Priest talent reference
Priests are cloth casters with two very different jobs. Discipline and Holy both heal (one with shields, the other with raw healing), while Shadow is a full damage spec built around dark magic and dots.
How to read this Priest reference
- Read rank 1 first. Every Priest talent below lists its full ranks in the exact beta-client wording: rank 1 is the pitch, the last rank is the finished product.
- The tags tell you what Forever changed: NEW never existed in Classic; Changed works differently than it used to; Active means you press a button to use it, everything else just happens on its own.
- Rows are the price. In Discipline, Holy, Shadow, a row 4 talent needs 15 points spent in the rows above it, in the same tree. So plan each tree from the top down.
Discipline
Discipline runs 18 talents across 7 rows. Power in Light, Twin Disciplines, Holy Precision, Soul Warding are the new Forever additions here. Read them properly before you spend points. The row 7 payoffs are Power Infusion.
- Rank 1: Your Smite and Penance spells deal 2% increased damage to targets afflicted with your Holy Fire.
- Rank 2: Your Smite and Penance spells deal 4% increased damage to targets afflicted with your Holy Fire.
- Rank 3: Your Smite and Penance spells deal 6% increased damage to targets afflicted with your Holy Fire.
- Rank 4: Your Smite and Penance spells deal 8% increased damage to targets afflicted with your Holy Fire.
- Rank 5: Your Smite and Penance spells deal 10% increased damage to targets afflicted with your Holy Fire.
- Rank 1: Increases your damage with Wands by 13%.
- Rank 2: Increases your damage with Wands by 25%.
- Rank 1: Increases the damage and healing of your instant cast spells by 1%.
- Rank 2: Increases the damage and healing of your instant cast spells by 2%.
- Rank 3: Increases the damage and healing of your instant cast spells by 3%.
- Rank 4: Increases the damage and healing of your instant cast spells by 4%.
- Rank 5: Increases the damage and healing of your instant cast spells by 5%.
- Rank 1: Reduces the threat generated by your Holy spells by 10% and reduces the duration of Stun, Fear, and Silence effects inflicted on you by 5%.
- Rank 2: Reduces the threat generated by your Holy spells by 20% and reduces the duration of Stun, Fear, and Silence effects inflicted on you by 10%.
- Rank 3: Reduces the threat generated by your Holy spells by 30% and reduces the duration of Stun, Fear, and Silence effects inflicted on you by 15%.
- Rank 1: Improves your chance to hit with Holy spells by 6%.
- Rank 2: Improves your chance to hit with Holy spells by 12%.
- Rank 3: Improves your chance to hit with Holy spells by 18%.
- Rank 1: Increases the damage absorbed by your Power Word: Shield by 7%.
- Rank 2: Increases the damage absorbed by your Power Word: Shield by 14%.
- Rank 3: Increases the damage absorbed by your Power Word: Shield by 20%.
- Rank 1: Gives you a 50% chance to gain Focused Casting for 6 sec after being the victim of a melee or ranged critical strike. The Focused Casting effect prevents you from losing casting time when taking damage and increases your resistance to Interrupt effects by 20%.
- Rank 2: Gives you a 100% chance to gain Focused Casting for 6 sec after being the victim of a melee or ranged critical strike. The Focused Casting effect prevents you from losing casting time when taking damage and increases your resistance to Interrupt effects by 20%.
- Rank 1: Reduces the mana cost of your Smite, Holy Fire, and instant cast spells by 3%.
- Rank 2: Reduces the mana cost of your Smite, Holy Fire, and instant cast spells by 7%.
- Rank 3: Reduces the mana cost of your Smite, Holy Fire, and instant cast spells by 10%.
- Rank 1: When activated, reduces the Mana cost of your next spell by 100% and increases its critical effect chance by 25% if it is capable of a critical effect.
- Rank 1: Allows 17% of your Mana regeneration to continue while casting.
- Rank 2: Allows 33% of your Mana regeneration to continue while casting.
- Rank 3: Allows 50% of your Mana regeneration to continue while casting.
- Rank 1: Increases the Armor bonus of your Inner Fire spell by 15% and increases its total charges by 4.
- Rank 2: Increases the Armor bonus of your Inner Fire spell by 30% and increases its total charges by 8.
- Rank 3: Increases the Armor bonus of your Inner Fire spell by 45% and increases its total charges by 12.
- Rank 1: Increases your total Intellect by 3%.
- Rank 2: Increases your total Intellect by 6%.
- Rank 3: Increases your total Intellect by 9%.
- Rank 4: Increases your total Intellect by 12%.
- Rank 5: Increases your total Intellect by 15%.
- Rank 1: Reduces the cooldown on your Power Word: Shield spell by 4 sec and reduces its mana cost by 15%.
- Rank 1: Reduces the casting time of your Mana Burn spell by 0.5 sec.
- Rank 2: Reduces the casting time of your Mana Burn spell by 1 sec.
- Rank 1: Launches a volley of holy light at the target, causing 81 Holy damage to an enemy, or 184 healing to an ally, instantly and every 1 sec for 2 sec.
- Rank 1: Your heals from Flash Heal, Binding Heal, Lesser Heal, Heal, Greater Heal, and Penance gain 2% increased critical strike chance when cast on targets with Weakened Soul, and reduce the remaining duration of Weakened Soul on their target by 1 sec.
- Rank 2: Your heals from Flash Heal, Binding Heal, Lesser Heal, Heal, Greater Heal, and Penance gain 4% increased critical strike chance when cast on targets with Weakened Soul, and reduce the remaining duration of Weakened Soul on their target by 2 sec.
- Rank 3: Your heals from Flash Heal, Binding Heal, Lesser Heal, Heal, Greater Heal, and Penance gain 6% increased critical strike chance when cast on targets with Weakened Soul, and reduce the remaining duration of Weakened Soul on their target by 3 sec.
- Rank 4: Your heals from Flash Heal, Binding Heal, Lesser Heal, Heal, Greater Heal, and Penance gain 8% increased critical strike chance when cast on targets with Weakened Soul, and reduce the remaining duration of Weakened Soul on their target by 4 sec.
- Rank 5: Your heals from Flash Heal, Binding Heal, Lesser Heal, Heal, Greater Heal, and Penance gain 10% increased critical strike chance when cast on targets with Weakened Soul, and reduce the remaining duration of Weakened Soul on their target by 5 sec.
- Rank 1: Your critical heals create a protective shield on the target, absorbing 5% of the amount healed. Lasts 12 sec.
- Rank 2: Your critical heals create a protective shield on the target, absorbing 10% of the amount healed. Lasts 12 sec.
- Rank 3: Your critical heals create a protective shield on the target, absorbing 15% of the amount healed. Lasts 12 sec.
- Rank 1: Infuses the target with power, increasing their spell damage and healing done by 20% for 15 sec.
Gone from Classic Discipline (4)
These talents were in this tree in Classic Era but are gone in Forever. If an old favourite build is not feeling right, this list is the first place to check.
- Unbreakable Will (was 5 ranks, row 1). Increases your chance to resist Stun, Fear, and Silence effects by an additional 3%.
- Improved Power Word: Fortitude (was 2 ranks, row 2). Increases the effect of your Power Word: Fortitude and Prayer of Fortitude spells by 15%.
- Divine Spirit (was 1 ranks, row 5). Holy power infuses the target, increasing their Spirit by 17 for 30 min.
- Force of Will (was 5 ranks, row 6). Increases your spell damage by 1% and the critical strike chance of your offensive spells by 1%.
Holy
Holy runs 17 talents across 7 rows. Binding Heal, Litany of Light, Prayer of Mending are the new Forever additions here. Read them properly before you spend points. The row 7 payoffs are Prayer of Mending.
- Rank 1: Gives you a 23% chance to avoid interruption caused by damage while casting any spell.
- Rank 2: Gives you a 47% chance to avoid interruption caused by damage while casting any spell.
- Rank 3: Gives you a 70% chance to avoid interruption caused by damage while casting any spell.
- Rank 1: Increases the amount healed by your Renew spell by 5%.
- Rank 2: Increases the amount healed by your Renew spell by 10%.
- Rank 3: Increases the amount healed by your Renew spell by 15%.
- Rank 1: Increases the critical effect chance of your Holy spells by 1%.
- Rank 2: Increases the critical effect chance of your Holy spells by 2%.
- Rank 3: Increases the critical effect chance of your Holy spells by 3%.
- Rank 4: Increases the critical effect chance of your Holy spells by 4%.
- Rank 5: Increases the critical effect chance of your Holy spells by 5%.
- Rank 1: Reduces all spell damage taken by 2%.
- Rank 2: Reduces all spell damage taken by 4%.
- Rank 3: Reduces all spell damage taken by 6%.
- Rank 4: Reduces all spell damage taken by 8%.
- Rank 5: Reduces all spell damage taken by 10%.
- Rank 1: Reduces the casting time of your Smite, Holy Fire, Heal, and Greater Heal spells by 0.1 sec.
- Rank 2: Reduces the casting time of your Smite, Holy Fire, Heal, and Greater Heal spells by 0.2 sec.
- Rank 3: Reduces the casting time of your Smite, Holy Fire, Heal, and Greater Heal spells by 0.3 sec.
- Rank 4: Reduces the casting time of your Smite, Holy Fire, Heal, and Greater Heal spells by 0.4 sec.
- Rank 5: Reduces the casting time of your Smite, Holy Fire, Heal, and Greater Heal spells by 0.5 sec.
- Rank 1: Causes an explosion of holy light around the caster, causing 26 to 30 Holy damage to all enemy targets within 10 yards and healing all party members within 10 yards for 49 to 57. These effects cause no threat.
- Rank 1: After being struck by a melee or ranged critical hit, or suffering more than 30% of your maximum Health from a single attack, heal 8% of the damage taken over 6 sec. Refreshing this effect carries over any remaining healing.
- Rank 2: After being struck by a melee or ranged critical hit, or suffering more than 30% of your maximum Health from a single attack, heal 17% of the damage taken over 6 sec. Refreshing this effect carries over any remaining healing.
- Rank 3: After being struck by a melee or ranged critical hit, or suffering more than 30% of your maximum Health from a single attack, heal 25% of the damage taken over 6 sec. Refreshing this effect carries over any remaining healing.
- Rank 1: Your non-periodic critical heals increase your target's Armor by 8% for 15 sec.
- Rank 2: Your non-periodic critical heals increase your target's Armor by 17% for 15 sec.
- Rank 3: Your non-periodic critical heals increase your target's Armor by 25% for 15 sec.
- Rank 1: Increases the range of your Smite and Holy Fire spells and the radius of your Prayer of Healing and Holy Nova spells by 10%.
- Rank 2: Increases the range of your Smite and Holy Fire spells and the radius of your Prayer of Healing and Holy Nova spells by 20%.
- Rank 1: Reduces the Mana cost of your Lesser Heal, Heal, Greater Heal, Penance, and Prayer of Mending spells by 5%.
- Rank 2: Reduces the Mana cost of your Lesser Heal, Heal, Greater Heal, Penance, and Prayer of Mending spells by 10%.
- Rank 3: Reduces the Mana cost of your Lesser Heal, Heal, Greater Heal, Penance, and Prayer of Mending spells by 15%.
- Rank 1: Increases your Holy damage done by 2%, and gives a 5% chance each time your Holy Fire spell deals periodic damage for your next Holy Nova to cost no Mana.
- Rank 2: Increases your Holy damage done by 5%, and gives a 10% chance each time your Holy Fire spell deals periodic damage for your next Holy Nova to cost no Mana.
- Rank 1: Heals a friendly target and the caster for 236 to 284. Low threat.
- Rank 1: When you cast a healing spell, gain Mana equal to 5% of the base cost of the spell if your previous heal was a different spell.
- Rank 2: When you cast a healing spell, gain Mana equal to 10% of the base cost of the spell if your previous heal was a different spell.
- Rank 1: Upon death, the priest becomes the Spirit of Redemption for 15 sec. The Spirit of Redemption cannot move, attack, be attacked or targeted by any spells or effects. While in this form the priest can cast any healing spell free of cost. When the effect ends, the priest dies.
- Rank 1: Increases your spell healing by up to 5% of your total Spirit and your spell damage by up to 1% of your total Spirit.
- Rank 2: Increases your spell healing by up to 10% of your total Spirit and your spell damage by up to 3% of your total Spirit.
- Rank 3: Increases your spell healing by up to 15% of your total Spirit and your spell damage by up to 5% of your total Spirit.
- Rank 4: Increases your spell healing by up to 20% of your total Spirit and your spell damage by up to 6% of your total Spirit.
- Rank 5: Increases your spell healing by up to 25% of your total Spirit and your spell damage by up to 8% of your total Spirit.
- Rank 1: Increases the amount healed by your spells by 3%.
- Rank 2: Increases the amount healed by your spells by 7%.
- Rank 3: Increases the amount healed by your spells by 10%.
- Rank 1: Places a spell on the target that heals them for 172 the next time they take damage or receive non-periodic healing. When the heal occurs, Prayer of Mending jumps to a party or raid member within 20 yards. Jumps up to 5 times and lasts 30 sec after each jump. This spell can only be placed on one target at a time per caster.
Gone from Classic Holy (2)
These talents were in this tree in Classic Era but are gone in Forever. If an old favourite build is not feeling right, this list is the first place to check.
- Improved Prayer of Healing (was 2 ranks, row 5). Reduces the Mana cost of your Prayer of Healing spell by 10%.
- Lightwell (was 1 ranks, row 7). Creates a holy Lightwell near the priest. Members of your raid or party can click the Lightwell to restore 800 health over 10 sec. Being attacked cancels the effect. Lightwell lasts for 3 min or 5 charges.
Shadow
Shadow runs 18 talents across 7 rows. Improved Mind Flay, Devouring Contagion, Early Demise are the new Forever additions here. Read them properly before you spend points. The row 7 payoffs are Shadowform.
- Rank 1: Improves your chance to hit with Shadow spells by 1%.
- Rank 2: Improves your chance to hit with Shadow spells by 2%.
- Rank 3: Improves your chance to hit with Shadow spells by 3%.
- Rank 4: Improves your chance to hit with Shadow spells by 4%.
- Rank 5: Improves your chance to hit with Shadow spells by 5%.
- Rank 1: Gives your Shadow damage spells a 2% chance to stun the target for 3 sec.
- Rank 2: Gives your Shadow damage spells a 4% chance to stun the target for 3 sec.
- Rank 3: Gives your Shadow damage spells a 6% chance to stun the target for 3 sec.
- Rank 4: Gives your Shadow damage spells a 8% chance to stun the target for 3 sec.
- Rank 5: Gives your Shadow damage spells a 10% chance to stun the target for 3 sec.
- Rank 1: Gives you a 20% chance to gain a 100% bonus to your Spirit for 15 sec after killing a non-trivial target. For the duration, your Mana will regenerate at a 50% of normal rate while casting.
- Rank 2: Gives you a 40% chance to gain a 100% bonus to your Spirit for 15 sec after killing a non-trivial target. For the duration, your Mana will regenerate at a 50% of normal rate while casting.
- Rank 3: Gives you a 60% chance to gain a 100% bonus to your Spirit for 15 sec after killing a non-trivial target. For the duration, your Mana will regenerate at a 50% of normal rate while casting.
- Rank 4: Gives you a 80% chance to gain a 100% bonus to your Spirit for 15 sec after killing a non-trivial target. For the duration, your Mana will regenerate at a 50% of normal rate while casting.
- Rank 5: Gives you a 100% chance to gain a 100% bonus to your Spirit for 15 sec after killing a non-trivial target. For the duration, your Mana will regenerate at a 50% of normal rate while casting.
- Rank 1: Reduces the threat generated by your Shadow spells by 10%.
- Rank 2: Reduces the threat generated by your Shadow spells by 20%.
- Rank 3: Reduces the threat generated by your Shadow spells by 30%.
- Rank 1: Increases the duration of your Shadow Word: Pain spell by 3 sec.
- Rank 2: Increases the duration of your Shadow Word: Pain spell by 6 sec.
- Rank 1: Increases the range of your offensive Shadow spells by 10%.
- Rank 2: Increases the range of your offensive Shadow spells by 20%.
- Rank 1: Reduces the cooldown of your Mind Blast spell by 0.5 sec.
- Rank 2: Reduces the cooldown of your Mind Blast spell by 1 sec.
- Rank 3: Reduces the cooldown of your Mind Blast spell by 1.5 sec.
- Rank 4: Reduces the cooldown of your Mind Blast spell by 2 sec.
- Rank 5: Reduces the cooldown of your Mind Blast spell by 2.5 sec.
- Rank 1: Reduces the cooldown of your Psychic Scream spell by 2 sec.
- Rank 2: Reduces the cooldown of your Psychic Scream spell by 4 sec.
- Rank 1: Assault the target's mind with Shadow energy, causing 63 Shadow damage over 3 sec and slowing their movement speed by 50%.
- Rank 1: Your Mind Flay now deals 10% more damage, gains 5 yards increased range, but slows the target's movement speed by 35%.
- Rank 2: Your Mind Flay now deals 20% more damage, gains 10 yards increased range, but slows the target's movement speed by 20%.
- Rank 1: Decreases the cooldown of your Fade ability by 3 sec.
- Rank 2: Decreases the cooldown of your Fade ability by 6 sec.
- Rank 1: Afflicts your target with Shadow energy that causes all party members to be healed for 20% of any Shadow spell damage you deal for 30 sec. Vampiric Embrace also grants a chance for your Spirit Tap talent to trigger when enemies afflicted by it die.
- Rank 1: Your Shadow damage spells have a 33% chance to increase the Shadow damage you deal by 2% for 15 sec, stacking up to 5 times.
- Rank 2: Your Shadow damage spells have a 67% chance to increase the Shadow damage you deal by 2% for 15 sec, stacking up to 5 times.
- Rank 3: Your Shadow damage spells have a 100% chance to increase the Shadow damage you deal by 2% for 15 sec, stacking up to 5 times.
- Rank 1: Silences the target, preventing them from casting spells for 5 sec and interrupting their spellcasts for 3 sec.
- Rank 1: Reduces the mana cost of your Devouring Plague by 25%. Targets that die while Devouring Plague it is active spreads it, jumping to a nearby enemy within 5 yards for the remaining duration.
- Rank 2: Reduces the mana cost of your Devouring Plague by 50%. Targets that die while Devouring Plague it is active spreads it, jumping to a nearby enemy within 10 yards for the remaining duration.
- Rank 1: Increases Shadow Word: Death's critical strike chance on targets at or below 20% health by 15%.
- Rank 2: Increases Shadow Word: Death's critical strike chance on targets at or below 20% health by 30%.
- Rank 1: Increases your Shadow damage done by 2%.
- Rank 2: Increases your Shadow damage done by 4%.
- Rank 3: Increases your Shadow damage done by 6%.
- Rank 4: Increases your Shadow damage done by 8%.
- Rank 5: Increases your Shadow damage done by 10%.
- Rank 1: Assume Shadowform, increasing your Shadow damage by 10%, reducing the Mana cost of all Shadow spells by 50%, increasing the critical strike damage bonus of your Shadow spells by 100%, and reducing Physical damage taken by you by 15%. However, you may not cast healing spells while in this form.
Gone from Classic Shadow (1)
These talents were in this tree in Classic Era but are gone in Forever. If an old favourite build is not feeling right, this list is the first place to check.
- Improved Vampiric Embrace (was 2 ranks, row 5). Increases the percentage healed by Vampiric Embrace by an additional 5%.
Priest talent reference questions
How do I read this talent tree?
Top down. Row 1 is open from the start; every 5 points you spend in one tree unlocks the next row in that same tree. Discipline, Holy, Shadow all work this way. A row 4 talent needs 15 points in the rows above it before it opens.
What does each rank do?
Every Priest talent lists its ranks in the exact beta-client wording. Rank 1 is the weakest version and the final rank is the full-strength effect. Read rank 1 first, then decide how many points the talent deserves.
What do the NEW and Changed tags mean?
NEW means the talent never existed in Classic. It is Forever-only. Changed means the Classic talent still exists but works differently now. Active means you press a button to use it; everything else just happens.
Take it to the Priest calculator
Happy with your picks? Open the Priest calculator and spend the points. Or take a tested starter build and change it to match the way you play.
