Witch Doctor skills

The Witch Doctor Skill Tree as seen in Blizzcon 2009. Skill are no longer presented in this fashion. Image by Muldric.

This page lists the Witch Doctor skills, with information that was current as of August 2011. This page is a quick listing; follow the links to the individual skill pages for full discussion of every skill, including first hand reports, Blue quotes, runestone information, and numerous screenshots and other images.

All character skills have undergone considerable changes during development, with the biggest change coming before Blizzcon 2010, when skill trees and passive skills were removed from the skill listing and Traits were introduced. See the Witch Doctor skill archive for information about skill changes over time.

Essential skill links:

• Skills - General skill design and mechanics.
• Witch Doctor traits -- Passive bonuses and other character modifications.
• Mana -- The Witch Doctor's energy resource.
• Witch Doctor skill archive - Removed Witch Doctor skills.
• Runestones - Their huge impact on changing skills can not be over-emphasized.
• Signature skills - Skills that define characters.
• Active skills - Skills where effects are activated by the player.
• Passive skills - Skills where effects are activated automatically, by the computer or by special events.

Active Skills

Click to the individual skill pages for more details about these skills including numbers, screenshots, runestone information, blue quotes, and much more.

Summon Zombie Dog

Summon Zombie Dog is available at level 1.
Better known as "Mongrels," Zombie Dogs are the basic Witch Doctor pet, capable of tanking and fighting effectively, though they are not meant for a long life, and deal their best damage when Sacrificed.

• Description: The Witch Doctor summons a level X zombie dog to aid him. Can have up to X zombie dogs out at a time.

Plague of Toads

Plague of Toads is available at level 1.
The Witch Doctor summons several toads that hop forward like living Charged Bolts and explode against enemies. Some dramatic runestone effects are known for this skill.

• Description: Release a handful of toads that explode on contact with an enemy, dealing poison damage.

Grasp of the Dead

Grasp of the Dead is available at level 2.
A powerful curse, this one deals damage as well as slowing enemies for a short duration.

• Description: Hands reach out, slowing enemies by X% and dealing X-X damage per second for X seconds.

Haunt

Haunt is available at level 3.
A ranged spell attack, this sics a ghostly entity upon the target, dealing DoT. The Haunt will seek a new target when its victim dies.

• Description: Haunt an enemy with a spirit dealing X arcane damage over X seconds. If the target dies, the spirit will automatically haunt another nearby target.

Zombie Charger

Zombie Charger is available at level 4.
A zombie is summoned, which charges straight in the direction specified, melting into nothing and dealing poison damage to any targes along the way. A runestone can grant the infamous Zombie Bears effect.

• Description: A reckless, suicidal zombie deals X-X poison damage to all enemies in its way.

Hex

Hex is available at level 5.
A curse of sorts, this one causes damage and blocks the afflicted's ability to attack.

• Description: Summon a fetish shaman for X seconds that will hex enemies into chickens. Hexed enemies are unable to perform offensive actions and will take X% additional damage.

Corpse Spiders

Corpse Spiders is available at level 6.
Spiders emerge from a rotting zombie corpse and launch themselves at nearby enemies, dealing poison damage with their swarming bites.

• Description: Summon X spiders to attack nearby enemies.

Horrify

Horrify is available at level 7.
A powerful curse, this one frightens nearby enemies into running away for a few seconds. The radius emanates from the Witch Doctor, not from the spot targeted when cast, so it only works on enemies who are very nearby.

• Description: Don a spectral mask that horrifies all enemies within X feet, causing them to run in fear for X seconds.

Firebats

Firebats is available at level 8.
A short range spell attack, this sends flaming bats out in an Inferno-like spray, dealing damage to anything in their path.

• Description: A swarm of fiery bats burn enemies in front of you for X fire damage per second.

Spirit Walk

Spirit Walk is available at level 9.
A powerful movement/escape skill, especially useful in the Battle Arena. The Witch Doctor leaves his physical body behind as a decoy and can run freely, invisible, for several seconds.

• Description: Enter the spirit realm, allowing unhindered movement for X seconds.

Soul Harvest

Soul Harvest is available at level 11.
A buff that increases the WD's spell damage based on how many enemies are nearby.

• Description: Feed on the life force of nearby enemies. Gain X% increased spell damage per enemy within X feet for X seconds.

Sacrifice

Sacrifice is available at level 12.
This skill causes a Mongrel to detonate in a huge spray of purple and pink smoke, dealing physical damage to all nearby enemies.

• Description: A nearby zombie dog explodes, dealing X damage to all enemies within X yards.

Gargantuan

Gargantuan is available at level 14.
A large, powerful zombie pet that tanks for the Witch Doctor.

• Description: Summon a large level X zombie follower to fight for you.

Locust Swarm

Locust Swarm is available at level 16.
A ranged spell attack, this sends out a cloud of locusts that swarm over enemies, eating their flesh from the bones. Locusts will chain between nearby enemies, potentially consuming numerous targets per cast.

• Description: A plague of locusts assault enemies dealing X damage per second over X seconds. The locusts will jump to additional nearby targets.

Spirit Barrage

Spirit Barrage is available at level 18.
A DfA attack that's never yet been shown publicly. Acid Cloud covers a small radius, so presumably this one has a larger radius.

• Description: A multitude of spirit bolts bombard enemies in the targeted area. Each bolt deals X-X arcane damage.

Acid Cloud

Acid Cloud is available at level 19.
Originally a Wizard spell, this one was moved to the Witch Doctor to provide a DfA attack with a small radius that melts the flesh from the bones of anything in the targeted area.

• Description: Acid rains down dealing an initial X-X poison damage followed by X-X poison damage per second to nearby enemies who remain in the area.

Mass Confusion

Mass Confusion is available at level 21.
A mind control spell that temporarily changes the alignment of some enemies.

• Description: Incite paranoia in enemies, causing some to fight for the Witch Doctor for X seconds.

Big Bad Voodoo

Big Bad Voodoo is available at level 22.
No description is available.

Wall of Zombies

Wall of Zombies is available at level 24.
One of the showier Witch Doctor skills to be displayed in the early announcement, this one causes a wall of zombies to erupt from the earth. The WoZ blocks the progress of enemies as well as dealing physical damage to anything in range.

• Description: Zombies erupt from the earth and attack nearby enemies for X damage per second.

Fetish Army

Fetish Army is available at level 25.
The Witch Doctor is able to summon Fetishes, versions of the monsters from Diablo II, to fight for him. Never yet publicly seen.

• Description: Summon an army of fetish creatures to fight by your side for X seconds.

Note: The level of every skill is tentative as of August 2011 and likely to change.

Passive Skills

Name	Req Level	Description
Mana Regeneration	3	Regenerate X% of maximum Mana per second.
Mind and Body	3	Regenerate X% HP per minute.
Spiritual Attunement	3	Increase maximum Mana by X%.
Care of the Master	6	Increase the HP of pets by X%.
Quickening	6	Increase casting speed by X%.
Spirit Vessel	6	Health Globes provide X% of maximum Mana when picked up.
Aggression	12	Increases attack by X%.
Superior Skill	12	Increases precision by X%.
Expert Defense	12	Increases defense by X%.
Toughness	12	Increases vitality by X%.
Death Pact	18	When the Witch Doctor has under X% HP, damage taken is reduced by Y%.
Leader of the Pack	18	Increases damage dealt by Zombie Dogs by X%.
Ritual of Blood	18	X% of Mana costs for skills is taken from HP instead.
Ferocity	24	Increases pet damage dealt by X%.
Plagued	24	Increases Animal and Plague skill damage by X%.
Rituals	24	Increases damage by X% of HP.
Zombie Masters	24	Increases Zombie skill damage by X%.

Development

The Witch Doctor's skills and skill trees were first seen at BlizzCon 2008, with only a few skills enabled and many showing nothing more than vague descriptions in the skill tree. The listing was fleshed out at Blizzcon 2009, but most of his skills, especially the summoning ones, remained NYI. The current information was revealed at Blizzcon 2010, with the passive skills removed (see the Witch Doctor traits and a near-final skill listing.

A large number of the higher level WD spells have still never been shown publicly, in contrast to the skills of the Wizard and Barbarian, almost all of which have been shown off.

Removed Skills

• Poison Dart
  
• Firebomb
  
• Pit of Fire
  
• Parasite
  

References

• Full Witch Doctor Skills
• JudgeHype.com July 2011 Press Event Coverage - The Witch Doctor (Translated by Zediono)