With the doors of Azeroth about to open once more, players are already thinking about the characters they’ll want to bring to this familiar yet brand-new adventure. And while many might already have their race/class combos set, there is one other thing they need to think about: Racial Abilities. Despite some staying the same as we remember from Classic, a few have changed considerably, and if you want to pick the right combination before starting your journey, you may want to look at all the racial changes coming to WoW Forever.
Every Racial Ability Change in WoW Forever
With WoW Forever around the corner, it is important to know that several racial abilities have received changes; some have been removed, and a few new ones have been added. Below is a list of every single one:
Alliance Races
Let’s kick off with the races under the blue banner, many of which have had several racial abilities changed for WoW Forever, mostly for the better.
- Dwarf
- Stoneform: Instantly removes and grants immunity to all Bleed, Poison, and Disease effects, and reduces all Physical damage taken by 10% for 8 seconds (3-minute cooldown).
- Find Treasure: Allows the dwarf to sense nearby treasure, making it appear on the minimap and sometimes increasing treasure found. Lasts until canceled.
- Artisan’s Precision: Increases your chance to hit with all spells and attacks by 1%. (Passive).
- Big Game Hunter: Damage dealt versus Beasts increased by 5% (Passive).
- Gnome
- Escape Artist: Instantly escape the effects of any movement-impairing effect and gain immunity to those effects for 3 seconds (2-minute cooldown).
- Eureka!: Your non-periodic damaging or healing abilities have their Mana cost reduced by 10% and deal 10% more damage or healing for 8 seconds (2-minute cooldown).
- Expansive Mind: Increases maximum Mana by 5% (Passive).
- Engineering Specialization: Your gnomish ingenuity reduces the rate of engineering devices failing or backfiring when you use them by 20% (Passive).
- Human
- Will to Survive: Remove all stun effects (3-minute cooldown).
- Perception: Dramatically increases stealth detection for 20 seconds (3-minute cooldown).
- Ruthless: Increases your critical strike chance with all spells and attacks by 1%. (Passive).
- The Human Spirit: Spirit increased by 10% (Passive).
- Night Elves
- Elune’s Light: Increases your critical strike chance with all spells and attacks by 10% for 15 seconds (3-minute cooldown).
- Shadowmeld: Activate to slip into the shadows, reducing the chance for enemies to detect your presence. Lasts until canceled or upon moving (10-second cooldown when out of combat/2-minute cooldown when used in combat).
- Quickness: Dodge chance increased by 1% and movement speed increased by 2%. Night Elf Rogues and Druids are harder to detect in Stealth as if they were 1 level higher (Passive).
- Wisp Spirit: Transform into a Wisp upon death, increasing movement speed by 75% (Passive)
- Skyborne:
- Walk On Air: Glide downward through the air for 10 seconds while controlling your direction of travel (1.5-minute cooldown).
- Wind Blessed: Increases your spellcasting, melee, and ranged Haste by 2% (Passive).
- Elemental Insight: Damage dealt versus Elemental increases by 5% (Passive).
- Read Leyline (Alliance Only): Attempt to tap into the power of a nearby leyline, increasing your Health and Mana Regeneration by 50% for 15 seconds. If a leyline is nearby, you will become Attuned for 1 hour, and the effect of this ability increases by 100% (2-minute cooldown).
Horde Races
And now, we move to the red banner races, which, just like the above, had many changes to their racial abilities in WoW Forever.
- Orc
- Blood Fury: Increases Attack Power and Spell Power by 10% for 15 seconds (2-minute cooldown).
- Shatter Curse: Instantly removes all Curses and Banes, and reduces all Magical damage taken by 5% for 8 seconds (3-minute cooldown).
- Command: Damage dealt by Hunter and Warlock pets increases by 5% (Passive).
- Hardiness: Duration of stun effects is reduced by 20% (Passive).
- Tauren
- War Stomp: Stuns up to 5 enemies within 8 yards for 2 seconds (1.5-minute cooldown).
- Cultivation: Cultivate a nearby herb, growing a duplicate you can harvest without requiring the Herbalism skill. Each herb may only be cultivated once (15-minute cooldown).
- Plainsrunning: Gain 2% increased speed every 5 seconds you spend moving, up to a maximum of a 60% increase. Taking damage or standing still will reduce the effect (Passive).
- Endurance: Total health increased by 5% (Passive).
- Troll
- Berserking: Increases your Spellcasting and Attack Speed by 10% for 15 seconds (3-minute cooldown).
- Rapid Regeneration: Regenerate 50% of your maximum Health over 6 seconds. Any movement or damage taken will cancel the effect (3-minute cooldown).
- Beast Slaying: Damage dealt versus Beasts increased by 5% (Passive).
- Regeneration: Health regeneration rate increased by 20%. In addition, 20% of total Health regeneration will continue during combat.
- Undead
- Will of the Forsaken: Instantly removes all Charm, Fear, and Sleep effects (2-minute cooldown).
- Cannibalize: When activated, regenerates 7% of total Health and 7% of total Mana every 2 seconds for 10 seconds. Only works on Humanoid or Undead corpses within 5 yards (2-minute cooldown).
- Underwater Breathing: Underwater breathing lasts 300% longer than normal (Passive).
- Touch of the Grave: Your spells and attacks have a 30% chance to drain Health from the target, up to 5% of your maximum Health (15-second cooldown after proc).
- Skyborne:
- Walk On Air: Glide downward through the air for 10 seconds while controlling your direction of travel (1.5-minute cooldown).
- Wind Blessed: Increases your spellcasting, melee, and ranged Haste by 2% (Passive).
- Elemental Insight: Damage dealt versus Elemental increases by 5% (Passive).
- Skysight (Horde Only): Attempt to draw power from a convergence of elements and receive its blessing, increasing your movement and mounted speed by 15% for 30 seconds. If an elemental convergence is nearby, you will become Charged for the next hour, and the effect will increase by 100%.
As you can see, some of these racial abilities in WoW Forever have, well, forever changed the way some races play. While some still favor a specific playstyle or race/class combo, some feel more niche, which is great, as they give uniqueness to every race.
