Understanding Threat

Threat is a measure of aggression an NPC has towards the players that it has targetted. It usually goes from the top of its aggression list (usually a Tank) and scales it down to the rest of the group depending on their actions. Threat, ingame, is also commonly referred to as "Aggro", and it will usually attack the person tanking unless someone surpasses the tank's aggro ratio, at which point the enemy will focus onto them.

Threat Basics

There are abilities that will increase or decrease your threat against a monster. Monsters' attacks will not increase your threat but may decrease it if things like knockbacks occur, however.

Threat is added for every 1 point of damage you deal, you gain 1 threat - for every 1 point of heals you make, you gain .5 threat. If you overheal, it won't count toward the monsters' threat level.

While this sounds simple, each class has their own way of dealing with increasing or decreasing their threat related to a monster, so we will go over the abilities of each class and what they can do to avoid threat, or gain more of it as the battles go on.

It is worthy of mention before we get into class specifics that threat will never go down over time, and you can never reach a negative level of threat on a monster.

Class-Specific Threat Abilities

Druid Tank

Bearform - 13% more threat
Feral Instinct (Talent) - up to 15% more threat while in Bear Form
Demoralizing Roar - more threat
Faerie Fire - more threat
Growl - Taunt (equal threat than primary target)
Lascerate - more threat
Mangle - more threat
Maul - more threat

Druid DPS/Healer

Cower - less threat
Sublety (Talent) - up to 20% less threat

Hunter (Additional Threat)

Misdirection - All threat redirected to a friendly target (3 attacks)
Distracting Shot - more threat

Hunter (Threat Reduction)

Feign Death - Reset threat on Hunter (if successful)
Disengage - less threat

Hunter Pet (Additional Threat)

Growl - 66% more threat, based on AP and Level
Intimidation - 58% more threat

Hunter Pet (Threat Reduction)

Cower - 22% less threat

Mage (Threat Reduction)

Arcane Sublety (Talent) - 40% less threat from Arcane Spells
Burning Soul (Talent) - 10% less threat from Fire Spells
Frost Channeling (Talent) - 10% less threat from Frost Spells
Polymorph - (none, but will make monster attack the mage once it is out)
Counterspell - more threat
Invisibility - 10% less threat per second to all enemies, removed from all threat at 5 seconds.

Paladin - Tank (Additional Threat)

Righteous Fury - 16% more threat from Holy Spells
Improved Righteous Fury (Talent) - 15% more threat ontop of Righteous Fury
Righteous Defense - Threat equals friendly target's threat, affects up to 3 monsters fighting said character.

Paladin - Support (Threat Reduction)

Blessing of Salvation - 30% less threat from actions
Fanaticism (Talent) - 30% less threat unless Righteous Fury is up
Divine Intervention - Removes threat from character completely, puts out of combat.

Rogue (Threat Reduction)

Passive - 29% less threat generated from moves (all builds)
Feint - less threat
Vanish - Removed from all threat lists, puts out of combat

Shaman

Elemental Precision (Talent) - 10% less threat from fire, frost and nature spells
Healing Grace (Talent) - 15% less threat from heals
Improved Fire Nova Totem (Talent) - 50% less threat from Magma Totem
Spirit Weapons (Talent) - 30% less threat from Melee Attacks
Tranquil Air Totem - 20% less threat from everyone in the totem range

Warlock (Threat Reduction)

Destructive Reach (Talent) - 10% less threat for destruction spells
Improved Drain Soul (Talent) - 10% less threat for affliction spells
Master Demonologist (Talent, Imp Demon) - 20% less threat
Soul Shatter - 50% less threat to all enemies within 50 yards

Warlock (Additional Threat)

Searing Pain - 200% threat to damage done

Warlock Pets (Additional Threat)

Felguard - Anguish - more threat to your pet
Voidwalker - Suffering - more threat to your pet
Voidwalker - Torment - more threat to your pet

Warlock Pets (Threat Reduction)

Succubus - Soothing Kiss - less threat to your pet

Warrior Tank (Additional Threat)

Defensive Stance - all threat increased 130%
Defiance (Talent) - 115% more threat in defensive stance
Battle Shout - more threat for each target
Cleave - more threat divided for each target
Commanding Shout - more threat divided amongst targets
Demoralizing Shout - more threat divided amongst targets
Devastate - more threat
Disarm - more threat
Hamstring - more threat
Revenge - more threat
Shield Bash - more threat
Shield Slam - more threat
Sunder Armor - more threat
Taunt - Threat equals target's threat on another character
Thunder Clap - 175% more threat on damage done

Warrior DPS (Threat Reduction)

Battle Stance - 20% less threat generated
Berserker Stance - 20% less threat generated
Improved berserker stance - 10% less threat ontop of the 20% for normal Berserker Stance

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