As a long time reader of MMO champion [first time poster] and various beta forums, I have noticed a lack of constructive feedback as to how Shadow Priests would like for their class to look and feel.
The following is my vision of what the shadow tree layout should be and any critisim or suggestions would be a valued asset as many developers have mentioned that they DO read and listen to what is being said in various forums.
The Shadow Talent Tree:
Tier 1Spirit Tap / Improved spirit tap ~ A wonderful addition and spirit scaling change to a talent that needed a new perspective.
Blackout ~ PvP stun, end of story.
Tier 2Shadow Affinity ~ Reduces the threat generated by your Shadow HEALING and Shadow spells by 7%/14%/20% [This improves scaling for our healing agro since that is now a major part of our utility!]
Improved Shadow Word: Pain ~ A 3%/6% damage upgrade to the highest DPS DoT in the game.
Shadow Focus ~ The reduced +hit [3% from 10%] indicates that we are now a proper dps class and should gem accordingly. 6% reduced mana cost due to changes in VT.
Tier 3Improved Psychic Scream ~ Fears the target in Horror for 1-2 seconds within the duration of your Psychic Scream. [This effect would be dispelable but not trinketable.]
Improved Mind Blast ~ Well received 2.5sec cool down reduction on a much used spell.
Mind Flay ~ Most cost effective spell we have at 9% of our base mana. Range 21-22 yards. Slows the target for 40% of their movement speed.
Tier 4Veiled Shadows ~ Reduces all damage taken by 2%/5% when active and decreases the cool down of your fade ability by 3/6 seconds. [Now useful in PvP and AoE PvE situations]
Shadow Reach ~ 10%/20% range increase on shadow spells.
Shadow Weaving ~ Your shadow damage spells have a chance to increase the Shadow damage you deal by 2% for 15sec. Stacks up to 5 times.
Tier 5Silence ~ Silences the target for 5 seconds.
Devouring Plague ~ Afflicts the target with a disease that causes 1120 Shadow damage over 24 sec. Will cause party members to be healed for 10% of your shadow spell damage. Instant cast. 12 second cool down. Costs 22% of your base mana.
Improved Devouring Plague ~ Increases the amount healed healed by Devouring plague by 5%/10%.
Focused Mind ~ Reduces the mana cost of Mind blast, Mind Control, Mind Flay, and Mind Sear spells by 6%/12% 2 point talent
Tier 6Mind Melt ~ Increases your critical strike chance and reduces the mana cost of all spells by 1%/2%/3%. 3 point talent
Darkness ~ Increases your shadow spell damage by 2%/4%/6%/8%/10%
Tier 7Shadow Form ~ Assume shadowform. 15% shadow damage bonus, reduced physical damage, and now 30% reduced threat generated.
Shadow Power ~ Increases the Critical strike damage bonus of your Mind Blast, Mind flay, Shadow word: Death and Shadow Word: Pain by 10%/20%/30%/40%/50%
Tier 8Improved Shadow Form ~ Your fade ability now has a 100% chance to remove all movement impairing effects as well a 80% chance to resist casting time reduction while under the effects of fade. Your shadow form now has a base 20% chance to resist casting time reduction. [I believe this change will lend to a better overall feel for pvp and pve for avoiding casting time reduction and improve the value of fade.]
Misery ~ Your Shadow Word: Pain, Mind Flay and Vampiric Touch spells also increase the chance for harmful spells to hit and Crit by 1%/2%/3% lasting 24 sec, and increases the damage of your Mind Blast, Mind Flay and Mind Sear spells by an amount equal to 10% of your spell power. [the crit effect would not stack with a pally's judgment effect but it would increase our use in smaller groups]
Tier 9Psychic Suffering ~ Increases damage done to targets while under the effect of Psychic scream by 2%/5% [This gives us a mechanic in pvp and pve similar to a mages 6% increased damage to the target while they are snared]
Vamperic Touch ~ Causes 850 Shadow damage over 15 sec to your target and causes up to 10 party or raid members to gain 0.25% of their maximum mana per second when you deal damage from Mind Blast or after killing a target. [this gives us the ability to put it on mobs so we can dot and run (while they die) like we currently do]
Pain and Suffering ~ Your Mind Flay has a 33%/66%/100% chance to refresh the duration of your Shadow Word: Pain on the target, and reduces the damage you take from your own Shadow Word: Death by 10%/20%/30%.
Tier 10Twisted Faith ~ Increases your spell power by 4%/8%/12%/16%/20% of your total Spirit, and the damage done by your mind flay, Mind Blast and Shadow Word Death by 2%/4%/6%/8%/10% if your target is afflicted by Shadow Word: Pain or Devouring Plague. [the increase in spell power from spirit is for better scaling because of the 50% crit mod (down from 100%.) Also the addition of Devouring Plague to the list allows more pvp viability.]
Tier 11Dispersion ~ You disperse into pure Shadow energy, damaging all targets around you for 658 Damage over 6 seconds, reducing all damage taken by 50%. You regenerate 8% mana every second for 6 sec. Dispersion can be cast while stunned, feared. [To give this spell pve viability I removed the self silence (took away the ability to trigger it while silenced) and added a damage component. increased the mana regen so that it is BETTER than just chugging a mana pot.. (i hate the current aspect/feel it gives you while using it) and reduced the damage reduction to counterbalance the damage component and non self silence.]
Spell Changes
Shadow Word: Pain ~ a word of darkness that causes 1180 Shadow damage and has the ability to crit on every tick.
This gives us a new use for old and new talents, as well as giving us something we can think of as shiny, new, improved, different, unique. This is a aspect of current gameplay that i feel is sorely lacking in the PTR but can be easily changed around with a base addition such as this.
That's really about it... I hope someone will give me feedback and a few impressions on these suggested changes.
P.S.
If anyone has access to the WoW beta forums i would implore you to post this there to give it a higher visibility to developers. All i ask is that i get my name in the post somewhere.