02-14-2005, 05:40 AM
My priest is now level 33 and I'm thinking of some changes to the build. So here is what I am thinking now and my thoughts as to why.
First lets talk about the discipline tree. Basically, I'm thinking about cutting this tree out completely. I'm wanting to put 15 into the holy tree and I want to get to darkness in the shadow tree. So this leaves basically only leaves 6 points to spare and I think those can be put other places. Both of the power words are very nice, but they just kind of feel like they only matter when I'm in a situation I shouldn't be in anyway, and even then I'm not sure how often they will save me from it going bad. I haven't found that I use shield all that much and when I do, its not that critical for me to get another one up quickly. Sure it would help and would make some fights easier, but I just feel like it can be done without. Fortitude is the same way. Sure it gives more life and that is always a good thing to have. I'm just not feeling like I really need it though.
So now about the holy tree. I want to spend 15 points here instead of the 10 from before. Thats 5 in Improved Renew and 5 in Spiritual Healing to give my heals more power. Then thats also 5 in Subtlety to help keep my threat lower. I've noticed that I only really pull aggro when I am required to do more healing than normal. So I'm hoping that by getting Subtlety that I will be less likely to pull that aggro and so things will go easier in instances.
I'm thinking of a min of 30 points in the shadow tree. I'll map this one out more individually since there are more skills to talk about
Spirit Tap: Rank 5
This skill is very useful while soloing. I am still doing alot of solo play as well as a good amount of group play and so I want to keep this to keep the downtime down when I am soloing. Its not completely useless in a group either, jus tcomes up less often.
Blackout: Rank 4
With my first build I was using Shadow Affinity as the place to put points when I needed more to get from one level to another. I've noticed that I really don't cast many shadow spells while grouped though. In a solo situation, Shadow Affinity does pretty much nothing. So I'm thinking that Blackout will be a better investment of those points. In groups I usually only case Shadow Word: Pain and maybe an occasional Mind Flay. This usually isn't enough to really pull aggro onto me though. So Blackout is the choice now.
Improved Shadow Word: Pain: Rank 2
The soell that I cast in both solo and group situations. Definately a required talent for me.
Improved Mind Blast: Rank 5
This is pretty much a solo only talent. I find that I never cast Mind Blast in groups because I don't want to pull aggro. It might have worked alright with Shadow Affinity, but I still never really used it for fear of it drawing aggro. In solo situatiosn though, this is used any time it is available. So making it available more often is a huge help.
Mind Flay: Rank 1
This gets used both in solo and group play, though not constantly in either. I am finding it a good spell though and so definately worth the one point.
Shadow Reach Rank 3
My hope is that with Shadow Reach I will be able to get a Mind Blast, SW: Pain, and a Mind Flay in before a mob gets to me in solo. I know one poster said that it didn't do that for him, but I noticed that he was casting SW: Pain first. These seems like a mistake to me in most situations because you then are letting the mob close on you while casting Mind Blast. If you cast Mind Blast first, then its cast time is not counted in the closing time of the mob. So then you can cast SW: Pain and then Mind Flay. Even without Shadow Reach I am sometimes able to get a full Flay off, so I'm thinking that Reach will make it even easier to do that.
Shadow Weaving: Rank 5
I'm not actually all that excited about this ability. It is more damage though and so its nto a bad talent. The main reason to have it though is that its a requirement for darkness.
Darkness: Rank 5
A flat damage increase on damage spells? Why yes, I think I'll take that.
That leaves me 6 points left to spend. The only Holy talent that seems useful would be Improved Healing. I use Renew and Flash Heal for most of my healing though and so I just don't feel that its worth putting 5 points into. I could put the 6 points in the Discipline tree, but thats not even though to max Improved PW: Fortitude so it also seems kind of a waste.
Once again we are left with the Shadow tree as where to spend the points. I have enough points in the tree that I could get Shadow Form, but I really like being able to use my heals and since I'm not getting Improved PW: Shield it just seems like Shadow Form would be less useful to me. So what I am thinking about doing is to finish maxing out Blackout, which will use up 1 of those remaining points. So 5 left. Then I can go 2/2 Improved Fade since Fade seems very useful in instances for when I do happen to draw aggro. 2/2 Improved Psychic Scream mainly because its required for silence, but also because its nice for any PvP I might end up doing. 1/1 Silence because it just seems like it would be useful in both solo and group play to be able to Silence a caster we run into and also it could be useful for any PvP I do. So that would put me at level 60 and all my points used. So here is the final layout.
Shadow Mastery
Spirit Tap Rank 5
Blackout Rank 5
Improved Shadow Word: Pain Rank 2
Mind Flay Rank 1
Improved Mind Blast Rank 5
Improved Psychic Scream Rank 2
Shadow Reach Rank 3
Improved Fade Rank 2
Silence Rank 1
Shadow Weaving Rank 5
Darkness Rank 5
Shadow Total: 36
Holy Mastery
Improved Renew Rank 5
Spiritual Healing Rank 5
Subtlety Rank 5
Holy Total: 15
Total
Total Points Spent: 51
Level Required: 60
I'm thinking that this build might fit my current play style the best. Don't know if it will be the end game build I go with, but it is my current train of thought.
First lets talk about the discipline tree. Basically, I'm thinking about cutting this tree out completely. I'm wanting to put 15 into the holy tree and I want to get to darkness in the shadow tree. So this leaves basically only leaves 6 points to spare and I think those can be put other places. Both of the power words are very nice, but they just kind of feel like they only matter when I'm in a situation I shouldn't be in anyway, and even then I'm not sure how often they will save me from it going bad. I haven't found that I use shield all that much and when I do, its not that critical for me to get another one up quickly. Sure it would help and would make some fights easier, but I just feel like it can be done without. Fortitude is the same way. Sure it gives more life and that is always a good thing to have. I'm just not feeling like I really need it though.
So now about the holy tree. I want to spend 15 points here instead of the 10 from before. Thats 5 in Improved Renew and 5 in Spiritual Healing to give my heals more power. Then thats also 5 in Subtlety to help keep my threat lower. I've noticed that I only really pull aggro when I am required to do more healing than normal. So I'm hoping that by getting Subtlety that I will be less likely to pull that aggro and so things will go easier in instances.
I'm thinking of a min of 30 points in the shadow tree. I'll map this one out more individually since there are more skills to talk about
Spirit Tap: Rank 5
This skill is very useful while soloing. I am still doing alot of solo play as well as a good amount of group play and so I want to keep this to keep the downtime down when I am soloing. Its not completely useless in a group either, jus tcomes up less often.
Blackout: Rank 4
With my first build I was using Shadow Affinity as the place to put points when I needed more to get from one level to another. I've noticed that I really don't cast many shadow spells while grouped though. In a solo situation, Shadow Affinity does pretty much nothing. So I'm thinking that Blackout will be a better investment of those points. In groups I usually only case Shadow Word: Pain and maybe an occasional Mind Flay. This usually isn't enough to really pull aggro onto me though. So Blackout is the choice now.
Improved Shadow Word: Pain: Rank 2
The soell that I cast in both solo and group situations. Definately a required talent for me.
Improved Mind Blast: Rank 5
This is pretty much a solo only talent. I find that I never cast Mind Blast in groups because I don't want to pull aggro. It might have worked alright with Shadow Affinity, but I still never really used it for fear of it drawing aggro. In solo situatiosn though, this is used any time it is available. So making it available more often is a huge help.
Mind Flay: Rank 1
This gets used both in solo and group play, though not constantly in either. I am finding it a good spell though and so definately worth the one point.
Shadow Reach Rank 3
My hope is that with Shadow Reach I will be able to get a Mind Blast, SW: Pain, and a Mind Flay in before a mob gets to me in solo. I know one poster said that it didn't do that for him, but I noticed that he was casting SW: Pain first. These seems like a mistake to me in most situations because you then are letting the mob close on you while casting Mind Blast. If you cast Mind Blast first, then its cast time is not counted in the closing time of the mob. So then you can cast SW: Pain and then Mind Flay. Even without Shadow Reach I am sometimes able to get a full Flay off, so I'm thinking that Reach will make it even easier to do that.
Shadow Weaving: Rank 5
I'm not actually all that excited about this ability. It is more damage though and so its nto a bad talent. The main reason to have it though is that its a requirement for darkness.
Darkness: Rank 5
A flat damage increase on damage spells? Why yes, I think I'll take that.
That leaves me 6 points left to spend. The only Holy talent that seems useful would be Improved Healing. I use Renew and Flash Heal for most of my healing though and so I just don't feel that its worth putting 5 points into. I could put the 6 points in the Discipline tree, but thats not even though to max Improved PW: Fortitude so it also seems kind of a waste.
Once again we are left with the Shadow tree as where to spend the points. I have enough points in the tree that I could get Shadow Form, but I really like being able to use my heals and since I'm not getting Improved PW: Shield it just seems like Shadow Form would be less useful to me. So what I am thinking about doing is to finish maxing out Blackout, which will use up 1 of those remaining points. So 5 left. Then I can go 2/2 Improved Fade since Fade seems very useful in instances for when I do happen to draw aggro. 2/2 Improved Psychic Scream mainly because its required for silence, but also because its nice for any PvP I might end up doing. 1/1 Silence because it just seems like it would be useful in both solo and group play to be able to Silence a caster we run into and also it could be useful for any PvP I do. So that would put me at level 60 and all my points used. So here is the final layout.
Shadow Mastery
Spirit Tap Rank 5
Blackout Rank 5
Improved Shadow Word: Pain Rank 2
Mind Flay Rank 1
Improved Mind Blast Rank 5
Improved Psychic Scream Rank 2
Shadow Reach Rank 3
Improved Fade Rank 2
Silence Rank 1
Shadow Weaving Rank 5
Darkness Rank 5
Shadow Total: 36
Holy Mastery
Improved Renew Rank 5
Spiritual Healing Rank 5
Subtlety Rank 5
Holy Total: 15
Total
Total Points Spent: 51
Level Required: 60
I'm thinking that this build might fit my current play style the best. Don't know if it will be the end game build I go with, but it is my current train of thought.