Beta Patch 13

Beta patch 13 presented huge changes to the skills and runestones systems, with the elimination of runestones as an item type. They are now part of the skill system and interface, with various rune effects unlocked as characters progress in levels. Numerous skills and skillrunes were changed around in level and effect to fit into the new system.

This patch also introduced chat channels to the Diablo III beta experience over battle.net, as well as making numerous other balance changes.

Diablo 3 Beta Patch 13 – v.0.7.0.8610 - 18 February 2012

A number of significant changes have been made to the character skill and rune systems, as well as to the gold and currency-based auction houses. To learn more about these changes and why they were made, please read the Skill and Rune Changes blog written by Jay Wilson and the Beta Auction House Changes Incoming forum post.

General

• All characters have been wiped. Please note that this wipe will also affect gold, achievements, items, followers, and artisans.
• Intelligence now grants 0.1 per point to resistances, and will no longer award any bonus to healing from health globes.
• When dual-wielding, certain skills will now always use your main-hand weapon to determine damage
  • For example, Cyclone Strike will use your main-hand weapon damage even if your off-hand weapon is set to swing next
• An option to permanently enable Advanced Tooltips has been added to the Gameplay Options

Auction House

• The gold auction house is once again available for testing
• The listing fee for all auctions has been removed
• The transaction fee for auctions in the currency-based auction house has been increased to 1.25 Beta Bucks
• The minimum listing price for an item in the currency-based auction house has been increased to 1.50 Beta Bucks
• Players may now only have 10 active auctions per auction house
• Tooltips have been added which will allow players to compare items on the auction house to the items they're currently wearing

Battle.net

• Public chat is now available to test
• Cross-game support has been added! You can now chat with Real ID friends playing the World of Warcraft PTR or StarCraft II PTR, as well as view their in-game status and current broadcasts.

Skills

• The levels at which both active and passive skills unlock have been adjusted for all classes
• Skill runes are now available for testing
• The first skill rune will unlock for all characters at level 6, and players can unlock additional runes as they level up *In total, players will be able to gain access to 5 skill runes for each skill by level 60
• Character skills have been broken down into categories, and each category has been assigned to a specific mouse button or action bar slot in the skill UI

The following categories will be shared by all classes:

Primary Attack

• "Primary Attack" applies to skills that typically generate resources and can be used frequently
• By default, Primary Attack is assigned to the first mouse button

Secondary Attack

• "Secondary Attack" applies to more pstoowerful skills that are commonly limited by a cooldown or resource cost
• By default, Secondary Attack is assigned to the second mouse button

Defensive

• "Defensive" applies to skills which can be used to escape or control the flow of combat *By default, Defensive is assigned to the first action bar quick slot
• Each class will also have three additional categories which are unique. By default, these categories will be assigned to the second, third, and fourth quick slots in the main action bar.

Elective Mode:

• For players who wish to explore character builds which cannot be accomplished with the provided categories, an “Elective Mode” has been provided. When activated, Elective Mode will allow you to place any skill in any skill category slot, as freely as you could before.
• To enable Elective Mode, simply check the corresponding box located in the Gameplay Options menu.
• The cooldown on swapping skills has been decreased from 30 seconds to 15 seconds

Barbarian

Active Skills

• Bash - Weapon damage increased from 145% to 150%
• Cleave - Weapon damage increased from 115% to 120%
• Frenzy - Weapon damage increased from 100% to 110%
• Ground Stomp - Base skill no longer deals weapon damage. Stun duration increased from 3 seconds to 4 seconds
• Hammer of the Ancients - Weapon damage increased from 180% to 200%
• Leap Attack - Weapon damage increased from 100% to 125%
• Threatening Shout -Damage reduction decreased from 50% to 25%

Passive Skills

• Weapons Master - Swords/Daggers: Damage bonus increased from 10% to 15%
• Maces/Axes: Chance to critically hit increased from 5% to 10%
• Polearms/Spears: No change
• Mighty Weapons: Fury generated per hit increased from 1 to 3

Demon Hunter

Active Skills

• Bola Shot - Weapon damage to main target increased from 100% to 130%. Weapon damage to other targets in range increased from 75% to 110%
• Caltrops - Movement speed reduction decreased from 65% to 60%
• Chakram - Weapon damage increased from 135% to 150%
• Entangling Shot - Hatred generation decreased from 4 to 3
• Evasive Fire - Weapon damage increased from 115% to 125%. Pathing has been improved when performing a backflip
• Hungering Arrow - Weapon damage increased from 85% to 115%
• Impale - Weapon damage decreased from 275% to 250%
• Vault - Pathing has been improved

Passive Skills

• Steady Aim - Damage bonus when no enemies are within 10 yards increased from 10% to 20%
• Vengeance - Maximum Hatred bonus decreased from 50 to 25
• When healed by a health globe, Hatred gain increased from 10 to 20 and Discipline gain increased from 1 to 2

Monk

Active Skills

• Breath of Heaven - Spirit cost reduced from 50 to 25
  • Heal amount increased
  • Now has a 15 second cooldown
• Dashing Strike - Weapon damage decreased from 160% to 80%
  • Pathing has been improved
• Exploding Palm - Weapon damage from bleed effect decreased from 65% to 60%
• Lashing Tail Kick - Weapon damage decreased from 225% to 200%
• Mantra of Evasion - Chance to dodge bonus decreased from 25% to 15%
  • Secondary bonus to dodge attacks, in effect for the first 3 seconds after activation, also decreased from 25% to 15%

Passive Skills

• Guardian's Path - When dual-wielding, chance to dodge bonus increased from 10% to 15%
  • While using a two-handed weapon, Spirit regeneration bonus increased from 20% to 25%
• Resolve - Enemy damage reduction decreased from 30% to 25%

Witch Doctor

General

• Witch Doctor mana has received a tuning pass

Active Skills

• Corpse Spiders - Weapon damage per swing decreased from 38% to 25% per spider
• Firebomb - Weapon damage decreased from 155% to 100%
• Grasp of the Dead - Movement speed reduction increased from 50% to 60%
• Haunt - Duration of Haunt no longer scales per level
  • Now deals 350% weapon damage over 15 seconds
• Hex - Damage bonus to hexed enemy decreased from 20% to 12%
• Plague of Toads - Weapon damage decreased from 150% to 130% per toad *

Summon Zombie Dogs - Weapon damage per hit decreased from 15% to 9% per dog

Passive Skills

• Spiritual Attunement - Mana regeneration decreased from 2% to 1% of maximum Mana per second

Wizard

General

• Arcane Power regeneration has been lowered from 12.5 per second to 10 per second

Active Skills

• Arcane Orb - Weapon damage increased from 225% to 250%
• Diamond Skin - Maximum absorption amount decreased
• Frost Nova - No longer deals weapon damage
• Ray of Frost - Weapon damage increased from 155% to 200%
• Movement speed reduction decreased from 40% to 30%
  • Attack speed reduction decreased from 30% to 20%
  • Duration of slow and attack speed reduction decreased from 5 seconds to 3 seconds
• Shock Pulse - Weapon damage increased from 90% to 105%
• Wave of Force - Weapon damage decreased from 250% to 220%
  • Movement speed reduction increased from 50% to 60%

Passive Skills

• Glass Cannon - Damage bonus reduced from 20% to 15%

Crafting

• The cost to level the Blacksmith has been reduced by 50%
• The gold and reagent cost of Blacksmithing recipes has received a tuning pass
• The following affixes now have a chance to appear twice when crafting an item:
  • Min damage
  • Max damage
• 8All Elemental damage types

Followers

Templar

Skills

• Heal - Heal amount increased
• Loyalty - Healing per second increased

Items

General

• Passive Spirit regeneration granted by the Spirit Regeneration item affix has been increased
• Quivers will now grant +damage

• New item affixes have been added!Chance on hit to:

• • Fear
  • Stun
  • Freeze
  • Immobilize
  • Chill
  • Blind
  • Slow
  • Knockback

Vendors

• Vendors will now change their inventories more often throughout the game, and will have access to wider variety of item affixes
• The chance for a white item to appear in a vendor's stock has been reduced from 30% to 10%
• The vendor value of all items has been reduced

Monsters

• The health and damage of all monster in the game have been adjusted
• The amount of gold dropped by monsters has been increased

Bug Fixes

For a full list of documented game and service bugs, please review the Known Issues sticky located in the Beta Bug Report forum.

• Achievements should now awarded properly once their objectives are met
• Accounts that were locked by error messages (such as ERROR_395002) should now be unlocked
• Players should now be able to buy gold using their Beta Bucks