Death Knight

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Last Updated: 11/08/08 (9138)

Class Overview

From WoWWiki

The Death Knight is the first Hero Class in World of Warcraft. All races can be Death Knights.

The criteria for creating a Death Knight is the existence of a level 55+ character on the player's account. Once that criteria is met, the player can create one Death Knight per realm on any realm where they have a level 55+ character. This limitation is not permanent. Blizzard has announced its intention to allow the creation of Death Knight characters on realms where the player does not have a level 55+ character, though this option will not be available right away at the release of the expansion (this measure is being taken to prevent flooding of Death Knight characters onto newer realms). (Source) This is a separate character from your original one and can be created as soon as one of the existing characters in your account reaches level 55. After making a Death Knight, you will not lose the access to any of your existing characters.

The Death Knight will start at level 55 in a necropolis floating over the Eastern Plaguelands (See Ebon Hold ), with multiple spells and abilities ready to use, including a level 60 equivalent skeletal Deathcharger mount.

An NPC on a Skeleton Gryphon

Through the Death Knight-specific quests in this necropolis, the character learns to master the power of the Death Knight and learns to use this new power for their will. Quests will take them outside the necropolis and into an area within the Eastern Plaguelands. They will start with various greens and blues for equipment. (Starting Gear Images can bee seen in our Images section.) Death Knights will use new items called Sigils for their relic slot. (Sigil Example)

As of Live Beta Build 8681, Deathknights also have access to a class-specific Flying Mount, the Winged Steed of the Ebon Blade. It is a skeletan gryphon. (See the image at left.) This mount is unique in that its speed adjusts to the player's riding ability. If a player has epic flying mount training, the mount will be a 280% speed mount. If not, it will be 100% speed in the air. That may account for its high cost: 960 gold. The current Model of this mount has been confirmed a placeholder.

The death knight combines martial prowess with dark, necromantic energies. Players might be familiar with the death knight from previously released Warcraft games -- most recently, in the campaigns for Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and the Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne expansion, the former paladin Arthas became a death knight and wrought havoc across Azeroth before fusing with the spirit of Ner'zhul to become the Lich King. It is important to note that these particular Death Knights are based upon those created by the Lich King in Warcraft III, not those of Orcish origin as seen in WarCraft II.

Appearance & Sound

As of Live Beta Build 8770, Death Knight have been updated in appearance and sound.

Death Knight characters' voices are modulated to be slightly deeper, rougher, and more "evil-sounding," with a slight echo effect. This applies to all voice emotes. There is an option in the sound menu to turn this modulation on and off. (Screenshot) Below is a video showing off a variety of voice emotes with the new sound:

Death Knights also now have glowing blue eyes and different "undead" skins available to them upon character creation. (All normal skins are still available as well.) Scroll through them below.

Death Knights also have a different background on the character creation/selection screens, regardless of what race they are. See a screenshot of it here.

Death Knight Combat

The death knight uses a unique rune-based resource system to govern his spells and abilities. Three rune types exist: blood, frost, and unholy, each with an attached color and symbol. A Death Knight has two of each type of rune on their weapon. In Beta Build 8634, this rune system was changed, removing the ability to customize the amounts of each type of rune on the weapon. The 2B/2U/2F set-up is now permanent and unchangable.

Death Knights now customize their weapons through the class' Runeforging ability. Runeforging uses a specialized Rune Forge, which can be found in Ebon Hold (part of the Death Knight starting area) and possibly in other major locations like Dalaran City (unconfirmed). This ability allows Death Knights to attach runes to their weapons which give a variety of passive combat buffs.

In addition, whenever the Death Knight uses a rune ability against a foe, it will build up a certain amount of Runic Power. This Runic Power is used by certain abilities, which completely drain all the Runic Power that has been accumulated. The more power stored, the more effective the ability.

(For more information on Runes, Runic Power, and Runeforging, see the Damage Mechanics tab.)

The Death Knight's Role

In general, the death knight can be considered a hybrid class that combines damage dealing and tanking. They will wear plate armor, and be able to dual wield or use two-handed blade weapons and maces. Like druids, they will tank without shields. Their tanking mechanics will most likely be high armor as indicated by Frost Presence, and by having a high chance to parry. Blizzard has said that their tanking niche will be caster-type enemies. A common assumption among fans is that Hero Classes will be overpowered, however Blizzard has stated on announcing the Death Knight that they will be of similar strength and value to existing classes.

Developers have stated that they do not want the Death Knight to be left in one role depending on their spec. All specs should be able to tank, PvP, or DPS equally well if correctly talented and geared. (WWI)

(For more informations on specific talents and abilities, see the Abilities tab.)

Death Knight Quests

The last half of the new Death Knight starting quests require you to head to Orgrimmar, where the NPCs at times fear you, and at times attack. Here are some more screenshots from that part of the journey:

Gamon gets in on the Death Knight hate:

The Death Knight starting experience has also been extended.

Part 1: A new ongoing event has been added to the Death Knight starting area. After the final battle event in the instanced zone, when a new Death Knight ports back to Acherus, it is now under attack by the Scourge!

Part 2: Death Knight's now have to earn their place among the major city factions. When a new Death Knight enters a major city, they are greeted by NPCs throwing fruit and spitting on them. Eventually they must earn the trust of their faction. More details when the World Servers come back up.

Below are some screenshots from the event at Acherus:

Death Knights are unique in that while they deal a good amount of damage with spell effects, they have no reliance on +spell damage armor and weapons. Instead their damage is derived from the base damage + some fraction of their attack power in the following form:

 NetDamage = BaseDMG + AttackPower * APC

Where APC equals the Attack Power Coefficient. This value is unique to the individual spell, and the estimated value is listed for each ability below.

The second Death Knight mechanic, Runic Power (RP) functions in much the same way, where the duration and/or damage of an ability requiring RP to activate is given as follows:

 Duration = RP/100 * MaxDuration
 NetDamage = RP/100 * BaseDMG + AttackPower * APC

Death Knights receive 2 Attack Power per 1 Strength, and none from Agility, similar to Warriors and Bearform Druids.

Death Knights also receive a passive bonus to critical strike damage, called Runic Focus: Unlike most casters, a Death Knight's spells cause double damage on critical hits.

Runes

Death Knight Runes: Blood, Frost, Death, and Unholy.

Runes are the Death Knight's "power," their version of mana/rage/energy. Runes come in three different "flavors" and most Death Knight abilities requires some combination of runes to use. Death Knights come with a configuration of two of each of these runes and, as of Beta Build 8634, that configuration is unchangeable. (Source)

There is a fourth rune type, Death, that can be activated by certain abilities and can be used as any rune type when you are out of one.

Currently, runes have a recharge time of 10 seconds from the time of activation. This can be talented down to 5 seconds on a percentage based proc with the "XXX Rune Mastery" talents found in each talent tree.

Runic Power

Runic power, gauged by a blue bar under the health bar, is the Death Knight's hybrid of rage and combo points. It is generated by all single-target abilities that do not drain it. The Blood Elf ability Arcane Torrent will also restore 10 runic power per charge of Mana Tap. Thus far, all abilities using it drain it completely. Unless the ability description says otherwise, 100 runic power is required for the ability to have its tooltip potency. Using it with less runic power will result in less damage/healing, or a shorter duration, hence the "up to ..." wording of the description. While out of combat, runic power decays at the same rate as rage.

Runeforging

Deathknights have their own "Profession" known as Runeforging which allows the crafting of a variety of runes that provide passive combat buffs to the Death Knight. Runeforged enchants do not stack with other weapon enchants. (Source)

Runeforging requires a specialized Rune Forge found in either version of Ebon Hold, the Death Knight starting area or the Eastern Plaguelands version.

You currently start with two Runes that you can forge: Rune of Cinderglacier: Affixes your rune weapon with a rune that has a chance to increase your Frost and Shadow spell damage by 20% for your next 2 spells that deal frost or shadow damage. Rune of Razorice: Affixes your rune weapon with a rune that causes 1% extra weapon damage as Frost damage and has a chance to increase Frost vulnerability. Obtainable at level 57: Rune of Spellbreaking: Affixes your one-handed rune weapon with a rune that deflects 2% of all spell damage and reduces the duration of Silence effects by 50%. Rune of Spellshattering: Affixes your two-handed rune weapon with a rune that deflects 4% of all spell damage and reduces the duration of Silence effects by 50%. Obtainable at level 60: Rune of Lichbane: Affixes your rune weapon with a rune that adds 2% extra weapon damage as Fire damage or 4% versus Undead targets. Obtainable at level 63: Rune of Swordbreaking: Affixes your one-handed rune weapon with a rune that increases Parry chance by 2% and reduces the duration of Disarm effects by 50%. Rune of Swordshattering: Affixes your two-handed rune weapon with a rune that increases Parry chance by 4% and reduces the duration of Disarm effects by 50%. Obtainable at level 70: Rune of the Fallen Crusader: Affixes your rune weapon with a rune that has a chance to heal you for 3% and increase total Strength by 30% for 15 sec. It is expected that as Blizzard Entertainment adds more content that more runes will become available, especially between 70 and 80. Forged Rune Graphical Effects(pre-8770) Images thanks to WoW Insider: Cinderglacier Fallen Crusader Frostfever Lichbane Spellbreaking Swordbreaking

Ebon Hold Has Four Main Rune Forges. Thanks to WoW Insider. An Ebon Hold Rune Forge. Thanks to WoW Insider. A Gnome Deathknight Runeforging. Click here to see a video! Thanks to Joy's Live Beta Stream.

The addition of more Forged Runes is a possibility, especially ones that provide similar effects to popular high-end weapon enchants like Mongoose. (Source)

Notes on listed Abilities/Talents: Abilities and Talent description may not match WoWHead tooltips. All information listed here is based on the very latest updates to Blizzard's official talent calculators and patch notes, which are more up-to-date than the in-game builds from which WoWHead draws its data. We are not responsible for discrepancies in WoWHead's database.

Presences

The Death Knight will have three presences they can choose from at any time (similar to stances) to best fit their current task. They are as follows:

• Blood Presence: Increases damage done by 15% and heals the Death Knight by 2% of damage dealt. Only damage dealt to targets that grant experience or honor can trigger this heal.
• Frost Presence: Increases armor by 60%, increases health by 10%, reduces spell damage taken by 5%, and increases threat generated by 45%.
• Unholy Presence: Increases attack speed by 15%, increases movement speed by 15%, and reduces the global cooldown on all Death Knight abilities by 0.5 sec.

Blood

Trainable Abilities

	Spell	Cost	APC	Cooldown	Description
	Blood Boil		0.0635	None	Causes any of the Death Knight's diseases on the target, and all enemies within 30 yards of the target, to painfully erupt, dealing 117 to 143 Shadow damage. (Rank 4) (Instant)
	Blood Strike		N/A	None	Instantly strike the enemy, causing 50% weapon damage plus 191, and an additional 95.5 bonus damage per disease. (Rank 6) (Instant, 5 yd range)
	Blood Tap	15% of base health	N/A	1 Minute	Immediately activates a Blood Rune and temporarily converts it into a Death Rune. This rune counts as a Blood, Unholy, or Frost Rune. Lasts 20 sec. (Rank 1) (Instant)
	Dark Command	None	N/A	8 Seconds	Commands the target to attack you, but has no effect if the target is already attacking you. (Instant, 20 yd range)
	Death Pact	40 Runic Power	N/A	2 Minutes	Sacrifices an undead minion, healing the Death Knight for 20% of his/her maximum health. (Instant, 30 yd range)
	Pestilence		0.04	10 Seconds	Causes 65 to 79 Shadow damage to the target and all targets within 10 yards and spreads any diseases on the target to the additional targets. (Rank 5) (Instant, 5 yd range)
	Strangulate		0.2	2 Minutes	Strangulates an enemy, silencing them for 5 sec, and deals 180 Shadow damage at the end of the effect. (Rank 5) (Instant, 30 yd range)

Talented Abilities

	Spell	Cost	APC	Cooldown	Description
	Rune Tap		N/A	1 Minute	Converts 1 Blood Rune into 10% of your maximum health. (Talent: Blood: Tier 3) (Instant)
	Mark of Blood		N/A	3 Minutes	Place a Mark of Blood on an enemy. Whenever the marked enemy deals damage to a target, that target is healed for 4% of its maximum health. Lasts for 20 sec. (Talent: Blood: Tier 5) (Instant, 30 yd range)
	Hysteria		N/A	2 Minutes	Induces a friendly unit into a killing frenzy for 30 sec. The target is Enraged, which increases their physical damage by 20%, but causes them to suffer damage equal to 1% of their maximum health every second. (Talent: Blood: Tier 7) (Instant, 30 yd range)
	Vampiric Blood		N/A	1 Minutes	Increases health generated through spells and effects by 50% for 20 seconds. (Talent: Blood: Tier 8) (Instant)
	Heart Strike		N/A	None	Rank 6: Instantly strike the enemy, causing 60% weapon damage plus 220.8, and an additional 110.4 bonus damage per disease. Prevents target from using haste effects for 10 sec. (Talent: Blood: Tier 9) (1 Talent Rank/6 Trained Ranks) (Rank 6: Next melee attack, 5 yd range)
	Dancing Rune Weapon	50 Runic Power	N/A	3 Minute	Unleashes all available runic power to summon a second rune weapon that fights on its own for 10 sec plus 1 sec per 5 additional runic power, doing the same attacks as the Death Knight. (Talent: Blood: Tier 11) (Instant)

Frost

Trainable Spells

	Spell	Cost	APC	Cooldown	Description
	Chains of Ice		N/A	None	Shackles the target with frozen chains, reducing their movement to zero. The target regains 10% of their movement each second for 10 sec. (Rank 1) (1 Unholy 1 Frost, Instant, 20 yd range)
	Empower Rune Weapon	None	N/A	5 Minutes	Empower your rune weapon, immediately activating all your runes and generating 25 runic power. (Rank 1) (Instant, 5 min Cooldown)
	Horn of Winter	20 Runic Power	N/A	None	The Death Knight blows the Horn of Winter, increasing total Strength and Agility of all party or raid members within 30 yards by 155. Lasts 2 min. (Rank 2)
	Icebound Fortitude	20 Runic Power	N/A	1 Minute	The Death Knight freezes their blood to become immune to Stun effects and reduce all damage by 50% for 12 sec. Does not remove existing Stun effects. (Rank 1) (Instant)
	Icy Touch		0.1	None	Rank 5: Chills the target for 227 to 245 Frost damage and infects them with Frost Fever, a disease that reduces melee and ranged attack speed by 14% for 12 sec. (Rank 5) (1 Talent Rank/5 Trained Ranks) (Rank 5: Instant, 20 yd range)
	Mind Freeze	20 Runic Power	N/A	10 Seconds	Strike the target's mind with cold, interrupting spellcasting while also preventing any spell in that school from being cast for 4 sec. (Rank 4) (Instant, 5 yd range)
	Obliterate		N/A	None	A brutal instant attack that deals 100% weapon damage plus 292, and an additional [1.46e + 006 / 10000] bonus damage per disease, but consumes the diseases. (Rank 4) (Instant, 5 yd range)
	Path of Frost		N/A	None	The Death Knight's freezing aura creates ice beneath his/her feet, allowing him/her and his/her party or raid to walk on water for 10 min. Works while mounted. Any damage will cancel the effect. (Instant)
	Rune Strike	20 Runic Power	N/A	5 Seconds	Strike the target for 200% weapon damage plus [200 * AP * 10 / 10000]. Only usable after an attack is dodged or parried. Can't be dodged, blocked, or parried. (Instant, 5 sec cooldown, 5 yd range)

Talented Abilities

	Spell	Cost	APC	Cooldown	Description
	Lichborne	None	N/A	3 Minutes	Draw upon unholy energy to become undead for 15 sec. While undead, you are immune to Charm, Fear and Sleep effects, and your horrifying visage causes melee attacks to have an additional 25% chance to miss you. (Talent: Frost: Tier 3) (Instant)
	Deathchill	None	N/A	2 Minutes	When activated, makes your next Icy Touch, Howling Blast, Frost Strike or Obliterate a critical hit if used within 30 sec. (Talent: Frost: Tier 5) (Rank 1) (Instant)
	Howling Blast		0.0755	6 Seconds	Blast the target with a frigid wind dealing 259 to 281 Frost damage to all enemies within 10 yards. Deals double damage to targets infected with Frost Fever. (Talent: Frost: Tier 7) (Rank 5) (Instant, 30 yd range)
	Unbreakable Armor		N/A	1 Minutes	Increases your armor by 25% and total strength by 10% for 20 seconds. (Talent: Frost: Tier 8) (Instant)
	Frost Strike	40 Runic Power	N/A	None	Rank 6: Instantly strike the enemy, causing 60% weapon damage plus 150 as Frost damage. Can't be dodged, blocked, or parried. (Talent: Frost: Tier 9) (1 Talent Rank/6 Trained Ranks) (Rank 6: Instant, 5 yd range)
	Hungering Cold	60 Runic Power	N/A	1 Minute	Purges the earth around the Death Knight of all heat. Enemies within 10 yards are trapped in ice, preventing them from performing any action for 10 sec and infecting them with Frost Fever. Enemies are considered Frozen, but any damage other than diseases will break the ice. (Talent: Frost: Tier 11) (Rank 1) (Instant)

Unholy

Trainable Spells

	Spell	Cost	APC	Cooldown	Description
	Anti-Magic Shell	20 Runic Power	N/A	1 Minute	Surrounds the Death Knight in an Anti-Magic Shell, absorbing 75% of the damage dealt by harmful spells and preventing application of harmful magical effects. Damage absorbed by Anti-Magic Shell energizes the Death Knight with additional runic power. Lasts 5 sec. (Rank 1) (Instant)
	Army of the Dead		N/A	20 Minutes	Summons an entire legion of Ghouls to fight by your side. The Ghouls will swarm the area, taunting and fighting anything they can. While channeling Army of the Dead, you will take less damage equal to your Dodge plus Parry chance. (Rank 1) (Channeled)
	Death and Decay		0.023/tick	30 Seconds	Corrupts the ground targeted by the Death Knight, causing 62 Shadow damage every sec that targets remain in the area for 10 sec. This ability produces a high amount of threat. (Rank 4) (Instant, 30 yd range, 30 sec cooldown)
	Death Coil	40 Runic Power	0.15	None	Fire a blast of unholy energy, causing 443 Shadow damage to an enemy target or healing 664.5 damage from a friendly Undead target. (Rank 5) (Instant, 30 yd range)
	Death Gate		N/A	1 Minute	Returns you to Ebon Hold. (Rank 1) (10 sec Cast)
	Death Grip	None	N/A	35 Seconds	Harness the unholy energy that surrounds and binds all matter, drawing the target toward the Death Knight and forcing the enemy to attack the Death Knight for 3 sec. (Rank 1) (Instant, 30 yd range)
	Death Strike		N/A	None	A deadly attack that deals 60% weapon damage plus 178.2 and heals the Death Knight for a percent of damage done for each of <his/her> diseases on the target. (Rank 5) (Instant, 5 yd range)
	Plague Strike		N/A	None	A vicious strike that deals 30% weapon damage plus 113.4 and infects the target with Blood Plague, a disease dealing Shadow damage over time. The strike removes one heal over time effect from the target. (Rank 6) (Instant, 5 yd range)
	Raise Dead	None	N/A	5 Minutes	Raises a Ghoul to fight by your side. If no humanoid corpse that yields experience or honor is available, you must supply Corpse Dust to complete the spell. If the corpses of friendly players are raised, they will have control over the Ghoul. You can have a maximum of one Ghoul at a time. (Rank 1) (Instant, 30 yd range)
	Acherus Deathcharger	None	N/A	None	Summons a Deathcharger, which serves as a mount. Speed is increased by 100%. (Rank 1) (3 sec cast)

Talented Abilities

	Spell	Cost	APC	Cooldown	Description
	Corpse Explosion		0.04	None	Rank 5: Cause a corpse to explode for 220 Shadow damage to all enemies within 20 yards. Will use a nearby corpse if the target is not a corpse. Does not affect mechanical or elemental corpses. (Talent: Unholy: Tier 3) (1 Talented Rank/5 Trained Ranks) (Rank 5: Instant, 30 yd range)
	Summon Gargoyle	50 Runic Power	0.15	3 Minutes	A gargoyle flies into the area and bombards the target with Nature damage modified by the Death Knight's attack power. Persists for 10 sec plus 1 sec per 8 runic power up to 1 min. (Talent: Unholy: Tier 5) (Instant, 30 yd range)
	Anti-Magic Zone		N/A	2 Minutes	Places a large, stationary Anti-Magic Zone that reduces spell damage done to party or raid members inside it by 75%. The Anti-Magic Zone lasts for 30 sec or until it absorbs [10000 + 2 * AP] spell damage. (Talent: Unholy: Tier 7) (Instant, 20 yd range)
	Bone Shield		N/A	1 Minute	The Death Knight is surrounded by 4 whirling bones. While at least 1 bone remains, he or she takes 40% less damage from all sources and deals 2% more damage with all attacks, spells and abilities. Each damaging attack that lands consumes 1 bone. Lasts 5 mins. (Talent: Unholy: Tier 8) (Instant, 30 second cooldown)
	Scourge Strike		N/A	None	Rank 4: An unholy strike that deals 65% of weapon damage as Shadow damage plus 196.95, and an additional 98.475 bonus damage per disease. (Talent: Unholy: Tier 9) (1 Talented Rank/4 Trained Ranks) (Rank 4: Instant, 5 yd Range)
	Unholy Blight	60 Runic Power	0.01/tick	None	Rank 4: A vile swarm of unholy insects surrounds the Death Knight for a 10 yard radius. Enemies caught in the area take 48 Shadow damage per sec. Lasts 20 sec. (Talent: Unholy: Tier 11) (1 Talented Rank/4 Trained Ranks) (Rank 4: Instant)

Abilities cross checked using these sites. ^[1] http://www.mmo-champion.com ^[2] http://deathknight.info/wiki/ ^[3] http://wotlk.wowhead.com

Current APC values provided by ^[4]Beaulshevik

Notes on listed Abilities/Talents: Abilities and Talent description may not match WoWHead tooltips. All information listed here is based on the very latest updates to Blizzard's official talent calculators and patch notes, which are more up-to-date than the in-game builds from which WoWHead draws its data. We are not responsible for discrepancies in WoWHead's database.

Ranks for All Abilities

	Ability	Rank	Level	School	Description
	Blood Boil	Rank 01	58	Blood	Causes any of the Death Knight's diseases on the target, and all enemies within 30 yards of the target, to painfully erupt, dealing 59 to 71 Shadow damage. (Requires Runic Power, Instant, 15 sec cooldown, 5 yd range)
	Blood Boil	Rank 02	66	Blood	Causes any of the Death Knight's diseases on the target, and all enemies within 30 yards of the target, to painfully erupt, dealing 77 to 93 Shadow damage. (Requires Runic Power, Instant, 15 sec cooldown, 5 yd range)
	Blood Boil	Rank 03	72	Blood	Causes any of the Death Knight's diseases on the target, and all enemies within 30 yards of the target, to painfully erupt, dealing 99 to 121 Shadow damage. (Requires Runic Power, Instant, 15 sec cooldown, 5 yd range)
	Blood Boil	Rank 04	78	Blood	Causes any of the Death Knight's diseases on the target, and all enemies within 30 yards of the target, to painfully erupt, dealing 117 to 143 Shadow damage. (Requires Runic Power, Instant, 15 sec cooldown, 5 yd range)
	Blood Presence	Rank 01	55	Blood	Strengthens the Death Knight with the presence of blood, increasing damage by 15% and healing the Death Knight by 2% of damage dealt. Only one Presence may be active at a time. (Instant, 1 sec cooldown, 5 yd range)
	Blood Strike	Rank 01	55	Blood	Instantly strike the enemy, causing 50% weapon damage plus 65, and an additional 32.5 bonus damage per disease. (Instant, 1 Blood, 5 yd range)
	Blood Strike	Rank 02	59	Blood	Instantly strike the enemy, causing 50% weapon damage plus 73.75, and an additional 36.875 bonus damage per disease. (Instant, 1 Blood, 5 yd range)
	Blood Strike	Rank 03	64	Blood	Instantly strike the enemy, causing 50% weapon damage plus 86.75, and an additional 43.375 bonus damage per disease. (Instant, 1 Blood, 5 yd range)
	Blood Strike	Rank 04	69	Blood	Instantly strike the enemy, causing 50% weapon damage plus 102.75, and an additional 51.375 bonus damage per disease. (Instant, 1 Blood, 5 yd range)
	Blood Strike	Rank 05	74	Blood	Instantly strike the enemy, causing 50% weapon damage plus 156.25, and an additional 78.125 bonus damage per disease. (Instant, 1 Blood, 5 yd range)
	Blood Strike	Rank 06	80	Blood	Instantly strike the enemy, causing 50% weapon damage plus 191, and an additional 95.5 bonus damage per disease. (Instant, 1 Blood, 5 yd range)
	Blood Tap	Rank 01	64	Blood	Immediately activates a Blood Rune and temporarily converts it into a Death Rune. This rune counts as a Blood, Unholy, or Frost Rune. Lasts 20 sec. (Instant, Costs 841 Health, 1 min cooldown)
	Dancing Rune Weapon	Rank 01	60	Blood	Unleashes all available runic power to summon a second rune weapon that fights on its own for 10 sec plus 1 sec per 5 additional runic power, doing the same attacks as the Death Knight. (Talent: Tier 11) (50 Runic Power, Instant, 3 min cooldown)
	Dark Command	Rank 01	65	Blood	Commands the target to attack you, but has no effect if the target is already attacking you. (Instant, 10 sec cooldown, 20 yd range)
	Death Pact	Rank 01	66	Blood	Sacrifices an undead minion, healing the Death Knight for 20% of his or her maximum health. (40 Runic Power, 30 yd range)
	Heart Strike	Rank 01	55	Blood	Instantly strike the enemy, causing 60% weapon damage plus 75, and an additional 37.5 bonus damage per disease. Prevents target from using haste effects for 10 sec. (Talent: Tier 9) (1 Blood, Next melee, 5 yd range)
	Heart Strike	Rank 02	59	Blood	Instantly strike the enemy, causing 60% weapon damage plus 85.2, and an additional 42.6 bonus damage per disease. Prevents target from using haste effects for 10 sec. (Talent: Tier 9) (1 Blood, Next melee, 5 yd range)
	Heart Strike	Rank 03	64	Blood	Instantly strike the enemy, causing 60% weapon damage plus 100.2, and an additional 50.1 bonus damage per disease. Prevents target from using haste effects for 10 sec. (Talent: Tier 9) (1 Blood, Next melee, 5 yd range)
	Heart Strike	Rank 04	69	Blood	Instantly strike the enemy, causing 60% weapon damage plus 118.5, and an additional 59.25 bonus damage per disease. Prevents target from using haste effects for 10 sec. (Talent: Tier 9) (1 Blood, Next melee, 5 yd range)
	Heart Strike	Rank 05	74	Blood	Instantly strike the enemy, causing 60% weapon damage plus 180.3, and an additional 90.15 bonus damage per disease. Prevents target from using haste effects for 10 sec. (Talent: Tier 9) (1 Blood, Next melee, 5 yd range)
	Heart Strike	Rank 06	80	Blood	Instantly strike the enemy, causing 60% weapon damage plus 220.8, and an additional 110.4 bonus damage per disease. Prevents target from using haste effects for 10 sec. (Talent: Tier 9) (1 Blood, Next melee, 5 yd range)
	Hysteria	Rank 01	55	Blood	Induces a friendly unit into a killing frenzy for 30 sec. The target is Enraged, which increases their physical damage by 20%, but causes them to suffer damage equal to 1% of their maximum health every second. (Talent: Tier 7) (1 Blood 1 Unholy, Instant, 2 min cooldown, 30 yd range)
	Mark of Blood	Rank 01	55	Blood	Place a Mark of Blood on an enemy. Whenever the marked enemy deals damage to a target, that target is healed for 4% of its maximum health. Lasts for 20 sec. (Talent: Tier 5) (1 Blood 1 Unholy, 30 yd range, Instant, 3 min cooldown)
	Pestilence	Rank 01	56	Blood	Causes 27 to 33 Shadow damage to the target and all targets within 10 yards and spreads any diseases on the target to the additional targets. (1 Blood Rune, Instant, 5 yd range)
	Pestilence	Rank 02	62	Blood	Causes 32 to 38 Shadow damage to the target and all targets within 10 yards and spreads any diseases on the target to the additional targets. (1 Blood Rune, Instant, 5 yd range)
	Pestilence	Rank 03	68	Blood	Causes 41 to 49 Shadow damage to the target and all targets within 10 yards and spreads any diseases on the target to the additional targets. (1 Blood Rune, Instant, 5 yd range)
	Pestilence	Rank 04	74	Blood	Causes 54 to 66 Shadow damage to the target and all targets within 10 yards and spreads any diseases on the target to the additional targets. (1 Blood Rune, Instant, 5 yd range)
	Pestilence	Rank 05	79	Blood	Causes 65 to 79 Shadow damage to the target and all targets within 10 yards and spreads any diseases on the target to the additional targets. (1 Blood Rune, Instant, 5 yd range)
	Rune Tap	Rank 01	55	Blood	Converts 1 Blood Rune into 10% of your maximum health. (Talent: Tier 3) (1 Blood, Instant, 1 min cooldown)
	Strangulate	Rank 01	59	Blood	Strangulates an enemy, silencing them for 5 sec, and deals 80 Shadow damage at the end of the effect. (1 Blood, Instant, 30 yd range, 2 min cooldown)
	Strangulate	Rank 02	65	Blood	Strangulates an enemy, silencing them for 5 sec, and deals 95 Shadow damage at the end of the effect. (1 Blood, Instant, 30 yd range, 2 min cooldown)
	Strangulate	Rank 03	69	Blood	Strangulates an enemy, silencing them for 5 sec, and deals 110 Shadow damage at the end of the effect. (1 Blood, Instant, 30 yd range, 2 min cooldown)
	Strangulate	Rank 04	74	Blood	Strangulates an enemy, silencing them for 5 sec, and deals 150 Shadow damage at the end of the effect. (1 Blood, Instant, 30 yd range, 2 min cooldown)
	Strangulate	Rank 05	79	Blood	Strangulates an enemy, silencing them for 5 sec, and deals 180 Shadow damage at the end of the effect. (1 Blood, Instant, 30 yd range, 2 min cooldown)
	Vampiric Blood	Rank 01	45	Blood	Increases health generated through spells and effects by 50% for 20 seconds. (Talent: Tier 8) (1 Blood, Instant, 1 min cooldown)
	Chains of Ice	Rank 01	56	Frost	Shackles the target with frozen chains, reducing their movement to zero. The target regains 10% of their movement each second for 10 sec. (1 Frost, Instant, 20 yd range)
	Deathchill	Rank 01	55	Frost	When activated, makes your next Icy Touch, Howling Blast, Frost Strike or Obliterate a critical hit if used within 30 sec. (Talent: Tier 5) (Instant, 2 min cooldown)
	Empower Rune Weapon	Rank 01	68	Frost	Empower your rune weapon, immediately activating all your runes and generating 25 runic power. (Instant, 5 min cooldown)
	Frost Presence	Rank 01	57	Frost	The death knight takes on the presence of frost, increasing total health by 10%, armor contribution from items by 60%, and reducing spell damage taken by 5%. Increases threat generated. Only one Presence may be active at a time. (Instant, 1 sec cooldown, 5 yd range)
	Frost Strike	Rank 01	55	Frost	Instantly strike the enemy, causing 60% weapon damage plus 52.2 as Frost damage. Can't be dodged, blocked, or parried. (Talent: Tier 9) (40 Runic Power, Instant, 5 yd range)
	Frost Strike	Rank 02	60	Frost	Instantly strike the enemy, causing 60% weapon damage plus 61.8 as Frost damage. Can't be dodged, blocked, or parried. (Talent: Tier 9) (40 Runic Power, Instant, 5 yd range)
	Frost Strike	Rank 03	65	Frost	Instantly strike the enemy, causing 60% weapon damage plus 69 as Frost damage. Can't be dodged, blocked, or parried. (Talent: Tier 9) (40 Runic Power, Instant, 5 yd range)
	Frost Strike	Rank 04	70	Frost	Instantly strike the enemy, causing 60% weapon damage plus 85.2 as Frost damage. Can't be dodged, blocked, or parried. (Talent: Tier 9) (40 Runic Power, Instant, 5 yd range)
	Frost Strike	Rank 05	75	Frost	Instantly strike the enemy, causing 60% weapon damage plus 120.6 as Frost damage. Can't be dodged, blocked, or parried. (Talent: Tier 9) (40 Runic Power, Instant, 5 yd range)
	Frost Strike	Rank 06	80	Frost	Instantly strike the enemy, causing 60% weapon damage plus 150 as Frost damage. Can't be dodged, blocked, or parried. (Talent: Tier 9) (40 Runic Power, Instant, 5 yd range)
	Horn of Winter	Rank 01	65	Frost	The Death Knight blows the Horn of Winter, increasing total Strength and Agility of all party or raid members within 30 yards by 86. Lasts 2 min. (20 Runic Power, Instant.)
	Horn of Winter	Rank 02	75	Frost	The Death Knight blows the Horn of Winter, increasing total Strength and Agility of all party or raid members within 30 yards by 155. Lasts 2 min. (20 Runic Power, Instant.)
	Howling Blast	Rank 01	55	Frost	Blast the target with a frigid wind dealing 99 to 107 Frost damage to all enemies within 10 yards. Deals double damage to targets infected with Frost Fever. (Talent: Tier 7) (1 Frost, Instant, 6 sec cooldown, 30 yd range)
	Howling Blast	Rank 02	60	Frost	Blast the target with a frigid wind dealing 117 to 127 Frost damage to all enemies within 10 yards. Deals double damage to targets infected with Frost Fever. (Talent: Tier 7) (1 Frost, Instant, 6 sec cooldown, 30 yd range)
	Howling Blast	Rank 03	70	Frost	Blast the target with a frigid wind dealing 162 to 176 Frost damage to all enemies within 10 yards. Deals double damage to targets infected with Frost Fever. (Talent: Tier 7) (1 Frost, Instant, 6 sec cooldown, 30 yd range)
	Howling Blast	Rank 04	75	Frost	Blast the target with a frigid wind dealing 221 to 239 Frost damage to all enemies within 10 yards. Deals double damage to targets infected with Frost Fever. (Talent: Tier 7) (1 Frost, Instant, 6 sec cooldown, 30 yd range)
	Howling Blast	Rank 05	80	Frost	Blast the target with a frigid wind dealing 259 to 281 Frost damage to all enemies within 10 yards. Deals double damage to targets infected with Frost Fever. (Talent: Tier 7) (1 Frost, Instant, 6 sec cooldown, 30 yd range)
	Hungering Cold	Rank 01	60	Frost	Purges the earth around the Death Knight of all heat. Enemies within 10 yards are trapped in ice, preventing them from performing any action for 10 sec and infecting them with Frost Fever. Enemies are considered Frozen, but any damage other than diseases will break the ice. (Talent: Tier 11) (60 Runic Power, Instant, 1 min cooldown)
	Icebound Fortitude	Rank 01	62	Frost	The Death Knight freezes his/her blood to become immune to Stun effects and reduce all damage taken by 50% for 12 sec. Does not remove existing Stun effects. (1 Frost, Instant, 1 min cooldown, 5 yd range)
	Icy Touch	Rank 01	55	Frost	Chills the target for 127 to 137 Frost damage and infects them with Frost Fever, a disease that reduces melee and ranged attack speed by 14% for 12 sec. (1 Frost, Instant, 20 yd range, 6 sec cooldown)
	Icy Touch	Rank 02	61	Frost	Chills the target for 144 to 156 Frost damage and infects them with Frost Fever, a disease that reduces melee and ranged attack speed by 14% for 12 sec. (1 Frost, Instant, 20 yd range, 6 sec cooldown)
	Icy Touch	Rank 03	67	Frost	Chills the target for 161 to 173 Frost damage and infects them with Frost Fever, a disease that reduces melee and ranged attack speed by 14% for 12 sec. (1 Frost, Instant, 20 yd range, 6 sec cooldown)
	Icy Touch	Rank 04	73	Frost	Chills the target for 187 to 203 Frost damage and infects them with Frost Fever, a disease that reduces melee and ranged attack speed by 14% for 12 sec. (1 Frost, Instant, 20 yd range, 6 sec cooldown)
	Icy Touch	Rank 05	78	Frost	Chills the target for 227 to 245 Frost damage and infects them with Frost Fever, a disease that reduces melee and ranged attack speed by 14% for 12 sec. (1 Frost, Instant, 20 yd range, 6 sec cooldown)
	Lichborne	Rank 01	55	Frost	Draw upon unholy energy to become undead for 15 sec. While undead, you are immune to Charm, Fear and Sleep effects, and your horrifying visage causes melee attacks to have an additional 25% chance to miss you. (Talent: Tier 3) (Instant, 3 min cooldown)
	Mind Freeze	Rank 01	57	Frost	Strike the target's mind with cold, interrupting spellcasting while also preventing any spell in that school from being cast for 4 sec. (1 Frost, Instant, 5 yd range, 10 sec cooldown)
	Obliterate	Rank 01	61	Frost	A brutal instant attack that deals 100% weapon damage plus 124, and an additional 62 bonus damage per disease, but consumes the diseases. (1 Frost 1 Unholy, Instant, 5 yd range)
	Obliterate	Rank 02	67	Frost	A brutal instant attack that deals 100% weapon damage plus 152.5, and an additional 76.25 bonus damage per disease, but consumes the diseases. (1 Frost 1 Unholy, Instant, 5 yd range)
	Obliterate	Rank 03	73	Frost	A brutal instant attack that deals 100% weapon damage plus 238.5, and an additional [1.1925e + 006 / 10000] bonus damage per disease, but consumes the diseases. (1 Frost 1 Unholy, Instant, 5 yd range)
	Obliterate	Rank 04	79	Frost	A brutal instant attack that deals 100% weapon damage plus 292, and an additional [1.46e + 006 / 10000] bonus damage per disease, but consumes the diseases. (1 Frost 1 Unholy, Instant, 5 yd range)
	Path of Frost	Rank 01	61	Frost	The Death Knight's freezing aura creates ice beneath his/her feet, allowing him/her and his/her party or raid to walk on water for 10 min. Works while mounted. Any damage will cancel the effect. (1 Frost, Instant)
	Rune Strike	Rank 01	67	Frost	Strike the target for 200% weapon damage plus [200 * AP * 10 / 10000]. Only usable after an attack is dodged or parried. Can't be dodged, blocked, or parried. (20 Runic Power, Instant, 5 sec cooldown, 5 yd range)
	Unbreakable Armor	Rank 01	55	Frost	Increases your armor by 25% and total strength by 10% for 20 seconds. (Talent: Tier 8) (1 Frost, Instant, 1 min cooldown)
	Anti-Magic Shell	Rank 01	75	Unholy	Surrounds the Death Knight in an Anti-Magic Shell, absorbing 75% of the damage dealt by harmful spells and preventing application of harmful magical effects. Damage absorbed by Anti-Magic Shell energizes the Death Knight with additional runic power. Lasts 5 sec. (20 Runic Power, Instant, 1 min cooldown)
	Anti-Magic Zone	Rank 01	55	Unholy	Places a large, stationary Anti-Magic Zone that reduces spell damage done to party or raid members inside it by 75%. The Anti-Magic Zone lasts for 30 sec or until it absorbs [10000 + 2 * AP] spell damage. (Talent: Tier 7) (1 Unholy, Instant, 2 min cooldown, 20 yd range)
	Army of the Dead	Rank 01	80	Unholy	Summons an entire legion of Ghouls to fight by your side. The Ghouls will swarm the area, taunting and fighting anything they can. While channelling Army of the Dead, you will take less damage equal to your Dodge plus Parry chance. (10 min cooldown, 5 yd range, 1 Blood 1 Unholy 1 Frost)
	Bone Shield	Rank 01	55	Unholy	The Death Knight is surrounded by 4 whirling bones. While at least 1 bone remains, he or she takes 40% less damage from all sources and deals 2% more damage with all attacks, spells and abilities. Each damaging attack that lands consumes 1 bone. Lasts 5 mins. (Talent: Tier 8) (1 Unholy, Instant, 1 min cooldown)
	Corpse Explosion	Rank 01	55	Unholy	Cause a corpse to explode for 82 Shadow damage to all enemies within 20 yards. Will use a nearby corpse if the target is not a corpse. Does not affect mechanical or elemental corpses. (Talent: Tier 3) (1 Unholy, Instant, 30 yd range)
	Corpse Explosion	Rank 02	60	Unholy	Cause a corpse to explode for 95 Shadow damage to all enemies within 20 yards. Will use a nearby corpse if the target is not a corpse. Does not affect mechanical or elemental corpses. (Talent: Tier 3) (1 Unholy, Instant, 30 yd range)
	Corpse Explosion	Rank 03	70	Unholy	Cause a corpse to explode for 130 Shadow damage to all enemies within 20 yards. Will use a nearby corpse if the target is not a corpse. Does not affect mechanical or elemental corpses. (Talent: Tier 3) (1 Unholy, Instant, 30 yd range)
	Corpse Explosion	Rank 04	75	Unholy	Cause a corpse to explode for 190 Shadow damage to all enemies within 20 yards. Will use a nearby corpse if the target is not a corpse. Does not affect mechanical or elemental corpses. (Talent: Tier 3) (1 Unholy, Instant, 30 yd range)
	Corpse Explosion	Rank 05	80	Unholy	Cause a corpse to explode for 220 Shadow damage to all enemies within 20 yards. Will use a nearby corpse if the target is not a corpse. Does not affect mechanical or elemental corpses. (Talent: Tier 3) (1 Unholy, Instant, 30 yd range)
	Death and Decay	Rank 01	60	Unholy	Corrupts the ground targeted by the Death Knight, causing 26 Shadow damage every sec that targets remain in the area for 10 sec. This ability produces a high amount of threat. (1 Blood 1 Frost 1 Unholy, Instant, 30 yd range, 30 sec cooldown)
	Death and Decay	Rank 02	67	Unholy	Corrupts the ground targeted by the Death Knight, causing 34 Shadow damage every sec that targets remain in the area for 10 sec. This ability produces a high amount of threat. (1 Blood 1 Frost 1 Unholy, Instant, 30 yd range, 30 sec cooldown)
	Death and Decay	Rank 03	73	Unholy	Corrupts the ground targeted by the Death Knight, causing 49 Shadow damage every sec that targets remain in the area for 10 sec. This ability produces a high amount of threat. (1 Blood 1 Frost 1 Unholy, Instant, 30 yd range, 30 sec cooldown)
	Death and Decay	Rank 04	80	Unholy	Corrupts the ground targeted by the Death Knight, causing 62 Shadow damage every sec that targets remain in the area for 10 sec. This ability produces a high amount of threat. (1 Blood 1 Frost 1 Unholy, Instant, 30 yd range, 30 sec cooldown)
	Death Coil	Rank 01	55	Unholy	Fire a blast of unholy energy, causing 167 Shadow damage to an enemy target or healing 250.5 damage from a friendly Undead target. (40 Runic Power, Instant, 30 yd range)
	Death Coil	Rank 02	62	Unholy	Fire a blast of unholy energy, causing 208 Shadow damage to an enemy target or healing 312 damage from a friendly Undead target. (40 Runic Power, Instant, 30 yd range)
	Death Coil	Rank 03	68	Unholy	Fire a blast of unholy energy, causing 275 Shadow damage to an enemy target or healing 412.5 damage from a friendly Undead target. (40 Runic Power, Instant, 30 yd range)
	Death Coil	Rank 04	76	Unholy	Fire a blast of unholy energy, causing 381 Shadow damage to an enemy target or healing 571.5 damage from a friendly Undead target. (40 Runic Power, Instant, 30 yd range)
	Death Coil	Rank 05	80	Unholy	Fire a blast of unholy energy, causing 443 Shadow damage to an enemy target or healing 664.5 damage from a friendly Undead target. (40 Runic Power, Instant, 30 yd range)
	Death Gate	Rank 01	55	Unholy	Returns you to Ebon Hold. (10 sec Cast, 1 Min Cooldown)
	Death Grip	Rank 01	55	Unholy	Harness the unholy energy that surrounds and binds all matter, drawing the target toward the Death Knight and forcing the enemy to attack the Death Knight for 3 sec. (Instant, 30 yd range, 35 sec cooldown)
	Death Strike	Rank 01	58	Unholy	A deadly attack that deals 60% weapon damage plus 67.2 and heals the Death Knight for a percent of damage done for each of <his/her> diseases on the target. (Instant, 1 Unholy, 5 yd range)
	Death Strike	Rank 02	63	Unholy	A deadly attack that deals 60% weapon damage plus 78 and heals the Death Knight for a percent of damage done for each of <his/her> diseases on the target. (Instant, 1 Unholy, 5 yd range)
	Death Strike	Rank 03	70	Unholy	A deadly attack that deals 60% weapon damage plus 99 and heals the Death Knight for a percent of damage done for each of <his/her> diseases on the target. (Instant, 1 Unholy, 5 yd range)
	Death Strike	Rank 04	75	Unholy	A deadly attack that deals 60% weapon damage plus 150 and heals the Death Knight for a percent of damage done for each of <his/her> diseases on the target. (Instant, 1 Unholy, 5 yd range)
	Death Strike	Rank 05	80	Unholy	A deadly attack that deals 60% weapon damage plus 178.2 and heals the Death Knight for a percent of damage done for each of <his/her> diseases on the target. (Instant, 1 Unholy, 5 yd range)
	Plague Strike	Rank 01	55	Unholy	A vicious strike that deals 30% weapon damage plus 9.9 and infects the target with Blood Plague, a disease dealing Shadow damage over time. The strike removes one heal over time effect from the target. (1 Blood 1 Unholy, Instant, 5 yd range)
	Plague Strike	Rank 02	60	Unholy	A vicious strike that deals 30% weapon damage plus 45.3 and infects the target with Blood Plague, a disease dealing Shadow damage over time. The strike removes one heal over time effect from the target. (1 Blood 1 Unholy, Instant, 5 yd range)
	Plague Strike	Rank 03	65	Unholy	A vicious strike that deals 30% weapon damage plus 53.4 and infects the target with Blood Plague, a disease dealing Shadow damage over time. The strike removes one heal over time effect from the target. (1 Blood 1 Unholy, Instant, 5 yd range)
	Plague Strike	Rank 04	70	Unholy	A vicious strike that deals 30% weapon damage plus 64.8 and infects the target with Blood Plague, a disease dealing Shadow damage over time. The strike removes one heal over time effect from the target. (1 Blood 1 Unholy, Instant, 5 yd range)
	Plague Strike	Rank 05	75	Unholy	A vicious strike that deals 30% weapon damage plus 94.2 and infects the target with Blood Plague, a disease dealing Shadow damage over time. The strike removes one heal over time effect from the target. (1 Blood 1 Unholy, Instant, 5 yd range)
	Plague Strike	Rank 06	80	Unholy	A vicious strike that deals 30% weapon damage plus 113.4 and infects the target with Blood Plague, a disease dealing Shadow damage over time. The strike removes one heal over time effect from the target. (1 Blood 1 Unholy, Instant, 5 yd range)
	Raise Dead	Rank 01	56	Unholy	Raises a Ghoul to fight by your side. If no humanoid corpse that yields experience or honor is available, you must supply Corpse Dust to complete the spell. If the corpses of friendly players are raised, they will have control over the Ghoul. You can have a maximum of one Ghoul at a time. (2 Unholy, Instant, 30 yd range, 5 min cooldown)
	Scourge Strike	Rank 01	55	Unholy	An unholy strike that deals 60% of weapon damage as Shadow damage plus 81, and an additional 40.5 bonus damage per disease. (Talent: Tier 9) (1 Frost 1 Unholy, Instant, 5 yd range)
	Scourge Strike	Rank 02	60	Unholy	An unholy strike that deals 60% of weapon damage as Shadow damage plus 99.6, and an additional 49.8 bonus damage per disease. (Talent: Tier 9) (1 Frost 1 Unholy, Instant, 5 yd range)
	Scourge Strike	Rank 03	65	Unholy	An unholy strike that deals 60% of weapon damage as Shadow damage plus 155.4, and an additional 77.7 bonus damage per disease. (Talent: Tier 9) (1 Frost 1 Unholy, Instant, 5 yd range)
	Scourge Strike	Rank 04	70	Unholy	An unholy strike that deals 60% of weapon damage as Shadow damage plus 190.5, and an additional 95.25 bonus damage per disease. (Talent: Tier 9) (1 Frost 1 Unholy, Instant, 5 yd range)
	Acherus Deathcharger	Rank 01	55	Unholy	Summons a Deathcharger, which serves as a mount. Speed is increased by 100%. (3 sec cast)
	Summon Gargoyle	Rank 01	55	Unholy	A gargoyle flies into the area and bombards the target with Nature damage modified by the Death Knight's attack power. Persists for 10 sec plus 1 sec per 8 runic power up to 1 min. (Talent: Tier 5) (50 Runic Power, Instant, 3 min cooldown, 30 yd range)
	Unholy Blight	Rank 01	60	Unholy	A vile swarm of unholy insects surrounds the Death Knight for a 10 yard radius. Enemies caught in the area take 21 Shadow damage per sec. Lasts 20 sec. (Talent: Tier 11) (60 Runic Power, Instant, 1 min cooldown)
	Unholy Blight	Rank 02	70	Unholy	A vile swarm of unholy insects surrounds the Death Knight for a 10 yard radius. Enemies caught in the area take 30 Shadow damage per sec. Lasts 20 sec. (Talent: Tier 11) (60 Runic Power, Instant, 1 min cooldown)
	Unholy Blight	Rank 03	75	Unholy	A vile swarm of unholy insects surrounds the Death Knight for a 10 yard radius. Enemies caught in the area take 40 Shadow damage per sec. Lasts 20 sec. (Talent: Tier 11) (60 Runic Power, Instant, 1 min cooldown)
	Unholy Blight	Rank 04	80	Unholy	A vile swarm of unholy insects surrounds the Death Knight for a 10 yard radius. Enemies caught in the area take 48 Shadow damage per sec. Lasts 20 sec. (Talent: Tier 11) (60 Runic Power, Instant, 1 min cooldown)
	Unholy Presence	Rank 01	70	Unholy	Infuses the Death Knight with unholy fury, increasing attack speed by 15%, movement speed by 15% and reducing the global cooldown on all Death Knight abilities by 0.5 sec. Only one Presence may be active at a time. (Instant, 1 sec cooldown, 5 yd range)

Ghoul Overview

At level 56 the Death Knight gains the ability to Summon a Ghoul through the Raise Dead spell. Untalented the Ghoul lasts 2 minutes and Raise Dead has a 5 minute cooldown. Through talents such as Ravenous Dead and Ferocious Dead it is possible to have the Ghoul last up to 3.5 minutes and reduce the cooldown on raise dead by 2.5 minutes. However, it is currently impossible to have two ghouls at a time.

Ghoul Abilities

	Ability	Cost	Description
	Claw	40 Energy	Claw the enemy causing 14 additional damage.
	Explode	40 Energy	Explode self, destroying the ghoul and causing 500 shadow damage to all nearby enemies.
	Gnaw	30 Energy	Chew a limb off the target, stunning for 3 seconds and dealing 90 - 110 damage.
	Huddle	10 Energy	Go into a defensive crouch, reducing damage dealt and taken by melee attacks, ranged attacks and spells by 50% for 10 seconds.
	Leap	10 Energy	Leap through the shadows and reappear behind your enemy.
	Ghoul Taunt	?? Energy	Taunts and causes additional high threat to all enemies within 15 yards.
	Thrash	30 Energy	A physical attack, injuring a single foe for 110 damage. Also interrupts spellcasting and prevents any spell of that school from being cast for 5 seconds.

New Style Starting Gear (Live Beta Build 8634)

New Starting Gear Stats

All Horde Races/ Genders: Blood Elves, Orcs, Tauren, Trolls, Undead

All Alliance Races/ Genders: Draenei, Dwarves, Gnomes, Humans, Night Elves

New Style Starting Zone Quest Gear

Starting Zone Quest Gear Stats (NEW in 8634)

Human Female
Night Elf Female
Tauren Female
Tauren Male: Front, Side, Back
Various Horde Races

Talents / Abilities

Deathknight Spell: Bloodworms

Other Abilities

Bone Armor/Magic Shield
Death Gate
Death and Decay
Death and Decay target circle
Runeblade
Random DK Shot
Bloodworms / Death Grip
Death Grip
Bloodworms

Mount

New Deathcharger Mount (8391)

From Deathknight.info:

Death Knight Mount (Pre-8391)
Death Knight Mount (Pre-8391)

Client/Web Artwork

Death Knight Starting Area Loading Screen (NEW)
Death Knight Forum Skin & Icons

Old Style Starting Gear (8471 / Pre-Beta)

8471 Starting Gear Stats

All Horde Races/ Genders With Helms: Blood Elves, Orcs, Tauren, Trolls, Undead
All Horde Races/genders Without Helms

All Alliance Races/ Genders With Helms: Draenei, Dwarves, Gnomes, Humans, Night Elves
All Alliance Races/Genders Without Helms

Gameplay Videos

Newest/Featured		Other Gameplay Videos
		Beta Gameplay: Death Knight Quest Beta PvP Jadefury's Unholy DK Blood DK Questing Blood DK Leveling Dual-Wielding Gameplay Deathknight PvP Alpha Gameplay: Deathknight Creation & Gameplay

Abilities & Spell Animation Videos

Newest/Featured		Other Ability Videos
DK_101.avi		DK Spells Death Grip Death and Decay Deathgate

51 Point Talents

Hungering Cold

3.0.2.9138 (October 25 2008)

Blood

• Bloody Strikes - Now increases the damage by 10/20/30% and the bonus damage from diseases by 20/40/60% of your Blood Strike and Heart strike. Up from 6/12/18% damage.

Frost

• Improved Icy Touch - Now Frost Fever reduces melee and ranged attack speed by an additional 2/4/6%. Up from 1/0/0%.
• Improved Icy Talons - Now increases the melee haste instead of melee and ranged attack speed.

3.0.2.9095 (October 18 2008)

Frost

• Deathchill - Buff only lasts 30 seconds.
• Improved Icy Talons - Now increases melee and ranged attack speed instead of just melee speed.
• Rune Strike - Cost increased to 20 Runic Power.
• Tundra Stalker - Now increases your expertise by 1/2/3/4/5. Down from 2/4/6/8/10. No longer affects Icy Touch.
• Improved Icy Touch - Frost Fever reduces melee and ranged attack speed by an additional 1%. Down from 2%. Last 2 ranks listed as 0% reduction.
• Frigid Dreadplate - Now just reduces the chance melee attacks will hit you by 1/2/3%.
• Black Ice - Tooltip updated to reflect only affecting Frost damage.
• Chains of Ice - Now the target regains 10% of their movement each second for 10 sec. Changed from the target regains 5% of their movement each second. Lasts for 20 sec.

Unholy

• Death Coil - Rank 2 values reduced to 208 Shadow damage to an enemy target or healing 312.0 damage from 272 Shadow damage to an enemy target or healing 408.0 damage.
• Summon Gargoyle - Cost increased to 50 Runic Power. Now persists for 10 sec plus 1 sec per 8 runic power up to 60 sec. Changed from 1 sec per 8 runic power up to 60 sec.
• Corpse Explosion - Now has a 30 yard range.
• Unholy Blight - No longer makes targets considered diseased. All ranks had a slight damage increase.
• Crypt Fever - Now increases disease damage taken by the target by 10/20/30%. Changed from increases the damage of other diseases on the target by 20/40/60%.

3.0.2.9038 (October 3 2008)

Blood

• Blade Barrier - Changed to when you have no Blood runes. (Old No runes)
• Heart Strike - Damage increased. (Now Rank 6 60% weapon damage plus 220.8, and an additional 110.4 bonus damage per disease.) (Old Rank 6 50% weapon damage plus 184.0, and an additional 92.0 bonus damage per disease. )
• Dark Command Range increased to 20yds (Old 5yds)

Frost

• Frost Presence - Armor contribution from items increased to 60%. (Old 45%)
• Frost Strike - Now cannot be dodged, blocked, or parried.
• Black Ice - Frost and Shadow damage doubled (Now 6/12/18/24/30) (Old 3/6/9/12/15) (Thanks for calling us out GC =()
• Tundra Stalker Passive Icy Touch damage lowered by 75%, expertise increase doubled. (Now 5/10/15/20/25% increase to icy touch damage, and 2/4/6/8/10 expertise) (Old 20/40/60/80/100% increase to icy touch damage, and 1/2/3/4/5 expertise.)
• Rune Strike - Runic Power cost lowered to 10, and damage increased, now only useable after an attack is dodged or parried. Can't be dodged, blocked or parried. (Damage Now - 200% weapon damage plus [200.0 * AP * 10.0 / 10000.0].) (Old 65% weapon damage, and only usable after a critical hit with an ability that causes a disease)

Unholy

• Blood-Caked Blade - Chance to proc doubled, and now does an additional 12.5% damage for each of your diseases on the target. (Now 10/20/30%) (Old 5/10/15%)
• Scourge Strike Damage lowered. (Now Rank 4 60% of weapon damage as Shadow damage plus 190.5, and an additional 95.25 bonus damage per disease.) (Old Rank 4 60% of weapon damage as Shadow damage plus 226.8, and an additional 113.4 bonus damage per disease.)

3.0.2.9014 (September 30 2008)

Blood

• Bloody Vengeance - No longer increases frost and shadow damage.
• Blood Tap - Tooltip Fix : Duration changed to 20 seconds. (Old 47802d.)
• Bladed Armor - Now increases attack power by 1/2/3/4/5 for every 180 armor value. (Old 1/2/3/4/5 strength for every 400 armor)
• Bloody Vengeance - Now gives you a 1/2/3% bonus to physical damage (no longer effects frost and shadow) you deal for 30 sec after dealing a critical strike from a weapon swing, spell, or ability. Now stacks up to 1 times (down from 49).
• Abomination's Might - Range of attack power increase now 45 yds (Old 20 yds)
• Dancing Rune Weapon - Cooldown increased from 2 to 3 minutes.

Frost

• Obliterate Damage lowered. (Now Rank 3 - 100% weapon damage plus 238.5, and an additional 119.25 bonus damage per disease) (Old Rank 3 - 100% weapon damage plus 252, 126 bonus damage per disease.)
• Tundra Stalker - Now gives a passive bonus increase to your Icy Touch. (20/40/60/80/100%)
• Guile of Gorefiend - No longer gives bonus to Rune Strike critical damage.
• Howling Blast - Damage increased on all ranks. (Now Rank 5 - 259 to 281) (Old Rank 5 - 192 to 208)
• Runic Focus - Description changed to : "Unlike most casters, a Death Knight's spells cause double damage on critical hits."

Unholy

• Death and Decay - Damage Increased (Now Rank 4 - 62 Damage) (Old Rank 4 - 52 Damage)
• Blood-Caked Blade - Damage increased to 25% of weapon damage. (Old 20% of weapon damage.)
• Blood Plague - Chance to remove a Heal over Time effect reduced to 25% (Old 50%)
• Reaping - Pestilence removed, Blood Strike added.

3.0.2.8982 (September 24 2008)

Blood

• Blood Strike - Added damage increased.
• Will of the Necropolis - Anti-Magic Shell cooldown reduction increased to 4/8/12 seconds.
• Heart Strike - Added damage increased.
• Strangulate - Cooldown increased from 30 sec to 2 min.

Frost

• Icy Touch - Damage increased.
• Frost Strike - Weapon damage changed from 30% to 60% and added damage increased.
• Rime - Critical effect chance increase now effects Obliterate.
• Obliterate - Added damage increased.
• Blood of the North - Two more ranks added (now 5 points). Now: Increases Blood Strike damage by 3/6/9/12/15%. In addition, whenever you hit with Blood Strike or Pestilence there is a 20/40/60/80/100% chance that the Blood Rune will become a Death Rune when it activates.
• Improved Icy Talons - Passive attack speed increased from 2% to 5%.
• Rune Strike - Weapon damage increased from 60% to 65%.
• Endless Winter - Moved from Tier 7 to Tier 6.
• Chillbains - Moved from Tier 6 to Tier 7.

Unholy

• Plague Strike - Added damage increased.
• Death Coil - Damage and Healing increased.
• Anti-Magic Shell - Cooldown increased from 15 to 60 seconds.
• Death Grip - No longer has a minimum range.
• Anti-Magic Zone - Now absorbs additional spell damage equal to your AP times 2.
• Scourge Strike - Weapon damage down to 60% from 65%. Added damage increased.

Other

• Player Ghoul Ability - Explode - Damage changed from 50% down to 25% of the Ghoul's health.

3.0.2.8970 (September 19 2008)

Blood

• Blood Aura - Now healed by 2% of the damage done, up from 1%. (Rank 2)
• Blood Presence - Now "heals the Death Knight by 2% of damage dealt" instead of "heals the Death Knight by 2% of damage dealt by abilities".
• Will of the Necropolis - Now reduces the cooldown of your Anti-Magic Shell by 1/2/3, down from 5/10/15.
• Blade Barrier - Duration increased to 10 seconds from 8 seconds.
• Blood Strike - Now does "an additional 33.0 bonus damage per disease" instead of "Each disease on the target causes an additional 33 damage".
• Death Rune Mastery now give you a 33/66/100% chance to create a Death Rune (up from 30/60/100%).
• Heart Strike - Wording change to "bonus damage per disease" from "Each disease on the target causes an additional".
• Veteran of the Third War revamped - Now increases your total Strength and Stamina by 2/4/6%, and your expertise by 2/4/6.

Frost

• Blood of the North - Changed to only work when spell hits, not on use. Now is caused by both Blood Strike and Pestilence.
• Frost Presence - Now reduces spell damage taken by 5% instead of increasing magic resistance by 1 per level.
• Icy Touch - Now reduces melee and ranged attack speed by 14% for 12 sec
• Obliterate - Now does "bonus damage per disease" instead of "additional damage for each of the Death Knight's diseases on the target"

Unholy

• Death Grip - Now has an 8 to 30 yd range.
• Bone Shield - Changed to "Each damaging attack that lands consumes 1 bone" from "Each spell or attack that lands consumes 1 bone".
• Death Strike - Now "heals the Death Knight for a percent of damage done" instead of "heals the Death Knight for 100% of the damage done ".
• Reaping - Changed to work only whenever you hit instead of whenever you use a spell.
• Scourge Strike - Now does "bonus damage per disease" instead of "additional damage for each of the Death Knight's diseases on the target."

3.0.2.8962 (September 18 2008)

Blood

• Blood Pressence: Description now includes "Only damage dealt to targets that grant experience or honor can trigger this heal."
• Blood Aura: Description now includes "Only damage dealt to targets that grant experience or honor can trigger this heal."
• Bloody Strikes revamped: Now increases the damage by 6/12/18% and the bonus damage from diseases by 20/40/60% of your Blood Strike and Heart strike.
• Bladed Armor revamped: Now increases your Strength by 1/2/3/4/5 for every 400 armor value you have.
• Improved Rune Tap: Now increases the health provided by Rune Tap by 33/66/100% (up from 15/30/45%) and lowers its cooldown by 10 sec.
• Mark of Blood: Now heals target for 4% (up from 2%) of its maximum health. Now lasts for 20 sec (down from 30 sec).
• Blood Gorged: Now also increases your expertise by 1/2/3/4/5.
• Pestilence: Now effects all targets within 10 yard (instead of just 3).
• Abomination's Might: Now also increases your total Strengh by 1/2%.

Frost

• Frost Presence: Now also increases total health by 10%. Now increases magic resistance by 1 per level (instead of a flat 57). ("The death knight takes on the presence of frost, increasing total health by 10%, armor contribution from items by 45%, and magic resistance by 1 per level. Increases threat generated. Only one Presence may be active at a time.")
• Chill of the Grave: Now your Chains of Ice, Howling Blast, Icy Touch and Obliterate generate 2.5/5 (instead of 50/100%) additional runic power.
• Tundra Stalker: Now also increases your expertise by 1/2/3/4/5.
• Frigid Dreadplate revamped: Now enemies who hit you in melee have a 100% chance to become unsettled, decreasing their chance to hit you in melee by 2/4/6%.
• Improved Icy Talons: Now effects both group and raid. Now also increases your melee attack speed by 2% at all times.
• Toughness - Now reduces the duration of all movement slowing effects by 6/12/18/24/30%, down from 10/20/30/40/50%.

Unholy

• Death and Decay: No longer causes targets to cower in fear.
• Death Strike: "or if the Death Strike kills the target" removed.
• Ravenous Dead revamped: Now increases your total Strength 1/2/3% and the contribution your Ghouls get from your Strength and Stamina by 20/40/60%.
• Unholy Blight: No longer causes Blood Plague. Now lasts 20 sec (up from 14 sec).
• Dirge: Now also affects Obliterate. Now generates 2.5/5 (instead of 25/50%) additional runic power.
• Rage of Rivendare: Now also increases your expertise by 1/2/3/4/5.
• Will of the Necropolis: Now reduces the cooldown of your Anti-Magic Shell by -5/-10/-15 sec instead of increasing expertise.
• Ebon Plaguebringer: Now also improves your critical strike chance with weapons and spells by 1/2/3% at all times.
• Master of Ghouls: Description now includes "Unlike normal Death Knight Ghouls, your pet does not have a limited duration."
• Raise Dead: Tooltip no longer lists duration.
• Desecration: Now lasts 12 sec (down from 20 sec).

Runeforging

• Rune of Swordshattering - Now also reduces the duration of Disarm effects by 50%.
• Rune of Swordbreaking - Now also reduces the duration of Disarm effects by 50%.
• Rune of Spellshattering - Now also reduces the duration of Silence effects by 50%.
• Rune of Spellbreaking - Now also reduces the duration of Silence effects by 50%.
• Rune of Lichbane - Changed to "Affixes your rune weapon with a rune that adds 2% extra weapon damage as Fire damage or 4% versus Undead targets".
• Rune of Cinderglacier - Changed to next 2 attacks from next 3 spells.

3.0.2.8926 (September 10 2008)

Blood

• Pestilence: Damage reduced.
• Blood Boil: Now effects all enemies within 30 yards (up from 10).
• Bloody Vengeance: Removed.

Frost

• Path of Frost - Now is a buff that lasts 600 seconds and is canceled on damage.
• Icy Touch: Now reduces ranged attacked speed as well.
• Acclimation: Now only effects the Death Knight instead of the raid or party within range.
• Frost Strike: Damage reduced. Now causes 30% weapon damage (down from 50%).
• Blood of the North: Now whenever you use a Blood Strike, there is a 33/66% (up from 30/60%) chance that the Blood Rune will become a Death Rune when it activates.
• Howling Blast: Damage reduced.
• Killing Machine: Now gives you a 10/20/30/40/50% (down from 20/40/60/80/100%) chance your next Icy Touch, Howling Blast or Frost Strike will be a critical strike.
• Merciless Combat: Now your Icy Touch, Howling Blast, Obliterate and Frost Strike do an additional 6/12% (down from 10/20%) damage when striking targets with less than 35% health.
• Rime revamped: Increased from 2 to 3 points. Now increases the critical strike chance of your Icy Touch by 5/10/15% and casting Icy Touch has a 5/10/15% chance to cause your next Howling Blast to consume no runes. (Formerly: Increases the damage of your Icy Touch and Howling Blast by 15/30%.)
• Rune Strike: Now instantly strike the target for 60% weapon damage. Only usable after the Death Knight performs critical hit with an ability that causes a disease (instead of any melee critical strike).
• Frigid Dreadplate: Now gives enemies who hit you in melee a 33/66% (up from 30/60%) chance to become unsettled, decreasing their chance to hit for 5% for the next 12 sec.
• Annihilation: Now ncreases the critical strike chance of your melee special abilities by 1%. In addition, there is a 33/66% (up from 30/60%) chance that your Obliterate will do its damage without consuming diseases.
• Improved Icy Touch: Now also effects ranged attack speed.

Unholy

• Unholy Blight: Damage reduced. Now lasts 14 seconds (down from 20).
• Reaping: Some ranks removed.
• Blood-Caked Blade: Now Blood-Caked Strike hits for 20% weapon damage plus 10.0% for each of your diseases on the target (instead of a flate 50% weapon damage).
• Desecration: Now you cause 5% (down from 10%) additional damage while standing on the unholy ground.
• Necrosis: Now your auto attacks deal an additional 2/4/6/8/10% (down from 5/10/15/20/25%) Shadow damage.

3.0.2.8905 (September 05 2008)

Blood

• Blood Tap mana cost reduced.
• Heart Strike: Now causes 50% weapon damage (down from 60%). Bonus damage per disease reduced.
• Blood Boil: Now only effects the Death Knight's diseases. Now also causes diseases on nearby enemies to erupt as well. Damage slightly increased. Range reduced to 10 yards.
• Strangulate - Damage reduced.
• Might of Mograine - Now effects Obliterate as well. Increases critical strike damage bonus by 15/30/45% (down from 20/40/60%).
• Blood Strike: Now causes 50% weapon damage (down from 60%). Bonus damage decreased.
• Death Rune Mastery: Now also procs from Obliterate.

Frost

• Frost Strike: Now causes 50% weapon damage (down from 100%). Bonus damage increased.
• Rune Strike: Now only procs when the Death Knight performs a critical hit with a melee special ability (instead of on any melee or spell critical hit).
• Obliterate - Damaged reduced.
• Blood of the North: Changed to 3 ranks. Now gives a 30/60/100% (up from 20/40/60%) chance to proc a Death Rune.
• Merciless Combat - Now Icy Touch, Howling Blast, Obliterate and Frost Strike do an additional 6/12% (down from 10/20%) damage when striking targets with less than 35% health.'
• Icy Touch: Damage reduced.

Unholy

• Death Gate now has a 1 minute cooldown.
• Summon Gargoyle (Tier 5) runic power cost lowered to 30. (Previously was 50)
• Scourge Strike: Now causes 65% weapon damage (down from 100%). Bonus damage per disease reduced.
• Unholy Command: No longer effects the cooldown of Dark Command.
• Corpse Explosion: Shadow damage reduced.
• Death and Decay: Periodic damage reduced.
• Outbreak - Now increases the damage of Plague Strike, Pestilence and Blood Boil by 10/20/30% (instead of Plague Strike and Scourge Strike by 5/10/15%, and Pestilence and Blood Boil by 10/20/30%.)
• Death Coil: Damage and healing decreased.
• Death Strike: Damage slightly reduced.
• Plague Strike: Now deals 30% weapon damage (down from 60%). Bonus damage slightly reduced.

Talent Updates (September 04 2008)

Blood

• Dark Conviction - Now increases critical strike chance of weapons, spells and abilities instead of just weapons.
• Might of Mograine - Now increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Blood Boil, Blood Strike, Death Strike, Heart Strike, and Obliterate abilities by 15/30/45%, instead of 20/40/60%.

Frost

• Improved Icy Touch - Now reduces melee and ranged attack speed by an additional 2/4/6% up from 1/2/3%.
• Toughness - Now reduces the duration of all movement slowing effects by 10/20/30/40/50% as well as increase armor from items.
• Black Ice - Now increases your Frost and Shadow spell damage by 3/6/9/12/15% up from 2/4/6/8/10%.
• Icy Talons - Now only caused by reduction of melee speed, removing ranged and casting. You leech heat from victims of your Frost Fever, so that when their melee speed is reduced, yours increases by 4/8/12/16/20% for for the next 20 sec. Up from 3/6/9/12/15%.
• Lichborne - Reduced to a 3 min cooldown.
• Runic Power Mastery - Now just grants 10/20/30 more maximum Runic Power.
• Frigid Dreadplate - Now enemies who hit you in melee have a 33/66% (up from 30/60%) chance to become unsettled, decreasing their chance to hit for 5% for the next 12 sec. Changed from Enemies who hit you in melee have a 5/10/15% chance to become unsettled, decreasing their attack speed by 50% for the next 3 swings.
• Chill of the Grave - Down from 3 to 2 ranks. Now your Icy Touch, Chains of Ice and Howling Blast generate 50/100% additional runic power.
• Improved Icy Talons - Now only increases melee attack speed, removing ranged and casting.
• Merciless Combat - Changed to Icy Touch, Howling Blast, Obliterate and Frost Strike do an additional 10/20% damage when striking targets with less than 35% health from Frost spells and abilities do an additional 30/60% damage when striking targets with less than 20% health.
• Frost Rune Mastery - replaced with Rime, which increases the damage of your Icy Touch and Howling Blast by 15/30%.
• Howling Blast - Now has a 6 second cooldown, down from 30. Also does slightly less damage.
• Frost Aura - Changed to 'All party or raid members within 45 yards of the Death Knight gain 40/80 spell resistance' from 'Increases your Frost Resistance by 32. While in Frost Presence, all party members within 45 yards take 2/4% less damage from magic.'
• Endless Winter - 2nd rank changed to make Mind Freeze cost no runic power.
• Blood of the North Down from 5 to 3 ranks. Now reads 'Whenever you use a Blood Strike, there is a 30/60/100% chance that the Blood Rune will become a Death Rune when it activates.'
• Frost Strike - Now costs 40 Runic Power, down from 50.
• Guile of Gorefiend - Frost Strike now receives benefit from this talent.
• Hungering Cold - Now costs 60 Runic Power, up from 10. Now enemies within 10 yards are trapped in ice, preventing them from performing any action for 10 sec, instead of the duration depending on Runic Power.

Unholy

• Unholy Command - Now reduces the cooldown of your Demand ability by 1/2 sec, instead of Blood Boil.
• Outbreak - Now increases the damage of Plague Strike, Pestilence and Blood Boil by 10/20/30%, instead of increasing the damage of Plague Strike and Scourge Strike by 5/10/15% and Pestilence and Blood Boil by 10/20/30%.
• Blood-Caked Blade - Now auto attacks have a 5/10/15% chance to cause a Blood-Caked Strike, instead of melee attacks and abilities.
• Impurity - Now your spells receive an additional 5/10/15/20/25% benefit from your attack power, up from 4/8/12/16/20%.
• Desecration - Now Plague Strikes cause the Desecrated Ground effect instead of Obliterates.
• Scourge Strike - Now requires 1 Unholy 1 Frost, instead of just 1 Unholy. Now deals 100% weapon damage as Shadow damage plus 333 and 50% additional damage for each of the Death Knight's diseases on the target.

3.0.2.8885 (August 29 2008)

Blood

• Blood Aura (Tier 7) is now passive.
• Dark Conviction (Rank 5): Now "increases your chance to critically hit with weapons, spells and abilities by 5%" instead of just melee weapons.
• Bloody Vengeance (Rank 5): Description changed from 'Gives you a 5% bonus to Physical and Shadow damage you deal for [DURATION] after dealing a critical strike from a weapon swing, spell, or ability. This effect stacks up to 3 times.' to 'Gives you a 5% bonus to Physical, Frost and Shadow damage you deal for [DURATION] after dealing a critical strike from a weapon swing, spell, or ability. This effect stacks up to 4 times.'
• Hysteria: Description changed from 'Induces a friendly unit into a killing frenzy for [DURATION], increasing their physical damage by 20%, but causing them to suffer damage equal to 1% of their maximum health every second.' to 'Induces a friendly unit into a killing frenzy for [DURATION]. The target is Enraged, which increases their physical damage by 20%, but causes them to suffer damage equal to 1% of their maximum health every second.'

Frost

• Frost Aura (Tier 7) is now passive.
• Horn of Winter: New spell, Horn of Winter: The Death Knight blows the Horn of Winter, increasing total Strength and Agility of all party or raid members within [RADIUS] yards by 155. Lasts 120 sec.
• Improved Icy Touch:Description changed from 'Your Icy Touch does an additional 30% damage and your Frost Fever reduces melee, ranged and casting speed by an additional 3%.' to 'Your Icy Touch does an additional 30% damage and your Frost Fever reduces melee attack speed by an additional 6%.'
• Forst Fever No longer effects casting speed. Now reduces melee and ranged attack speed by 14% (down from 15%)
• Howling Blast (Rank 5)': Description changed from 'Blast the target with a frigid wind dealing 777 to 843 Frost damage to all enemies within 10 yards. Deals double damage to targets infected with Frost Fever.' to 'Blast the target with a frigid wind dealing 622 to 674 Frost damage to all enemies within 10 yards. Deals double damage to targets infected with Frost Fever.'
• Toughness (Rank 5): Description changed from 'Increases your armor value from items by 15%.' to 'Increases your armor value from items by 15% and reduces the duration of all movement slowing effects by 50%.'
• Deathchill : Description changed from 'When activated, makes your your next Icy Touch, Howling Blast, Frost Strike or Obliterate a critical hit.' to 'When activated, makes your next Icy Touch, Howling Blast, Frost Strike or Obliterate a critical hit.'
• Killing Machine: Description changed from 'After landing a critical strike from an autoattack, there is a 100% chance your next Icy Touch, Howling Blast or Frost Strike will be a critical strike.' to 'After landing a critical strike from an auto attack, there is a 100% chance your next Icy Touch, Howling Blast or Frost Strike will be a critical strike.'
• Icy Touch (Rank 5): Description changed from 'Chills the target for 244 to 264 Frost damage and infects them with Frost Fever, a disease that reduces ranged, melee attack, and casting speed by 15% for [DURATION].' to 'Chills the target for 244 to 264 Frost damage and infects them with Frost Fever, a disease that reduces melee attack speed by 14% for [DURATION].'

Unholy

• Deathcharger renamed Acherus Deathcharger.
• Unholy Aura (Tier 7) is now passive.
• Reaping (Rank 3) : Description changed from 'Whenever you use Death and Decay, there is a 100% chance that all three runes become Death Runes when they activate.' to 'Whenever you use Pestilence or Blood Boil there is a 100% chance that the Blood Rune becomes a Death Rune when it activates.'
• Death Coil: No longer modified by attack power. "Fire a blast of unholy energy, causing [492.0] Shadow damage to an enemy target or healing [738.0] damage from a friendly Undead target."
• Raise Dead (Rank 1): Description changed from 'Raises a Ghoul to fight by your side. If no humanoid corpse is available, Corpse Dust must be supplied to complete the spell. If the corpses of friendly players are raised, they will have control over the Ghoul. You can have a maximum of one Ghoul at a time. Lasts [DURATION].' to 'Raises a Ghoul to fight by your side. If no humanoid corpse that yields experience or honor is available, you must supply Corpse Dust to complete the spell. If the corpses of friendly players are raised, they will have control over the Ghoul. You can have a maximum of one Ghoul at a time. Lasts [DURATION].'
• Corpse Explosion: Description changed from 'Cause a corpse to explode for Nature damage modified by attack power to all enemies within 20 yards. Will use a nearby corpse if none is targeted. Does not affect mechanical or elemental corpses.' to 'Cause a corpse to explode for Shadow damage modified by attack power to all enemies within 10 yards. Will use a nearby corpse if none is targeted. Does not affect mechanical or elemental corpses.'
• Desecration: Description changed from 'Your Obliterates have a 100% chance to cause the Desecrated Ground effect for 7 yards around the target. Targets in the area are slowed by 50% by the grasping arms of the dead while you cause 10% additional damage while standing on the unholy ground.' to 'Your Plague Strikes have a 100% chance to cause the Desecrated Ground effect for 7 yards around the target. Targets in the area are slowed by 50% by the grasping arms of the dead while you cause 10% additional damage while standing on the unholy ground.'
• Unholy Command: (Rank 1) Description changed from 'Reduces the cooldown of your Death Grip ability by 5000 sec and the cooldown of your Demand ability by 1000 sec.' to 'Reduces the cooldown of your Death Grip ability by 5000 sec and the cooldown of your Dark Command ability by 1000 sec.'
• Unholy Command: (Rank 2) Description changed from 'Reduces the cooldown of your Death Grip ability by 10000 sec and the cooldown of your Demand ability by 2000 sec.' to 'Reduces the cooldown of your Death Grip ability by 10000 sec and the cooldown of your Dark Command ability by 2000 sec.'
• Dark Command (NEW): Commands the target to attack you, but has no effect if the target is already attacking you.
• Scourge Strike (Rank 4): Description changed from 'An unholy strike that deals 60% weapon damage plus [13.8] as Shadow damage and infects the target with Blood Plague, a disease doing Shadow damage over time. The strike removes one heal over time effect from the target.' to 'An unholy strike that deals 100% of weapon damage as Shadow damage plus [494.0] and [50.0]% additional damage for each of the Death Knight's diseases on the target.'
• Anti-Magic Shell (Rank 1): Description changed from 'Surrounds the Death Knight in an Anti-Magic Shell, absorbing 75% of the damage dealt by harmful spells. Damage absorbed by Anti-Magic Shell energizes the Death Knight with additional runic power. Lasts [DURATION].' to 'Surrounds the Death Knight in an Anti-Magic Shell, absorbing 75% of the damage dealt by harmful spells and preventing application of harmful magical effects. Damage absorbed by Anti-Magic Shell energizes the Death Knight with additional runic power. Lasts [DURATION].'

3.0.1.8820 (August 21 2008)

Blood

• Pestilence no longer causes additional threat.
• Strangulate is no longer modified by attack power.
• Blood Boil no longer consumes diseases; is no longer modified by attack power; and no longer forces the target to attack the Death Knight for 3 seconds.
• Blood Presence now heals the Death Knight by 2% of the damage dealt, down from 4%.
• Blood Rune Mastery (Tier 6) has been removed.
• Bloodworms (Tier 7) now only have a 3/6/9% (was 4/8/12%) chance to spawn of your weapon hits.
• Blood Aura (Tier 7) changed to: All party or raid members within 45 yards of the Death Knight are healed by 1/2% of the damage they deal. (Instead of healing raid members for 50/100% of the amount that spells healed the Deathknight for)
• Vampiric Blood (Tier 8 ) now had a 1 minute cooldown, down from 2.
• Might of Mograine (Tier 9) now increases the critical strike damage of your Blood strike, Hearth Strike and Blood Boil by 20/40/60%, instead of Blood strike, Hearth Strike and Obliterate by 20/40/60%.
• Heart Strike (Tier 9) damage slightly decreased and is now only affected by the Death Knight’s own diseases.
• Dancing Rune Weapon (Tier 11) now has a 2 minute cooldown, up from one minute.

Frost

• Icy Touch damage slightly increased.
• Chains of Ice no longer chains the target in place for 3 seconds, but instead reduces movement to zero, after which the target regains 5% of their movement each second. Lasts 20 seconds.
• Black Ice (Tier 2) now increases your Frost and Shadow damage by 3/6/9/12/15% instead of Frost and Shadow spell damage.
• Lichborne now (Tier 3) lets you become undead for 15 seconds, up from 10, and has a 3 minute cooldown, up from 1.
• Runic Power Mastery (Tier 4) now increases your maximum Runic Power by 10/20/30, instead of its previous effect.
• Chill of the Grave (Tier 5) now allows your Icy Touch, chain of Ice and Howling Blasts to generate 50/100% additional runic power, up from 25/50%.
• Merciless Combat (Tier 6) now causes your Icy Touch, Howling Blast, Obliterate and Frost strike to deal 30/60% more damage against targets below 35% health, instead of 20% health.
• Frost Rune Mastery (Tier 6) replaced by Rime, which increases damage by your Icy Touch and Howling Blast by 15%.
• Endless Winter (Tier 7) now reduces the cost of your Mind Freeze by 10 runic power, down from 20.
• Frost Aura (Tier 7) no longer decreases spell damage done by 2/4% but now gives raid members within 45 yards 0 spell resistance. (?)
• Howling Blast (Tier 7) now has a 10 second cooldown, down from 30.
• Unbreakable Armor (Tier 8 ) now also increases your total strength by 10% and has a 1 minute cooldown, down from 2.
• Guile of Gorefiend (Tier 9) now increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Blood Strike, Obliterate, Rune Strike and Frost Strike by 15/30/45% for 2/4/6 seconds. (Previously did not include Rune Strike)
• Frost Strike (Tier 9) now costs 40 runic power, down from 50.
• Hungering Cold (Tier 11) now costs 60 runic power, up from 20, no longer unleashes all available runic power, and makes the target unable to perform any action for 10 seconds, instead of 1 second per 5 runic power.

Unholy

• Death Coil now costs 40 runic power, down from 50.
• Death Strike changed to: A deadly attack that deals 60% weapon damage plus x and heals the Death Knight for 100% of the damage done for each of his or her diseases on the target or if the Death Strike kills the target. (Damage slightly increased, and now also heals if Death Strike kills the target)
• Unholy Presence changed to: Infuses the death knight with unholy fury, increasing attack speed by 15%, movement speed by 15% and reducing the global cooldown on all abilities by 0.5 sec. Only one Presence may be active at a time. (Instead of changing movement speed by 35 to 49%)
• Death Gate had its 15 minute cooldown removed.
• Unholy Command (Tier 2) changed to: Reduces the cooldown of your Death Grip ability by 5 seconds and the cooldown of your Demand ability by 1/2 sec. (Previously reduced the cooldown of your bloodboil by 2/4 seconds)
• Corpse Explosion (Tier 3) now does shadow damage, and is no longer modified by attack power.
• Summon Gargoyle (Tier 5) now has a 3 minute cooldown, down from 5.
• Unholy Rune Mastery (Tier 6) replaced by Reaping which causes a 30/60/100% chance to change all three runes into Death Runes upon activation when the Death Knight uses Death and Decay.
• Unholy Aura (Tier 7) changed to: All party or raid members within 45 yards of the Death Knight move 8/15% faster. This effect does not stack with other movement improving effects. (Previously increased movement speed by 5/10%; which stacked, and increased your Shadow Resistance by 32/64)
• Bone Shield (Tier 8 ) now has a 1 minute cooldown, up from 30 seconds.
• Night of the Dead (Tier 8 ) changed to: Your next 10 Plague Strikes and Scourge Strikes lower the cooldown of Raise Dead by 15/30 seconds and Army of dead by 30/60 seconds per strike.
• Wandering Plague (Tier 9)changed to: When your diseases damage an enemy, there is a chance equal to your melee critical strike chance that they will cause 33/66/100% additional damage to the target and all enemies within 8 yards. Ignores any target under the effect of a spell that is cancelled by taking damage. (Previously had a 10/20/30% chance that your diseases would also damage all enemies within 8 yards)
• Unholy Blight (Tier 11) no longer consumes 5 runic power per second, but automatically last 20 seconds. Cost increased to 60 runic power, up from 50.

3.0.1.8788 (August 13 2008)

Blood

• Bloodworms (Tier 7) now gives you a 4/8/12% chance on hit to spawn 2-4 Bloodworms. (Previously was 20/40/60% chance on Death Strike to spawn 1/1-3/3-5 Bloodworms)
• Sudden Doom (Tier 8 ) lasts 15 sec now. (Previously 10)

Frost

• Chains of Ice cooldown has been removed.
• Improved Icy Touch (Tier 1) changed to make your Frost Fever reduce melee, ranged and casting speed by an additional 2%. (Previously was 1%)
• Icy Talons (Tier 3) changed to affect targets afflicted by Frost Fever. (Previously affected targets afflicted by Icy Touch only)
• Lichborne (Tier 3) reduced to 10 sec (down from 30 sec). Cooldown changed to 1 minute (down from 5 mins).
• Runic Power Mastery (Tier 4) Scaling runic power abilities behave as if you had an additional 20% runic power. (Previously was 2%)
• Frigid Deathplate (Tier 5) changed to: Enemies who hit you in melee have a 30/60/100% chance to become unsettled, decreasing their chance to hit for 5% for the next 12 sec.
• Aneurysm (Tier 7) Removed
• Endless Winter (Tier 7) is now a 2 point talent and Your Chains of Ice has a 50/100% chance to cause Frost Fever and the cost of your Mind Freeze is reduced to 20/0 runic power.
• Acclimation (Tier 9) now affects the whole raid.

Unholy

• Anti-Magic Shell: Runic Power cost increased from 10 RP to 20 RP.
• Virulence moved from Tier 1 to Tier 2.
• Morbidity moved from Tier 2 to Tier 1.
• Blood-Caked Blade (Tier 4) reduced to 50% weapon damage times the number of your diseases on the target. (Previously was 60%)
• Desecration (Tier 7) increased to 7 yards around the target. (Previously was 2 yards)
• Night of the Dead (Tier 8 ): Hitting a target with Plague Strike or Scourge Strike reduces the cooldown of your next Raise Dead and your next Army of the Dead by 30 sec / 1 min. This effect stacks up to 5 times. (Previous 1 min for both ranks.)
• Scourge Strike (Tier 9) damage slightly increased.

3.0.1.8770 (August 08 2008)

Blood

• Blood Strike damage is now only increased by the death knight's diseases
• Pestilence now spreads to 3 targets instead of 2 but isn't affected by attack power anymore.
• Butchery now only generates 1/2 runic power per 5 sec. (Previously 1/2 runic power every 3 sec)
• Scent of Blood changed to a 15% chance to gain the effect Scent of Blood. It now causes your next 1/2/3 attacks to generate 5 runic power. Cannot occur more then once every 20 sec.
• Abomination's Strength renamed Abomination's Might. Heart Strikes now have a 25/50% chance to proc this effect now. Range of the effect reduced to 20 yards.

Frost

• Frost Strike now causes 100% of weapon damage instead of 50%, the amount of additional frost damage has been increased greatly (252.5 to 416 for rank 5). The ability doesn't do double damage to Frozen targets anymore and now costs 50 Runic Power.
• Howling Blast now deals double damage to targets infected with Frost Fever instead of triple damage to Frozen targets.
• Obliterate now causes 50% additional damage for each of the death knight's diseases on the target. Cost changed from 1 Blood 1 Frost to 1 Unholy 1 Frost
• Icy Touch now infects the target with Frost Fever.
• Empower Rune Weapon now activates all your runes and generate 25 runic power. Cooldown changed from 3 minutes to 5 minutes.
• Chains of Ice spell cost changed from 1 Unholy 1 Frost to 1 Frost.
• Mind Freeze doesn't deal damage anymore.
• Improved Icy Talons Your Icy Talons effect increases the melee speed of the entire raid by 20% for the next 20 sec.
• Deathchill now makes your your next Icy Touch, Howling Blast, Frost Strike or Obliterate a critical hit. 2 minute cooldown.
• Frost Aura moved to Tier 7. It now increases the total health of all party members within 45 yards by 3/6%. (Previously reduced incoming damage of all party members by 2/4%.
• Improved Icy Touch changed to 3 ranks and now your Icy Touch does an additional 10/20/30% damage and your Frost Fever reduces melee, ranged and casting speed by an additional 1/2/3%
• Black Ice Increases Frost and Shadow spell damage by 3/6/9/12/15%. (Previously was 2/4/6/8/10%)
• Icy Talons changed to just melee speed. Increases your speed by 4/8/12/16/20% for the next 20 sec. (Previously included Spells and Ranged, and increased speed by 3/6/9/12/15%)
• Abomination increased to a 100% chance that your Obliterate will do its damage without consuming diseases. (Previously 90%)
• Killing Machine only affects critical strike autoattacks now. It now affects Frost Strike instead of Mind Freeze. (Previously affected any critical strike)
• Chill of the Grave Third rank has been removed. Currently 25/50%. (Previously 25/50/75%)
• Chilblains now lasts 6 secs for ranks 1-3.
• Merciless Combat changed to: Your Frost spells and abilities do an additional 30/60% damage when striking targets with less than 20% health.
• Aneurysm increases the chill effect duration of Icy Touch and Mind Freeze by 2 sec. (Previously 1 sec)
• Endless Winter Your Chains of Ice and Frost Strike have a 30% chance to cause Frost Fever. (formerly effected Mind Freeze and Frost Strike.)

Unholy

• Corpse Explosion cost changed from 60 Runic Power to 1 Unholy.
• Death Coil cost changed from 40 Runic Power to 50 Runic Power.
• Death Strike now deals 60% weapon damage plus 200 and heals the death knight for 100% of the damage done for each of his hor her diseases on the target.
• Death and Decay damage has been increased but isn't affected by attack power anymore. Targets aren't diseased anymore, now produces a high amount of threat. Cost changed from 2 Unholy to 1 Unholy 1 Blood 1 Frost.
• Plague Strike now deals 60% weapon damage and infects the target with Blood Plague, a disease dealing Shadow Damage over time. The strike removes one heal over time effect from the target.
• Unholy Blight damage increased (76 to 152 for Rank 4) and now inflicts Blood Plague. Persists for 1 sec per 5 runic power (instead of 10)
• Anti-Magic Shell now lasts 5 seconds instead of 3.
• Blood Caked Blade moved to Tier 4. Your autoattacks have a 5/10/15% change to cause a Blood-Caked Strike, which hits for 60% weapon damage times the number of your diseases on the target. (Previously Your melee attacks and abilities have a 2/4/6/8/10% chance to cause a disease that deals 50% of your attack's damage over 21 seconds).
• Crypt Fever changed to: Your diseases also cause crypt Fever, which increases the damage of your other diseases on the target by 20/40/60%. (Previously: Your diseases also cause Crypt Fever, which reduces an enemy's attributes by 1/2/3/4/5%. Crypt Fever lasts for 18 seconds and can stack up to 3 times)
• Morbidity added to Tier 2. Increases the damage and healing of Death Coil by 5/10/15% and reduces the cooldown on Death and Decay by 15 seconds.
• Ravenous Dead increases the total strength of you and your ghouls by 1/2/3% and increases the duration of Raise Dead by 30/60/90 seconds. (Previously increased the total stength of you and your ghouls by 1/2/3/4/5% and reduced the cooldown of Raise Dead by 30/60/90/120/150 seconds)
• Outbreak) increases the damage of your Plague Strike and Scourge Strike by 5/10/15% Prestilience and Blood Boil by 10/20/30%.
• Lichborne removed.
• Ferocious Dead removed.
• Summon Gargoyle moved from Tier 9 to Tier 5. A gargoyle flies into the area and bombards the target with Nature damage modified by the Death Knight's attack power. Persists for 1 sec per 8 runic power up to 1 min. (Previously a gargoyle flies into the area and bombards the target with shadow damage modified by the Death Knight's attack power. Persists for 1 sec per 8 runic power up to 1 min.)
• Impurity now gives the Deathknight's spells an additional 5/10/15/20/25% benefit from their attack power. (Previously 4/8/12/16/20%)
• Dirge changed to: Your plague Strike, Scourge Strike and Death Strike generate 50% additional runic power. (Previously 25/50/75% additional runic power)
• Unholy Rune Mastery changed to: When you cause damage to a disease victim, there is a 10% change that the time it takes for your Unholy Runes to activate will be cut in half for the next 5 seconds. (Previously When you strike an enemy with Degeneration or Plague Strike there is a 20% change that the time it takes for your Unholy runes to activate would be cut in half for the next 5 seconds).
• Improved Corpse Explosion removed.
• Bone Armor removed.
• Desecration: Your Obliterates have a 20% chance to cause the Desecrated Ground effect for 2 yards around the target. Targets in the area are slowed by 50% by the grasping arms of the dead while you cause 10% additional damage while standing on the unholy ground.
• Night of the Dead (Tier 8, 2 ranks): Hitting a target with Plague Strike or Scourge Strike reduces the cooldown of your next Raise Dead and your next Army of the Dead by 1 min. This effect stacks up to 5 times.
• Bone Shield (Tier 8 ): The Death Knight is surrounded by 4 whirling bones. While at least 1 bone remains, he or she takes 40% less damage from all sources and deals 2% more damage with all attacks, spells and abilities. Each spell or attack that lands consumes 1 bone. Lasts 5 mins (30 second cooldown).
• Wandering Plague changed to : When your diseases damage an enemy, there is a 10/20/30% chance they will also damage all enemies within 8 yards. This spell ignores targets with effects cancelled by taking damage. (Previously 5/10/15%)
• Scourge Strike: An unholy strike that deals 50% weapon damage plus 3 as Shadow damage and infects the target with blood plague, a disease doing Shadow damage over time. The strike removes on heal over time effect from the target.
• Unholy Blight changed to: A vile swarm of unholy insects surrounds the caster for a 10 yard radius. All enemies caught in the swarm take 152 damage and are infected with blood plague. Persists for 1 sec for 5 runic power. Generating runic power during the effect can prolong it. 5 runic power to use.

Talent Changes (August 07 2008)

Blood

• Vampiric Blood: Now a castable ability: Increases health generated through spells and effects by 50% for 20 seconds. 1 Blood rune, 2 Minute Cooldown

Frost

• Improved Icy Talons: NEW TALENT: Your Icy Talons Effect Now Increases the melee/casting/ranged attack speed of the entire raid by 15% for 20 seconds.
• Unbreakable Armor: Now a castable ability: Increases your armor by 25% and total strength by 5% for 20 seconds. 2 minute cooldown, 1 Frost Rune
• Frost Strike: Costs 50 Runic power, Instant. Causes 100% of weapon Damage Plus X as Frost Damage.

Unholy

• Rage of Rivendare: Your spells and abilities deal 10% more damage to targets infected with Blood Plague (instead of any disease).
• Ebon Plaguebringer: Now Increases increases vulnerability to magic by 13% in addition to increasing damage of diseases. (was a disease that increases vulnerability by 3% stacking 3 times)
• Blood Caked Blade: Reduced to 3 ranks, "Your melee attacks and abilities have a 15% chance to apply 50% of their damage to the damage done by an existing Blood Plague on the target. This ability cannot occur more than once per 10 sec."

Talent Changes (August 05 2008)

Blood

• Improved Rune Tap now lowers the cooldown of Rune Tap by 10/20/30 secs, in addition to the healing bonus.
• Sudden Doom is now affected by Heart Strikes (and Blood Strikes).

Frost

• Deathchill description changed: When activated, makes your next Icy Touch, Howling Blast, Frost Strike or Obliterate spell or ability a critical hit, if cast within 6 sec.
• Howling Blast range increased from 20 yards to 30 yards, it now deals double damage to targets infected with Frost Fever (was triple damage to Frozen Targets).
• Frost Aura: Now reduces all damage raid members take from magic by 2/4% (Was increases stamina by 3/6%)

Unholy

• Blood-Caked Blade now improves Blood Plague damage. New description: Your melee attacks and abilities have a 2/4/6/8/10% chance to improve Blood Plague by 50% of the damage dealt. (old version: Your melee attacks and abilities have a 2/4/6/8/10% chance to cause a disease that deals 50% if your attack's damage over 21 sec.)
• Crypt Fever has been changed: Your diseases also cause Crypt Fever, which increases the damage of other diseases on the target by 10/20/30/40/50%.

3.0.1.8714 (August 01 2008)

Blood

• Bladed Armor: Moved from Tier 1 to Tier 2.
• Subversion: Moved from Tier 2 to Tier 1. Increases the critical strike chance of Blood Strike, Heart Strike and Obliterate by 3/6/9%, and reduces threat generated while in Blood or Unholy Presence by 8/16/25% (Was Blood Strike, Pestilence and Obliterate by 1/2/3%).
• Blade Barrier: Moved from Tier 6 to Tier 1. Whenever you have no runes active, your parry chance increases by 2/4/6/8/10% for the next 8 sec (was 3/5/15%).
• Improved Blood Strike: Is now "Bloody Strikes".
• Bloody Strikes: Moved from Tier 1 to Tier 2. Increases the bonus damage your Blood Strike and Heart strike cause to diseased targets by 20/40/60% (was 30/60/90% Blood Strike only).
• New Talent: Two-Handed Weapon Specialization: Increase the damage you deal with two-handed melee weapons by 2/4%.
• Death Rune Mastery: Whenever you use a Death Strike, there is a 30/60/100% that the Frost and Unholy Runes will become Death Runes when they activate (was "Whenever a Rune activates, it has a 4/8/12% chance of converting into a Death Rune. This Rune counts as a Blood, Unholy or Frost Rune. Lasts 20 sec.").
• Forceful Deflection: Has been removed.
• Spell Deflection: No longer requires Forceful Deflection to be trained.
• Vendetta: Heals you for up to 2/4/6% of your maximum health whenever you kill a target that yields experience or honor (was 2/4%).
• Scent of Blood: You have a 25% chance after being struck by a ranged or melee hit to gain the Scent of Blood effect, causing your next 2/4/6 melee hits to generate 5 runic power. This effect can not occur more often then once every 30 sec (was " You have a 25% chance after being struck by a ranged or melee hit to gain the Scent of Blood effect, causing your next 2/4/6 melee hits to steal life from the enemy. Lasts for 20 sec. This effect can not occur more often then once every 20 sec.").
• Mark of Blood: Now requires 1 Blood and 1 Unholy to be used.
• Abomination's Strength: Your Blood Strikes and Heart Strikes have a 25% chance and your Obliterates have a 50/100% chance to increase the total Strength of party members within 45 yards by 10% for 10 sec (was "Your Blood Strikes have a 25/50% chance and your Obliterates have a 50/100% chance to increase the total Strength of party members within 45 yards by 10% for 10 sec.").
• Blood Rune Mastery: When you hit a victim of Blood Plague with a weapon, there is a 10% chance that the time it takes for your Blood Runes to activate will be cut in half for the next 5 sec (was "When you hit a diseased target...").
• Infested Corpse: Is now "Blood Worms".
• Blood Worms: Your Death Strikes have a 20/40/60% to cause the target to spawn 1/1-3/3-5 Blood Worms. Bloodworms attack your enemies, healing you for the amount of damage they deal for 20 sec or until killed (was "When an enemy that grants experience or honor dies while suffering from one of your diseases, its corpse has a 10/20/30% chance of producing 1/1-3/3-5 Bloodworms. Bloodworms attack your enemies, healing you for the amount of damage they deal for 20 sec or until killed.").
• Hysteria: Now requires 1 Blood and 1 Unholy to be used.
• Blood Aura: Moved from Tier 8 to Tier 7.
• Sudden Doom: Your Blood Strikes have a 4/8/12/16/20% chance to make your next Death Coil consume no runic power and hit for double damage if cast within 10 sec (was "next Death Coil a critical hit").
• New Talent: Vampiric Blood: Whenever you have no Blood Runes active, you have a 30/60/100% chance of increasing the amount of health generated through spells and effects by 60% for 10 sec. This effect can not occur more than oce every 90 sec.
• Might of Mograine: Increas the critical strike damage bonus of your Blood Strike, Heart Strike and Death Strike abilities by 20/40/60% (was Blood Strike, Plague Strike and Obliterate).
• Heart Strike: (1 Blood, Instant, Melee Range): A brutal attack that instantly strikes the enemy, causing 60% weapon damage plus 83 for each disease effect on the target. Targets of this attack cannot benefit from haste effects for 10 sec (was "Heart Strike (Next melee, 5y range): A debilitating attack that causes 100% weapon damage and lowers the target's maximum health by up to 20% for 30 sec.").
• Dancing Rune Weapon: (50 Runic Power, 30yd Range, Instant, 1 min cooldown): Unleashes all available runic power to summon a second rune weapon that fights on its own for 10 sec plus 1 sec per 5 additional runic power, doing the same attacks as the Death Knight (was "Dancing Rune Weapon (10 Runic Power, 30yd Range, Instant, 1 min cooldown): Unleashes all available runic power to summon a second rune weapon that fights on its own for 1 sec per 5 runic power, doing the same attacks as the death knight.").

Frost

• Improved Icy Touch: Your Icy Touch does an additional 10/20/30% damage and your Frost Fever reduces melee, ranged and casting speed by an additional 1% (was "Your Icy Touch does an additional 10/20/30/40/50% damage or 20/40/60/80/100% damage to Frozen targets.")
• Glacier Rot: Diseased enemies take 5/10% more damage from your Icy Touch, Howling Blast and Frost Strike spells (was 5/10/15% for Icy Touch, Mind Freeze and Frost Strike).
• Frostbite: Has been removed.
• Toughness: Moved from Tier 2 to Tier 1.
• New Talent: Icy Reach: Increases the range of your Icy Touch, Chains of Ice and Howling Blast by 5/10 yards.
• Frozen Rune Weapon: Has been removed.
• New Talent: Lichborne (Instant, 5 min cooldown): Draw upon unholy energy to become undead for 30 sec. While undead, you are immune to Charm, Fear and Sleep effects, and your horrifying visage causes melee attacks to have an additional 25% chance to miss you.
• Runic Power Mastery: All your Runic Power abilites are enhanced.
  • Damage spells cause 4/8/12% more damage.
  • Death Pact does 4/8/12% more healing.
  • Icebound Fortitude provides 1/2/3% additional damage reduction.
  • Scaling runic power abilities behave as if you have an additional 10/20/30% runic power.
• Killing Machine: No longer affects Mind Freeze.
• Frigid Dreadplate: No longer requires Frozen Rune Weapon to be trained.
• Chill of the Grave: No affects Howling Blast instead of Frost Strike.
• Chillblains: Victims of your Frost Fever disease are Chilled, reducing movement speed by 10/20/30% for 2/4/6 sec (was "Adds a Chill effect to your Icy Touch and Mind Freeze, reducing movement speed by 10/20/30% for 2/4/6 sec.).
• Frost Rune Mastery: When you hit a victim of Frost Fever with a spell, there is a 25% chance that the time it takes for your Frost Runes to activate will be cut in half for the next 5 sec (was "When you Freeze a target, there is a 50% chance that the time it takes for your Frost Runes to activate will be cut in half for the next 5 sec.").
• Unbreakable Armor: Moved from Tier 7 to Tier 8. Whenever you have no Frost Runes active, you have a 30/60/100% chance of increasing your armor by 25% and your total Strength by 5% for 10 sec. This effect cannot occur more than once every 90 sec (was "Whenever you use a Frost Rune, you have a 5/10/15% chance of increasing your armor by 30% and your total Strength by 15% for 10 sec.").
• Endless Winter: Your Mind Freeze and Frost Strike have a 30/60/100% chance to cause Frost Fever (was "The slowing effect of your Icy Touch lasts an additional 2/4/6 sec and the Freezing effect of your Chains of Ice lasts an additional 1/2/3 sec.").
• Frost Aura: Moved from Tier 8 to Tier 7. Typo fixed. No increases Frost Resistance by 32/64.
• Guile of Gorefiend: Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Blood Strike, Obliterate, and Frost Strike abilities by 15/30/45%, and increases the duration of your Icebound Fortitude by 2/4/6 sec (was 20/40/60% for Obliterate, Mind Freeze and Frost Strike).
• Frost Strike: (50 Runic Power, Melee Range) Instantly strike the enemy, causing 100% weapon damage plus 6 as Frost damage (was "Instantly strike the enemy, causing 50% weapon damage plus 3 as Frost damage. Does double damage to Frozen targets.").
• Tundra Stalker: Your spells and abilities deal 2/4/6/8/10% more damage to targets with Frost Fever (was "Your spells and abilities deal 2/4/6/8/10% more damage to targets under the effects of Icy Touch, Chains of Ice or Hungering Cold.").
• Hungering Cold: Now also infects all affected targets with Frost Fever and will no longer break from disease damage.

Unholy

• Epidemic reworked: Removed from tier 1 to tier 2. Now increases the duration of Blood Plague and Frost Fever by 3/6 sec. ( Previously increases the duration of diseases caused by your Ghouls by 3/6 sec).
• Anticipation (New Talent): Increases your chance to dodge by 1/2/3/4/5 %.
• Vicious Strikes reworked: Increases the critical strike chance by 3/6 % and the critical strike damage bonus by 15/30 % of your Plague Strike, Death Strike and Scourge Strike. ( Previously increases the critical strike chance by 1/2/3 % and the critical strike damage bonus by 5/10/15 % of your Plague Strike, Death Strike and Degeneration).
• Improved Death Coil moved from tier 1 to tier 2.
• Improved Plague Strike removed from the talent tree.
• Outbreak (New Talent): Increases the damage of your Pestilence and Blood Boil by 10/20/30 %.
• Corpse Explosion moved from tier 5 to tier 3.
• Dirge moved from tier 4 to tier 5.
• Improved Corpse Explosion moved from tier 6 to tier 4. Duration increased from 9 second to 15 seconds.
• Summon Gargoyle moved from tier 9 to tier 5. Runic Power cost increased from 10 to 50.
• Unholy Rune Mastery moved from tier 5 to tier 6.
• Unholy Aura moved from tier 8 to tier 7. Will now grant 32 shadow resistance as intended instead of 0.
• Bone Armor reworked: Moved from tier 6 to tier 8. The Death Knight is surrounded by 4 whirling bones. While at least 1 bone remains, he takes 40% less damage from all sources and deals 2/4% more damage with all attacks, spells and abilities. Each spell or attack that lands consumes 1 bone. Lasts 5 minutes.
• Crypt Fever reworked: Your diseases will now also cause Crypt Fever, which reduces an enemy´s attributes by 1%. Crypt Fever lasts for 18 seconds and can stack up to 3 times.
• Morbidity ( New Talent ): Reduces the runic power cost of a Death Coil by 5 and reduces the cooldown of Death and Decay by 5 seconds.
• Scourge Strike ( New Talent ): An unholy strike that deals 50% weapon damage plus 6 as Shadow damage and inflicting Blood Plague. Any existing heal over time spells on the target become corrupted, dramatically increasing the damage done by the disease and removing the healing effect.

3.0.1.8681 (July 28 2008)

Blood

• Forceful Deflection: Increases your Parry Rating by 5/10/15/20/25 plus 5/10/15/20/15% of your total Strength (was 4/8/12/16/20% for both).
• Vendetta: Heals you for up to 2/4% of your maximum health whenever you kill a target that yields experience or honor (was 3/6%).
• Blood Gorged: This talent will now only affect melee damage.

Frost

• New Talent: Blood of the North: Whenever you used a Blood Strike, there is a 20% chance that the Blood Rune will become a Death Rune when it activates.
• Improved Icy Touch: Your Icy Touch does an additional 10/20/30/40/50% damage or 20/40/60/80/100% damage to Frozen targets (was "Reduces the cooldown of your Icy Touch spell by 1/2/3/4/5 sec and increases its critical strike damage bonus by 5/10/15/20/25%.")
• Runic Power Mastery: Runic power abilities with a fixed cost are reduced in cost by 3/6/9 and scaling runic power abilities behave as if you had an additional 10% runic power (was 4/8/12 reduced cost).
• Merciless Combat: Your Frost spells and abilities do an additional 20/40/60% damage when striking targets with less than 20% health (was 30/60%).
• Frost Strike: Instantly strike the enemy, causing 50% weapon damage plus 3 as Frost damage. Does double damage to Frozen targets.
• Frost Strike: This talent no longer requires Merciless Combat to be trained.
• Nerves of Cold Steel: This talent was moved from Tier 3 to Tier 2.
• Merciless Combat: This talent was moved from Tier 8 to Tier 6.
• Annihilation: This talent was moved from Tier 6 to Tier 3.
• Aneurysm: This talent was moved from Tier 8 to Tier 7.

Unholy

• Corpse Explosion: Cause a corpse to explode for 216 Nature damage modified by attack power to all enemies within 20 yards. Will use a nearby corpse if the target is not a corpse. Does not affect mechanical or elemental corpses (was 60 Nature damage).
• Unholy Rune Mastery: When you strike an enemy with Degeneration or Plague Strike there is a 20% chance that the time it takes for your Unholy Runes to activate will be cut in half for the next 5 seconds (was 10%).
• Blood-Caked Blade: Your melee attacks and abilities have a 2/4/6/8/10% chance to cause a disease that deals 50% of your attack's damage over 21 seconds (was "Your melee attacks and abilities have a 2/4/6/8/10% chance to infect a target with a disease dealing Shadow damage over time.").

Talent Changes (July 25 2008)

See: MMO-Champion
See Also: Official Calculator Updates

Blood

• Will of the Necropolis now increases your expertise by 3/6/9 instead of 4/8/12
• Blood Gorged now only affects melee damage.
• Vendetta changed to a max of two talent points, 2/4%

Frost

• Frost Aura increases your Frost Resistance by 32/65 instead of 22/45.
• Frost Strike training requirements have been removed. (Merciless Combat required before.)
• Improved Icy Touch buffed, now grants 10/20/30/40/50% more damage or 20/40/60/80/100% more to frozen targets.
• Nerves of Cold Steel moved from tier 3 to 2.
• Annihilation moved from Tier 6 to Tier 3.
• Aneurysm moved from Tier 8 to Tier 7.
• Merciless Combat now grants 30/60/undefined% more damage to targets below 20% health. Unlinked from Frost Strike. Moved from Tier 8 to Tier 6.
• Blood of the North (new talent, tier 8 ): Whenever you use a Blood Strike, there is a 20/40/60/80/100% chance that the Blood Rune will become a Death Rune when it activates.

Unholy

• Corpse Explosion base damage has been changed from 60 to 216.
• Improved Corpse Explosion now casts a disease on enemy target that deals 36% of the explosion damage over 15 seconds instead of 9 seconds.
• Unholy Aura increases your Shadow Resistance by 32/65 instead of 22/45.

Worldwide Invitational Information (June 28-29 2008)

(From WoWInsider's coverage)

One thing they're talking about is that they don't want to leave the Death Knight in the specific role according to their class -- they don't want to pigeon hole Death Knights by the spec they choose. The speaker plainly said that it's problematic for designers that tanks are forced to either be tank spec or DPS spec -- they want to avoid this restricting dynamic for Death Knights.

He also spoke about class-defining abilities. Runes, right now, have a 10 second cool down. The Armies of Undead are meant to call masses of undead -- invoke the feeling of how Arthas is the Lich King, and able to pull large groups of undead to attack enemies.

The speaker definitely seemed concerned about the tank shortage. They want to avoid pegging a death knight spec as only one spec at a time, so that each character has as many options in play as possible.

Which races can be Death Knights? Confirmed all of them. The Lich King doesn't discriminate, he likes them all. You can be a Gnome Death Knight if you want.

3.0.1.8471 (June 12 2008)

General

• Many offensive abilities that deal magical damage now have their descriptions indicating that the damage is modified by attack power. Namely Blood Boil, Death Coil (damage), Death and Decay, Icy Touch, Mind Freeze, Pestilence and Summon Gargoyle.
• Bloodworm: Creates a Bloodworm to attack nearby targets. Caster receives health when the Bloodworm deals damage. Lasts $d.
• Emblazon Runeblade: Forges the battle-worn axe into a runebladed axe. Must be used near a runeforge.
• Emblazon Runeblade: Forges the battle-worn sword into a runebladed sword. Must be used near a runeforge.
• Soulthirst: Instantly attack the target causing $s1% of normal weapon damage. In addition, the next $* 51291n successful melee attacks will deal $* 51292s1 damage This effect lasts $* 51291d.
• Spell Deflection: You have a chance equal to your Parry chance of taking less damage from a direct damage spell.

Blood

• Blade Barrier: "Whenever you have no Runes active, your Parry chance increases by 15% for the next 8 sec."
• Blood Boil: "Causes all disease effects on targets within 30 yards to painfully erupt, consuming the diseases, dealing $m1 to $M1 damage modified by attack power, and forcing the target to attack the Death Knight for 3 sec."
• Blood Tap: Changed cost to 10% of max health?
• Dancing Rune Weapon: "Unleashes all available runic power to summon a second rune weapon that fights on its own for 1 sec per 5 runic power, doing the same attacks that you do." (places a debuff on you: "You have recently summoned a rune weapon." maybe to prevent you from casting it again until the debuff fades out)
• Forceful Deflection: "Increases your Parry Rating by 4/8/12/16/20 plus 4/8/12/16/20% of your total Strength."
• Improved Rune Tap: "Increases the health provided by Rune Tap by 45%" (So 14.5% of your max health)
• Might of Mograine: "Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Blood Strike, Plague Strike and Obliterate abilities by 60%"
• Obliterate (Rank 3): A brutal instant attack that deals $s2% of weapon damage plus ${$m1$m2/100} and ${$m2$m3/100} additional damage for each of your diseases on the target, but consumes the diseases.
• Rune Tap: "Converts 1 Blood Rune into 10% of your maximum health." (Now only have one rank since it scales up with your health)
• Will of the Necropolis: "Increases your expertise by 6. When you have less than 35% health, your total armor increases by 30%."

Frost

• Acclimation: Gives 50 resistance per stack, up to 150 per school. (New Talent)
• Aneurysm: "The Chill effects of Icy Touch and Mind Freeze lasts an additional 1 sec. In addition Mind Freeze consumes no runic power."
• Annihilation (Three Ranks): "Increases the critical strike chance of your melee special abilities by 1/2/3%. In addition, there is a 30/60/90% chance that your Obliterate will do its damage without consuming a disease."
• Frost Strike: "A strong attack that deals weapon damage as Frost damage. Has a 10% chance to freeze the target" (Bonus damage removed? Seems to be one rank now)
• Guile of Gorefiend: "Increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Obliterate, Mind Freeze, and Frost Strike abilities by 20/40/60%, and increases the duration of your Icebound Fortitude by $/1000;s2 secs."
• Improved Icy Touch: "Reduces the cooldown of your Icy Touch spell by $/1000;s1 sec and increases its critical strike damage by 25%."
• Nerve of Cold Steel: "Increases your chance to hit with one-handed melee weapons by 1/2/3% and increases the damage done by your offhand weapon by 5/10/15%."
• Unbreakable Armor: "Whenever you use a Frost Rune, you have a $h% chance of increasing your armor by $51271s1% and your Parry chance by $51271s2% for $51271d." (Reduced to 15% chance to parry at max rank I think)

Unholy

• Corpse Explosion: "Unleashes all available runic power to cause a targeted corpse to explode for $f1 Nature damage per 10 runic power to all enemies within 20 yards." (ranks 2-5 now implemented, but I wonder why it's Nature Damage though…)
• Crypt Fever (Rank 5): "Your diseases also cause Crypt Fever, which reduces an enemy's attributes by $s1%. Crypt Fever lasts for $d and can stack up to 3 times."
• Degeneration: "Instantly attack the target, dealing 60% weapon damage and inflicting a disease dealing ${$m3*7} over $d. Any existing heal over time spells on the target become corrupted, dramatically increasing the damage done by the disease and removing the healing effect. Stacks up to 3 times." (Do more damage if there is a HoT effect on target and dispel the HoT)
• Ebon Plaguebringer: "Your Crypt Fever morphs into Ebon Plague, which increases vulnerability to magic by 1/2/3% in addition to reducing attributes by 5%. Ebon Plague lasts for 18 sec and can stack up to 3 times." (Basically change Crypt Fever into Ebon Plague while maintain the old Crypt Fever Effect)
  • Ebon Plague: Your Crypt Fever morphs into Ebon Plague, which increases vulnerability to magic by $s1% in addition to reducing attributes by $s2%. Ebon Plague lasts for $d and can stack up to 3 times.
• Necrosis (Rank 5): "Your normal melee swings have a $h% chance to deal an additional $* 51460s1% Shadow damage."
• On a Pale Horse: "You become as hard to stop as death itself. The duration of all Stun and Fear effects used against you is reduced by 10/20%, and your mounted speed is increased by 10/20%. This does not stack with other movement speed increasing effects."
• Pestilence: Increased to 5 ranks.
  • "Spreads an existing disease from the targeted enemy to other nearby enemies, causing $m to $M1 Shadow damage modified by attack power to each target. Less effective when there is only a single enemy or no disease is present."
• Shadow of Death: "Increases all your attributes by 1% and whenever you die, you return to keep fighting as a Ghoul for 45 sec."
• Summon Gargoyle: "A Gargoyle flies into the area and bombards the target with Shadow damage modified by the Death Knight's attack power. Persists for 1 sec per 8 runic power up to $d." (Seems to drain 8 Runic Power every second now, up to 1 minute max?)

Ghoul Abilities

• Explode: Explode self, destroying the ghoul and causing $s1 shadow damage to all nearby enemies.

3.0.1.8391 (May 30 2008)

General

• Most places mentioning "Runeblade" changed to "Rune Weapon".
• All presences have 1 second cooldown, but won't trigger GCD.

Blood

• Blade Barrier: Duration reduced to 8 seconds.
• Blood Gorged: Changed to "When you are above 75% health, your melee damage is increased by 2%/4%/6%/8%/10%."
• Blood Rune Mastery: Proc chance changed to 10%.
• Blood Tap: Level 55, Costs 15% of Base Health.
  • "Immediately activates a Blood Rune and temporarily converts it into a Death Rune. This rune counts as a Blood, Unholy, or Frost Rune. Lasts 30 seconds"
• Butcher: Renamed to Butchery.
  • "Whenever you kill an enemy that grants experience or honor, you generate 10/20 runic power. In addition you generate 1 runic power per 3 sec."
• Death Strike: Now deals 60% weapon damage.
• Heart Strike: Renamed to Obliterate, 150% weapon damage + 300 per disease.
• Mark Of Blood: Cooldown removed, can only be placed on enemy.
• Pestilence: Renamed to Infested Corpse.
• Scent of Blood: Charges reduced to 2.
• Spell Deflection: Changed to: "You have a chance equal to your Parry chance of taking 20%/30% less damage from a direct damage spell."
• Sudden Death: Renamed to Sudden Doom.
• Vendetta: Heal reduced to 3%.
• Will of the Necropolis: Effect changed to 10%/20%/30%.

Frost

• Chillbane: Renamed to Chilling Focus. Effect changed to 25%/50%/75%.
• Chromatic Rune Mastery: Replaced by Death Rune Mastery.
  • "Whenever a rune activates, it has a 2% chance of converting into a Death Rune."
• Deathchill: Changed to "When activated, increases your critical strike chance with Frost spells by 100% for the next 6 sec."
• Frost Strike: Global cooldown removed and changed to "A strong attack that increases melee damage by 200 and causes your attack to deal Frost damage. Has a 30% chance to freeze the target."
• Frozen Dread Plate: Replaced by Frigid Dreadplate.
  • "Enemies who hit you in melee have a 5% chance to become unsettled, decreasing their attack speed by 50% for the next 3 swings."
• Frozen Rune Weapon: Added a chance to cause your target to be vulnerable to Frost damage.
• Glacier Rot: Removed Hungering Cold from affected spells.
• Howling Blast: Changed to "Blast the target with a frigid wind dealing 719-782 Frost damage to all enemies within 10 yards. Deals triple damage to frozen targets."
• Hungering Cold: Removed.
  • "Unleashes all available runic power to eradicate all heat from around the Death Knight, freezing enemies within [???] yards and preventing them from performing any action for 2 sec per 10 runic power. Enemies are considered frozen, but any damage will break the ice." Stun renamed to "Frozen."
• Icy Touch: Reduced cooldown to 4s.
• Improved Icy Touch: Changed to "Increases the damage done by your Icy Touch spell by 5%/10%."
• Merciless Combat: (NYI) Changed to "Your Frost attacks do an additional 20%/40%/60% damage when striking targets with less than 20% health."
• Midnight Sun replaced with Unbreakable Armor: Whenever you use a Frost Rune, you have a 5% chance of increasing your armor by 30% and your Parry chance by 30% for 10 sec.
• Mind Freeze: Increased cooldown to 10s and duration increased to 4s.
• Tundra Stalker: Removed Howling Blast from affected spells list.

Unholy

• Anti-Magic Field: Replaced by Anti-Magic Zone: Places a large, static Anti-Magic Zone which can protect any party members inside it. The Anti-Magic Zone absorbs 75% of the damage dealt by the next harmful spell. Absorbs a limited amount of damage.
• Corpse Explosion: Changed to "Unleashes all available runic power to cause a targeted corpse to explode for 12 Shadow damage per 10 runic power to all enemies within 20 yards."
• Crypt Fever: Stacks up to 3 times.
• Dance of the Dead: Renamed to Dirge.
• Death and Decay: Changed damage to (100/121/190/241)+0.039*AP and random component removed.
• Death Coil: Works on undead enemies.
• Degeneration: DOT stacks up to 3 times.
• Degeneration: Removed "Unable to be healed by periodic heals" effect.
• Ferocious Dead: Added "Death Pact grants a heal over time effect for 15 sec equal to 50% of the amount healed"
• Lichborne: Changed 15 minutes cooldown to 5 minute cooldown.
• On a Pale Horse: Changed to "You become as hard to stop as death itself. The duration of all Stun and Fear effects used against you is reduced by 10%, and your mounted speed is increased by 10%. This does not stack with other movement speed increasing effects."
• Shadow of Death: Duration increased to 45s.
• Summon Gargoyle: Changed to a flat 1 minute duration. "The Gargoyle remains until the summoner runs out of Runic Power."
• Unholy Rune Mastery: Changed proc chance to 10%.
• Wandering Plague: Changed:
  • old "This damage will not cancel spells normally cancelled when targets take damage."
  • new "This spell ignores targets with effects cancelled by taking damage."

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The Reincarnations of Death...

Before the beginning of the Second War, the Warchief Doomhammer began to “reconstruct” the Horde via slaughtering its old, puppet Warchief: Blackhand the Destroyer. Doomhammer then set his eyes upon the Warlock Gul’dan, who controlled a group of necrolytes known as the Shadow council. In exchange for his life, however, Gul’dan promised the new Warchief an army that would serve him in life and death. Intrigued by this idea, Doomerhammer spared Gul’dan and let the Warlock begin to manipulate the souls of his necrolytes by placing their souls in green gems. After socketing the gems in truncheons and placing them in the hands of slain Stormwind Knights, Gul'dan succeeded in creating the world’s first Death Knights.

The creatures fought against the forces of Alliance with a ferocity that had not yet been known to the Light. The Death Knights were quickly negated by the new warriors for the alliance, Paladins. When the dark warriors fell, the tides of war began to turn, and the Alliance soon claimed its victory over the Horde, leaving its Warchief to flee in rage and despair.

During the events of the Third war, however, a new type of Death Knight came to be. The Orc Shaman Ner’zhul, whom had become incased in a suit of armor, began to spread his Undead Plague across the world. In response to this menace, the Knights of the Silver Hand arose, eager to fight against the Lich King. They sent Arthas Menethil, the Prince of Lordaeron and an initiate in the Silver Hand to find the source of this plague and to stop it.

During a raid upon Stratholme, led by the Dreadlord Mal'Ganis, where the local populous had been infected by the plague via a shipment of wheat, Arthas learned that the Plague itself had origins in Northrend, and thus formed a campaign to invade the northern lands.

After overcoming the challenges of the land, Scourge, and Ice Trolls, Arthas eventually found himself desperate to destroy Mal’Ganis, and refused to obey his father, King Terenas Menethil II, who ordered the expedition to return home. Betraying his own men by destroying the ships with a band of mercenaries, Arthas started to show the price he was ready to pay to destroy the Dreadlord. He eventually learned, through his friend Muradin Bronzebeard, of a weapon that could aid him in a such a task. A weapon that could destroy the Scourge forces and bring about the destruction of the Lich King. A weapon that was called Frostmourne.

Seeing an opportunity to save his fellow humans, Arthas charged forth to retrieve the weapon, only to learn that is was cursed. Willing to take any curse to save his people, the Prince withdrew Frostmourne against the advice of Muradin, and in the process he knocked him out and left him for dead.

Arthas, however, did not care.

It was on this day that the most powerful of Death Knights was born.

Finaly, Mal’Ganis slain, Prince Arthas began to wander the cold and harsh land of Northrend with only Frostmourne by his side. The Lich King used the blade to torment Arthas’ soul.

Two months later the Prince returns home with a parade awaiting him. Entering King Terenas’ Throne Room, The Lich King orders him through Frostmourne to succeed his father. With the King of Lordaeron dead, Arthas plans to build an order that will shake the very foundations of the world…

Wielding runeblades that capture and corrupt life energy, the terror known as Death Knights have been released once again upon the world. Learning their dark magics from Instructor Razuvious, these Death Knights have but one goal in their existence: total and complete annihilation of all living beings.

• Sigil of the Dark Rider
• Savage Gladiator's Sigil of Strife
• Sigil of the Unfaltering Knight
• Sigil of Haunted Dreams