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Blood Death Knight Talents

Death Knight class icon Blood Death Knight specialization icon
Blood Death Knight
The War Within Season 1

Talents in World of Warcraft define your character's gameplay. They offer active abilities for offense and defense, major cooldowns, or passive enhancements to your stats and spells. Here are the current Blood Death Knight talents for The War Within Season 1.

Where to Find Talents

Talents can be found in the talent menu, which is accessible by pressing the N key (default) or by clicking the target icon in the micro menu:

Screenshot of the talents button in the micro menu

Class Talents

Class talents represent a common tree shared across all Death Knight specializations. These talents provide foundational skills and enhancements essential to the Death Knight class, offering a range of abilities that lay the groundwork for a Death Knight's overall capabilities.

Name Cast Effect
Icebound Fortitude
Instant - 2 Min Cooldown Your blood freezes, granting immunity to Stun effects and reducing all damage you take by 30% for 8 sec.
Death Strike
Instant - Melee Range Focuses dark power into a strike that deals 293 Physical damage and heals you for 25.00% of all damage taken in the last 5 sec, minimum 7.0% of maximum health.
Raise Dead
Instant - 30 Yd Range - 2 Min Cooldown Raises a ghoul to fight by your side. You can have a maximum of one ghoul at a time. Lasts 1 min.
Runic Attenuation
Passive Auto attacks have a chance to generate 3 Runic Power.
Improved Death Strike
Passive Death Strike's cost is reduced by 10, and its healing is increased by 60%.
Cleaving Strikes
Passive Scourge Strike additional enemies while you remain in Death and Decay. When leaving your Death and Decay you retain its bonus effects for 4 sec.
Mind Freeze
Instant - 15 Yd Range - 15 Sec Cooldown Smash the target's mind with cold, interrupting spellcasting and preventing any spell in that school from being cast for 3 sec.
Blinding Sleet
Instant - 1 Min Cooldown Targets in a cone in front of you are blinded, causing them to wander disoriented for 5 sec. Damage may cancel the effect. When Blinding Sleet ends, enemies are slowed by 50% for 6 sec.
Anti-Magic Barrier
Passive Reduces the cooldown of Anti-Magic Shell by 20 sec and increases its duration and amount absorbed by 40%.
March of Darkness
Passive Death's Advance grants an additional 25% movement speed over the first 3 sec.
Unholy Ground
Passive Gain 5% Haste while you remain within your Death and Decay.
Control Undead
1.5 Sec Cast - 30 Yd Range Dominates the target undead creature up to level 71, forcing it to do your bidding for 5 min.
Enfeeble
Passive Your ghoul's attacks have a chance to apply Enfeeble, reducing the enemies movement speed by 30% and the damage they deal to you by 12% for 6 sec.
Sacrificial Pact
Instant - 2 Min Cooldown Sacrifice your ghoul to deal 406 Shadow damage to all nearby enemies and heal for 25% of your maximum health. Deals reduced damage beyond 8 targets.
Coldthirst
Passive Successfully interrupting an enemy with Mind Freeze grants 10 Runic Power and reduces its cooldown by 3 sec.
Proliferating Chill
Passive Chains of Ice affects 1 additional nearby enemy.
Permafrost
Passive Your auto attack damage grants you an absorb shield equal to 40% of the damage dealt.
Veteran of the Third War
Passive Stamina increased by 20%.
Death Pact
Instant - 2 Min Cooldown Create a death pact that heals you for 50% of your maximum health, but absorbs incoming healing equal to 30% of your max health for 15 sec.
Brittle
Passive Your diseases have a chance to weaken your enemy causing your attacks against them to deal 6% increased damage for 5 sec.
Death's Reach
Passive Increases the range of Death Grip by 10 yds. Killing an enemy that yields experience or honor resets the cooldown of Death Grip.
Icy Talons
Passive Your Runic Power spending abilities increase your melee attack speed by 6% for 10 sec, stacking up to 3 times.
Anti-Magic Zone
Instant - 30 Yd Range - 2 Min Cooldown Places an Anti-Magic Zone that reduces spell damage taken by party or raid members by 20%. The Anti-Magic Zone lasts for 8 sec or until it absorbs 296,010 damage.
Unholy Bond
Passive Increases the effectiveness of your Runeforge effects by 20%.
Ice Prison
Passive Chains of Ice now also roots enemies for 4 sec but its cooldown is increased to 12 sec.
Gloom Ward
Passive Absorbs are 15% more effective on you.
Asphyxiate
Instant - 20 Yd Range - 45 Sec Cooldown Lifts the enemy target off the ground, crushing their throat with dark energy and stunning them for 5 sec.
Assimilation
Passive The amount absorbed by Anti-Magic Zone is increased by 10% and its cooldown is reduced by 30 sec.
Wraith Walk
Channeled - 1 Min Cooldown Embrace the power of the Shadowlands, removing all root effects and increasing your movement speed by 70% for 4 sec. Taking any action cancels the effect. While active, your movement speed cannot be reduced below 170%.
Grip of the Dead
Passive Death and Decay reduces the movement speed of enemies within its area by 90%, decaying by 10% every sec.
Soul Reaper
Instant - Melee Range - 6 Sec Cooldown Strike an enemy for 236 Shadowfrost damage and afflict the enemy with Soul Reaper. After 5 sec, if the target is below 35% health this effect will explode dealing an additional 1,093 Shadowfrost damage to the target. If the enemy that yields experience or honor dies while afflicted by Soul Reaper, gain Runic Corruption.
Suppression
Passive Damage taken from area of effect attacks reduced by 3%. When suffering a loss of control effect, this bonus is increased by an additional 6% for 6 sec.
Blood Scent
Passive Increases Leech by 3%.
Unholy Endurance
Passive Increases Lichborne duration by 2 sec and while active damage taken is reduced by 15%.
Osmosis
Passive Anti-Magic Shell increases healing received by 15%.
Insidious Chill
Passive Your auto-attacks reduce the target's auto-attack speed by 5% for 30 sec, stacking up to 4 times.
Runic Protection
Passive Your chance to be critically struck is reduced by 3% and your Armor is increased by 6%.
Blood Draw
Passive When you fall below 30% health you drain 637 health from nearby enemies, the damage you take is reduced by 10% and your Death Strike cost is reduced by 10 for 8 sec. Can only occur every 2 min.
Rune Mastery
Passive Consuming a Rune has a chance to increase your Strength by 6% for 8 sec.
Subduing Grasp
Passive When you pull an enemy, the damage they deal to you is reduced by 6% for 6 sec.
Will of the Necropolis
Passive Damage taken below 30% Health is reduced by 35%.
Null Magic
Passive Magic damage taken is reduced by 8% and the duration of harmful Magic effects against you are reduced by 35%.
Unyielding Will
Passive Anti-Magic shell now removes all harmful magical effects when activated, but it's cooldown is increased by 20 sec.
Abomination Limb
Instant - 20 Yd Range - 2 Min Cooldown Sprout an additional limb, dealing 1,951 Shadow damage over 12 sec to all nearby enemies. Deals reduced damage beyond 5 targets. Every 1 sec, an enemy is pulled to your location if they are further than 8 yds from you. The same enemy can only be pulled once every 4 sec.
Death's Echo
Passive Death's Advance, Death and Decay, and Death Grip have 1 additional charge.
Vestigial Shell
Passive Casting Anti-Magic Shell grants 2 nearby allies a Lesser Anti-Magic Shell that Absorbs up to 2,256 magic damage and reduces the duration of harmful Magic effects against them by 50%.

Specialization Talents

Specialization talents provide Blood Death Knights with unique abilities and enhancements tailored to their combat style. These talents differentiate Blood Death Knights from other Death Knight specializations, maximizing effectiveness in combat.

Name Cast Effect
Heart Strike
Instant - Melee Range Instantly strike the target and 1 other nearby enemy, causing 302 Physical damage, and reducing enemies' movement speed by 20% for 8 sec.
Marrowrend
Instant - Melee Range Smash the target, dealing 342 Physical damage and generating 3 charges of Bone Shield. cffffffffBone Shield Surrounds you with a barrier of whirling bones, increasing Armor by 916. Each melee attack against you consumes a charge. Lasts 30 sec or until all charges are consumed.
Blood Boil
Instant Deals 344 Shadow damage and infects all enemies within 10 yds with Blood Plague. cffffffffBlood Plague A shadowy disease that drains 412 health from the target over 24 sec.
Vampiric Blood
Instant - 1.5 Min Cooldown Embrace your undeath, increasing your maximum health by 30% and increasing all healing and absorbs received by 30% for 10 sec.
Bone Collector
Passive When you would pull an enemy generate 1 charge of Bone Shield. cffffffffBone Shield Surrounds you with a barrier of whirling bones, increasing Armor by 916. Each melee attack against you consumes a charge. Lasts 30 sec or until all charges are consumed.
Ossuary
Passive While you have at least 5 Bone Shield charges, the cost of Death Strike is reduced by 5 Runic Power. Additionally, your maximum Runic Power is increased by 10.
Improved Vampiric Blood
Passive Vampiric Blood's healing and absorb amount is increased by 10% and duration by 4 sec.
Improved Heart Strike
Passive Heart Strike damage increased by 30%.
Ossified Vitriol
Passive When you lose a Bone Shield charge the damage of your next Marrowrend is increased by 15%, stacking up to 75%.
Leeching Strike
Passive Heart Strike heals you for 0.25% health for each enemy hit while affected by Blood Plague.
Heartbreaker
Passive Heart Strike generates 2 additional Runic Power per target hit.
Foul Bulwark
Passive Each charge of Bone Shield increases your maximum health by 1%.
Dancing Rune Weapon
Instant - 30 Yd Range - 2 Min Cooldown Summons a rune weapon for 8 sec that mirrors your melee attacks and bolsters your defenses. While active, you gain 35% parry chance.
Hemostasis
Passive Each enemy hit by Blood Boil increases the damage and healing done by your next Death Strike by 8%, stacking up to 5 times.
Perseverance of the Ebon Blade
Passive When Crimson Scourge is consumed, you gain 6% Versatility for 6 sec.
Relish in Blood
Passive While Crimson Scourge is active, your next Death and Decay heals you for 159 health per Bone Shield charge and you immediately gain 10 Runic Power.
Gorefiend's Grasp
Instant - 30 Yd Range - 2 Min Cooldown Shadowy tendrils coil around all enemies within 15 yards of a hostile or friendly target, pulling them to the target's location.
Improved Bone Shield
Passive Bone Shield increases your Haste by 10%.
Insatiable Blade
Passive Dancing Rune Weapon generates 5 Bone Shield charges. When a charge of Bone Shield is consumed, the cooldown of Dancing Rune Weapon is reduced by 5 sec.
Rune Tap
Instant - 1.5 Sec Cooldown Reduces all damage taken by 20% for 4 sec.
Rapid Decomposition
Passive Your Blood Plague and Death and Decay deal damage 15% more often. Additionally, your Blood Plague leeches 50% more Health.
Blood Tap
Instant Consume the essence around you to generate 1 Rune. Recharge time reduced by 2 sec whenever a Bone Shield charge is consumed.
Tightening Grasp
Passive Gorefiend's Grasp cooldown is reduced by 30 sec and it now also Silences enemies for 3 sec.
Reinforced Bones
Passive Increases Armor gained from Bone Shield by 10% and it can stack 2 additional times.
Everlasting Bond
Passive Summons 1 additional copy of Dancing Rune Weapon and increases its duration by 6 sec.
Voracious
Passive Death Strike's healing is increased by 15% and grants you 12% Leech for 8 sec.
Coagulopathy
Passive Enemies affected by Blood Plague take 5% increased damage from you and Death Strike increases the damage of your Blood Plague by 25% for 8 sec, stacking up to 5 times.
Bloodworms
Passive Your auto attacks have a chance to summon a Bloodworm. Bloodworms deal minor damage to your target for 15 sec and then burst, healing you for 15% of your missing health. If you drop below 50% health, your Bloodworms will immediately burst and heal you.
Blood Feast
Passive Anti-Magic Shell heals you for 100% of the damage it absorbs.
Mark of Blood
Instant - 15 Yd Range - 6 Sec Cooldown Places a Mark of Blood on an enemy for 15 sec. The enemy's damaging auto attacks will also heal their victim for 3% of the victim's maximum health.
Tombstone
Instant - 1 Min Cooldown Consume up to 5 Bone Shield charges. For each charge consumed, you gain 6 Runic Power and absorb damage equal to 6% of your maximum health for 8 sec.
Blooddrinker
Channeled - 30 Yd Range - 30 Sec Cooldown Drains 1,357 health from the target over 2.7 sec. The damage they deal to you is reduced by 15% for the duration and 5 sec after channeling it fully. You can move, parry, dodge, and use defensive abilities while channeling this ability. enerates 20 additional Runic Power over the duration.
Consumption
Instant - Melee Range - 30 Sec Cooldown Strikes all enemies in front of you with a hungering attack that deals 417 Physical damage and heals you for 150% of that damage. Deals reduced damage beyond 8 targets. Causes your Blood Plague damage to occur 30% more quickly for 6 sec. enerates 2 Runes.
Bloodied Blade
Passive Parrying an attack grants you a charge of Bloodied Blade, increasing your Strength by 0.5%, up to 4.0% for 15 sec. At 8 stacks, your next parry consumes all charges to unleash a Heart Strike at 200% effectiveness, and increases your Strength by 10% for 6 sec.
Sanguine Ground
Passive You deal 6% more damage and receive 5% more healing while standing in your Death and Decay.
Shattering Bone
Passive When Bone Shield is consumed it shatters dealing 36 Shadow damage to nearby enemies. This damage is tripled while you are within your Death and Decay.
Heartrend
Passive Heart Strike has a chance to increase the damage of your next Death Strike by 20%.
Carnage
Passive Blooddrinker and Consumption now contribute to your Mastery: Blood Shield. Each time an enemy strikes your Blood Shield, the cooldowns of Blooddrinker and Consumption have a chance to be reset.
Iron Heart
Passive Blood Shield's duration is increased by 2 sec and it absorbs 20% more damage.
Red Thirst
Passive Reduces the cooldown on Vampiric Blood by 2.0 sec per 10 Runic Power spent.
Bonestorm
Instant - 1 Min Cooldown Consume up to 5 Bone Shield charges to create a whirl of bone and gore that batters all nearby enemies, dealing 152 Shadow damage every 1 sec, and healing you for 2% of your maximum health every time it deals damage (up to 10%). Deals reduced damage beyond 8 targets. Lasts 2 sec per Bone Shield charge spent and rapidly regenerates a Bone Shield every 1 sec.
Purgatory
Passive An unholy pact that prevents fatal damage, instead absorbing incoming healing equal to the damage prevented, lasting 3 sec. If any healing absorption remains when this effect expires, you will die. This effect may only occur every 4 min.
Bloodshot
Passive While Blood Shield is active, you deal 25% increased Physical damage.
Umbilicus Eternus
Passive After Vampiric Blood expires, you absorb damage equal to 5 times the damage your Blood Plague dealt during Vampiric Blood.

Hero Talents

Hero talents allow for deeper customization of the Blood Death Knight class fantasy, further enhancing its combat effectiveness.

San'Layn

Name Cast Effect
Vampiric Strike
Passive Your Death Coil and Death Strike have a 25% chance to make your next Scourge Strike become Vampiric Strike. Vampiric Strike heals you for 2% of your maximum health and grants you Essence of the Blood Queen, increasing your Haste by 1.0%, up to 5.0% for 20 sec.
Newly Turned
Passive Raise Ally revives players at full health and grants you and your ally an absorb shield equal to 20% of your maximum health.
Vampiric Speed
Passive Death's Advance and Wraith Walk movement speed bonuses are increased by 10%. Activating Death's Advance or Wraith Walk increases 4 nearby allies movement speed by 20% for 5 sec.
Blood-Soaked Ground
Passive While you are within your Death and Decay, your physical damage taken is reduced by 5% and your chance to gain Vampiric Strike is increased by 5%.
Vampiric Aura
Passive Your Leech is increased by 2%. While Lichborne is active, the Leech bonus of this effect is increased by 100%, and it affects 4 allies within 12 yds.
Bloody Fortitude
Passive Icebound Fortitude reduces all damage you take by up to an additional 20% based on your missing health. Killing an enemy that yields experience or honor reduces the cooldown of Icebound Fortitude by 3 sec.
Infliction of Sorrow
Passive When Vampiric Strike damages an enemy affected by your Virulent Plague, it extends the duration of the disease by 3 sec, and deals 10% of the remaining damage to the enemy. After Gift of the San'layn ends, your next Scourge Strike consumes the disease to deal 100% of their remaining damage to the target.
Frenzied Bloodthirst
Passive Essence of the Blood Queen stacks 2 additional times and increases the damage of your Death Coil and Death Strike by 5% per stack.
The Blood is Life
Passive Vampiric Strike has a chance to summon a Blood Beast to attack your enemy for 10 sec. Each time the Blood Beast attacks, it stores a portion of the damage dealt. When the Blood Beast dies, it explodes, dealing 50% of the damage accumulated to nearby enemies and healing the Death Knight for the same amount. Deals reduced damage beyond 8 targets.
Visceral Strength
Passive When Sudden Doom is consumed, you gain 8% Strength for 5 sec.
Incite Terror
Passive Vampiric Strike and Scourge Strike cause your targets to take 1% increased Shadow damage, up to 5% for 15 sec. Vampiric Strike benefits from Incite Terror at 400% effectiveness.
Pact of the San'layn
Passive You store 50% of all Shadow damage dealt into your Blood Beast to explode for additional damage when it expires.
Sanguine Scent
Passive Your Death Coil and Death Strike have a 15% increased chance to trigger Vampiric Strike when damaging enemies below 35% health.
Gift of the San'layn
Passive While Dark Transformation is active you gain Gift of the San'layn. Gift of the San'layn increases the effectiveness of your Essence of the Blood Queen by 200%, and Vampiric Strike replaces your Scourge Strike for the duration.

Deathbringer

Name Cast Effect
Reaper's Mark
Instant - Melee Range - 45 Sec Cooldown Viciously slice into the soul of your enemy, dealing 1,325 Shadowfrost damage and applying Reaper's Mark. Each time you deal Shadow or Frost damage, add a stack of Reaper's Mark. After 12 sec or reaching 40 stacks, the mark explodes, dealing 100 damage per stack. Reaper's Mark travels to an unmarked enemy nearby if the target dies, or explodes below 35% health when there are no enemies to travel to. This explosion cannot occur again on a target for 3 min.
Wave of Souls
Passive Reaper's Mark sends forth bursts of Shadowfrost energy and back, dealing 407 Shadowfrost damage both ways to all enemies caught in its path. Wave of Souls critical strikes cause enemies to take 5% increased Shadowfrost damage for 15 sec, stacking up to 2 times, and it is always a critical strike on its way back.
Wither Away
Passive Frost Fever deals its damage 100% faster, and the second scythe of Exterminate applies Frost Fever.
Bind in Darkness
Passive Rime empowered Howling Blast deals 30% increased damage to its main target, and is now Shadowfrost. Shadowfrost damage applies 2 stacks to Reaper's Mark and 4 stacks when it is a critical strike.
Soul Rupture
Passive When Reaper's Mark explodes, it deals 20% of the damage dealt to nearby enemies and causes them to deal 5% reduced Physical damage to you for 10 sec.
Grim Reaper
Passive Reaper's Mark initial strike grants Killing Machine. Reaper's Mark explosion deals up to 30% increased damage based on your target's missing health.
Reaper of Souls
Passive When you apply Reaper's Mark, the cooldown of Soul Reaper is reset, your next Soul Reaper costs no runes, and it explodes on the target regardless of their health. Soul Reaper damage is increased by 20%.
Pact of the Deathbringer
Passive When you suffer a damaging effect equal to 25% of your maximum health, you instantly cast Death Pact at 50% effectiveness. May only occur every 2 min. When a Reaper's Mark explodes, the cooldowns of this effect and Death Pact are reduced by 5 sec.
Rune Carved Plates
Passive Each Rune spent reduces the magic damage you take by 1.5% and each Rune generated reduces the physical damage you take by 1.5% for 5 sec, up to 5 times.
Swift and Painful
Passive If no enemies are struck by Soul Rupture, you gain 10% Strength for 8 sec. Wave of Souls is 100% more effective on the main target of your Reaper's Mark.
Dark Talons
Passive Consuming Killing Machine or Rime has a 25% chance to grant 3 stacks of Icy Talons and increase its maximum stacks by the same amount for 6 sec. Runic Power spending abilities count as Shadowfrost while Icy Talons is active.
Reaper's Onslaught
Passive Reduces the cooldown of Reaper's Mark by 15 sec, but the amount of Obliterates empowered by Exterminate is reduced by 1.
Death's Messenger
Passive Reduces the cooldowns of Lichborne and Raise Dead by 30 sec.
Expelling Shield
Passive When an enemy deals direct damage to your Anti-Magic Shell, their cast speed is reduced by 10% for 6 sec.
Exterminate
Passive After Reaper's Mark explodes, your next 2 Obliterates cost 1 Rune and summon 2 scythes to strike your enemies. The first scythe strikes your target for 1,822 Shadowfrost damage and has a 30% chance to apply Reaper's Mark, the second scythe strikes all enemies around your target for 597 Shadowfrost damage. Deals reduced damage beyond 8 targets.

PvP Talents

PvP talents are tailored for player-versus-player combat scenarios. Activated in arenas, battlegrounds, and the open world with War Mode enabled, these talents optimize a Blood Death Knight 's performance in PvP encounters. They provide specialized enhancements that give players an edge in combat against other players.

Name Cast Effect
Rot and Wither
Your Death and Decay rots enemies each time it deals damage, absorbing healing equal to 100% of damage dealt.
Walking Dead
Your Death Grip causes the target to be unable to move faster than normal movement speed for 8 sec.
Strangulate
Shadowy tendrils constrict an enemy's throat, silencing them for 4 sec.
Last Dance
Reduces the cooldown of Dancing Rune Weapon by 50% and its duration by 25%.
Death Chain
Chains 3 enemies together, dealing 154.0 Shadow damage and causing 20% of all damage taken to also be received by the others in the chain. Lasts for 10 sec.
Murderous Intent
You focus the assault on this target, increasing their damage taken by 3% for 6 sec. Each unique player that attacks the target increases the damage taken by an additional 3%, stacking up to 5 times. Your melee attacks refresh the duration of Focused Assault.
Decomposing Aura
All enemies within 8 yards slowly decay, losing up to 3% of their max health every 2 sec. Max 5 stacks. Lasts 6 sec.
Dark Simulacrum
Places a dark ward on an enemy player that persists for 12 sec, triggering when the enemy next spends mana on a spell, and allowing the Death Knight to unleash an exact duplicate of that spell.
Bloodforged Armor
Death Strike reduces all Physical damage taken by 20% for 3 sec.
Spellwarden
Anti-Magic Shell is now usable on allies and its cooldown is reduced by 10 sec.