Power Word: Barrier

[Shawshank22]

So who's glad to see this back?

Looks like Disc will be a bit more picky on who they choose to place PW: Shield on now. I'm thinking PW: Shield (with Mastery) will become one hell of a bubble. This, with Divine Aegis, and Barrier, awesome.

Also, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8Jvn-4SKlo

[Ansa]

Having the mechanic of the DKs Anti-Magic Zone would be very fun gameplay elements, like stack on top of each other while the boss goes into a 2nd phase and we just outheal and stay inside our barrier.
Might actually since it might be bringing ppl into a cluster, Lightwell might properly be used for once^^

Would have loved something other than a middleheal and a friendly grip for cataclysm since Im afraid it will just be a bunch of train a target until their healer is oom, then finish it, but yeah, only time will tell

PS, Inner Will, better be stacking with feet enchant, otherwise having 4% extra movement speed feels quite dull imo

[Julex]

The effect looks pretty awesome, can't wait!

[Nirual]

Having the mechanic of the DKs Anti-Magic Zone would be very fun gameplay elements, like stack on top of each other while the boss goes into a 2nd phase and we just outheal and stay inside our barrier.

The barrier will only absorb so much damage (I'm guessing about 5x the normal PW:S absorb). Stacking people in it might even result in everyone getting the Weakened Soul debuff while the Barrier only absorbed like 20% of the damage a normal shield would.
I'm not sure how AMZ works at the moment but the idea behind Barrier is to spread shields more easily, not to provide a bubble for the complete raid.

[M1kra]

Would be easier if Power Word: Barrier would be casted on a target and closest 4 people + target will get a Shield on them. If it is like the Death Knights Anti-Magic Zone I am also guessing it doesn't even give you Weakened Soul debuff.

I am betting they are just copying Malygos bubbles :P

[harky]

PW:B was originally in the works for Wrath. It was given to Death Knights instead and named Anti Magic Zone. They thought about reimplementing it in Ulduar days, but when shield spammers became popular they dropped the idea. PW:S was being used in the same was PW:B would have been used and with the inability to keep up on tanks Blizzard dropped the idea. Now Blizz is simply fleshing out the whole idea of sharing abilities between classes, so many classes are getting abilities that other classes already have. Warlocks are getting Focus Magic, Presence of Mind, etc. Shaman are getting Judgement and so on. Priests get DK's AMZ and a friendly targeted Death Grip. It's neither new, or original. However, Priests are also getting a 'greater' PW:S for tanks and being given real tank healing potential, so PW:B becomes a useful idea again as it allows Disc to be as flexible as Holy.

[gunner_recall]

I can see this being sort of an OHSHI- button. Like the boss is about to drop a huge AoE and for whatever reason, there's only one healer left and so he goes OH TEH NOES and drops this while Timmy Rogue is off being a retard because DPS > Not Dying so you lifegrip him into your shiny life bubble and heal everyone.

[Revitalize]

I see this as being a a group wide shielding effect, however, it will be less potent than power word: shield.
I also feel were going to know when to save Power Word: Shield for someone and saving Barrier for incoming group damage.

I really hope this goes live as I can see this as a great addition to the functionality of discipline.
Choosing between shielding someone or shielding a group.
Not to mention they will all still be affected by weakened soul.
So there will still be consequence of you use Power word shield vs Barrier on a group.

[Revitalize]

Would be easier if Power Word: Barrier would be casted on a target and closest 4 people + target will get a Shield on them. If it is like the Death Knights Anti-Magic Zone I am also guessing it doesn't even give you Weakened Soul debuff.

I am betting they are just copying Malygos bubbles :P

That is not how power word barrier should be, sorry.
Nobody even specs for anti magic zone.

[harky]

That is not how power word barrier should be, sorry.
Nobody even specs for anti magic zone.

You know, except when Unholy were half-decent tanks and specced into it for Sarth? Or you know, for PVP?

Why would a DPS class be concerned about shielding, especially with a long cooldown and limited worth? PW:B as originally discussed was simply a more flexible version of AMZ given to a healing class that would use it. Sounds horrible.

[Revitalize]

You know, except when Unholy were half-decent tanks and specced into it for Sarth? Or you know, for PVP?

Why would a DPS class be concerned about shielding, especially with a long cooldown and limited worth? PW:B as originally discussed was simply a more flexible version of AMZ given to a healing class that would use it. Sounds horrible.

If it's going to behave as AMZ, it won't even be powerful unless they buff the amount of damage its going to absorb.
So yes, it does sound horrible to me.
I just see the scaling of this ability being skewed

[Abandon]

Well, considering it won't be affected by the Weakened Soul debuff, since it's a targeted area effect instead of a buff placed on players, and it will scale with the Discipline Mastery which increases all Absorb amounts, I can see it being pretty interesting, not to mention fun.

[harky]

If it's going to behave as AMZ, it won't even be powerful unless they buff the amount of damage its going to absorb.
So yes, it does sound horrible to me.
I just see the scaling of this ability being skewed

I heard spells that work the same way mechanically can have different values assigned to them. Might be a rumor though... :

[Revitalize]

I heard spells that work the same way mechanically can have different values assigned to them. Might be a rumor though... :

Are you always a douche bag?
I was giving an honest perspective based off Blizzard's past.
Try harder.

[fabian]

Are you always a douche bag?
I was giving an honest perspective based off Blizzard's past.
Try harder.

AMZ base is 10000 damage, which is just shy of 5 times that of the base value of PW:S rank 14, and AMZ can be learned at effectively, lvl 58. So if, just going off base numbers and assuming AMZ = PW:B, then a lvl 60 PW:B = 5 lvl 80 PW:S, it is no way will be underpowered at higher levels. Not to mention the odds of AMZ and PW:B scaling similarly will be extremely low.

[Abandon]

Also, PW:Barrier will scale with Discipline's Mastery.

[Zoros]

Sounds like a Prayer of Healing for Discipline. Probably discipline priests will replace one button for another.

[fabian]

Sounds like a Prayer of Healing for Discipline. Probably discipline priests will replace one button for another.

I believe that is the idea, but I'd probably compare it to more like CoH than PoH.

[Abandon]

Sounds like a Prayer of Healing for Discipline. Probably discipline priests will replace one button for another.

Except it's not a party-wide heal, it will almost certainly have a cooldown, it absorbs damage rather than healing it, and you will still use Prayer of Healing as Discipline...

[harky]

Yeah, if it's group based it might replace PoH, but from the sounds of what's going on it's the CoH replacement since both specs make good use of PoH already.

Are you always a douche bag?
I was giving an honest perspective based off Blizzard's past.
Try harder.

Do you always think in black and white terms? You're going off their track record? There are plenty of abilities with identical mechanics and completely different scalings, usage and relative power. Flash Heal and Flash of Light are identical spells mechanically. Both are 1.5 second quick heals. Flash Heal is ~2040 average and costs 695 mana. Flash of Light is ~830 average and costs 307 mana. The spells have completely different balances of power and efficiency even untalented.

You're basing your opinion of AMZ on the fact that it isn't used in high end raiding. There are three issues with that analysis. First, AMZ is a deep Unholy talent which greats a PBAOE shield, which means it is best suited as a tanking cooldown. Second, Unholy is not a viable tanking spec for high end raiding. Third, when they were viable most tanks did in fact take AMZ. If Unholy was a viable tanking spec in ICC you would see AMZ being used very often in ICC. The only boss AMZ would be useless on would be Gunship and Saurfang. All others have magical damage flying around like crazy.

AMZ is good. Very good in fact. It's a staple of PVP builds and if it was given to Discipline Priests who will be viable healers as per Blizzard's own statements. They will be viable and their job will be to reduce, or heal incoming raid damage. The assumption is that it will be either a party cast, CoH type cast, or a GTAOE. I hope it's a GTAOE because it will be more useful. That would make Healing Rain and PW:B fill similar raid healing niches.

And if you don't realize: AMZ with T10 gear shields for 25k+ before breaking. The stupid thing gets 200% AP as absorbs. Disc wishes they had a bubble that could absorb that much.