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Witch Doctor Male Witch Doctor Female
Classes: Barbarian •  Crusader •  Demon Hunter •  Monk •  Necromancer •  Witch Doctor •  Wizard

"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
Poison Dart Poison Dart Requires Level 1 Costs 10   Cooldown: 0 seconds
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 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 Corpse Spiders Requires Level 3 Costs 5   Cooldown: 0 seconds
Throw a jar with 4 spiders that attack nearby enemies for 16% weapon damage as Physical before dying.
Summon Zombie Dogs 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 Firebats Requires Level 5 Costs 123   Cooldown: 0 seconds
Call forth a swarm of fiery bats to burn enemies in front of you for 150% weapon damage as Fire.
Horrify 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 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 Plague of Toads Requires Level 11 Costs 34   Cooldown: 0 seconds
Release a handful of toads that deal 130% weapon damage as Poison to enemies they come in contact with.
Haunt Haunt Requires Level 12 Costs 98   Cooldown: 0 seconds
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 Sacrifice Requires Level 13   Cooldown: 0 seconds
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 Zombie Charger Requires Level 14 Costs 140   Cooldown: 0 seconds
Call forth a reckless, suicidal zombie that deals 205% weapon damage as Poison to all enemies in its path before decomposing.
Spirit Walk 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 Spirit Barrage Requires Level 17 Costs 108   Cooldown: 0 seconds
Bombard a target with a spirit blast that deals 190% weapon damage as Physical.
Gargantuan 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 Firebomb Requires Level 21 Costs 10   Cooldown: 0 seconds
Lob an explosive skull that deals 85% weapon damage as Fire to all enemies within 8 yards.
Locust Swarm Locust Swarm Requires Level 21 Costs 196   Cooldown: 0 seconds
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 Acid Cloud Requires Level 22 Costs 172   Cooldown: 0 seconds
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 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 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 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 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 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
Circle of Life 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.
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 Jungle Fortitude Requires Level 10   Reduces all damage taken by you and your pets by 20%.
Reduces all damage taken by you and your pets by 20%.
Spiritual Attunement 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.
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 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.
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 Bad Medicine Requires Level 20   Whenever you deal Poison damage to an enemy, their damage is reduced by 20% for 3 seconds.
Whenever you deal Poison damage to an enemy, their damage is reduced by 20% for 3 seconds.
Blood Ritual Blood Ritual Requires Level 20   15% of Mana costs are paid with Life. In addition, you regenerate 1% of your maximum Life per second.
15% of Mana costs are paid with Life. In addition, you regenerate 1% of your maximum Life per second.
Zombie Handler 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%.
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 Pierce the Veil Requires Level 27   All of your damage is increased by 20%, but your Mana costs are increased by 30%.
All of your damage is increased by 20%, but your Mana costs are increased by 30%.
Fetish Sycophants 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:
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 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.
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 Rush of Essence Requires Level 36   Spirit spells return 30% of their Mana cost over 10 seconds.

Spirit spells are:
Spirit spells return 30% of their Mana cost over 10 seconds.

Spirit spells are:
Vision Quest Vision Quest Requires Level 40   Any time you have 4 or more skills on cooldown, your Mana regeneration is increased by 300%.
Any time you have 4 or more skills on cooldown, your Mana regeneration is increased by 300%.
Fierce Loyalty Fierce Loyalty Requires Level 45   All your pets get 100% of the benefit of your Thorns and Life regeneration items.
All your pets get 100% of the benefit of your Thorns and Life regeneration items.
Grave Injustice 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.
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 Tribal Rites Requires Level 55   The cooldowns of your Fetish Army, Big Bad Voodoo, and Hex abilities are reduced by 25%.
The cooldowns of your Fetish Army, Big Bad Voodoo, and Hex abilities are reduced by 25%.


Resource System[]

Mana orb in the Witch Doctor UI

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.

Witch Doctor 3

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.

Media[]

Concept Art[]

Fan Art[]

Screenshots[]

Act 1 Exterior

Act 1 Interior

Act 2 Exterior

Links[]


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