Healing changes for Patch 5.2

Patch 5.2 PTR early-stage Patch Notes have been released as a preview for the next patch, which will be released March 5th 2013. Below you will find parts of the patch notes that effects healers directly. You can find the full patch notes here. There are many more notes available including information on the new raid and pet battles etc, but we’re focusing on healing. These notes are not yet final and may go through several changes before release.

We hope to analyze each Healer’s specific notes individually so stay tuned for further posts. To read through the healer-related Patch 5.2 PTR early-stage Patch Notes after the break.

Updated March 5th, 2013.

Druid

Cenarion Ward now grants 100% increased healing.
Rejuvenation now costs approximately 9% less mana.
Revive and Mark of the Wild now cost 55% less mana.
Mass Entanglement now has a 30-second cooldown (was 2 minutes).
Typhoon now has a 30-second cooldown (was 20 seconds).
The Treants summoned by Force of Nature now deal more damage and healing, and the Force of Nature tooltip will report the capabilities of these summoned pets.
Soul of the Forest
Restoration: Now grants 70% Haste on the next spell cast after the Druid casts Swiftmend.
Nature’s Vigil now has a 90-second cooldown (was 3 minutes), and now increases damage and healing done by 10% (was 20%).
Restoration:
Naturalist: This new passive learned at level 10 by Restoration Druids increases all healing done by the Druid by 10%.
Wild Mushrooms will now gain 25% of the overhealing performed by the Druid’s Rejuvenation effects, up to a maximum of 33% of the Druid’s health in bonus healing, and growing larger as they do so. When Wild Mushroom: Bloom is cast, this bonus healing will be divided evenly amongst targets in the area of effect.

For Resto Druid 5.2 analysis, click here.

Monk

New Level-60 Talent: Ring of Peace – Ring of Peace forms an 8-yard sanctuary around a friendly target for 8 seconds, disabling enemy player auto-attacks in PvP, and causing all enemies (both players and NPCs) in the area of effect to be disarmed for the duration. In addition, enemies that cast a damaging spell while within the area of effect will be silenced for 3-seconds. The ability has a 45 second cooldown.
Jab now costs 8% (was 4%) of base mana to use.
The Glyphed version of Uplift now costs 16% of base mana (was 6.6%) to cast.
Chi Wave now does 100% more damage and 14% less healing, and no longer costs Chi, but now has a 15-second cooldown.
Zen Sphere now has a limit of 2 (was 1), now detonates when either the recipient reaches 35% health or the Zen Sphere is dispelled, and no longer costs Chi, and has a 10 second cooldown. Its periodic damage has been increased by 22%, periodic healing has been reduced by 61%, its detonation healing has been reduced by 62%, and detonation range has been increased by 40%.
Chi Burst now does 340% more damage and 69% more healing, no longer costs Chi, and now has a 30-second cooldown.
Path of Blossoms has been removed.
Glyph of Path of Blossoms is now Glyph of Paralysis. This glyph causes the Monk’s Paralysis ability to remove all damage-over-time effects on the target.
Deadly Reach has been removed.
Paralysis is now a physical, non-magical effect, and can no longer be dispelled, grounded or reflected, and its base range has been increased to 20 yards. The paralysis effect lasts 40 seconds (was 30 seconds) for non-player targets, 4 seconds when used against other players, and lasts 50% (was 200%) longer when used from behind a target.
Spear Hand Strike, used on a target that’s facing the Monk silences them for 2 seconds (was 4 seconds).
Tiger’s Lust and Touch of Karma no longer have a Chi cost.
Tiger’s Lust can no longer be used on targets that have other temporary speed increases active.
Dampen Harm can now be used while stunned, and its cooldown will now begin when used, not when the effect ends.
Healing Elixirs now heals the Monk for 15% of maximum health (was 10%).
Chi Torpedo now deals 15% more damage.
Healing Spheres now have a duration of 1 minute. Healing Spheres generated by Mastery: Gift of the Serpent now have a duration of 30 seconds.
Mistweaver
Life Cocoon can no longer be dispelled.
Zen Focus, the 4-piece Mistweaver set bonus, is now more responsive.
It is no longer possible to use Thunder Focus Tea while silenced.
Soothing Mists now generates chi more consistently and average generation rate is slightly higher.
Summon Jade Serpent Statue no longer costs mana.
Healing Spheres will now heal for 50% of their original value if they expire without being picked up. This healing will factor in relevant Mastery.
~~Xuen will now fixate on the Monk’s original target.~~
Eminence now heals for 25% of the damage done (was 50%).
Serpent’s Zeal heals for 12.5% per stack of damage done (was 25%).
Teachings of the Monastery now provides additional benefits.
Tiger Palm damage increased by 100% ~~and restores 1% of max mana.~~
Crackling Jade Lightning damage increased by 100%.
Blackout Kick now hits 4 additional nearby targets for 50% damage.
Muscle Memory: A new Mistweaver passive activated by a successful Jab or damaging at least 3 enemies with Spinning Crane Kick. Upon gaining Muscle Memory, the Monk’s next Tiger Palm or Blackout Kick deals 150% more damage and restore 4% mana.
Renewing Mist – mana cost reduced 10%

For Mistweaver Monk 5.2 changes analysis, click here.

Paladin

Light’s Hammer now also applies a 50% snare for 2 seconds to targets that take damage from the area of effect.
Hand of Purity now reduces all incoming damage by 10% in addition to its other effects.
Eternal Flame’s periodic heal now provides 100% more healing when self-cast.
Judgment now costs 5% of base mana.
Repentance now has a cast time of 1.7 seconds, up from 1.5 seconds.
Selfless Healer now boosts Flash of Light by 20/40/60%, down from 33/66/100%
Glyph of Blessed Life no longer requires Seal of Insight to be active.
Glyph of Templar’s Verdict can also activate from Exorcism.
Holy
Blinding Light now has a 1.8-second cast time for Holy Paladins. It remains instant cast for Retribution and Protection.
The 4-piece PvP set bonus now grants Holy Power when casting Flash of Light, instead of Word of Glory.

For Holy Paladin 5.2 changes analysis, click here.

Priest

Spiritual Healing is a new passive ability obtained by Discipline and Holy Priests at level 10. This ability increases the amount of healing done by Flash Heal, Binding Heal, Renew, and Prayer of Mending by 25%. The amount of healing done by those four spells have been reduced by 20%. For Holy and Discipline Priests, there is no change to the amount of healing done by those four spells.
Evangelism’s stacking effect now also increases the healing of Penance.
Halo will no longer hit enemies that are in stealth.
Angelic Bulwark can no longer be dispelled.
Dominate Mind now has a 1.8-second cast time (was 2.5 seconds).
Angelic Feather now has a 6-second duration (was 4 seconds).
Focused Will is now a passive for Holy Priests, as well as Discipline Priests.
Power Word: Solace has been replaced with a new talent: Solace & Insanity
For Holy and Discipline, Power Word: Solace replaces Holy Fire. It deals the same damage, and interacts with other spells and abilities in the same manner, but does not trigger atonement, is instant, costs no mana, and restores 1% of maximum mana on each cast. Damage dealt by Power Word: Solace will heal a nearby friendly player within 40 yards of the target for 100% of the damage dealt (50% when healing the Priest).
Glyph of Desperation has been replaced with Glyph of Binding Heal. Pain Suppression and Guardian Spirit can now always be cast while stunned.
New Glyph: Glyph of Binding Heal applies Binding Heal a third nearby friendly target, but costs 35% more mana.
Glyph of Inner Focus has been replaced with Glyph of Weakened Soul. Casting Inner Focus now always grants 5 seconds of immunity to silences, interrupts, and dispels.
New Glyph: Glyph of Weakened Soul reduces the duration of Weakened Soul by 2 seconds.
Holy Fire is now an instant cast ability.
Glyph of Holy Fire has been redesigned. It now increases the range of Holy Fire, Smite, and Power Word: Solace by 10 yards.
Power Infusion now increases the Priest’s damage by 5% in addition to current effects.
Phantasm no longer makes the Priest untargetable by ranged attacks, and the movement impairing immunity effect is now 5 seconds (was 3 seconds).
Psyfiend belonging to an individual Priest will no longer cast Psychic Horror on the same target twice.
Discipline
Mastery: Shield Discipline now also increases all healing done by a lesser amount, but the bonus provided by Mastery has been reduced by 36%.
Focused Will now reduces damage taken by 15% per stack, with a limit of 2 stacks.
Spirit Shell can no longer be dispelled and now provides an absorb shield equal to the average healing and absorb of the triggering spell, including criticals and Divine Aegis.
Penance damage and healing has been increased by 20%, now has a cooldown of 9 seconds (was 10 seconds), and has a range of 40 yards for both friendly and hostile targets (was 40 yards for friendly and 30 yards for hostile targets).
Rapture now provides mana equal to 150% (was 200%) of the Priest’s Spirit, but no longer benefits from Spirit provided by short-duration bonuses.
Divine Aegis now causes critical heals to apply an absorb shield on the target for 100% of the amount healed instead of healing for twice as much. In addition, it grants Power Word: Shield a chance equal to the Priest’s critical chance for the shield to absorb twice as much damage.

For Holy and Disc Priest 5.2 changes analysis, click here.

Shaman

Elemental Mastery now has a 1-minute cooldown (was 2 minutes).
Conductivity no longer requires that the target be within the area of effect of Healing Rain.
Ancestral Swiftness now increases spell haste by 5% and melee haste by 10% (was 5%/5%).
Glyph of Purge now adds a 6-second cooldown to Purge.
Stone Bulwark Totem now absorbs 25% more damage.
Primal Earth Elemental and Primal Fire Elemental now deal 20% more damage.
Glyph of Flame has been redesigned. This glyph now causes the Shaman to heal for 50% of the damage dealt by Flame Shock.
Flame Shock’s duration has been increased by 25%.
The talent Totemic Restoration now has an additional effect. Any totems that have been destroyed or replaced behave as if the totem had been active for at least 1 second.
When summoned, the Stone Bulwark Totem has health equal to 10% of the casting Shaman’s health.
The talent Nature’s Guardian now preserves the player’s health percentage when its maximum health boosting effect expires.
Ancestral Guidance now copies 60% (was 40%) of the amount healed.
Conductivity now shares 30% (was 20%) of the healing received from Healing Wave, Greater Healing Wave, or Healing Surge.
Healing Rain – mana cost reduced 10%

For Resto Shaman 5.2 changes analysis, click here.