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Top 10 Weirdest Abilities in WoWs History

hirumaredx・17 minutes read

Shadow Word: Insanity was impractical for Shadow Priests, Maz the Hunter pet had a unique ability, Distract was useful for rogue sneaking, Warlocks had offhand weapons, Sentry Totem was removed, Amplify and Dampen Magic had specific uses, Shadow of Death was removed, Mind Soothe was target-restricted, Divine Intervention was removed, and Symbiosis led to balancing issues, eventually being removed by Blizzard.

Insights

  • Shadow Word: Insanity was a spell for Shadow Priests that removed a dot for single target damage in Mists of Pandaria, yet its impracticality stemmed from dot management issues, highlighting the delicate balance required in spell design for effective gameplay.
  • Symbiosis, a unique druid ability granting other classes special skills based on their spec, showcased the complexity of balancing diverse abilities across multiple classes, leading to its removal by Blizzard due to the challenge of managing 70 different spells for just one exclusive Druid ability, underscoring the intricate nature of game design decisions in maintaining gameplay equilibrium.

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Recent questions

  • What was the unique ability of Hunter pet Maz?

    Slow running speed

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Summary

00:00

Obsolete and Unique Abilities in Classic WoW

  • Shadow Word: Insanity was a short-lived spell for Shadow Priests in Mists of Pandaria, removing a dot for single target damage but was impractical due to dot management.
  • Hunter pet Maz had a unique ability to run slower than walking speed, which was useless until normalized run speeds were introduced.
  • Distract, a rogue ability, turns mobs around for easier sneaking past or controlling patrolling mobs, with situational PvP uses.
  • Warlocks in Vanilla WoW had Spell Stones and Fire Stones as offhand weapons for buffs, with Fire Stone adding fire damage to melee attacks, despite warlocks being spellcasters.
  • Sentry Totem allowed shamans to see through its eyes, useful for scouting but ultimately removed due to limited practicality.
  • Amplify Magic increased magic damage taken and healing received, useful in specific situations, while Dampen Magic reduced magic damage taken and healing received, mainly used for PvP.
  • Shadow of Death was an unholy death knight talent in early Wrath of the Lich King, turning the player into a ghoul upon death for a short duration, later removed due to balance issues.
  • Mind Soothe lowered the aggro radius of humanoids and dragonkin, useful for sneaking past mobs but limited by target restrictions and resistances.
  • Divine Intervention allowed paladins to sacrifice themselves to place an unbreakable bubble on another raid member, useful for wipe recovery but removed due to exploit potential.
  • Symbiosis was a druid ability in which they granted another class a unique ability based on their spec, with the druid gaining a different ability in return, leading to balancing issues and its eventual removal.

17:40

Druids' Symbiosis: Unique Abilities from Other Classes

  • Druids had a special version of the classic ability called Symbiosis, where they could gain unique abilities from other classes. For example, Balance Druids could gain the ability to purge magic effects, Feral Druids could summon ghost wolves to fight for them, Guardian Druids could use a lightning shield for damage reflection, and Resto Druids could cast spells while moving with Spirit Walker's Grace.
  • The abilities gained through Symbiosis varied in usefulness for different classes, with some classes benefiting more than others. PvP players had to memorize the combinations of Symbiosis for strategic advantages, but ultimately Blizzard removed the feature due to the complexity of balancing 70 different spells for just one ability exclusive to Druids.
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