• Technique: Glyph of Eternal Water – Inscription 250, for level 50 Mage – Your Summon Water Elemental now lasts indefinitely, but your Water Elemental can no longer cast Freeze.
• Technique: Glyph of Rapid Rejuvenation – Inscription 375, for level 15 Druid – Your haste now reduces the time between the periodic healing ticks of your Rejuvenation spell.
• Technique: Glyph of Quick Decay – Inscription 375, for level 15 Warlock – Your haste now reduces the time between periodic damage ticks of your Corruption spell.

All 3 should require Snowfall Ink and Resilient Parchment to make. Update: The recipes can now be learnt.

Importance of Glyphs

Why can scribes not make anything very unique? Blizzard responded (Jon LeCraft, I assume):

“We don’t ever really want to make a glyph very difficult to get, because they’re so core to gameplay. People think they can’t play if they can’t get a glyph.”

If you cannot find a Jewelcrafter that can cut a particular rare gem, you can find a more common cut. If you can’t buy that Titansteel Destroyer at auction, there are alternative weapons. You loose some “stats”. You loose some advantage over your enemies. But that is not crippling.

In contrast, if you cannot get a specific glyph, there are no similar alternatives. This can be crippling. For example, a special mage (warlock) without Glyph of Shadowflame cannot use Shadowflame to slow approaching enemies. In some PvP situations, that glyph has become fundamental to survival. There is not an alternative, common “Lesser Glyph of Shadowflame”, that gives a 60% speed reduction. The choice is either 0% or the full 70%.

The Path of the Titans, and the new Ancient Glyph, may be similarly “core to gameplay”: Everyone will want to try and gain those new benefits.

Demand for Glyphs

Inscription’s glyphs are rarely changed: Dual-specs mean that noticeable fresh demand for new glyphs tends to only occur when there have been major class changes. This is frustrating for Scribes, many of whom found the Inscription profession very rewarding at the outset, but now find far fewer people are asking for their services.

I expect the same pattern with the Path of the Titans: At the start, many people will want to improve or change their paths. But once they have completed that, they will not continually make further changes. At least, not until the next major patch changes the benefits of different paths, or adds new paths.

Evolution of Professions

The Path of the Titans is far more personal than most professions: It’s all about you. It’s a way to change you. The benefits are personal.

Over the last few years, personal professional benefits have become far more important.

How many people trained Jewelcrafting because prismatic Jewelcrafter-only gems gave more options than other profession personal benefits? And then dropped it when patch 3.2 removed the prismatic status from Jewelcrafter-only gems? Or, in the Burning Crusade, trained Leatherworking simply to maintain drum-rotations during raid boss fights?

Years ago, when Ragnaros was still feared, the main personal benefit of a profession was the ability to craft enough Fire Resist gear to get your guild through the fight.

New crafters probably don’t realise how much professions have already changed.

Archaeology

Archaeology evolves from Inscription. Archaeology’s features might have been part of the Inscription profession. But they are not. Instead Archaeology is a new secondary profession:

• The Path of the Titans is too important to everyone.
• Improvements are too much of a “once only” purchase to keep a primary profession busy.
• Even more than other professions, Archaeology’s benefits are personal.

• New Glyph of Claw for druids (reduces energy cost of Claw by 5). Taught by trainers. Requires 100 skill. Uses Midnight Ink and Light Parchment.
• Master’s Inscriptions improved:
  • 120 AP and 15 Critical
  • 70 Spell Power and 6 MP5
  • 60 Dodge and 15 Defense
  • 70 Spell Power and 15 Critical.

“The book of glyph mastery has had its drop rate increased.”

The Book of Glyph Mastery is used to research most of the new glyphs. Glyph of Envenom has also been removed.

• Rare world drops, Book of Glyph Mastery, research new glyphs. Books can be traded. No new Northrend/Minor research.
• Dual specs = dual demand for glyphs!
• Lexicon of Power no longer needed to apply glyphs.
• Dropped tome recipe, Technique: Rituals of the New Moon.
• 7 new trained glyphs, 1 new trained tome.
• See all 3.1 changes.

• “Applying a glyph no longer requires a Lexicon of Power. The same rules for switching between dual talent specializations now apply to switching glyphs and cannot be performed while in combat, Battlegrounds (except when Preparation is up), or Arenas (no exceptions).”
• “Added around 50 new glyph recipes. These new recipes can be obtained from Books of Glyph Mastery found as world drops on Northrend monsters. Reading a Book of Glyph Mastery randomly discovers one of the newly-added recipes.” [Finally found.]
• “Players will now learn 3 recipes the very first time they perform Northrend Inscription Research. This does not apply to players who have already discovered recipes from Northrend Inscription Research.”
• “Added a recipe for creating a different level 70 superior-quality off-hand item. Scribes will find the recipe is dropped from residents of Silverbrook [Grizzly Hills].” This is Technique: Rituals of the New Moon, a Bind on Pickup tome. You may need to complete the area’s quest line before these “villagers” are hostile. The recipe produces an off-hand, Rituals of the New Moon. Using this turns you into a wolf for 2 minutes (with 10 minute cooldown).

• Trainable recipes are now listed here – including new glyphs and Twilight Tome (off-hand). These are all confirmed available on the PTR.
• No known new discoveries yet.
• No summoned Lexicon of Power. Zarhym confirms that no Lexicon is required to change specs.
• New Grand Master trainer (Arthur Denny) and vendor (Fanii) at the Argent Tournament, on the north-east side of Icecrown. They do not teach or sell anything new. Yet.

For a list of glyph changes on the first 3.1 PTR version, read on.

Glyph Changes

This list may now be out of date – see note below:

• Death Knight:
  • Glyph of Icebound Fortitude: Your Icebound Fortitude now always grants at least 30% damage reduction, regardless of your defense skill. Previously cost no runic power.
  • Glyph of Plague Strike: Your Plague Strike does 60% additional damage. Was 20% if diseased.
  • Glyph of Strangulate: Reduces the cooldown of your Strangulate by 60 sec. Previously increased range.
  • Glyph of Unbreakable Armor: Increases the amount of damage absorbed by Unbreakable Armor by 1%. Was an additional 15% armor.
• Druid:
  • Glyph of Rebirth: Players resurrected by Rebirth are returned to life with 100% health. Tooltip no longer implies more than 100% health.
  • Glyph of Starfall: Reduces the cooldown of Starfall by 90 sec. Was increased duration.
• Hunter:
  • Glyph of Aimed Shot: Reduces the cooldown of your Aimed Shot ability by 2 sec. Was reduced mana.
  • Glyph of Aspect of the Monkey becomes Glyph of the Monkey: While Aspect of the Monkey or Aspect of the Dragonhawk are active, each time you dodge you gain 30% increased movement speed for 6 sec. Can only occur every 20 sec. This speed does not stack with other movement speed increasing effects. Added: Can only occur every 20 seconds.
  • Glyph of Improved Aspect of the Hawk becomes Glyph of the Hawk.
  • Glyph of Snake Trap: Snakes generated by your Snake Trap take 90% reduced damge from area of effect spells. Was 2 extra snakes.
  • Glyph of Wyvern Sting : Decreases the cooldown of your Wyvern Sting by 6 sec. Was 15 sec reduction in cooldown, but with less damage.
• Mage:
  • Glyph of Ice Armor: Your Ice Armor and Frost Armor spells grant an additional 50% armor and resistance. Increased from 20%.
  • Glyph of Ice Lance: Your Ice Lance now causes 4 times damage against frozen targets higher level than you instead of triple damage. Was increased range.
• Paladin:
  • Glyph of Divinity: Your Lay on Hands grants twice as much mana as normal and also grants you as much mana as it grants your target. Was “grants you as much mana as it grants your target”.
  • Glyph of Exorcism: Increases damage done by Exorcism by 20%. Formerly interupted spellcasting.
  • Glyph of Lay on Hands: Reduces the cooldown of your Lay on Hands spell by 5 min. Was increased mana restoration.
• Priest:
  • Glyph of Fade: Reduces the cooldown of your Fade spell by 15 sec. Before increased duration and cooldown by 50%.
  • Glyph of Fear Ward: Reduces cooldown and duration of Fear Ward by 60 sec. Increase from 30 sec.
  • Glyph of Inner Fire: Increases the armor from your Inner Fire spell by 50%. Was increased charges.
  • Glyph of Mind Control: Increases the duration of your Mind Control spell by 30 sec. Up from 12 seconds.
  • Glyph of Psychic Scream: Increases the duration of your Psychic Scream by 2 sec. and increases its cooldown by 8 sec. Was just a 1 second increase in duration.
  • Glyph of Smite: Reduces the pushback suffered from damaging attacks while casting Smite by 100%. Was 50%.
• Rogue:
  • Glyph of Adrenaline Rush: Increases the duration of Adrenaline Rush by 5 sec. Formerly reduced cooldown.
  • Glyph of Crippling Poison: Increases the chance to inflict your target with Crippling Poison by an additional 20%. Up from 10%.
  • Glyph of Deadly Throw: Increases the slowing effect on Deadly Throw by 10%. Previously increased range.
  • Glyph of Pick Lock: Reduces the cast time of your Pick Lock ability by 100%. Was 75%.
  • Glyph of Sap: Increases the duration of Sap by 20 sec. Increased from 10 sec.
  • Glyph of Sprint: Increases the movement speed of your Sprint ability by an additional 30%. Removed reduction in duration.
• Shaman:
  • Glyph of Shocking: Reduces the global cooldown triggered by your shock spells to 1 sec. Was “by 1 sec”.
• Warlock:
  • Glyph of Incinerate replaces Glyph of Banish: Increases the damage done by Incinerate by 5%. Glyph of Banish removed.
  • Glyph of Imp: Increases the damage done by your Imp’s Firebolt spell by 20%. Up from 10%.
• Warrior:
  • Glyph of Barbaric Insults: Your Mocking Blow ability generates 100% additional threat. Previously added taunt.
  • Glyph of Heroic Strike: Increases the critical strike chance of Heroic Strike by 5%. Was a rage gain.
  • Glyph of Overpower: Adds a 100% chance to enable your Overpower when your attacks are parried. Was 75%.
  • Glyph of Sweeping Strikes: Reduces the rage cost of your Sweeping Strikes ability by 100%. Previously generated rage.

Postscript

This will be the last update to list changes to the function of glyphs, and purely “data-mined” glyphs which are not known to be available. El’s Inscription was intended to be a “guide to the profession of Inscription”, not a “guide to Glyphs”.

El will continue to report changes to the profession – new items that can be produced by Scribes, reagents, vendors, trainers, changes to training. Most of these changes are not widely reported elsewhere. For example, El was weeks ahead of mainstream sources in reporting the Dalaran Ink Trader.

Sources like MMO Champion are recommended for updates about the function of glyphs. When a glyph’s function changes, it does not change the Inscription profession. However, it is much easier to understand the change when viewed alongside other class changes (spells, talents). That understanding is required if you want to predict the popularity of glyphs.

((A list of data-mined glyphs was originally found here. It was while trying to decide whether to list only spells that had been newly added, or also unused spells that remained from patch 3.0, that I realized that I should not be adding any of them!))

• Scribes will make an item that allows a Lexicon of Power to be summoned.
• Anyone can buy this item. It will require a group to summon, and cannot be used in combat or Arenas.
• The item will exist for a short period of time, like a repair bot. No decision on whether the item will be reusable or consumed.
• Lexicon of Power will remain in capital cities.

As expected, each dual spec will use a different set of glyphs.

Ink Trader

An Ink Trader can be found in Dalaran’s Inscription store. Jessica Sellers offers (image):

• Ivory, Moonglow, Midnight, Lion’s, Jadefire, Celestial, Shimmering and Ethereal Inks – for 1 Ink of Sea each.
• Snowfall Ink – for 10 Ink of Sea each.

Minor Glyph Discoveries

3 new minor glyphs become available. These are all discovered during Minor Inscription Research. All are made with 1 Ink of the Sea and 1 Resilient Parchment. Minimum skill is unknown, but (based on the reagents) likely to be above 350:

• Glyph of Blast Wave (Mage): The mana cost of your Blast Wave spell is reduced by 15%, but it no longer knocks enemies back. Requires level 70.
• Glyph of Thunderstorm (Shaman): Increases the mana you receive from your Thunderstorm ability by 2%, but the spell no longer knocks enemies back. Requires level 70.
• Glyph of Typhoon (Druid): Reduces the cost of your Typhoon spell by 8%, but it no longer knocks enemies back. Requires level 70.

Trained Major Glyphs

Glyph of Arcane Blast (Mage) has been added to trainers in Northrend and Outland. It trains at skill 315. Reagents are 1 Ethereal Ink and 1 Resilient Parchment. Function: Increases the damage from your Arcane Blast buff by 5% (requires level 64).

Glyph of Focus (Druid): Increases the damage done by Starfall by 20%, but decreases its radius by 50%. Requires level 70. Trains at skill 375. Reagents are 1 Ink of the Sea and 1 Resilient Parchment.

Off-Hands for All

Off-hands produced by scribes no longer require Inscription skill to use. They can be made and sold to anyone. These off-hands now all have minimum level requirements:

• Level 15: Mystic Tome.
• Level 20: Book of Survival, Tome of the Dawn.
• Level 30: Royal Guide of Escape Routes, Tome of Kings.
• Level 40: Book of Stars, Fire Eater’s Guide.
• Level 50: Manual of Clouds, Stormbound Tome.
• Level 60: Book of Clever Tricks, Hellfire Tome.
• Level 77: Faces of Doom, Iron-bound Tome.

More Vellum

All vellum recipes now produce 2 vellum. Each recipe uses twice as much parchment as before, but the same amount of ink. This should make vellum considerably cheaper to produce.

Glyph Changes

There are many minor changes to existing glyphs. Changes marked ** are taken from spell lists, and should be treated with caution. Changes marked *** are listed on the official patch notes, but not confirmed in-game. All other glyph changes have been confirmed in-game:

• Death Knight:
  • Glyph of Anti-Magic Shell**: Increases the duration of your Anti-Magic Shell by 2 sec. Reduced duration, and no longer increases cooldown.
  • Glyph of Bone Shield: Adds 2 additional charge to your Bone Shield. Increased from 1.
  • Glyph of Blood Boil: Just slows affected targets for 5 sec. Damage reduction removed.
  • Glyph of Death and Decay***: Damage of your Death and Decay spell increased by 20%. Changed from chance to cower in fear.
  • Glyph of Death Grip: When you deal a killing blow that grants honor or experience, the cooldown of your Death Grip is refreshed. Stun is removed.
  • Glyph of Death Strike: Increases your Death Strike’s damage by 2%. Formerly 20%; previously scaled with runic power.
  • Glyph of Frost Strike: Reduces the cost of your Frost Strike by 8 Runic Power. Chance to freeze the target removed.
  • Glyph of Horn of Winter: Increases the duration of your Horn of Winter ability by 1 min. Previously cost less runic power.
  • Glyph of Icy Touch: Your Icy Touch generates 10 additional runic power. Removed damage reduction.
  • Glyph of Obliterate**: Increases the damage of your Obliterate ability by 20%. Removed lower damage bonus per disease.
  • Glyph of Raise Dead: Your Raise Dead spell no longer requires a reagent. Formerly generated runic power when summoning.
  • Glyph of Rune Strike**: Increases the critical strike chance of your Rune Strike by 10%. Increased cost removed.
  • Glyph of Rune Tap: Your Rune Tap heals yourself for an additional 10% of the effect, and also heals your party for 10% of their maximum health. Added personal benefit.
  • Glyph of the Ghoul: Your Ghoul receives an additional 40% of your Strength amd 40% of your Stamina. Was 20% of Strength.
  • Glyph of Unbreakable Armor: Unbreakable Armor grants an additional 15% armor. Was a 5% parry chance.
  • Glyph of Vampiric Blood: Increases the duration of your Vampiric Blood by 10 sec. Formerly a 3% bonus heal.
• Druid:
  • Glyph of Starfire: Your Starfire ability increases the duration of your Moonfire effect on the target by 3 sec, up to a maximum of 9 additional seconds. Added maximum.
• Hunter:
  • Glyph of Deterrence: Decreases the cooldown of Deterrence by 10 sec. Reduced from 20 seconds.
  • Glyph of Serpent Sting: Increases the duration of your Serpent Sting by 6 sec. Up from 3 seconds.
• Mage:
  • Glyph of Invisibility: Increases the duration of the Invisibility effect by 10 sec. Duration increased from 5 seconds.
• Paladin:
  • Glyph of Flash of Light: Your Flash of Light has an additional 5% critical strike chance. Previously altered the spell to heal over time.
  • Glyph of Hammer of Justice: Increases your Hammer of Justice range by 5 yards. Was increased duration.
  • Glyph of Hammer of Wrath: Reduces the mana cost of Hammer of Wrath by 100%. Was 5 yard range increase.
  • Glyph of Holy Light: Your Holy Light grants 10% of its heal amount to up to 5 friendly targets within 20 yards of the initial target. Increased from 5 yards.
  • Glyph of Turn Evil: Reduces the casting time of your Turn Evil spell by 100%, but increases the cooldown by 8 sec. Added increased cooldown.
• Priest:
  • Glyph of Dispel Magic: Your Dispel Magic spell also heals your target for 3% of maximum health. Reduced from 6%.
  • Glyph of Mind Flay: Increases the range of your Mind Flay spell by 10 yards, but it only reduces the target’s movement speed by 10%. Formerly movement reduced by 50%, before that, no reduction in speed.
  • Glyph of Smite: Reduces the pushback suffered from damaging attacks while casting Smite by 50%. Formerly a chance to resist spell interuption while smiting.
  • Glyph of Spirit of Redemption: Increases the duration of Spirit of Redemption by 6 sec. Was a chance to increase duration.
• Rogue:
  • Glyph of Crippling Poison: Increases the chance to inflict your target with Crippling Poison by an additional 10%. Was a “chance to trigger”.
• Shaman:
  • Glyph of Astral Recall: Cooldown of your Astral Recall spell reduced by 7.5 min. Previously 2.5 minutes.
  • Glyph of Fire Elemental Totem**: Reduces the cooldown of your Fire Elemental Totem by 10 min. Increased from 4 minutes.
  • Glyph of Fire Nova Totem: Reduces the cooldown of your Fire Nova Totem by 3 seconds. Was a 2 yard increased radius.
  • Glyph of Lightning Bolt: Increases the damage dealt by Lightning Bolt by 4%. Previously 10% reduced cost.
  • Glyph of Renewed Life: Your reincarnation spell no longer requires a reagent. Formerly increased stats by 5%.
  • Glyph of Shocking: Reduces the global cooldown triggered by your shock spells by 1 sec. Was Glyph of Earth Shock. No longer only applies to Earth Shock.
  • Glyph of Windfury Weapon: Increases the chance per swing for Windfury Weapon to trigger by 5%. Was a 40% increased attack power bonus.
• Special Mage (Warlock):
  • Glyph of Conflagrate**: Your Conflagrate spell no longer consumes your Immolate or Shadowflame spell from the target. Formerly 20% reduced mana cost.
  • Glyph of Felguard: Increases the Felguard’s total attack power by 20%. Up from 10%.
  • Glyph of Felhunter**: When your Felhunter uses Devour Magic, you will also be healed for that amount. Previously increased critical strike chance of Shadow Bite.
• Warrior:
  • Glyph of Bloodrage: Reduces the health cost of your Bloodrage ability by 100%. Changed from 50%.
  • Glyph of Bloodthirst**: Increases the healing you receive from your Bloodthirst ability by 100%. Formerly 20%.
  • Glyph of Cleaving: Increases the number of targets your Cleave hits by 1. Was reduced rage cost. [Parts of the interface simple refer to "$", instead of 1.]
  • Glyph of Mortal Strike**: Increases the damage of your Mortal Strike ability by 10%. Healing penalty reduction removed.
  • Glyph of Victory Rush**: Your Victory Rush ability has a 30% increased critical strike chance against targets above 70% health. Was 90% health.
  • Glyph of Rending: Increases the duration of your Rend ability by 6 sec. Up from 3 seconds.
  • Glyph of Whirlwind: Reduces the cooldown of your Whirlwind by 2 sec. Formerly increased the number of targets.