Free WoW Guide: Priest build: Shadow priest

Shadow Tree

Spirit Tap
Rank: 5/5
Gives you a 100% chance to gain a 100% bonus to your Spirit after killing a target. For the duration mana renegnerates at a 50% rate while casting. Lasts 15 secs.

Improved Shadow Word Pain
Rank: 2/2
Increases the duration of your Shadow Word: Pain spell by 6 seconds.

Shadow Focus
Rank: 3/5
Reduces your targets chance to resist your Shadow spells by 6%.

Improved Psychic Scream
Rank: 2/2
Reduces the cooldown timer of Psychic Scream by 4 seconds.

Improved Mind Blast
Rank: 4/5
Reduces the cooldown of your Mind Blast spell by 2 seconds.

Mind Flay
Rank: 1/1
Assault the target's mind with Shadow energy causing 75 damage over 3 seconds and slows the target to 50% of their movement speed.

Shadow Reach
Rank: 3/3
Increases the range of your Shadow damage spells by 20%.

Silence
Rank: 1/1
Silences the target, preventing them from casting spells for 5 seconds.

Shadow Weaving
Rank: 5/5
Shadow damage spells have a 100% chance to cause your target to be vulnerable to Shadow damage.

Vampiric Embrace
Rank: 1/1
Afflicts your target with Shadow energy that causes all party members to be healed for 20% of any Shadow damage you deal for 1 minute.

Darkness
Rank: 5/5
Increases your Shadow spell damage by 10%.

Shadowform
Rank: 1/1
Assume a Shadowform, increasing your Shadow damage by 15% and reducing Physical damage done to you by 15%. However you may only cast Shadow and Discipline spells while in this form.

Discipline Tree

Unbreakable Will
Rank: 5/5
Increases your chance to resist Stun, Fear and Silence effects by 15%.

Improved Power Word: Shield
Rank: 3/3
Reduces the duration of Power Holy Word: Shield's Weakened Soul effect by 15 seconds.

Improved Power Word: Fortitude
Rank: 2/2
Increases the effect of your Power Word: Fortitude spell by 30%.

Mental Agility
Rank: 5/5
Reduces the mana cost of your instant cast spells by 10%.

Mental Strength
Rank: 3/5
Increases your maximum mana by 6%

This build is focused around leveling and kill speed, combined with mana efficiency and versatility. All of the strong Shadow talents are here: Silence for casters, Shadowform for damage, and enough depth in the Discipline tree to allow some versatility when it comes to healing and soloing. Improved Mind Blast is 4/5 because it allowed advancement to tier 4 without taking Improved Fade (which is not worth it). It’s not maxed because I feel a 2 second reduction is satisfactory, and it allows an extra 2% mana in the Discipline tree. You can switch the two if you feel it warrants. This is a great talent build to use while you are leveling. It has the essential damage and mana talents, as well as Improved Power Word: Sheild for survivability.