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This guide takes a Priest from level 1 to 30 in WoW Forever and gives a talent plan for Shadow, Discipline and Holy. Spell levels, costs and talent values come from the beta client (build 1.60.1) and can still change before launch.
Spirit Tap refills your mana after every kill, 
Mind Flay adds a cheap channel that also slows, and 
Vampiric Embrace heals you while you deal damage. Together they remove most of the drinking that slows a Priest down. Discipline and Holy have their own tabs if you plan to heal dungeons or prefer 
Smite.Why Shadow comes first
- Mana that comes back by itself. With Spirit Tap, every kill that gives experience doubles your Spirit for 15 seconds and lets half of your regeneration continue while you cast.
- A real toolkit at level 22.
Shadow Word: Pain, 
Mind Blast and Mind Flay cover a damage-over-time spell, a burst and a slow, all from one tree. - Hard to kill.
Power Word: Shield absorbs the first hits and stops spell pushback, 
Psychic Scream buys time, and you can heal yourself with every healing spell in the game: Shadowform, the only thing that would stop you, is far beyond level 30. - Still a healer. At these levels a Shadow Priest heals every leveling dungeon without changing a single talent.
The honest trade-offs: the first ten levels are slow, because you only have Smite and Shadow Word: Pain until Mind Blast arrives at level 10, and a Priest without a wand is a Priest who drinks after every other fight. Some current beta tier lists also rate a Smite-based Discipline build above Shadow before level 30; the gap is small, and Shadow keeps improving with every level after that.
The three specializations at a glance
Shadow Recommended
Damage over time, Mind Blast, Mind Flay and the best mana return of the class. Smooth solo, perfectly able to heal a dungeon at these levels.
Discipline
Stronger shields, cheaper instant spells and 
Meditation. A sturdy Smite and wand build that doubles as an efficient dungeon healer, with 
Penance waiting just past this build.
Holy
Faster Smite and 
Holy Fire, more critical strikes, bigger heals. The classic choice for players who mostly level through dungeons.
What Forever changes for every Priest
- Racial spells are back, with new ones. Each race learns one Priest spell at level 10 and another at level 20 (see Playable Races). Gnomes can now be Priests.
Devouring Plague and 
Fear Ward are in every Priest's spellbook at level 20 in the beta client, whatever the race.
Divine Spirit is trained at level 30 and lasts 1 hour. It no longer costs a talent point.- New talents: Penance (Discipline, level 30 at the earliest) and
Binding Heal (Holy, level 25) are both within reach of this guide. Power in Light, 
Renewed Hope, 
Litany of Light and Devouring Contagion are new as well. - Mind Flay sits on the third row of Shadow, so you can have it at level 20 if you put your first ten points there.
Talents
You earn one talent point per level from level 10, for 21 points at level 30.
This order assumes you own a wand at level 10. If you do not, start with Spirit Tap and take Wand Specialization once you have one.
- Levels 10-11 — Wand Specialization (2): +25% wand damage. At these levels the wand finishes every fight, and it costs no mana.
- Levels 12-16 — Spirit Tap (5): double Spirit for 15 seconds after each kill that gives experience, with half of your mana regeneration running even while you cast.
- Levels 17-18 — Improved Shadow Word: Pain (2): 6 more seconds on your most efficient spell, so one cast covers the whole fight.
- Levels 19-20 —
Shadow Reach (2): 20% more range on offensive Shadow spells. The enemy spends longer walking and less time hitting you. - Level 21 —
Shadow Focus (1/5): 1% hit, and the tenth Shadow point that opens the third row. - Level 22 — Mind Flay: a 3-second channel for only 45 mana that slows the target by 50%. The turning point of the build.
- Levels 23-24 —
Improved Mind Flay (2): +20% damage and 10 more yards of range. In exchange the slow drops from 50% to 20%. - Levels 25-26 — Shadow Focus (3/5): 3% hit in total, and the points that open the fourth row.
- Level 27 — Vampiric Embrace: for 30 seconds, 20% of your Shadow spell damage heals your whole party, you included. One-minute cooldown.
- Levels 28-30 —
Shadow Weaving (3): each Shadow spell raises your Shadow damage by 2% for 15 seconds, up to five times.
Want Mind Flay at level 20? Leave Wand Specialization for later and put your first ten points in Shadow. You lose wand damage in the teens, where it matters most, so we only suggest it with a poor wand. Prefer the strong slow? Skip Improved Mind Flay and spend those two points on 
Blackout, a chance to stun on every Shadow spell.
A Smite and wand build that keeps Spirit Tap for solo play. Its shields are stronger and its instant spells cheaper, which also makes it a very economical dungeon healer.
- Levels 10-11 — Wand Specialization (2): the same start as every solo Priest.
- Levels 12-16 — Spirit Tap (5): five points in Shadow that no leveling Priest regrets.
- Levels 17-19 —
Twin Disciplines (3/5): +3% damage and healing on instant spells: Shadow Word: Pain, 
Renew, Power Word: Shield. - Levels 20-22 — Improved Power Word: Shield (3): the shield absorbs 20% more.
- Levels 23-24 —
Holy Precision (2/3): a large hit bonus for Smite and Holy Fire, valuable against enemies above your level. - Levels 25-27 —
Mental Agility (3): Smite, Holy Fire and every instant spell cost 10% less. - Levels 28-30 — Meditation (3): half of your mana regeneration continues while casting, all the time, not only after a kill.
What about Penance? It needs 20 points in Discipline, so a level 30 character can only take it with all 21 points in the tree and no Spirit Tap. That is a fine choice for a dedicated dungeon healer and a poor one for solo questing. Once you have Holy Fire (level 20), Power in Light is also worth a look: +10% Smite damage on targets burning with your Holy Fire.
For players who level mostly in dungeons, or who simply like Smite. Everything here makes your Holy spells faster, more likely to crit, or cheaper.
- Levels 10-14 —
Holy Specialization (5): +5% critical chance on Holy spells, damage and healing alike. - Levels 15-19 —
Divine Fury (5): half a second off Smite, Holy Fire and 
Heal. - Levels 20-22 — Improved Renew (3): +15% healing from Renew, your cheapest way to top anyone up.
- Levels 23-24 —
Inspiration (2/3): your critical heals raise the target's armor for 15 seconds. Tanks love it. - Levels 25-26 —
Searing Light (2): +5% Holy damage. - Levels 27-29 —
Improved Healing (3): 
Lesser Heal and Heal cost 15% less. - Level 30 — Binding Heal: a 1.5-second cast that heals your target and yourself at once.
Playing solo with this tree? Do as the other builds do and put your first five points into Spirit Tap, then follow the order above; you end at Improved Healing instead of Binding Heal.
Bonus points from the Legacy perk Talented: Shadow takes Improved Mind Blast, Discipline goes on to 
Mental Strength, Holy adds 
Spiritual Guidance.
Playable Races
Six races can be Priests in Forever. Besides the usual racials, each race teaches two Priest spells of its own: one at level 10 and one at level 20. No choice is wrong. For the most comfortable leveling, take Dwarf or Gnome for the Alliance and Troll or Undead for the Horde.
Alliance — Human, Dwarf, Night Elf & Gnome
Dwarf
Desperate Prayer (level 10) is a free instant self-heal every 10 minutes, and Chastise (level 20) deals Holy damage and roots a Humanoid for 2 seconds. Stoneform removes Bleeds, Poisons and Diseases, and Big Game Hunter adds damage against Beasts.
Gnome new to Priest
Confounding Flash (level 10) confuses up to five nearby enemies for 3 seconds, and Contingency Plan (level 20) shields and heals an ally who drops below 35% Health. Expansive Mind gives 5% more mana, and Eureka! makes your next three direct damage or healing spells cheaper and stronger.
Human
Divine Grace (level 10) instantly heals an ally below half Health and clears Weakened Soul, and Feedback (level 20) burns the mana of anyone who casts on you. The Human Spirit (+5% Spirit) works well with Spirit Tap, and Will to Survive removes stuns.
Night Elf
Starshards (level 10) is a cheap 6-second Arcane channel that hits hard for its level, and Elune's Grace (level 20) halves your chance to be hit by melee and ranged attacks for 15 seconds. Elune's Light adds 10% critical strike chance for 15 seconds.
Horde — Troll & Undead
Troll
Hex of Weakness (level 10) lowers an enemy's attack power and the healing it receives, and Shadowguard (level 20) strikes back at attackers with Shadow damage. Berserking is 10% casting speed for 10 seconds, Beast Slaying 5% damage against Beasts, and Rapid Regeneration restores half your Health between pulls.
Undead
Touch of Weakness (level 10) punishes the next melee attacker, and Dark Sacrifice (level 20) trades Health for mana every 10 minutes. Cannibalize restores both Health and mana on a corpse, Touch of the Grave drains Health on some of your spells, and Will of the Forsaken removes Charm, Fear and Sleep.
Main Skills & Rotation
Keep 
Power Word: Fortitude and, from level 12, 
Inner Fire on yourself. Whatever your tree, one habit matters more than any other: stop casting when the enemy is nearly dead and let the wand finish it.
- From level 6, put Power Word: Shield on yourself before the pull. It lasts 30 seconds and you cannot be shielded again for 15 seconds after it is applied, so cast it early.
- From level 10, open with Mind Blast. Before that, open with Smite.
- Apply Shadow Word: Pain (level 4) right after.
- Cast Smite once or twice, or Mind Blast again if the fight lasts 8 seconds.
- Wand the enemy from about half Health. With Wand Specialization and Spirit Tap you often start the next fight with a full bar.
- Renew (level 8) if you took damage, and Psychic Scream (level 14) when two enemies are on you.
- Power Word: Shield before the pull.
- Open with Mind Blast from maximum range, then Shadow Word: Pain.
- Mind Flay (level 22) as the enemy walks toward you. One or two channels is usually all it takes.
- Mind Blast again when its 8-second cooldown ends, if the enemy still has enough Health to deserve it.
- Switch to the wand around a fifth of its Health, so that Spirit Tap starts with you already regenerating.
- From level 27, put Vampiric Embrace on tough enemies and on the first target of a double pull: 30 seconds of free healing every minute.
- Devouring Plague (level 20) is expensive and has a one-minute cooldown. Keep it for elites and bad pulls, where the healing it returns is worth the mana.
When an enemy reaches you: if the shield is still up, keep going. If it has broken, Psychic Scream costs less than a new shield and gives you 8 seconds of free casting. Be careful where you use it, since feared enemies run into their friends.
- Power Word: Shield before the pull.
- Open with Holy Fire (level 20) from maximum range: a long cast that also leaves a burn.
- Shadow Word: Pain, then Mind Blast if you have the mana for it.
- Smite until the enemy is at about a third of its Health. With Divine Fury the cast is 2 seconds.
- Finish with the wand.
- Against Undead,
Shackle Undead (level 20) takes one enemy out of a double pull for up to 30 seconds.
Holy Nova is an instant area spell, but it costs a great deal for what it does at this level. Leave that talent point for later.
Ability milestones
- Level 1: Smite, Lesser Heal, Power Word: Fortitude. Level 4: Shadow Word: Pain. Level 6: Power Word: Shield. Level 8: Renew and
Fade. - Level 10: Mind Blast,
Resurrection, your first racial Priest spell and your first talent point. - Level 12: Inner Fire. Level 14: Psychic Scream and
Cure Disease. Level 16: Heal. Level 18: 
Dispel Magic. - Level 20:
Flash Heal, Holy Fire, Devouring Plague, Fear Ward, Shackle Undead, 
Mind Soothe and your second racial spell. - Levels 22-24:
Mind Vision (22) and 
Mana Burn (24). - Level 30: Divine Spirit,
Mind Control, 
Prayer of Healing and 
Shadow Protection.
Things to Remember
- See your trainer every two levels. A Priest gains new ranks at almost every even level, and a new rank of Mind Blast or Power Word: Shield changes how fights go.
- Respect the five-second rule. Mana regeneration from Spirit stops for five seconds each time you spend mana. Cast your spells close together at the start of the fight, then wand: the wand does not interrupt regeneration.
- One enemy at a time. You can survive two, but the mana it costs usually means sitting down afterwards, which defeats the point.
- Kills must give experience for Spirit Tap. Grey enemies do not trigger it.
- Carry water anyway. Even a well-played Shadow Priest drinks now and then. A Mage friend, or the Cooking profession, saves a lot of silver.
- Buff strangers. Power Word: Fortitude lasts an hour and makes friends in every quest hub.
- Keep a food buff active. In Forever, food that grants a buff also gives 5% extra experience.
Stats to Prioritize
- Spirit — mana and Health regeneration. WithSpirit Tap doubling it after each kill, it is worth more to a leveling Priest than to any other caster.
- Intellect — a bigger mana pool and a little spell critical strike chance.
- Spell Power — more damage and healing on every cast. Rare before level 30, excellent whenever you find it.
- Stamina — Health for the moments when the shield breaks.
Gear tips
- The wand is your most important item. Look at its damage per second, not its stats. Enchanters craft the Lesser Magic Wand (level 5) and the Greater Magic Wand (level 13); buy them or ask for them the moment you can use them, then replace them with dungeon and quest wands.
- Your main-hand weapon is a stat stick. Pick it for Spirit and Intellect.
- Professions. Tailoring and Enchanting are the natural pair: you craft your own cloth armor and bags, turn spare quest rewards into materials, and make your own wands.
Tips & Tricks
Most of playing a Priest well is deciding when not to cast. Before each spell in a fight that is going your way, ask yourself:
- Will the enemy live long enough? A Shadow Word: Pain on a target at a third of its Health wastes most of its damage. A Mind Blast on an enemy the wand would kill in two shots is mana thrown away.
- Is this cast going to restart the five-second rule? Late in a fight, one more spell can cost you more regeneration than it saves in time.
- Shield again, or scream? When Power Word: Shield breaks in the middle of a fight, Psychic Scream is often the cheaper answer, provided nothing else is close enough to be pulled.
- Fade is for groups. It lowers your threat for 10 seconds, which does nothing when you are the only target.
- Heal between fights with Renew rather than a cast-time heal: it is cheap, and it ticks while you walk to the next enemy.
- Use your racial spell. Desperate Prayer, Starshards, Dark Sacrifice and the others are easy to forget on a second action bar, and several of them cost nothing.
In dungeons
Between levels 13 and 30 you can run Ragefire Chasm, The Hall of Thanes, Ruins of Lordaeron, Wailing Caverns, the Deadmines, Shadowfang Keep, the Stockade, Excavation Site: Wetlands and Blackfathom Deeps (see the dungeon guide). Any Priest can heal them, whatever the talents.
- Shield and Renew on the tank first, then Heal (level 16) for steady damage and Flash Heal (level 20) for emergencies. Lesser Heal remains the cheapest way to fill small gaps.
- Do not shield a Warrior tank on the pull unless you have to. In Forever absorbs no longer reduce the Rage a Warrior gains, so the shield is safe to use, but it is still mana you may want later.
- Dispel Magic and Cure Disease are part of the job. Read the debuffs on your party.
- Fade when healing pulls an enemy onto you, and stand where the tank can reach it.
- As Shadow in a damage role, keep Vampiric Embrace on the main target and watch your threat: Mind Blast generates a lot of it.
Macros
Wand
Targets the nearest enemy if you have none, then starts wanding. Pressing it again does not stop the wand.
#showtooltip Shoot /targetenemy [noexists] /cast !Shoot
Shield yourself without losing your target
Casts Power Word: Shield on a friendly mouseover if there is one, otherwise on yourself.
#showtooltip Power Word: Shield /cast [@mouseover,help,nodead][@player] Power Word: Shield
Mouseover heal
Heals the ally under your cursor, your friendly target, or yourself, in that order. Copy it for Renew, Heal and Lesser Heal.
#showtooltip Flash Heal /cast [@mouseover,help,nodead][help,nodead][@player] Flash Heal
Stop casting + Psychic Scream
Cancels the spell you are casting so the fear goes off at once.
#showtooltip Psychic Scream /stopcasting /cast Psychic Scream