Spiritual Guidance: BlizzCon players tell about their first priests
by Dawn Moore 
Oct 25th 2010 at 11:00AM
Originally this weekend, I had planned on writing a direct address to Blizzard concerning holy priest healing and mana in beta raids. The topic has been a large area of concern for priests on the forums lately, and I thought I should give the discussion a little boost by addressing it in my column. However, I am currently at BlizzCon 2010, and I happened to get the opportunity to talk to Ghostcrawler (lead systems design) in person for a few minutes. During that time, I relayed the general message of our problem (HPS is jank, mana needs work) and figured I'd give the Blizzard developers a week to attend to it before assailing them with complaints. Until then, I ask that my fellow priests not panic for a little while longer. In the words of Toby, who is pictured above, "Keep the faith!"
By the way, I'm starting a donation fund for BlizzCon 2011 to buy Ghostcrawler a fedora. Ghostcrawler would look awesome in a fedora.
Anyway, to tide you guys over until then, I figured this week I would attempt to entertain you all. At first, I thought I might try to be humorous, and then I remembered I'm not funny. (A priest walks into a bar and ... yeah, I got nothing.) So instead, I've decided to go with priest story time. Hit the jump to see what I mean.
I had the opportunity to meet and talk with numerous priests at BlizzCon 2010 this weekend, and it got me thinking, "How can I make this into something for the readers?" I came to a quick and obvious solution based on one of my favorite things to do for WoW Insider: Write Breakfast Topics. Breakfast Topics, if you don't know, are short and sweet posts designed to ask the readers a daily, morning question. Sometimes the question is simple, sometimes it's complex, but I always love how it gets the readers engaged and talking with one another. So I decided to employ this format for Spiritual Guidance this week -- but instead of just asking the readers, I asked the priests who I met at BlizzCon.
The questions I asked are as follows:
- When and why did you roll your first priest?
- Did you play any other video games or do something before that might have led to you choosing a priest?
- When and how did you know it was the class for you?
My first character ever was a night elf warrior. I had no idea how to play the game, but I was doing the whole melee thing and it bored the life out of me. Eventually I got to The Burning Crusade, and I abandoned it. So I said, "OK, I want to try something different. How about healing?" So what do you play when you want to heal? A priest! So I rolled this priest and I started leveling, but I had no clue what to do. So I put in some healing talents in random places, but I wasn't even healing 5-mans -- I was just being awesome on my own. Then my roommate came to me and said "No, no what are you doing? You have to level as shadow!" And I said, "What?" "No really, it's easier." "But I wanted to heal -- " "Yeah, yeah, you just change specs later." So I said OK and I respecced and I started playing shadow. Once I got to level 80, I was planning on switching back to healing -- but I never actually did it. I was having too much fun giving things diseases.
Derevka of Tales of a Priest OK, so Derevka wasn't actually at BlizzCon, but he and I tweet back and forth at one another, so I threw him in for some diversity.
I rolled my first priest back in June 2005. I originally started playing as a human mage in March 2005 on Eldre'thalas, then I started growing tired of that character and realized I had a good friend who was playing a druid on Bloodhoof. I said to him, "I don't want to play a mage. I want to try being a healer. What is a good class/race to play?" Remember, at that point, dwarves were the only race that had Fear Ward on Alliance side, and then Derevka was born: a blonde, busty, braid-twirling dwarf priestess.
I really started to realize that I enjoyed the priest class when I was running Zul'Farrak -- I just remember doing all the quests out in that area and healing this warrior tank in the dungeon. I just was doing my all to keep him alive. (If he was bad, or if I was bad ... who knows? But I had a blast doing it.) I realized I had to keep him and the rest of our group alive ... because if I failed; we all did. Fast forward to Molten Core ... Fear Ward was my guild's saving grace, and I had to be sure the tank had it. Move to Onyxia and Nefarian ... Fear Ward again! Huzzah! Derevka will save the day with her heals and her wards! Then to Twin Emps; having to stay within range of your tanks, but also mindful of the scarabs. Cast ... cancel ... cast ... cancel! Hey -- I kinda like this! Twin Emps died and I was one of the few healers still alive. I wasn't just a Fear Warding gimmick; I was a priest.
Through all the changes from vanilla, to TBC with Circle of Healing being THE raid-saver, to Wrath with Power Word: Shield for Infest ... Priests are so versatile, have always kept my interest, and all while needing to be sure you have the safety and wellbeing of your raid in the forefront of your mind.
Lawliepop of <Blood Legion> I haven't mentioned Lawliepop before (though I think I may have mentioned Blood Legion), so let me tell you who she is, just in case you don't know. Lawliepop is the co-GM of the raiding guild Blood Legion, a guild that has repeatedly held its top ranking in progression raiding for longer than I know. When I was a noob raiding priest, dealing with all the trials and tribulations of being a female raider (we're not going to go into that right now though), I heard about Lawliepop and she instantly became my hero. I built her up in my mind as this goddess priest, and whenever I stumbled upon something she wrote, I would soak it up like a Luffa (sorry, I couldn't resist.) Anyway, so I finally got to meet Lawliepop at BlizzCon this year, and after gushing at her and apologizing for being starstruck, I finally asked her these questions.
If you think her response is a little dry (which as I transcribed it, I realized it was), I promise that our conversation warmed up over the next few minutes. She's super-cool though, I swear! We talked about theory, raiding and other fun stuff off record, and I talked to her about doing another article in the future. [Insert the noise of Dawn squealing happily here.] I also talked to Firstaidspec from Blood Legion, and though I won't publish his answers here for brevity, I wanted to let you guys know I may haggle some theory out of him come Cataclysm. He's quite good.I first started playing my priest maybe two weeks after release. I had initially leveled a druid to level 50 or something like that, but to play with some friends who weren't leveling with my guild, I started a priest on another server and I really liked it. I had suspected I might want to be a healer, because back in Lineage 2 -- which I played before World of Warcraft -- I played my friend's healer occasionally and I kind of liked it. I knew that I definitely wanted to do some sort of support though, which was complicated in WoW since there weren't any support classes. I had done DPS for so long so I wanted to do that.
When I hit level 60, I couldn't see myself playing anything else. I could play a tank or alt, but I don't have a compelling reason to switch. I like priests.
Finally, I guess there is me. I rolled my priest in the spring of 2006, but it was an alt, and I never got her to level cap. I rolled her because my then-boyfriend and I were both DPS (him a rogue, and me a balance druid) and we were tired of always waiting around for groups. I had played a healer previously in Phantasy Star Online, but typically I was a caster DPS, so rolling healer was a bit weird for me.
It took me a long time to realize priest was the class for me. I was playing my fourth priest as an alt to my rogue, and my friends continually asked me to come heal for them. I enjoyed healing groups, but for the most part I wanted to play a DPS. Then one day, I saw the arena Season 3 helm (which shares the model for tier 6) and decided I was going to have to PvP in order to get it. PvP was the first time I went disc, and I found that I loved switching between healing and damage. I loved the pacing of PvP and that I had to push myself and still was nowhere close to mastering it. Once I started healing PvE as disc, I started to enjoy PvE differently as well. Patch 3.0.2, and the introduction of Penance sealed the deal, and it's been mostly priests ever since.
So now it's your turn, readers! Answer the questions I listed above in the comments. Let's hear your origin story!
Want more tips for carrying out your priestly duties? Spiritual Guidance has you covered. Check out Holy 101 or Disc 101 for an introduction to healing as a priest; for the party-minded healer, see a priest's guide to tanks.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
h3lladvocate Oct 25th 2010 11:06AM
I think I love you for talking to GC about our problems
h3lladvocate Oct 25th 2010 11:08AM
Gah, my answers weren't posted =( SORRY. Ill repost
1. Actually just a few months ago. Got sick of being dps and tanking, and priests were the most versatile healer to me.
2. Not really, every time I played DnD i HATED being the healer, and most other fantasy based games I immediately go for the mage/warlock like class. Although that has changed now (priest for LIFE
quasarsglow Oct 25th 2010 11:08AM
You know, I was really hoping for a Dawn Moore vs Fox Van Allen Epic Rap Battle.
sigh
Iirdan Oct 25th 2010 11:15AM
Van Allen's got no Discipline.
He doesn't know that Holy is where it's been.
"Moore just needs to feel the Shadow
No more healing chipmunks and squirrels in the meadow."
Shadow just wants to be a warlock
None of it works, it's all total crock.
"Your argument's invalid because my name is Fox,
just get with it - Shadow rocks."
h3lladvocate Oct 25th 2010 11:09AM
3. Not really sure how I figured that out. I guess its a combination of how much I love healing, and how good I surprisingly am at it. I like the responsibility it gives me and the leadership that has fallen in my lap of helping the other healers out with strats and such. That and my ICC 10 Glory of the Raider. That helps me love my priest even more =)
EDIT: Wow... so sorry for the triple response. I figured out the problem, one of my emotes was treated as HTML and made the comment thingy explode.... I've learned my lesson
TonyMcS Oct 25th 2010 10:38PM
Had an ally priest for years and one on Horde, both Shadow. Rescued one and brought him to the Horde so ended up with 2 Horde priests.
When Dual spec came, made one Disc and one Holy. Have been actively playing both for the past 6-8 months and like being able to choose a priest (although Disc is currently my favorite). Found the bgs perfect for practice and the high level PvP gear a good antidote for the GearScore fanatics. Both priests are also shadow so I get to do the occasional PvE and questing as DPS. However, I've found Disc to be quite good for PvE dps, so I'm rarely shadow anymore. Really enjoying the changes and I've even gone back to my Tree (or 30 secs of it) instead of staying boomkin all the time.
Healing rocks atm ;-)
Debesun Oct 25th 2010 11:10AM
"By the way, I'm starting a donation fund for BlizzCon 2011 to buy Ghostcrawler a fedora. Ghostcrawler would look awesome in a fedora."
Post details and I'll gladly fund such a noble cause.
Kurly Oct 25th 2010 11:36AM
My first toon was a Dwarf hunter that I leveled to 70 with a mage friend. neither of us raided at the time so we were bored and wanted to level new toons. He chose a Dranei Warrior and I chose a Human priest that I leveled as Shadow. I figured he could hold mobs in place while I burned them and healed as needed.
We leveled both toons to 70, then joined a larger guild so we could raid. They were short healers so they convinced me to respec (this was before dual spec) and I've been healing ever since.
brian Oct 25th 2010 12:09PM
Till then, there's always photoshop :P
You know, because we'd want to get him the right color. Try it out and stuff.
panteraslams Oct 25th 2010 3:38PM
Just wanted to "throw my hat in the ring" /end Pun....
My father in law actually HAND MAKES Fedoras, in fact he made all the ones for Harrison Ford in the last Indiana Jones movie. Not bad for a self taught man from Mississippi, lol. So get GC a hat deserving of the man that still owes me a moose.
http://adventurebilthats.com/
RussGreene Oct 27th 2010 9:12AM
You're right, actually; I think GC would look *bitchin'* in a fedora. It compliments the shape of his head perfectly.
Where do I send the paypal money?
Bluriel Oct 26th 2010 6:46AM
I rolled my current priestess quite late... Towards the end of TBC... I was actively playing/raiding as mage and lock, and when the Shattered Sun came with new shinies, everyone instantly started farming badges again. One of my best friends plays a pally tank, geared more then enough to put up with my crazy AoEs (actually - we're still debating which one of us lacked more sanity still).
Our only problem was to find a healer to put up with us, since we REALLY never stopped, he kept pulling groups, I kept waiting to see the 2nd consa on ground and after that just kept seeding corruption. Obviously most healers just rage quit our group after first couple of pulls - although we were not complete jerks - and we extremely rarely ever died - but we were just... fast paced.
And then there she was - a shy guildie priestess fresh to 70 - poor soul didn;t get a single mana break all through Shattered Halls - her only reaction at end was "YOU're MAD!" - and our only reply was - "so... ready for another run?"
2 days later I started my priestess. She is holy/disc. And I love her :)
That about it :)
Fletcher Oct 25th 2010 11:21AM
I became a priest pretty much by process of elimination. I'd gotten a draenei paladin and a night elf rogue to 80, and then I came up with the Perfect Name For A Forsaken™ (so perfect that I had to use stupid diacriticals to get the name, alas - some blaggard had taken it first). I have never been a big fan of the Forsaken, but the Name was Perfect and I wanted to try it.
I knew I wanted a cloth-wearer, because I hate the way the Forsaken's knees stick out. I've never managed to roll a warlock to level 10, largely because I hate the imp, and at that time I was still scared of rolling a mage, because my previous attempts had ended getting eaten by troggs or kobolds in Loch Modan. So I rolled a priest and went shadow, because I'd heard that that was the best for leveling and because I wasn't confident enough to heal.
Thankfully the Blood Elf starting area was available, liberating me from the Forsaken's "Lololol we so evil" or the Kalimdor horde's "HULK SMASH!". I probably wouldn't have got her past 20 if I'd been forced to level in the nasty, hateful, depressing Forsaken zones.
Anyway I leveled her all the way to 80, with my heart set upon the shiny shiny endgame priest tier set ... only to realize, when I got there, that the set I loved so much was tier *eight* ... whereas everyone was now wearing the warlock-esque Horde tier nine or the mage-like Alliance tier nine.
Eventually, of course, I obtained through dint of much effort with the two frosts a day available without raiding, a complete set of tier ten, which I still have. It is completely uninspired and boring and I still wish I had that beautiful tier eight.
With the news that Disc was now crazy effective as a leveling spec, I started a second priest shortly before 4.0.1 hit. It is indeed crazy effective! My blood elf priestess is now sitting at level 31, waiting for Cataclysm before she heads to Stranglethorn Vale to level in a zone that's not full of "Lololol evil" or "HULK SMASH!" ... which will, apparently, be harder to find in Cataclysm, more's the pity.
SpaceGoatPriest Oct 25th 2010 11:23AM
My first priest was mid-wayish through BC. We did not have a shadow priest raiding with us (I was a fuzzy bear at the time, but we had more tanks than we needed). I level up this alt, but as time went by (and bear tanks went through the crazy start of Wrath), I just stopped playing him. My priest alt had become my main. I am disco/shadow (but primarily shadow, sorry Dawn), and I think priests are the best class in the game.
I never played anything like a priest before. Being able to deal damage and heal in a single toon is really cool. I have other alts, but they all really pale in comparison to my priest.
With the recent changes I have been able to solo more and more things (Inner fire not having charges is one change that comes to mind for soloing). I can solo Anzu now, but I generally take my holy priest friend with me. We duo all kinds of "older" content together (ZG, Kara, Anzu, etc). Instead of a Monk class, they should just let priests tank :)
roseclown Oct 25th 2010 11:23AM
Actually, I don't have a priest. But I will be one come Cataclysm.
You see, I have only been on for almost a year. I leveled my hunter to 80, got a little bored and hated my server, so I rolled a BE paladin for lulz (I play a fem troll hunter. And a fem Dwarf Rogue. So yeah.) on a server to inspect it, and found myself ADORING healing. Adoring. It.
Well, I soon grew bored with my pally, transferred my hunter over, and ended up deleting the level 40 paladin. I kept my eyes open for a healing class/race combo, but none appealed to me. Until cataclysm. It started with two lovely words.
Goblin. Priest. My instant love was spawned from the instant connection my brain made; the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch. What is more Goblin-priest-y than that?
Not to mention the Tauren paladin, but the priest will be my main. And I will enjoy shielding while running around and cackling in glee on BG's, and being a tiny green powerhouse of healing in PvE.
And being naughty in my site, thy enemies will snuff it. Amen.
Tomaj Oct 26th 2010 12:26AM
*Holy Hand Grenade of Azeroth.
Seriously, this item needs to be in game.
roseclown Oct 26th 2010 12:27AM
Yes. Yes we do.
roseclown Oct 25th 2010 1:24PM
Sorry, meant -
Yes. Yes it does.
/curses swimmy sick head
Owen Oct 25th 2010 11:24AM
P.S.O is the reason why I play both a Priest and WoW. Much love Dawn.
Wellsee Oct 25th 2010 11:31AM
I started a priest when I first started WoW, and was completely ignorant of how WoW works. I thought I was creating a D&D style cleric! I was so bummed to learn that priests never got beyond wearing dresses.
Now my main is a different priest, who is Shadow and doesn't know what to do with those heal buttons.