"He dispatched his opponent with terrifying precision, assaulting his victim's mind and body with elixirs and powders that evoked fires, explosions, and poisonous spirits. As if these assaults were not enough, the witch doctor also had at his command the ability to summon undead creatures from the netherworld to rend the flesh from his enemy's body."- Abd al-Hazir
The Witch Doctor is a ritualistic voodoo fighter. Hailing from the deep jungles of Sanctuary, the Witch Doctor practices his dark arts. Meditating to access the "Unformed Land" he calls upon the spirits of the past to strike fear and horror in his adversaries. He is even able to reanimate the dead in both human and inhuman bodies to command. Time in the jungle has also allowed this tribalistic warrior to use powders and elixirs in the form of fire and poison to unleash upon the demons. While never doing much of the actual fighting themselves, the Witch Doctor is a formidable foe against the demons that have invaded his home with the spiritual aid of others.
Active Skills[]
(Based on a level 60 character)Active Skills | ||||
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Poison Dart | Requires Level 1 | Costs 10 | ||
Shoot a deadly Poison Dart that deals 100% weapon damage as Poison and an additional 40% weapon damage as Poison over 2 seconds. | ||||
Grasp of the Dead | Requires Level 2 | Costs 123 | Cooldown: 8 seconds | |
Ghoulish hands reach out from the ground, slowing enemy movement by 60% and dealing 20% weapon damage as Physical for 8 seconds. | ||||
Corpse Spiders | Requires Level 3 | Costs 5 | ||
Throw a jar with 4 spiders that attack nearby enemies for 16% weapon damage as Physical before dying. | ||||
Summon Zombie Dogs | Requires Level 4 | Costs 49 | Cooldown: 60 seconds | |
Summon 3 Zombie Dogs from the depths to fight by your side. Each dog deals 9% of your weapon damage as Physical per hit. | ||||
Firebats | Requires Level 5 | Costs 123 | ||
Call forth a swarm of fiery bats to burn enemies in front of you for 150% weapon damage as Fire. | ||||
Horrify | Requires Level 8 | Costs 37 | Cooldown: 20 seconds | |
Don a spectral mask that horrifies all enemies within 12 yards, causing them to run in Fear for 4 seconds. | ||||
Soul Harvest | Requires Level 9 | Costs 59 | Cooldown: 15 seconds | |
Feed on the life force of up to 5 enemies within 16 yards. Gain 130 Intelligence for each affected enemy. This effect lasts 30 seconds. | ||||
Plague of Toads | Requires Level 11 | Costs 34 | ||
Release a handful of toads that deal 130% weapon damage as Poison to enemies they come in contact with. | ||||
Haunt | Requires Level 12 | Costs 98 | ||
Haunt an enemy with a spirit, dealing 575% weapon damage as Arcane over 12 seconds. If the target dies, the spirit will haunt another nearby enemy. | ||||
Sacrifice | Requires Level 13 | |||
Banish your Zombie Dogs and cause them to explode, each dealing 275% of your weapon damage as Physical to all enemies within 12 yards. | ||||
Zombie Charger | Requires Level 14 | Costs 140 | ||
Call forth a reckless, suicidal zombie that deals 205% weapon damage as Poison to all enemies in its path before decomposing. | ||||
Spirit Walk | Requires Level 16 | Costs 49 | Cooldown: 60 seconds | |
Leave your physical body and enter the spirit realm for 2 seconds. While in the spirit realm, your movement is unhindered. Your link to the spirit realm will end if your physical body sustains 50% of your maximum Life in damage. | ||||
Spirit Barrage | Requires Level 17 | Costs 108 | ||
Bombard a target with a spirit blast that deals 190% weapon damage as Physical. | ||||
Gargantuan | Requires Level 19 | Costs 147 | Cooldown: 60 seconds seconds | |
Summon a Gargantuan zombie to fight for you. The Gargantuan attacks for 25% of your weapon damage as Physical. | ||||
Firebomb | Requires Level 21 | Costs 10 | ||
Lob an explosive skull that deals 85% weapon damage as Fire to all enemies within 8 yards. | ||||
Locust Swarm | Requires Level 21 | Costs 196 | ||
Unleash a plague of locusts that swarms an enemy, dealing 360% weapon damage as Poison over 8 seconds. The locusts will jump to additional nearby enemies. | ||||
Acid Cloud | Requires Level 22 | Costs 172 | ||
Cause acid to rain down, dealing an initial 100% weapon damage as Poison, followed by 75% weapon damage as Poison over 3 seconds to enemies who remain in the area. | ||||
Hex | Requires Level 22 | Costs 49 | Cooldown: 15 seconds | |
Summon a Fetish Shaman for 12 seconds that will hex enemies into chickens. Hexed enemies are unable to perform offensive actions and take 10% additional damage. | ||||
Mass Confusion | Requires Level 22 | Costs 74 | Cooldown: 60 seconds | |
Incite paranoia in enemies, confusing them and causing some to fight for you for 12 seconds. | ||||
Big Bad Voodoo | Requires Level 25 | Cooldown: 120 seconds | ||
Conjure a Fetish that begins a ritual dance that increases the attack speed and movement speed of all nearby allies by 20% for 20 seconds. | ||||
Wall of Zombies | Requires Level 28 | Costs 103 | Cooldown: 25 seconds | |
Raise a line of zombies from the ground that attacks nearby enemies for 80% weapon damage as Physical for 5 seconds. | ||||
Fetish Army | Requires Level 30 | Cooldown: 120 seconds | ||
Summon an army of dagger-wielding Fetishes to fight by your side for 20 seconds. The Fetishes attack for 20% of your weapon damage as Physical. |
Passive Skills[]
Passive Skills | ||||
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Circle of Life | Requires Level 10 | Whenever an enemy dies within 12 yards, there is a 5% chance that a Zombie Dog will automatically emerge. The range of this effect is increased by items that increase your gold pickup radius. | ||
Jungle Fortitude | Requires Level 10 | Reduces all damage taken by you and your pets by 20%. | ||
Spiritual Attunement | Requires Level 13 | Maximum Mana is increased by 20%. Regenerate 1% of your maximum Mana per second. Mana is the fuel you use to cast offensive and defensive skills. | ||
Gruesome Feast | Requires Level 16 | Whenever you are healed by a health globe, you gain 10% of your maximum Mana and 10% Intelligence for 10 seconds. The Intelligence bonus can stack up to 5 times. | ||
Bad Medicine | Requires Level 20 | Whenever you deal Poison damage to an enemy, their damage is reduced by 20% for 3 seconds. | ||
Blood Ritual | Requires Level 20 | 15% of Mana costs are paid with Life. In addition, you regenerate 1% of your maximum Life per second. | ||
Zombie Handler | Requires Level 24 | You can have 4 Zombie Dogs summoned at one time. The health of your Zombie Dogs and Gargantuan is increased by 20%. | ||
Pierce the Veil | Requires Level 27 | All of your damage is increased by 20%, but your Mana costs are increased by 30%. | ||
Fetish Sycophants | Requires Level 30 | Whenever you cast a physical realm spell, you have a 3% chance to summon a dagger-wielding Fetish to fight by your side for 60 seconds. Physical realm spells are: | ||
Spirit Vessel | Requires Level 30 | Reduces the cooldown of your Horrify, Spirit Walk, and Soul Harvest spells by 2 seconds. In addition, the next time you receive fatal damage, you automatically enter the spirit realm for 3 seconds and heal to 10% of your maximum Life. This effect cannot occur more than once every 90 seconds. | ||
Rush of Essence | Requires Level 36 | Spirit spells return 30% of their Mana cost over 10 seconds. Spirit spells are: | ||
Vision Quest | Requires Level 40 | Any time you have 4 or more skills on cooldown, your Mana regeneration is increased by 300%. | ||
Fierce Loyalty | Requires Level 45 | All your pets get 100% of the benefit of your Thorns and Life regeneration items. | ||
Grave Injustice | Requires Level 50 | Whenever an enemy dies within 8 yards, regain 1% of your maximum Life and Mana and the cooldown on all of your abilities is reduced by 1 second. This range is extended by items that increase your gold pickup radius. | ||
Tribal Rites | Requires Level 55 | The cooldowns of your Fetish Army, Big Bad Voodoo, and Hex abilities are reduced by 25%. | ||
Resource System[]
Mana: The Witch Doctor is the only class in Diablo III that uses Mana. Mana in Diablo III functions very similar to Mana in Diablo II, though it regenerates at a vastly accelerated pace and does not rely on potions to be replenished.
Lore[]
The Witch Doctor belongs to the Tribe of the Five Hills within the Teganze jungles. Many inhabitants of Sanctuary deny their existence, be it form the the tribes reclusiveness or the mere fact that people do not want to believe in these ritualistic inhabitants that will raise the dead from their graves. Through ritualistic and sacrificial ceremonies, the Witch Doctor enters the Mbwiru Eikura where they access their Gods in this unformed land. Believing that this alternate reality is the true nature of Sanctuary, the Witch Doctor draws their strength from this place.
"I came upon this rare display as I ventured deep into the interior of the dense Torajan jungles that cover the southern tip of the great eastern continent, in the vast area known as the Teganze, with the goal of seeking out the tribes that reside there. This area is extremely secluded, and heretofore unseen by foreign eyes. I was fortunate to befriend the witch doctor I saw in battle, and, through him, his tribe: the Tribe of the Five Hills.
The culture of the umbaru of the lower Teganze is fascinating and perplexing to those hailing from more civilized walks of life. For instance, the Tribe of the Five Hills frequently engages in tribal warfare with both the Clan of the Seven Stones and the Tribe of the Clouded Valley, but these are matters of ritual and not of conquest. I had heard tales that these wars are waged in order that the victors may replenish their supply of raw materials for the human sacrifices that their civilization revolves around, and when I timidly asked my hosts more about this topic, I must admit their laughter made me fear for my safety. However, through stumbled attempts at communication of such complex topics as what constitutes heroism and honor in their society, I gathered that only those taken in battle are considered worthy of the ritual sacrifice, much to my relief.
Upon further discussions with my hosts, I discovered that these tribes define themselves by their belief in the Mbwiru Eikura, which roughly translates to "The Unformed Land" (this is an imprecise translation, as this concept is completely foreign to our culture and language). This belief holds that the true, sacred reality is veiled behind the physical one we normally experience. Their vitally important public ceremonies are centered upon sacrifices to the life force that flows from their gods, who inhabit the Unformed Land, into this lesser physical realm.
The witch doctors are finely attuned to this Unformed Land and are able to train their minds to perceive this reality through a combination of rituals and the use of selected roots and herbs found in the jungles. They call the state in which they interact with this other world the Ghost Trance.
Alongside the primacy of the belief in the life force and the Unformed Land, the second most sacred belief of the tribes is their philosophy of self-sacrifice and non-individuality, of suppressing one's self-interest for the good of the tribe. This idea, so foreign to our culture, struck me as something I wished to delve into much more deeply.
Unfortunately, there was intense social upheaval among the tribes due to an incident involving their most current war (inasmuch as I could discern in the ensuing bedlam), and the charged atmosphere warranted my quick departure before I could ask anything further of my hosts." - Abd al-Hazir
Trivia[]
The female Witch Doctor is voiced by Erica Luttrell.
Development[]
The Witch Doctor was one of the two first classes to be unveiled with the announcement of Diablo III at the 2008 WWI. Along with the iconic Barbarian, the Witch Doctor was shown to showcase the diversity of the classes. Despite the Wizard being further in development, the Witch Doctor was shown to have a skills ranging from summoning the undead to casting pure horror in his victims. Soon after, many commented on the many similarities of this class's mechanics to the Necromancer of Diablo II. Blizzard responded by stating that the classes will definitely play differently and possibly leave room for the return of the Necromancer if they wanted to.
Although the Witch Doctor was one of the first classes shown, many of his skills were still going through a lot of change. Not only the looks of the skills but major mechanics were still being worked out. One original concepts for the class was that the Zombie Dog (then named mongrel) skill could have the summons be imbued with a poison or fire skill. However, through testing, they found this mechanic to not have much control and players rarely got the effect they wanted. They changed the system with the involvement of skill runes.
- Only the female Witch Doctor's voice was heard, and although it was not confirmed yet, it seems that she is voiced by Lani Minella, who voiced Adria the Witch and Wirt the Peglegged Boy in Diablo, and Blood Raven, The Countess, Andariel, Malah and the Ancients in Diablo II and Diablo II: Lord of Destruction. Her voice is also very reminiscent of that of Eve Brent, who voiced Akara in Diablo II.
- The Witch Doctor may be partially based off its Warcraft counterpart. Blizzard Entertainment has indeed admitted that they like to steal from themselves.
Media[]
Concept Art[]
Fan Art[]
Screenshots[]
Act 1 Exterior
Act 1 Interior
Act 2 Exterior
Links[]
- Witch Doctor: The Mbwiru Eikura - Witch Doctor forums at DiabloFans
- Witch Doctor Skill Calculator
Official Classes | ||
---|---|---|
Diablo III | Barbarian • Crusader • Demon Hunter • Monk • Necromancer • Witch Doctor • Wizard | |
Diablo II | Amazon • Assassin • Barbarian • Druid • Necromancer • Paladin • Sorceress | |
Diablo I & Hellfire | Barbarian • Bard • Monk • Rogue • Sorcerer • Warrior |