Shadow Priest Abilities and Talents Guide - Midnight

By EllipsisPriest Updated: 2026/02/25

Baseline Shadow Priest Healing Abilities

Flash Heal (FH) - Heal your current target.

Offensive Abilities

Shadow Word: Pain (SWP) - An instant cast damage spell that applies a Damage over Time (DoT) effect, dealing Shadow damage to the target.

Vampiric Touch (VT) - A damage spell with a cast time that applies a a Damage over Time (DoT) effect. The DoT deals Shadow damage to the target and heals the caster based on its damage.

Smite - A filler spell with a cast time that deals Holy damage. This has no rotational use for Shadow.

Mind Flay (MF) - A channelled filler spell that deals Shadow damage and generates Insanity.

Offensive Cooldowns Utility Abilities

Mind Soothe (Soothe) - Pacifies enemies in a target area, reducing the range from which enemies in that area will attack players.

Psychic Scream (Fear) - Fears up to 5 nearby enemies for 8 seconds.

Power Word: Fortitude (Fort) - Provides yourself and your allies with a 5% Stamina buff for 1 hour.

Resurrection (Ress) - Resurrects a friendly target within 40 yards. This ability cannot be cast while in combat.

Levitate - Levitates a party of raid member a small amount above the ground, allowing them to fall slowly and walk on water. Lasts 10 minutes.

Mind Vision - A channeled ability that allows the user to see through the eyes of a target.

Silence - Silences the target for 4 seconds, interrupting the current cast and preventing spell casting.

Passive Abilities

Hallucinations - Allows most of your non-damaging abilities to generate 4 Insanity when cast in combat.

Shadowform - A form that increases your spell damage by 10%.

Mastery: Shadow Weaving - Increases the damage you deal for each of your DoTs active on your target.

Focused Will - Melee attacks cause you to take 5% reduced magical damage and 15% reduced Physical damage for 8 seconds.

Shadow Priest Hero Talents Voidweaver Shadow Priest TalentsKey Talent

Void Torrent - Creates a torrent of void energy summon an Entropic Rift near the target when the channel ends. This zone will then travel to the target and follow them, inflicting AoE damage to everything it touches.

Capstone Talent

Collapsing Void: - lets your Entropic Rift go out with a bang, dealing massive damage to anything inside it when it expires.

Choice Nodes

Choice Node 1:
No Escape - The rift slows targets by up to 80% while they are inside it, with the slow being stronger the closer they are to the centre of the rift.

Dark Energy - Void Torrent can be cast and channelled while moving. Your movement speed is increased by 20% when Entropic Rift is active.

Void Empowerment - A consistent source of additional Shadow Word: Madnesss, proccing when your Collapsing Void is spawned .

Darkening Horizon - Empowers Void Blast further to extend Entropic Rift each time it is cast.

Depth of Shadows - Shadow Word: Death procs additional Shadowfiends when it strikes a target with less than 20% health.

Voidwraith - A replacement for Shadowfiend which casts from range dealing higher damage the more % hp the target has.

Embrace the Shadow - A defensive talent that reduces magic damage taken, as well as heals back a percentage of any Shadow damage prevented.

Void Leech - A defensive talent that heals you for 3% of your max HP every 2 seconds at the cost of 3% of a nearby ally's HP every 2 seconds.

Passives

Void Blast - This powerful passive replaces Mind Blast with Void Blast while Entropic Rift is active.

Voidheart - A basic node to increase damage while Entropic Rift is active.

Inner Quietus - Increases Shadow's DoT damage.

Devour Matter -Bbuffs Shadow Word: Death against absorb shields. Similar to Evoker's .

Void Infusion - Doubles the Insanity generation of Void Blast.

Quickened Pulse - Increases the damage of Shadow Word: Pain and Entropic Rift.

Touch of the Void - Voidheart now persists for 8 seconds after Entropic Rift ends.

Overwhelming Shadows - Void Torrent deals 50% more damage.

Archon Shadow Priest TalentsKey Talent

Halo - Creates a ring of Shadow energy around yourself, dealing damage to all targets around you and generating Insanity.

Capstone Talent

Divine Halo - Halo now returns to you after extending its maximum distance, hitting each target a second time. This means that for each cast of Halo, you get 3 Halo rings and 6 total hits on each target in range.

Choice Nodes

Choice Node 1:
Shock Pulse - Causes Halo to slow everything by 5%, stacking up to five times.

Incessant Screams - Causes Psychic Scream to leave an after image at its location which will scream again after a few seconds.

Word of Supremacy - Increases the stamina You gain from Power Word: Fortitude by 5%.

Heightened Alteration - Increases the duration of Dispersion by 2 seconds.

Energy Compression - Increases the damage of each Halo ring by 30%.

Sustained Potency - Causes Halo to increase the duration of your chosen major cooldown.

Realized Potential - Increases the damage of Shadow Word: Death by 25% and reduces its cooldown by 3 seconds.

Spiritwell - Shadowy Apparitions deals 10% more damage.

Passives

Power Surge - Causes Halo to replicate once every 5 seconds for 10 seconds after being cast. This results in each cast of Halo summoning 3 Halo waves over the course of 15 seconds.

Perfected Form - Damage during Voidform is increased by 5%.

Resonant Energy - Enemies damaged by Halo take 2% increased damage for 8 seconds stacking up to 5 times, the seubsequent halo waves will extend this to roughly 20 seconds.

Manifested Power - Each Halo wave created now triggers Surge of Insanity.

Empowered Surges - Causes Surge of Insanity empowered spells to deal additional damage.

Concentrated Infusion: Increases the amount of haste You gain from Power Infusion by 10%

Energy Cycle: Causes empowered casts of Mind Flay to generate a wave of Shadowy Apparitions.

Shadow Priest Talents Priest Class Talents

Improved Flash Heal - Flash Heal now heals for more.

Angelic Feather - Places a feather on the ground that increases the movement speed of the first player to come into contact with it by 40%.

Mind Blast (MB) - A basic Shadow damage spell.

Holy Nova - Deals a small amount of holy damage around you.

Dispel Magic - Dispels a beneficial magic effect from an enemy.

Spiritual Guidance - Increases your intellect.

Psychic Scream - Causes nearby enemies to run in terror, crowd controlling them.

Lightburst - Increases the damage of Holy Nova.

Leap of Faith - Pulls a friendly target towards you.

Purify Disease - Dispels a disease effect from a friendly target.

Power Infusion - Increases the haste of a target by 15% for 15 seconds.

Painful Invocation - Increases the damage of Shadow Word: Pain by 10%.

Choice Node:

Sheer Terror - Increaes the damage threshold needed to break Psychic Scream.

Petrifying Scream - Causes those afflicted by Psychic Scream to be rooted in place.

Surge of Light - Your healing spells have a chance to make your next Flash Heal cheaper and instant.

Body and Soul - Increases the target of your Power Word: Shield's movement speed.

Mass Dispel - A utility cooldown dispels harmful and helpful effects alike.

Twins of the Sun Priestess - Causes Power Infusion to always affect you when targeting another player.

Strength of Resolve - Increases your stamina.

Choice Node:

Mind Control - Take control of an enemy, you are able to move and cast spells as if you are that enemy while you have them under your control.

Dominate Mind - Take control of a non player enemy for 30 seconds, letting you control them without losing control of your character.

Psychic Voice - Reduces the cooldown of Psychic Scream.

Void Tendrils - Causes Psychic scream to root targets in place when it ends.

Everlasting Light - Surge of Light increases in frequency based on your missing mana.

Move with Grace - Reduces the cooldown of Leap of Faith.

Mental Agility - Reduces the mana cost of your dispel effects.

Twin Disciplines - Increases damage and healing by 2%.

Dark Enlightenment - Increases haste by 2%

False Autonomy - Increases the duration of your Mind Control effects.

Shackle Horror - Active ability that prevents undead or abberations from acting until they take damage.

Inspiration - Your critical heals reduce the physical damage taken by targets by 5%

Binding Heals - Causes 20% of Flash Heal healing on allies to heal you as well.

Shadow Word: Death - Deals Shadow damage, dealing additional damage to targets below 20%.

Sanguine Teachings - Increases Leech by 2%.

Desperate Prayer - Active ability that heals you and increases your max health temporarily.

Twist of Fate (ToF) - Increases your damage dealt after you deal damage to a target below 35% health.

Tithe Evasion - Reduces the damage taken by the backlash from Shadow Word: Death.

Fade - Active ability that removes your threat for 10 seconds.

Angel's Mercy - Reduces the cooldown of Desperate Prayer.

Protective Light - Flash heal reduces damage taken by 10%.

Mindpierce - Increases the damage of Mind Flay.

Spectral Illusion - Fade creates an illusion of you for 4 seconds to redirect the enemy's attention.

Improved Fade - Reduces the cooldown of Fade by 5 seconds.

Light's Inspiration - Increases the maximum health provided by Desperate Prayer.

Unwavering Will - While above 75% hp your healing spells cast faster.

Spell Warding - Reduce magic damage taken by 2%.

Phantasm - Fade removes all snares.

Angelic Bulwark - A passive absorb shield triggered when you drop below 35% health.

Choice Node:

Benevolence - Increases healing by 3%

Focused Power - Increases damage by 3%.

Translucent ImagePhantom Reach Shadow Priest Specialisation Talents

Void Apparitions When an effect from one of your capstone idols is triggered. Spawn a Shadowy Apparition.

Void Apparitions Shadowy Apparitions have a chance to spawn as a Void Apparition which deals additional damage.

Void Apparitions Tentacle Slam has a 100% chance to activate one of the 4 idol capstones.

Shadow Word: Madness - (SW:M) A damage over time effect that also deals direct damage. Costs Insanity to cast.

Psychic Link - (PL) All of Shadow's Single Target damage spells now deal 40% of their damage to targets affected by Vampiric Touch.

Choice Node

Misery - Vampiric Touch now applies Shadow Word: Pain

Invoked Nightmare - Shadow Word: Pain now deals 150% increased damage.

Intangibility - Reduces the cooldown of Dispersion by 30 seconds and causes it to regenerate 50% of your maximum health over time.

Mental Fortitude - Causes your Vampiric Touch and Devouring Plague overhealing to shield you.

Thought Harvester Mind Blast gains an additional charge.

Tentacle Slam - A direct damage attack that deals AoE damage and applies Vampiric Touch.

Shadowy Apparitions - (SA) Casting Mind Blast, Devouring Plague, Void Bolt, or Mind Sear will cause Shadowy Apparitions to drift towards all targets affected by Vampiric Touch and deal damage.

Tormenting Whispers - Increases Shadow Word: Madness damage by 15%.

Descending Darkness - Increases Tentacle Slam damage by 300%.

Surge of Insanity - Mind Flay damage increased by 15%, Insanity generation increased by 30%.

Shadowy Insight - (SI) Shadow Word: Pain ticks now have the chance to make your next Mind Blast free and instant cast.

Voidtouched - Increases the damage of Shadow Word: Madness and increases your maximum Insanity by 50.

Voidform - (VF) A two minute cooldown that provides access to Void Volley.

Haunting Shadows - Causes Shadowy Apparitions to extend the duration of your Damage over Time effects.

Mental Decay - Increases the damage of Mind Flay.

Shadowfiend - Causes Shadow Word: Death to have a chance to summon a Shadowfiend to deal damage and generate Insanity.

Dark Thoughts - Increased chance for Shadowy Insight to proc.

Maddening Touch - Increases the damage of Vampiric Touch.

Choice Node

Improved Voidform - Increases the damage bonus of Voidform and provides additional Insanity.

Ancient Madness - Causes Insanity generated to extend Voidform.

Phantom MenaceDark EvangelismShattered Psyche

Subservient Shadows - Increases the damage and duration of your summoned minions.

Mastermind - Increases the damage and critical strike chance of your direct damage.

Choice Node:

Mind's Eye - (ME) Reduces the Insanity cost of Shadow Word: Madness by 5.

Distorted Reality - (DR) Increases the damage of Shadow Word: Madness by 20% and increases its duration to 12 seconds, but increases its Insanity cost by 5.

Spectral HorrorsShadowy ApparitionsShadow Word: MadnessInstilled Doubt

Mindbender - (Bender) Replaces Shadowfiend, dealing more damage and generating more Insanity.

Choice Node:

Deathspeaker - Incrases the damage and execute range of Shadow Word: Death.

Death and Madness - If Shadow Word: Death fails to kill a target, its cooldown is reset. Targets recently afflicted with Shadow Word: Death generate Insanity when they die.

Mind DevourerMDMind BlastShadow Word: MadnessAuspicious SpiritsASMiseryInsanityMaddening Tentacles

Inescapable Torment - (IT) Causes Mind Blast and Shadow Word: Death casts whilst Mindbender is active to deal AoE damage.

Madness Weaving - Increases the damage bonus of your Mastery: Shadow Weaving.

Death's Torment - Shadow Word: Death replicates twice at 15% effectiveness.

Screams of the Void - Shadow Word: Madness increases the tick rate of your other Damage over Time effects.

Tormented Spirits - (TS) GIves Shadow Word: Pain the chance to proc Shadowy Apparitions.

Insidious Ire - Increases the damage of Mind Blast on targets affected by Shadow Word: Madness, Shadow Word: Pain, and Vampiric Touch at once.

Crushing Void - Increases Tentacle Slam and Void Volley damage, as well as enabling an additional Void Volley after Voidform ends.

Idol of Y'Shaarj - Grants haste while Mindbender is active.

Idol of N'Zoth - Causes your damaging abilities to stack a buff on the target which explodes at 50 and 100 stacks.

Idol of Yogg-Saron - After spawning 25 waves of Shadowy Apparitions, summon a Thing from Beyond that deals damage to your target and those around it

Idol of C'Thun - Causes Mind Flay, and Void Torrent to spawn tentacles that deal damage and generate Insanity.

FeedbackDiscord server

Comments

Comment by vadergeist

Great guide but I noticed you are missing some skills in a few places mostly in Priest Class talents.

In row 5, "Vampiric Embrace" should be in a Choice Node with "Sanguine Teachings".
From Row 6 "San'layn" Talent is missing before Apathy.
Row 10 is missing the talents "Benevolence" that should be in a choice node with "Power Word: Life"
Row 10 also "essence Devourer" should be in a choice node with "Void Shift".

In the shadow talents row 6 "Void Form" has changed to "Void Eruption".

Shadow Priest Abilities and Talents Guide - Midnight

Contribute