Public Test Server
Drakwald, our Public Test Server is online again to provide testing ground for our newest content additions and the balance changes that are currently planned to be released for the Live server.
You can join our Public Test Server through the launcher:
We would like to ask the community, if you have time, please try to test the newest additions we have added to minimize the chances for bugs or unintended consequences, by playing a little bit on the Public Test Server and try out the things you're most interested in.
On the PTS, you can select Templates for new characters to help you start fully geared and level 40, ready for testing!
More things may be added to the PTS for testing throughout the lead up to the release of this patch. Please submit bugs to the bug tracker and select "PTS 07/09/2025" as the version.
Introduction
While the balance team is busy working on the Melee DPS changes, we are releasing this patch in preparation. It contains a rebalancing of buffs and debuffs, some cool new interactions for the Chosen and Knight of the Blazing Sun with their Auras and Battle Commands, and several quality of life features. The most significant change however, is the way damage reduction abilities interact with each other.
Damage Reducing Abilities
When the ability system rework was implemented, all abilities and their functionalities were reset to live patch 1.4.8 and changes made in RoR were manually implemented. Since not all changes to RoR were documented, this in some cases resulted in discrepancies between the old and new ability system.
One of these discrepancies is related to the way different forms of damage reduction abilities, such as Guard and Challenge, interact with each other. In the old ability system, Guard, Challenge and Distracting Bellow would all stack with each other. However, when we moved to the new ability system, both Challenge and Distracting Bellow had exceptions where they would not reduce the damage if the target was Guarded.
This interaction directly affects the Time To Kill (TTK) and is the main reason why the current TTK is a lot shorter than it was before the ability system rework. We feel like the TTK can be too fast at times and thus we are changing Challenge and Distracting Bellow (and a couple other abilities) to once again stack with Guard and Detaunt.
To not cause this change to swing the TTK too far in the other direction, we did reduce the uptime and/or effectiveness of Challenge and Distracting Bellow. The exact changes can be found in the list below. We hope to balance the TTK with these changes. It makes sense to do this before the DPS phase, so we know how to balance the overall damage DPS classes can bring.
Buffs and Debuffs
AoE damage and healing abilities do less damage and less healing than their single target counterparts. We are applying the same principle to buffs and debuffs. Single target buffs and debuffs have been made slightly stronger and their AoE versions slightly weaker. In a future patch we will also address procs from gear, setting those values equal to the AoE versions.
This rebalancing of buffs and debuffs affects classes in different ways. For all DPS classes, that will be taken into account in the future patches. For healers and tanks we feel that the most significant loser of the patch would have been the Chosen and Knight of the Blazing Sun, considering most of their buffs and debuffs are AoE.
This is why we went to the drawing board to think of a way to compensate these two classes. In the past, we have considered changing the Auras mechanic completely, but the increased complexity that it would bring was met with disapproval. This is why instead of changing the auras themselves, we added interactions of other abilities with the auras.
Archmage & Shaman
For the new mechanic of the Archmage and Shaman the feedback is that mechanic flows better for DPS specs than for Healer specs. The main reason for that is that healing Archmages and Shamans often feel stuck at 5 Tranquility / Gork’s Waaagh!. With this patch we made changes to promote using your 5 Tranquility / Gork’s Waaagh!, instead of sitting at 5 Tranquility / Gork’s Waaagh!, waiting for the need to burst heal.
Tanks
In addition to the changes to the Knight of the Blazing Sun and Chosen, we added a quality of life feature where tank classes no longer need a tactic slot for their single target knockbacks to be valuable. These tactics still bring value by lowering the cooldowns of the knockbacks, but they no longer feel as mandatory.
Combat and Careers
General Changes
- The following damage reducing abilities will now stack with Guard and Detaunt: Challenge, Distracting Bellow, Radiant Gaze, Ya Missed Me and Dragon's Talon
- Guard and Detaunt abilities now form their own stacking group (in addition to Ability, Tactic and Morale).
- Close Combat will not stack with Detaunt or Guard, but can stack with other forms of damage reduction abilities.
- Challenge - Duration reduced from 15 to 7 seconds. Effect will no longer fade after an opponent hits you.
- Distracting Bellow - Damage reduction reduced from 50% to 40% and duration reduced from 10 to 7 seconds.
- Siphon Power - Intelligence debuff reduced from 160 to 150.
Bug Fixes
- Juggernaut - Now gives immunity to roots instead of disarms
- Damage reduction now stack multiplicatively instead of additively.
Balance Changes
- Punishing Knock - Duration reduced from 20 to 15 seconds.
- Stubborn as Stone - Corporeal Resistance buff reduced from 378 to 360.
- Oathbound - Initiative buff increased from 120 to 150.
- Ancestor's Fury - Strength buff increased from 120 to 150.
- Inspiring Attack - Strength buff increased from 120 to 150. Willpower buff reduced from 480 to 450.
- Vengeful Strike - Toughness buff increased from 120 to 150.
- Oath of Vengeance - AoE Toughness buff from Vengeful Strike reduced from 120 to 100.
- Watch An’ Learn - Weapon Skill buff increased from 120 to 150.
Balance Changes
- Even The Odds - Toughness buff increased from 40 to 50 for each enemy nearby.
- Pulverizing Strike - Toughness debuff increased from 40 to 50 per stack.
- Fierceness - Weapon Skill buff and Initiative debuff reduced from 40 to 33.
- Devastate - Wounds debuff reduced from 160 to 150.
Balance Changes
- Rune of Fulmination - Cooldown reduced from 15 to 10 seconds.
- Rune of Fate - Duration reduced from 24 to 15 seconds. Cooldown reduced from 15 to 10 seconds. AP cost increased from 30 to 35. Damage bonus scaling increased from 0.86 to 0.90.
- Mountain Spirit - Resistances reduced from 504 to 480.
- Concussive Runes - Armor debuff reduced from 990 to 660. Elemental Resistance debuff reduced from 378 to 240.
- Earth's Shielding - Stat debuffs reduced from 120 to 100.
- Oath Rune of Warding - Resistance buff reduced from 252 to 240.
- Oath Rune of Power - Strength, Ballistic Skill and Intelligence buff increased from 80 to 100.
- Oath Rune of Sanctuary - Toughness buff increased from 80 to 100.
- Oath Rune of Iron - Willpower and Initiative buff increased from 80 to 100.
- Protection of the Ancestors - Wounds buff reduced from 160 to 150.
- Master Rune of Stability - Toughness buff increased from 240 to 250.
- Rune of Fulmination - Elemental Resistance debuff reduced from 378 to 360.
Balance Changes
- Cannon Smash - Armor debuff reduced from 1400 to 1320.
- Acid Bomb - Corporeal Resistance debuff reduced from 378 to 240.
Balance Changes
- Arm Breaka - Removed
- Chop Fasta! - Moved to 5 pt in Path of Da’ Brawler. Auto Attack speed increase reduced from 50% to 25%.
- You Wot!?!!! - Reintroduced at 13 pt in Path of Da’ Brawler: Debuff. 20 AP. 65 ft range. Instant. 30s CD. - You heard someone say sumfin about the size of your weapon! You will teach em an’ lesson! For 15 seconds, you will deal 15% more damage to them and you receive 15% less damage from all other targets. Whenever the target dies, the cooldown of You Wot!?!!! is reset.
- Git Out! - Now has a long knockback distance without Git Out Fer Gud. Will now knockback slightly further. No longer requires Da’ Best Plan! (No longer interacts with the stances).
- Git Out Fer Gud - Reworked to: Reduces the cooldown of Git Out! and Fly Gits by 10 seconds. When wielding a Great Weapon, Git Out! will now also snare the target by 40% for 5 seconds.
- Tuffer ‘n Nails - Will also affect yourself in addition to your friendly target.
- Da Greenest - Resistances buff reduced from 378 to 240. (Armor reduced from 990 to 396).
- WAAAAAAGH! - Corporeal Resistance debuff reduced from 378 to 240.
- Da Biggest! - Buff and debuffs reduced from 120 to 100.
-Big Swing - Strength debuff reduced from 120 to 100.
- Walk it off! - Toughness buff reduced from 160 to 150.
- Savin' Me Hide - Toughness buff increased from 120 to 150.
- Dat Was Great! - Toughness debuff increased from 120 to 150.
- No Choppin' Me - Weapon Skill buff reduced from 120 to 100.
- Right in Da Jibblies - Weapon Skill debuff increased from 120 to 150.
- Follow 'me Lead - Weapon Skill buff increased from 120 to 150.
- Da Toughest! - Wounds buff increased from 48 to 50.
Balance Changes
- Come and Git It! - Toughness buff increased from 40 to 50 for each enemy nearby.
- Slasha - Toughness debuff increased from 40 to 50 per stack.
- Bring Da Pain! - Weapon Skill buff and Initiative debuff reduced from 40 to 33.
Balance Changes
- Gather Round - Healing from 5 Gork’s Waaagh changed from healing 3 * (125 + 0.5*HB) over 3 seconds to 3 * (175 + 0.75*HB) over 6 seconds.
- Ere We Go! - Now builds Gork’s Waaagh. Mork’s Waaagh! increases its effectiveness. 1-4 Mork’s Waaagh!: Reduces active cooldowns by 2 seconds. This effect can only occur once every 5 seconds. 5 Mork’s Waaaagh!: Reduces active cooldowns by 5 seconds. This effect can only occur once every 5 seconds.
- Bigger, Better An’ Greener - 5 Gork’s Waaagh bonus changed to: 50% cast time reduction. You enchant your ally with a Blessing of Mork. For the following 10 seconds, any time your target critically hits an enemy, they deal an additional 112 Elemental damage.
- I’ll Take That - 5 Gork’s Waaagh healing bonus duration increased from 5 to 6 seconds.
- Sticky Feetz - Elemental Resistance debuff reduced from 378 to 240.
- Scuse Me! - Elemental Resistance debuff reduced from 378 to 240.
- Get'n Smarter - Willpower and Intelligence buff and debuff increased from 120 to 150.
- Mork's Buffer - Resistances buff reduced from 252 to 240.
- Yer A Weaklin' - Strength, Intelligence and Ballistic Skill buff and debuff reduced from 120 to 100.
- Do Sumfin Useful - Toughness buff increased from 240 to 250.
- You'z Squishy - Toughness debuff reduced from 120 to 100.
- Hurts, Don't It? - Toughness debuff increased from 240 to 250.
Balance Changes
- Goop Shootin' - Corporeal Resistance debuff reduced from 378 to 240.
- Not So Fast! - Initiative debuff increased from 120 to 150.
- Tastes Like Chicken - Wounds buff reduced from 160 to 150.
Balance Changes
- Burn Armor - Armor debuff reduced from 990 to 660.
- Blessed Bullets of Purity - Initiative debuff reduced from 120 to 100.
- Exit Wound - Toughness, Strength and Weapon Skill debuff increased from 240 to 250.
Balance Changes
- Battle Commands - When having three active Battle Commands, activating a new(4th) Battle Command will now automatically deactivate the Battle Command which has been active the longest.
- Shining Blade - New conditional effect added: If you are issuing a Battle Command of Conquest, your abilities will continue to deal an additional 75 elemental damage for 5 seconds.
- Perseverance - New conditional effect added: If you are issuing a Battle Command of Vigilance all group members within 50ft will also have their wounds increased by 50 for 10s.
- Shield of the Sun - New conditional effect added: If you are issuing a Battle Command of Glory all group members within 50ft will also gain a barrier, absorbing 937 damage over 10 seconds.
- Myrmidia’s Fury - New conditional effect added: You will ignore 10% of the target's armor for each active Battle Command of Conquest.
- Staggering Impact - New conditional effect added: The duration is increased by 4 seconds for each active Battle Command of Conquest.
- Smashing Counter - New conditional effect added: Strikethrough is increased by 10% for each active Battle Command of Vigilance.
- Vigilance - New conditional effect added: Cooldown is reduced by 3 seconds for each active Battle Command of Vigilance.
- Heaven’s Fury - Baseline stagger duration reduced to 4 seconds, from 5 seconds. New conditional effect added: Duration is increased by 0.5s for each active Battle Command of Glory.
- Unbalancing Attack - No longer excludes the Knight from the AP gained. New conditional effect added: You will provide an additional 10 action points for each active Battle Command of Glory.
- Vicious Slash - New conditional effect added: If successfully interrupting an ability, the enemy will have its initiative reduced by 150 for 15s.
- Repel Darkness - Now has a long knockback distance without Banish Darkness.
- Banish Darkness - Reworked to: Repel Darkness will now cooldown 10 seconds faster. If wearing a Great Weapon, Banish Darkness will also snare the target by 40% for 5 seconds.
- Gather Your Resolve! - Resistances buff reduced from 378 to 240, debuff reduced from 240 to 120.
- Press The Attack! - Strength buff/debuff reduced from 120 to 100.
- Stand Strong! - Toughness buff/debuff reduced from 120 to 100.
- Emperor’s Champion - Strength, Toughness and Wounds buff increased from 240 to 250.
- Arcing Swing - Wounds debuff reduced from 120 to 100.
Balance Changes
- Ignition - Corporeal Resistance debuff reduced from 378 to 360.
- Boiling Blood - Willpower debuff increased from 120 to 150.
- Fuel To The Fire - Willpower debuff reduced from 360 to 350.
Balance Changes
- Beacon of Courage - Now increases damage of Bludgeon by 15% instead of increasing only the base damage by 25%.
- Sigmar’s Will - Now heals all allies within 20 feet of your friendly target instead of healing group members within 100 feet.
- Sigmar’s Radiance - Base heal increased from (120 + 0.8*DB) to (150 + 0.8*DB)
- Divine Strike - Base heal increased from (210 + 1.2*DB) to (250 + 1.2*DB)
- Gift of Life - Resistances reduced from 504 to 480.
- Divine Aegis - Resistances reduced from 504 to 480.
- Castigation - Initiative debuff increased from 120 to 150.
- Sigmar’s Fist - Strength buff increased from 120 to 150.
- Greave of Sigmar - Strength debuff and Toughness buff and debuff increased from 120 to 150.
- Avatar of Sigmar - All stats increased from 80 to 100.
- Sigmar’s Grace - Wounds buff decreased from 80 to 50.
Balance Changes
- Chaotic Auras - When having three active Auras, activating a new(4th) Aura will now automatically deactivate the Aura which has been active the longest.
- Dizzying Blow - Swapped functionality with Withering Blow: Damaging. 35 AP. 5ft range. Instant. 10s CD. - A blow to the head which inflicts (112+1.5DB+1.5WDPS) damage to the enemy and removes 30 AP.
- Withering Blow - Swapped functionality with Dizzying Blow and conditional effect added: Curse. 30 AP. 5ft range. Instant. 5s CD. - You release chaotic energies through your blade, withering your opponent's limbs causing (112+1.5DB+1.5WDPS) damage and snares your target, reducing their movement speed by 40% for 10 seconds. If you are empowered by a Chaotic Aura of Dread you will deal an additional 2*(112+1.5DB+1.5WDPS) spiritual damage over 10 seconds.
- Bane Shield - New conditional effect added: If you are empowered by a Chaotic Aura of Corruption, all group members within 50ft will also gain a barrier, absorbing 937 damage over 10 seconds.
- Blast Wave - Damage changed to DoT. Conditional check now looks at the Chosen’s active auras rather than the target, to work in the same way as other similar effects: Curse. 50 AP. Self. Instant. 15s CD. - A great burst of corrupted winds tears at all targets within 20 feet, inflicting 5*(75+0.6DB) spiritual damage over 15s. If you are empowered by a Chaotic Aura of Discord, all enemies within range will have their wounds lowered by 100 for 20 seconds.
- Relentless - New conditional effect added: The damage of the final strike is increased by 50% for each active Chaotic Aura of Dread.
- Rending Blade - New conditional effect added: Cooldown is reduced by 1 second for each active Chaotic Aura of Dread.
- Downfall - New conditional effect added: Strikethrough is increased by 10% for each active Chaotic Aura Corruption.
- Oppression - New conditional effect added: Durations increased by 2 seconds for each active Chaotic Aura of Corruption.
- Quake - Baseline stagger duration reduced to 4 seconds, from 5 seconds. New conditional effect added: Duration is increased by 0.5s for each active Chaotic Aura of Discord.
- Tzeentch’s Reflection - New conditional effect added: When the barrier fades, the target will be healed by 337 for each active Chaotic Aura of Discord.
- Feed on the Weary - Moved to baseline, unlocked at level 15.
- Chaotic Advantage - Moved to Path of Dread, 3 points into the tree.
- Repel - Now has a long knockback distance without Hastened Dismissal.
- Hastened Dismissal - Reworked to: Repel has its cooldown shortened by 10 seconds. If using a Great Weapon, Repel will now also snare the target by 40% for 5 seconds.
- Sprout Carapace - Resistances buff reduced from 504 to 480.
- Discordant Instability - Resistances buff reduced from 378 to 240, debuff reduced from 240 to 120.
- Dreadful Fear - Strength buff/debuff reduced from 120 to 100.
- Corrupting Wrath - Toughness buff/debuff reduced from 120 to 100.
- Blast Wave - Wounds debuff reduced from 120 to 100.
Balance Changes
- Ferocious Assault - Strength and Toughness buff increased from 200 to 250.
- Corruption - Toughness debuff increased from 120 to 150.
- Wave of Mutilation - Initiative and Weapon Skill debuff reduced from 120 to 100.
- Thunderous Blow - Wounds debuff increased from 120 to 150.
Balance Changes
- Scourged Warping - The proc now either buffs your next Scourge or Tzeentch’s Cry to ignore the enemy’s resistances.
- Eye of Sheerian - Resistance buff reduced from 504 to 480.
- Sweeping Disgorgement - Armor debuff reduced from 990 to 660. Corporeal Resistance debuff reduced from 378 to 240.
- Tzeentch's Talon - Resistance debuff reduced from 504 to 480.
- Mark of the Vortex - Resistance buff reduced from 252 to 240.
- Mark of Daemonic Fury - Strength, Ballistic Skill and Intelligence buff increased from 80 to 100.
- Mark of Remaking - Toughness buff increased from 80 to 100.
- Mark of the Spell Destroyer - Willpower and Initiative buff increased from 80 to 100.
- Daemonic Fortitude - Wounds buff reduced from 160 to 150.
Balance Changes
- Daemonic Fire - Elemental Resistance debuff reduced from 378 to 360.
- Glean Magic - Spirit Resistance debuff reduced from 378 to 240.
- Aegis of Orange Fire - Wounds buff increased from 240 to 250.
Balance Changes
- Mighty Gale - Now has a long knockback distance without Hoeth’s Tempest. No longer requires Perfect Balance (No longer interacts with the stances).
- Hoeth’s Tempest - Reworked to: Reduces the cooldown of Mighty gale and Gusting Winds by 10 seconds. When wielding a Great Weapon, Mighty Gale will now also snare the target by 40% for 5 seconds.
- Nature’s Blade - Buffs and debuffs reduced from 120 to 100.
- Heaven’s Blade - Resistance debuff reduced from 252 to 240.
- Wrath of Hoeth - Resistance debuff reduced from 378 to 240.
- Phantom’s Blade - Wounds buff increased from 48 to 50.
Balance Changes
- Scout Stance - Ballistic Skill and Initiative buff increased from 80 to 100.
- Eye Shot - Initiative debuff increased from 120 to 150.
- Assault Stance - Strength and Weapon Skill buff reduced from 120 to 100.
- Skirmish Stance - Toughness buff increased from 80 to 100.
- Wrist Slash - Weapon Skill and Initiative buff and debuff increased from 120 to 150.
Balance Changes
- Shattering Blow - Strength debuff increased from 120 to 150.
- Trained To Kill - Toughness buff increased from 80 to 100.
Balance Changes
- Blessing of Isha - Healing from 5 Tranquility changed from healing 3 * (125 + 0.5*HB) over 3 seconds to 3 * (175 + 0.75*HB) over 6 seconds.
- Boon of Hysh - 5 Tranquility bonus changed to: 50% cast time reduction. You enchant your ally with a Blessing of Hysh. For the following 10 seconds, any time your target critically hits an enemy, they deal an additional 112 Spiritual damage.
- Balance Essence - 5 Tranquility healing bonus duration increased from 5 to 6 seconds.
- Mistress of The Marsh - Initiative debuff reduced from 120 to 100.
- Prismatic Shield - Resistances reduced from 252 to 240.
- Storm of Cronos - Spirit Resistance debuff reduced from 378 to 240.
- Rain Lord - Strength, Intelligence and Ballistic Skill buff and debuff reduced from 120 to 100.
- Law Age - Toughness debuff reduced from 120 to 100.
Balance Changes
- Soul Killer - Now reduces duration of Mind Killer by 5 seconds.
- Mind Killer - Intelligence and Willpower debuff increased from 120 to 150.
- Brutal Smash - Strength buff increases from 120 to 150. Willpower buff reduced from 480 to 450.
- Feeding On Weakness - Toughness buff increased from 120 to 150.
- Pitiless Strike - Toughness debuff increased from 120 to 150.
- Hastened Doom - Wounds debuff reduced from 120 to 100.
Balance Changes
- Kiss of Agony - Initiative debuff reduced from 120 to 100.
- Wracking Pains - Weapons Skill and Toughness debuff increased from 120 to 150.
- Pierce Armor - Weapon Skill buff increased from 120 to 150.
- Heart Render Toxin - Wounds debuff increased from 94 to 150 (on 5 stacks).
Balance Changes
- Khaine’s Force - Now heals all allies within 20 feet of your friendly target instead of healing group members within 100 feet.
- Transfer Essence - Base heal increased from (120 + 0.8*DB) to (150 + 0.8*DB)
- Consume Essence - Base heal increased from (210 + 1.2*DB) to (250 + 1.2*DB)
- Thousand and One Dark Blessings - Resistances buff reduced from 504 to 480.
- Consume Strength - Strength buff and debuff increased from 80 to 100. If the target is Cursed, buff and debuff value is increased to 150.
- Lacerate - Toughness increased from 120 to 150.
Balance Changes
- Black Horror - Initiative debuff reduced from 120 to 100.
- Shroud of Darkness - Resistances buff reduced from 378 to 360.
- Shadow of Disaster - Spirit Resistance debuff reduced from 378 to 360.
- Grasping Darkness - Strength, Intelligence and Ballistic Skill debuff increased from 120 to 150.
- Word of Pain - Willpower debuff increased from 120 to 150.
- Vision of Domination - Willpower debuff reduced from 360 to 350.
