Glyph

Glyphs are items that can change a spell or ability's visual appearance. Most glyphs are crafted by scribes, are color-coded by class, and can be applied as early as level 11. They can be removed at any time outside of combat using Vanishing Powder.

To apply a glyph, right-click it in your inventory to use it. This will automatically open the spellbook, where the target spell will light up. Click the lit-up spell to apply the glyph. An ability that has a glyph applied to it will be marked in the spellbook with a pink mark on its corner.

With the removal of the old glyph system in Patch 7.0.3, a number of what were previously minor glyphs are now available as books and toys. They are all sold for each or found as drops.

• Necrophile Tome: Corpse Exploder - teaches Corpse Exploder

• Nature's Beacon
• Tome of the Wilds: Charm Woodland Creature
• Tome of the Wilds: Flap
• Tome of the Wilds: Mount Form
• Tome of the Wilds: Track Beasts
• Tome of the Wilds: Treant Form

• Fireworks Instruction Manual
• Hunter's Call
• Pet Training Manual: Fetch
• Pet Training Manual: Play Dead
• The Art of Concealment

• Dalaran Initiates' Pin
• Familiar Stone
• Mystical Tome: Arcane Linguist
• Mystical Tome: Illusion
• Tome of Polymorph: Monkey
• Tome of Polymorph: Polar Bear Cub
• Tome of Polymorph: Porcupine

• Meditation Manual: Zen Flight

• Divine Tome: Contemplation

• Scarlet Confessional Book
• Thaumaturgist's Orb

• Dirty Tricks, Vol 1: Detection

• Raging Elemental Stone
• Tadpole Cloudseeder
• Tome of Hex: Cockroach
• Tome of Hex: Compy
• Vol'jin's Serpent Totem
• Waterspeaker's Totem

Glyphs mostly give convenient or cosmetic improvements, such as changing the visual effect of a spell, or give an additional effect. However, some have more substantial effects, improving or altering important abilities in a number of ways.

Examples:

• Changes the graphics of a spell: Glyph of the Heavens, Glyph of Evaporation
• Gives an additional effect to a spell: Glyph of Disguise, Glyph of Lingering Ancestors

Minor glyphs mostly give convenient or cosmetic improvements, such as changing the visual effect of a spell, or granting a new ability that is purely for entertainment purposes. However, some have more substantial effects, improving or altering important abilities in a number of ways.

Examples:

• Changes the graphics of a spell: Glyph of Condensation, Glyph of Evaporation
• Increases the effectiveness of a spell, but only in a minor way or with a trade-off: Glyph of Aquatic Form
• Grants a new ability: Glyph of Corpse Explosion, Glyph of Fetch

Major glyphs feature spell changes that may increase the damage, or another feature of the spell. Some of these glyphs have trade-offs, for example increasing direct damage but removing a DoT effect of the spell.

Major glyphs were removed in patch 7.0.3.

Prime glyphs were effective in combat, and generally increased the healing or damage of an ability. They were generally the most potent and important of the glyphs.

Examples:

• Increased the healing done by an ability: Glyph of Earth Shield, Glyph of Renew.
• Increased the damage done by an ability: Glyph of Steady Shot, Glyph of Arcane Barrage.
• Added an additional effect to your ability: Glyph of Shadowburn, Glyph of Howling Blast.

Prime glyphs were removed in patch 5.0.4.

Lists of the glyphs available to each class can be found on their own pages:

Initially, there would be additional glyphs known as "ancient glyphs", added with the Path of the Titans system. When Path of the Titans was canceled, the glyph system was changed to three tiers - Major, Medium and Minor. In patch 4.0.1 this was changed to Prime, Major and Minor. Patch 5.0.4 removed Prime glyphs, and added many new Major and Minor glyphs.

Glifo