The Discipline Priest is by far the most durable of any of the Priest builds. Talents in the Discipline Tree focus on longevity, efficiency, utility and most of all, durability.
Discipline represent both a mixture of the Priest's
viable healing power and the survability required to endure massive
damage and focused fire from enemy players/mobs for an extended period
of time. Discipline Priests, if played well, can be very hard to kill, especially 1 on 1.
For leveling people often choose to go with a ShadowPriest build and then switch over to Disclipline (also see our Priest leveling page) at the end-game or dual-build and use Discipline while doing dungeons or PvP.
The Disc. Priest, in Brief
Best Race: Troll or Human, but the best race is the one you like to play. Pick any that you want.
In PvE Mastery, Crit, and Haste all work well together and are about equal
in value.
Gems
Red - Briliant (Int) gems in all sockets. The epic gem adds +50 Int, as opposed to +40 from the "normal" gem, but the additional 10 Int comes at a huge price premium.
Meta - Ember
Shadowspirit Diamond - 54 int, +2% max mana. requires two yellow
gems. Use Fractured for Mastery or Mystic for Resilience.
Atonement will now account for the target enemy's combat reach
when calculating proper range, enabling it to be used on large
creatures such as Ragnaros and Ala'kir.
Divine Aegis has a new spell
effect.
Evangelism and Dark Evangelism can no longer be stacked at
the same time.
Glyphs
Glyph of Circle of Healing now also increases the mana cost of
Circle of Healing by 20%.
Bug Fixes
Echo of Light can no longer be triggered by certain spells before
it is learned.
Shadowy Apparitions should now benefit from effects on the priest
that increase spell damage.
Holy Word: Serenity should now properly gain bonus to crit from
Test of Faith.
Race Choice for Discipline Priests
Orcs are the only race which cannot be priests.
Best race?
Horde: Troll (Berserking, VooDoo Shuffle)
Alliance: Human (Spirit, Escape, Rep gains)
Blood Elf - Best hair, no useful D. Priest abilities.
Arcane Torrent restores some Mana and interrupts casting. Unfortunately,
it's point blank and won't interrupt those melee types who will be
in your face (in PvP)
Goblin - Holy trinkets for sale! What? Of
course they're genuine! You calling me a con gob,
bud?
Rocket Jump is a nice escape or gap closer.
1% Haste is very nice
Tauren - No, you only look like
a teddy bear and you're the butt of cow jokes. You also have no interesting
priest specific abilities.
War Stomp might have some use when mobs/melee get too
close.
Increased health isn't increased by that much at 85.
Troll - Good Priest choice, and the best tusks anywhere.
Berkerk is a nice spell casting speed increase.
Damage increase Vs beasts is very nice when leveling and has some
PvE use when fighting beast trash.
Reduced duration of movement impairing effects has more PvP use than
otherwise.
Undead - The chinless wonder
Removing fear, charm, etc is a nice PvP ability and has some PvE
use.
Draenei -
+1 to Hit helps with end-game gearing.
Dwarf
Stoneform removes bleeds and reduces damage by 10%
Human
Increased Spirit helps with mana regen.
Bonus to rep gains helps with faction grinding
PvP trinket ability allows use of two DPS/Healing trinkets in PvP
and can break some PvE mechanics.
Gnome
Can escape from speed altering effects, which has PvP use and
situational PvE use.
Increased mana pool helps, a bit.
Night Elf
Shadowmeld has its uses in PvP.
Being 2% harder to hit has more PvP use than PvE.
Worgen
1% crit bonus is nice.
Sprint-like ability has its uses.
Talent Builds
With WoW 4.0 and beyond you have a grand total of 41 talent points
at level 85. When you pick your first point, at level 10, you will
be locked into one of the three trees, Discipline in this
case. Once you have spent 31 points in Disclipline, in any combination
of talents, then you are free to pick talents from Holy and/or Shadow.
(Note: Mists of Pandaria will change everything and you will have six talent points, total. )
Every spec of every class has certain Primary Skills unique
to that build. Most of these are gained at level 10, when you pick
your build, and Mastery is trained at level 80. Cataclysm
gear will often have Mastery Rating. Whether Mastery becomes
the "Must Have" stat, for your game or any game, depends
on youir spec. See the Stats section, below,
for more info.
Note that there are no more spell ranks, so if you have any macros
that call for particular spell ranks you will need to change those.
All spells that had ranks now automatically scale with your level.
As Discipline your Primary Spells are:
Penance - Launches a volley of holy light at
the target, Holy damage to an enemy, or
healing to an ally instantly and every 1 sec for
2 sec.
Enlightenment (Passive) - Intellect increased. With
4.0+ Intellect directly increases Spell Power and pretty much becomes
the #1 stat for any caster class, especially at high level.
Meditation (Passive) - Allows 50% of your mana
regeneration from Spirit to continue while in combat.
Absolution: Allows your Dispell Magic
to be cast on friendly targets and it dispells two effects.
Mastery: Shield Discipline - Increases the potency
of all your damage absorption spells. Each point of Mastery
increases the potency of absorbs by an additional %.
ElitistJerks says
this about the 4.0 changes to Discipline Priests:
Disc has a new spell Power Word:Barrier, though with a longish
cooldown of 3 minutes.
"Heal" is our new, slow but cheap standard heal. However, it will
be mostly useless
for raiding at 80 where healing is frantic.
Expect overall absorb by your shields to be lower, so you will
probably need to use more direct heals.
Holy Nova is now raid wide, though technically it's now only based
on proximity. Many buffs are now party/raid wide. One cast does everyone.
The new DPS-based healing talent Atonement allows us to
perform semi-targeted passive healing by doing
damage. It may well be that at level 85 raiding, this becomes the dominant disc
way to heal, but we don't
really know yet.
With these changes, it's not clear which healing roles you will
be good at when raiding at level 80.
Disc seems to be more suited to tank healing than before, but that's really designed
for Cataclysm
encounters, not frantic ICC fights, where tanks can drop in less than 3 seconds.
Healing based on atonement requires proximity of the healing targets to the dps
target, so we're
talking about tank and melee range healing here. For raid healing, you'll have
to look elsewhere.
Cataclysm patch 4.3 Discipline Priest Build for PvE
This build does not include Archangel/Atonement. Scroll to the end
of the build for how to do that.
Discipline (31 Points)
Improved Power Word: Shield - Rank 2/2 - Increases
the damage absorbed by your Power Word: Shield by 20%.
Twin Disciplines - Rank 3/3 - Increases your Shadow
and Holy spell damage and healing by 6%.
Mental Agility - Rank 3/3 - Reduces the mana cost
of your instant cast spells by 10%.
Inner Sanctum - Rank 1/3 - Your
Inner Fire also reduces all spell damage taken by 2% while
it is active, and the movement speed bonus of your Inner Will
is increased by 2%.
Soul Warding - Rank 2/2 - Reduces the cooldown of
your Power Word: Shield ability by 2 sec.
Renewed Hope - Rank 2/2 - Increases the critical
effect chance of your Flash Heal, Greater Heal, Heal and Penance
(Heal) spells by 10% on targets afflicted by the Weakened Soul
effect, or blessed with your Grace effect.
Power Infusion - Rank 1/1 - Infuses the target with
power, increasing spell casting speed by 20% and reducing the
mana cost of all spells by 20%. Lasts 15 sec.
Inner Focus - Rank 1/1 - Reduces the mana cost of
your next Flash Heal, Binding Heal, Greater Heal or Prayer
of Healing by 100% and increases its critical effect chance
by 25%.
Rapture - Rank 3/3 - When your Power Word: Shield
is completely absorbed or dispelled you are instantly energized
with 7% of your total mana. This effect can only occur once
every 12 sec.
Borrowed Time - Rank 2/2 - Grants 14% spell haste
for your next spell after casting Power Word: Shield. Lasts
for 6 sec.
Strength of Soul - Rank 2/2 - When you heal a target
with your Heal, Greater Heal or Flash Heal spell, the duration
of the weakened soul debuff on the target is reduced by 4 sec.
In addition, when you cast Inner Focus you become immune to
Silence, Interrupt and Dispel effects for 5 sec.
Divine Aegis - Rank 3/3 - Critical heals and all
heals from Prayer of Healing create a protective
shield on the target, absorbing 30% of the amount healed.
Lasts 15 sec.
Pain Suppression - Rank 1/1 - Instantly reduces a
friendly target's threat by 5%, and reduces all damage they
take by 40% for 8 sec. Be very careful
if you use this on a tank since the threat reduction may cause
issues.
Train of Thought - Rank 2/2 - You have a 100% chance
when you heal with Greater Heal to reduce the cooldown of your
Inner Focus by 5 sec. You have a 100% chance when you Smite
to reduce the cooldown of your Penance by 0.5 sec.
Grace - Rank 2/2 - Your Flash Heal, Greater Heal,
Heal and Penance spells bless the target with Grace, increasing
all healing received from the Priest by 8%. This effect will
stack up to 3 times. Effect lasts 15 sec. Not
restrricted to just your primarly heal target.
Power Word: Barrier - Rank 1/1 - Summons a holy barrier
on the target location that reduces all damage done to friendly
targets by 25%. While within the barrier, spellcasting will
not be interrupted by damage. The barrier lasts for 10 sec. Kind
of a Paladin bubble for the group.
Holy (8 Points)
Empowered Healing - Rank 3/3 - Increases the healing
done by your Flash Heal, Heal, Binding Heal and Greater Heal
by 15%.
Divine Fury - Rank 3/3 - Reduces the casting time
of your Smite, Holy Fire, Heal and Greater Heal spells by 0.5
sec.
Inspiration - Rank 2/2 - Reduces your target's physical
damage taken by 10% for 15 sec after getting a critical effect
from your Flash Heal, Heal, Greater Heal, Binding Heal, Penance,
Prayer of Mending, Prayer of Healing, or Circle of Healing
spell.
Shadow (2 Points)
Veiled Shadows - Rank 2/2 - Decreases the cooldown
of your Fade ability by 6 sec, and reduces the cooldown of your
Shadowfiend ability by 60 sec.
Glyphs
With 4.0 Glyphs have changed. There are now three tiers of glyphs
(Prime, Major, Minor) and 1 of each at levels 25, 50, and 75,
for nine total. When you right click a glyph you permanently
learn that glyph and you can learn all of the glyphs for your
class. Your glyphs page will show all of the glyphs you know
in the right hand column. Simply right click one of those glyphs
and install it into the appropriate slot.
If you want to change the glyph you will need one dose of Vanishing
Dust (from the Inscription Supplies vendor.) This means
that you can swap your glyphs depending on the encounter or
whether you're PvEing, PvPing, or whatever.
Here are some suggested glyphs for this build. Feel free to
swap others in and out depending on the situation.
Prime Glyphs
Glyph of Penance - Reduces the cooldown
of Penance by 2 sec.
Glyph of Power Word: Barrier - Increases the healing
received while under the Barrier by 10%.
Glyph of Prayer of Healing - Your Prayer
of Healing spell also heals an additional 20% of its initial
heal over 6 sec.
Major Glyphs
Glyph of Prayer of Mending - The first
charge of your Prayer of Mending heals for an additional 60%.
Glyph of Dispel Magic - Your Dispel
Magic spell also heals your target for 3% of maximum health
when you succesfully dispel a magical effect.
Glyph of Mass Dispel - Reduces the
cast time of Mass Dispel by 1 sec.
Glyph of Divine Accuracy is a "must have"
for Archangel builds as it hit caps Smite and Holy Fire.
Glyph of Smite is another strong choice for
Arc. builds.
Minor Glyphs
Glyph of Fading - Reduces the mana
cost of your Fade spell by 30%.
Glyph of Levitate - Your Levitate spell
no longer requires a reagent.
Glyph of Shadow Protection - Increases
the duration of your Shadow Protection spell by 10 min.
Discipline Pries Archangel/Atonement build
Use the above build, but:
Drop the 2 points in Veiled
Shadows (Shadow)
Drop the 1 point in Inner
Sanctum
Drop the 2 points in Atonement
Take 2/2 Evangelism
TakeArchangel
Take 2/2 Strength of Soul
Glyph:Divine Accuracy (Major) adds 18%
Hit to Smite and Holy
Fire spells. This easily hit caps those spells.
Improved Power Word: Shield - Rank 2/2 - Increases
the damage absorbed by your Power Word: Shield by 20%.
Twin Disciplines - Rank 3/3 - Increases your Shadow
and Holy spell damage and healing by 6%. Too good to ignore.
Mental Agility - Rank 3/3 - Reduces the mana cost
of your instant cast spells by 10%.
Inner Sanctum - Rank 2/3 - Your Inner Fire also reduces
all spell damage taken by 4% while it is active, and the movement
speed bonus of your Inner Will is increased by 4%.
Soul Warding - Rank 2/2 - Reduces the cooldown of
your Power Word: Shield ability by 2 sec.
Renewed Hope - Rank 2/2 - Increases the critical
effect chance of your Flash Heal, Greater Heal, Heal and Penance
(Heal) spells by 10% on targets afflicted by the Weakened Soul
effect, or blessed with your Grace effect.
Power Infusion - Rank 1/1 - Infuses the target with
power, increasing spell casting speed by 20% and reducing the
mana cost of all spells by 20%. Lasts 15 sec.
Inner Focus - Rank 1/1 - Reduces the mana cost of
your next Flash Heal, Binding Heal, Greater Heal or Prayer
of Healing by 100% and increases its critical effect chance
by 25%.
Rapture - Rank 3/3 - When your Power Word: Shield
is completely absorbed or dispelled you are instantly energized
with 7% of your total mana. This effect can only occur once
every 12 sec.
Borrowed Time - Rank 2/2 - Grants 14% spell haste
for your next spell after casting Power Word: Shield. Lasts
for 6 sec.
Strength of Soul - Rank 2/2 - When you heal a target
with your Heal, Greater Heal or Flash Heal spell, the duration
of the weakened soul debuff on the target is reduced by 4 sec.
In addition, when you cast Inner Focus you become immune to
Silence, Interrupt and Dispel effects for 5 sec.
Divine Aegis - Rank 3/3 - Critical heals and all
heals from Prayer of Healing create a protective shield on
the target, absorbing 30% of the amount healed. Lasts 15 sec.
Pain Suppression - Rank 1/1 - Instantly reduces a
friendly target's threat by 5%, and reduces all damage they
take by 40% for 8 sec.
Focused Will - Rank 2/2 - Whenever you are victim
of an attack equal to damage greater than 10% of your total
health or critically hit by any attack, you gain Focused Will
reducing all damage taken by 10% lasting for 8 sec. Stacks
up to 2 times.
Grace - Rank 2/2 - Your Flash Heal, Greater Heal,
Heal and Penance spells bless the target with Grace, increasing
all healing received from the Priest by 8%. This effect will
stack up to 3 times. Effect lasts 15 sec.
Power Word: Barrier - Rank 1/1 - Summons a holy barrier
on the target location that reduces all damage done to friendly
targets by 25%. While within the barrier, spellcasting will
not be interrupted by damage. The barrier lasts for 10 sec.
Holy (9 Points)
Empowered Healing - Rank 3/3 - Increases the healing
done by your Flash Heal, Heal, Binding Heal and Greater Heal
by 15%.
Divine Fury - Rank 3/3 - Reduces the casting time
of your Smite, Holy Fire, Heal and Greater Heal spells by 0.5
sec.
Desperate Prayer - Rank 1/1 - Instantly heals the
caster for 30% of their total health.
Inspiration - Rank 2/2 - Reduces your target's physical
damage taken by 10% for 15 sec after getting a critical effect
from your Flash Heal, Heal, Greater Heal, Binding Heal, Penance,
Prayer of Mending, Prayer of Healing, or Circle of Healing
spell.
Shadow (0 Points)
None
Glyphs
Glyph of Power Word: Shield (Prime Glyph) - Your Power
Word: Shield also heals the target for 20% of the absorption
amount.
Glyph of Penance (Prime Glyph) - Reduces the cooldown
of Penance by 2 sec.
Glyph of Shadow Word: Death (Prime Glyph) - If your
Shadow Word: Death fails to kill the target at or below 25%
health, your Shadow Word: Death's cooldown is instantly reset.
This effect cannot occur more often than once every 6 sec.
Glyph of Desperation (Major Glyph) - Allows Pain
Suppression and Guardian Spirit to be cast while stunned.
Glyph of Mass Dispel (Major Glyph) - Reduces the
cast time of Mass Dispel by 1 sec.
Glyph of Prayer of Mending (Major Glyph) - The first
charge of your Prayer of Mending heals for an additional 60%.
Glyph of Levitate (Minor Glyph) - Your Levitate spell
no longer requires a reagent.
Glyph of Shadow Protection (Minor Glyph) - Increases
the duration of your Shadow Protection spell by 10 min.
Glyph of Fortitude (Minor Glyph) - Reduces the mana
cost of your Power Word: Fortitude spell by 50%.
Various possible talents weren't take due to either not having
enough points or the talent being too random, or just being less
useful than something else. Use this build as a starting point
and if your game requires something different then adjust appropriately.
Discipline Priest Leveling
Given the massive amounts of fire-power that Discipline Priests
are able to lay down... Oh, wait...
Use either of the builds above, depending on what you like to
do and whether or not you're on a PvP server (and like to participate.)
PvP anyone? You can gain massive amounts of XP in the battlegrouunds,
if you like that game, and if your team wins. It's not bad if you
lose, just aggravating. To me, anyway. Grab a pocket damage dealer,
make him or them unkillable, and help your team win.
Dungeon leveling? Also fast and you'll die a lot less. Queue up
in the Random Dungeon Finder tool, keep your teams healthy (if
not happy,) and gain fast XP and good gear.
Questing? You have enough damage to do it, though you won't exactly
be as fast a leveler as a Hunter. Practice taking on several at
a time and give your shields a good workout.
Spirit - You need the mana regen. and on
long fights you really need it. Try to make sure that
all of your items have Spirit.
Haste, Mastery, and Crit are all more or less equal in value
and they all play well with each other, increasing each other's
value.
Mastery -
Hopefully your personal shields
aren't getting much use, but the ability to shield others
is pretty valuable. Putting shields on others
will save a lot of healer mana. At higher gear levels
this is less of an issue.
Reforging: When Mana is no longer a real
issue then start reforging Spirit into Mastery or Haste.
PvP
Intellect
Resilience
Spirit - You need the mana regen. Try to
make sure that all of your items have Spirit.
Mastery - This mastery is so useful that
it has to be at the top of the secondary stats. It's a massive
increase to your survivability.
Crit/Haste aren't bad, at all, but Mastery is better.
Since Int is so much better than the other stats you should consider
putting the red Int gems into all slots, regardless of color and
socket bonuses, unless the socket bonus is at least 20 Int or 30
Mastery.
If you're rich then consider slotting the epic +50 Int gems, otherwise
going with the +40s won't be a big loss and you'll save a lot of
gold. If you want to be richer then see our gold
guide.
For PvP your gear should provide enough Resilience, but
if you want more the gems are listed.
Metaslot
Ember
Shadowspirit Diamond - 54 int,
+2% max mana, this is the better choice due to the superiority
of Int. It requires two yellow gems, but still comes out
a bit ahead of...
Leveling your Discpline Priest or any other Priest build doesn't have to be an exercise in frustration, even with the zillions of quests and regardless of whether you were playing Vanilla WoW (1-60,) or Cataclysm (to 85,) Mists of Pandara (to level 90,) or whatever comes next.
What's the easy way to hit the level cap? Dugi's Guide:
Dugi's comes in
the form of a small in-game window which sows you your current
quests and goals. Everything
you need to know is contained within the guide and is displayed for you and everything is updated as you complete
quests. You'll always have an arrow pointing the way and you'll never wonder where to go or what to do next, even if you just gained a few levels in the BGs or Dungeons.
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