Every race in WoW Forever now has two active and two passive racial abilities, tuned, Blizzard says, to give each a similar amount of offensive power while keeping its signature utility. The old magic resistance racials are gone, and every race gets at least one new ability. Here is each race's set as the beta client (build 1.60.1.70009) describes it, with Blizzard's notes where it gave any.
Alliance
Human
- Perception (active): Dramatically increases stealth detection for 20 sec.
- Will to Survive (active, new): Instantly removes all Stun effects.
- Sword Specialization (passive): Increases your critical strike chance with all spells and attacks by 2% while you have a sword or two-handed sword equipped.
- The Human Spirit (passive): Spirit increased by 5%.
Dwarf
- Stoneform (active): Instantly removes and grants immunity to all Bleed, Poison, and Disease effects, and reduces all Physical damage taken by 10% for 8 sec. Blizzard: the defensive part now cuts Physical damage instead of adding Armor, so it helps more classes.
- Find Treasure (active): Senses nearby treasure and shows it on the minimap, until cancelled. It can now stay on alongside other tracking abilities.
- Mace Specialization (passive, new): Increases your critical strike chance with all spells and attacks by 1% while you have a mace or two-handed mace equipped. A Human racial in Classic, it moves to the Dwarves.
- Big Game Hunter (passive, new): Damage dealt versus Beasts increased by 5%.
Night Elf
- Shadowmeld (active): Activate to slip into the shadows, reducing the chance for enemies to detect your presence. Lasts until cancelled or upon moving. Using this ability in combat discourages enemies from attacking you, but increases the cooldown to 2 min.
- Elune's Light (active, new): Increases your critical strike chance with all spells and attacks by 10% for 15 sec.
- Quickness (passive): Dodge chance increased by 1% and movement speed increased by 2%. Night Elf Rogues and Druids are harder to detect in Stealth as if they were 1 level higher.
- Wisp Spirit (passive): Transform into a wisp upon death, increasing movement speed by 75%.
Gnome
- Escape Artist (active): Instantly escape the effects of any movement impairing effect and gain immunity to those effects for 3 sec.
- Eureka! (active, new): Your next 3 damaging abilities cost 10% less and deal 10% more damage: Rage for Warriors, Energy for Rogues, Mana for Mages, Warlocks and Priests, whose healing gets the bonus too.
- Expansive Mind (passive): Maximum Mana increased by 5%, or Energy for Rogues and Rage for Warriors.
- Engineering Specialization (passive): Your gnomish ingenuity reduces the rate of engineering devices failing or backfiring when you use them by 20%.
Horde
Orc
- Blood Fury (active): Increases Attack Power and Spell Power by 10% for 15 sec.
- Shatter Curse (active, new): Instantly removes and grants immunity to all Curses and Banes, and reduces all Magical damage taken by 15% for 8 sec.
- Hardiness (passive): Duration of Stun effects on you reduced by 20%.
- Axe Specialization (passive): Increases your critical strike chance with all spells and abilities by 1% while you have an axe or a two-handed axe equipped.
Undead
- Will of the Forsaken (active): Instantly removes all Charm, Fear and Sleep effects. It no longer grants immunity to those effects.
- Cannibalize (active): When activated, regenerates 7% of total Health and 7% of total Mana every 2 sec for 10 sec. Only works on Humanoid or Undead corpses within 5 yds. Any movement, action, or damage taken while Cannibalizing will cancel the effect. It now restores Mana as well as Health.
- Touch of the Grave (passive, new): Your spells and attacks have a chance to drain Health from the target, up to 5% of your maximum Health: 10% for Priests, Mages and Warlocks, 5% for Warriors, Paladins and Rogues.
- Underwater Breathing (passive): Underwater breath lasts 300% longer than normal. Unchanged, Blizzard says.
Tauren
- War Stomp (active): Stuns up to 5 enemies within 8 yds for 2 sec.
- Cultivation (active): Cultivate a nearby herb, growing a duplicate you can harvest without requiring Herbalism skill. Each herb may only be cultivated once.
- Endurance (passive): Total Health increased by 5% and chance to hit increased by 1%.
- Plainsrunning (passive, new): Gain 1% increased movement speed every 5 sec spent moving, up to a maximum of 30% increase. Taking damage or standing still will reduce this effect.
Troll
- Berserking (active): Increases your spellcasting and attack speed by 10%, on a 3 min cooldown.
- Rapid Regeneration (active, new): Regenerate 50% of your maximum Health over 6 sec. Any movement, action, or damage taken will cancel the effect.
- Regeneration (passive): Health regeneration rate increased by 10%. In addition, 10% of total Health regeneration will continue during combat.
- Beast Slaying (passive): Damage dealt versus Beasts increased by 5%.