Shadow aoe needs a re-think

Classes Priest
1

Currently Psychic Link is too much of our aoe breakdown which is hindering design. It means every time our ST gets adjusted it also affects our aoe. But also directly ties our ability to aoe burst to our ST output. Nerf the % of Psychic Link and redistribute more of our aoe into other areas (or just get rid of it and bring back Mind Sear).

Shadow Crash gatekeeps our ability to do aoe through Psychic Link and does barely any damage itself for a 2 talent 20sec cooldown ability. Previously it was tuned high enough that you would take it on Single Target, but even then it was a very minor percent of the damage breakdown in aoe, this is not ideal so the goal should be to add more aoe power without increasing ST. Also at the moment if you are in Void Form with dots on all targets it’s not worth pressing Shadow Crash at all. Combined with needing to save it at the end of packs so it’s ready for the next and being rng if the dots go on important targets when fighting over 8 targets. This spell is just not great at the moment.

To redistribute our aoe I suggest adding more power to the Idol nodes and reworking the Shadow Crash talents.

Reworking the Idols

Idol of N’zoth:

  • Instead of applying debuffs to 4 random enemies the player gains stacks of ‘Echoing Void’.
  • Casting Shadow Word: Death causes the stacks to collapse on the target pulsing aoe every 0.5 seconds for every stack until drained (stops draining if the target dies).
  • Deals reduced damage beyond 8 targets not 5.
  • Echoing Void stacks up to 20 and lasts 30 seconds on the player.
  • Casting Shadow Crash would give 4 stacks of Echoing Void to the player.
  • Visually could put a portal to Ny’alotha above the target when activated.

Idol of Yogg-Saron: Every time you gain a stack of Idol of Yogg-Saron extend all your active Shadow Word: Pain and Vampiric Touch by 1 sec. Thing from beyond damage increased.

Idol of C’thun: Void Tendril and Lasher damage increased to match new value of other Idols.

Idol of Y’Shaarj: Could have a seperate discussion for this talent, ideally reworked entirely. Best solution I’ve heard is rework it into the 9.2 4 piece tier set bonus (shadow dude on your back). Can spawn when Mindbender is used. https://www.wowhead.com/spell=363469/living-shadow

Shadow Crash

  • Increase the damage of Shadow Crash to a reasonable amount, +200% might not even be enough. (it currently does less than a Mind Flay tick, and a 260% buff would be equivalent to a Mind Blast)
  • Travel time of Shadow Crash greatly reduced or removed entirely.
  • Reduce the cooldown of Shadow Crash to 10 sec.
  • Shadow Crash base talent also applies Vampiric Touch to 6 targets.
  • Whispering Shadows talent no longer applies Vampiric Touch.
  • Whispering Shadows now gives Shadow Crash 2 charges, also has the effect: when a target dies with Vampiric Touch active the cooldown of Shadow Crash is reduced by 1 sec.

With Psychic Link being less valuable having dots on all targets isn’t as powerful, and with these changes hitting trivial mobs with the dot application isn’t punishing as they reduce the cd when they die.

Mental decay reworked: No longer extends dot duration. Increase mind flay/spike damage by 20%. (changed due to dot extention added to Idol of Yogg).

3 Likes
2

These are some very nice suggestions. There is a few I would change though. Shadow Priest Single target needs to be higher, no doubt. I would revert the change they made to DP and every DP cast gives a Surge to Insanity proc once again.

I love your Idol of N’Zoth only thing I would change is the visual as that could get clunky with mechanics

I don’t know about the Yogg idea as I personally want to see more done with Shadowy Apperitions. I would much rather see it generate more Insanity on an Apperitions hit or spread the dots regardless each hit does AOE damage in an area around it at least 5’.

For Shadow crash let it tie in fully to our other talent it hits 8 targets, so 8 targets get SW:P and VT.

3

Mainly wanted to talk about aoe with this post, otherwise would have done a full opionion of the spec. ST does need a bit of tuning but it’s not in the worst spot. I think with the current level that Mind Flay/Spike: Insanity is at reverting back to 1 per DP would be very overpowered. I’m happy for the spell to be powerful but not available as often outside of cds.

Was just a suggestion for how it could look, maybe it’s transarent or only the priest could see it, or maybe no visual at all.

I think the design of Yogg is great, but I agree there should be more talents that interact with Apparitions. In my TWW beta feedback post I made this suggestion: New Talent: Frenzied Phantasm: Every Shadowy Apparition has a 5% chance of becoming a Frenzied Phantasm, doubling it’s speed and causing it to explode when reaching the target dealing 200% damage to all nearby targets.

My original post had 8 targets, but with 2 charges and a shorter CD it might be too strong getting dots on 16 targets in 2 globals. I edited it down to 5 but I think 6 would be ideal.

4

I’m going to add: make vampiric touch castable while moving :eyes:

2 Likes
5

Unfurling Darkness rework: Vampiric Touch can be cast while moving and has has a 6 second (hasted) cooldown, but now applies Vampiric touch to the target and 3 nearby enemies

2 Likes
6

Just make a choice now between sear and link and I’m happy. S1 DF was honestly very fun for s priest.

These ideas don’t seem bad though.

Also less 2 point nodes or none at all should be a goal for every spec in the game. Having 2 talent nodes consolidated into one and adding more talents is a good way to expand the spec in a good way.

1 Like
7

I am really hopeful that in 11.1 we receive significant changes, going into mythic+ environment is honestly demoralizing and underwhelming. Overall just hoping we get treated better during testing, we were left behind on alpha and beta.

1 Like