Blizzard posted the latest World of Warcraft: Cataclysm patch 4.0.3a Hotfixes implemented into live realms on December 13th. If you don’t experience any of these changes, know that these will be available once the server restarts.

  • General
    • Guild experience caps were being hit faster than expected. As a result, guild experience gained through questing has been reduced.
    • After hitting the weekly guild reputation cap, players will no longer receive the message that they’re at the cap every time a quest is turned in.
    • It is no longer possible to activate Running Wild from a transform or shapeshift form (including Metamorphosis). When leaving a shapeshift form, worgen players will always be in worgen form and cannot toggle Two Forms while shapeshifted.
    • Players should no longer be unable to chat, or join or leave private chat channels after a realm is restarted for any reason.
  • Classes
    • Druids
      • Both Bear and Cat Form versions of Skull Bash are no longer able to be used to get to a target when there is no valid path available.
    • Hunters
      • It is no longer possible for hunters to tame pets in a way that allows them to keep any buffs the creatures had on them prior to being tamed.
    • Warlocks
      • Dark Intent no longer causes the warlock to stand up while eating or drinking when a critical hit occurs.
      • If Empowered Imp procs while casting Soul fire, the buff is no longer consumed.
      • Searing Pain can still be cast if it misses while Soul Burn is active and does not consume Soul Burn until it lands.
  • Dungeons & Raids
    • The droprates on all Bind-on-Equip items in Cataclysm dungeons have been reduced.
    • Chaos Orbs now drop properly from Vanessa VanCleef in Heroic: Deadmines.
    • It should no longer be possible for Vanessa VanCleef’s note to spawn in Deadmines instances where groups have not killed Ripsnarl and Cookie.
    • Admiral Ripsnarl’s vapors no longer award reputation in Heroic: Deadmines.
    • Summoned non-elite Twisted Visages no longer provide reputation in Grim Batol.
    • Siamat in Lost City of the Tol’vir could sometimes fail to cast Deflecting Winds on time, rendering him unkillable. This has been corrected.
    • NPCs which spawn during the Baron Silverlaine encounter in Shadowfang Keep no longer reward reputation when killed.
    • All players should now correctly be rewarded with the Straw that Broke the Camel’s Back achievement in Halls of Origination.
  • Items
    • Some Cataclysm world rare drops improperly had faction requirements which have been removed.
    • The one-handed mace Torturer’s Mercy had incorrect stats. It now has 136 Stamina, 91 Intellect, 61 Spirit, 61 mastery, and 1216 spell power.
    • The one-handed Mace of Apotheosis had incorrect stats. It now has 160 Stamina, 107 Intellect, 54 Spirit, 81 mastery, and 1427 spell power.
    • Fine-Toothed Comb, Fetish of Azrajar, Wil’hai’s Extraneous Tooth, and Azralon’s Twisted Rune are now correctly item level 285 and will accept Cataclysm-level gems in their prismatic sockets.
    • Phantom Armor from Shadowfang Keep is now classified as plate armor to match its stats and itemization.
    • The Vashj’ir quest reward Staff of Post-Facto Preparation now has spell power on it, ’cause it should.
    • The Vashj’ir quest rewards Darkspear Ritual Blade and Gnomeregan Mindslicer now have spell power on them, ’cause they should.
    • Several items in Cataclysm starting zones have been increased from item level 279 to 308, with relative stat increases.
  • Professions
    • Completing Archaeology projects no longer progresses the guild achievement Making History. This is a temporary fix until an issue with this achievement can be addressed in an upcoming patch.
    • Corpses of Scalding Rock Elementals can now be mined. It’s possible to gain both Volatile Earth and Shimmering Shards from the corpses.
    • Several Jewelcrafting designs were incorrectly tagged as Bind-on-Pickup and have been changed to Bind-on-Equip.
    • The Alchemy skill Transmute: Living Elements now functions correctly in Deepholm and Uldum.
    • Disenchanted green items are now giving more materials as the item levels increase. This change also ensures armor items give dust more often than essence, and that weapons give more essence than dust.
    • Fishing in open water areas around Sulfuron Spire no longer yields Volatile Fire.
    • Lifebound Alchemist Stones should now always be properly created when the necessary materials are consumed and skill-ups are awarded.
    • The speed of the Blacksmithing mace Forged Elementium Mindcrusher was too fast compared to related items. Its speed is now 3.60.
    • The Overpowered Chicken Splitter Engineering bow is now superior quality and no longer epic.
    • The droprate on Volatile Life from herbs has been increased.
    • Bario Matalli and Shazdar now properly sell Cocoa Beans, Noble Hops and Dry Yeast in unlimited quantities. Additionally, Innkeeper Allison no longer sells Fresh Goat’s Milk and now carries Fresh Water instead.
    • Drained Venomblood Scorpids can now be skinned.
  • Quests & Creatures
    • Cataclysm Zones
      • Deepholm
        • It is now possible to complete the quest achievement Deep into Deepholm.
        • Aggra’s voice-overs can no longer be heard or read by other players during the Deepholm introduction at the Maelstrom.
        • Living Bloods at Deathwing’s Fall now spawn more quickly.
        • Mercurial Oozes at the Upper Silvermarsh now spawn more quickly.
        • Quest NPCs in the Temple of Earth should now appear during the final zone phases to guarantee players can still turn in quests regardless of progress.
        • Players should no longer be repeatedly consumed by the very mean Colossal Gyreworm.
        • Twilight Defilers, Twilight Heretics, and Twilight Desecrators can no longer be pickpocketed.
        • Players are able to obtain the Bottle of Whiskey and the Spool of Rope for the quest “Without a Captain or Crew”.
        • If Earthmender Norsala despawns during the scripted event for “Wrath of the Fungalmancer”, players can now still continue with the event.
        • The Ruby Crystal Cluster is now multi-drop for players in a party and are respawning at a decent rate.
        • Phased Armor cast by Twilight Dragonspawn and Seeping Quicksilver cast by Mercuiral Ooze were doing trivial amounts of damage. The damage of these abilities has been increased.
      • Gilneas
        • War Machines now spawn more quickly in the Headlands for the quest “They Have Allies, But So Do We”.
      • Lost Isles
        • Quest NPCs for “The Heads Of The SI:7” were doing too much damage. Their damage has been reduced and are within the appropriate level range.
      • Mount Hyjal
        • “An Offering for Aviana” is correctly being offered in all cases of prerequisite completion for both Horde and Alliance characters.
        • Matoclaw in the Grove of Aessina now offers the quest “Last Stand at Whistling Grove”.
        • Cindermaul’s Chest can now be looted by any player that currently has the quest “Cindermaul, the Portal Master” in their quest log.
        • Windspeaker Tamila no longer joins combat when hostile creatures are brought near her.
      • Twilight Highlands
        • Bosses can no longer be pulled far out of the Crucible of Carnage arena.
        • During the quest “Aiming High” the Flintlocke’s Explosives can now be used anywhere on the Skyshredder.
      • Uldum
        • Sheep packs no longer instantly respawn.
        • Player are now able to stay in the proper phase and accept “Field Work” after leaving the area, porting to other zones, or relogging.
      • Vashj’ir
        • It is now possible to complete the quest achievement Sinking into Vashj’ir.
        • Scourgut Remoras are now spawning closer to the ground.
        • Players should always be properly granted credit for completing the “Defending the Rift” quest event.
        • The range on the phase transitions of the Battlemaiden event has been extended to catch players who’ve pushed too far away from the NPCs around the bridge.
        • Gnash is now balanced for any type of party make-up to engage. He also grants more experience when he dies than he used to.
        • NPCs on The Verne and the Pincer X2 will no longer despawn or behave oddly while players are completing the quest “Full Circle”.
        • Nespirah’s entrance membrane should always be open.
        • Slithering Slime applied by eels in the Kepl’thar Forest now does significantly more damage, as it was not scaling appropriately with level.
        • Toxic Bite applied by eels in the Shimmering Expanse now does significantly more damage, as it was not scaling appropriately with level.
        • Brinescale Serpent’s Brinescale Venom now has a 10-second duration, down from 20.
    • Eastern Kingdoms
      • Dun Morogh
        • General Grimaxe should now always respawn properly after being killed.
      • Eastern Plaguelands
        • The Argent Lightwell Charm can no longer be used outside of the designated questing area.
      • Stormwind
        • Major Samuelson grants kill credit to everyone on the quest that is nearby when he is unmasked. He also grants players who hit him during the fight quest credit for his kill, regardless of tap rights.
      • Western Plaguelands
        • Lang’s Hand Grenades are not usable outside of the designated questing area.
    • Kalimdor
      • Azshara
        • Talrendis Marksmen no longer grant experience upon death.
      • Felwood
        • The Blood Red Key, which started the now-deprecated quest “A Strange Redy Key”, is now removed from players’ inventories upon logging out or zoning.
        • Darla’s Box of Megaflares cannot be used when not in Felwood. They can be used anywhere within Felwood.