wow 8.1 Shadow Priest Changes

[Starym 3,724]

 

Some more info has arrived on the planned class/spec changes coming in 8.1, more specifically coming with the next PTR deploy. This time around it's Shadow Priests that get a good once-over, focusing on Voidform, better defenses and utility. From Voidform getting a bigger spell damage buff, smaller Insanity increase and generation, to Dispersion being buffed to 75% reduction and now also adding a movement speed buff, Shadowform's damage reduction being replaced, a lot of talent adjustments, including a brand new one, and a lot more:

Shadow Priests 8.1 PTR (source)

The next PTR build includes some changes to Shadow Priest with the following goals:

• Make Voidform matter more, make staying in Voidform longer matter more, and give the player more agency over extending its duration
• Improve Shadow’s defensive power and utility

Make Voidform Matter More
Moving into Battle for Azeroth, we consciously reduced the maximum power of Voidforms, for the purpose of evening out Shadow’s heavily backloaded Voidform cycle damage. This had some positive impacts, which many of you are aware of – mainly this greatly reduced the harsh penalty for dropping out of Voidform early – a common occurrence in any content outside of raids, including dungeons or questing. That said, we think we went a little too far with peeling power off of Voidform , which has resulted in Voidform not feeling impactful enough, and with not enough reason to work to extend it. We are easing this change back a bit:

• Voidform increases spell damage by 20% (up from 10%)
• Insanity drain increase per second in Voidform reduced by 15%
• Void Bolt Insanity generation increased by 25%

Dispersion
Dispersion’s damage reduction has been increased to 75% (up from 60%). We agree that because it comes with the penalty of not being able to cast spells, it deserves to be stronger. Additionally, it now increases movement speed by 50%.

A new talent Intangibility replaces Mania (which was similar to and far less popular than Body and Soul), and reduces Dispersion’s cooldown by 25% and causes it to heal you for 50% of your maximum health over its duration.

Shadowform’s Physical Damage Reduction
Shadowform's 10% physical damage reduction was intended to feel like a bonus to Shadowform, but instead felt like a penalty to Voidform , since you lose that defensive benefit going into Voidform.

We’re replacing this bonus from Shadowform with the Focused Will passive (which the other two Priest specs already have), causing melee abilities and attacks to reduce all damage taken by 15% for 8 sec.

Hallucinations
Hallucinations (the PvP talent) is becoming a baseline passive, and allows your successful Dispel Magic, Mass Dispel, Purify Disease, Vampiric Embrace, and Power Word: Shield casts to generate 6 Insanity (same amount per cast as your filler, Mind Flay).

This give you more freedom to use your on-global cooldown utility buttons, especially in Voidform , without incurring as much damage loss, since Insanity is constantly draining.

Other talent adjustments worth mentioning:

• Mind Bomb and Psychic Scream now take 40% longer to break from damage.
• Void Torrent generates 30 Insanity over its duration and deals 20% increased damage. Additionally, no longer requires Voidform to cast, so you can choose to use it on a priority damage target at any time.
• Lingering Insanity fades every 3 sec instead of every 2 sec.
• Surrender to Madness cooldown reduced by 33% and penalty duration reduced by 50%.

[Raffalius 3]

Looks like decent changes to me ?

[Lampanelli 75]

Could be a good combo with Surrender to Madness and the Intangible talents in raids. If the healer makes sure you're topped off, the 90% damage won't kill you, and the life regening Dispersion can save your bacon during some if the period of time that you can't get insanity in anyway.

I might have to consider making a Priest by the looks of things. Shadow may be interesting relatively soon.

[VictorVakaras 73]

The Voidform mechanic is terrible. 

[Jperry21 16]

Hey Blizzard.

Whoever is listening to us and making these changes is doing a great job there. Keep that guy around.

Please continue forward with these amazing class changes. 

As a long time Spriest player, these changes are implemented so very well for the current state of the game.

This bodes well for the changes that I have hope in you to make.

That you can turn this expac around. So then hopefully this actually won't be the last expac I do play, and I can renew my sub at the end of the month.

Because it has potential, and it has been fun enough already. Just keep going this direction!

 

And most importantly,

Thank you!

[Steveson 193]

2 hours ago, Starym said:

A new talent Intangibility replaces Mania (which was similar to and far less popular than Body and Soul), and reduces Dispersion’s cooldown by 25% and causes it to heal you for 50% of your maximum health over its duration.

 

2 hours ago, Starym said:

Surrender to Madness cooldown reduced by 33% and penalty duration reduced by 50%.

( *instantly dumps  demolock and rerolls into shadowpriest* )

[Nightwinds 10]

I think these changes are looking nice!

[Vilinde 0]

2 hours ago, VictorVakaras said:

The Voidform mechanic is terrible. 

I absolutely agree.  When we had the orb mechanic shadow priest was far and away my favorite class to play.... now I hate playing my shadow priest.... every once and awhile I'll come back and try again, but still hate it. 

[ArusVicious 156]

These changes are so much more than I expected, and that's a really good thing. Thank you so much Blizzard!

[Dejo93 942]

Still nothing on Enh Shammy 

*Sobs*

[Allseye 96]

I really hope this will make Shadowpriest interesting again. Even if i dont play it, i just hope it for all patient Shadowpriests. It would make me hopeful to see good changes on Protwarrior too :-).

[Syktris 36]

15 hours ago, Starym said:

Surrender to Madness cooldown reduced by 33% and penalty duration reduced by 50%.

this pretty much killed all the other talents on the same roll lol