Best race for a Priest in WoW Forever: every racial compared

A Priest is a Human, Dwarf, Night Elf, or Gnome on the Alliance side and an Undead or Troll on the Horde side. Each race also teaches a Priest two spells of its own, listed below. For more Mana and cheaper, stronger non-periodic damaging or healing abilities on demand, play a Gnome. For Health from your damage, play an Undead. For Mana regeneration from Spirit, play a Human.

What changes with the October 15 beta update?

The October 15 beta update changes these racials for a Priest's races. The racial texts further down are the versions before this update.

• Human: Sword Specialization is replaced by Ruthless: 2% more critical strike chance.
• Dwarf: Mace Specialization is replaced by Earth Fury: 2% more critical strike damage and healing. Find Treasure also gives a chance to find additional items in most chests.
• Night Elf: The movement speed from Quickness now stacks with other movement speed increases.
• Gnome: Eureka! now lasts 8 seconds and has no charges; its effect on damage, healing and ability costs stays the same, and it now also benefits Power Word: Shield.
• Undead: Touch of the Grave triggers more consistently: a 30% chance for a Priest, with an internal cooldown of 25 seconds. Its drain no longer grows with Shadow damage increases on you or the target, and no longer deals less damage when a lower rank of a spell triggers it. Will of the Forsaken can no longer be used while Scatter Shot is on you.
• Troll: The Health regeneration bonuses of Regeneration rise to 20%.

Which race gives a Priest what?

• Mana, damage and healing: Gnome. Expansive Mind: Maximum Mana increased by 5%. Eureka!: Your next 3 non-periodic damaging or healing abilities have their Mana cost reduced by 10% and deal 10% more damage or healing.
• Health from damage: Undead. A Priest gets this version of Touch of the Grave: Your spells and attacks have a 10% chance to drain Health from the target, up to 5% of your maximum Health. Spells and abilities without a damage component cannot trigger it. Shadow Word: Pain can trigger it when cast, but not from its periodic damage.
• Mana regeneration: Human. The Human Spirit: Spirit increased by 5%. Spirit raises your Health and Mana regeneration.
• Health and Mana from a corpse: Undead. Cannibalize: When activated, regenerates 7% of total Health and 7% of total Mana every 2 sec for 10 seconds. Only works on Humanoid or Undead corpses within 5 yds. Any movement, action, or damage taken while Cannibalizing will cancel the effect.
• Casting speed: Troll. Berserking (Instant; cooldown: 3 minutes) increases your spellcasting and attack speed.
• Critical strike: Night Elf. Elune's Light (cooldown: 3 minutes): Increases your critical strike chance with all spells and attacks by 10% for 15 seconds.
• Stealth: Night Elf. Shadowmeld grants Stealth until you move or cancel it.

Which spells does each race teach a Priest?

For spells with multiple ranks, the values below are for the first rank.

• Human
  • Feedback: The priest becomes surrounded with anti-magic energy. Any successful spell cast against the priest will burn 18 of the attacker's Mana, causing 1 Shadow damage for each point of Mana burned. Lasts 15 seconds.
  • Divine Grace: Instantly heals a friendly target below 50% Health for 144 to 182 and removes Weakened Soul from that target. Cannot be cast on self.
• Dwarf
  • Desperate Prayer: Instantly heals the caster for 144 to 182.
  • Chastise: Chastise the target, causing 43 to 49 Holy damage and immobilizing them for up to 2 seconds. Only works against Humanoids. This spell causes very low threat.
• Night Elf
  • Starshards: Rains starshards down on the enemy target's head, causing 162 Arcane damage over 6 seconds.
  • Elune's Grace: Reduces the chance you'll be hit by melee and ranged attacks by 50% for 15 seconds or until you are missed 3 times.
• Gnome
  • Contingency Plan, in the Priest spellbook
  • Confounding Flash: Confuses up to 5 enemies within 8 yds for 3 seconds. Any damage taken will break the effect.
• Undead
  • Touch of Weakness: The next melee attack against the caster will cause 8 Shadow damage and reduce the attacker's melee attack power by 43 for 2 minutes.
  • Dark Sacrifice, in the Priest spellbook
• Troll
  • Shadowguard: The caster is surrounded by shadows. When a spell, melee or ranged attack hits the caster, the attacker will be struck for 13 Shadow damage. Attackers can only be damaged once every few seconds. This damage causes no threat. 3 charges. Lasts 10 minutes.
  • Hex of Weakness: Weakens the target enemy, reducing melee attack power by 43 and reducing the effectiveness of any healing by 20%. Lasts 2 minutes.

Which racial frees a Priest from which effect?

• Human: Will to Survive. Instantly removes all Stun effects.
• Gnome: Escape Artist. Instantly escape the effects of any movement impairing effect and gain immunity to those effects for 3 seconds.
• Undead: Will of the Forsaken. Instantly removes all Charm, Fear and Sleep effects.
• Dwarf: Stoneform. Instantly removes and grants immunity to all Bleed, Poison, and Disease effects, and reduces all Physical damage taken by 10% for 8 seconds.

What do the Alliance races give a Priest?

• Human
  • Perception: Dramatically increases stealth detection for 20 seconds.
  • Sword Specialization: Increases your critical strike chance with all spells and attacks by 2% while you have a sword or two-handed sword equipped. A Priest cannot equip swords, so this racial gives no bonus until the update above replaces it.
  • The Human Spirit: Spirit increased by 5%.
  • Will to Survive: Instantly removes all Stun effects.
• Dwarf
  • Big Game Hunter: Damage dealt versus Beasts increased by 5%.
  • Find Treasure (Instant): senses nearby treasure and marks it on your minimap until you cancel it.
  • Mace Specialization: Increases your critical strike chance with all spells and attacks by 1% while you have a mace or two-handed mace equipped.
  • Stoneform: Instantly removes and grants immunity to all Bleed, Poison, and Disease effects, and reduces all Physical damage taken by 10% for 8 seconds.
• Night Elf
  • Elune's Light: Increases your critical strike chance with all spells and attacks by 10% for 15 seconds.
  • Quickness: Dodge chance increased by 1% and movement speed increased by 2%. Night Elf Rogues and Druids are harder to detect in Stealth as if they were 1 level higher.
  • Shadowmeld: Activate to slip into the shadows, reducing the chance for enemies to detect your presence. Lasts until cancelled or upon moving. Using this ability in combat discourages enemies from attacking you, but increases the cooldown to 2 min.
  • Wisp Spirit: Transform into a wisp upon death, increasing movement speed by 75%.
• Gnome
  • Engineering Specialization: Your gnomish ingenuity reduces the rate of engineering devices failing or backfiring when you use them by 20%.
  • Escape Artist: Instantly escape the effects of any movement impairing effect and gain immunity to those effects for 3 seconds.
  • Eureka!: Your next 3 non-periodic damaging or healing abilities have their Mana cost reduced by 10% and deal 10% more damage or healing.
  • Expansive Mind: Maximum Mana increased by 5%.

What do the Horde races give a Priest?

• Undead
  • Cannibalize: When activated, regenerates 7% of total Health and 7% of total Mana every 2 sec for 10 seconds. Only works on Humanoid or Undead corpses within 5 yds. Any movement, action, or damage taken while Cannibalizing will cancel the effect.
  • Touch of the Grave: Your spells and attacks have a 10% chance to drain Health from the target, up to 5% of your maximum Health.
  • Underwater Breathing: Underwater breath lasts 300% longer than normal.
  • Will of the Forsaken: Instantly removes all Charm, Fear and Sleep effects.
• Troll
  • Beast Slaying: Damage dealt versus Beasts increased by 5%.
  • Berserking (Instant; cooldown: 3 minutes): increases your spellcasting and attack speed.
  • Rapid Regeneration: Regenerate 50% of your maximum Health over 6 seconds. Any movement, action, or damage taken will cancel the effect.
  • Regeneration: Health regeneration rate increased by 10%. In addition, 10% of total Health regeneration will continue during combat.

What do you plan next as a Priest?

Spend points in the Priest talent planner and check spell ranks in the Priest spellbook. Alliance or Horde lists every race and class of both factions.