Of all of the blobs of blood Yor’sahj the Unsleeping may call from Shu’ma, none are more confusing than the Shadowed Globule. Its unique buff (debuff to the raid), Deep Corruption, means that:Receiving healing or absorption effects will trigger a detonation at 5 stacks.So, which healing and absorption effects generate Deep Corruption? Apparently, this is a matter of law that requires some interpretation.
Summary
Abilities that generate Deep Corruption are:
- Single heals
- Heals-over-time (HoTs)
- AoE heals
- Aura AoE heals
- Ground AoE heals.
Abilities that do not generate Deep Corruption are:
- Non-heals
- Non-healer abilities
- Trinkets and the like
- Summoned totems
- Abilities with secondary effects for as far as the secondary effect(s) is/are concerned.
Non-heal rule
An ability without any healing or absorption effects does not generate Deep Corruption.
Cases in point:
- Shadow Bolt (warlock): Shadow Bolt does not include a healing or absorption component. Therefore, it does not generate Deep Corruption.
- Frostfire Bolt (mage): Frostfire Bolt includes several effects, but none of them is a heal or absorption. Therefore, it does not generate Deep Corruption.
‘Non-healer ability’ rule
If an ability:
the effect is exempt from generating Deep Corruption.
- contains a healing and/or absorption effect; and one of
- for a class with at least one healing spec, the effect is not typically used by any healing spec but not normally relied on by all of the non-healing specs either; or
- is available to a class without any healing specs; or
- is Lay on Hands (paladin);
Cases in point:
- Recuperate (rogue): As rogues do not have any healing specs, Recuperate is exempted from generating Deep Corruption.
- Death Strike (death knight): Regardless of the damage component, as death knights do not have any healing specs, Death Strike is exempted from generating Deep Corruption.
- Desperate Prayer (priest): For a Holy or Discipline priest, Desperate Prayer is not used to the same extent as other healing abilities, so is typically used by neither. Also, for reasons that include its breaking Shadowform, a Shadow priest would not normally rely on it either. Therefore, it is exempted from generating Deep Corruption.
Trinket rule
A trinket, potion, weapon or other item with a healing or absorption effect is exempt from generating Deep Corruption.
Cases in point:
- Indomitable Pride (trinket): Although it has an absorb effect, as Indomitable Pride is a trinket, it is exempt from generating Deep Corruption.
- Healthstone (warlock): As a Healthstone is an item, it is exempt from generating Deep Corruption. (Note that the spell creating Healthstones is a non-heal.)
Totem rule
An object requiring player action to produce a healing or absorption effect generates Deep Corruption the same way as the corresponding type of player ability does. A totem or other object healing or absorbing automatically is analogous to a player-cast ability with (a) secondary effect(s) and so is exempt.
Cases in point:
- Healing Stream Totem (shaman): As Healing Stream Totem is a summoned totem, it is exempt from generating Deep Corruption.
- Lightwell (priest): As Lightwell requires the player to click on it to apply a HoT, it is not a totem and so generates Deep Corruption according to a player-cast HoT (see the HoT rule below).
‘Secondary effect’ rule
If an ability:
the effect is exempt from generating Deep Corruption. An ability includes, as effects, all talent, glyphing and other changes to it.
- is made up only of any combination of healing, absorb and null effects; and
- involves a healing and/or absorption effect that starts subsequent to the casting of the ability;
Cases in point:
- Efflorescence (druid): Starting after a cast of Swiftmend, Efflorescence is a secondary effect of Swiftmend.
- Prayer of Mending (priest): Activating only when the target takes damage, the heal component of Prayer of Mending is a secondary effect.
- Rejuvenation (druid): Starting on cast, Rejuvenation does not have a secondary effect.
- Atonement (priest): Because Smite and Holy Fire, both of which can activate Atonement, are damaging abilities, Atonement does not form part of a heal-only ability and so is a secondary effect of neither.
‘Single heal’ rule
If an ability:
the effect generates a stack of Deep Corruption on the target on affecting said target.
- contains a healing and/or absorption effect; and
- is not persistent; and
- affects a single target; and
- is normally relied on by at least one healing spec for their role;
Cases in point:
- Holy Light (paladin): Holy Light affects a single target and is a staple ability of a Holy paladin. Thus, it is a single heal.
- Power Word: Shield (priest): Power Word: Shield is an absorption effect and is a staple ability of a Discipline priest, as well as a useful one for a Holy priest. Thus, it is a single heal.
Heal-over-time (HoT) rule
If an ability:
the effect generates a stack of Deep Corruption on application.
- contains a persistent healing and/or absorption effect; and
- is not an aura; and
- is normally relied on by at least one healing spec for their role;
Cases in point:
- Rejuvenation (druid): Rejuvenation is persistent and a staple ability of a Restoration druid. Therefore, it is a HoT.
‘AoE heal’ rule
If an ability:
the effect generates a stack of Deep Corruption on each target for each time it affects said targets.
- contains a healing and/or absorption effect; and
- affects multiple targets; and
- is not an aura; and
- is normally relied on by at least one healing spec for their role;
Cases in point:
- Prayer of Healing (priest): Prayer of Healing heals multiple targets and is a staple ability of a Holy priest, as well as a useful one for a Discipline priest. Thus, it is an AoE heal.
- Chain Heal (shaman): Chain Heal is an AoE heal through a different mechanism to Prayer of Healing.
‘Aura AoE heal’ rule
If an ability:
the effect generates a stack of Deep Corruption on each target for each time the aura ticks on a given target.
- contains a healing and/or absorption effect that is applied via a channelled aura on the caster; and
- affects multiple targets; and
- is normally relied on by at least one healing spec for their role;
Cases in point:
- Tranquility (druid): Tranquility generates a channelled aura on the casting druid and is very useful for healing through intense AoE damage. Therefore, it is an aura AoE heal.
‘Ground AoE heal’ rule
If an ability:
the effect generates a stack of Deep Corruption on each target for each time a given target enters the dummy aura. Being applied under the target in question is regarded as entering it.
- contains a healing and/or absorption effect that is applied via a dummy aura; and
- affects multiple targets; and
- is normally relied on by at least one healing spec for their role;
Cases in point:
- Healing Rain (shaman): Healing Rain acts by generating a dummy aura and so is a ground AoE heal.
- Power Word: Barrier (priest): Power Word: Barrier is not a ground AoE heal because it reduces damage taken by a percentage rather than absorbs damage.
Anomalies
The above set of rules, interpreted literally, cannot predict the following abilities and so have (quite artificially) included them explicitly:
- Lay on Hands (paladin): Without explicit characterisation as a non-healer ability, it is mischaracterised as a single heal.
Bibliography
- Gilders, Frank, Taylor, John, Walpole, Michael, Burton, Mark & Ciro, Tony (2011), Understanding Taxation Law 2011, 5th edn, LexisNexis Butterworths, Chatswood.
- Yor’sahj the Unsleeping – NPC – World of Warcraft (2012), database entry, Wowhead, viewed 21 March 2012, <http://www.wowhead.com/npc=55312>
Acknowledgements
- Structuring of ‘law’ inspired by Gilders et al (2011).
EDIT 30Mar12: Appended totem rule. Amended trinket rule to sever totem rule from it. Appended list of anomalies.
EDIT 6Apr12: Amended 'secondary effect' rule to include clarification of definition of 'ability'.
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