#51 Life Tap takes the mana number as its health cost, not the health number shown

Status: Closed · Area: Classes & Specs · Warlock

Life Tap costs more health than its tooltip shows, roughly 30% of health per cast while leveling, making it nearly unusable.

Current behavior

Life Tap's tooltip shows two different numbers; For example, 21 health for 50 mana, but the spell deducts the larger of the two. The actual health cost equals the mana gained, 1:1. The larger number is base plus Spirit, added at 1 per point. The smaller number shown as the health cost appears to be the base value alone, with the Spirit bonus applied only to the mana side. In practice, the Spirit bonus is applied to both. Measurements from build 1.60.1.69913: - Level 7: 50 health for 50 mana at 29 Spirit. Impact: at leveling gear levels, this is roughly 30% of the health pool per tap. Several warlocks have described Life Tap as unusable while leveling, which removes the class's primary mana mechanic from normal play.

Expected behavior

The tooltip's two distinct numbers imply the Spirit bonus applies only to mana gained, making Spirit an efficiency stat for Life Tap. Under that reading, the spell should take the smaller number (21 in the example above) and return the larger (50), but the current behavior incorrectly applies the Spirit bonus to the cost side as well. Alternatively, if this is intended behavior, the tooltip is bugged.

How to reproduce

1. Any Warlock. Record Spirit and current/max health from the
   character sheet.
2. Hover Life Tap and screenshot the tooltip. Note both numbers.
3. Cast Life Tap once. Record health lost and mana gained.
   -> health lost matches the MANA number, not the health number.