Leveling Your Priest: Levels 11-20
Juggynaut
By now, you've been a Priest for 10 levels, and if not, check out the first part of our guide covering what you need to know for those levels.
It is widely accepted that Blizzard has made quests more streamlined in the new Burning Crusade areas. So even if you're Undead, you might want to consider traveling to the Blood Elf starting area. Alliance can go to the Azuremyst Isle via boat from Auberdine in Darkshore. Instances that will benefit you around level 15 include Deadmines (in southwest Westfall) for Alliance and Ragefire Chasm (under Orgrimmar) for the Horde. At around 17 you can begin to instance in Wailing Caverns in the Barrens just outside the Crossroads, but that instance is tough to get to for Alliance.
When leveling, gear is important, but it isn't something to really focus on until you reach level 70, when gear can give you superior advantages over other level 70 players. Focus primarily on your base stats while leveling since those will improve your game the most. Holy priests should focus on intelligence, spirit, and stamina with an eye out for +healing. Shadow priests should focus on the same base stats with an eye out for +spell damage.
Inner Fire is great for decreasing the amount of damage inflicted on you and can be improved through the Discipline talent tree.
Cure Disease is good for when you or friendly targets are inflicted by a disease, but this is situational.
Psychic Scream is a great spell for PvP, but hardly ever used in instance runs as it will most likely aggro other mobs.
Heal is essentially an improvement on your Lesser Heal spell. This will be your main healing spell for the next few levels and is still valuable at higher levels as a minimum mana usage option.
Dispel Magic removes harmful spells from a friend or beneficial spells from an enemy. This will become a very important PvP and often used in PvE since magic is one of the main categories of spells used in the game.
Fear Ward is a good PvP buff, and is useful for those situations in groups where the enemy fears, so the tank doesn't drop aggro.
Flash Heal is a faster version of the Heal spell, this spell is criticized as being inefficient in mana usage and it doesn't get a very good percentage of your +heals. Only use this when quick heals are called for.
Holy Fire is a long spell to cast, so this is great for pulling while soloing.
Mind Soothe soothes the target, reducing the range at which it will attack you by 10 yards.
Shackle Undead is a good crowd control spell in instances with undead NPCs.
At level 20 you'll also get your second racial spell.
Blood Elf-Consume Magic: Dispels one beneficial Magic effect from the caster and gives them mana. 2 min cooldown.
Troll- Shadowguard: The caster is surrounded by shadows. When a melee or ranged attacker hits the caster, the attacker will be struck for Shadow damage. Attackers can only be damaged once every few seconds. 3 charges. Lasts 10 minutes.
Undead- Devouring Plague: Afflicts the target with a disease that causes Shadow damage over 24 seconds. Damage caused by the Devouring Plague heals the caster.
Draenei/Dwarf- Chastise: Chastise the target, causing Holy damage and Incapacitates them for up to 2 sec. Any damage caused will awaken the target. Only works against Humanoids. This spell causes very low threat.
Human- Feedback: The priest becomes surrounded with anti-magic energy. Any successful spell cast against the priest will burn attacker's Mana, causing 1 Shadow damage for each point of Mana burned. Lasts 15 sec.
Night Elf- Elune's Grace: Reduce chance to be hit by melee and ranged attacks by 20% for 15 seconds.
After level 20, new Priest spells are pretty sporadic. For our guide covering your next levels, head to Leveling Your Priest: Levels 21-57
It is widely accepted that Blizzard has made quests more streamlined in the new Burning Crusade areas. So even if you're Undead, you might want to consider traveling to the Blood Elf starting area. Alliance can go to the Azuremyst Isle via boat from Auberdine in Darkshore. Instances that will benefit you around level 15 include Deadmines (in southwest Westfall) for Alliance and Ragefire Chasm (under Orgrimmar) for the Horde. At around 17 you can begin to instance in Wailing Caverns in the Barrens just outside the Crossroads, but that instance is tough to get to for Alliance.
When leveling, gear is important, but it isn't something to really focus on until you reach level 70, when gear can give you superior advantages over other level 70 players. Focus primarily on your base stats while leveling since those will improve your game the most. Holy priests should focus on intelligence, spirit, and stamina with an eye out for +healing. Shadow priests should focus on the same base stats with an eye out for +spell damage.
Level 12
Inner Fire is great for decreasing the amount of damage inflicted on you and can be improved through the Discipline talent tree.
Level 14
Cure Disease is good for when you or friendly targets are inflicted by a disease, but this is situational.
Psychic Scream is a great spell for PvP, but hardly ever used in instance runs as it will most likely aggro other mobs.
Level 16
Heal is essentially an improvement on your Lesser Heal spell. This will be your main healing spell for the next few levels and is still valuable at higher levels as a minimum mana usage option.
Level 18
Dispel Magic removes harmful spells from a friend or beneficial spells from an enemy. This will become a very important PvP and often used in PvE since magic is one of the main categories of spells used in the game.
Level 20
Fear Ward is a good PvP buff, and is useful for those situations in groups where the enemy fears, so the tank doesn't drop aggro.
Flash Heal is a faster version of the Heal spell, this spell is criticized as being inefficient in mana usage and it doesn't get a very good percentage of your +heals. Only use this when quick heals are called for.
Holy Fire is a long spell to cast, so this is great for pulling while soloing.
Mind Soothe soothes the target, reducing the range at which it will attack you by 10 yards.
Shackle Undead is a good crowd control spell in instances with undead NPCs.
At level 20 you'll also get your second racial spell.
Blood Elf-Consume Magic: Dispels one beneficial Magic effect from the caster and gives them mana. 2 min cooldown.
Troll- Shadowguard: The caster is surrounded by shadows. When a melee or ranged attacker hits the caster, the attacker will be struck for Shadow damage. Attackers can only be damaged once every few seconds. 3 charges. Lasts 10 minutes.
Undead- Devouring Plague: Afflicts the target with a disease that causes Shadow damage over 24 seconds. Damage caused by the Devouring Plague heals the caster.
Draenei/Dwarf- Chastise: Chastise the target, causing Holy damage and Incapacitates them for up to 2 sec. Any damage caused will awaken the target. Only works against Humanoids. This spell causes very low threat.
Human- Feedback: The priest becomes surrounded with anti-magic energy. Any successful spell cast against the priest will burn attacker's Mana, causing 1 Shadow damage for each point of Mana burned. Lasts 15 sec.
Night Elf- Elune's Grace: Reduce chance to be hit by melee and ranged attacks by 20% for 15 seconds.
After level 20, new Priest spells are pretty sporadic. For our guide covering your next levels, head to Leveling Your Priest: Levels 21-57
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