Shadowy Apparitions

Shadowy Apparitions is a passive Shadow priest ability. Each time Devouring Plague, Mind Blast, and Void Bolt are cast, a Shadowy Apparition is summoned against each target afflicted by Vampiric Touch.

Shadowy Apparitions are shadowy versions of the caster that float slowly toward the afflicted target. Upon reaching their target, they deal instant shadow damage and disappear.

• Shadowy Apparitions will not spawn if no targets are afflicted by the caster's Vampiric Touch. There is no limit on how many Apparitions may be up at one time.
• If using Whispering Shadows it is important to land it and apply Vampiric Touch as close as possible to when combat starts. Timing the opener precisely will ensure that VT is applied before Mind Blast (an instant hit ability), and this ordering will ensure that the Apparitions are summoned.
• Extra apparitions are randomly summoned with Tormented Spirits, and each tick of each application of Shadow Word: Pain counts as a spawn chance independently. When combined with Auspicious Spirits generating an extra Apparition per target - more chances and more spawns per chance means this exponentially increases Insanity generation in AOE. This leads to funnel damage, where fighting massed monsters in AOE generates a large amount resources that can be used for single target damage.
• Apparitions spawn from the priest about 300ms after the cast completes. Apparitions are considered a missile effect, cannot be targeted and will not switch targets. Therefore, the closer the priest is to the target, the quicker the Apparition will deal damage and targets at different ranges will be hit by Apparitions at different times.
• Apparition damage is calculated on impact and the damage of the apparition cannot critically strike. If their target dies or otherwise becomes no longer valid, the damage is lost.

• Prior to patch 5.4.0, Shadowy Apparitions were non-controllable guardian pets. They could be targeted, and receive spells such as Power Word: Shield, Mind Vision, Levitate and even Leap of Faith, although there was rarely if ever any reason to attack or cast spells on an Apparition. The Apparitions appeared simply as shadowy, semi-transparent replicas of the casting priest, and would respond to terrain with normal animations, swimming when underwater, and making footstep sounds when walking on appropriate surfaces.
• The behavior of Apparitions was often erratic. They moved on foot at walking speed, and so could often be easily avoided simply by moving away from them. They would also occasionally get stuck on terrain and objects, and could not reach flying targets. Some would despawn within a few seconds if their target died; the surviving Apparitions would not attempt to pursue other targets, but instead returned to the priest, and followed until they despawned. These Apparitions would not deal damage or despawn upon contact with other targets, and would match the priest's speed even if mounted. It was also possible for Apparitions to spawn shortly after the death of the target.

• Shadow Silhouettes, TCG card