The Egotistical Priest
An irreverent and opinionated discussion of the many classes
in the World of Warcraft gaming universe.
Priest Ego Boost
by Vonya
Information on new class changes (it’s just now hitting the PTR, don’t get too excited JUST yet) is now available!
Credit to MMOChamp for the info. The italicized bits at the end are my comments.
- Glyph of Psychic Scream — Increases the duration of your Psychic Scream by 2 sec. and increases its cooldown by 8 sec. (Old: Increases the duration of your Psychic Scream by 1 sec.) Eh. I don’t solo, and I don’t pvp. This doesn’t affect me, and I’m not sure if the 8 second cooldown nerf would be worth the 2 second duration boost.
- Glyph of Fear Ward — Reduces cooldown and duration of Fear Ward by 60 sec. (Old: 30 sec.) Woo. *lifts hands and shakes them in feigned excitement* Give it up, Blizz. You nerfed this spell into the ground as far as PVE is concerned. For shame!
- Glyph of Fade — Reduces the cooldown of your Fade spell by 15 sec. (Old: Increases the duration and cooldown of your Fade spell by 50%.) Note to priests – stop stealing aggro, mmmkay?
- Glyph of Inner Fire — Increases the armor from your Inner Fire spell by 50%. (Old: Increases the charges on your Inner Fire spell by 20.) Does anyone even use this spell for the charges or armor? PVP, maybe?
- Glyph of Mind Control — Increases the duration of your Mind Control spell by 30 sec. (Old: 12 sec.) Again, PVP? Maybe some priests doing 25-man Naxx will find this useful, but I have to wonder what Glyphs they’d have to give up in order to boost their output on a single encounter.
- Glyph of Smite — Reduces the pushback suffered from damaging attacks while casting Smite by 100%. (Old: 50%) Probably a good glyph for leveling disc/holy priests.
- Glyph of Dispersion — Your Dispersion ability now also clears movement impairing effects and makes you immune to them for its duration. Go, go gadget Shadowpriests!
- Glyph of Guardian Spirit *new* — If you Guardian Spirit lasts its entire duration without being triggered, your Guardian Spirit cooldown is reset to 60 sec. That’s actually not bad. Guardian Spirit is the Holy talented ability that can turn a tank death into a 50% health tank. Being able to use it more often if it wasn’t necessary should make it be something that’s used more often instead of being carefully hoarded. I approve.
- Glyph of Penance *new* — Reduces the cooldown of Penance by 2 sec. Rawr! That’s what I’m talkin about!
- Glyph of Mind Sear *new* — Increases the radius of effect on Mind Sear by 5 yards. Wow, very nice! Takes the AOE priest ability and makes it even shinier! No good for me as a healer, mind you, but should up shadow priest dps on trash pulls!
- Glyph of Hymn of Hope *new* — Your Hymn of hope provides 3 times the normal amount of mana per time, but its duration is 50% shorter. Egads, math. Let’s see, multiply by three, divide by two, carry the…ARG. Right. More mana back, less time spent – nice, nice. Probably still friggin useless. My drae priest weeps, Blizzard!
- Glyph of Pain Suppression *new* — Allows Pain Suppression to be cast while stunned. Great for PVP, I’d imagine. I don’t really spend scads of time stunned in PVE, though.
DISCIPLINE
Skills
- Divine Spirit is now a baseline spell. Finally!
Talents
- Penance (Tier 11) Damage increased slightly across all ranks. Does this mean “damage and healing” or just “damage”? Not that it really matters. As a healing spell, I never considered it underpowered.
- Grace (Tier 9) now lasts 15 sec. (Previously lasted 8 sec) Thank heavens. Priests have enough to worry about without trying to keep a stack of Grace on a tank. I mean, it’s still going to happen, but maybe there will be less unnecessary healing done in order to accomplish it.
- Rapture (Tier 8 ) revamped. Now a 3 point talent. When your Power Word: Shield is completely absorbed or dispelled you are instantly energized with 1.5% of your total mana, and you have a 33% chance to energize your shielded target with 2% total mana, 8 rage, 16 energy or 32 runic power. This effect cannot occur once every 12 seconds. NOOOOOOOO….KHAAAAAANNN! I know, I know, I should expect mana regen nerfs, but I didn’t think they’d mutilate Rapture so badly! *sob*
- Focused Will (Tier 7) now increases spell critical strike chance by 1/2/3% in addition to its previous effect. Is this an all over 3%, or just after getting critically hit yourself? That’ll determine whether or not I take it seriously.
- Reflective Shield has been moved from Tier 7 to Tier 5. It is now a 2 point talent and causes 22/45% of the damage you absorb with Power Word: Shield to reflect back at the attacker. Pretty sure this talent was mocked before the patch. This talent was considered useless for PVE raiding before, and this doesn’t really seem to change anything. Still decent for solo-work though.
- Enlightenment (Tier 6) is now a 3 point talent and now increases your total Spirit by 2/4/6% and increases your spell haste by 2/4/6%. (Previously a 5 point talent) I’m a fan of making me spend fewer talent points to achieve the same effect.
- Meditation (Tier 3) now increases mana regeneration by 17/33/50%. (Previously 10/20/30%) Required Talent is Now More Required. News at 11.
- Improved Power Word: Fortitude (Tier 2) now also increases your personal stamina by 2/4%. Neat! It’s like getting fudge sauce on your sundae for free!
- Unbreakable Will (Tier 1) now reduces the duration of Stun, Fear, and Silence effects done to you by an additional 6/12/18/24/30%. (Previously 3/6/9/12/15%) Sorry, still don’t care. Probably makes PVPers happy though.
- *New Talent* Improved Flash Heal, Tier 7, 3 point talent – Reduces the mana cost of your Flash Heal by 5/10/15%, and increases the critical effect chance of your Flash Heal by 4/7/10% on friendly targets at or below 50% health. Seriously? Did we need this? I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s great, awesome, fantastic, yay for buffing the healing spells, but I don’t think it’s going to urge priests to pick some other spell for people over 50% health. It just means that under 50% health, you’d BETTER be using Flash Heal.
- *New Talent* Soul Warding, Tier 5, 1 point talent – Reduces the cooldown of your Power Word: Shield ability by 4 sec, and reduces the mana cost of your Power Word: Shield by 30%. OOoOOooOh, Vonya LIKEY.
HOLY
Skills
- Prayer of Healing is now a targeted spell that heals the target’s party. LOVE!
- Holy Nova mana cost reduced from 27% base mana to 22% base mana. That seems…incredibly incremental to me. Am I the only one who prefers round numbers? What is this 27% stuff?
Talents
- Circle of Healing (Tier 9) healing increased across all ranks. *approval*
- Test of Faith (Tier 9) now increases healing by 4/8/12% on friendly targets at or below 50% health. *approval*
- Serendipity (Tier 8 ) changed to: When you heal with Binding Heal or Flash Heal, the cast time of your next Greater Heal or Prayer of Healing spell is reduced by 6/12/20%. Stacks up to 3 times. Lasts 20 sec. Wait wait wait. They removed the mana return portion of this talent? Oh, that’s not good. Looks remarkably similar to the current Improved Holy Concentration, doesn’t it? This is NOT a valid trade-off, Blizz!
- Holy Concentration (Tier 7) changed to: Your mana regeneration is increased by 16/32/50% for 8 sec after you critically heal with Flash Heal, Greater Heal, Binding Heal or Renew. (Previously had a chance to grant clearcasting effect) We knew this was coming as part of the mana regen nerf.
- Blessed Resilience (Tier 7) increases the effectiveness of your healing spells by 1/2/3% along with its previous effect. Again, as with the Disc spell change – is this only after being critically hit?
- Improved Holy Concentration (Tier 9) removed from the game. Not surprising, but sad all the same.
- *New Talent* Empowered Renew, Tier 9, 3 point talent – Your Renew spell gains an additional 5/10/15% of your bonus healing effects, and your Renew will instantly heal the target for 5/10/15% of the total periodic effect. And THIS may actually make me go back to holy healing, or at least not argue too strenuously if we find ourselves with another tank-healer. This would make raid-healing as a priest MUCH easier. *happy sunshine hearts and flowers*
SHADOW
(Note : I’m not going to comment on these – those of you who are shadowpriests know your tree FAR better than I ever could)
Skills
- Shadowfiend now creates a shadowy fiend to attack the target. Caster receives 5% mana when the Shadowfiend attacks. Damage taken by area of effect attacks is reduced, and the Shadowfiend has a reduced chance to be hit by spells and melee attacks. Lasts 15 sec.
Talents
- Dispersion (Tier 11) now clears all snare and movement impairing effects when cast, and makes you immune to them while dispersed.
- Shadowform (Tier 7) now gives your Shadow Word: Pain, Devouring Plague, and Vampiric Touch spells the ability to critically hit.
- Darkness moved from Tier 6 to Tier 1.
- Silence (Tier 5) range increased to 30 yards. (Previously was 20 yards)
- Vampiric Embrace (Tier 5) now lasts 5 mins. (Previously lasted 1 min)
- Spirit Tap (Tier 1) now increases mana regeneration while casting by 87%. (Previously 50%)
- Improved Spirit Tap (Tier 1) increases mana regeneration while casting by 17/33%. (Previously 10/20%)
- *New Talent* Improved Devouring Plague, Tier 6, 3 point talent – Increases the periodic damage done by your Devouring Plague by 5/10/15%, and when you cast Devouring Plague you instantly deal damage equal to 5/10/15% of its total periodic effect.
I leave you with one final note : WHERE IS MY AOE BUBBLE?!
February 24th, 2009
That was the first thing I said. I want mah AoE bubble!
February 24th, 2009
Bubble, bubble, who’s got the bubble?
Bubble, bubble, who wants the bubble?
Bubble, bubble, what’s in the bubble?
February 24th, 2009
But, but…
1. Hymn of Hope: This spell has been removed.
doesn’t match up with…
2. Glyph of Hymn of Hope *new* — Your Hymn of hope provides 3 times the normal amount of mana per time, but its duration is 50% shorter.
I’m confused – is it gone, or is it better?
February 24th, 2009
Renew imparting some instant heal – holy priests will have every tool once this goes live.
No more IHC, means no more Epic Crazy moments when everything is proc’ing at the same time as DPS would otherwise be dying and BLiNG / BLAM / BOOM, everyone is alive and healthy. Ahh well, it was fun, but lacked real value.
Normal HC nerfed? I don’t know, after criting with a FH or GH it isn’t rare that I don’t need a clearcasting buff; however, in any non-trivial situation I always need more regen!
February 24th, 2009
Well, I for one can forgive the AOE bubble, since there are still quite a lot of nice things going on in these notes. 15 second Grace?! Soul Warding?! Snacky!!
February 24th, 2009
Looks like Destruction Locks and Frost Mages have been added to the Replenishment buddy list!
February 24th, 2009
Yoinking a link to this to my guild forum, as I’ve been distracted and you say most of what I would anyway. <3
February 24th, 2009
Definitely agree with Iratio about the Holy Concentration change not being a nerf, but I don’t think Vonya was saying it was. I’m also all for trading Empowered Renew for Improved Holy Concentration. Prayer of Healing change? Nice! Very happy overall.
Only change that I think might be bad is the lower mana cost of Holy Nova. As it is, I’m all too likely to run into the fray and cast it a couple of times quickly. With a lowered mana cost, I may see it as an invitation to do it more often
February 24th, 2009
After playing around with the MMO-Champion updated talent calculator, it looks like rapture is not a nerf at all. The 1.5% mana refund seems to only be the first rank. With 3 points into rapture it displays the full 2.5% plus the added benefit of giving mana, rage, or rune power to the target of the spell.
February 24th, 2009
I think Holy Nova if glyphed properly is sort of supposed to take over PoH’s spot in your rotations (only castable on group and actually fairly decent if glyphed to add health). I’d say that removing Serendipity’s mana return portion, though sad, is actually going to be a little more balanced out when mixed with holy concentration’s new effect. I guess this is all part of Blizzard’s attempt to make us keep an eye on the ol’ blue bar. I’m very very curious as to how this is going to work out… btw, if they do remove Hymn of Hope, it’s gonna leave me scratching my head. It’s not like this was a major part of my mana regen and was actually used mainly during downtime or as a last ditch emergency spell if I ran oom during a fight. The eight second channel is way too long.
February 24th, 2009
I was impressed by most of the changes, being a holy priest I was drooling over the serendipity changes and the holy concentration changes for the most part.
Serendipity because it almost gives priests a enhancement shaman(or rogue)-esque feel; putting a cool down on CoH really gave priests a proactive approach to healing whereas before I felt we were much more of a reactive one. This change really GH back into play, more so than PoH.
The holy concentration changes excited me when I read them first on the test servers for WotLK; correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t this the original intention for holy concentration? Also, I’m a fan of typos but I almost fell off of my seat when I read: after you critically heal with Flash Heal, Greater Heal, Binding Heal or *RENEW*. More likely than not, the devs. just forgot renew is incapable of critting, but I’m allowed to dream too.
February 24th, 2009
I think the aoe bubble is hanging out in the dance studio.
February 24th, 2009
As for shadowpriests, here’s what we’re excited about:
-Dispersion now comes with a snare removal! Good for PvP
-Our DoTs now critically hit. This sucks compared to the flat damage increase based on our crit% that we previously had. I may change my gear over this.
-Silence has a longer range. More PvP goodness.
-Vampiric Embrace lasts 5min instead of 1min. This is fantastic for raiding shadowpriests as this gives us one less debuff to worry about reapplying to a boss after having to scurry away to avoid death *coughSartharioncough*
-Improved mana regen on Spirit Tap talents. This is also great for the raiding shadowpriest, but I wonder at why they did this. With reduced cooldown on Shadowfiend, a shadowpriest can keep their mana up indefinitely during a fight by juggling Dispersion and their Shadowfiend.
-Improved Devouring Plague. Yay more dps!
February 24th, 2009
Vonya – thanks for the awesome write-up! I linked you and chatted about the Shadow side earlier today.
/excited!
February 24th, 2009
That Rapture change isn’t a nerf. Sure it hurts your mana, but trust me, you just became every tanks absolute favorite healer EVER.
February 25th, 2009
As stated earlier, the change to Rapture doesn’t really affect you too much. Yes, you lose mana from healing damage taken. But know that there’s no cool down on PW:S once you throw that 1 point into Soul Warding, and you can throw those around like there’s no tomorrow if you’d like!
Focused Will does add 3% to your spell crit. It is not something that comes with taking damage.
February 25th, 2009
I echo Sephrenia’s question – what’s up with Hymn of Hope?
It saddens me greatly that it’s gone :<
February 25th, 2009
Mmm buffed Devouring Plague.
Boo more reliance on %crit gear.
Cry about loss of Blackout – always had this talent and the number of times it’s saved mine or someone else’s life with a lucky proc…
Oh well
February 25th, 2009
The people saying that Rapture is not a nerf, how is it not a Nerf?
From having massive mana-regen from heals and each time your shields (even divine aegis) takes damage to a “once every 12 sec” proc on your shield when it dies to damage or dispel. I saw somewhere that if you have 22k mana in your manapool the gain will correspond the the cost, which means you can cast a free PW:S every 12 seconds. At 30k mana it would correspond to about 50mp5? And giving your MT 10 rage every 12 seconds won’t matter at all since you probably will be on the maintank who capped his rage 2 seconds into the fight.
February 25th, 2009
I’m trying to reserve judgement until we get some feedback from the PTR but change to Rapture doesn’t fill me with hope. I know that with talents Disc priests will be able to spam their bubble. They won’t be able to do that on one target because of the debuff, so are we expected to throw bubbles around needlessly to keep our mana regen going? I don’t actually want to spam anything, if I did I’d heal with my pally. I want to cast a bubble when I judge that a bubble is needed, in the same way I decide to use flash heal, binding heal or a group heal. I thought this patch was about removing “spam” healing, about allowing healers to use all their tools based on the best tool for the situation…I just don’t see how this change to Rapture achieves that. I know they wanted to address mana regen but I think there are other ways it could be done which would work better.
February 25th, 2009
I’ve got a friend who swears by Greater Heal, convinced that Flash Heal is too mana inefficient to be used as the main single target healing spell during a raid. His mana supply and recount seem to back him up – he still has mana and has done more healing than better geared priests (although generally not first – he still needs better gear for that.) at the end of most boss fights.
Should he be using Flash heal more? and/or using it more with Improved Flash Heal?
February 26th, 2009
“Should he be using Flash heal more? and/or using it more with Improved Flash Heal?”
with glyph and talent, flash heal will definitely become the new greater heal.
February 26th, 2009
Flash heal will be cheap but the through-put will still suck?
February 27th, 2009
“Should he be using Flash heal more? and/or using it more with Improved Flash Heal?”
Depends on how your friend is specced. My holy priest uses greater heal as the primary healing spell unless I know that a) most of that will be overheal but I still want to put one down, or b) the target may not make it if they have to wait the extra time greater heal takes. I understand if you’re specced discipline, there are valid reasons to use flash heal a lot more often. If you’re holy, though, flash heal just means more time inside the 5-second rule, and a lot less mana through the fight.