Priest Class Changes for Shadowlands (Patch 9.0.2)

Last updated on Nov 23, 2020 at 18:26 by Stan 7 comments

On this page, you will find a list of all Priest changes coming in Shadowlands.

In addition to the class changes listed here, Priest also gain access to class-specific Priest Covenant Abilities that can be used anywhere in the open world, Legendary Powers obtained through Runecarving, Soulbind Conduits, and Anima Powers that only work in Torghast.

1.

General Changes

  • Fade Icon Fade now has an additional effect — Fade now reduces the range at which enemies will attack you.
  • All Priests can now use the following abilities:
    • Shadow Word: Pain Icon Shadow Word: Pain — A word of darkness that causes Shadow damage instantly, an additional Shadow damage over 12 seconds. Shadow Priest generate 4 Insanity.
    • Shadow Word: Death Icon Shadow Word: Death — A word of dark binding that inflicts Shadow damage to the target. If the target is not killed by Shadow Word: Death, the caster takes damage equal to the damage inflicted upon the target. Damage increased by 175% to targets below 20%.
    • New PvP Talent: Thoughtsteal Icon Thoughtsteal — Peer into the mind of an enemy, attempting to steal a known spell. If stolen, the victim cannot cast that spell for 20 seconds. Can only be used on Humanoids with mana. If you are unable to find a spell to steal, the cooldown of Thoughtsteal is reset.
    • Power Word: Shield Icon Power Word: Shield — Shields an ally for 15 seconds, absorbing damage. You cannot shield the same target again for 7.5 seconds. Instant-cast, costs 3.1% of Base Mana, 40-yard range.
2.

General Priest Abilities Learned Above Level 50

  • Mind Soothe Icon Mind Soothe (Level 52) — Soothes the target, reducing the range at which it will attack you by 10 yards. Only affects Humanoid and Dragonkin targets. Does not cause threat. Lasts 20 seconds. Instant-cast, costs 100 Mana, 40-yard range.
  • Mass Dispel Icon Mass Dispel (Level 54) — Mass Dispel Icon Mass Dispel is now potent enough to remove some Magic that is normally undispellable.
  • Power Infusion Icon Power Infusion (Level 58) — Infuses the target with power for 20 seconds, increasing Haste by 25%. 40-yard range, instant-cast, 2-minute cooldown.
3.

Discipline Priest

  • New Ability: Holy Nova Icon Holy Nova — If your Holy Nova Icon Holy Nova deals damage to at least 3 enemies, a second Holy Nova will be cast a moment later at 50% effectiveness at the same location.
  • New Ability: Mind Sear Icon Mind Sear — Corrosive shadow energy radiates from the target, dealing Shadow damage over 4.5 seconds to all enemies within 10 yards of the target.
  • New Ability: Mind Blast Icon Mind Blast — Blasts the target's mind for Shadow damage and has an additional effect: Mind Blast prevents some of the next damage dealt by the enemy.
  • Rapture Icon Rapture now immediately casts Power Word: Shield Icon Power Word: Shield on your friendly target when used, if no ally is targeted, Power Word: Shield will be cast on yourself, and its duration has been reduced to 8 seconds (from 10 seconds).
  • Holy Nova Icon Holy Nova now deals reduced damage if there are more than 5 targets.
  • Power Word: Shield Icon Power Word: Shield is no longer increased by 10% in PvP combat.
3.1.

Discipline Priest Talent Changes

  • New Talent: Spirit Shell Icon Spirit Shell (replaces Luminous Barrier) — For 10 seconds, Penance Icon Penance, Power Word: Radiance Icon Power Word: Radiance, and Atonement Icon Atonement create absorb shields instead of healing. Replaces Rapture Icon Rapture when talented. Spirit Shell does not have a global cooldown.
  • Schism Icon Schism now increases your spell damage to the target by 25% (was 40%).
  • Shadow Covenant Icon Shadow Covenant has been redesigned — Make a shadowy pact, healing the target and 4 other injured allies within 30 yards. For 9 seconds, your Shadow spells deal 25% increased damage and healing, but you cannot cast Holy spells. 30-second cooldown, costs 5% Base Mana.
3.2.

Discipline Priest Talent Tree

Below is the current talent tree for Discipline Priests.

  • Level 15 Talents: Castigation Icon Castigation / Twist of Fate Icon Twist of Fate / Schism Icon Schism;
  • Level 25 Talents: Body and Soul Icon Body and Soul / Masochism Icon Masochism / Angelic Feather Icon Angelic Feather;
  • Level 30 Talents: Shield Discipline Icon Shield Discipline / Mindbender Icon Mindbender / Power Word: Solace Icon Power Word: Solace;
  • Level 35 Talents: Psychic Voice Icon Psychic Voice / Dominant Mind Icon Dominant Mind / Shining Force Icon Shining Force;
  • Level 40 Talents: Sins of the Many Icon Sins of the Many / Contrition Icon Contrition / Shadow Covenant Icon Shadow Covenant;
  • Level 45 Talents: Purge the Wicked Icon Purge the Wicked / Divine Star Icon Divine Star / Halo Icon Halo;
  • Level 50 Talents: Lenience Icon Lenience / Spirit Shell Icon Spirit Shell / Evangelism Icon Evangelism.
3.3.

Discipline Priest Shadowlands Guide

4.

Holy Priest

  • New Ability: Holy Nova Icon Holy Nova — If your Holy Nova Icon Holy Nova deals damage to at least 3 enemies, a second Holy Nova will be cast a moment later at 50% effectiveness at the same location.
  • Circle of Healing Icon Circle of Healing is no longer a Talent and learned by all Holy Priests at level 39.
  • Holy Fire Icon Holy Fire's instant damage has been increased by 300%, but now has a 1.5-second cast time.
  • Holy Nova Icon Holy Nova now deals reduced damage if there are more than 5 targets.
  • Power Word: Shield Icon Power Word: Shield is no longer increased by 10% in PvP combat.
  • Prayer of Mending Icon Prayer of Mending is now instant-cast.
  • Smite Icon Smite now costs 0.2% of Base Mana.
4.1.

Holy Priest Talent Changes

  • New Talent: Renewed Faith Icon Renewed Faith (replaces Enduring Renewal) — Your healing is increased by 10% on targets with your Renew Icon Renew.
  • New Talent: Prayer Circle Icon Prayer Circle (replaces Circle of Healing) — Using Circle of Healing Icon Circle of Healing reduces the cast time of your Prayer of Healing Icon Prayer of Healing by 25% for 8 seconds.
  • Afterlife Icon Afterlife now also increases the range of your healing spells while in Spirit of Redemption by 30%.
  • Apotheosis Icon Apotheosis now resets the cooldowns of your Holy Words when activated.
  • New PvP Talent: Cardinal Mending Icon Cardinal MendingPrayer of Mending Icon Prayer of Mending now heals the target for 10% of their maximum health, ignoring any healing reduction effects.
  • New PvP Talent: Divine Ascension Icon Divine Ascension — You ascend into the air out of harm's way. While floating, you are only able to cast Holy spells.
  • Divine Attendant (PvP Talent) has been removed.
  • Delivered from Evil Icon Delivered from Evil no longer reduces Leap of Faith Icon Leap of Faith's cooldown by 45 seconds. Instead, it increases the healing of your next spell on the target by 100%.
  • Miracle Worker Icon Miracle Worker now also reduces the cooldown of Holy Word: Serenity Icon Holy Word: Serenity by 25%.
4.2.

Holy Priest Talent Tree

Below is the current talent tree for Holy Priests.

  • Level 15 Talents: Enlightenment Icon Enlightenment / Trail of Light Icon Trail of Light / Renewed Faith Icon Renewed Faith;
  • Level 25 Talents: Angel's Mercy Icon Angel's Mercy / Body and Soul Icon Body and Soul / Angelic Feather Icon Angelic Feather;
  • Level 30 Talents: Cosmic Ripple Icon Cosmic Ripple / Guardian Angel Icon Guardian Angel / Afterlife Icon Afterlife;
  • Level 35 Talents: Psychic Voice Icon Psychic Voice / Censure Icon Censure / Shining Force Icon Shining Force;
  • Level 40 Talents: Surge of Light Icon Surge of Light / Binding Heal Icon Binding Heal / Prayer Circle Icon Prayer Circle;
  • Level 45 Talents: Benediction Icon Benediction / Divine Star Icon Divine Star / Halo Icon Halo;
  • Level 50 Talents: Light of the Naaru Icon Light of the Naaru / Apotheosis Icon Apotheosis / Holy Word: Salvation Icon Holy Word: Salvation.
4.3.

Holy Priest Shadowlands Guide

5.

Shadow Priest

  • New Ability Silence Icon Silence (Level 54) — Increases the range of Silence Icon Silence by 10 yards.
  • New Mastery: Mastery: Shadow Weaving Icon Mastery: Shadow Weaving — Your damage is increased by 4% for each of Shadow Word: Pain Icon Shadow Word: Pain, Vampiric Touch Icon Vampiric Touch, and Devouring Plague Icon Devouring Plague on the target. During Voidform Icon Voidform, all targets receive the maximum effect.
  • New Ability: Devouring Plague Icon Devouring Plague — Afflicts the target with a disease that instantly causes Shadow damage plus an additional 4 Shadow damage over 6 seconds. Heals you for 300% of damage dealt.
  • New Ability: Dark Thoughts Icon Dark Thoughts (Passive) — For each of your damage over time effects on the target, your Mind Flay Icon Mind Flay and Mind Sear Icon Mind Sear have a 2% chance to instantly add a charge of Mind Blast Icon Mind Blast, causing it to be instantly cast, and allowing it to be cast while channeling Mind Flay or Mind Sear within 6 seconds.
  • Voidform Icon Voidform has been redesigned — Now has a 90-second cooldown and increased damage by 20% for 15 seconds. The ability no longer reduces the cooldown of Mind Blast Icon Mind Blast, but now refreshes the cooldown of Mind Blast and you gain 2 charges while in Voidform. You no longer gain Haste every 0.5 seconds while in Voidform.
  • Void Eruption Icon Void Eruption cast time reduced by 40% and no longer requires 90 Insanity to cast.
  • Shadowy Apparitions Icon Shadowy Apparitions has been redesigned — When you use Mind Blast Icon Mind Blast, Devouring Plague Icon Devouring Plague, or Void Bolt Icon Void Bolt, you also create a shadowy version of yourself that floats towards all targets afflicted by your Vampiric Touch, dealing Shadow damage. Critical strikes will cause two Apparitions to be created.
  • Shadow Word: Death Icon Shadow Word: Death no longer generates Insanity.
  • Mind Blast Icon Mind Blast's Insanity generation is now 8 (was 12).
  • Vampiric Touch Icon Vampiric Touch's Insanity generation is now 5 (was 6).
  • Void Bolt Icon Void Bolt's Insanity generation is now 15 (was 20).
  • Mind Sear Icon Mind Sear's Insanity generation is now 6 (was 8).
  • Dark Thoughts Icon Dark Thoughts duration has been increased to 10 seconds (was 6 seconds).
  • Mind Flay Icon Mind Flay damage has been reduced by 15%.
  • Mind Sear Icon Mind Sear damage has been reduced by 15%.
  • Devouring Plague Icon Devouring Plague's initial damage has been reduced by 15% and its periodic damage has been reduced by 12%.
6.

Shadow Priest Abilities Learned Above Level 50

  • Shadow Mend Icon Shadow Mend (Level 56) — When Shadow Mend Icon Shadow Mend is cast on yourself, increases all healing you do to yourself with your own spells by 15% for 15 seconds. Stacks up to 2 times.
6.1.

Shadow Priest Talent Changes

  • New Talent: Death and Madness Icon Death and Madness (replaces Shadowy Insight) — If a target dies within 6 seconds after being struck by your Shadow Word: Death Icon Shadow Word: Death, you gain 73 Insanity over 4 seconds and the cooldown of your Shadow Word: Death Icon Shadow Word: Death is reset.
  • New Talent: Unfurling Darkness Icon Unfurling Darkness (replaces Shadow Word: Void) — After casting Vampiric Touch Icon Vampiric Touch on a target, your next Vampiric Touch within 8 seconds is instant cast and deals Shadow damage immediately. This effect cannot occur more than once every 15 seconds.
  • New Talent: Psychic Link Icon Psychic Link (replaces Shadow Word: Death) — Mind Blast Icon Mind Blast deals 50% of its damage to all targets afflicted by your Vampiric Touch Icon Vampiric Touch within 40 yards.
  • New Talent: Searing Nightmare Icon Searing Nightmare (replaces Dark Void) — Instantly deals Shadow damage to enemies around the target and afflicts them with Shadow Word: Pain Icon Shadow Word: Pain. If the enemy is already afflicted by your Shadow Word: Pain, Searing Nightmare's damage is increased by 185%. Only usable while channeling Mind Sear Icon Mind Sear.
  • New Talent: Damnation Icon Damnation (replaces Lingering Insanity) — Instantly afflicts the target with Shadow Word: Pain Icon Shadow Word: Pain, Vampiric Touch Icon Vampiric Touch, and Devouring Plague Icon Devouring Plague free of cost.
  • New Talent: Ancient Madness Icon Ancient Madness (replaces Dark Ascension) — Voidform Icon Voidform increases your critical strike chance by 30% for 15 seconds, reducing by 2% every second.
  • New Talent: Hungering Void Icon Hungering Void (replaces Legacy of the Void) — Void Bolt Icon Void Bolt causes the target to become vulnerable to the void, increasing damage taken from the Priest for 6 seconds. Void Bolt cast on vulnerable targets will also extend the duration of your Voidform Icon Voidform by 1 second, 2 seconds if Void Bolt critically strikes. This effect can only be active on one target at any time.
  • Shadow Crash Icon Shadow Crash has been redesigned — Hurl a bolt of slow-moving, far-reaching Shadow energy at the target destination, dealing Shadow damage to all targets within 8 yards. If Shadow Crash hits a lone target, they suffer 25% increased damage from your next Shadow crash within 15 seconds. Stacks up to 2 and generates 8 Insanity.
  • Void Torrent Icon Void Torrent no longer pauses your Insanity while used, but now applies Devouring Plague Icon Devouring Plague and refreshes the duration of all of your Shadow damage over time effects while channeling.
  • Surrender to Madness Icon Surrender to Madness no longer instantly generates 100 Insanity when used and has a 1.5-minute cooldown (was 3 minutes). Additionally, the ability now has a heartbeat sound effect that speeds up as you reach the end of the spells' duration.
  • Searing Nightmare Icon Searing Nightmare Insanity cost has been reduced to 30 (was 35).
  • Auspicious Spirits Icon Auspicious Spirits now generates 2 Insanity (was 1) and its damage increase to Shadowy Apparitions Icon Shadowy Apparitions has been reduced to 15% (was 30%).
  • Shadow Crash Icon Shadow Crash no longer has 3 charges and no longer applies a Shadow Crash damage vulnerability debuff on the targets hit. Shadow Crash now deals 100% more damage and is on a 30-second cooldown (was 45 seconds).
  • Void Torrent Icon Void Torrent's duration is reduced to 3 seconds (was 4 seconds) and damage increased by 20%. Void Torrent now generates 60 Insanity over its duration (was 30), no longer refreshes your damage over time effects, and its cooldown has decreased to 30 seconds (was 45 seconds).
  • New PvP Talent: Lasting Plague Icon Lasting Plague — Increases the duration of your Devouring Plague Icon Devouring Plague by 6 seconds.
  • Driven to Madness Icon Driven to Madness (PvP Talent) has been redesigned — Now reduces the cooldown of your Void Eruption Icon Void Eruption by 3 seconds when you take damage.
  • Shadow Mania (PvP Talent) has been removed.
  • Body and Soul Icon Body and Soul (Replaces Perseverance) — Power Word: Shield Icon Power Word: Shield and Leap of Faith Icon Leap of Faith increase your target's movement speed by 40% for 3 seconds.
6.2.

Shadow Priest Talent Tree

Below is the current talent tree for Shadow Priests.

  • Level 15 Talents: Fortress of the Mind Icon Fortress of the Mind / Death and Madness Icon Death and Madness / Unfurling Darkness Icon Unfurling Darkness;
  • Level 25 Talents: Body and Soul Icon Body and Soul / San'layn Icon San'layn / Intangibility Icon Intangibility;
  • Level 30 Talents: Twist of Fate Icon Twist of Fate / Misery Icon Misery / Searing Nightmare Icon Searing Nightmare;
  • Level 35 Talents: Last Word Icon Last Word / Mind Bomb Icon Mind Bomb / Psychic Horror Icon Psychic Horror;
  • Level 40 Talents: Auspicious Spirits Icon Auspicious Spirits / Psychic Link Icon Psychic Link / Shadow Crash Icon Shadow Crash;
  • Level 45 Talents: Damnation Icon Damnation / Mindbender Icon Mindbender / Void Torrent Icon Void Torrent;
  • Level 50 Talents: Ancient Madness Icon Ancient Madness / Hungering Void Icon Hungering Void / Surrender to Madness Icon Surrender to Madness.
6.3.

Shadow Priest Shadowlands Guide

7.

More Patch 9.0.1 Class Changes

You can find other Patch 9.0.1 class changes linked below.

8.

Changelog

  • 23 Nov. 2020: Silence Rank 2 added.
  • 16 Nov. 2020: Updated for Shadowlands release.
  • 12 Oct. 2020: Updated for the Shadowlands Pre-Patch.
  • 06 Sep. 2020: Updated for Beta Build 35755.
  • 08 Aug. 2020: Priest overhauled based on the latest Beta changes.
  • 03 Aug. 2020: Power Word: Shield is available to all specializations in Shadowlands.
  • 28 Jul. 2020: Priest's Fade now reduces the range at which enemies attack you.
  • 18 Jul. 2020: Devouring Plague heals you for 50% of damage done, Power Word: Shield can now be cast in Spirit of Redemption.
  • 15 Jul. 2020: Holy Words passive updated for Alpha Build 35078.
  • 03 Jul. 2020: Devouring Plague is back for Shadow Priests. Holy gets the Body and Soul talent.
  • 20 Jun. 2020: Shadow Word: Death deals increased damage to enemies below 20% health.
  • 16 Jun. 2020: Power Infusion can only be cast on yourself.
  • 09 Jun. 2020: Reviewed for Alpha Build 34615.
  • 02 Jun. 2020: Updated intro with links to Anima Powers and Covenant Abilities.
  • 25 May 2020: Reviewed for Alpha Build 34490.
  • 15 May 2020: Reviewed for Alpha Build 34365.
  • 08 May 2020: Shadow Word: Death now generates Insanity.
  • 30 Apr. 2020: Reviewed for Alpha Build 34199.
  • 28 Apr. 2020: Updated for Alpha Build 34137.
  • 21 Apr. 2020: Page added.
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