Priest Changes and Fixes

Enough with the QQ you say? Time for some commentary!

Fixes
Guardian Spirit isn't proccing when you get more than one killing blow more or less simultaneously. Slorkuz acknowledges the bug and a hotfix should be coming out quickly.

Please please tell me this is true. I've all but given up on Guardian Spirit being a reliable skill to use as an "Oh Shit" button. I've mostly been using it as a +40% to healing buff when I know I'm getting behind in the heals, and only as an emergency button for bosses. If simultaneous killing blows are the issue, that explains why it doesn't work well on trash but does OK on tank n spank.

Changes
Divine Spirit – this spell is now a core ability available to all priests.

Awesome. Bonus spellpower and spirit FTW. This seems to be way more useful for Holy Priests anyway. I think this is another step moving away from Discipline priests being nothing but fancy buffs and mana batteries.

Discipline has access to a new talent, Power Word: Barrier. (Think of it as Power Word: Shield for your whole group)

One of the really fun things about disc priests is the shields. A big ol' bubble for your whole group with mana regen and damage reflection? Yes please.

Several area of effect (AOE) heal spells have been improved: Prayer of Healing can be cast on any groups in your raid party. Holy Nova's mana cost has been reduced. Circle of Healing now heals for more.

The tweaks to AoE healing are nice, but they are constantly changing these anyway, it seems. Prayer of Healing on any group will be handy.

Shadow priest PvP survivability has been improved: Shadow Form now reduces magic as well as physical damage. Dispersion now removes snares.

I don't know anything about shadow except the glowy purple effect looks cool.

Penance – this spell can now be targeted on the priest.

Well, I'm not sure why you would want to channel a spell on yourself, except maybe to get the Grace buff as well, but whatever. Everything should be self castable anyway.


Serendipity – this talent now reduces the cast time of Greater Heal and Prayer of Healing when Binding Heal or Flash Heal are cast.

I'm a fan of binding heal so this pretty cool. But does this mean the overheal mana refund is gone? I'm pretty good about overheals so I don't really care but some people will be pretty pissed I'm sure.

We are also working to give Holy additional PvP utility.

Is that all you're giving me? I don't know how this is possible without seriously damaging what is, IMO, one of the best pure raid specs in the game. Especially with all the burst damage that is going on on pvp right now. I'm very skeptical about this one.