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Elder Scrolls Online Wrathstone: Racial Changes & New Sets

Elder Scrolls Online’s Wrathstone DLC is coming in February, and was released on the Public Test Server less than 48 hours ago. In addition, Zenimax has released patch notes for this test version of the game, which gives us some insight into things to come. Let’s dig into these a bit and see what new and veteran players can look forward to. The Racial Passive changes alone are huge news, and are particularly interesting.

ESO Wrathstone Additions & Changes (Update 21)

The first thing we’ll cover here is the two new Dungeons added: Frostvault and Depths of Malatar. Frostvault is a long-lost Dwarven ruin buried in a thawing glacier, where the Dwarves secreted away an object of immeasurable importance. Within the complex, a massive vault holds a piece of the legendary Wrathstone, a tablet carved with mysterious and arcane writing. Depths of Malatar is the wreckage of an Imperial fort built to plunder Ayleid ruins on the Gold Coast. Believed to be abandoned after its destruction in an unnamed calamity, your search reveals a terrible secret—the Imperials never left.

With these new Dungeons of course come brand new Sets, including Monster Helms, so let’s have a look at what these are!

Wrathstone Sets

Frostvault

  • Icy Conjuror (Light)
    • 2 – Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka
    • 3 – Adds 129 Spell Damage
    • 4 – Adds 1487 Spell Penetration
    • 5 – Applying a minor debuff to your enemy summons a non-reflectable Ice Wraith that will charge into your enemy, dealing 18920 Frost Damage over 4 seconds. This effect can occur every 12 seconds.
  • Tzogvin’s Warband (Medium)
    • 2 – Adds 833 Weapon Critical
    • 3 – Adds 833 Weapon Critical
    • 4 – Adds 1487 Physical Penetration
    • 5 – When you deal critical damage with a Light or Heavy attack, you gain a stack of Precision, increasing your Weapon Critical by 129 for 10 seconds, up to 10 stacks max.  At max stacks, you also gain Minor Force, increasing your Critical Damage done by 10%.
  • Mighty Glacier (Heavy)
    • 2 – Adds 1096 Maximum Stamina
    • 3 – Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka
    • 4 – Adds 129 Stamina Recovery
    • 4 – Adds 129 Magicka Recovery
    • 5 – When you cast a snare or immobilize ability, or hit a target with a snare or immobilize ability, you and up to 11 group members gain Major Resolve and Major Ward for 15 seconds, increasing your Physical and Spell Resistances by 5280.  This effect can occur once every 10 seconds.
  • Stonekeeper (Monster Mask)
    • 1 – Adds 548 Maximum Stamina
    • 1 – Adds 548 Maximum Magicka
    • 1 – Adds 603 Maximum Health
    • 2 – When you block an attack, you gain an energy Charge stack, up to one stack per second.  When you gain 6 Charges, you release the energy, restoring 5350 Stamina and Magicka, and healing for 5350. After releasing the Charges, you cannot regain new Charges for 14 seconds.

Depths of Malatar

  • Auroran’s Thunder (Light)
    • 2 – Adds 1206 Maximum Health
    • 3 – Adds 129 Spell Damage
    • 4 – Adds 1487 Spell Penetration
    • 5 – When you damage a nearby enemy with a single target ability, you summon a cone of lightning from your chest for 3 seconds, dealing 1285 Shock Damage every 0.5 seconds to enemies in the cone.  This effect can occur every 6 seconds.
  • Scavenging Demise (Medium)
    • 2 – Adds 129 Weapon Damage
    • 3 – Adds 833 Weapon Critical
    • 4 – Adds 833 Weapon Critical
    • 5 – When you deal Critical Poison Damage to an enemy, summon the Scavenging Maw who, after 2 seconds, attacks the enemy, dealing 7000 Poison damage and inflicting Minor Vulnerability for 15 seconds, increasing their Damage Taken by 8%. This effect can occur every 10 seconds.
  • Frozen Watcher (Heavy)
    • 2 – Adds 1096 Maximum Stamina
    • 3 – Adds 1206 Maximum Health
    • 4 – Adds 1096 Maximum Stamina
    • 5 – Summon a blizzard around you while blocking, inflicting 1000 Frost Damage every 1 second to enemies within your blizzard.  Your blizzard has a 15% chance of inflicting Chilled on enemies damage.
  • Symphony of Blades (Monster Mask)
    • 1 – Adds 2% Healing Done
    • 2 – When you heal an ally whose primary resource is under 50%, grant them Meridia’s Favor, restoring 2325 of that resource every 1 second for 6 seconds. 18 second cooldown.

Some of these Sets are frankly outstanding, and Scavenging Demise looks to be a must have Trial Set for Stamina Builds because it places Minor Vulnerability on the target for 15 seconds, which increases total damage taken by 8%. Icy Conjuror looks great for Magicka PvP, as you can push the tooltip all the way up to 30k damage if you are a Warden. Stonekeeper is excellent for new tanks or “perma-blocking” builds in PvP, and Frozen Watcher allows you to debuff enemies and deal damage while just holding Block. Lastly, Symphony of Blades might be the most powerful Monster Helm Set we’ve seen to date, as it will give the healed target effectively 1550 Recovery over 18 second. That is staggering and I fully expect that to be nerfed by about half before reaching live.

Cyrodiil Set Updates

Deadly Strike

  • OLD
    • 2 – Adds 1206 Maximum Health
    • 3 – Adds 833 Weapon Critical
  • NEW
    • 2 – Adds 129 Weapon Damage
    • 3 – Adds 833 Weapon Critical
    • 4 – Adds 129 Weapon Damage
    • 5 – Increase the damage your Physical, Bleed, Poison, and Disease damage over time abilities do by 14%.

Buffer of the Swift

  • OLD
    • 2 – Adds 4% Healing Taken
    • 3 – Adds 1206 Maximum Health
    • 4 – Reduce damage taken from players by 5%
    • 5 – When you take damage from a spell, you have a 10% chance to gain a damage shield that absorbs 2580 damage for 6 seconds.  This effect can occur once every 4 seconds.
  • NEW
    • 2 – Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka
    • 3 – Adds 2975 Physical Resistance
    • 4 – Adds 2975 Spell Resistance
    • 5 – Reduce damage taken from players by 10%.

Alessian Order

  • OLD
    • 2 – Adds 129 Stamina Recovery
    • 3 – Adds 4% Healing Taken
    • 4 – Adds 1206 Maximum Health
    • 5 – Increases the immunity to disabling effects after using Break Free by 3 seconds.
  • NEW
    • 2 – Adds 2975 Physical Resistance
    • 3 – Adds 2975 Spell Resistance
    • 4 – Adds 1206 Maximum Health
    • 5 – Increases your Health Recovery by 1% of your sum total Physical and Spell Resistance.

Beckoning Steel

  • OLD
    • 2 – Adds 2975 Spell Resistance
    • 3 – Adds 1206 Maximum Health
    • 4 – Adds 2975 Spell Resistance
    • 5 – You have a 40% chance to intercept any projectile cast on an ally within 5 meters of you.
  • NEW
    • 2 – Adds 2975 Spell Resistance
    • 3 – Adds 1206 Maximum Health
    • 4 – Adds 2975 Physical Resistance
    • 5 – Generate an aura that causes you and 11 group members within the aura to take 10% less damage from projectiles.  You can only be affected by one instance of Beckoning Steel.

Curse Eater

  • OLD
    • 2 – Adds 1206 Maximum Health
    • 3 – Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka
    • 4 – Adds 129 Magicka Recovery
    • 5 – Reduces the duration of all negative effects applied to you by 20%.
  • NEW
    • 2 – Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka
    • 3 – Adds 129 Magicka Recovery
    • 4 – Adds 129 Magicka Recovery
    • 5 – When you heal yourself or an ally, remove two negative effects from them. If a negative effect was removed this way, your target restores 150 Magicka.  This effect can occur every 2 seconds.

Sentry

  • OLD
    • 2 – Adds 1096 Maximum Stamina
    • 3 – Adds 129 Weapon Damage
    • 4 – Adds 1096 Weapon Critical
    • 5 – Increases the radius you can detect Sneaking enemies by 50%. Increases your damage done to Sneaking enemies by 20%.
    • 5 – Adds 129 Weapon Damage
  • NEW
    • 2 – Adds 1096 Maximum Stamina
    • 3 – Adds 129 Weapon Damage
    • 4 – Adds 833 Weapon Critical
    • 5 – When you begin to crouch, gain Stealth Detection for 10 seconds.  This effect can only be activated every 30 seconds.
    • 5 – Adds 129 Weapon Damage

Deadly Strike is making it’s way into the fold, getting an additional 2 bonuses, and ones that are quite good (Werewolf anyone?). Curse Eater allows you to remove negative effects through healing, which is really really good. I can see healers running this very frequently out in Cyrodiil, but probably even more so in Battlegrounds. There are some great healing Sets to compete with, but this one will certainly do that.

Racial Skills Changes

In this Update all 10 Races have seen their passive Skills been updated or changed. The following is a list of just what these are:

High Elf

  • Increases Experience gain in Destruction Staff Skill Line by 15%, extra 1% Generic Experience gain → No changes
  • Spellcharge: Gain 9% Magicka Recovery → Spell Recharge: Restore 575 Magicka or Stamina, based on whichever is higher, after activating a Class Ability. This effect can occur once every 6 seconds. Reduces damage taken by 5% while you are using an ability with a cast or channel time.
  • Gift of Magnus: Gain 10% Max Magicka → Syrabane’s Boon: Increases your Max Magicka by 2000.
  • Elemental Talent: Gain 4% Fire/Shock/Ice damage → Increases your Spell Damage by 258.

Argonian

  • Increases experience gain in Resto Staff Skill Line by 15%, extra 50% Swimming Speed → No changes
  • Resourceful: Gain 3% Max Magicka and restore 4620 Health, Magicka, and Stamina when you drink a potion → Increases your Max Magicka by 1000. Restore 3600 Health, Magicka, and Stamina when you drink a potion.
  • Argonian Resistance: Gain 9% Max Health and 1485 Poison and Disease Resistance → Increases your Max Health by 1000 and your Disease Resistance by 2310. You are immune to the Diseased status effect.
  • Quick to Mend: Gain 5% Healing Done and Received → Life Mender: Increases your Healing Done by 4%.

Wood Elf

  • Increases experience gain in Bow Skill Line by 15%, decreases fall damage taken by 10% → No changes
  • Y’ffre’s Endurance: Gain 21% Stamina Recovery → Increases your Stamina Recovery by 258.
  • Resist Affliction: Gain 6% Max Stamina and 1485 Poison and Disease Resistance → Increases your Max Stamina by 2000 and your Poison Resistance by 2310. You are immune to the Poisoned status effect.
  • Stealthy: Reduces detection Radius by 3m and Increases Damage Done in Stealth by 10% → Hunter’s Eye: Increases your Stealth detection radius by 3m. After you use Roll Dodge you gain 20% Movement Speed for 3 seconds.

Breton

  • Increases Experience gain in Light Armor Skill Line by 15%, extra 1% Alliance Point gain → No changes
  • Gift of Magnus: Gain 10% Max Magicka → Increases your Max Magicka by 2000.
  • Spell Attunement: Gain 3960 Spell Resistance → Gain 2310 Spell Resistance and 100 Magicka Recovery.
  • Magicka Mastery: Gain 3% Magicka Cost Reduction → Reduces the Magicka cost of your abilities by 7%.

Dark Elf

  • Increases Experience gain in Dual Wield Skill Line by 15%, reduces damage taken from Lava by 50% → No changes
  • Dynamic: Gain 6% Max Stamina and Magicka → Increases your Max Stamina and Magicka by 1250.
  • Resist Flame: Gain 3% Max Magicka and 2079 Flame Resistance → Increases your Max Health by 600 and your Flame Resistance by 2310. You are immune to the Burning status effect.
  • Destructive Ancestry: Gain 7% Flame damage and 2% Frost and Shock Damage → Ruination: Increases your Weapon and Spell Damage by 258.

Imperial

  • Increases Experience gain in One Hand and Shield Skill Line by 15%, extra 1% Gold gain → No changes
  • Tough: Gain 12% Max Health → Increases your Max Health by 2000.
  • Conditioning: Gain 10% Max Stamina → Imperial Mettle: Increases your Max Stamina by 2000.
  • Red Diamond: 10% Chance on Melee Attack to heal for 6% of Max Health → When you deal Direct Damage you have a 15% chance to heal for 1750. Reduces the cost of your Block and Bash abilities by 5%.

Khajiit

  • Increases Experience gain in Medium Armor Skill Line by 15%, 5% bonus change to successfully pickpocket → No changes
  • Nimble: Gain 20% Health Recovery and 10% Stamina Recovery → Robustness: Increases your Health Recovery by 100 and your Stamina and Magicka recovery by 75.
  • Stealthy: Reduce detection radius by 3m and Increase damage from Stealth by 10% → Lunar Blessings: Increases your Max Health, Magicka, and Stamina by 750.
  • Carnage: Increase Weapon Critical Chance by 8% → Feline Ambush: Increases your Weapon and Spell Critical Chance by 8%. Reduces your detection radius in Stealth by 5m.

Nord

  • Increases Experience gain in Two Handed Skill Line by 15%, 15 extra minutes on drink buffs → No changes
  • Stalwart: Gain 6% Max Stamina and 20% Health Recovery → Increases your Max Stamina by 1500. When you take damage, gain 5 Ultimate. This effect can occur once every 10 seconds.
  • Resist Frost: Gain 9% Max Health and 2079 Cold Resistance → Increases your Max Health by 1000 and your Cold Resistance by 2310. You are immune to the Chilled status effect.
  • Rugged: Gain 6% damage reduction → Increases your Physical and Spell Resistance by 3960.

Orc

  • Increases Experience gain in Heavy Armor Skill Line by 15%, extra 10% Inspiration gain → No changes
  • Brawny: Gain 6% Max Health and Stamina → Increases your Max Health and Stamina by 500.
  • Unflinching: Increases Healing Received by 5% and 20% Health Recovery → Unflinching Rage: Increases your Healing Received by 4%. When you deal damage with a weapon ability you restore 380 Health and Stamina. This effect can occur once every 4 seconds.
  • Swift Warrior: Increases Melee Damage by 4%, 12% Sprint cost reduction and 10% Sprint Speed → Increases your Weapon Damage by 258. Reduces the cost of your Sprint ability by 12% and increases your Movement Speed while Sprinting by 10%.

Redguard

  • Increases One Hand and Shield Skill Line by 15%, 15 extra minutes on food buffs → No changes
  • Exhilaration: Gain 9% Stamina Recovery → Martial Training: Reduces the cost of your Weapon abilities by 8%.
  • Conditioning: Gain 10% Max Stamina → Increases your Max Stamina by 2000.
  • Adrenaline Rush: When you deal damage with a melee attack you restore 792 Stamina. This effect can occur once every 5 seconds. → When you deal Direct Damage, you restore 950 Stamina. This effect can occur once every 5 seconds.

These are some serious changes to the Racial Skills in the game, and none have ever been this prolific since the game’s inception. Many Races got better in some ways and worse in others, but overall I’d say the difference between Races feels more distinct. For instance, you can actually Tank with a High Elf now, due to Stamina return if you want. I’ll be diving deeper into these in a later guide, once they are finalized.

Champion Point Increase Put on Hold Indefinitely

The current Champion Point cap of 810 will not be increased with this Update, or, for the foreseeable future. Rich Lambert stated in Zenimax’s recent developer live stream that they are re-evaluating the System and have put the cap increase on hold while they do so. What this means for the game is anyone’s guess, but I have put together an article on just this subject, which you can check out here.

Miscellaneous Changes

New Battleground – Eld Angvar

Eld Angvar features two different maps split between the game types and certain parts of the map are available or closed off depending on the game mode groupings as described below:

  • Capture the Relic, Domination and Chaosball will take place on one variant.
  • Crazy King and Deathmatch will take place on the other variant.

Zone Guide

The sheer number of things to do in each zone in ESO can be daunting. To help you find and complete more content in each zone, Zenimax has implemented a new Zone Guide feature. You can access the Zone Guide from the Group & Activity Finder on PC (P key by default), from the announcement panel, or from any overland zone map. From here, you can see up to 4 featured achievements for the zone along with your completed and uncompleted activities for the following:

  • Main Story Quests
  • Wayshrines
  • Delves
  • Group Delves
  • Points of Interest
  • Striking Locales
  • Set Stations
  • Mundus Stones
  • Public Dungeons
  • World Events (Dark Anchors, Abyssal Geysers)
  • World Bosses
  • Skyshards
  • Shalidor’s Library Books

Guild Trader Improvements

The Guild Trader Interface has received a number of changes and new features in this update:

  • Item name search: Directly search for an item based on its name.
  • Name matching: Entering part of an item name displays a list of all matching items, so you can still hone in on what you’re looking for without knowing the complete name.
  • Recent searches: Each search is saved and can be easily used again at any Guild Trader.
  • Price per unit display and sorting: When dealing with items of varying stack sizes, the unit price provides an additional point of comparison.
  • Category and filter updates: Based on feedback and the Guild Store transaction data, we’ve made modifications to the categories and filters in an effort to make finding commonly traded things easier.

Pet Changes

All pets will now inherit your bonuses and derived stats. This means your Critical Hit Chance, Critical Hit Multipliers, Champion Points, and other % damage or healing amplifications will be applied to any pet you summon. Item sets that summon pets will continue to not inherent your Critical Strike Chance.

Weapon Enchants

Enchants on one handed weapons will now be half the potency of those placed on two handed weapons. This will apply to the damage and effectiveness of enchants, but will not affect the cooldown.

Major and Minor Buff Changes

Abilities that provide Major Buffs that are not associated with healing or damage will now apply to a maximum of 12 targets. Below are the following abilities affected by this change:

Destruction Staff

Ancient Knowledge (Passive): Removed the requirement of having a Destruction Staff ability slotted to gain the effect of this passive. Now, you simply need to equip the Destruction Staff type of the buff you want to gain the bonus it provides.

Wrathstone Summary

Overall there are some pretty significant changes to the game, but certainly less than past Updates. There are no major Skill changes when it comes to Classes, so I didn’t include them here, and most Classes will remain nearly exactly the same.

The crown jewel of this Update is of course the Racial Passive changes and the announcement of no future Level Cap increases for the game. I’m excited to see how these Race changes play out, and Zenimax has said they will grant one free Race Change Token to each account when they go live in February. As I am a High Elf, I doubt that I will change mine, but you never know. These changes are not yet finalized, so their final versions may be somewhat different, and I’ll be covering these more in depth when they are.


Stay tuned for our The Future of ESO & The Champion System video coming out tomorrow! In mean time you can read Elder Scrolls Online: The Champion System & The Future Of ESO In 2019 and ESO: 10 Things To Be Excited About For 2019.

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