The Best Priest Runes in Season of Discovery

Often regarded as the all-around best Healing class in World of Warcraft, the Priest gets some powerful buffs to both its Discipline and Holy specs – but Blizzard didn’t leave Shadow in the dust. In fact, with the new Priest SoD Runes, Shadow shows some serious DPS potential. But ultimately, the best Priest Runes are still healing and support-based.

World of Warcraft: The Best Classes for Hardcore Mode

The best Hardcore World of Warcraft classes are those that can easily survive to max level, if players can manage their playstyles – and their pets.

Though many of these WoW Priest Runes have been found, their effects and power levels will change as the Season of Discovery progresses. Because only one Rune can be equipped to each slot, each section below ranks Priest Runes against other Runes within the same gear category.

Updated November 6, 2023 by Erik Petrovich: Now that the Season of Discovery is in full swing a week after launch, all Priest Runes SoD players can get have been found. Some are easy to get, and players will practically stumble across some Priest SoD Runes in the starting zones, while others can only be used after long questlines (and long journeys across Azeroth). This guide to the best SoD Priest Runes has been updated with all Discovery methods – but players who want to preserve the sense of adventure and mystery need not avert their gaze. Though the names and effects are spoiled below, the methods to get each of the best Priest Runes in SoD are hidden by default. Only reveal this information if you are truly stumped on how to get the best Priest Runes WoW SoD offers.

This guide to the best Priest Runes in WoW SoD covers all 12 Phase One Runes. Later in the Season, check back for information on the best SoD Priest Runes for other equipment slots when the 40, 50, and 60 level brackets unlock in later Phases.

Priest Chest Runes, Ranked

Serendipity, Strength of Soul, Twisted Faith, & Void Plague

Of the four Chest Runes Priests gain in SoD, two are DPS oriented, and two are Support/Healing oriented. For healers, Serendipity can be helpful in some endgame group content, as Flash Heal used on non-Tanks will empower the next direct Tank heal. However, the other Support option, Strength of Soul, is going to be more powerful choice. This Rune reduces the cooldown on healing targets’ Weakened Soul debuff, letting them take advantage of spells like Power Word: Shield more often.

For DPS Runes, Shadow Priests gain Twisted Faith and Void Plague. Twisted Faith increases Mind Flay and Mind Blast damage against targets with Shadow Word: Pain, but the boost is only 20% for these two abilities. Void Plague, on the other hand, is a powerful DoT that complements’ the spec’s other DoT spells, and works naturally in the Shadow Priest rotation.

Serendipity

WoW Rune Guides Spoiler Text Click To Reveal Hidden Expandable-3

Purchased from Grizzby in the Ratchet Inn after completing a series of quests requiring several items – 24 Fish Oil, 20 Dark Iron Ordinance, and 16 Shredder Turbochargers. Players have at least 5 Gold to interact with Grizzby.

Serendipity Effect	Healing with Flash Heal reduces the cast time of your next Lesser Heal, Heal, Greater Heal, or Prayer of Healing by 20% for 20 sec, stacking up to 3 times.

Twisted Faith

Memory of a Devout Champion

Dwarf characters must kill Kobolds in the southern Caves to get an Offering Coin, then throw it into a Well near the entrance

Human characters must kill the elite enemy Undying Laborer in the Gold Coast Quarry with Holy Damage

Night Elf characters must kill Naga in Darkshore to get the Shatterspear Offering, then offer it to a statue underwater near the Ruins of Mathystra

Troll characters must kill Razormane enemies in the Barrens to get the Helping Hand, then use Resurrection on an ally to be able to use it

Undead characters must kill the elite enemy named Wailing Spirit, found in Silverpine Forest

Twisted Faith Effect	Mind Flay and Mind Blast deal 20% increased damage to targets afflicted with your Shadow Word: Pain.

Void Plague

Dwarf characters must kill Leper Gnomes

Human characters must kill Goldtooth

Night Elf characters can find the Rune in a bootable container in the bottom of the Furbolg Cave in Teldrassil

Troll characters must kill Kil Tiras enemies near Razor Hill

Undead characters must kill the unique elite enemy Gillgar in Tirisfal Glades

Void Plague Effect	Afflicts the target with a disease that causes Shadow damage over 18 sec.

Strength of Soul

Prophecy of Seven Visitors

All characters must gain the Primal Insight item from Thistlefur mobs (only in Ashenvale) then use the item on a Dreamcatcher found in a tree above the entrance to the giant Thistlefur cave. Priests must have two Meditation Buffs active.

Strength of Soul Effect	Lesser Heal, Heal, Greater Heal, and Flash Heal reduce the remaining duration of Weakened Soul on targets they heal by 4 sec. In addition, targets of your Power Word: Shield will gain Rage from taking damage despite the damage being absorbed Righteous Fury will trigger from damage absorbed by your Power Word: Shield as if it were a heal.

Priest Legs Runes, Ranked

Homunculi, Power Word: Barrier, Prayer of Mending, & Shared Pain

World of Warcraft Season of Discovery WoW SoD Priest Rune Engravings Runes Ranked Gloves Icons-1

The four Legs Runes Priests have in SoD, once again, include two DPS and two Healing oriented options. The two Healing Runes are Power Word: Barrier and Prayer of Mending. Power Word: Barrier has its uses, especially in PvP to protect Spellcasters from having delayed spellcasts. But it’s just not as useful as Prayer of Mending, a healing buff that jumps from party member to party member as they take damage.

World of Warcraft: How to Make Gold in Hardcore Mode

Making money in Classic World of Warcraft is hard enough. In Hardcore, players have to worry about losing it all, but the economy is a bit different.

The two DPS Runes available to Priests are Shared Pain and Homunculi. We’ve seen Shared Pain in later expansions, which makes Shadow Word: Pain jump to two additional targets on cast. But as nice as it is to mass DoT enemies, the potential of the brand-new Homunculi Rune has yet to be seen. The fact that the summoned Homunculi reduce the targets’ core stats and deal damage makes it one of the most interesting Runes available to the class, and one that every Priest should try out at least once.

Power Word: Barrier

Prophecy of a City Enthralled

All characters must kill Blackrock Shadowcasters in Redridge Mountains, while two Meditation Buffs are active, to acquire the Prophecy

Power Word: Barrier Effect	Summons a holy barrier to protect all party members at the target location for 10 sec, reducing all damage taken by 25% and preventing damage from delaying spellcasting.

Shared Pain

Memory of an Imprisoned Savior

Dwarf characters must kill Captain Beld, an elite in Dun Morogh

Human characters must kill Kobold Miners in Elwynn Forest

Night Elf characters must kill Lord Melenas in Teldrassil

Troll characters must kill Makasgar or Gazz’uzz, elites found in Durotar

Undead characters must kill Tirisfal Farmers in northwestern Tirisfal Glades

Shared Pain Effect	Your Shadow Word: Pain now also afflicts up to 2 additional nearby targets within 15 yards.

Homunculi

Prophecy of a Desecrated Citadel

Dwarf characters must kill Frostmane Seers or Frostmane Shadowcasters in Dun Morogh

Human characters must kill Defias Rogue Wizards just north of Eastvale Logging Camp in Elwynn

Night Elf characters must defeat Sprites in the Fel Rock Cave in Teldrassil

Troll characters must kill Voodoo Trolls on the Echo Isles, just outside Senjin Village

Undead characters must kill Scarlet enemies in the Solliden Farmstead

Homunculi Effect	Break off splinters of your soul to animate 3 miniature copies of yourself that attempt to attack your current target with a mace, sword, and axe Reduces the attack speed, attack power, and armor respectively of any target the Homunculi hit.

Prayer of Mending

All characters must complete a Ritual of Mending on adventurer’s Remains found in starting zones. These Riturla must be completed with another Healer (Priest, Druid, or Paladin) to spawn a unique elite mob, but credit goes to all party members.

Prayer of Mending Effect	Places a spell on the target that heals them the next time they take damage or receive healing. When the healing occurs, Prayer of Mending jumps to a party or raid member within 20 yards. Jumps up to 5 times and lasts 30 sec after each jump. This spell can only be placed on one target at a time.

Priest Gloves Runes, Ranked

Circle of Healing, Mind Sear, Penance, & Shadow Word: Death

World of Warcraft Season of Discovery WoW SoD Priest Rune Engravings Runes Ranked Legs Icons-1

Priests are great healers in vanilla World of Warcraft, and their base spell list already gives them plenty of ways to deal with healing in multiple situations. There is only really one true support rune in the Gloves Runes for Priests, in the form of Circle of Healing. This AoE heal gives a lot of HP back to party members in a huge area, but it’s not exactly the most novel spell. Penance, on the other hand, works as both a direct heal or damage spell, based on the target, and repeats twice after being cast.

The two damage-based Gloves Runes Priests can get are Mind Sear and Shadow Word: Death. Mind Sear will certainly be the most useful spell to Shadow Priests looking to up their damage numbers in group settings, but Shadow Word: Death will significantly speed up leveling as a way to quickly finish off low-HP enemies.

Circle of Healing

Prophecy of a Thousand Lights

All characters must kill Defias Night Runners and Enchanters in Duskwood to get Dark Insight. Bring this item to a grave far northeast of Darkshire, and the Rune will be rewarded – this is another one that Priests can only get if they have two Meditation Buffs active

Circle of Healing Effect	Heals all of target player’s party members within 40 yards.

Penance

Memory of a Troubled Acolyte

All characters learn this Rune after completing the Level 2 quest that introduces the Rune system. Priests must /kneel at different Altars near the quest givers to learn how to Meditate, and earn Penance.

Penance Effect	Launches a volley of holy light at the target, causing Holy damage to an enemy, or healing to an ally, instantly and again every 1 sec for 2 sec.

Shadow Word: Death

Prophecy of a King’s Demise

Alliance players can loot the Rune from the elite Leprithus in Westfall, by interacting with an Orb on an island near Auberdine, or by performing a /kneel at the Heretic Idol in northeastern Loch Modan. Must have two Meditation Buffs active.

Horde players must kill Thule Ravenclaw in Silverpine Forest, or look for the Desert Mirage near Ratchet and use Dispel on it.

Shadow Word: Death Effect	A word of dark binding that inflicts massive Shadow damage to the target. If the target is not killed by Shadow Word: Death, the caster takes damage equal to the damage inflicted upon the target.

Mind Sear

Purchased from Waylaid Supply vendors after reaching Honored with the new faction, the Azeroth Commerce Authority/Durotar Supply and Logistics.

Mind Sear Effect	Causes an explosion of shadow magic around the enemy target, causing Shadow damage every 1 sec for 5 sec to all enemies within 10 yards around the target.

World of Warcraft

Platform(s): PC
Released: November 23, 2004
Developer(s): Blizzard
ESRB: T for Teen: Blood and Gore, Crude Humor, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence (online interactions not rated)