Rogue

• Developer’s note: In Guardians of the Dream we are updating all four Rogue talent trees to bring them up to current standards. A sweeping pass was needed to make significant adjustments to address notable concerns, like: moving the first gate from row three to row four to match all other classes; improving pathing and increasing interconnectedness on every tree; removing 3-point nodes; and reducing the percentage of minor DPS talents taken in the Class tree to make room for more flavorful and robust utility options. We also wanted to use the opportunity where so many things are changing to rework or redesign some talents that needed the update, and also just to make some new talents to experience and (hopefully) enjoy. Let us know what you think!
• Many changes have been made to Class talent positions and connections.
• Sap is now a baseline ability.
• Shiv damage increased by 20 percent.
• Shiv now costs 30 Energy (was 20) and has a 30 second cooldown (was 25 seconds).
• New Talent: Featherfoot (Passive) – Sprint increases movement speed by an additional 30 percent, and duration increased by four seconds.
• New Talent: Superior Mixture (Passive) – Crippling Poison reduced movement speed by an additional 10 percent.
• New Talent: Graceful Guile (Passive) – Feint has one additional charge.
• New Talent: Stillshroud (Passive) – Shroud of Concealment has 50 percent reduced cooldown.
• Vigor’s location has changed and is now a two-point talent, increasing max Energy by 50/100 and increasing Energy regeneration by 8/15 percent.
• Deadly Precision is now a one-point talent. Per point value has not changed.
• Nightstalker’s location has changed and now increases damage while Stealth is active by 8/15 percent (was 4/8 percent).
• Reverberation now increases Echoing Reprimand damage by 100 percent (was 75 percent).
• Deadened Nerves now reduces physical damage taken by five percent (was three percent).
• Echoing Reprimand now charges a combo point from 3/4/5 (was 2/3/4).
• Marked for Death has been adjusted:
• Cooldown adjusted to 40 seconds for all specializations (was 30 seconds for Assassination and Subtlety, 60 seconds for Outlaw).
• Grants full combo points (was five).
• Now increases the damage your finishing moves deal to the target by 15 percent.
• Lasts 15 seconds (was 60 seconds) and resets cooldown if the target dies during the effect.
• Nightstalker damage bonus reduced to 5/10 percent (was 8/15 percent).
• Elusiveness now causes Evasion to reduce damage taken by 20 percent (was 10 percent).
• Airborne Irritant has been moved to the class tree (was in Outlaw) and has been adjusted – Blind has 50 percent reduced cooldown, 40 percent reduced duration, and applies to all enemies near the target.
• Marked for Death has been removed.
• Improved Wound Poison, Superior Mixture, and Atrophic/Numbing Poisons have shuffled talent locations.
• Vigor now increases energy regeneration by 5/10 percent. (Was 8/15 percent).
• Subterfuge refreshes duration correctly when broken out of Vanish while another Subterfuge is active.
• Lethality now interacts with Blade Flurry when talented into Deft Maneuvers.
• Grand Melee now increases damage dealt correctly.
• Heavy Hitter now interacts with Blade Flurry if talented into Deft Maneuvers.

Subtlety

• Developers’ note: Subtlety and its talent tree have been in a similar position as Outlaw. The gameplay outcome has been mostly good during Dragonflight so far, but many talents are underused, and rigid pathing with insufficient connections have restricted talent options. We have changed, redesigned, and added new talents alongside improvements to pathing and interconnectedness that will hopefully add up to feeling like there is more gameplay diversity and flexibility in the tree. And while we noted that gameplay outcomes thus far in Dragonflight have been ‘good’, there have been some negative trends we hope to address. To start, Subtlety’s Energy and combo point resource economies have been overflowing, which creates a cascade of issues. Uptime for key cooldowns (predominantly Shadow Dance) has also been higher than expected, forcing overall damage tuning to result in a relatively flat damage profile, especially for a spec that is often known for having moments of increased intensity and burst within those frequent cooldown windows. So, in addition to the more general improvements and additions for talents, there are some changes that affect Subtlety’s Energy and combo point flow that will reduce the floor of their steady downtime rate, and increase the relative value of effects that temporarily offer more resources. It will require tuning and iteration to get to the amounts of total resource generation and damage output in a good state, so any gameplay feedback you would like to share on these topics is welcome. Let us know!
• Many changes have been made to Subtlety talent positions and connections.
• Shadowstep and Black Powder are now baseline abilities.
• Backstab Energy cost increased to 40 (was 35).
• Shadowstrike Energy cost increased to 45 (was 40) and damage increased by 16 percent.
• Shadow Techniques has been adjusted:
• No longer grants a combo point immediately when its effect is triggered.
• Now stores combo points with a stacking buff, up to double your max combo points.
• Abilities that generate combo points can expend any stored combo points to generate extra, up to your max combo points.
• Energy generation reduced to three (was four).
• Find Weakness has been adjusted:
• Moved from Class talent tree to Subtlety.
• Now a one-point talent.
• Now causes attacks to bypass 30 percent of armor (was 15/30 percent).
• Shadow Blades has been adjusted:
• Now causes all attacks (was combo point generating abilities) to deal 20 percent additional damage as Shadow (was 50 percent).
• Now causes abilities that generate combo points to generate full combo points (was one additional).
• New Talent: Ephemeral Bond (Passive) – Increases healing received by 12 percent.
• New Talent: Shadowcraft (Passive) – While Symbols of Death is active, your Shadow Techniques triggers after one fewer attack, stores one additional combo point, and finishing moves can also expend stored combo points.
• New Talent: Goremaw’s Bite – Lashes out at the target, inflicting Shadow damage and causing your next three finishing moves to cost no Energy. Awards three combo points. Costs 25 Energy. One minute cooldown.
• New Talent: Stunning Secret (Passive) – Kidney Shot has 100 percent increased cooldown and Energy cost, and now creates shadow clones to stun all other nearby enemies.
• New Talent: Warning Signs (Passive) – Symbols of Death increases your Haste by six percent.
• Shrouded in Darkness now causes Shroud of Concealment to persist after leaving its area, in addition to its previous effect.
• Eviscerate damage increased by 10 percent.
• Gloomblade Energy cost increased to 40 (was 35).
• Planned Execution is now a one-point talent and increases critical strike chance by six percent (was 5/10 percent).
• Improved Shadow Dance is now a one-point talent and increases Shadow Dance duration by two seconds (was 1/2 seconds).
• Shadowed Finishers is now a one-point talent and its effect causes 25 percent additional damage as Shadow (was 20/40 percent).
• Shadow Focus now reduces Energy costs by 10 percent (was 15 percent).
• Deepening Shadows now reduces Shadow Dance cooldown by 0.5 seconds per combo point spent (was 0.7).
• Perforated Veins has been redesigned as a one-point talent – After striking five times with Gloomblade, your next attack that generates combo points deals 50 percent increased damage.
• Lingering Shadows is now a one-point talent. Per point value has not changed.
• Deeper Daggers is now a one-point talent. Per point value has not changed.
• Finality buffs no longer have a duration.
• The Rotten has been adjusted:
• Bonus to damage and critical strike now applies to any attack that generates combo points (was Backstab, Gloomblade, and Shadowstrike).
• Effect no longer generates combo points.
• Secret Technique shadow clone attacks no longer double-dip from the bonuses of Deeper Daggers, Veiltouched, and Dark Brew.
• Goremaw’s Bite damage increased by 20 percent.
• Shuriken Storm’s Energy cost increased to 45 (was 40).
• Goremaw’s Bite now correctly consumes the Cold Blood buff.
• Stilleto Staccato and Stunning Secret have been removed.
• Goremaw’s Bite cooldown reduced to 45 seconds (was one minute).
• Secret Technique damage increased by 12 percent.
• New Talent: Terrifying Pace – Gain 30 percent increased movement speed for three seconds when Shuriken Storm strikes three or more targets.
• New Talent: Exhilarating Execution – Finishing moves heal you for three percent of damage done. Overhealing is converted to shielding, absorbing up to 10 percent of your maximum health.
• Shadow Techniques’ Energy generated increased to four (was three)
• Shadow Techniques tooltip has been updated, no functional changes.
• Shadowcraft now allows finishing moves to use Shadow Technique stacks only when it will refresh combo points to full.
• Shadowcraft’s tooltip has been updated, no functional changes.
• Ephemeral Bond’s bonus for healing received reduced to eight percent (was 12 percent).
• Shadowstrike damage increased by seven percent.
• Perforated Veins effect now applied after striking with Backstab four times (was five times).
• The Rotten now causes your next two attacks that generate combo points (was one attack) after activating Symbols of Death to deal 35 percent increased damage (was 50 percent).
• Replicating Shadows secondary targets now prioritize enemies that are not afflicted by Rupture.
• Eviscerate damage increased by eight percent.
• Exhilarating Execution now causes finishing moves to heal for five percent of damage done (was 3 percent).
• Shadowed Finishers finisher shadow damage value increased to 30 percent (was 25 percent).
• Shuriken Tornado Shuriken Storms triggered by Shuriken Tornado no longer generate bonus combo points from Shadow Blades.
• Ephemeral Bond now correctly increases the healing done by Crimson Vile ability and Soothing Darkness.
• Replicating Shadows distance to nearby targets is now calculated from the player, rather than the target.
• Shadowed Finishers procs no longer incorrectly consume Goremaw’s Bite stacks.
• Shadow Techniques takes Premeditation into account when used two extra combo points are generated from having Slice and Dice active.
• Dark Brew now correctly increases damage of Instant and Wound poison.
• Sepsis now grants full combo points with Shadow Blades.