WoW Forever Priest buffs and nerfs

Every change Blizzard made to the Priest's abilities and talents in each WoW Forever beta build, read from the game client. 2 buffs, 9 nerfs and 28 other changes since 2 October 2026.

How buffs and nerfs are worked out

From the numbers, never from the words. A change is a buff when every number that moved moved your way: more damage, healing or effect, a lower cost, cooldown or cast time, a longer duration or range, a higher spell power coefficient, or learned at a lower level or with fewer points in other talents. It is a nerf when every number moved the other way. Anything else is listed as changed: a mix (cheaper but weaker), a tooltip whose words changed, or numbers in other units, such as a cost of 125 Mana that became 8% of base Mana. Read the before and after to judge those. Not listed: Season of Discovery spells left in the client that nobody can learn in Forever, and tooltips whose numbers only grew because the beta's level cap went from 20 to 30 on 2 October.

24 October 2026: beta build 1.60.1.70532

Nerf: Holy Fire. Rank 1 tooltip: “Consumes the enemy in holy flames that cause 51 to 65 Holy damage and an additional 20 Holy damage over 10 sec.” → “Consumes the enemy in holy flames that cause 48 to 60 Holy damage and an additional 20 Holy damage over 10 sec.”
Changed: Twilight Focus. Rank 1 tooltip: “Gives you a 23% chance to avoid interruption caused by damage while casting any spell.” → “Gives your spells a 23% chance to not lose casting time when you take damage.”

Everything in this build

16 October 2026: beta build 1.60.1.70425

Buff: Devouring Plague. Rank 1 cooldown: 1 min → 24 sec
Buff: Vampiric Embrace. Cooldown: 1 min → 30 sec
Nerf: Holy Fire. Rank 5 tooltip: “Consumes the enemy in holy flames that cause 94 to 118 Holy damage and an additional 65 Holy damage over 10 sec.” → “Consumes the enemy in holy flames that cause 94 to 118 Holy damage and an additional 45 Holy damage over 10 sec.”
Nerf: Improved Power Word: Shield. Place in the tree: tier 2, column 3 → tier 3, column 3; Requires level: level 15 → level 20
Nerf: Shadow Word: Death. Rank 1 cooldown: 15 sec → 18 sec
Removed: Improved Mind Blast: Reduces the cooldown of your Mind Blast spell by 0.5 sec.
Changed: Dark Inspiration. Rank 1 tooltip: “Decreases the cooldown of your Fade ability by 3 sec.” → “Your Mind Blast and fully channeled Mind Flay causes Dark Inspiration, increasing yours and your party's Spirit by 3% for 10 sec.”; Name: Improved Fade → Dark Inspiration; Ranks: 2 → 5; Icon: new icon
Changed: Devouring Contagion. Rank 1 tooltip: “Reduces the mana cost of your Devouring Plague by 25%. Targets that die while Devouring Plague is active spreads it, jumping to a nearby enemy within 5 yds for the remaining duration.” → “Reduces the mana cost of your Devouring Plague by 25%. Targets that die while Devouring Plague is active spreads it, jumping to 2 nearby enemies within 5 yds for the remaining duration.”
Changed: Divine Aegis. Rank 1 tooltip: “Your critical heals create a protective shield on the target, absorbing 5% of the amount healed. Lasts 12 sec.” → “Your non-periodic critical heals create a protective shield on the target, absorbing 5% of the amount healed. Shields up to 600 damage and lasts 12 sec. (Numbers at level 30; they grow with your level.)”
Changed: Improved Mana Burn. Place in the tree: tier 4, column 4 → tier 4, column 2
Changed: Improved Mind Blast. Rank 1 tooltip: “Reduces the threat generated by your Shadow spells by 10%.” → “Reduces the cooldown of your Mind Blast spell by 0.5 sec.”; Name: Shadow Affinity → Improved Mind Blast; Ranks: 3 → 5; Icon: new icon
Changed: Improved Mind Flay. Rank 1 tooltip: “Your Mind Flay now deals 10% more damage, gains 5 yards increased range, but slows the target's movement speed by 35%.” → “Each instance of damage of Mind Flay deals 10% more damage than its previous instance of damage.”
Changed: Mental Strength. Rank 1 tooltip: “Increases your total Intellect by 3%.” → “Increases your total Intellect by 2%.”; Place in the tree: tier 4, column 2 → tier 2, column 3; Requires level: level 25 → level 15
Changed: Power in Light. Rank 1 tooltip: “Your Smite and Penance spells deal 2% increased damage to targets afflicted with your Holy Fire.” → “Your Smite and Penance spells deal 2% increased damage to targets afflicted with your Holy Fire or Shadow Word: Pain.”
Changed: Shadow Weaving. Rank 1 tooltip: “Your Shadow damage spells have a 33% chance to increase the Shadow damage you deal by 2% for 15 sec, stacking up to 5 times.” → “Your Shadow damage spells have a 33% chance to increase the Shadow damage the target takes from you by 2% for 15 sec, stacking up to 5 times.”
Changed: Silent Resolve. Rank 1 tooltip: “Reduces the threat generated by your Holy spells by 10% and reduces the duration of Stun, Fear, and Silence effects inflicted on you by 5%.” → “Reduces the threat generated by your spells by 10% and reduces the duration of Stun, Fear, and Silence effects inflicted on you by 5%.”

Everything in this build

8 October 2026: beta build 1.60.1.70291

Nerf: Heal. Rank 1 tooltip: “Heal your target for 270 to 312.” → “Heal your target for 250 to 290.”
Nerf: Penance. Tooltip: “Launches a volley of holy light at the target, causing 81 Holy damage to an enemy, or 184 healing to an ally, instantly and every 1 sec for 2 sec.” → “Launches a volley of holy light at the target, causing 42 Holy damage to an enemy, or 126 healing to an ally, instantly and every 1 sec for 2 sec.”; Cost: 100 Mana → 150 Mana
Nerf: Penance (Rank 2). Tooltip: “Launches a volley of holy light at the target, causing 113 Holy damage to an enemy, or 291 healing to an ally, instantly and every 1 sec for 2 sec.” → “Launches a volley of holy light at the target, causing 50 Holy damage to an enemy, or 200 healing to an ally, instantly and every 1 sec for 2 sec.”; Cost: 185 Mana → 220 Mana
Nerf: Penance (Rank 3). Tooltip: “Launches a volley of holy light at the target, causing 180 Holy damage to an enemy, or 482 healing to an ally, instantly and every 1 sec for 2 sec.” → “Launches a volley of holy light at the target, causing 68 Holy damage to an enemy, or 268 healing to an ally, instantly and every 1 sec for 2 sec.”
Nerf: Penance (Rank 4). Tooltip: “Launches a volley of holy light at the target, causing 131 Holy damage to an enemy, or 673 healing to an ally, instantly and every 1 sec for 2 sec.” → “Launches a volley of holy light at the target, causing 92 Holy damage to an enemy, or 425 healing to an ally, instantly and every 1 sec for 2 sec.”; Cost: 355 Mana → 385 Mana
Changed: Contingency Plan. Rank 2 tooltip: “Place a Holy ward on an ally for 30 sec. The next time this ally takes damage dropping their Health below 35%, they will gain a shield absorbing ? damage and begin healing for ? Health over 15 sec. A target may be affected by only one Contingency Plan.” → “Place a Holy ward on an ally for 30 sec. The next time this ally takes damage that drops their Health below 35%, they will gain a shield absorbing ? damage and begin healing for ? Health over 15 sec. A target may be affected by only one Contingency Plan.”
Changed: Lesser Heal. Rank 2 tooltip: “Heal your target for 71 to 85.” → “Heal your target for 86 to 102.”
Changed: Smite. Rank 2 tooltip: “Smite an enemy for 25 to 31 Holy damage.” → “Smite an enemy for 24 to 30 Holy damage.”
Changed: Touch of Weakness (Rank 1). Tooltip: nothing → “The next melee attack against the caster will cause 8 Shadow damage and reduce the attacker's melee attack power by 43 for 2 min.”

Everything in this build

2 October 2026: beta build 1.60.1.70170

Changed: Binding Heal (Rank 2). Tooltip: “Heals a friendly target and the caster for 283 to 341. Low threat.” → “Heal yourself and a friendly target for 283 to 341. This causes low threat.”
Changed: Binding Heal (Rank 3). Tooltip: “Heals a friendly target and the caster for 349 to 417. Low threat.” → “Heal yourself and a friendly target for 349 to 417. This causes low threat.”
Changed: Binding Heal (Rank 4). Tooltip: “Heals a friendly target and the caster for 463 to 551. Low threat.” → “Heal yourself and a friendly target for 463 to 551. This causes low threat.”
Changed: Binding Heal (Rank 5). Tooltip: “Heals a friendly target and the caster for 589 to 699. Low threat.” → “Heal yourself and a friendly target for 589 to 699. This causes low threat.”
Changed: Binding Heal (Rank 6). Tooltip: “Heals a friendly target and the caster for 757 to 893. Low threat.” → “Heal yourself and a friendly target for 757 to 893. This causes low threat.”
Changed: Chastise. Rank 1 tooltip: “Chastise the target, causing 43 to 49 Holy damage and Immobilizing them for up to 2 sec. Only works against Humanoids. This spell causes very low threat” → “Chastise the target, causing 43 to 49 Holy damage and immobilizing them for up to 2 sec. Only works against Humanoids. This spell causes very low threat.”
Changed: Devouring Contagion. Rank 1 tooltip: “Reduces the mana cost of your Devouring Plague by 25%. Targets that die while Devouring Plague is active spreads it, jumping to a nearby enemy within 5 yards for the remaining duration.” → “Reduces the mana cost of your Devouring Plague by 25%. Targets that die while Devouring Plague is active spreads it, jumping to a nearby enemy within 5 yds for the remaining duration.”
Changed: Inner Focus. Tooltip: “When activated, reduces the Mana cost of your next spell by 100% and increases its critical effect chance by 25% if it is capable of a critical effect.” → “When activated, reduces the Mana cost of your next spell by 100% and increases its critical effect chance by 25% if it is a non-periodic spell and capable of a critical effect.”
Changed: Prayer of Mending (Rank 2). Tooltip: “Places a spell on the target that heals them for 298 (scales with bonus healing) the next time they take damage or receive non-periodic healing. When the heal occurs, Prayer of Mending jumps to a party or raid member within 20 yards. Jumps up to 5 times and lasts 30 sec after each jump. This spell can only be placed on one target at a time per caster.” → “Places a spell on the target that heals them for 298 (scales with bonus healing) the next time they take damage or receive non-periodic healing. When the heal occurs, Prayer of Mending jumps to a party or raid member within 20 yds. Jumps up to 5 times and lasts 30 sec after each jump. This spell can only be placed on one target at a time per caster.”
Changed: Prayer of Mending (Rank 3). Tooltip: “Places a spell on the target that heals them for 413 (scales with bonus healing) the next time they take damage or receive non-periodic healing. When the heal occurs, Prayer of Mending jumps to a party or raid member within 20 yards. Jumps up to 5 times and lasts 30 sec after each jump. This spell can only be placed on one target at a time per caster.” → “Places a spell on the target that heals them for 413 (scales with bonus healing) the next time they take damage or receive non-periodic healing. When the heal occurs, Prayer of Mending jumps to a party or raid member within 20 yds. Jumps up to 5 times and lasts 30 sec after each jump. This spell can only be placed on one target at a time per caster.”
Changed: Spirit Tap. Rank 1 tooltip: “Gives you a 20% chance to gain a 100% bonus to your Spirit for 15 sec after killing a non-trivial target. For the duration, your Mana will regenerate at a 50% of normal rate while casting.” → “Gives you a 20% chance to increase your Spirit by 100% for 15 sec after killing a non-trivial target or when an enemy afflicted by your Vampiric Embrace dies. For the duration, 50% of your Mana regeneration will continue while casting.”
Changed: Vampiric Embrace. Tooltip: “Afflicts your target with Shadow energy that causes all party members to be healed for 20% of any Shadow spell damage you deal for 30 sec. Vampiric Embrace also grants a chance for your Spirit Tap talent to trigger when enemies afflicted by it die.” → “Afflicts your target with Shadow energy that causes all party members to be healed for 20% of any Shadow spell damage you deal for 30 sec.”

Everything in this build

Buffs and nerfs for every class

Every change is also in the build changelog, with the old and new tooltip text.