[ Getting Started | Character Customization | First Few Levels | Resting | Death ]
[ Combat | Controls | Emotes | Macros | Slash Commands | Spells ]
Spells All classes in WoW use some kind of
spells, be it offensive ones, defensive ones or simply buffs. The spellcaster
classes will recieve most spells, and will be the only ones to use magical
spells in the original meaning of the word, Warriors and melee classes will
recieve less "spells" but often more useful ones. Some Abilities/Spells do not
require mana but are instead based on a timer. Effect
This is, as
the name suggests, how strong the effects brought upon the target is. If it's an
offensive spell, such as fireball, this tells how much damage it does, if it's a
healing spell, it tells how much damage is healed. The stronger the effects the
better the spell, but the higher the requirements are. Cast Time
The
cast times tells how long it takes to cast a spell. The longer the Cast Time, the longer it takes to cast a spell.
You will find this time listed in your spell or abilities menu. When you are
casting a spell, a progress indicator will pop up on the screen, indicating how
close you are to casting it. If you are attacked by a monster during
the casting, the progress bar will drop and your spell will be delayed. You
can continue to try and cast the spell or stop casting and attack the monster if
you figure it's better to engage the mob than to attempt to finish the spell. If you move or are interrupted by a monster's special ability (such as
stun), the casting process will be completely cancelled and you will have to try
casting it again.
Channeling/Interruption
Many spells must be maintained or
"channeled" to achieve their full effect. This applies mainly to mass-damage
area-effect spells (Blizzard is an example of such a spell) although there are a
few other spells that also require channeling. You will know a spell requires
channeling when a progress bar appears with the word "Channeling" in it. If you
are interrupted by moving, attacking, being attacked, or if you try casting
something else, or being interrupted by a monster, the spell will not be
completed and you will have to try casting it again.
Instant Cast
Some spells can be cast instantly. This means that
they cannot be interrupted by monsters, and they do not have a casting time.
These spells can be identified in the spell book or by noting the lack of a
progress bar when it is cast.
Casting on the Run
Some abilities can be cast while you're running,
though the majority requires you to stand put. A warning message appears if you
try to cast a stand-still spell while moving. Canceling Spell Casting
Once you begin casting a spell, do not
move, otherwise you will interrupt the spell. This is also a good way to stop
casting if you change your mind about casting a particular spell. For instance,
let's say you're a healer that is about to heal someone, but someone else heals
them before you do, or they heal themselves with a potion. You should then start
moving and interrupt the casting of your own heal spell. This way, you will not
waste mana healing them, since they no longer require healing.
Cooldown
Cooldown is the amount of time it takes before you can
cast the same spell again. This is also known as a Casting Delay. Cooldown is
fixed and is unaffected by increases to Mana capacity and/or Mana Regeneration.
Some spells do not have a Mana cost, and are instead limited by their Cooldown
timer. Once you have cast a spell, place your mouse over the ability to see how
much longer you must wait in order to use that ability.
Range
The spell book lists the range of each spell. To cast a spell
on a monster, you will need to get close enough to be inside of the maximum
range allotted by the spell. Typically you will want to cast your spell as far
away from the monster as possible, which will give you more time to cast a
second spell or do something else (like having another party member/pet taunt
them) before the monster reaches you. To find out how close you have to be to
cast a spell, try moving slowly towards your target while clicking the spell or
ability.
You will receive error messages until you're close enough. Area of Effect Spells (AOE)
AOE spells affect multiple enemies at
the same time. These abilities are useful if you encounter a pack of monsters,
especially when another party member can taunt them to him or herself, and stop
the pack from swarming on the caster, or if the pack is all nearly dead. Be very
careful when using these spells though, they can "wake up" monsters that are neutral,
and make them aggressive towards you, or generate enough "monster hate" to cause
multiple monsters to attack you at once (Which will cause the caster to die
almost instantly, and is why you would want a tank to taunt the pack and take
the attention away from the caster). AOE spells have a special targeting
display. Place it exactly over where you want to cast it.
Leash Spells
A Leash Spell is an ability where your character
lassos the target with a stream of spell effect. Life Drain is an example of a
Leash spell. You must be within range to cast and if your target moves too far
away the spell will cancel (it will be out of your leash range) before it reaches its
full effect.
Line-of-Sight/Casting Direction
Most abilities require that you are
facing the target, and be able to see the target. If you receive a
line-of-sight error message, move your character until it is facing the target
and the target is in your character's line-of-sight.
Buffs
A "Buff" is a beneficial and persistent spell effect. An
example of a Buff is the Priest's Renew. Players can cast Buffs on themselves,
their pets, or other players.
Dispel or De-Buff
A De-buff is a hostile spell that is cast on the
enemy, or cast by monsters on yourself. Spells like these do damage over time,
or negatively affects your stats and skills. You will need to remove these
abilities with a "Remove Curse", "Dispel" or any abilities that provide a
similar effect. Or you can simply wait until the De-buff's timer is up, and it
goes away by itself. Spell/Ability Reagents
Some abilities require that you have a
special item(s) in your inventory. These are known as Reagents. The error
message will tell you what item is required. You must then find this item and
then place it anywhere in your backpack or other bags. If you do not have the
required reagents, you will be unable to use the ability.
Resistances/Monster Level
Monsters have a chance to resist your
spells. If they resist a spell you will see "resist" displayed. Lower level
monsters will resist your spells less often than higher level monsters do. If
you attack a very high level monster you will find that they will resist spell
effects almost every time. Low level creeps rarely resists your spells. If you are having problems with resists, try
attacking lower level monsters, getting some help, or using other abilities that
are less likely to be resisted.
Autocast Spell
Some spells and abilities do not need to be manually
activated by the player. They are called Autocast spells and you can set them to
be automatically cast by the player when needed. Some pets also have Autocast
spells. Spells like these will have a border around the spell icon that flashes,
letting you know when it is active.
Getting New Spells or Abilities
Most abilities can be found by
visiting trainers. Other abilities can be found in books, which are items
dropped by monsters, found through quests, or sold by other players. Use your
mouse to right-click on a book to learn a new ability. A new button that depicts
this ability will now appear in your spells or abilities menu.
[ Getting Started | Character Customization | First Few Levels | Resting | Death ]
[ Combat | Controls | Emotes | Macros | Slash Commands | Spells ]
|
