Open the Shadow Magic tree Shadow is one of the three Priest talent trees in WoW Forever, with 17 talents. 4 are new in Forever and 3 changed their values from Classic; 10 more only moved in the tree. Its last tier needs 30 points in Shadow Magic, so it opens at level 40 at the earliest. The spellbook files 18 trained spells under Shadow Magic.
Roles in Forever
3Taunts
None detected
Threat
None detected
Healing
None detected
Priests continue to be the most versatile healer in World of Warcraft which is identifiably their most important strength.
Detected from spell effects for the Shadow Magic Priest talents and spells in game build 1.60.1.70707: taunt and threat effects, healing effects, and auras that add armour or resistance, defence, dodge, parry, block or absorb, or lower damage taken.
The Shadow Magic tree
17 Shadow Magic
0 pointsN marks a talent new in Forever, C a talent whose values changed from Classic. Hover, tap or focus a talent to read it.
New in Forever
Changed from Classic
When each tier opens
The earliest level, with every point in Shadow Magic: a tier needs the points shown, and points arrive at the levels the game sets. This is when, not what to take.
- Level 100 points: Shadow Focus, Blackout, Spirit Tap
- Level 155 points: Improved Mind Blast, Improved Shadow Word: Pain, Shadow Reach
- Level 2010 points: Improved Psychic Scream, Mind Flay, Improved Mind Flay
- Level 2515 points: Dark Inspiration, Vampiric Embrace, Shadow Weaving
- Level 3020 points: Silence, Devouring Contagion
- Level 3525 points: Early Demise, Darkness
- Level 4030 points: Shadowform
Shadow Magic spells
18-
Shadowfiendfrom level 1 - Shadow Word: Painfrom level 4, 8 ranks
-
Fadefrom level 8, 6 ranks -
Hex of Weaknessfrom level 10, 6 ranks -
Mind Blastfrom level 10, 9 ranks -
Touch of Weaknessfrom level 10, 6 ranks -
Psychic Screamfrom level 14, 4 ranks -
Dark Sacrificefrom level 20, 5 ranks · new in Forever -
Devouring Plaguefrom level 20, 6 ranks -
Mind Flayfrom level 20, 6 ranks · from a talent -
Mind Soothefrom level 20, 3 ranks -
Shadowguardfrom level 20, 6 ranks -
Mind Visionfrom level 22, 2 ranks -
Mind Controlfrom level 30, 3 ranks -
Shadow Protectionfrom level 30, 3 ranks -
Vampiric Embracefrom level 30 · from a talent -
Shadow Word: Deathfrom level 32, 4 ranks · new in Forever -
Prayer of Shadow Protectionfrom level 56
Best items by level
The highest scoring item you can wear in each slot at the level you pick; open a slot for its top 10. Score = each stat times its weight: Spell Power 1, Spell Damage 1, Intellect 0.8, Spirit 0.6, Stamina 0.4, Crit Rating (Spell) 0.5, Hit Rating (Spell) 0.7, Wand DPS 1.5. The weights are a starting point, not a simulation.
- ShirtNo stats to rank
- TabardNo stats to rank
Level 60 Human PriestShadow
61average item level
Main Hand
Clever Expeditionary's Spellblade
Binds when picked up
Main HandDagger
40 - 76 DamageSpeed 1.40
(41.4 damage per second)
+11 Intellect
+8 Stamina
+5 Spirit
Requires Level 58
Item Level 63
Comes from a world drop
Your set 100% of best in slot
Patch changes
12-
Fixed an issue where
Shadow Word: Death was not benefitting from 
Shadowform’s increase to critical strike damage. -
Fixed an issue where
Devouring Contagion was causing the bounced Devouring Plague to cost Mana, perform a cast animation, and put the caster’s Devouring Plague back on full cooldown. - Vampiric Embrace
Changed
Vampiric Embrace so that it can’t be resisted. - Vampiric Embrace Vampiric Embrace cooldown reduced to 30 seconds (was 1 minute).
- Fade
Improved Fade removed.
-
Shadow Infinity removed.
- Improved Mind Blast moved from Row 3 to Row 2.
-
New talent (Row 4):
Dark Inspiration – Your Mind Blast and fully channeled Mind Flay causes Dark Inspiration, increasing yours and your party’s Spirit by 3/6/9/12/15% for 10 seconds. -
Improved Mind Flay changes to: Each instance of damage of Mind Flay deals 10/20% more damage than its previous instance of damage. - Devouring Contagion now spreads to 2 targets.
-
Fixed an issue with
Shadow Weaving’s Tooltip. It now correctly states that it causes the target to take increased damage from you. - Shadow Weaving can no longer fail to apply.
From Blizzard's development notes of 16 October 2026 and 1 October 2026. All patch notes
Shadow questions
- How many talents does Shadow Priest have in WoW Forever?
- 17: 4 new in Forever, 3 changed in values from Classic, 10 as in Classic or only moved.
- What is the deepest Shadow talent?
- Shadowform, after 30 points in Shadow Magic.
- At what level can you reach the bottom of the Shadow tree?
- Level 40, if every point from the first goes into Shadow Magic.
- Which Shadow talents are new in Forever?
- Improved Mind Flay, Dark Inspiration, Devouring Contagion and Early Demise.
- Which Shadow spells are new in Forever?
- Dark Sacrifice and Shadow Word: Death.
- What did the latest patch notes change for Shadow?
- 12 lines across 2 posts: 1 buff, 0 nerfs.