PRIEST-SHAMAN KIT Witch Doctor Description: Witch Doctors are somewhat rarer versions of Shamans, combining traditional Shamanism with magical ability. Witch Doctors walk within the twilight between wizardry and priestly magic. On one hand, they function as spiritual advisors and leaders for their tribe, but on the other they use wizardly spells to defend the tribe and establish their own power. Barbarian tribes are very impressed, awed, and made fearful by wizard magic, and Witch Doctors hold positions of great prominence in their tribes, usually as chief advisors to their chiefs. However, the superstition of their tribes can turn against them, and a Witch Doctor who loses the faith of his or her tribe must usually flee or be killed. Witch Doctors share the same racial and alignment restrictions as other Shamans, but in addition to the normal ability score requirements for Shamans, Witch Doctors must have an Intelligence score of no less than 13. Weapons & Armor: As a typical Shaman for weapons, but a Witch Doctor cannot wear armor or use a shield. Special Benefits: Circle of Aged Masters: As a typical Shaman. Herbal Magic: Witch Doctors have great skill in herbalism and herbal magic, being able to manufacture, potions, poisons, antidotes, and herbal talismans of considerable power, beginning at 5th level. A Witch Doctor of this level learns how to construct a tiny replicant (sometimes called a "voodoo doll") of any single living creature of his or her choice. The replicant is about six inches tall, made of clay or wax infused with magical herbs, and it crudely resembles the form of the victim. It must also contain a small piece of organic material from the victim (e.g., a lock of hair, a bit of fingernail). It requires 1d6 hours to create the replicant and requires a successful Herbalism proficiency check, and if the intended victim is of a higher level than the Witch Doctor the check suffers a -1 penalty for every level or hit die of difference, and it can be attempted no more than once per week. If the check is successful, the Witch Doctor (or any other creature) can inflict some harm upon the replicant and have harm also visited upon the victim. Each "attack" upon the replicant causes 1d4 points of damage to it and a like amount to the victim, regardless of the distance between the replicant and the victim, so long a they are on the same plane. The victim must also save vs. paralyzation or suffer a -2 penalty to all die rolls (10% spell failure chance) to the pain and shock of the attack. It is important to note that even an "attack" that totally destroys the replicant will still inflict only 1d4 points of damage upon the victim, so the Witch Doctor must be careful not to allow more harm to come to it than he or she desires. The replicant disintegrates after one day per level of the Witch Doctor has passed, if a remove curse spell is cast upon it or upon the victim, or after it has suffered a total of 1d4 points of damage plus one point per level of the Witch Doctor. A creature within the area of a protection from evil/good spell cannot be harmed by attacking the replicant while the spell is operating, though such a spell does not harm the replicant. In addition to this power, Witch Doctors' study of the magical, medicinal, and poisonous uses of plants and fungi allows them (after reaching 5th level) to brew a variety of herbal potions and ointments. Most of these mixtures are not truly magical and will lose their potency with the passage of time. Thought not all of the Witch Doctor's time is consumed in the labor of making these mixtures, he or she cannot create them while traveling or without access to ingredients and facilities, and mixture must be completed (or abandoned entirely) before another is begun. The types of potions (which must be drunk) and ointments (which must be applied to the skin) that may be brewed depend on the Witch Doctor's level: 5th level - Poisons and antidotes: Antidotes take one day to brew if a sample of the poison is on hand or one week otherwise. Poisons or antidotes remain potent for a full year. An antidote may be to a very specific type of poison (e.g., giant scorpion venom), in which case it neutralizes the poison entirely, or to a general class of poison (e.g., fatal, paralytic, sleep, debilitating), in which case is merely grants a new saving throw to a creature who has already failed a save. With regard to brewing poisons, a Witch Doctor learns a great many things about poison-making in his or her studies and experimentation, but many deities (and societies) frown on the use of poison in general. Witch Doctors who make only sleeping, paralytic, or debilitative poisons are not apt to run into trouble, but those who manufacture lethal toxins may be acting contrary to their alignment or faith. It takes one day to brew one vial of antidote and 3d6 days to brew one vial of poison. At 5th level, a Witch Doctors can brew a vial of sleep potion that causes up to four people to fall asleep for 2d4 turns within 1d4+1 minutes if they fail their saves vs. poison. Alternatively, this can be prepared as a blade venom that can be used on up to six arrows, bolts, or darts or a single bladed or spiked weapon. This is the only type of blade venom that Witch Doctors learn to craft. Further poisons are learned with increases in level: 6th level: ingestive paralytic poison (onset 1d4 rounds, duration 2d6 hours, affecting size L or smaller creatures) 7th level: type G (onset 2d6 hours, 20 points of damage if save failed, none if successful) 8th level: type H (onset 1d4 hours, 20 points of damage if save failed, 10 points of damage if successful) 9th level: ingestive debilitative poison (onset 2d6 rounds, all ability scores halved for 1d3 days, affecting size L or smaller creatures) 10th level: type I (onset 2d6 rounds, 30 points of damage if save failed, 15 points of damage if successful) 12th level: type J (onset 1d4 rounds, death if save failed, 20 points of damage if successful) In addition to learning the secrets of poisons and their antidotes, Witch Doctors learn how to craft a variety of other potions as they advance in level: 6th level - Truth potions: These potions are non-magical and take 2d4 days to brew. When ingested, a save vs. poison (modified by the drinker's Wisdom score and any other resistances to mental attacks) is necessary to resist its effects. Failure indicates that the drinker falls into a stupor for 2d6 turns and affecting him or her as per the slow spell, save that spellcasting and psionics use are not possible while under the influence of this drug due to an inability to concentrate. In addition, the drinker will truthfully answer the first 1d4 questions posed to him or her. Only humanoid creatures may be affected by this potion, and creatures with more hit dice or levels than the Witch Doctor gain a +2 bonus to their saving throws. Truth potions remain potent for one month. 7th level - Love potions: These non-magical potions have an effect identical to a magical philter of love. They require 2d4 days to brew and remain potent for one month. 8th level - Healing potions: These non-magical potions cure 2d4+2 points of damage, just as a magical potion of healing would. These potions require 1d4 days to brew and remain potent for one month. 9th level - Flying potions: This non-magical potion works similarly to a magical potion of flying, allowing the creature using it to fly for 10+1d6 turns. It requires 3d6 days to brew and remains potent for one month. 10th level - Extra-healing potions: These non-magical potions cure 3d8+3 points of damage if quaffed all at once or 1d8 points each in three divided draughts. They require 3d6 days to brew and remain potent for one month. 11th level - Polymorph potions: These non-magical potions enable the drinker to change shape as per the polymorph self spell for a duration of 1d4+4 turns. They require 3d6 days to brew and remain potent for one month. All of the above potions are non-magical and cannot be dispelled, though their efficacy will wane and expire over time as described above. Any of the above potions can be manufactured in the form of an ointment, taking twice as much time to manufacture but remaining potent for three times the normal duration. In addition, these ointments need not actually be drunk but must merely be rubbed onto a creature to confer their benefits. Witch Doctors of the highest levels can also manufacture magical elixirs. These require a full month of labor to create but remain effective permanently unless dispelled or otherwise destroyed. A Witch Doctor learns his or her first elixir recipe at 14th level and can learn another at each level thereafter, from the following selection: health, heroic action, life, luck, madness, photosynthesis, physical enhancement, revivification, sanity, shape changing, weakness, or youth. Omen Reading: Witch Doctors put great faith in omens and signs and dream visions, and this allows them to read omens, as described for the Shaman, once per day rather than once per week. Savage Sorcery: Because of their study of the spirits of the dead and their frequent contact with them, Witch Doctors have some power over undead creatures, unlike other Shamans. Hence, Witch Doctors can turn undead (if good or neutral) or control undead (if evil) as a priest two levels lower than their actual level. Their studies into magical matters also enable them to learn proficiencies from the Wizard list without penalty. They also may possess as many magical items as they wish, unlike other Shamans, and are able to use magical items normally restricted to Wizards. Second Sight: As a Shaman. Spirit Guide: Like other Shamans, Witch Doctors all have a Spirit Guide; however, unlike a typical Shaman, the Spirit Guide of a Witch Doctor is not an animal spirit, but rather it is the spirit of a recently deceased relative or a Shaman or Witch Doctor of his or her tribe or clan. This Spirit Guide is normally invisible to all creatures other than the Shaman, but it can become visible if the Shaman asks it to do so, in which case it appears as a transparent image of the person as he or she appeared in life. The Spirit Guide can be a source of direction and wisdom for the Shaman, offering advice and assistance. They retain memories of their own lifetimes and also can see glimpses of the future through the spirit world. Once per day, the Shaman can ask his or her Spirit Guide to invoke one of the following magical spell effects on his or her behalf: augury, feign death, prayer, sleep, or speak with dead. This takes one round of chanting and a successful Wisdom check. If the check is successful, the Shaman gains the power to cast the spell in question (taking effect at his or her level). The spell may be cast immediately or may be retained for up to one full day, but no further magical favors can be requested until the spell is used. If the check is failed, the Spirit Guide is unable to provide any magical assistance for that day. A Witch Doctor of 5th level or above can instead request divination or dream sight, while a Witch Doctor of 10th level or above can request an astral spell, find the path, or commune. Witch Doctors can also send their Spirit Guide to request magical spells from other spirits. However, a Witch Doctor's Spirit Guide, being a spirit of the dead rather than an animal spirit, provides access to rather different spheres of magic. A Witch Doctor has major access to the spheres of All, Protection, Summoning, Travelers, and Wards and minor access to the spheres of Animal, Divination, Healing, Nature, Necromantic, Plant, and Weather. In addition to requesting priest spells, however, a Witch Doctor is capable of requesting wizard spells through his or her Spirit Guide. Wizard spells are more difficult for the Spirit Guide to acquire, applying the following penalties to his or her chance of success: - Spell is a Common wizard spell: -20 percent - Spell is an Uncommon wizard spell: -30 percent - Spell is a Rare wizard spell: -40 percent - Spell is a Very Rare wizard spell: -50 percent Searching for spirits able to provide wizardly magic to the Witch Doctor is very time-consuming, requiring 1d6 turns plus one turn per spell level for spells that a wizard of the same level would be able to cast and 1d6 hours plus one hour per spell level for wizard spells of higher level. Additionally, a Witch Doctor may only request wizard spells that he or she knows exist. All 1st and 2nd level Wizard spells listed as Common or Uncommon are considered to be familiar to virtually all characters with any knowledge of magic and can be requested by any Witch Doctor. Otherwise, a Witch Doctor must have actually seen a spell cast (or seen its effects) and must make a successful Spellcraft proficiency check. If this check is failed, the Witch Doctor cannot request that spell again until he or she has gained a level, at which time another check may be attempted. Once this check is successful, that spell is available for request. Note that spell-like abilities of creatures or characters that do not exactly duplicate spells cannot be accessed in this fashion, though innate powers that do exactly duplicate spells do allow the Witch Doctor to attempt a check. Special Hindrances: Witch Doctors are less oriented toward physical combat than other Shamans, being unable to wear armor or use shields and suffering a -1 penalty to hit in physical combat (though not with spells), and they may not select a 'weapon of choice'. Witch Doctors also tend to go their own way in their study of nature and its uses, focusing on their Herbal Magic and Savage Sorcery abilities and forsaking the Communion with Nature and Natural Medicine of a traditional Shaman. Witch Doctors also tend to be feared and avoided by other barbarians, rather than respected as a Shaman is; hence, they gain a reaction bonus with other barbarians only when they adopt a "threatening" attitude. They still suffer the normal reaction penalties of Shamans when they are dealing with non-barbarians. As noted above, Witch Doctors put great faith in omens and signs. Hence, they must read the omens each and every day. If others wish to have the Witch Doctor consult the omens for the day to come, then he or she will do so for the entire group. If not, the Witch Doctor will consult the omens and abide by the results. With respect to a Witch Doctor's Spirit Guide, since it is not an animal spirit a Witch Doctor goes not gain any of the abilities a normal Shaman would for taking on the essence of that animal type. Similarly, requesting spells of the Animal and Nature spheres requires the full normal amount of time for a Witch Doctor, rather than the shortened amount of time required for a Shaman. Finally, Witch Doctors must observe special taboos that do not affect other characters. Though the taboos may seem trivial or even ridiculous to other characters, the Witch Doctor takes them very seriously. Violating a taboo causes a Witch Doctor to suffer a -2 penalty to all die rolls (10% spell failure chance and -10% penalty to locate spells) for 1d6 days. A Witch Doctor has one taboo for every five levels of experience (rounding up). These taboos are communicated to the Witch Doctor by his or her Spirit Guide and are not chosen by the player. Some typical taboos include: - Cannot eat meat or animal products (including milk, eggs, and cheese) - Cannot consume alcohol - Cannot sleep within 20 yards of a member of the opposite sex - Cannot touch a member of the opposite sex - Cannot wear a certain color (or must wear a certain color) - Cannot carry gold (or another metal or substance) on his or her person - Cannot touch gold (or another metal or substance) - Cannot bathe (or must bathe every day) - Cannot shave or cut hair (or must keep head, face, and body clean-shaven) - Cannot cut fingernails - Cannot sit or sleep facing north (or another direction) - Cannot speak after sunset (except to his or her Spirit Guide or as part of a ceremonial chant) Proficiencies for Witch Doctors mirror those of Shamans, save that all Witch Doctors are required to learn Herbalism at 1st level and that Reading/Writing is not a Forbidden proficiency.