WoW Forever GuidePriest
Healing, protection and shadow damage. In Forever every priest gets tools that used to belong to one race.
Priests are the healers most groups look for first, and they can also turn to shadow magic and deal damage instead. Blizzard's changes keep that shape and widen who gets what.
Each race of priest still has two spells of its own. Gnome priests, new in Forever, get Confounding Flash, which confuses up to five nearby enemies, and Contingency Plan, a ward that shields and heals a friend whose health drops low.
Who can be one
Alliance: Dwarf, gnome, human, night elf.
Horde: Troll, undead.
What Blizzard has changed
- Fear Ward and Devouring Plague are learned by every priest at level 20, whatever their race.
- Divine Spirit is learned by every priest at level 30.
- Shadow Word: Death is a new spell at level 32.
- Prayer of Healing heals the target's party rather than only the priest's own.
What to wear
Armor: Cloth.
Look for: Intellect, spirit.
Weapons: Maces, daggers and staves, and a wand for when the mana runs out.
Healing gear does double duty now. Buy a wand early. The gear guide has the rest.
A healer keeps the group alive. It's the role groups are most often short of, so a priest rarely waits long for an invitation.
Where this comes from
How we verify- Blizzard
The baseline spell changes and the racial priest spells
Blizzard: class deep dive, Priest and Warrior - Blizzard
Which races can be priests
Blizzard: Create the Hero You Want to Be (races, classes and racial traits)
In the 2004 guide
The 2004 guide gives the priest 9 pages (pp. 129–137): a short story, an introduction, starting attributes by race, ability tables, talents and strategy.
We have no then-and-now entries for the priest so far.