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.

Useful skill links:

• Skills - General skill design and mechanics.
  • 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.
  • Signature skills - Skills that define characters.
  • Animal skills - Animal-themed Witch Doctor skills.
  • Plague skills - Plague-themed Witch Doctor skills.
  • Zombie skills - Zombie-themed Witch Doctor skills.
• Mana -- The Witch Doctor's energy resource.
• Runestones - Their huge impact on changing skills can not be over-emphasized.
• Witch Doctor skill archive - Removed Witch Doctor skills.
• Witch Doctor traits -- Passive skills in Diablo III were called traits for a while before reverting back.

Active Skills

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

Mana Steal

No description or level requirement is available.

Poison Dart

Poison Dart is available at level 1.
The Witch Doctor uses a blowpipe to fire a poison dart. A fairly slow attack that's hugely improved by runestones.

• Description: Fires a deadly poison dart that deals X-X poison damage and an additional X-X poison damage over X seconds.

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 2.
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 3.
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 4.
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 5.
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 6.
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 7.
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 8.
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 9.
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.

Firebomb

Firebomb is available at level 11.
Previously known as Skull of Flame, this is a ranged attack that's thrown like a grenade. It explodes on impact, dealing considerable fire damage. The projectile is a human skull, filled with an explosive liquid.

• Description: Lob an explosive skull that deals X-X fire damage to all enemies caught in the explosion.

Spirit Walk

Spirit Walk is available at level 12.
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 14.
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 16.
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 18.
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 19.
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 21.
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 22.
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 24.
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 25.
No description is available.

Wall of Zombies

Wall of Zombies is available at level 27.
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 29.
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.

Passive Skills

Passive skills replaced Traits during late game development in 2011. Many Traits were simply changed to passive skills, but some are all new. See the Witch Doctor traits page for a full list of those passives.

| | Mana Regeneration | Regenerates Template:Cyanize of maximum mana per second. | 3 | Witch Doctor |-

| | Mind and Body | Regenerates Template:Cyanize health per minute. | 3 | Witch Doctor |-

Spiritual Attunement is a Witch Doctor passive skill unlocked at Level 13, which regenerates mana and increases maximum mana.

Description

Name	Level	Description

<skill class="WitchDoctor">Spiritual Attunement</skill>

Synergies

No synergies with any active skills or other Witch Doctor passives are known.

Development

Passive skills have had a long and storied history. When Diablo III debuted at the WWI 2008, skill trees included passive skills, much like in Diablo II. In 2010, it was announced that passive skills had been renamed traits and separated out from active skills. At the July 2011 Press Event, Blizzard announced that passive skills were once again in the game, replacing the traits system. When traits were changed back to passive skills in early 2011, Spiritual Attunement was moved directly from a level 39 trait to a level 3 passive.

Beta

The beta started in September 2011, and Spiritual Attunement was moved to level 13. Passives were reorganized for Beta Patch 14, but Spiritual Attunement didn't change.

Previous Versions

• Spiritual Attunement (trait) - As a trait.

See the traits page for more details on previous versions of this and many other passive skills.

References

• Zediono's translation of JudgeHype's pre-beta report — IncGamers 1st Aug 2011
• HardRock's Witch Doctor Passive Skills — IncGamers 6th Sep 2011
• Witch Doctor Passive Skills — Blizzard's Official Diablo III Site

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| | Care of the Master | Increases the health of pets by Template:Cyanize. | 6 | Witch Doctor |-

Quickening is a skill rune effect in the Monk's Fists of Thunder combo skill.

Quickening is enabled at level 42, and increases the Monk's Spirit generation by enabling a gain of 15 Spirit with every Critical Hit landed while using this attack. The basic attack's effectiveness is not changed by this rune effect; just the Spirit generated by it. This effect will obviously become more effective for Monks with higher than normal critical hit %.

Name	Level	Description

<skill class="Monk">Fists of Thunder</skill> <skill class="Monk" rune="Quickening">Fists of Thunder</skill>

Screenshots and videos of this effect will be added post-release.

Trivia

Prior to the skill rune revision in November 2011, this effect was enabled by the Golden rune.

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Spirit Vessel is a Witch Doctor passive skill unlocked at Level 30, which reduces the cooldown of Horrify, Spirit Walk and Soul Harvest. In addition, Witch Doctor is saved from certain death by entering the spirit realm.

Description

Name	Level	Description

<skill class="WitchDoctor">Spirit Vessel</skill>

Synergies

No synergies with any active skills or other Witch Doctor passives are known.

Development

Passive skills have had a long and storied history. When Diablo III debuted at the WWI 2008, skill trees included passive skills, much like in Diablo II. In 2010, it was announced that passive skills had been renamed traits and separated out from active skills. At the July 2011 Press Event, Blizzard announced that passive skills were once again in the game, replacing the traits system. When traits were changed back to passive skills in early 2011, Spirit Vessel was moved directly from a low-level trait to a level 6 passive, but was then removed from the game prior to the beta launch in September 2011.

Beta

Spirit Vessel returned later in the beta, at level 20 and redesigned with a completely new function. When passives were reorganized for Beta Patch 14, Spirit Vessel was moved up to level 30.

Previous Versions

Spirit Vessel's prior function:

Effect: Health globes provide 10% of maximum mana when picked up.

Older versions of Spirit Vessel:

• Spirit Vessel (skill) - The original passive skill.
• Spirit Vessel (trait) - As a trait.

See the traits page for more details on previous versions of this and many other passive skills.

References

• Zediono's translation of JudgeHype's pre-beta report — IncGamers 1st Aug 2011
• Witch Doctor Passive Skills — Blizzard's Official Diablo III Site

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| | Aggression | Increases attack by Template:Cyanize. | 12 | Witch Doctor |-

| | Superior Skill | Increases precision by Template:Cyanize. | 12 | Witch Doctor |-

| | Expert Defense | Increases defense by Template:Cyanize. | 12 | Witch Doctor |-

| | Toughness | Increases vitality by Template:Cyanize. | 12 | Witch Doctor |-

| | Death Pact | When the Witch Doctor has under Template:Cyanize health, damage taken is reduced by Template:Cyanize. | 18 | Witch Doctor |-

| | Leader of the Pack | Increases damage dealt by Zombie Dogs by Template:Cyanize. | 18 | Witch Doctor |-

Blood Ritual (known as Ritual of Blood prior to September 2011) is a Witch Doctor passive skill unlocked at Level 20, which allows the Witch Doctor to draw some of his Mana costs from health, but also regenerates health.

Description

Name	Level	Description

<skill class="WitchDoctor">Blood Ritual</skill>

Synergies

No synergies with any active skills or other Witch Doctor passives are known.

Development

Passive skills have had a long and storied history. When Diablo III debuted at the WWI 2008, skill trees included passive skills, much like in Diablo II. In 2010, it was announced that passive skills had been renamed traits and separated out from active skills. At the July 2011 Press Event, Blizzard announced that passive skills were once again in the game, replacing the traits system. When traits were changed back to passive skills in early 2011, Blood Ritual (as Ritual of Blood) was moved directly from a level 15 trait to a level 18 passive.

Beta

When the beta started in September 2011, Ritual of Blood was renamed Blood Ritual and moved to level 17. When passives were reorganized for Beta Patch 14, Blood Ritual was moved up to level 20.

Previous Versions

• Ritual of Blood (skill) - The original passive skill.
• Ritual of Blood (trait) - As a trait, Ritual of Blood took 50% of mana costs from health.

See the traits page for more details on previous versions of this and many other passive skills.

References

• Zediono's translation of JudgeHype's pre-beta report — IncGamers 1st Aug 2011
• HardRock's Witch Doctor Passive Skills — IncGamers 6th Sep 2011
• Witch Doctor Passive Skills — Blizzard's Official Diablo III Site

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Ferocity is a rune effect in Battle Rage, a Fury-spending Barbarian skill.

This rune effect retains the base skill function, but adds a bonus so that all Critical Hits landed with the skill active increase the duration by 2 seconds. A fast-attacking Barbarian with a good amount of increases Critical Hit chance equipment can thus keep this effect going almost indefinitely.

Skill Rune Effects

See the Battle Rage rune effects article for thorough descriptions of all five rune effects in this skill, including screenshots, videos, and strategy tips.

Name	Level	Description

<skill subcat="Shout" class="Barbarian">Battle Rage</skill> <skill class="Barbarian" rune="Ferocity">Battle Rage</skill>

Media

Screenshots and movies will be added post-release.

Development

Prior to the skill revision in February 2012, this rune effect was enabled by the Indigo Rune, granting the following effect with a level 7 runestone:

Ferocity

[e] Critical hits increase the duration of the Battle Rage effect by 4.0 seconds.

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Plagued bosses create green pools of damage beneath their feet and in the immediate vicinity. These pools are not targeted at the player the way Desecrater is, but the Plague pools can be quite numerous, they appear frequently, and last for a considerable duration. During a long battle the entire screen can be covered in green pits, and this is very dangerous in enclosed areas where players can entirely run out of safe places to stand. Jailer, Waller and other movement impairing effects are very dangerous when combined with Plagued.

Plague pits cover the screen.

As well as dealing damage, the Plague pool inflicts a short term debuff that reduces the armor of Barbarians and Monks by 50%, and cause the Witch Doctor, Wizard, and Demon Hunter to take reflected damage.

Patch v1.0.4 in August 2012 reduced the damage Plagued deals to pets and followers to 10%.[1]

• Monster Level Minimum: 20
• Available to: Bosses and Champions.
• Damage Type: Poison.
• Additional Resistances: None. (Bonus poison resistance was removed in Patch 1.0.3.)

Strategy

Stay out of the poison pits. Simple advice, and Plagued can be easier to avoid than modifier like Frozen, Arcane Enchanted, or Desecrator, which can form right on top of your character. Bosses create quite a few Plagued pits though, and as they appear around the boss, not just under their feet (as Molten does) players can not engage a Plagued enemy in melee combat without needing to back up or sidestep regularly.

Fighting Plagued enemies in a dungeon or cave or other enclosed area is quite dangerous as the green pits continue to form, last a long time, and can render entire areas deadly to the touch.

Development

Plagued boss death cloud.

During development this modifier was initially akin to the Diablo II boss modifier "Poison Enchanted." It added poison damage to boss attacks and caused them to emit a steady stream of greenish gas, as a visual indicator.

The real fun came upon the boss' death, as they exploded in a huge cloud of green gas, dealing heavy damage to any character who remained in the area. You see the explosion in the shot to the right, as a Monk flees the scene of the crime. @Diablo actually commented on that shot, back in the day.[2]

The new concept art and screenshot are GREAT! What's the green cloud, a gas potion or a skill maybe?
Looks to me like the monk just killed a rare monster with the Plague affix. --@Diablo

At that point in development, Frozen, Molten, and Plagued all worked much the same, with the added element and a big explosion upon death. These effects were all modified during development, giving them very different appearances and functions in the final game. Only Molten retained has the explosion upon death effect, and Plagued no longer have any appearance of being poisoned; even their plague pit attacks are a deep, emerald green that does not resemble gas -- compare Plagued to Ghom's poison gas effects.

Media

Plagued pits are a nice, deep greenish color that provides a very clear "do not tread on me" warning. During combat they form rapidly and persist for about 10 seconds. Just running over one is quite damaging, and characters without decent resistances will find them highly damaging once they are encountered on Hell, much less Inferno.

• 

  Fire Chains and Plagued zombies.

• 

  Shieling and Plagued.

• 

  Deadly oasis.

| | Rituals | Increases damage by Template:Cyanize of health. (Unknown if max or current health.) | 24 | Witch Doctor |-

| | Zombie Master | Increases Zombie skill damage by Template:Cyanize. | 24 | Witch Doctor |-

|} Note: The listed levels of the passive skills are clearly a holdover of when they were traits and will change in the future.

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

• Pit of Fire
  
• Parasite
  

References

• Full Witch Doctor Skills
• Zediono's translation of JudgeHype's pre-beta report -- IncGamers 1st Aug 2011

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