I’ve seen this idea tossed around a number of times…it could seriously be really cool. It works thematically, too. Self-punishment is par for the course in some religions as a form of penance (!) or spiritual discipline. You’d have PW:S, Barrier, PS as your mitigation, Holy Nova and (instant cast) Purge the Wicked as your threat management and then a slew of masochistic sounding spells to help you atone for your sins.
Been playing the spec on and off since Wrath, and to me, it’s always had a bit of an identity crisis. Lots of interesting implementations, but it’s never really felt ‘whole’.
Somehow a tank who is trying to be disciplined and is attempting to atone paying a penance just feels very on brand.
Don’t know if this is the case, but I wonder if it’s hard to have 2 healing specs that feel distinctly different from each other, yet use the same spells. Yet, it doesn’t seem to be too big of an issue sharing Rejuvenate or Word of Glory between the tank and healer specs of Druid and Paladin, respectively.
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I really enjoy the Flagellant from Darkest Dungeon 1 and 2.
He is both a tank and healer type of character pending your build.
I think inspiration taken from that would be a great start.
https://darkestdungeon.fandom.com/wiki/Flagellant
https://darkestdungeon.fandom.com/wiki/Flagellant_(Darkest_Dungeon_II)
Also the Vestal from Darkest Dungeon 2 has some cool interactions that allow to make her a tank or healer as well.
https://darkestdungeon.fandom.com/wiki/Vestal_(Darkest_Dungeon_II)
Obviously to get the full scope of how they play you would have to play the game a bit. But some level of inspiration may be able to be taken away simply by reading their abilities and how they work.
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I think you have some idea here.
I think priest could live with only 1 healing spec. I dont understand why it should have 2 diff healing spec.
Disc should maybe become like augmentation, a dps spec with support abilities
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Funny this, before their was Augmentation there was Paladin/Shaman classes and when they became allowed to do more than be utility healbots Shadow as the spec that came up at the DPS utility spec providing increased shadow damage to the entire raid as well as healing and mana regen from vamp touch/embrace.
Blizzard decided they didn’t like such a utility spec so they gutted all that…then they made evoker and have left shadow to rot. Fun times.
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I have been trying to craft an argument and kit in favor of Disc becoming a dps support class ever since augmentation came out. I really would love a ranged holy dps spec that could enhance the survivability of the group ,and maybe boost healers output the way augmentation boosts dps.
For instance maybe change how penance works (maybe like the charge spells evokers have since they wanted to make a new kind of spell system start utilizing it more). Maybe then invert the damage to heal ratio of atonement for healing say 1% of damage done or something but let them dps as their main duty.
Give them the old holy knock back ability (forget what it was called) give them access to holy word chastise as a form of cc but is a kick instead of a stun. Its kind of crazy to think that in between the same class theres huge avoidance in spell system overlap.
It’s a discipline priest not a balance priest and i feel like it needs to go back to those roots and a little less of ‘balance” between void and light. I never wanted more shadow abilities but i do want more pain and suffering from the light. Maybe have enemies take an atonement debuff where they take increased damage from the party or it triggers aoe damage or activate a spell that damages each target that has the debuff.
Turn radiance into a ranged aoe spell that only hits 5 enemies but leaves dots on them as well as atonement.
I could keep going but I’m getting sad knowing it will never happen as much as i think it would be cool and fun.
I say all this with the context of I had this priest since BC and i only leveled her as holy. Thru thick and thin I have smite all my enemies and burned them all with the fires of the light. (I have raided a few times as shadow but its not as fun 
)
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I’m interested in the idea, but it would have to be a 4th spec. If Disc is remade into a tanking spec, everyone who likes to heal as Disc would feel like the spec they enjoy playing is gone forever, and there’s no reason for Blizz to take that away from them as opposed to simply adding another spec.
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I do feel as both a Support spec or Tank spec could work for Disc. I’ve always thought of Disc as more of a support style healer, and making it a holy casting support dps I think could very much be a possibility. Making it a tank would be a little more far-fetched, but it has definitely crossed my mind as well. It’s main focus had always been on large shields, preventing damage before it happens. Fits perfectly for a cloth tank, but a lot would need to change to make it work.
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Fair point. There are some very good disc priests out there. Druid has 4 specs, so why not! In that intro dungeon quest in the Rookery, Baelgrim is a shaman tank. So they’re definitely crossing into some new territory, little by little.
Yeah, I am interested in Priest Tank very much.
But I also enjoy Disc as a healer DPS and don’t want to lose it as that’s the ONLY healer I actually enjoy and not just “its strong so I must like it”
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I’d love another support spec.
That said just imagine a tank spec like a warhammer zealot. Wrapped head to toe in thick cloth, prayers scrawled across the wrappings. No shield is needed for faith is their shield, a bloody flail in hand.
Oh baby. I’m hyping myself up. XD
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Gotta agree, i’ve legitimately not touched hunter until recently even though it was my second spec all the way up til Legion because they removed the spec i actually liked
only reason i’m back to playing it is because the dark ranger rework makes Marks play a lot like that older one, and the survival re-rework like 5 years later made it interesting to me
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