Specializations

After picking your class, choosing a specialization is the biggest decision for your character. Each spec points the class in one direction and is built around one combat role, so the abilities it adds fit that job.

• Your role: tank, healer, ranged damage or melee damage (see Class Roles: Tank, Healer, Damage).
• Extra active and passive abilities, including a Mastery ability.
• In some cases an extra secondary resource.
• Its own strengths, weaknesses and play style.

Classes whose specs all share one role (for example every Warlock spec deals ranged damage) are often called pure classes. Classes that can take several roles depending on spec, such as the Paladin, are called hybrids. Even inside a pure class, each spec plays very differently.

Your spec also decides which stats and gear you want, so many players keep a separate set of gear for each spec they play. Wearing your class's own armor type in every slot gives a 5% bonus to the primary stat of your current spec.

When a character reaches level 10 the game asks you to pick a spec. Open the Specialization & Talents window from the bar at the bottom of the screen (or press N), go to the Specializations tab, select one and click Learn. Each spec's panel shows its role, its primary stat and a few key abilities.

Learning a spec instantly gives you all of its abilities for your current level. Switching to another spec (respeccing) removes the old spec's abilities and bonuses, and you can do it as often as you like. Each spec also has its own talent tree; see Talents and Hero Talents.

In the early years a changed spec could only be reset at a class trainer for a small fee. The table lists the main patches that built today's system (shortened).