Hybrid classes bring utility and therefore should be less effective than specialized classes. I understand this, and agree.
I think it could be interesting to give them runes that remove/change their spells (in the same way Metamorphosis does for warlock) to make them more effective in their preferred role but reduce their overall utility.
I’m maining a Ret Paladin and I would sacrifice bubble/heals/purify etc. for being able to compete with a Warrior.
I’m hoping this is already planned, as I can see the opportunity after doing the quest for the Martyrdom rune.
Sorry if this has been posted about before.
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They can still change runes anytime they’re not in combat so you’re just making hybrids more powerful than everyone else.
If Druids/Paladins/Shamans could permanently lose the ability to heal in exchange for a damage buff that would be fair.
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Hybrid tax has been forgotten. Long term implications are rough as a result. It won’t be fixed.
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How permanent are you talking? Like if you want to heal again on your character, make a new one? I would be fine going to an inn or whatever to swap, but that would take more dev time to implement I’m sure.
But changing runes out of combat is already good enough imo. The only time I’d really want to use bubble… is in combat. I’m not saying I have perfect implementation, but just something that could be fun to add.
Same as if they added a rune for someone wanting to play melee hunter, they lose access to ranged attacks but it replaces abilities to be melee focused. They lose the utility of being ranged, for a dps boost in melee.
Or how tanklocks don’t have access to fear (among other things), for more survivability and taunt.
I feel like this is the type of tradeoff you already made at the character creation screen.
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Hybrid tax shouldn’t even really be a thing in SoD anymore. It’s part of the reason warrior is so far ahead.
Classic raid bosses are such a joke especially with world buffs that you realistically only need a priest dispel or a druid curse remove. That’s it.
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Why not just play a warrior?
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I suppose, but the same could be said about multiple classes/specs. At some point it’s really just about the flavor the player likes. I prefer the flavor of holy judgement over bloodthirsty slashing.
That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. Just play a damn warrior!
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oh please, every class is a hybrid. the only time you should be taxed as one is if you can actually fill multiple raid roles simultaneously with one character. like being able to do GOOD DPS and GOOD HEALS at the same time. Paladin does not have that.
Also even warriors are hybrids, they are a dps that can tank and bring extremely good buffs/debuffs.
The hybrid tax is a logical fallacy when it comes to WoW.
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I agree – nerf Warriors
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To a certain point I agree with you, I don’t think other players would go along with it though, plus they also have to think about PVP. I’m just saying I’d be willing to sacrifice these abilities for something like “shadow form” for paladin. Or turning into a death knight.
The only classes that are hybrids are healing classes. Healer and hybrid are synonymous when it comes to WoW.
Warriors cannot heal. They are warriors, what did you expect?
“…druids, paladins, priests and shaman were intended to be competitive healers, but have dramatically lower dps than pures and warriors.”
I have seen someone talk about a datamined or teased rune where Paladin get like 5% more damage but - 50% healing so they probably are going to add something like what you want.
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Good to know, thanks 
These devs will listen to the retail tears. I have no confidence in sod classes making any sense anymore. Classic+ is cooked
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Did you seriously link that article that countered your own point in the first few sentences? Like, what?
“We only recognize two types of classes for PvE purposes:
Can respec to fulfill a different role = hybrid.
Cannot respec to fulfill a different role = pure.
The roles are tank, healing and damage.”
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You will find most classes that you are likely considering hybrids, will never do anything but their pure role in a raid, and when this roll is DPS if they ever do anything other then DPS it will have a noticeable impact on their DPS, naturally balancing out the issue. Mages are a good example of this, in several fights in classic you will find they are called upon to decurse, when they use this hybrid ability of theirs, you will find that they are not doing DPS, so their DPS will fall.
The primary reason to classify some classes as hybrids and other as not has always simply been a justification by other classes on why they should be superior, and where when they describe the reasons, the hybrids abilities are always glorified while they downplay their own, as well as the utility they bring. The top two dps classes in ERA exemplify this the most. Both rogues and warriors bring crazy amounts of utility, both in PvE as well as in PvP.
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I suppose you may have missed the point.
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Of course, don’t pay attention to the literal, clear definition of hybrid Ghostcrawler gave or the 12 other paragraphs and instead lean on a single sentence that doesn’t even make sense and if it could be redone would 100% be redone. As in, Warriors were never meant to blow not only Rogues out of the water, but ever other pure DPS Class.
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