Shadow pressure
A balanced starting plan for this class. Check the alternative route below when survivability or clear speed matters more.
None listed.
No talent split was published for this route; place points in the planner. Skills load at the planner’s default rank.
Priest is a controlled ranged class with shields, fear and strong self-sustain. Damage ramps more slowly than Warlock or Mage, so the class excels at surviving a long fight rather than racing through a map. It is a strong first-clear pick and a middling speed pick.
Two practical routes for the current class kit. Start with the recommended plan, then use the alternative when your gear, stage or playstyle needs a different trade-off. Banished skills are removed from the level-up pool, not judged weak.
Start here for the most balanced result.
None listed.
Use the planner to distribute points.
Flexible; prioritize survival and damage for the stage.
Spread Shadow Word: Pain, use Mind Blast for focused damage and let Mind Flay maintain pressure. Shield and fear provide the safety that makes the slower damage plan practical.
Use this when the trade-off fits your run.
None listed.
Use the planner to distribute points.
Flexible; prioritize survival and damage for the stage.
Choose the more defensive version when learning a stage. It gives up some damage to create long recovery windows and makes positioning mistakes easier to survive.
Compare both the first-clear and endgame grades, then see where Priest ranks and why.
Priest starts with Smite. The class pool has 11 skills, including the starting skill. The game has no fixed level 1-8 skill ranks: each skill is obtained at one of five qualities, Common to Legendary, and every upgrade card improves one attribute. Values checked for v0.139.0 on 2026-11-02.
Strikes the nearest enemy within 28 yd for 58 Holy damage. Bosses and elites are targeted first.
| Stat | Common | Legendary |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 58 | 85 |
| Targets | 1 | 1 |
| Cooldown | 1.7 sec | 1.7 sec |
| Range | 28 yd | 28 yd |
Upgrade cards improve: Damage, Cooldown, Targets.
Afflicts the 2 healthiest enemies within 28 yd that are not already afflicted: 141 Shadow damage over 8 sec, in 8 ticks. Bosses and elites are targeted first.
| Stat | Common | Legendary |
|---|---|---|
| Total damage | 141 | 206 |
| Targets | 2 | 2 |
| Duration | 8 sec | 8 sec |
| Ticks | 8 | 8 |
| Cooldown | 2.2 sec | 2.2 sec |
| Range | 28 yd | 28 yd |
Upgrade cards improve: Damage, Cooldown, Targets, Duration.
Strikes the nearest enemy within 28 yd for 130 Shadow damage. Bosses and elites are targeted first.
| Stat | Common | Legendary |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 130 | 190 |
| Targets | 1 | 1 |
| Cooldown | 5.6 sec | 5.6 sec |
| Range | 28 yd | 28 yd |
Upgrade cards improve: Damage, Cooldown, Targets.
Hits every enemy within 10 yd of you for 19 Holy damage. Heals you for 6.8, plus 6.8 for every enemy hit.
| Stat | Common | Legendary |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 19 | 28 |
| Cooldown | 5.6 sec | 5.6 sec |
| Radius | 10 yd | 10 yd |
Upgrade cards improve: Damage, Cooldown, Area.
Absorbs the next 76 damage you take, 45% of your max health. Cast again once the shield breaks.
| Stat | Common | Legendary |
|---|---|---|
| Absorption | 76 | 92 |
| Max health share | 45% | 54% |
| Cooldown | 17 sec | 17 sec |
Upgrade cards improve: Absorption, Cooldown.
Heals you for 86, 50% of your max health, over 14 sec. Cast when you fall below 85% health.
| Stat | Common | Legendary |
|---|---|---|
| Healing | 86 | 104 |
| Max health share | 50% | 61% |
| Duration | 14 sec | 14 sec |
| Cooldown | 14 sec | 14 sec |
Upgrade cards improve: Healing, Cooldown.
Strikes the nearest enemy within 28 yd for 224 Holy damage. Bosses and elites are targeted first.
| Stat | Common | Legendary |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 224 | 327 |
| Targets | 1 | 1 |
| Cooldown | 7 sec | 7 sec |
| Range | 28 yd | 28 yd |
Upgrade cards improve: Damage, Cooldown, Targets.
Hits every enemy in a 16 yd cone in front of you for 37 Shadow damage. Slows them by 50% for 2 sec.
| Stat | Common | Legendary |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 37 | 54 |
| Cooldown | 3.5 sec | 3.5 sec |
Upgrade cards improve: Damage, Cooldown, Area.
Hits every enemy within 10 yd of you for 7.3 Shadow damage. They flee for 3 sec. Bosses are unaffected.
| Stat | Common | Legendary |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 7.3 | 11 |
| Cooldown | 17 sec | 17 sec |
| Radius | 10 yd | 10 yd |
Upgrade cards improve: Cooldown, Area.
Afflicts the 3 healthiest enemies within 28 yd that are not already afflicted: 209 Shadow damage over 8 sec, in 8 ticks. Bosses and elites are targeted first. Heals you for 30% of the damage dealt.
| Stat | Common | Legendary |
|---|---|---|
| Total damage | 209 | 305 |
| Targets | 3 | 3 |
| Duration | 8 sec | 8 sec |
| Ticks | 8 | 8 |
| Cooldown | 8.4 sec | 8.4 sec |
| Range | 28 yd | 28 yd |
Upgrade cards improve: Damage, Cooldown, Targets, Duration.
Every 20 sec, once enemies are within 25 yd, a Lightwell rises where you stand. For 10 sec it strikes the nearest enemy within 25 yd of it for 112 Holy damage every second. Bosses and elites are targeted first.
| Stat | Common | Legendary |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 112 | 164 |
| Targets | 1 | 1 |
| Tick interval | 1 sec | 1 sec |
| Duration | 10 sec | 10 sec |
| Spawn interval | 20 sec | 20 sec |
| Range | 25 yd | 25 yd |
Upgrade cards improve: Damage, Cooldown, Targets, Duration.
All three Priest talent trees for v0.139.0. Each row is a tier and each column is a slot in that tier.
Talent values and tree layout checked for v0.139.0 on .
Max 5 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 Reduces all damage taken by 0.8%.
Rank 5 Reduces all damage taken by 4%.
Max 5 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 Smite deals 4% more damage.
Rank 5 Smite deals 20% more damage.
Max 3 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 Power Word: Shield absorbs 20% more.
Rank 3 Power Word: Shield absorbs 60% more.
Max 5 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 Increases your maximum health by 1.5%.
Rank 5 Increases your maximum health by 7.5%.
Max 1 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 Milestone. You start every run with Power Word: Shield, and a shield on you that breaks bursts in holy light: 10% of what it absorbed strikes every enemy within 10 yd.
Max 5 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 Your cooldowns recover 1.5% faster.
Rank 5 Your cooldowns recover 7.5% faster.
Max 3 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 Regenerate 0.4 more health per second.
Rank 3 Regenerate 1.2 more health per second.
Max 5 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 Increases all damage by 2%.
Rank 5 Increases all damage by 10%.
Max 1 · Prereq: Divine Aegis (1/1)
Rank 1 Milestone. A broken Power Word: Shield is raised again at once, at most once every 15 sec.
Max 5 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 Increases your critical strike chance by 0.8%.
Rank 5 Increases your critical strike chance by 4%.
Max 3 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 Increases your luck by 8%.
Rank 3 Increases your luck by 24%.
Max 3 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 Power Word: Shield's cooldown is 10% shorter.
Rank 3 Power Word: Shield's cooldown is 30% shorter.
Max 1 · Prereq: Rapture (1/1)
Rank 1 Capstone. You strike out on your own: a free Penance about every 3 sec, three bolts of holy light at the nearest enemies.
Max 5 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 Increases your critical strike chance by 0.8%.
Rank 5 Increases your critical strike chance by 4%.
Max 5 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 Renew heals 10% more.
Rank 5 Renew heals 50% more.
Max 5 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 Smite and Holy Fire cooldowns are 3% shorter.
Rank 5 Smite and Holy Fire cooldowns are 15% shorter.
Max 3 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 Holy Nova reaches 10% farther.
Rank 3 Holy Nova reaches 30% farther.
Max 1 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 Milestone. A Holy Nova bursts from you on its own every 24 sec.
Max 3 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 Your Holy critical strikes heal you for 0.2% of your maximum health, at most once a second.
Rank 3 Your Holy critical strikes heal you for 0.6% of your maximum health, at most once a second.
Max 3 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 Smite and Holy Fire deal 5% more damage.
Rank 3 Smite and Holy Fire deal 15% more damage.
Max 5 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 Increases all damage by 1.5%.
Rank 5 Increases all damage by 7.5%.
Max 1 · Prereq: Radiance (1/1)
Rank 1 Milestone. Smite and Holy Fire critical strikes set their target alight for 30% of the hit over 6 sec.
Max 3 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 Your heals and shields are 12% stronger.
Rank 3 Your heals and shields are 36% stronger.
Max 3 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 Increases your maximum health by 2%.
Rank 3 Increases your maximum health by 6%.
Max 3 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 Holy spells deal 2% more damage.
Rank 3 Holy spells deal 6% more damage.
Max 1 · Prereq: Purifying Flame (1/1)
Rank 1 Capstone. Smite strikes 1 more enemy, and every Smite cast that critically strikes sets off a free Holy Nova.
Max 5 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 Every kill heals you for 0.5 health.
Rank 5 Every kill heals you for 2.5 health.
Max 5 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 Your Shadow spells have a 2% chance to stun what they hit for 1.5 sec.
Rank 5 Your Shadow spells have a 10% chance to stun what they hit for 1.5 sec.
Max 2 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 Shadow Word: Pain lasts 15% longer.
Rank 2 Shadow Word: Pain lasts 30% longer.
Max 5 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 Increases your critical strike chance by 1%.
Rank 5 Increases your critical strike chance by 5%.
Max 1 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 Milestone. Your Shadow spells also strike what they hit for 0.5% of its maximum health.
Max 5 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 Mind Blast's cooldown is 6% shorter.
Rank 5 Mind Blast's cooldown is 30% shorter.
Max 5 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 Shadow spells deal 2% more damage.
Rank 5 Shadow spells deal 10% more damage.
Max 2 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 Psychic Scream's cooldown is 12% shorter.
Rank 2 Psychic Scream's cooldown is 24% shorter.
Max 1 · Prereq: Shadow Weaving (1/1)
Rank 1 Milestone. You start every run with Shadow Word: Pain instead of Smite, and its ticks have a 4% chance to loose a shadowy apparition: a free Mind Blast, at most twice a second.
Max 3 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 Mind Flay reaches 10% farther.
Rank 3 Mind Flay reaches 30% farther.
Max 3 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 Your damage-over-time effects deal 6% more damage.
Rank 3 Your damage-over-time effects deal 18% more damage.
Max 3 · Prereq: none
Rank 1 0.5% of all the damage you deal heals you.
Rank 3 1.5% of all the damage you deal heals you.
Max 1 · Prereq: Shadowy Apparitions (1/1)
Rank 1 Capstone. You take on Shadowform for the whole run, and when an enemy dies with Shadow Word: Pain on it, it bursts for 4% of its maximum health on everything within 6 yd and the pain jumps to the enemy nearest it.
Class-relevant balance changes, newest first. 0.139.0 itself was an engine and add-on update with no class changes.
Human Spirit's experience bonus rose from 10% to 20%. Dwarf Stoneform's shield changed from 30% maximum health on a 45-second cooldown to 45% on a 30-second cooldown.
Shadow Weaving's damage share fell from 1% to 0.5% of the target's maximum health.
Chastise lost its hidden 3.5-second internal cooldown, and every Smite critical can trigger a free Holy Nova once per cast.
Damage-over-time effects now trigger on-hit talents such as Aftermath, Blackout and Shadow Weaving.
Every class page uses the same skill and talent data, so you can compare starting skills and pools before you pick a main.
