[PonyNote]

b4 (+/-)

General

Fixed an issue that could cause a client crash if you log out very soon after logging in (before the skirmish stats can finish loading).
The female hobbit run, walk and jump animations have been updated to accommodate shields better.
[BETA ONLY] Fixed a bug that caused skills not to properly show as usable when gained by switching trait specs.
[BETA ONLY] You can now hold down the left mouse button and drag it around, while trying to select a location on the ground to target, and you will still properly select the final location when you release the button.
[BETA ONLY] When you rank up and apply a change to your class traits, you will now have all your pets unsummoned to ensure that, when you re-summon them, they get all the correct bonuses.
[BETA ONLY] The portcullisses will no longer block passage in Helm's Deep.
[BETA ONLY]One's ability to remain in combat with agents of the Enemy who are currently targeting your Rohirrim allies in Epic Battles should more consistently match behavior throughout the rest of the game.

Classes

Burglar

[beta only] Stat traits have been converted to percentages.
[beta only] Trip and Exposed Throat have swapped places within the trait trees.
[beta only] Provoke now applies a Crit Chance debuff in addition to dealing minor damage.
[beta only] Double Down also allows Provoke to apply a Disabling Gamble when not stealthed, though with a much lower chance.
[beta only] The Critical Chain Skill Critical Multiplier Legacy no longer causes the Burglar's damage to reach ludicrous levels.

Captain
[all beta only]

Moved the following traits:
Time of Need
In Harms Way
Dignified Spectacle
Impactful Blows
Turning Point
Noble Mark
Telling Mark
Revealing Mark

Tactician's Prowess is now the healing line's 4-set bonus, giving 50% critical healing magnitude. Gallant Display is now a trait.
Lacerate now gives 25% Bleed Skill Damage in addition to its current effects
Defensive Strike now gives a passive 5% Parry Chance in addition to its current effects
Many skills have had their power costs reduced.
[beta only] The Standard of skills are now based around an enemy target, instead of using ground targeting.
[beta only] Reform the Lines now restores percentages of maximum morale.
[beta only] The potency of the herald and archer's attacks has been drastically increased.
[beta only] Heralds now give percentage based buffs based around the 'theme' of what the herald previously gave.
[beta only] Shadow's Lament will properly show in the tooltip the benefit it gets from Advantageous Attack.
[Beta only] Battle-shout range upped to 40m from 30m
[beta only] Stat traits have been converted to percentages.
[beta only] Time of Need gives the Captain a short boost to their damage output in addition to its other effects.
[beta only] Improved Kick has been reworked to function with Cutting Attack. It has been re-named as well.
We really did fix a case where captain shieldbrother skill sometimes fails to set itself to the correct version on respect. Pretty sure.

Champion
ALL BETA ONLY

General:
Bracing Attacks heal has been slightly increased.
Blood Rage no longer cost morale.
True Heroics now has additional functionality based off the specialization of the Champion:
True Heroics Berserker: Increases Champion Critical Chance by 5% for 12s. Also reduces all enemies around the champion's Attack Duration by 10% for 12s.
True Heroics Deadly Storm: Increases Champion melee damage by 5% for 12s. Also slows all enemies around the champion by 40% for 8s.
True Heroics Martial Champion: Increases Martial Champion's attack duration by 15% for 12s. The skill also is now an Area Effect force Taunt.
True Heroics Power cost has Been reduced to 10% of the Champion's max Power, down from 30%.

Berserker:
Fixed Bug that was not propery applying the critical chance and damage mods of Emboldened Blades to Remorseless Strike.
Devastating Strike now debuffs enemies Miss Chance by 10%, down from 15%.
Fervour Trait set bonus no longer gives attack duration per fervour pip.
Precise Strikes Trait set bonus in addition to its current functionality, Strike skills place a stacking 3% attack duration buff that lasts for 8s. This effect stacks up to 5 times for a total of 15%.
Physical Mastery rating trait has been removed and replaced with Battle Reflexes.
New Trait, Battle Reflexes(5 ranks): Increases attack duration by 2% per rank. This trait is located on the second tier of the berserker tree(where Strong armed Swings is located).
Strong Arm Swings is now located on the third tier of the berserker tree, up from the second tier.
Killing Spree heal has been increased to 5/7.5/10% of max morale, up from 3/4/5% of max morale.
Renewing Strikes heal has been increased to 5%, up from 2%.
Continuous Blood Rage no longer costs morale. The duration of its effect has been increased to 15s, up from 10s.

Deadly Storm:
Raging Blade and Improved Raging Blade has been moved to the second and third tier of the Deadly Storm Trait tree respectively.
Improved Raging Blade damage bonus is 20% per rank, down from 25%. But an additional rank has been added, bringing the net total to 60% damage from the trait.
Great Cleave is now located on the fourth tier of the Deadly Storm trait tree, up from the third tier.
Fury of Blades frontal arc has been increased to 160 degrees, up from 45. This is the same size as Blade Wall.

Martial Champion:
Tactical Mitigation Trait is now not a rating and instead is 1% bonus Tactical Mitigation per rank, total of 5% Tactical Mitigation.
Parry Increase Trait has been removed and is now replaced with a Vitality Trait.

Guardian
ALL BETA ONLY

Skills -

Vexing Blow: This skill will be returning as a general skill
Shield Blow: This skill will be returning as a general skill, but will still provide a block response on use
Ignore the Pain: The skill will no longer trigger a block response and has had its power cost increased slightly
Litany of Defiance: Cooldown has been reduced
Guardian's Pledge: Cooldown has been reduced
Juggernaut: Cooldown has been reduced
Warrior's Heart: Cooldown has been reduced
Engage: Threat catch-up functionality has been added
Challenge: Threat catch-up functionality has been added
Fray the Edge: Threat catch-up functionality has been added

Skills were also re-organized slightly to hopefully provide a bit more balance between damage and utility while leveling. Regardless, I would still like to give one more pass now that I have a bit more time.

Note: Name changes did not make it into this beta for traits. I will list the names as you will be seeing them, then the intended changes in parenthesis

Defender of the Free -

Specialization -
Shield-taunt: This skill has been added as a specialization bonus to Defender of the Free. It will require the use of shield-swipe and will provide increased threat on multiple targets (This will not have a damaging component to allow for a bit of flexibility with CC'ed mobs)

Traits -
Fluid Shield-work (Relentless Assault): Will now provide Sting with a chance to trigger a block and parry response
Block Increase: Will now provide 1/2/3/4/5% block increase rather than block rating

Keen Blade -

Specialization -
Bleeds should no longer fluctuate when being applied through skills and critical hits

Traits -
Relentless Assault (Thrill of Battle): Will now heal on parry response crits. Ranks have increased, but healing potency has been dialed back.
Parry Increase: Will now provide 1/2/3/4/5% parry increase rather than parry rating

Fighter of Shadow -

Specialization -
Take to Heart: This skill will now act as a toggle and will mark a single target. Marked targets have a 5% decreased hit chance, and will take extra damage from the Guardian's attacks
Passive Bonus: The Guardian has a 10% to heal 5% morale while attacking their marked target

Set Bonuses -
Light-touched: Incoming Healing has been added as a passive bonus
Comradery (Disabling Strikes): Will now increase the potency of all non-damaging debuffs (Run Speed, Attack Speed, Outgoing Damage, Miss Chance) by 50%
Complete Unraveling (Mark of Permanence): All debuffs placed on your marked target become permanent (until the mark is removed...still addressing some functionality with the removal)
Guided by the Light (Incapacitation): Will now increase the potency of all non-damaging debuffs (Run Speed, Attack Speed, Outgoing Damage, Miss Chance) by 100% on your marked target

Traits -
Incoming Healing Increase: This trait has replaced Tactical Mastery increase and will provide 1/2/3/4/5% Incoming Healing
Cry Out (Insult to Injury): Will now provide your attacks a chance to renew debuffs on hit
Engulfed By Light (Numbed Senses): Will now allow Ignore the Pain to remove additional PDFW debuffs
Radiate: Will transfer bleeds and non-damaging debuffs
Bolster: At five stacks, it will now cause your next Sting use to provide a stun
Tenderize: At five stacks, it will now cause your next Sting use to provide a bleed
War-chant: This skill no longer requires a block response and will decrease your target(s) outgoing damage
Motivating Anthem (Demoralizing Anthem): Will now increase War-chant range and targets
Redirect: Will now absorb a portion of incoming damage and will be able to reflect all damage types
Vicious Rebuttal: Will now increase damage absorb and reflect amounts
Cataclysmic Shout: Will now stun and damage all affected targets. If a target is marked, they will take increased damage and will be stunned for a longer period of time. This skill will also transfer any debuffs from the marked target to the 5 closest enemies. (This includes the improved buffs from Incapacitation. They will, however, not be permanent).

Hunter

General:
Barbed Arrow is now a general skill, granted at level 4.
Swift Bow is now a general skill granted at level 10.
Improved Swift Bow is now granted once again at level 54.
Bards Arrow is now a general skill, granted at level 22.
Heart Seeker is no longer a general skill and now can be found in the Bowmaster Trait Tree.
Cry of The Hunter has made its long awaited return! This skill is granted at level 20.
This skill no longer dazes or slows targets.
Still provides bubble with induction setback immunity for 30s.
Increases Hunter run speed by 10% for 10s.
Breaks the Hunter out of ALL forms of Crowd Control, not just slows.

Bowmaster:
Pinning Shot is now granted as a Bowmaster Specialization skill to replace Swift Bow.
Pinning Shot's range has been increased to 30m.
Pinning Shot cooldown is increased to 8s.
Pinning Shot's root reduced to 5s, down from 10s. But ti cannot be broken by damage.
New Trait, Heartseeker(2 ranks): This Trait is located on the first tier of the Bowmaster Trait tree.
First rank unlocks the skill Heartseeker.
Second Rank makes Heartseeker deal additional damage to CC'ed targets. (this was the trait No Escape in the Trapper of Foes trait tree)
Needful Haste Trait is now the first tier Set Bonus: Increasing the application chance of Needful Haste by 10%.
Swift and True is no long a set bonus and is now in the Bowmaster Trait tree on the first tier:
Now a 5 rank trait
Each rank increases Swift Bow's damage by 6%, total of 30%.
Max rank gives your harmful skills a 20% chance to reduce the induction of Swift Bow by 50% for 10s.
Agility Trait has been removed and replaced with two new Traits: Press Onward and Perseverence.
New Trait, Press Onward( 1 rank): skill that returns power and morale over a few seconds.
New Trait, Perseverence (4 ranks): Increases the power and morale return of Press Onward by 5% per rank.
Upshot damage has been increased and the contribution from fervour has also been increased.

Huntsman:
Barbed Arrow has been pulled out of the Huntsman Specialization and moved to the general skill category.
Barrage now takes the place of Barbed Arrow in the Huntsman Specialization.
Split Shot generates an additional point of focus for each enemy hit.
Split Shot now has a 5m radiius, up from 2m.
Bow of The Righteous now has an additional rank, further increasing the amount of power returned.

Trapper of Foes:
Trapper of Foes Specialization Passive: Traps are now useable while moving and have no induction.
Decoy and Deadly Decoy now transfer 80% of the Hunter's Threat to itself.
Deadly Decoy now explodes after 15s, up from 5s.
Deadly Decoy Explosion stuns any enemie hit for 5s.
Bard's Arrow is no longer granted by Trapper of Foes and is now a general skill.
Tripwire is now granted in the Trapper of Foes trait tree. It is located on the first tier of the tree.
Snake Bite Trap Damage increased by quite a bit.
Snake Bite Trap is now granted on the fourth tier of the Trait Tree, up from the third Tier.
Rain of Thorns is now located in the third tier of the Trait Tree, down from the fifth tier.
Rain of Thorns now has an additional trait rank, increasing the damage by 40%.
Natural Extracts Trait and Combat Traps trait have switched places in the Trait Tree.
The One Trap Legendary Skill has changed:
Now deals heavy instant damage as spikes shoot up from the ground.
This leaves damage over time effect on the target.
Target is slowed by 30% for 20s.
Master Trapper is now the Third Trait Set Bonus of the Trapper of Foes. All other Set bonuses are now shifted up to accomadate this change.
Set Trap/Triple Trap incoming damage debuff has been increased to 15%, up from 5%.
Deadly Decoy's Incoming Critical Chance buff has been increased to 10%, up from 5%.
New Legendary Passive, Sturdy Traps:
Increases Traps Grace Period by 5s, up from 2s.
Removes the focus loss on movement penalty.

Lore-master

Lore-masters - a bunch of changes have been made to make the quests for cosmetic pets easier and more accessible. The quest is now bestowed directly by Radagast instead of the Class Trainer. The rabbit and turtle have been moved closer, and the Sparrow quest will now have a much longer time limit on it. At the end, the player may choose one of the three pets they helped.
[BETA 4 ONLY] Pets - The Eagle's Power regen buff has been significantly... buffed
[BETA 4 ONLY] Skills Removing Animations from “Hasten” skills gained from the MoNF Set Bonus.
[BETA 4 ONLY] Traits - Catmint should now properly work with Bears and Ravens
[BETA 4 ONLY] Traits - KoA Set Bonus “Sign of Power: Rightousness” has been replaced with “Fellowship Friend”, which will cause, when they crit, pet-specific bonuses to fellowship members.
[BETA 4 ONLY] Skills - Inner Flame Cooldown reduced to 90s. Effect Duration increased to 15s
[BETA 4 ONLY] Skills - Sic 'em should properly summon a Bog-guardian now

Minstrel

[BETA 4 ONLY ] Skills Resonant Anthem of the Third Age and Anthem of the Third Age have had their effects swapped.
[BETA 4 ONLY] Skills Call of the Second Age is being made a General Skill to be granted at lvl 34
[BETA 4 ONLY] Traits New Protector of Song Specialization Bonus: Coda of Melody grants the fellowship a 2.5% B/P/E buff
[BETA 4 ONLY] Traits New Protector of Song Specialization Bonus: Coda of Resonance grants the fellowship a 5% Incoming Healing buff
[BETA 4 ONLY] Traits New Protector of Song Specialization Bonus: Coda of Fury grants the fellowship a 5% Outgoing Damage buff
[BETA 4 ONLY] Skills Legend of Helm Hammerhand now has a 120s cooldown. Bubble duration extended from 10s> 15s. Expiration heal balanced down a bit
[BETA 4 ONLY] Skills Reducing Call to Greatness Cooldown from 150s > 90s
[BETA 4 ONLY] Traits “Guarding Song of the Hammerhand” has been renamed to “Strength of Helm Hammerhand” and applies to all forms of the Hammerhand Buff.
[BETA 4 ONLY] Skills Gift of the Hammerhand Bubble duration extended from 10s >15s
[BETA 4 ONLY] Skills “Rally!” Cooldown being lowered from 1200s >750s
[BETA 4 ONLY] Traits “Breathing Technique” is now “Extended Anthems” which gives 2s Anthem duration / rank.
[BETA 4 ONLY] Traits Condensing “Change of Pace” into one trait
[BETA 4 ONLY] Traits New Trait: “Word Spreads”; 2 ranks; tier 5; increases max targets of Gift of the Hammerhand by 1 per rank.
[BETA 4 ONLY] Traits -New Trait: “Perfect Performance”; 3 ranks; tier 6; Each Ballad gives .5% of the stat it buffs most to the fellowship per rank, each rank increases this bonus by .5%; Minor Ballad

Rune-keeper
ALL BETA ONLY

General:
Battle Attunement provides 3% tactical damage per pip of attunement.
Healing Attunement provides 2% healing per pip of attunement.
Chilling Rhetoric is now a general skill granted at level 6.
Essence of Winter is now a general skill granted at level 24.
Scathing Mockery is now a general skill granted at level 28.
Flurry of Words is now a general skill granted at level 32.
New Skill: Unwritten Epilogue. This skill breaks the RK out of all forms of Crowd Control and has a 1 minute cooldown.
Distracting Flame no longer has a slow.
Epic for The Ages is now a general skill, granted at level 18.
Epic For The Ages now builds 3 Healing Attunement.
Epic For The Ages heal is reduced to compensate for the fact it now builds healing attunement.
Words of Exaltation bubble increased to 12s.
Do Not Fall This Day effect duration has been increased to 300s, up from 30s
Scribe a New Ending cooldown has been lowered to 8s, down from 20s.
Prelude to Hope now ticks every second for 8 seconds.
Armour of The Elements now replaces all the Armour of X. skills. It function as Improved Armour of Storm on live.

Solitary Thunder:
Lightning Affinity will now provide 20% Lightning Damage.
Ceaseless Argument now places a stacking Critical chance buff ( 2% per stack, up to 10%) for 6s. However, the cost of Ceaseless Argument is increased by 10% per stack.
Fulgurite's Runestone damage has been increased.
Thunderous Words now provides a (2 - 10%) critical chance buff instead of a finesse buff.
Fulgurite Runestone starts by being placeable at the RK's feet. Max Rank of Statically Charge makes the Runestone Ground targetable.
Critical Rating Trait is no longer rating based. Instead its a 1% Critical Chance per rank trait.
Harsh Debate proc now applies a tactical damage buff instead of Tactical Mastery.
Each charge of Concession and Rebuttal will provide a -8% damage taken, for a total of -40% damage taken at max charges.
Static Surge, Epic Conclusion, and Concession and Rebuttal are all useable while moving.

Cleansing Flames:
Fire Affinity will now provide 20% Fire Damage.
Volcanic Runestone starts by being placeable at the RK's feet. Max Rank of Molten Rock makes the Runestone Ground targetable.
Empowered Flame should no longer increase RK's inductions and instead decrease them.
Smouldering Wrath should no longer consume the Induction Removal effect of Essay of Fire.

Benediction of Peace:
All heals are allowed while not in combat.
Frost Affinity will now provide 20% Healing and 10% Frost Damage.
Epic For The Ages is no longer granted in the BOP tree.
Mending Verse Attunes 2 Healing Attunement, down from 3.
Physical Mitigation trait removed. Replaced with a 5% Evade Chance Trait.
Rousing Words channel is now immune to setback.
Rune of Restoration starts by being placeable at the RK's feet. Max Rank of Rune of Endurance makes the Runestone Ground targetable.
Glorious Foreshadowing's incoming healing buff has been increased to 5% per tier of Writ of Health, up from 3%.

[BETA ONLY] Runekeeper: Do Not Fall This Day will now be more than just a suggestion (it will now work and properly revive the target again).

Warden

[BETA ONLY] Warden: You will now have a few seconds to re-enter combat before your gambit builders clear when you leave combat.
[BETA 4 ONLY] Warden - Traits - Reducing Incoming Healing debuff of “No Respite for the Wicked” from 25%/stack >10%/stack
[Beta 4 ONLY] Warden - Items - Reducing Incoming Healing debuff of PvMP Set Bonus “Open Wounds” from 25%/stack >12.5%/stack
[BETA 4 ONLY] Warden - Traits - Counter-attack now causes your Gambit Masteries to be reset upon Evade or partial Evade. You cannot gain this effect more than once every 20s.

Epic Battles

There is now an Epic Battles tutorial instance available! Look for 'Epic Battles: Basic Training' at the Boar Fountain in Bree once you're Level 10. It's also available from Gamling in Helm's Deep, After Midnight (just before the first Epic Battle in III.13.4). The tutorial is repeatable.
Glittering Caves primary quest will now fail if a full squad of Rohirrim defending a DBU path are defeated by the enemy. For example, on Gimli's side there are two DBU paths. If all of the defenders fall from one of those paths, the space will be considered overrun by the enemy and will fail.
"Powder at the Gate" and "Flames at the Gate" are now the options for the third wave of Helm's Dike - Solo, and will no longer interfere with each other.
Cleaned up quest text in all Glittering Caves quest files, as well as quest rewards and XP Tier rewards.
Increased Rohirrim mitigations by 25%
Extended timing between all waves

Vanguard:
Increased base pip earn chance to 50%

Wall Solo:
Increased enemy siege health to take 2 catapult shots
Updated wave warning to include message of enemy siege
Can't jump off anymore
Ladders despawn on explosion
Banners despawn on explosion

Helm's Dike Solo:
Reworked the spawning for powder at the gate, fewer bombers, more uruks
Banners can now be repaired
Lists proper area name
Gate has physics now
Added rope teleports

Helm's Dike - Solo & 6-man
Flames at the Gate - Reworked timing and damage so that the side quest should complete before the instance finishes
Increased the number of stray arrows to be picked up for supplying the archers

Helm's Dike 6 man:
-Adjusted floating DBU patrol paths on the right flank
-Overwhelm failure should trigger now

Glittering Caves:
-Eomer has small intro drama
-Secondary bestowal VO/billboard properly triggers when side objective is triggered
-Polished Cave In Rock tumble fx
-Cave In defenders reduced
-Cave In barricade merit greatly increased
-Eomer is a bit more insistent about retreating
-Civilian Defense 3 man - thinned defenders
-Preparing the charge 3man - diversion hits the line now

Glittering Caves - Solo and 3-man
Cave In side quest should grant medals and merits again
Cave In: Gimli should no longer cause the cave-in if all waves are defeated before the timer expires.

Glittering Caves 3-man:
-Crystal being damaged costs you merit in Spiders
-Gimli's Front will properly trigger Overwhelm
Bombs and Bats side quest - Should now be able to complete successfully
Bombs and Bats side quest - Should now be able to fail

Deeping-coomb Solo:
Slowed down the enemy spawn rate

Pillage Denied:
Delivering Schematics provides merit

Preparing to Fall Back:
Gives proper intro text and vo
Progress is now defeating waves
Building defences adds merit
Spawns multiple waves of enemies

Shamans in the Water:
Gives proper intro text and vo

Secondary - Cave In (solo and 3-man)
Gimli no longer runs off to a distant path to cause the cave in, instead he goes right for a wall near the entrance to the enemy cavern
Failure condition is now timer-based. If the timer runs out, Gimli is forced to cave in the entrance (Failure).
Success condition is defeating all waves of enemies
Enemies should no longer be getting caught up on the crystal for pathing
Enemies should no longer be spawning all at the same time
Rewards on successful completion should be correct
Rohirrim defenders should now be there to help you defend Gimli

Secondary - Statue of Helm Hammerhand - 6-Man
Updated the success logic to expect the correct number of cleared waves for success
Fixed failure condition to not cause quest to fail on killing a Troll

Stalactites - Solo and 3 Man
Stalactites should be animating again

Defending the Watchtowers
Archers evacuating from the tower will now fight back
Archers evacuating from the tower should no longer have the “Fire” command available

A Stone Obstruction
The archers should no longer linger after the quest finishes

Guarding the Towers
Enemies should no longer drop arrows when defeated

Protect the Horses (solo and 6-man)
Players should now be able to free the horses before they are scared off by the enemy

Ballista:
Increased Range of small ballista by 50%
Increased Range of medium ballista by 25%

Raids, Instances, Skirmishes

Seals have been removed from all non-raid challenges

Items

Crafted champion horns can now be used while moving.

Quests

Hooked up VO for Epic Book 12, Chapters 1-5
Complete VO added throughout the III.11.7 instance, 'Commands of the King'.
Complete VO added throughout the III.11.10 instance, 'The King Rides West'
Added VO for Book 11, Chapters 7 and 8
Added a new step to visit Entwade during III.12.1, since players were missing that hub.
Added VO to Epic Books 11, Chapters 9-10
Made some adjustments to the portcullis and doors of the gatehouse outside the Hornburg.
Most doors should now be usable in Helm's Deep after midnight and before dawn.

Music System

Loading music files to play (with /play “filename”) will now work properly on Mac.