Shadow Orbs

This article is about the Shadow priest resource. For the Cataclysm Classic ability, see [Shadow Orbs]. For the Warcraft III item, see Shadow Orb.

The Shadow Orbs resource mechanic as it appears in the user interface

Shadow Orbs are a unique Shadow priest resource displayed in the user interface beneath the player's health and mana bars. They become available to Shadow priests at level 21. Shadow Orbs are generated by [Mind Blast] and [Shadow Word: Death] and are used to cast [Devouring Plague] and [Psychic Horror].

Notes

• Priests can have a maximum of 3 Shadow Orbs at a time. Psychic Horror and Devouring Plague will both consume all available orbs, increasing their power based on the number of orbs consumed.
• Shadow Orbs do not decay or disappear over time, but will be reset upon logging out or dying.

Patch changes

Retail

• Patch 7.0.3 (2016-07-19): Removed, replaced by Insanity system.
  
• Patch 5.0.4 (2012-08-28): Redesigned into a resource system. Shadow Orbs are generated by [Mind Blast] and [Shadow Word: Death] and used to cast Devouring Plague and Psychic Horror.

  Old: You have a 10% chance for your Shadow Word: Pain and Mind Flay spells to grant you a Shadow Orb each time they deal damage. Casting your Mind Blast or Mind Spike spell consumes all Shadow Orbs, increasing damage of that spell by 22% per Shadow Orb, and granting 22% increased damage on your periodic Shadow spells for 15 sec. You can have up to a maximum of 3 orbs.
  

• Patch 4.0.6 (2011-02-08):
  • The benefit from mastery has been increased by approximately 16%.
  • Corrected a tooltip error that showed a 0% increase in damage and did not give an increase of damage until additional mastery rating was added.
    
• Hotfix (2010-11-24): The Empowered Shadow buff is no longer granted when a player cancels the Shadow Orb buff. Mind Blast correctly removes the Shadow Orb buff and grants Empowered Shadow.
  
• Patch 4.0.3a (2010-11-23): Redesigned slightly. The Shadow Orbs continue to increase damage done by Mind Blast and Mind Spike and stack up to 3 times, but now when the priest casts Mind Blast or [Mind Spike] (consuming the orbs), the priest gains a 15-second duration buff (Empowered Shadow), which increases the damage done by all Shadow periodic spells. Empowered Shadow does not stack. Mastery increases the damage bonus of Shadow Orbs and Empowered Shadow by the same amount, 10% with the base 8 Mastery, and an additional 1.25% per Mastery.
  
• Patch 4.0.1 (2010-10-12): Added.
  

Classic

• Patch 5.5.0 (2025-07-01): While in [Shadowform], generate Shadow Orbs passively while outside of combat, arenas, and battlegrounds.