 for all party and raid members for 1 hr. This is an obvious replacemeent for Power Word: Fortitude.
- Drums of Forgotten Kings (Leatherworking) - Heavy Borean Leather x 8, Icy Dragonscale x 8 - Gives all members of the raid or group the Blessing of Forgotten Kings, increasing total stats by 8% for 30 min. This is your new Blessing of Kings when you don't have a Paladin.
- Drums of the Wild (Leatherworking) - Heavy Borean Leather x 4, Jormungar Scale x 20 - Gives the Gift of the Wild to all party and raid members, increasing armor by 750, all attributes by 37 and all resistances by 54 for 1 hr. Going Druidless, and lacking Gift of the Wild? Drums of the Wild will get you there.
There's no official or even unofficial word about whether these items will be useable in the Arena. However, it would really, really surprise me if they were. They obviously seemed focused on enabling 10-man raids to get by without too many required classes, without handing these three buffs out to other classes.
Filed under: Leatherworking, Inscription, Analysis / Opinion
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
Vegatork Aug 27th 2009 2:03PM
WTB Spell hit scroll or drums. We raid a lot of times without the benefit of a Boomkin or Shadow Priest. Would be nice to use that.
Carnagefiend Aug 27th 2009 2:05PM
This is BRUTAL in its brilliance. Does one of two things:
1) No class homogenization
2) Generates useful and more proactive professions
Whoever was sitting at their big idea table should get many cookies.
grump-e Aug 27th 2009 2:29PM
Yeah, its a good move.
And the real buffs are still slightly stronger than the item buffs but just slightly so its all good.
Spoonshark Aug 27th 2009 2:32PM
It is a great change, but speaking of brilliance, where is the substitute for +int. I guess since warlocks can bring it with a fel hunter they decided it didn't quality (unlike the rest of these that are single class only). They should probably create a haste drum that can provide a weaker version heroism/bloodlust (while still putting up the debuff that prevents the actual heroism/bloodlust) to allow a group to function properly without a shaman.
The author of this post is wrong however. All three of these additions are weaker than the standard buff. The fort and wild replacements are only as good as the untalented versions of the class buffs (while the talented versions are significantly better and almost any spec would have them). Since there is no talented version of kings, they made it obviously worse than the baseline ability.
While this will be nice even for 25s, it is a phenomenal change for 10 mans where group composition often makes it difficult to grab all these buffs. If there is ever a difficult 5 man, it will be a nice change for that as well.
bushkanaka86 Aug 27th 2009 3:06PM
So...I feel like we are all becoming one class now.
Remember when a Warrior was always a tank and a Priest was always a healer? I just feel like we are getting to the point where what class you are doesn't matter any more, you can do whatever you want.
I really don't mind the fact that every class can fit into multiple roles but what I do have a problem with is that even the classes are losing their unique niches. One class does something really well and then everyone complains enough that their class can't do what the other classes can do, so blizzard gives them all the same abilities to make them happy. If you want those abilities, make an alt.
I already feel that as a Priest my value has severely diminished since WotLK came out. I felt very needed and wanted in vanilla and BC but now, it seems like people prefer other healing classes and a priest is "ok to bring along because we need the buffs." Now I am losing that too.
People complained about mortal strike, a unique warrior ability which can easily be gotten by ROLLING A WARRIOR but people complained enough so that mortal strike was passed out like candy. Now, via announcement at Blizzcon, we know that all healers are getting the ability to dispell magic.
I say that if someone wants the ability to do a certain move, then they need to make one of those classes. I think it is stupid that Blizzard is catering to the complaints and giving certain classes the same abilities of the other classes just to make them happy. Why not just reduce it all down to 1 class so we can all do everything?!
bushkanaka86 Aug 27th 2009 3:29PM
Woot, way to rate me down lol. So you are telling me that you don't care that classes are losing their unique abilities to other classes? You must play a class that hasn't ever lost its uniqueness, like a warlock or a pally.
Spoonshark Aug 27th 2009 3:58PM
"I already feel that as a Priest my value has severely diminished since WotLK came out. I felt very needed and wanted in vanilla and BC but now, it seems like people prefer other healing classes and a priest is 'ok to bring along because we need the buffs.' Now I am losing that too."
Umm... We bring our healing priests because of their healing skill. Unless they suddenly forget how to play, then they will continue to have a raid spot. I understand that bad players want unique buffs that will be so important that a raid will bring them because the buff is mandatory, but I support Blizzard's attempt to put an end to it.
Anything they can do to make the flavor of the classes show through in ways that don't involve mandatory raid buffs I support. I think healers in particular are beginning to display this. Each healing spec has a unique play style, but no one healing spec is mandatory for raid success.
If you aren't bad at WoW then this wont affect you.
Jason Aug 27th 2009 5:08PM
I think that this kinda makes things a tad on the easy side. People can do raids without a class, making everyone feel equal. I think every class should be able to do something to benefit the raid, but now people won't look for you if you can just use an item to get the same effect. At least make it so that only you can benefit from it, that would bring life into some deader professions like LW. Inscription is already way too common, there doesn't need to be ANOTHER reason people should get it. Make something for Alchemy please :(
So, I guess I don't like this change. It makes some classes replaced by items.
QQinsider Aug 28th 2009 10:30PM
@Spoonshark: That is so true about bad players, you've summed it up perfectly. There are too many people that roll a "must-have" class to get into raids that they wouldn't have any chance of joining if it depended on only their playing skill.
Too bad for them, good for everyone else.
dzur Aug 27th 2009 2:08PM
If the drums are usable by non leatherworkers, then I'll say this is an awesome change.
NightEternal Aug 27th 2009 2:08PM
I thought that GC said they would all be less powerful versions. I also think that the 'blessing of kings' should be an inscription based buff. If they make a heroism/bloodlust-like buff, it makes a lot more sense thematically for those to be drums.
I also hope that the drums have charges, while the scroll is a one-use item. The mats on the drums seem to be more intensive.
Hideaki Aug 27th 2009 2:24PM
They are all less powerful than the talented versions of those buffs. However, there are no talents that improve Blessing of Kings, so the item is just straight-forwardly weaker.
Hakushi Aug 27th 2009 2:29PM
Supported point - the Priest and Druid buff are the same as the *untalented* versions. The Inscription Fort will be 165. A priest giving the buff will have it talented, for 214 Stamina. Same kind of math for a talented Druid buff. The BoK is no longer talented, and so any paladin can provide the full 10%.
In short, this isn't a reason not to bring the class, just a reason no to be total lacking critical buffs otherwise.
imsobuzzed Aug 27th 2009 2:08PM
I wonder if both drum buffs can be up on the same raid? And who runs 10-mans without Druids? Please. Never seen a raid without at least 2. Shaman are a little harder to come by, however, I don't feel their Heroism/Bloodlust should be a craftable buff. Just does not feel rite. Besides, I enjoy a guaranteed raid spot on my shaman and VoA runs where I am the only one guarantees me phat loot if my class gear drops.
Sedirex Aug 27th 2009 3:15PM
These were introduced to remove the idea of a guaranteed raid spot. The only thing that should get you a spot is skill. Stop ruining my game and L2P.
imsobuzzed Aug 28th 2009 12:37PM
@Sedirex: LMAO! So why do I get downrated? Because I like my Shaman and my Heroism? I play my class well and pride myself in being a top performer in any group or raid I am in. I don't really think anyone gets a guaranteed spot currently. What class buff can you not live without? If your raid needs Bloodlust/Heroism to down bosses before they enrage then your whole raid needs to learn how to play better. And if you don't like my sentiment to such a degree then pick a fight with all Shaman, including those in the post below.
Bronwyn Aug 29th 2009 7:58PM
I'd like to know which ten mans you are running, ours usually are full of pallies and we're lucky to get a druid let alone a shaman.
Jeremie Aug 27th 2009 2:11PM
The kings one will be handy when you only have one or two pallies in the group.
WTB moar buffs plz.
PodPeople Aug 27th 2009 2:38PM
2 pallies in your raid = all the useful buffs you really need. gone are the days of having 7+ pallies to get all of the pally buffs for the group. currently only prot & ret pallies, enhance shammies, and hunters can make use of ALL of the pally buffs.
jealouspirate Aug 27th 2009 2:10PM
Speaking as someone with a Shaman main, I'm glad there's no "Banner of Heroism", or something like it. Call me selfish, but I like that BL/Heroism is unique to us Shamans.