Hot Take: Shadowform Sucks, Make it a Toy or Cosmetic Spell

Classes Priest
1

It’s only function at this point is to be a 10% spell damage buff. Why do we have to have our transmogs ruined by an outdated Mechanic? Don’t give me the PVP bull crap of “Oh uhh uhh… I need to be able to identify them in muh PVP.”.

If you can’t tell a Shadow Priest from a Warlock or Mage, then your clinically blind.

Make Shadowform an Optional Cosmetic spell like Zen Flight, and have the current glyphs affect that spell.

Why is this so hard?

11 Likes
2

Agreed. I can totally understand why some people like it aesthetically or from a nostalgia and class flavor standpoint, and I think that can be perfectly solved by having it be an optional cosmetic spell like Treant Form for druids (or Zen Flight, etc.)

With old school “maintenance” spells like this I consider them like this: is there any meaningful choice to using it anymore? Is there ever a situation where I would choose to turn it off or on mid-combat for a gameplay reason? In Shadowform’s case there isn’t, it’s simply a button you press every time you die and come back to life that does nothing aside from giving you 10% more damage and allowing you to cast Devouring Plague (for some reason), it’s effectively a passive in the spellbook at this point, you just have to manually toggle it for some reason and deal with the very divisive visual effects.

Glyph of Shadow’s new effect helps significantly (thank god), but it’s still frustrating to not be able to properly see my character without purple clouds or oil slicks wafting over them for no meaningful gameplay reason. Please consider making it an optional cosmetic spell with a Shadow re-work, Blizz. :pray:

(Editing to add in: I think it was a huge positive to remove the old limitations on casting non-shadow spells while in Shadowform and definitely don’t want that back, I’d just like them to go one step further and not require this at all anymore.)

2 Likes
3

Great idea.
Make it a light form for holy/disci priest aswell.

4

Also, you are restricted from using Devouring Plague (unless they changed that recently) if you are not in shadowform.

It’s quite funny when you rez from a combat rez and start fighting again only to realize you can’t cast Devouring Plague and think you are bugged at first before you finally realize you need to shift back into Shadowform lol.

5

Glyph of shadow isn’t too bad.

6

Yea figuring out why dp is not casting only to realize I’m not in sf really sucks and no reason not to be in sf.

7

totally support this

8

Its gotten pruned over the years. It used to buff our armor. Idk when that got taken away. It used to prevent us from casting heals, that got taken away. A paltry 10 percent spell power is what we got after all these years.

1 Like
9

Yeah it’s not, but I don’t want to look like a victim of the Exxon Valdez.

1 Like
10

Shadowform has had many variations over the years.

See link for a list of all the difference changes…
https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Shadowform
https://www.wowhead.com/spell=232698/shadowform#changelog

This is what I would want Shadowform to do…

  • Shadowform
    Assume a Shadowform, increasing your spell damage dealt by 10% and reduces all damage taken by 15%. You and your allies gain 3% haste and an additional 5% base movement speed. However, you may not cast any healing spells while in the form.

Justification…

  • Damage reduction - It should feel meaningful and impactful from a defensive standpoint to reduce incoming damage taken. It’s as if you being pure shadow is dampening any incoming damage as it is swallowed up into darkness and only a portion actually touches you. Also, Mages and Warlocks (only other cloth classes) have ways to avoid or mitigate damage while Priest does not. So unless we get Spectral Guise or something, then we need better passive defensives. I know Focused will exists as a passive for all Priests, but I think for Shadow it should just exist within Shadowform or Shadowform replaces/enhances it.
  • Additional Haste - Party/raid buff is a reason to bring Shadow to group.
  • Additional Movement speed - Just a little extra of the Tertiary stat to help since we are so slow. Also, the Shade unit from Warcraft 3 is a shadow from the sacrifice of an undead cultist that moves fast.
  • No Healing spells being casted - Incentive to not leave Sahdowform and to get into it quickly if you are not and more focus in healing/helping allies by doing leech damage.

But all of this is in vain as long as Voidform exists since voidform currently replaces Shadowform which again highlights another issue revolving around Voidform that so many people choose not to take notice of to the list of issues Voidform still is inherently afflicted with.

I cannot state enough how much damage the entire Voidform mechanic from start to current day has done to Shadow and arguably to the Priest class in some regards. The damage is so ingrained that its irrecoverably tied to the core fundamental nature of voidform and the only solution is to completely overhaul it instead of just addressing minor things one at a time.

Also think just picking up Vampiric Embrace should grant the Priest with either a self only passive leech heal from Shadow Damage or group wide passive healing similar to how it worked in the past.

  • Vampiric Embrace
    Fills you with the embrace of Shadow energy for 12 sec, causing you to heal a nearby ally for 40% of any single-target Shadow spell damage you deal.
    Passive: All Shadow damage you dealt heals you and your party for 3% of the damage done.

Similar to what Deaths Advance already does with its “passive” aspect.

in other news…

I just discovered this exists lol…

Its interesting that it mentioned both Shadow and Void Magic

  • Shadow
    Uses sinister Shadow magic and terrifying Void magic to eradicate enemies. Preferred Weapon: Staff, Wand, Dagger, Mace

It also is interesting that it mentioned direct (immediate) and periodic damage.

  • Ranged Damage
    Priestly Shadow magic can deliver great amounts of immediate damage, or wracking pains that punish foes over longer periods of time.
1 Like
11

Hot takes but shadow form has always been the appeal of spriest, I think you entered reroll warlock territory.

1 Like
12

I actually play Warlock as well. Funny how one can do both, but I believe that MoP Shadow with the Shadow Orbs was the peak experience of the class (funny how Xal’atath still has them but Blizzard took them from us). And yes, Shadowform ‘was’ an appeal of the class. Before they turned it into a purple fart cloud and remove most of it’s agency. You think I want Shadowform deleted? No. I want options.

As a Cosmetic spell it could give everyone what they want. Shadow Ravens, Shadow Orbs, Invisible, Oil Spill Residue, Classic Shadowform, or… purple fart cloud that causes epilepsy when you Dragonride. If Blizzard would just stop being cowards and bring the glyphs back. Pretty sure Monks are wondering where the hell Glyph of Jab is too.

As for Voidform… I outright refuse to use it. I go Dark Ascension and the why is simple. I want an ability that acts as a cooldown. Would be nice if it buffed all Shadow Damage by 20% and I’ve suggested it for 5 Betas now starting in WoD. Hated Voidform since they rammed that crap down our throats and actively refused to use it in Legion.

I am not going to use or learn something that forces me to use a key rapidly after sitting unused for close to 2 min. If it turned a more active spell like Mind Flay into say Void Blast (which is what happens to Mind Blast during Entropic Rift), I’d be more into it.

But no, they picked the spell with a CD and a low refresh proc time. Because shabby experiences have been the Priest’s life since… forever. Which is why the gave Shadow Orbs to Mages as “Arcane Charge”. Too much fun.

2 Likes
13

I think people are to attached to shadow form for the wrong reasons.

It used to be a statement, I give up healing for other benefits. Right now it’s 10% damage you are balanced around anyway.

At this point I wouldn’t mind Shadowform as a glyph and our CDs shifting us into void/more shadowy form.

Would at least look amazing and easy to tell for people like fire mages and combustion. Imagine a shadow/void priest absolutely cosmic with the Mindbender coming out of you directly. Sort of you are the dimensional rift.

14

This sounds like you just don’t like shadow right now.

Personally I love my shadow form. I recognize I’m a grandpa and I enjoy it because it was hype to unlock it at 40 back in the day. But even so, shadow form is core to SP. it’d be like removing fire ball from mage, or stealth from rogue.