A word of dark binding that inflicts (85% of Spell power) 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.
Damage increased by 250% to targets below 20% health.
Shadow Word: Death is a priest class talent. It is automatically learned for Shadow priests.
It is a Shadow Word - a Shadow-based direct damage spell that deals instant damage, and an "execute" ability, dealing greatly increased damage on targets below 20% health. It has a drawback of dealing its full damage to the caster if it doesn't kill the enemy.
Tips and tactics[]
Shadow Word: Death (SW:D) should only be used if one is sure the enemy will die to it, otherwise it will backfire on the caster.
Properly timed usage of Shadow Word: Death allows one to break certain crowd control effects (such as [Polymorph]) with backfire damage.
Patch 10.0.0 (2022-10-25): Now a row 2 class talent (was a level 14 ability). Rank 2 effects are now baseline.
Hotfix (2022-02-23):Fixed an issue that caused Shadow Word: Death to only deal 50% bonus damage instead of 150% bonus damage while targets were below 20% health.
Redesigned as a level 14 ability for all priests (was a level 75 Shadow talent). A word of dark binding that inflicts (85% of Spell power) 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. Damage increased by 150% to targets below 20% health. No longer generates Insanity.
Rank 2 (Level 46) added, reducing cooldown by 10 seconds.
Old: A word of dark binding that inflicts (187.5% of spell power) Shadow damage to the target. Only usable on enemies that have less than 20% health. Generates 15 Insanity, or 30 if the target dies. Max 2 charges.
Patch 8.0.1 (2018-07-17): Shadow Word: Death is no longer a baseline ability for Shadow priests, and instead is now available as a level 75 Shadow priest talent.
Patch 6.0.2 (2014-10-14): Shadow Word: Death is now available only to Shadow priests. Discipline and Holy priests can add a self-damaging utility to [Holy Fire] through a new Major Glyph.
Hotfix (2013-09-13):Landing a killing blow with Shadow Word: Death should no longer incorrectly grant 2 Shadow Orbs.
Patch 5.4.0 (2013-09-10): Now deals 15% more damage.
Patch 5.0.4 (2012-08-28): Redesigned. Shadow Word: Death no longer deals triple damage to targets below 25% health, and no longer inflicts backlash damage on the caster if the target is not killed by the spell. For Shadow priests: Now generates 1 Shadow Orb. If the target does not die, the cooldown is reset, but this additional Shadow Word: Death does not grant a Shadow Orb. This effect has a 6 sec cooldown. Now learned at level 46 (was 32).
Old: A word of dark binding that inflicts X Shadow damage to the target. Deals three times as much damage to targets below 25% health. If the target is not killed by Shadow Word: Death, the caster takes damage equal to the damage inflicted upon the target.
Patch 4.2.0 (2011-06-28): Shadow Word: Death damage done has been increased by 12%.
Hotfix (2010-12-07):Low-level priests will now properly take Shadow Word: Death backlash damage when casting Shadow Word: Death.
Patch 4.0.1 (2010-10-12): Range increased to 40 yards, up from 30 yards. Cooldown reduced to 10 sec, down from 12 sec. Now learned at level 32 (was 62).
Patch 3.0.3 (2008-11-04): The self-damage from this spell can no longer be reflected or redirected.
Patch 2.3.0 (2007-11-13):Resilience no longer reduces the backlash damage from this spell.
Patch 2.1.0 (2007-05-22): Cooldown increased to 12 sec and will now properly damage the casting Priest when it is reflected.
Patch 2.0.3 (2007-01-09): Priests backlash effect of Shadow Word: Death will now properly be applied and can no longer be resisted.
[Shadowfiend]
[Death and Madness], 
[Expiation], 
[Inescapable Torment], 
[Mastermind], 
[Tithe Evasion]
[Polymorph]) with backfire damage.
