Since you’re already going in the direction of making disc a damage spec, I would like to see a holy caster dps spec. Paladins shouldn’t the only ones in the game dealing holy damage, and it would be nice to have a smite priest be an actual thing.
5 Likes
Seeing a lot of star based attacks in the places like Taz ( the end there are a ton of cool star type effects )
So I agree a disc/light magic dps spec could be really cool thematically and visually
3 Likes
As a 4th spec? Sure. But hands off Discipline. It’s still a healing spec at its core, and Atonement is only part of its kit, not its entire identity. You’ll piss off me and lot of my cohort by taking that away.
edit*: IF Blizzard wasn’t philosophically opposed to fun, there are mechanics that could turn Disc into a part-time dps. A non-combat toggle that buffs damage at the severe cost of healing, or radically different scaling for Sins of the Many.
I’d never give up Disc as a healing spec but I wouldn’t mind if it could pump out damage comparable to a low-tier dps in open-world/delves. I’d rather quest as Disc than Shadow, prefer its rotation.
4 Likes
Understandable. I just want big smites
I’ve wanted this in the game since vanilla literally in the old scarlet crusade dungeons with the holy smite wizard mobs.
But leave Disc as is for sure. Gimme a 4th spec for this.
6 Likes
Disc feels more like a DoT spec than a hard-caster. Uptime is everything.
4th DPS spec “Inquisitor” yes. Holy ranged dps, yes please.
6 Likes
I want a holy dps spec honestly. smite and holy fire are pretty disgusting as it is. building a full dps light smacker spec would be dope.
3 Likes
I’m all for a light caster existing. Just don’t think it should ever overwrite an existing spec.
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I feel like Blizzard missed a perfect opportunity to introduce a ranged holy spec for Midnight. What better way to fight the void than some raw holy light spell flinging? But I guess DHs get the honor of a new spec… 
2 Likes
Fun fact most people don’t realize about Holy priest. It is already a highly potent light caster spec. Even surpassing holy paladin damage. Obviously this means nothing for PVE other than slightly better key times but in PVP it is downright hilarious. I was in a 2v2 arena yesterday that went deep into dampening. When the fight finally ended and the scoreboard came up. I had done more damage than the enemy destruction warlock. Now needless to say his healer grossly outperformed me in heals. But at the end, It was my damage that wom the match.
Now I am not telling people to run around and smite + holy fire everything to death all game long. Obviously people would complain. But the damage is already there with holy. The trade off is you have to min max talents gear etc for maximum damage and you will indeed sacrifice a lot of healing output.
But make no mistake the damage is dirty. Very dirty. Out dps disc and fistweaver. Both of which are designed to heal off of damage. But there is your trade off. Sacrifice healing output for killing output. None the less I like doing 30-50m dmg in an arena match and 200-300k dmg in BGs while still outperforming other healers.
I would love to see this make it’s way into a pve dps spec.
1 Like
If you ask me, a holy damage DPS should be sorta Destro 'Lock-ish. Priests already get a bunch of periodic damage from Shadow, they could use a bit of the direct damage flavor.
Maybe they can add a passive to this hypothetical spec that makes Shackle Undead (I think that’s what it was called, I never take it or use it at all) usable on non-undead. Maybe have the passive change it’s name to Chains of Light. It’d be neat!
Edit: Dude, real talk though - why tf does Shackle Undead even still exist? Basically just a dogwater root effect that is only usable on 1 undead at a time and takes a talent point to get. It’s basically an overly-niche ultra-garbage polymorph. It might be the most worthless CC in the game.
4 Likes
Absolutely, having a straight up bursty caster like frost mage to counter the periodic dot-based playstyle of shadow would be a great addition.
2 Likes
TBH it should just work on anything except beasts/animals.
Shackle The Unholy: Shackle an Undead, Aberration, Demon, or Humanoid enemy for 50 sec, preventing all actions and movement. Damage will cancel the effect. Limit 1.
Add in a talent that makes it instant cast but has a 45s/60s cooldown and we can use it to stall casts/interrupt even. :3
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Yea. Shadow is more about consuming and rotting enemies. The light/holy is very much so direct in approach to damaging or cleansing enemies.
Would make total sense to have this spec be a direct damage burster with good consistent damage.
The light’s approach is straightforward. Similar to Holy Priest spec healing. You’re getting blasted with healing magic that instantly heals you up. Very direct and bursty.
2 Likes
I honestly think the shoehorning of specs into dedicated roles was worse for the game in the long run.
Ideally, we could just have a priest that dedicates their talents toward damage over healing, but being forced into a healer role limits that opportunity.
What you’re describing in a way was original Druid Feral spec. Could talent into bear or cat talents. Then they split Guardian spec as its own thing. It definitely keeps things more organized. I remember Smite Priest was a viable leveling build in the olden days and that was kinda cute to talent into. We get that a little bit now with Holy Fire being so powerful.
Still want that dedicated 4th spec though xd
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Something about the old talent trees had a bit of magic to them with buildcrafting.
Maybe that’s just the thing for me; I miss the RPG aspects the game once based itself around, despite vastle prefering the overall gameplay now.
I wonder if we could go back to more intricate customization with the hero talent system and what it has to offer, already creating pseudo-hybrids like frostfire mage.
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A Holy dps spec would be great, and it doesn’t seem very far off given how Holy currently plays while DPSing. Chastise + Holy Fire + SW:P + Smite is a pretty robust DPS rotation for a healer, and is analogous to Resto Shaman or Resto Druids (using caster form) in how they play. Resto Shaman should be to Elemental Shaman as Holy Priest is to some TBD holy DPS spec. It’s practically handed to Blizzard on a platter. Maybe the “Seraph” spec or something?
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Also unless I’m wrong, Holy Fire is literally the only strictly damage-dealing ability given to only a healer in the whole game 
. (Not to mention Castile is also a pretty solid nuke.) Why isn’t there a DPS spec that uses that ability? Make it happen Blizzard.
1 Like