Let's help Blizzard brainstorm some new Witch Doctor spells [Archive]

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Naja

22-11-2008, 22:38

With only 11 active spells, the Witch Doctor is far from complete. From the Blizzard devs' own admission, this is mostly because the Witch Doctor is an unorthodox character, and thus difficult to pin down as easily as a basic caster (Wizard) or melee character (Barbarian).

But that doesn't mean we can't use our imagination based on what we do know!

What are some cool spells you'd like the Witch Doctor to have?

For me, I think there's a lot of room for growth within the current summoner/support caster frame.

For example, Blizzard could expand the fire skills to be defensive in nature (how about a "Flame Armour" skill that provides some protection against melee damage while doing fire damage to melee attackers), as well as offensive. I think that since flame damage is going to be the primary direct damage spell type for the Witch Doctor, he's going to need at least 1 or 2 seriously damaging skills that just look awesome. One of these level 30 spells just needs to be a no-nonsense skill that fills most of the screen up with flame, has an awesome sound effect, and toasts monsters with high damage. Call it "Incinerate" or something. Maybe it could function like a nova spell...except with fire.

It might be interesting to have a plague version of "Flame Armour" (like the Undead's disease cloud ability in W3). Or better yet, a poison aura passive ability that does periodic disease damage a certain radius away from the Witch Doctor. Call it something like "Spead Illness". The Witch Doctor seriously needs an updated version of the Death Knight's/Lich's "Death and Decay" spell that affects most of the screen and melts the skin off of all monsters in the radius. Like "Incinerate", it's best to keep the most powerful spells short and to the point. Something like "Blight" or "Pestilence" . The graphic could be like how the Undead spread blight on the ground in W3 (except the visual blight would be temporary).

I'm not too sure about what additional minions the Witch Doctor should summon besides Zombie Dogs. I'm still rooting for large, poisonous spiders, but besides that I'm out of ideas.

Finally, it might be cool to expand on the mind control spells we have seen so far. We've witnessed the traditional "attack other mobs" and fear-based spells ("Mass Confuse" and "Horrify"), but what if a high-powered mind control spell actually allowed the Witch Doctor to temporarily turn a regular monster into a minion? Call it something like "Possess" (since the WD is allowing a spirit to take possession of the monster's mind, or something). It could include a cool graphic of ghostly spirits screaming unholy terrors flying into the monster before it starts fighting for you! You could even "Sacrifice" (blow up) the temporary minion, using the mob's own monsters against them!

Thoughts?

EDIT: I've thought of a lower level version of "Possess": Zombify! It would work like a curse that the Witch Doctor places on a monster that lasts several seconds. If that monster dies while it is still cursed, then it reanimates and fights for the Witch Doctor for a limited period of time before expiring. Since this is a lower-level skill, it may be wise to cut these zombies' effectiveness (say, -50% hitpoints/damage/attack, etc.); zombie effectiveness could always improve with additional skill levels. Like "Possess", you should totally be able to detonate zombified minions with the "Sacrifice" skill. Totally.

psuedoenviro

23-11-2008, 07:25

I'll try:

JuJu Powder - 20% chance to blind with a 25% decrease in monster defense. (Possibly a 1 sec stun with a recharge of 5 sec) Raises with each point added. Low Level defensive skill in the Voodoo Skill Tree. Cone shaped, short range, inferno-like skill where WD blows a powder on monsters. Skill would improve minions chance to hit while increasing their survivability rate. Skill would also allow for a WD to enter into melee or use ranged attacks more efficiently.

bjsdtl

23-11-2008, 07:28

this is a witch DOCTOR, so we must include some sort of hallucinogenic experience either for the wd himself to use or to apply to his pets/teammates or the enemy. in real life witch doctors take crazy drugs to see what everyone else cannot see, and get important answers from this other realm. im not sure how to implement that but it would be cool.

maybe the wd could send himself into a drugged frenzy and be able to see larger (or maybe the whole) minimap like maphack would? boring example but its all i could think of at this moment to go along with "getting answers that others cannot see." plus it would make people stop using maphacks altogether! theyd just ask for a wd to come check it out

stillman

23-11-2008, 14:44

This is just a theory, but I think the WD is there so we have a chr to gimp ourselves with.
But if you are really creative, you can make his lame spells amount to serious killing power. However; it's harder to do this than with the wizard or barb.

Butch Audacity

23-11-2008, 19:24

The Witch Doctor needs some spells based on snakes since snakes play a important role in many tribal cultures. The witch doctor could summon snakes as minions. The witch doctor could also have other zombie-based spells.

Naja

23-11-2008, 19:52

this is a witch DOCTOR, so we must include some sort of hallucinogenic experience either for the wd himself to use or to apply to his pets/teammates or the enemy. in real life witch doctors take crazy drugs to see what everyone else cannot see, and get important answers from this other realm. im not sure how to implement that but it would be cool.

Maybe a "Spirit Trance" spell would allow the Witch Doctor to have an out-of-body experience, allowing his spirit essence to scout ahead of him and his party without alerting monsters. You could balance that out by making the Witch Doctor's body more vulnerable to damage while his spirit is elsewhere.

DemolitionSquid

23-11-2008, 22:46

Some ideas that could be incorporated in spells:

Rain Dance
Sacrifice (not like Paladin's, I'm talking about the human sacrifice in the WD lore)
Bondyn and Loa (Voodoo's God and spirits)
Fetishes/Voodoo Dolls

Leugi

25-11-2008, 01:10

Voodoo Doll: Not a simple summoned, it's actually a targeted skill in which you target an enemy and a voodoo doll appears, the other monsters will consider him of your side and will start attacking the lil' doll, but when they damage the doll the original target is also damaged.

Plague: Also targeted, the monster becomes ill and is poisoned and probably slower, when the targeted monster dies a mass of worms go out from his body in a nova way giving some poison damage.

Rain Dance: Yep, the WD will dance... summoning a storm above him that shoots thunders to enemies.

That's all for now.

Butch Audacity

30-11-2008, 04:13

A were-leopard spell that changes the witch doctor into a leopard briefly and gives him the ability to fight with claws and fangs. This ability is based on West African Leopard Men societies.

Hodl Pu

30-11-2008, 20:54

DEMON SLAVE: Having a demon slave skill. Not one you can summon, but you can mind control 1 demon and becomes a permanent slave, unless you decide to get a new one (demons only). I see it as a relevant skill since some tribe witch doctors try to manipulate souls and demons to do their bidding (referenced from my history and art history classes).

Leugi

01-12-2008, 14:42

A were-leopard spell that changes the witch doctor into a leopard briefly and gives him the ability to fight with claws and fangs. This ability is based on West African Leopard Men societies.

It would be truly interesting if the shapeshifter is actually the WD, and that's the reason Blizz didn't give much information on spells...

Naja

02-12-2008, 06:10

Huh. Good point. Wouldn't that be too much of a blatant Druid ripoff though?

penthesilea

04-12-2008, 12:07

wow u guys are so creative! i wish that diablo 3 will root some ideas in this thread...

as for me since it will be multi-playable game how about a

Life Incense skill that reborns a dead ally for a mana & soul costs since WD collects souls from his/her other skill.

Voodoo Totem that creates an AoE effect to the foes which feebles/ weakens them as well as temporarily heals nearby allies for the duration of the totem.

since witch doctors tends to purify & heal someone in need & exorcise demons, evil spirits & possessed things such as these isn't a bad idea after all.

"hurry sisters! our world is in peril! gather at arms!"
-Penthesilea, Amazon Queen's Royal Guard

Naja

04-12-2008, 16:21

I like the Totem idea. A lot like Healing Ward. It would make melee Witch Doctor builds more viable, and would really help out parties.

The challenge would be to stylistically differentiate it from WoW and W3 spells. This would require some sort of unheard of voodoo theme. Probably darker too.

penthesilea

04-12-2008, 21:52

I agree to that since this is a new version, then how about a "sacred wood carved diety" instead of a voodoo totem that the WDs' in the story game prayed for protection & health instead.
If you found out that its still similar or with resemblance to the Healing Ward then make that diety an immaterial spirit that will interacts with the WD (like asking for healing for the party) isnt a bad idea too..

"hurry sisters! our world is in peril! gather at arms!"
-Penthesilea, Amazon Queen's Royal Guard

IGotGreasyBalls

04-12-2008, 22:57

Fish Slap

04-12-2008, 23:55

Corpse Explosion. Seriously.

BrotherRatcliff

05-12-2008, 03:18

Boy there are some good ideas here. The spirit walk/hallucination is one of my favorites so far, as well as an updated death and decay =D

More specific mind control would be a really nice thing, maybe you could posses a non-boss enemy and actually play that monster for a period of time? during which your WD is vulnerable. You could infect a monster with plague then mind control them and run them back to infect other enemies. I also want to see some heads shrunken! WDs could collect heads from corpses and shrink them then throw them at enemies or something.

The big deal with the WD though will be PvP and how they handle that. I really hope the mind control spells will work on other players and make their screens go blurry and distorted or make bushes look like copies of the WD or something.

DemolitionSquid

05-12-2008, 03:40

Corpse Explosion. Seriously.

No need. Now everyone can have CE by socketing with a Lethality rune.

Naja

05-12-2008, 04:43

No need. Now everyone can have CE by socketing with a Lethality rune.

Jesus. Imagine what a high quality Power or Lethality rune could do to the Sacrifice spell!

SirLuxeflex

06-12-2008, 12:08

Turn into Zombie. A skill which allows the Witch Doctor to become one of the most fearful creatures in the world. Speed penalty at first (higher levels / passive skills will increase speed or reduce penalty) and only a limited choice of spells (range will increase with more ranks), but the WD will gain defense bonus, resistance bonus and will regenerate health.

At an early level, the WD would be a slow zombie (as seen in night of the dead), but at higher levels he will become a fast-moving zombie (28 days later / 28 months later). And since bullets are not done in d3... ;)

Naja

06-12-2008, 22:39

Naja could you make a list of the proposed spells in the first post?

Sure! This is all organized by skill tree.

Plague Tree

1. Spread Illness: A passive ability that creates a perpetual aura of disease around the Witch Doctor. All enemies caught within the radius suffer poison damage. As a passive ability, this cannot buff your minions with poison damage. More points increase the radius of the aura, the poison damage, and the length of time your enemies are poisoned.

2. Taint Weapon: The Witch Doctor contaminates any melee or ranged weapon with disease, granting poison damage to it for a limited period of time. Extra points increases the duration the weapon remains poisoned, poison damage, length of poison, and increases the chance that a successful hit will prevent monster healing.

3. Pestilence: A top-tier spell that creates a field of decay for a period of time. All enemies who enter into the radius of this spell suffer significant disease damage; enemies' skins melt off if they are killed by this spell. Extra points increase poison damage, the length of poison, and the length of time the field of decay lasts on screen. The graphic of this spell would be similar to the Undead faction from Warcraft 3; picture blight spreading across the ground.

Spirit Tree

1. Flame Armor: The Witch Doctor summons an elemental spirit of flame that surrounds his body, shielding him from some melee damage, absorbing some fire damage, and dealing fire damage to all monsters who score a melee hit on him. Extra points increase the amount of melee damage blocked, fire damage absorbed, and fire damage dealt to melee attackers.

2. Will of the Dead: Cast on your minions to temporarily increase their speed, attack rating and damage at the expense of some of their hitpoints. Extra points increase this bonus while reducing some hitpoint loss.

3. Incinerate: A top-tier spell that casts a gigantic nova of flame around the Witch Doctor. Has a small percentage of casting a firewall at a random part of the screen. Extra points increase fire damage, increase the likelihood of creating a firewall, and increase the number of potential firewalls that can be randomly cast.

Voodoo Tree

1. Sacrificial Totem: The Witch Doctor casts a totem that heals the Witch Doctor and any other party members if they are around it. The catch is that in order to heal, the Witch Doctor's minions must also be within the radius: the totem gradually siphons hit points from his minions and transfers them to the Witch Doctor and his party. Extra points increase the radius of the totem, and the percentage of minion hitpoints that get transferred to the Witch Doctor and other players.

2.Zombify: The Witch Doctor places a curse on a monster. If that monster dies while it is cursed, it re-awakens as a zombie minion to fight for the Witch Doctor for a limited time before expiring. The Witch Doctor may cast "Sacrifice" on zombified monsters. Extra points increase zombie lifespan, attack rating, damage and hitpoints.

3. Possess: A top-tier mind control spell that, when cast on an ordinary monster, possesses that monster with the spirits of the dead for a limited period of time. Possessed monsters attack the Witch Doctor's enemies, and can be detonated with the "Sacrifice" spell while possessed. The monster regains its AI and resumes attacking the Witch Doctor and his allies after a limited period of time. Extra points increase the duration of possession.

penthesilea

07-12-2008, 18:27

Naja thnx for revising the totem idea!!

in addition to that...

Spirit Tree Division

4. Ballad of Leaves - The witch doctor conjures a razor sharp leaves that drifts around him/her and blurs enemy's sight thus increases the chance to avoid with a knockback effect to enemy attacks in close combat & also increase the % to dodge ranged attacks for the duration of the spell. The increment of this skill pumps the % of parry rate of both melee & range and the knockback's duration.

This certain skill will not turn the WD invulnerable, morever, it serves also a protection buff like the "flame armor" and may do critical damage IF and ONLY IF its specifically the demons or humans who are possessed by it since WD are demon's archenemy. That critical is a non-elemental damage (if with flame armor on it adds up to damage & may do critical) in line to that knockback effect until the spell expires or re-casted again.

Note 1: the term "ballad" isn't for bard/s only since witch doctors in reality chants in poetic manner (eventhough it sounds like screaming or moaning!).

Note 2: It is stackable to solo buff skills (i.e. Flame Armor) since the description never conflicts to it & both synchronize in power upping the WD.

Note 3: Fire special effects of the Flame Armor never "BURNS" the leaves of the skill since both are spirit invocations and never oppose with one another. Same is also applicable to other future skills.

Note 4: We, as creators of such great ideas never forget to "Balance" the skill not over exaggerate it and differentiate party buffs to solo ones. Why? party buffs enhances only one or two essential attributes for the "party" while in solo buffs should be much more complicated and in great enhancement since it is the character's very own skill (means it is intended for him/her only).

hope you guys agree with me =)

Echod16

08-12-2008, 23:12

Naja

09-12-2008, 06:57

Maybe some sort of Bubonic plague like skill. It'd be a very high mana cost, AOE type of skill that is meant as a delayed dot to bosses. It would start slow (the first 20 seconds are only 5 dps), then starts wearing down the affected targets, slowing their movements and attack movements, with dps increasing by 2 every 10 more seconds after 20 (so 5, then 10, then 20, then 40....). It would last 2 minutes, for a total possible damage of 102400 over 2 minutes, or about an avg. of 850 dps.

on second thought, the skills sounds nice... but that's way too much damage for such little effort. It needs to be reworked, but the idea is there

I get the gist of your suggestion, though: a damage-over-time poison skill that also has the effects of Decrepify. I think it would make a nice addition to the Plague skill tree.

You could call it "Afflict." The Witch Doctor throws a potion at his enemy (sort of like Skull of Flame, except shorter range, and poison rather than fire). The potion explodes in a cloud of poison. All enemies caught in the cloud suffer poison damage over time, and temporarily suffer a decrease in movement speed and attack speed, a decrease in melee damage, and a decrease in defense rating.

Naturally, this would have to be a top-tier spell.

Fizh

11-12-2008, 23:04

I love the idea about the trance-kind-of-spell. The WD could consume herbs to reach a state, where his spiritual powers increase. Imagine the screen becoming blurry, colours and shapes distort, maybe it would be harder to control your charachter. It would decrease your vision, but your skills double in damage and your mana regeneration and cast rate increases. The WD would run around in a wild trance throwing extra deadly firebombs in every direction :D

This skill probably needs to have some negative effects besides the distortion of vision. Draing health or something like that.

Father Occam

12-12-2008, 00:26

My favorites so far are the leaf dance one and the voodoo doll where you create a decoy that enemies attack and hurt the traget of the spell.

Path of the Spirits-Transcending into the spirit realm the WD can pass thru this world with impunity. Basically the the WD "ghosts" for a short period of time where he can walk thru all enemies but cannot be hurt and cannot attack either (his summons stay behind and can still fight)

This would be the WDs transport ability since barb and wiz got one.

Black Mamba Mambo-The WD dissolves into several black snakes and one silver snake (this is the player), the black snakes randomly target enemies and deal poison damage, the silver snake is controled by the character he can attack (no spells) but recieves damage as normal the player can return to normal form either by waiting for the duration to end or by targeting a corpse to posses. If you posses a corpse the black snakes still stay until killed but you can attack as normal.

Call the Loa-The WD summons a spirit which will posses the targeted corpse for a short time, the loa can use all the abilities the corpse had. The one twist is that the the loa can even posses the corpses of other fallen players.

This spell is similar to revive so it might need some addition work since they want to stay away from being a necro. Also the possesion of the player character's corpse is dependent upon how the final death mechanic works in D3, if the player has to touch his body like in D2 to get his stuff back then you cant have this spell unless it leaves like a marker or something for the other player.

Naja

12-12-2008, 06:57

Father Occam

12-12-2008, 18:17

I like your "Path of the Spirits" idea a lot, although it would need some kind of counterbalance to not make it too overpowered. Maybe you could accomplish this by only granting immunity to melee damage, but enhancing the damage he would take from elemental attacks for as long as he is "ghosted." This would still make it a very worthwhile spell, since it's basically your "escape from being surrounded" skill.

Keep in mind with your other two suggestions that there will be no corpse-based spells in Diablo 3.

I thought about the damage from magic while ghosted but then i thought it would be too much like whatever that tauren does in warcraft. As far as balance i really thought of this as more of an "oh crap" kind of skill that would have a long cool down so you couldnt stay ghosted while your minions fight.

Is it really true theres not going to be any corpse targeting spells? That seems like a wasted opportunity.

Naja

12-12-2008, 19:46

Yeah, no corpses sad to say. But at least we get cool ragdolls!

Smash

12-12-2008, 20:58

I have new names for skill's trees. Instead spirits, voodoo, plague let's call it samba, carnival and hawaii.
Just looking on newest screenshots with she-wd i lost good mood. It is not possible... i just cannot let even to think that someone in Blizzard has so bad taste. Looking on wd is too much pain for me...

Naja

13-12-2008, 06:24

Smash: There's a separate Witch Doctor-bashing thread in this forum. I suggest you go there if you are intent on griping for its own sake.

This thread's intent is to suggest potential spells for the still-undeveloped Witch Doctor character - who knows, maybe Blizzard devs actually read some of our ideas!

At any rate, let's address the one aspect of the Witch Doctor's character that all of our cool direct damage, defense and mind control spells haven't touch on: summons.

What else (excluding quasi-minions like zombies and possessed mobs) should he summon besides Mongrels?

I've always been partial to large poisonous spiders. They could be melee attackers, or ranged attacks (poison gobs or spitting webs that slow mobs down). Or both.

What else though? Snakes might work. They'd probably look pretty wicked too...

Ouroboros

13-12-2008, 07:24

Hi, I just registered!

Skill Name: Rain Dance
Effect: Sky darkens and acid rain pours down burning enemies.

Thematically, this skill fits as stories of WDs often tell tales of rain dancing, etc.

Skill Name: Acid Spit
Effect: Imagine Reptile's acid spit from Mortal Kombat ..

Skill Name: Impregnate
Effect: WD cast spell which travels from wand as a wispy smoke-like missile .. hits target and causes damage. If damage is enough to kill target, the belly of the target begins to swell and explodes with three maggot-infested little dolls bursting out, which fights for the WD (think stygian dolls in Durance of Hate level III).

Skill Name: Annihilate
Effect: WD fires smoke-like missile (similar to Impregnate) and causes target to take damage. If damage is enough to kill, target's body explodes dealing damage to nearby monsters (think Corpse Explosion).

That's what I got for now.

:thumbup:

EDIT:

New Skill: Masque of the Red Death
Effect: WD summons a Red Spirit which floats and travels with WD. Surrounding monsters in AoE "contracts" Red Plague in the form of reddish/rusty clouds which envelop them and damage them.

FYI: Masque of the Red Death is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe about a prince who tries to avoid a Red Plague infesting his lands. Death/The Plague comes to his masquerade ball as a figure dressed in Red with a skull mask, and leads to the prince's demise. Very dark and gothic story, and should add depth and seriousness to WD skill set.

Hodl Pu

15-12-2008, 09:03

Graveyard Kind of like thunderstorm for sorc, but a zombie popping up from the ground, damaging an enemy, then goes back under ground.

Leugi

15-12-2008, 13:50

Death Bind: The Witch Doctor controls for some time the corpses stored underground, which just lift their hands from the floor and hold the WD's enemy, unallowing him/her to move and damaging him/her little by little.

Breath of Fire: Aight don't bash me here, imagine an spell similar to inferno, with the difference it comes from the WD's mouth, some kind of ritual thing in which he puts alcohol or other inflammble substances on his mouth and then just launches fire. It fits, although it isn't truly original.

Swarm Shield: The Witch Doctor summons a swarm of protective insects that inflict poison damage to every enemy that comes near the caster.

Brew of the Death The Witch Doctor uses a special brew that temporaly turns him into a monster, able to attack fastly and with strenght, once the effect is finished the witch doctor is weakened though.

penthesilea

16-12-2008, 06:06

as for the new idea part 3

Branch Storm - Conjures an immaterial ancient tree spirit above the WD head (much like the horror spirit but with lattice circle within radius) that hails a sharp wood branches towards the targeted spot for the duration of the spell.

Points added to this skill certainly increases the damage & number of the branches that will hit foes alike within the targeted vicinity. (note that the WD should remain still because of the chant & vulnerable for until the spell expires)

Maul of Vengeance - WD should select either wall or ground for the spell to exist as a gate & evokes a giant skeleton hand with a metallic maul that smashes those opponent within its reach.

Points added to the skill increases the skeleton hand's Life points and damage (it will be unfair for the enemy if the summoned figure doesn't have life on it)

Guys try to enhance this with your great ideas but not exaggerate it thnx!!

Caligunero

19-12-2008, 23:18

How about a passive skill that allows you to apply poison/fire/whatever damage to the weapons of party members much like what the WD can do for its summons?
Example: you put one point it do it, then you are able to blow the Swarm of Locusts or whatever onto your Barbarian friend and for X seconds both of his axes have Y poison damage and he gains Z additional poison resist. X, Y, and Z increase with points put in. Would stack onto any poison type damage/resistance that your party member has. Possibly even work for party members summons and mercs? Haven't really thought of a name for this, though. Feel free to suggest one.

Another one could be like the Necros blind curse or the Assassins cloak of darkness...don't know if this has been suggested but like maybe a bunch of possibly damaging smoke that obscures vision? Maybe call it Smog? Or maybe like a passive that adds the smoke damage/blindness to the fire type attacks.

And maybe a move like the Faint Attack that is in Pokemon (don't judge) where the WD becomes invisible and moves right next to an enemy and only appears during a melee attack (with a poisoned blade, maybe?)

TheMightyShoe

20-12-2008, 04:06

Let's give the WD some chance to either turn or control zombies (but not other undead). Somehow, it just makes sense.:yes:

Grug

20-12-2008, 05:43

Here's a good one:

Spirits of Limbo
The souls of the dishonored dead are forever tormented by the endless wastes of Limbo. A witch doctor can release them, putting their craving for violence to good use.

In effect, it's your standard missile attack. A ghostly spirit thing (think like what the Spirit Towers shoot in Warcraft 3) comes out and moves in a straight line, killing anything in its path. In addition to doing cold damage, it has a chance to slow and cause fear. Rune powers include making it track enemies, making it explode in a frenzy of ghostly violence, and making it pass through foes to strike ones behind. Also increasing the Slow and Terrify chance could work.

I'll try for another:

Sorrow Curse
The enemy is touched by death, its lifeforce oozing away. It does not notice until it is too late, lashing out at its companions in a mad bid to save itself

A wide AOE that inflicts damage over time. If an enemy dies while under the curse (not necessarily because of the curse) it will go mad and attack anything nearby for 2 seconds.

Avaddon

20-12-2008, 11:53

How about:
returning the "Serpents of doom" skill -one of the unreleased skil from d1
alsow some other d1 and d2 skills like bone spirit , bone wall , poison nova , golem.
and maybe some druid like aura-spirit summoning skill -that would be awsome

Avaddon

20-12-2008, 12:02

Breath of the duying--or Breath of Death---the WD would be able to spit out poison fumes (like greater mummys in d2) that would weaken and poison standing nerby groups of enemys

TheMightyShoe

22-12-2008, 05:38

I'll try for another:

Sorrow Curse
The enemy is touched by death, its lifeforce oozing away. It does not notice until it is too late, lashing out at its companions in a mad bid to save itself

A wide AOE that inflicts damage over time. If an enemy dies while under the curse (not necessarily because of the curse) it will go mad and attack anything nearby for 2 seconds.[/QUOTE]

I REALLY like this one! Very cool and original.

Taddl

22-12-2008, 23:54

a totem that the WD summons and can't be moved... could enhance the partys damage within it's range (like all of ur allys deal 10% more fire dmg while they are in he totems range) or affect the enemies (all enemies in the totems range get 10% more fire dmg or it could slow down nearby enemies or stunning/freezing etc in it's range could last 30% longer) or it just could cast attacks just like the d2 assasins traps

and i think a spell that includes the azteks famous feathered snake would be great

or how about a buff that if the WD dies in the next 3 mins all the enemies in his range turn against each other for 15 sec

or how about u summon a couple of snakes (maybe 3?) that wind around the enemies, putting them in chains. dealing damage by strangeling them OR stopping them from blocking or attaking for some time by tying their arms to their bodys OR slowing/stopping their movements by tying their legs together... it would be coolest if the snakes would have 1 of those abillitys each and once they are summoned they only can do 1 of those until you summon some new ones... so it is a bit of a gamble what they are gonna do

Butch Audacity

23-12-2008, 01:39

Ancestral Spear. Similar to Bone Spear, Flies in a straight line through a bunch of enemies. I like some of Leugi ideas like flame breathe and swarm shield. Maybe instead of Brew of the Death, the witch doctor can be possessed by his gods and ancestral spirits and temporary gain their powers.

Grug

23-12-2008, 02:04

Plague of Vermin
The crawling things of the jungle gather at the Witch Doctor's command, forming a seething carpet eager to go forth and feed.

A circle of bugs/snakes/rats forms at the WD and moves to where he right clicks. Any enemy inside the circle takes damage. The WD can continue to hold the button, moving the mouse around to have the vermin follow and attack new ground.

Taddl, I had a similar idea.

Anaconda.
One of the most ancient and deadly spirits of the Unformed Land, the Anaconda will crush your enemies, literally.

A targeted spell. Where you right click becomes the epicenter of a ghostly anaconda, coiled in a circle. It quickly constricts, dealing damage to enemies inside and pushing them closer together.

Go for #3:
Fire Fan
Just one of many tools of the ritual dances, the fire fan can be enchanted to float like a bird but kill like a jaguar.

The fire fan is cast out, flying in a straight line and spewing fire like an inferno spell. It damages enemies it passes by, and can be Runed to bounce when it hits a wall.

sorry, no totems. Totems are a shaman thing, and we don't need any more WoW connections. Witch Doctors could have spirits or Dolls.

Maxadrenaline

23-12-2008, 11:36

or how about u summon a couple of snakes (maybe 3?) that wind around the enemies, putting them in chains. dealing damage by strangeling them OR stopping them from blocking or attaking for some time by tying their arms to their bodys OR slowing/stopping their movements by tying their legs together... it would be coolest if the snakes would have 1 of those abillitys each and once they are summoned they only can do 1 of those until you summon some new ones... so it is a bit of a gamble what they are gonna do

Yes! ExtraCrispy said it too, though i would vote for "summon anaconda". The number/duration of anaconda's summoned could increase with more points in the skill, and it could also have a passive, "constriction", that increases the damage done.

I think the anacondas wouldn't have to be spirits, because if everything the WD summons is undead, we might as well call him Necromancer. Then again, if he summons animals, he might be a druid rip-off.

Grug

23-12-2008, 23:23

I think the next WD summon will be ghosts or spirits.

Naja

24-12-2008, 05:16

Something to do with snakes, that's for certain. You can't have a jungle warlock without evil snake summons of some kind.

And ExtraCrispy, what is a Witch Doctor but a Shaman?

Grug

24-12-2008, 20:49

Location, Naja. Although both witch doctors and shamans are traditionally considered the healers and religious leaders of their tribe, Witch Doctors are traditionally from jungle regions, while shamans are from plains or temperate zones. In addition, shamans get the power of the spirits by consulting with them and praying to them. witch doctors use bend the spirits to his will, infusing concoctions with their might. QED, WDs are less nice and understanding.

Thain Esh Kelch

25-12-2008, 14:03

I would like a Capoeira skill, making the WD better at meelee. Would give him some diversity, and could also make for some pretty neat attack animations.. :)

Naja

25-12-2008, 20:43

I think it's official that the Witch Doctor will have a snake summon, or at least a skill that incorporates snakes in some way.

From yesterday's interview (http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?pager.offset=1&cId=3172030&p=1):

The Witch Doctor's pets are more of a distraction -- they're his form of crowd control. They're very transient, they don't matter as much to him, and they aren't really a primary source of damage. We wanted to have this general notion of a character who controlled all things slimy and gross, like zombies, bats, snakes, and spiders, but he didn't rely on them -- he just throws them out there.

Leugi

27-12-2008, 03:26

Wait... a Witch Doctor with capoeira... now that'd be amazing. That way he would be able to be less dependant of his pets making them more of a crowd control as Blizz wants.

Thain Esh Kelch

27-12-2008, 15:34

I think it's official that the Witch Doctor will have a snake summon, or at least a skill that incorporates snakes in some way.
That description is nice and all, but it makes it sound like his minions are not viable in hell/nightmare, like the necro's current minions.. Except for golems of course.

Naja

27-12-2008, 17:29

That description is nice and all, but it makes it sound like his minions are not viable in hell/nightmare, like the necro's current minions.. Except for golems of course.

Not necessarily true at all. The Necromancers' minions are intended to kill for damage to start the Corpse Explosion chain. The Witch Doctor is far more direct damage-oriented, so he only needs minions that are beefy enough meat shields to protect him from mobs.

Plus, he can always Sacrifice them. He's no longer dependant on corpses to make damage-intensive explosions.

Mad Mantis

28-12-2008, 16:48

My biggest problem with the minions at this point (apart from the fact that we do not know enough minion skills. Damnit Blizz! We need info!) is that I don't know if they will be different enough. They are all just temporary allies and really nothing more than walking bombs.

The Necromances minions all feel differently. Skellies, Mages, Revives and Golems all feel differently and all fit a niche. You know the role of each.

The Druids summons, which are also much more transient that the Nerco's, don't feel that different. The only choice really is between the Grizzly and the Dire Wolfs. And even then the choice is not that hard.

If they do go for the summoning route at least make the various minions play differently. I like the fact that the mongrels are mere walking bombs. You can upgrade them with nice side effects by enchanting them. What kind of specialty can you really add to any new minion?

Leugi

29-12-2008, 03:22

The Druids summons, which are also much more transient that the Nerco's, don't feel that different. The only choice really is between the Grizzly and the Dire Wolfs. And even then the choice is not that hard.

I disagree, the plants and nature spirits were totally different to the wolves or bears, in fact I never used bears as a druid xD.

Still, yes, the WD needs quite nice variations between his summons.

jackmyrichard

29-12-2008, 04:27

Caligunero

29-12-2008, 05:06

i believe he one skill that should bleed over from the necro is the revive - though with an interesting twist. golems and skellies are characteristically necromancer skills; but i believe a witch doctor should be able to revive enemies and party members alike. he would be a party favorite of he could revive people once the area was cleared!

I really like that idea, although there would still need to be a mechanic in place so that whatever the penalization for death is (minus gold, minus xp, etc.) still takes place. although, maybe with more points put into the skill, the amount of gold/xp/whatever taken would be less.

Naja

29-12-2008, 07:55

When it comes to summons, I reiterate my "Zombify" and "Possess" suggestions.

Rather than create a literal summon, the Witch Doctor would use mind control spells to turn his enemies into allies (and yes, walking bombs). "Zombify" would function as a curse cast on monsters: if a monster dies while cursed, it rises as a zombie minion that fights for the Witch Doctor for a limited amount of time before expiring; "Possess" would simply turn a monster into a minion for a limited period of time.

So a lot like Revive, but without the corpses. The targeted monsters would function as minions, but less due to summoning, and more due to really powerful mind control spells. That would be original.

Mad Mantis

29-12-2008, 11:33

I disagree, the plants and nature spirits were totally different to the wolves or bears, in fact I never used bears as a druid xD.

The spirits were like recastable auras. Although minions, not in the strictest sense. Did anyone really use the plants?

When it comes to summons, I reiterate my "Zombify" and "Possess" suggestions.

Although I like the spells they are Necromancer skills in disguise. I wonder if they can come up with totally new skills.

Naja

30-12-2008, 01:29

Although I like the spells they are Necromancer skills in disguise. I wonder if they can come up with totally new skills.

Remember that sometimes the best originality is in borrowing with good judgement. Blizzard's stated design philosophy is "one third old, one third new, one third improved."

Many of the Witch Doctor's spells (or any of the characters' skills, for that matter) are just re-hashed skills of previous games' characters. "Sacrifice" is "Corpse Explosion" without the corpses; "Wall of Zombies" is equivalent to "Bone Wall" and "Fire Wall"; "Summon Mongrel" is akin to the Druid's "Summon Wolf/Dire Wolf"; "Locust Swarm" - besides being a spell from Warcraft III (http://www.battle.net/war3/undead/units/cryptlord.shtml) - is the poison equivalent to "Chain Lightning".

Using mind control to gain temporary minions would be similar in spirit to the Necromancer's "Revive" spell, in that you would gain control of monsters exactly as they are (including their abilities). But the similarity ends there. The Witch Doctor would not summon these minions ex nihilo, nor would he rely on corpses. Like "Soul Harvest", he would have to time his "Zombify" curse just right in order to ensure that his target dies while cursed in order to become zombified.

And in the case of "Possess", which does away with the cursing requirement and simply takes control of a singular monster (albeit with a large mana cost and cooldown), the monster would regain control and resume attacking you after a limited period of time.

Both would encompass Blizzard's desire to keep the character rushing from fight to fight, since creating zombies or possessing monsters requires the skills to be cast against living monsters who are fighting you - rather than safely waiting from a distance to raise corpses or summon minions from the ground.

At the same time, "Zombify" and "Possess" also reflect Blizzard's desire for the Witch Doctor's minions to feel more 'disposable' than the Necromancer's, while also emphasizing the Witch Doctor's power as a mind controller.

'Mind control' shouldn't just be limited to crowd control spells. Why shouldn't it also mean taking actual control over your enemies and turning them into living bombs?

Xiel Soulwraith

05-01-2009, 21:34

First off: sorry if I repeat any ideas...don't have the time to read through all 7 pages and remember all the ideas. Hehe.

Considering the WD manipulates the souls of his enemies and there was a major problem with end-game fire damage being basically worthless in D2 he should have a resistance-lowering spell. Here's my idea:

Sicken Soul: AoE curse-like spell similar to the Necro's Lower Resist but it would only lower Fire and Disease damage resists. Incrememnts would increase area/resist lowered/duration.

Another idea which stays with the lore of the WD:

Ritual: This spell would be a focused spell where the WD would not be able to do anything for the duration of the casting (10-15 secs). After this time period, for maybe a minute afterward, one target in the WD's party that he selected as the target a good sized buff (increase damage/swing speed/defense...something like that). It could use souls he's collected to infuse the target with spirit energies, making them stronger.

I also really liked the spirit walk ideas that I saw on the first couple posts. Definitely would be a usable and much appreciated "oh sh*t" button for when you walk into something you can't handle.

Let me know what you think!

Naja

07-01-2009, 23:02

Here's my idea:

Sicken Soul: AoE curse-like spell similar to the Necro's Lower Resist but it would only lower Fire and Disease damage resists. Incrememnts would increase area/resist lowered/duration.

Let me know what you think!

Sounds a lot like one of my earlier ideas, which was basically a passive skill that creates a poison aura around the Witch Doctor. Maybe it would be better for the passive aura to be a lower resist spell instead, for balance reasons?

Doctor Salvador

08-01-2009, 01:43

Kaysaar

08-01-2009, 02:53

Death of the First Born - The witch doctor dispels enemy casters summoned creatures.

This, of course, is only useful if there are enemies that actually summon minions - although it might have PvP applications.

Grug

09-01-2009, 05:04

Here's one:

Curse of Anger
Anger can be a powerful force for violence. The witch doctor can direct its carnage wherever he chooses.
Similar to my previous "Curse of Sorrow", the spell will deliver a hit to an enemy. If the enemy is killed by the hit, it will go crazy, running into the nearest monster and exploding, doing damage.

I always try to go for two.

Doom Fetish
The witch doctor produces a fetish, the Dark Smiler, and the enemies can feel themselves being attacked on an intangible level.
A hold Spell for the WD. The fetish locks on to one enemy and starts to damage it, slowing it as well.

I don't see why WD can't have shouts like the Barbarian. Witch Doctor Wails.

Mad Mantis

09-01-2009, 21:11

I don't like the idea of the Witch Doctor only using summons as distractions . . . I want a big hulking tarantula that rips my enemies to shreds, plants eggs in their ruined bodies, and sicks the lil' baby tarantulas on all those big uglies.

Plus I would love to see the Mistress of Pain and my own pet spider duking it out.

That would be a very cool spell to have.

Naja

10-01-2009, 22:20

Yeah, I can't repeat enough how awesome it would be to have spider summons. Not just spells that use spiders ("Spider Statue"), but actual summons who act like minions (and who you can blow up).

Nukeman8

10-01-2009, 22:41

Doctor Salvador

10-01-2009, 22:54

A single powerful minion would also fit Wilson's idea of having minions that aren't there to do ALL the dirty work (I still want a big army though :( ) I would, however, gladly accept fighting aside a beastly spider, blasting away anything that would dare hurt it with firebomb and whatnot.

WD needs another direct damage attack BTW. Something very end game-ish, a little more flashy than firebomb, and even more Witch Doctory than his one firebat attack.

Grug

10-01-2009, 22:59

The pets aren't there for doing damage. Bashiok himself said they were the WD's form of crowd control. I guess a spider tangling enemies in webs would be nice, but having it running around biting guys seems kind of boring, too much like the existing mobs.

Elmacro

11-01-2009, 00:19

All these skill seem very flavourful but... lets be realistic, unless the wd is already a lost cause in dueling he must be given functional spells, without so many strange visual effects you are posting. He is a witch doctor so he must be able to kill and to heal or protect:

He can have fire skills to do dmg and to heal (cauterizing wounds you know), he can use potions or powders to buff himself and his allies (increasing certain stats, which seem to be an important theme in d3) and he must be able to summon things from the jungle.

For duels good skills might be:

1. Fire spirit: Like the nec bone spirit in functionality but made of fire.
2. Rain dance: Like a cross between blizzard and lightning storm, he summons it and it stays for a while like the sorc lightning storm, but this one pelts nearby enemies with ice and lightning.
3. Powder/potion buffs to skills
4. shield of bark and leaves, increases defense and block chance.
5. Viper fangs or venom darts : he releases volleys of thin short green elongated bars of green magic, which do magic dmg when they hit and poison damage over time.

What i mean by these skills is that the wd skills dont have to be slow or difficult to direct at the enemy (venom frogs and flame skull), he should also have skills which can hit his enemies easily. Beacause now he wont have enigma to tele in front of his enemy and then shove the frogs into his mouth XD.

Mad Mantis

11-01-2009, 13:42

lets be realistic, unless the wd is already a lost cause in dueling he must be given functional spells

There are those of us who don't give a rat's *** about dueling. I couldn't care less if they take it out of the game entirely. Hence some of the skill suggestions will not be focused on dueling.

Elmacro

11-01-2009, 13:51

There are those of us who don't give a rat's *** about dueling. I couldn't care less if they take it out of the game entirely. Hence some of the skill suggestions will not be focused on dueling.

Yeah? well for your information diablo doesnt start and end in your little world. Why was trading and getting objects the cornerpiece of d2? Because people wanted to be better at duels. Why are there so many guides on how to max a char? Because of the duels.

Dueling was what "battle".net was mostly about, okay theres team work and all that...but in reality once you passed normal you know exactly how the game was, to the least detail, so what was left? Dueling.

Doctor Salvador

11-01-2009, 21:17

What i mean by these skills is that the wd skills dont have to be slow or difficult to direct at the enemy (venom frogs and flame skull), he should also have skills which can hit his enemies easily. Beacause now he wont have enigma to tele in front of his enemy and then shove the frogs into his mouth XD.

From what I've seen of the firebomb, it won't be too difficult to hit enemies with it (even other players), it's not that slow, and has a good sized fiery splash of damage.

But straight PvP wise, he really doesn't have much, but then again, all his skills are based on killing enemies, not players, and that's how it is supposed to be.

As for being a 'lost cause' in PvP, maybe he will be. Heck, most people hate the WD anyway. As for me, I love the WD, and I'm fine with him not being able to PvP (if that is the case, which will change since he only has 11 skills), but as for the PvPer's, you've still got the Barby and Wizard to blast away with.

ANYWHO, back to the Good Doctor and his skills, he really could use some bigger, badder Disease-based attack. Plague of Locusts is sweet, but what about some straight poison? Elmacro mentioned potion buffs, maybe he could slam a potion on the ground at his feet, and just sort of walk around with an Aura of Plague, sapping the strength and life of those demons who possess the will to stand against the Doctor.

Mad Mantis

12-01-2009, 22:38

Yeah? well for your information diablo doesnt start and end in your little world.

That's nice. Way to start a discussion with an insult.

Dueling was what "battle".net was mostly about, okay theres team work and all that...but in reality once you passed normal you know exactly how the game was, to the least detail, so what was left? Dueling.

Pot, this is kettle. He is black. For me it wasn't about dueling. For a lot of other people it wasn't about dueling. You like dueling, I guess, hence you see more people involved in it than someone who doesn't and consequently it would appear that the focus of the game would be around dueling.

DemolitionSquid

12-01-2009, 22:45

Doctor Salvador

12-01-2009, 23:18

I've been thinking, it seems strange for the WD to not have a skill that silences his enemies. Not necessarily through Arcane spells like the Wizard, but at least a skill that stops casters, like "Cursed Words" or "Stitched Mouth." It would be useful in both PvE and PvP (to appease Elmacro :p)

You just let the Doctor do a little bit of voodoo, sprinkle some dust here and there, and BAM, your head fits in the palm of his hand. Try to cast magic when your head is *cute* and tiny. (Joking BTW)

Super Voodoo Attack! : The Good Doctor sprinkles what YOU think is hair growth formula on your head, resulting in much hilarity

But seriously Voodoo dust would be cool if they managed to put it in the form of a Neat-Oh attack.

Sleepyfoo

13-01-2009, 01:14

I've always been a fan of geometric spells.

Instead of a straight circle splash damage, things that affect where the actual spell does damage, be that in a cross shape, a rotating "line" that doesn't necessarily go a full circle, nova spells that start away from the caster. Also, spells that start away from the caster and then come towards it. The rotating line "thrown" from the caster would be an interesting spell.

I think something that needs to be examined when creating these spells isn't just an interesting backstory but also the gameplay elements. Also, I'd love to see "trap" like spells that you could use horrify or a similar spells to chase enemies into. Swamp or Pool of Oil or the like. You could also maybe catch pool of Oil on fire. They said they wanted the doctor to be all things slimy and gross, maybe something like that would work.

Mizantrop

15-02-2009, 07:32

Bambo Cage: just like bone prison only with bambo!
another variation can poisonous vines that warp themselves around the target, slowing and hurting it.

AtomicJ

15-02-2009, 19:49

fes

16-02-2009, 00:19

"Pestilential Miasma"
(Suggested a few times already, iirc)
Either a passive aura-like disease spreading skill or an actual offensive skill similar to the poisonous breath of the Greater Mummies in D2. Could have an additional (deliriously/feverishly) disorienting effect besides the damaging effect.
Very little or even zero effect on undead or ethereal creatures.

"Mummify" or "Wither"
Remember that neat spell from Baldur's Gate 2 SoA called "Abu-Dhalzim's Horrid Wilting"?
The DIII version (working like a curse from afar, like "Confusion" or "Horrify") has an additional chance of causing limbs to randomly fall off or, if critical, causing the subject to crumble and leaving behind a pile of arid body parts.
Very little or even zero effect on skeletal undead or ethereal creatures.

"Inner Drowning"
The opposite of the skill above, I think there was a similar one in BG 2 SoA too. It basically fills the subject's (or several subjects) lungs with water or mud causing a slow death by going down choking and spewing forth water/mud, creating a puddle beneath the corpse(s).
Zero effect on skeletal undead or ethereal creatures.

"Fungal Sprout" or "Herbal Sprout"
Remember that X Files episode with those 'shrooms growing out of people's throats or what happened to the spanish conquistador after drinking the sap from the Tree of Life in "The Fountain"?
The DIII version (working like a close range offensive skill à la "Plague of Locusts") has the Witch Doctor blowing/puffing spores or seeds (dust cloud-like) towards the subject(s), shortly followed by large mushrooms or twines bursting the body/bodies violently open or even apart. Kinda like corpse explosion without corpses.
Zero effect on skeletal undead or ethereal creatures.

Mostly not the easiest to implement graphically with all those additional animations, mind.

Kaleb M

17-02-2009, 01:44

When I think of the witch doctor I Think of an old, creepy, extremely wise character deep in the most remote dark swampy forests known to man.

I want to see him control, summon or encorperate that type of environment, Having tree roots sprout from the ground and ensnare or "consume" enemies. or having areas of muddy quicksand spawn underneath monsters, offering a slowing or consuming effect

Some abilities along those lines would be amazing!!!!

Mackan

17-02-2009, 06:40

I am worried that Blizzard will not innovate enough when it comes to new skills. The skills we have seen haven't really tried new ground. On the other hand, we have only seen a little bit yet.

Naja

18-02-2009, 09:06

I am worried that Blizzard will not innovate enough when it comes to new skills. The skills we have seen haven't really tried new ground. On the other hand, we have only seen a little bit yet.

Eh? We've seen poison frog projectiles, a statue that spawns spiders and summons that can be enchanted by direct-damage attacks.

I say there's signs of innovation. We can only imagine how the rest will look!

BigKevSexyMan

19-02-2009, 20:04

Da Voodoo: Places Voodoo Doll Status on a monster(s)(could be limited)
Cripple: Cripples all enemies under Da Voodoo, lowering movement speed.
Throw: Knocks back enemies under Da Voodoo.
Fill Lungs: Any enemy under Da Voodoo, will have their lungs filled with blood, to throw up or choke. Both is good, mon.

...
These could go on and on.
...

Summoner

28-02-2009, 02:25

I have been thinking about some cool new minions that the witch doctor could use. The mongrels are really cool but jest having one summoning monster wont be enough. so i have come up with some...

Bewitched Fungi

The witch doctor calls forth animated mushroom men that have a punishing spiked arm/club attack that do allot of damage, but their main feature is that they act as the Carnivorous Worms from the druids in Diablo 2, in the fact that they send out tentacles to eat dead material (a.k.a dead enemies).

Like the mongrels they could be invoked from the fire and parasite spells (and maybe even more of his spells which i will talk about later). They could make it specific. Such as when hit by the witch doctors fire skull, they could have the ability to shoot out fire spoors over a wide area, or when hit by the flesh eating parasites they could "absorb" hit points even faster etc.

Ritual Undead

This came to me cause I always love controlling undead :). I say the concept art of the Bone Reaver, or whatever its called, and thought that the witch doctor could use something like that. A summoned minion that is mixed of multiple parts of skeletons. The one that i thought would realy fit Diablos Gothic dark style is a Ritual Undead with...

The head of some nashing beats, elongated, sharp canines and deep eye sockets.
The body of a human skeleton with feathers, and stripes of cloth hanging on to give you the picture that, this was once a human but is now some spirit filled terror.
The hands being replaced with giant scything claws like those of a praying mantis.
And the legs would have that, curving backwards kinda deal, like those of the protoss, if you know what i mean. And all the while these bones could have etchings and markings on them to add to the feel.

To finish up this post im going to talk what i think about invoking minions with the witch doctors spells. Basically i think that they should be effected by most of the witch doctors spells, such as mongrels effected by the Horrify Spell would begin to violently spasm and twitch and after a few seconds they could turn black with red eyes and grow spikes out their backs. This would give them chance to scare your enemies themselves (a percentage chance like 10% chance to scare and enemy).

Mad Mantis

28-02-2009, 14:32

The witch doctor calls forth animated mushroom men that have a punishing spiked arm/club attack that do allot of damage, but their main feature is that they act as the Carnivorous Worms from the druids in Diablo 2, in the fact that they send out tentacles to eat dead material (a.k.a dead enemies).

I can't get the Mushroom People from Mario out of my mind when I read this. What kind of creature did you have in mind?

AxlStrife

11-03-2009, 00:19

I can't get the Mushroom People from Mario out of my mind when I read this. What kind of creature did you have in mind?

My imagination brings me to a hybrid of this (http://img103.imageshack.us/img103/5899/ccfunguyqx1.jpg) and that (http://diablo2.diablowiki.net/Image:Mon-eyeback01.jpg).

Looks like he'll be a pretty Funguy.

Mad Mantis

11-03-2009, 22:22

Looks like he'll be a pretty Funguy.

Eh fights teh evil and doesn't afraid of anything.

AxlStrife

12-03-2009, 06:33

Eh fights teh evil and doesn't afraid of anything.

All he nees now is an infinite amount of pet badgers and a fear of snakes.

DBaron

12-03-2009, 06:42

The OP's suggestion for a possess or zombify skill seems to fit well with what my concept of what a witch doctor is all about. I just can't imagine a witch doctor without some sort of zombie army (more than zombie dogs at least). Problem is, is that it seems somewhat similar to paladins conversion skill though, which seems to be a problem with a lot of the witch doctors skills (just other other classes d2 skills renamed).

Turnip

12-03-2009, 07:26

Hmm, I think of things like fes's skills when I think of witch doctor. Things that he uses from a act3 type environment that are shamanistic, but not in a *** WoW sort of way. The mummy type poison breath thing is the best example, its like magic but hes not really using magic..

Mad Mantis

12-03-2009, 21:18

The mummy type poison breath thing is the best example, its like magic but hes not really using magic..

True. You can easily imagine a magician performing the same trick. That is what real world WD's are all about. They perform the magic tricks to make it seem like they posses actual magic granted by whatever gods they worship. Kinda nice to see the same process with the D3 WD.

a brick

13-03-2009, 03:57

For my suggestion, I propose something along the lines of Medium, if that is the right word. What I'm thinking is a spirit takes over the body of the WD and gives him increased power and other things like that.

I imagine a large transparent spirit materializing and shrouding the WD. Almost like shape shifting, the WD is granted upped abilities.

Personally, I like the idea of a caster type character having the option of using melee. This idea would be the skill to use if you decide to follow that avenue. The Wiz has it, with those slashy things that can be seen in the gameplay video, but i forget the name I'm sorry. I believe that the skill is even dependent on the weapon the Wiz is carrying. This same idea can be carried over the the WD.

I just want some kind of melee option for the WD, whether its my idea or not. I just think it fits well the the theme of the WD. you know, summoning spirits and having them reside in your body to perform whatever magic. there could even be different spirits that do different things to switch it up a bit.

DBaron

13-03-2009, 07:46

Turnip

13-03-2009, 09:31

AxlStrife

13-03-2009, 18:04

Well the witch doctors spells are good depictions of his character atm, firebomb isnt really magic, and the bats is just plain random which is good for someone who probably doesnt fully understand magic in the first place. However the terrify necromancer type spells and the walls of zombies is a bit rediculous, I mean they should really bring back the necromancer if they are making stuff like that..

The "curse" spells fit the WD much more than the Necromancer, lore-wise. Zombies can go either way.

Some people want a class that has a fresh look on effective control, and the WD fits that niche.

Turnip

13-03-2009, 20:49

DBaron

17-03-2009, 05:36

... otherwise the whole necromancer thing becomes a lot more diluted as it would seem everyone can do it...

Not disagreeing with you, but just to point out Nilathack, a Barbarian elder, didn't act nor look very Barb like, and had the corpse explosion skill when you faced him.

AxlStrife

18-03-2009, 07:39

The line is really crossed, hell the necro even carrys around a shrunken head. But stealing spells directly from the necro is another thing entirely, and the witchdoctor should in no way be able to reanimate corpses; otherwise the whole necromancer thing becomes a lot more diluted as it would seem everyone can do it. It should actually remain somewhat special I mean, the same reason the witchdoctor should not be controlling wild animals and turning into a werewolf and stuff.

D2 did some pretty big line-blurring with the Amazon and D1 Rogue, although it was more a gameplay aspect than skills. Granted, Rogues had a decent base in the game (an entire act and some pretty decent mercs if you didn't need a tanker).

Let's not also forget that every form of caster in Sanctuary (this is especially true with Necromancers and Witch Doctors) barring D2 Paladin (though their teachings mimic Zakarum Paladins) and Druids come from the same geographical area: the Eastern jungles (forgive me for my lack of propor nouns as it's 2:30 am here). It could very well be that they would share the same magical practices with each other.

I guess overall, don't assume that the necromancers were around before witch doctors in Sanctuary just because WDs don't appear in a previous title.

Hammergoesrawr

19-03-2009, 21:30

Bloody mojo frenzy, go nuts with your exotic banana poker and poke some zombies!

bhugy

26-03-2009, 06:49

It would be cool if the WD could animate inanimate parts of his surroundings. Obviously it would be pretty silly in a dungeon setting (I don't think anyone wants a chair or treasure chest as a minion), but I was thinking in outdoor areas he could animate trees into something like a Gnarled Walker by forcing spirits into them or something. I doubt this would be a very workable skill, but it was just a thought.

It seems like some other kind of zombified animal would could work as a summon. Mongrels are basically zombie dogs, so zombie spiders (people seem to really want a spider summon) or zombie crocodiles might work. Actual zombies or some kind of flesh golem would be cool, but that might be too necro.

Mizantrop

27-03-2009, 00:21

It would be cool if the WD could animate inanimate parts of his surroundings. Obviously it would be pretty silly in a dungeon setting (I don't think anyone wants a chair or treasure chest as a minion), but I was thinking in outdoor areas he could animate trees into something like a Gnarled Walker by forcing spirits into them or something. I doubt this would be a very workable skill, but it was just a thought.

I would love to see this. But some people would say that that's too WC3 Treants for them.

HauLo

05-04-2009, 03:07

I got a wild little idea, some type of entity summoned that throws physical hits at enemies but spurts life into your party members/and or mercenaries. Would be cool for the Witch Doc. :)

Mackan

26-04-2009, 12:31

Probably mentioned, but a voodoo skill... becoming more powerful the more powerful voodoo dolls he finds...

RatherDashing

28-04-2009, 02:05

Hmm, maybe a passive skill that gave a chance that the mongrels could become "enchanted" with say ice or electricity from a nearby wizard or maybe the mongrel would a chance to become frenzied with rage from a barbarian's war cries.

knightmawko

01-05-2009, 03:22

-Summon Basalisk-giant snake summon
-I think they already did it, but make other skills interact with the zombie dogs like locust swarm, fire bomb would be sweet, make them flaming, I think I saw it on one of the screenshots
-Posion Darts, obviously darts that are poisoned.
-Poison bomb, expand upon the firebomb with other bombs, poison, etc
-I like the idea of a possesion skill

eliot

02-05-2009, 07:53

give him the use of poison darts like a blowgun as a spell. when he has those poisonous frogs on the screen the blowgun is super lethal. poison dart frogs.

give him an ability to create elixirs or potions that act as temporary skill runes to modify his initial attack or the first summoned minion. or work out some other dynamic to make his initial strikes more potent so his minions can chip away remaining foes.

eliot

02-05-2009, 07:58

vision quest

witchdoctor becomes immaterial (invulnerable and passes through enemies) for a second.
while on vision quest any summoned minions heal the witchdoctor for x% of their damage done

eliot

02-05-2009, 08:05

Corpse explosion alternative:

release spirit

corpse(s) of fallen becomes a spirit who just attacks or suicides into other enemies.
the spirit could have some geometric shape damage like in a line or cone but dies upon his attack.

eliot

02-05-2009, 08:26

headshrinker - buff
offensive spells striking witchdoctor have a chance of backfiring on caster

or akin to a curse: witchdoctor throws drug laced powder at casters making their offensive spells have a chance to backfire

i called it headshrinker because if you got a tiny head you have a high pitched voice and all the spells are based on verbal commands (i.e. silence)

Fernandus

02-05-2009, 09:27

Mad Mantis

02-05-2009, 10:57

eliot, use the edit button instead of multiple posts.

Strills

18-05-2009, 16:52

I think they WD needs a cool endgame attack, as the fire bomb just isn't "cool enough" to be a really powerful skill.

I might be totally lost here, as Im not really a WD fan, but Souls seem to be kind of a theme for him? Blizzard seem to love explosions as much as I do, so I'll try and explain the skill I've got in mind. :]

Soul Explosion (I have no idea what the skill could be called, so I chose this lame name.

The Witch Doctor summons the spirits of enemies X yards or closer to him, gathering their power into a small orb. When all souls are gathered, the Witch Doctor unleashes their united power.
The explosion does X damage to all enemies within X yards from him.

When he draws the souls from monsters, they get slowed by maybe 50%. If the WD is damaged while charging up the spell, he releases the spirits too early causing X% of the normal damage to everyone within X yards from him. If this happens the WD will also take 50% damage from the unfinished explosion.

Maybe this is super lame, but I kinda like the idea of the WD having a very powerfull AOE spell that becomes more powerful the more enemies there are close to him. This becomes kind of balanced as the more enemies there are, the bigger the chance he gets interrupted.

What do you think?

LaZeR

18-05-2009, 22:54

The ideas in this thread are TOO "out of the box". The WD, like the Wizard and the Barb, will have classic must-have skills. That's why I think we should stick with the basic. Say:

Fire/Leaf Armor- Classic defensive skills.
Big Bad Summon- The typical single meat shield (aka D2 Golem), IMO, is a must.
Anakonda- Taking into consideration Blizzard wants the Jungly skills to be spells and not summons (see Bats Inferno, Frogs guided arrows etc) and said the WD will have snakes, I'm thinking a huge snake strangling an opponent making it stop in its place and doing damage over time. Stratigic and painfull.
Rain Dance- The big End Game skill- Huge damage, hard to use. Classic. I'd be really suprise if this doesn't appear in the final game.

That's all of the basic skills I could think of. Blizzard is not making a whole new genre here, so it's really pretty simple.

cockatiels rule

24-05-2009, 23:07

Ansestor spirits:

A summon that brings forth the warrior spirits of the tribe to your aid. These could be tiered also (Ancestor Warrior, Ancestor Headhunter, Ancestor Hero), and they'd probably look awsome with Zulu-esque shields and weaponry. They would be spectral or they have bodies made of bones,roots,bark,fire,earth or something that would channel their spirit and when the body falls the spirit keeps attacking.

I like this idea as a powerful skill / rune. On the other hand, it would be nice if each charc could have the choice of picking a "followers" per charc class esp. since followers have a longer duration than skill minions (W/D mongrels). I'd like to temporarily switch between different Zulu-esque minions or follower depending on the circumstances in order to catch my breath and regroup in tight situations. Guess I'm just a big AI person.

IMO you got it right ..witch doctors summon various ancestral power for different circumstances...and with that comes the mastery of spirits. There is indeed a difference between Witch Doctor summoning (spirits) and Necros resurrecting (physical). I want more than just a "mask of fear" scaring stuff temporarily as a major skill. If they channel the "spirit", I'd like to see the new spirit and not imagine it...I'd also like to see the smoke or whatnot entering the thing that's being possessed...or eaten apart from the inside-out. lol

Guess I want a lot huh!

Etchy

27-05-2009, 04:01

Booby Trap: I was watching Apocalypto; remember that booby trap at the beginning that was used to kill the pig? Something along those lines would be cool. I know traps would indeed reference the Assassin, but the traps dont have to be lightning or fire. Maybe if it deals physical damage, it could be from obsidian blades, or rocks. Ya gotta think of what you'd find in the jungle, and that's the stuff he'd use. This would also require some skill and environmental reliance. For example, when the barbarian used the tumbling wall in the first D3 preview to take out a mob of guys. The WD would have to quickly brainstorm how to set up the trap. IE, between trees, pillars, whatever. Or it could be a trap hanging from a tree. This would get rid of the Assassin-like random scattering of traps. It also might lead to a more environmental-dependent type of PvPing.

JayhawkFan

27-05-2009, 04:36

spirit armor
instead of a circling wall of bone like bone armor, its made out of a orbiting wall of spirits that reach out and attack monsters taht get too close. maybe as the skill level increases the radius and damge increase too?

TheGarden

27-05-2009, 10:22

Question: Does anyone from Blizzard actually bother to read all this? If not, what's the point? If this topic was in the actual Bnet forums, then that's another story.

refes

27-05-2009, 21:04

If this topic was in the actual Bnet forums, then that's another story.
Someone actually opened up a similar thread in the Diablo 3 General Discussion forum, pointing at this very thread here and also quoting most of the suggestions (including a few of mine I've posted under an old user name) in the first post.

The link is: http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=15668069692&sid=3000

Impossible to tell if anything of this is recognized or seen by affiliates of the Diablo 3 development team though, as threads in the Diablo 3 General Discussion forum usually get buried under a ton of other - often pointless - threads in a matter of minutes/hours, pushing the 'good ones' back at the second, third, whatever page.

FreshMeat

28-05-2009, 07:43

Maybe a "Spirit Trance" spell would allow the Witch Doctor to have an out-of-body experience, allowing his spirit essence to scout ahead of him and his party without alerting monsters. You could balance that out by making the Witch Doctor's body more vulnerable to damage while his spirit is elsewhere.

Jeez. this is a really freakin cool idea. Any way we can send this to Blizzard and have it truly looked at? I love the idea!

Wow. It could really be used too. Hm. fascinating! :thumbup:

FreshMeat

28-05-2009, 07:46

FreshMeat

28-05-2009, 07:49

"Fetish carver. Curses the soul of a target enemy by bending his will to your own bidding. The transformation will end after 5 seconds, unleashing a spectre of pure corrupted death."

After the 5 seconds, the monster opens from its head with its own hands, like tearing his own head open (would look cool :D) Then there comes out like this giant ghostly spectre, that flies through all the enemies, taking their souls with it. You should actually see how the souls are dragged out of the enemies body. And of cause you gain some life from the souls.

What do you think?

Naja could you make a list of the proposed spells in the first post?

LOL! Jeez man, you got some imagery in that head of yours. That is really cool, a compound spell. First it corrupts, then it goes nuts and rips out of the head, etc.....

Wow, compound spell. Hm. I dont think blizzard has any compound spells, spells that have a chain of effects. I know of one in Hellgate london, simple dart guns. It first a superheated piece of metal out hurting the foe, then it pops later on splashing weaker fire damage. Compound effects with delays make you feel badass :)

konnu

11-06-2009, 16:57

Summon those nasty fast little gremlins from flayer jungle. Were they called fetish? They were just freaking nasty surrounding you making you immobile and interrupted like crazy with fast attack speed. Current demon dogs are just too cute :couple: your loving pets. ffs. Either replace the dogs or make new fetish skill.

Fetish Army: Call for 8 jungle fetishes to surround and attack your enemy. This could be a skill used against some strong enemy. fetishes would attack untill target or themselves die. They would have low hp but amazing dps and possibility to immobilize enemy. Wouldn't be that good pvp skill because all the aoe classes have.

Fetish Totem: (i hate and love fetishes hehe) Shake the ground and raise 4 meter high totem full of fetishes who shoot poisoned darts to all nearby enemies for 30 seconds. Very low dmg but lasts for (3)minutes and makes targets have heart problems dazing them every few seconds. not exactly a pve skill but i think this could make people lose their minds in pvp :) maybe you could use the totem as a line of sight breaker or run around it with barbarian on your heels.

Hex: Turn 3 enemies into frogs for 10sec. damage breaks effect.

Corrosive Breathe: Lick a frog and breathe it to enemy melting their weapon and shield totally or weaken them seriously if target is strong. Downside is you get really drunk.

Explosive Frog: (i like frogs too) Release frog full of explosives. it will leap for 4 meters and cause huge explosion.

Those weren't that great but maybe gave someone better ideas. So, Yeah, i agree it's hard to think skills for the witch doctor.

Fox VII

13-06-2009, 15:05

Vodoo Skill

Sacrifice Heart

Dark Vodoo magic courses down the Witch Doctor's arm as he/she stretches for his hand to reveal an open palm and spread fingers. As the flowing dark magic begins to pool up around the players hand, the targeted creature collapses to the ground and its pulsing heart appears in the witch doctors grasp (think Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom). Then the WD strikes the heart violently with his weapon; as the heart explodes the monsters twitches uncontrollably and dies.

Skill Balance

This could be a click and hold skill that drains an enemies life until a certain hit point threshhold (based on skill level) has been reached. To make the skill even more exciting, while also encouraging Blizzards desired mid range casting, the rate of life drain would be affected by the enemies distance from the caster!

More points invested would increase the rate of life drain and decrease the required remaining enemy hit points to trigger the death animation. Obviously, this wouldn't work on Bosses! While preforming this ritual, the WD would not be able to move (just like the Wizard when casting disintegrate).

I'd suggest that Blizzard should model at least four or fives hearts of various sizes to really make the player feel their ripping out thier actual enemies still beating heart. If the enemy is a ghost or some other spectral form that doesn't have a heart, then a glowing ball of essense would represent one.

raveharu

15-06-2009, 00:55

Iron Maiden

A large Iron Maiden is summoned from the ground to snare and devastate enemies, causing massive open wounds damage.

Blood Totem

The Witchdoctor creates an almost invulnerable, winged large bloody mannequins acquired from enemies damaged only by the Iron Maiden spell, suffering from severe open wounds, or are dead bodies from recent death.

Crimson Rain

Sacifices a Blood Totem, causing a large explosion that rains an acidic boiliing blood bathe on nearby enemies, causing massive damage.

I'm not sure if open wounds would return though :D

lunarleif

15-06-2009, 02:51

Alright, here's a list of some of the skills along with improvements or notes.

Black Death
Description: This would be a revised, top tier skill that would essentially be Locust Swarm. However, this is a disease spell so it would have a period of incubation before effects start taking place and this spell could not affect skeletons or other flesh lacking creatures. A monster that is infected can pass the disease to any neighboring allies. After a 1 point investment and after 10 seconds, enemies start taking light damage, along with their speed, accuracy, and defense drop by 10%. 5 seconds later, medium damage and speed, accuracy, and defense drop by 25%. Besides having damage and penalties, they would either form black spots on their bodies, pause every once in a while to cough up blood, or have no affects. These affects would continue for the rest of the spell. 3 seconds later, high damage and speed, accuracy, and defense drop by 50%. The skill lasts for 2 seconds longer, for a total 20 second time frame. If an infected monster dies when infected, if it had black spots form, would have those explode on death animation infecting anything near, if coughed blood, it would cough up cone of infectious blood and fall over, and if there were no symptoms, the monster would fall over or be effected by normal animation. Anything that goes in the area where an infected monster died gets infected as well for 5 seconds. Length, damage, penalties, infectiousness, and other factors would be affected by per said skill points. No critical.
Example: A fallen with 145 hit points gets. After 10 seconds, the fallen loses 10% accuracy, defense, and speed. The fallen also starts taking 10 damage per second. 5 seconds later, 25% penalties engage, and the fallen starts taking 15 damage per second. The fallen would also have a chance of forming black spots, start coughing up blood, or take no effects. These fallen chances upon having the black spots form. 3 seconds later, the fallen would take 50% penalties and take 30 damage per second for 2 seconds. The fallen, after 20 seconds, dies in an explosion of infectious blood. A group of 6 fallen comes along, having spotted you, starts towards you and one of them treads in the remains of the other fallen. After having walked in the remains, the fallen contracts the Black Plague. Seeing as the plague is infectious, the other fallen contract the disease from the infected fallen. 20 seconds later finds them all dead.
Path of the Spirits
Description: This is a medium tier skill. This would be a skill in which you become almost invulnerable, loosing most of your ability to attack. You would assume a soul like state and be able to pass through enemies and float over gaps and go through walls. When the time period ends, you resume your normal material state. Enemies would still be able to damage you, at a perhaps 10%, but this would decrease with points invested. Another potential for this skill is to use harvested souls as missile weapons dealing 10-25 damage per soul. You could also utilize other soul attacks similar to Nahuatl (listed below) or others, but at penalties to damage and or effects. Furthermore, if you resume your material state when inside of an object, a wall perhaps, you suffer damage as you are ejected. Along with that, if the spell ends while over a void, you suffer death. A critical would consist of the soul going inside a monster and exploding it, like Baal did in the cinematic for LOD.
Example: You are confronted with several enemies. You cast path of the spirits and utilize your souls to fire projectiles at your opponents. When one of the enemies, an archer, shoots at you, you take 10% of the damage. Meanwhile, an enemy who’s a fighter charges you and you go inside the fighter as you are insubstantial. The fighter looks around confused and the archer accidentally attacks the fighter since you’re in the fighter, who takes the damage of the arrow. You cast soul explosion, gathering their life forces, and release it, killing your opponents.
Spiders
Description: This would be a low medium tier skill. This would consist of spider(s) made out of the souls of an enemy. Depending on how you click, it could summon a swarm of small poison dealing spiders that strike once (clicking on the ground with at least one soul), a large tarantula that lays eggs that summon a swarm of small poison spiders that strike once in the bodies of monsters that it killed (clicking on an enemy with at least 5 souls), or generating a spider that weaves webs on the screen which slow enemies down (clicking on yourself and expending 10 souls). You can have one of each type of spider. The swarms of spiders would inflict poison damage of 2 over 1 second, and consist of a swarm of 10 spiders with 1 health. The large tarantula of which you could summon one at a time with a health of 25 hp who would have a 5 ranged poison damage along with a 10 close combat damage. A web weaver would have a health of 50 hp, and at first weave webs that slow by 10% or have a 5% chance of trapping for a couple of seconds if a critical is reached at 1 sq yard per second at first. The web weaver has intelligent AI and would weave webs in doors and in front of the most direct path to you and around you. The webs of the weaver would go away at first after 15 seconds. These webs are not necessarily on the floor, but could go from tomb walls to floor or tree to tree. If there is only one enemy present, then the weaver would be able to completely wrap the opponent up in a cocoon if that enemy went in the web, which the spider would feed on. After a while, a large tarantula would emerge from the cocoon. Points would affect damage, souls required, speed of web weaving, duration of webs, and time taken to spin the webs, and health of summoned creatures. This could be made into three skills. Note, holding down the mouse would summon swarms.
Example: You possess 10 souls from fighting previously and encounter a stray fallen. You summon a web weaver which weaves webs. When the fallen is caught in the web, the web weaver stings him, and starts weaving the fallen into a cocoon. 10 seconds later a large tarantula comes out. You continue on to find another 3 fallen. The web weaver weaves webs while the large tarantula uses his long range attack. One of the fallen falls and the large tarantula takes the time to lay eggs in the body. The fallen come back, being assaulted by the large tarantula that’s using the web weaver’s web as a wall. The eggs hatch and the fallen are assaulted by a swarm of swarm spiders. The other fallen quickly fall, not even being able to escape after watching their fellow fall for the wall of swarm spiders and the web weaver’s web.
Nahuatl (Aztec name for snake)
Description: Low Tier skill. Snakes form a major part of the witch doctor's life. So saying, this is a skill that creates a translucent anaconda or other snake (depending on points and or souls expended) that wraps around an opponent dealing damage, 5 at level one, and stopping the opponent. Another thing that Nahuatl could do is deal poison damage from the snake biting after 5 points expended and or souls used. Finally, the skill would also affect a radius and squeeze monsters together so as to make them easier to kill with a locust swarm, etc. Skill points would affect radius, damage, length, cost, type, and penalties to speed. The ultimate, fully upgraded Nahuatl skill would yield a chance to get snake with wings, similar to Quetzalcoatl perhaps, that deals massive poison, physical, dark, and other elemental damage. Once the spell ends, it gives you however much damage was inflicted as life.
Example: Three fallen confront you and you have 5 skill points invested in Nahuatl. You use the spell, summoning a magically enhanced with poisoned anaconda that wraps around them and crushes them together dealing 15 points physical damage and administering poison damage of 25 over 5 seconds, killing the fallen.
Graveyard (Needs to be more WD, rather than necromantic) Description: High Tier Skill. Graveyard is an Aoe damage skill that affects an area. This area becomes a minefield graveyard where zombies would rise from the ground, attack an enemy, and follow that enemy for the duration of the spell, with one skill point issuing 25 points of damage. Undead hands would reach from the earth and hold enemies in a spot until the hands are killed with damage or the duration of the spell ends. Points would affect how long it takes for a zombie and or hands to show up, zombie and hand health, zombie attack, graveyard radius, graveyard duration, and even potentially what the actual type of zombie it is. Critical includes making a monster killed become another zombie.
Example: Towards the end of the game, a fallen confronts you, 100 hp, and attack. You call forth graveyard and a zombie attack the fallen, dealing 25 points of damage and follow the fallen. Another zombie is raised, attacks, and follows. A hand reaches out from the ground and the zombies catch the fallen and both attack and kill the fallen.
Spirits of Limbo
Description: This is a low tier skill. The Witch Doctor has partial access to the soul world, and as a result can call upon souls of limbo. These are souls that cannot move on as a result of actions taken upon in life. The WD releases these souls by summoning them into the physical world to avenge themselves against opposing forces. This would be a low tier spell utilizing low damage aspects, 5 damage per soul, but would employ "heat seeking" accuracy. The spell also summons not just one, but multiple, starting at 5. Skill points may affect how many limbo souls are released, damage, and accuracy. Critical strikes cause weird twitching if the monster was killed with critical.
Example: Five, 5 hp fallen confront you. You cast spirits of limbo which heat seeks each one and strikes four, however, since there’s only 1 point invested, one of them misses. You recast and get a critical, causing the enemy to harmlessly twitch for a couple of seconds, before collapsing.
Sorrow's curse
Description: Medium tier skill. The Witch Doctor touches his enemy with the soul world in an Aoe attack, which slowly ebbs life away starting at 5 dms and ending at 20 dms. Should the monster die in this period, deceased souls attempt to occupy him, sending him into a frenzy upon which he attacks everything for a couple of seconds. The duration of the spell is 10 seconds. Points affect damage, duration, attack radius, and duration of frenzy. Critical would be a nova of sorrow’s curse from any touched by it if there were those close enough who hadn’t been affected.
Example: Two fallen confront you, each with 10 hp. You use sorrow’s curse on one and he goes into frenzy completely hacking his once ally to pieces, then falls over dead.
Ancestor Spirits
Description: High tier skill. The Witch Doctor forms soul replicates of his ancestor's spirits to fight for him. These spirits include past Witch Doctors, with any skills you have save this one, warriors, and archers, which fight for him. Only an archer would form at first, then a fighter, and finally the other witch doctor. The archer would deal 10-25 damage, while the fighter would deal 15-25, and the witch doctor would be based off your own character. Points affect how many are formed, what type, and their respective health, skills, attacks, and damages. A critical causes a whole tribe to appear to fight for you.
Rain Dance
Description: High tier skill. The Witch Doctor performs a rain dance summoning torrential flash floods, rain, and lightning. It would be a skill that would take a given 5 seconds or more to perform. The rain affects fire and lighting based damage, and causes faster unfreezing. The flash floods could sweep away opponents, bash them into things, causing damage, and clear the playing field plus having a good looking animation. The lightning would strike foes for a high amount of damage. At first, lightning would deal 1-100 damage, water would deal 50-75, and rain would deal 1. Skill points could affect the flash flood duration, damage, size, while also affecting amount of lightning bolts and damage, meanwhile the duration of the rain dance and how long it took could be made longer or shorter respectively.
Soul explosion
Description: Medium tier skill. You gather the souls of enemies and charge it into a nexus that spreads a certain distance away depending on power gathered. The stronger the monster, the more power gathered per second. While casting this spell, those under the nexus are slowed down by 20% and the gathering range of the spell is the 10 yards of original gathering + the range of the nexus. While casting this spell, you can't move. Upon releasing the spell, you unleash the power gathered into the area of the nexus for a relatively high based damage that is relative to power gathered. However, if you are hit while charging, you preemptively release the power and the spell activates and 50% of the damage goes to you. Points would affect initial range, power gained per second, damage per energy ration, and slowing percentage.
Example: Example has already been provided above, link at bottom of page.
Shrink
Description: Medium tier skill. This is a curse that shrinks the target by 25%, reducing damage, accuracy, resistance, and health by 20%. Has duration, after which, the target returns to normal size but suffers 5% accuracy and damage loss from lack of coordination. Critical death shrinks the opponent’s head, which falls off, if applicable, and kills monster. Heads may be collectible and or used in other spells for bonuses.
Example: A fallen confronts you, you use shrink, which turns the fallen into a tiny underpowered coward. You attack it with limbo soul, killing it.
Critical Example: A fallen confronts you, you use shrink and you get a critical, the head shrinks and falls off, and the fallen permanently dies.
Soul bomb
Description: You explode part of an enemy’s soul, causing damage to the enemy and the surrounding area depending on the life of the enemy. Critical hit causes a chain reaction and if there are enemies around it, they have soul bomb casted upon them. Skill points affect damage per health ratio, critical rate, how many chains go off, and area.
Notes
As for totems
If you wish to find examples of totems, http://modsbylaz.planetdiablo.gamespy.com/ has a necromancer with totems.
Zombify
Note: Zombify has already been done well, though anything the zombie successfully attacks should have this spell cast upon them and, this skill is overly necromantic and is barely related to witch doctor practices.
Poison Spray?
A lot of you have been spouting about some weird poison spray from the mouth. Sorry, but the witch doctor running around spewing on opponents and that being damaging? Hooray! All hail the vomiting witch doctor! Wow, we were calling that thing human? Apparently we have a hunched over vomit spewing class! Also, people don’t like the WD since it’s so inhuman and lacking, and now we start suggesting that he run around with toxic spew attacks? That one spewing game on xgen gives me great images of the witch doctor  The flame idea, of spewing flames I guess is semi okay, but people today do that, so how is that worthy seeing as he can summon a wall of damaging zombies on a whim? Furthermore, how are flames coming out of the mouth even original? This is a game where there can be an all mighty prime evil running around causing destruction, and here we have a witch doctor pulling off a “magic trick”, and he’s supposed to defeat an uber evil.  You guys are better than that. ;)
Trance
People have been talking about a weird trance like state as one of the skills. That seems applicable as a skill, but we seriously don’t need drug references in this game and that doesn’t seem to be the direction that Blizzard is taking the witch doctor.

jakotaco

15-06-2009, 14:15

SHRINK
Curse that visibly shrinks the target, reduces damage and physical resistance.

SOULSHATTER
Targets a single enemy deals damage based on the targets current health in an area around the targeted enemy (the target is also damaged).

PUPPETEER
A spirit takes control of a target non-boss enemy. The targeted monster is forced to fight for the player and gets a flat damage bonus to it's attacks. (to compensate for the fact that converted enemies usually have a terrible dmg/life ratio)

PESSIMISM
Curse that slows target and prevents all healing effects. (also works in pvp)

hugman

05-07-2009, 16:56

Spider summons would be cool. How about having a 'painting' mechanic for summoning them. You hold down the mouse and 'paint' the ground and swarms of spiders appear under your cursor. They could have webs too to slow down the enemies

Another thing that would be cool would be some kind of hatching summon. Either from eggs or something parasitic like a facehugger that kills an enemy and spawns a creature.

Skills along the lines of the barb's grim ward would also make sense, but they could have different effects. Maybe you could raise on that lures enemies too it as a distraction.

LaZeR

05-07-2009, 22:48

Summoning Spiders?
Isn't that what's Spider Statue is for?
However, I really like the whole idea that the amount of time you press effects the skills. Like Desintegrate. Maybe as longer as you hold the mouth your Summon will be more (in numbers, making it SummonS) or- LARGER. MUHAHAHAHAHA

lunarleif

06-07-2009, 06:17

If you read my post, they do summon webs. I also have the hatching summon. Hugman.

lunarleif

06-07-2009, 06:18

I didn't know my lore :( (I didn't know about the spider statue)
I think it would still be cool to have an independent set.
Also, I will edit post to include awesome swarm summoning.

LaZeR

06-07-2009, 13:23

Were you talking to me?
Becuase my post was a comment to Hugman's.

Anyway, if you're already here, I've FINALLY read your giant thread. And it was long. My comments are:

Black Death- Too complicated, too much like Locust Swarm. But very good name.
Path of the Spirits- It’s useless and over-powered in the same time. If it’s only for a slow teleportation is useless, but if you can cast you normal spells and take 10% why would you ever return to your normal state? (thus over-powered).
Spiders- Your “example” just shows how complicated this skills is. And we already have a Spider skills- No more!
Nahuatl (Aztec name for snake)- Pretty basic Snake Summon. Can’t understand how you wrote so much about it. Plus, a flying snake? Nah.
Graveyard (Needs to be more WD, rather than necromantic)- A GREAT skill, which I’ve thought of myself. However, I would separate it into 2 skills: Raising Zombies- Which I think will be restricted to a certain radius; and Raising “Hands”- Which will keep enemies in places in radius.
Spirits of Limbo- Basic projectile skills, which instead of “Fire Ball” is basically “Souls Attack”. Cute. Heat seeking is a nice idea, but I think it should attack only 1 enemy, not multiple.
Sorrow's curse- The curse just sounds like D2 Weaken curse, but melee. An interesting melee idea though. However, the “Frenzy” idea sounds too much like Mass Confusion and should be out, or at least made as a different skill.
Ancestor Spirits- This is actually a really nice idea. Summoning a Tribal Army. However, will these guys disappear over time or are they summons?
Rain Dance- This is a no-brainer and been brought up many times. I’d be surprise if Blizz didn’t put it in. The only problem is that it's a bit too similar to the Wiz Meteor Storm.
Soul explosion- We already have an Explosive skill (Sacrifice). I don’t think we need another one.
Shrink- Again, been brought up, but just sounds like it would look horrible. I mean, shrinking a Thousand Pounder- That’s not scary at all. Thus- Not D3. Especially the head shrinking idea- That’s just stupidly funny.
Soul bomb- Sounds like a basic projectile spell, without the actual missile. It seems too close to the Wiz unknown spell used in the trailer. However, I REALLY like the “Chain” effect.

And a bit of general comments:
1. You take Critical Hits too seriously. I don't really think they'll make suck cool effects like shrinking head etc etc. It's more like basic Stun, Freeze, Knockback, Poison.
2. I don't get the whole Spirits idea you've mention a lot. What do you mean you gather 10 Spirits and release 5?? =S
3. No need for you to write the actual damage. You don't know how monsters/other chars/other skills are strong, so throwing out number is just unecessary.
4. Some of your skills are over-complicated. I sure D3 will be better visualy than D2, and I hope it'll have exotic skills, but your suggestions are really wild, especially from what we've seen from the Barb and Wiz skills, which are pretty basic DnD.

That's all. Care to comment on my comments?

lunarleif

07-07-2009, 01:04

Congratulations, you read the whole thing! :D
This was partially a compilation of things previously said, instead of just my own ideas.
Alright, sorry about the spirit thing. I didn't understand the whole steal spirit of opponents thing so I thought you got to use the spirits in other spells.
I think that some overcomplicated skills would be nice since it would improve play for those who like it simple and those who like to form complete tactical strategies.
Critical hits are a source of fun, and I don't see why Blizzard is making them so simple.

Black death differs in that it uses incubation period and damage over time and penalties change. Also has the ability to form "symptoms".
Path of the spirits only allows you to cast certain skills. And these skills do minimal damage.
I still think the spiders skill would be cool, maybe I'll think of some other thing to use since they already have a snake totem. Yes, it's complicated, maybe to much so. But it could be divided into three skills.
No, the snake would not fly, it would just have wings :)
Graveyard would just be really high in tier, so as to avoid making it two skills.
Spirits of limbo is small tier, so it's a take out life from different targets. One target could work, I'll probably change it.
Sorrow's curse will have frenzy removed.
Ancestor spirits would be a limited time. This way they can be strong instead of weak summons.
Rain dance isn't like meteor storm, it has lightning, wizard :headbang: and flood, not wizard :D, plus rain.
Soul explosion gathers from a radius, then blows up. It's also a energy nova at the end, not a explosion.
Shrink was included since so many people wrote about it I think.
Soul bomb is intended to be chain nova. The wizard is annoying.

lumpor

12-07-2009, 19:20

I think the witch doctor should have rituals.

No, just not A ritual, a whole array of them, and one can only be active at a time. Like barbarians warcries. You sacrifice life etc, and all of them have some buff.

Like ritual of reincarnation. It works in a way like cheat death.

Ritual of beasts, increases summon damage.

Basically a group of buffs, and only one can be active at a time, like a system.

And blizzard, please don't re-implement curses. Curses are the perfect example of why passive skills are good. Curses were so annoying to use. Like seriously, passive effect, decreases damage taken by 30%. Awesome! Curse, reduces damage dealt by enemies by 50%... Nah

When you cast something on the enemy, you want a boom! You want immediate effect. Like cursing a group as soon as you see them every time... Annoying

I'm only speaking for myself, but I'm sure people agree (right, right?)

lunarleif

12-07-2009, 19:53

If the witch doctor's supposed "rituals" would be like barbarian warcries, how is that new, and not copying the barbarian. Furthermore, ritual of reincarnation, barbarian already has that, a skill that brings him back if he dies and gives him 10 or 25% life back. Also, how would the system of rituals be implemented? With the only one active at a time that also sounds suspiciously like the paladin's buffs.
This may sound completely arguable but then you have to take into consideration that the witch doctor is attempted to be new.

Leugi

14-07-2009, 15:52

In Warcraft III there's a spell called Big Bad Voodoo... In which the hero makes a dance making all allied units invincible...

Rituals could be similar, some kind of gestures that make your summoned creatures and your mercenaries (if any) and your friends stronger, or that make your enemies weaker. The whole difference with a curse or a Warcry is that it works as a channeling spell like Inferno or Disintegrate, the longer you hold the spell the longer the spell effect works.

lunarleif

14-07-2009, 22:07

I thought Blizzard didn't want any support classes.

Leugi

16-07-2009, 15:28

I thought Blizzard didn't want any support classes.

Still, there's nothing better than making your sumons stronger, or your enemies weaker.... Even in single player.

LaZeR

16-07-2009, 15:46

Blizz don't want a class that is specified as a Support.
That doesn't mean no char will have support skills, like the Barb's Terrefying Shout.

Nadnerb

16-07-2009, 18:12

What about a skill like soul harvest, only at first it summons one soul that comes down from the sky and which each skill added it attacks more enemies and collects more souls?

lunarleif

17-07-2009, 02:30

sounds cool nadnerb. A summoning skill that attacks from the air.
Would it be a soul that could be attacked and would the collected souls give you mana or would it use them for its own purposes?

Nadnerb

17-07-2009, 21:53

Umm I don't know. I don' think it could be attacked but it would slow the enemies down 'X' percentage as it sucked out their souls. Possible mana gain. I didn't really give it that much thought, I just thought the soul harvest idea was cool-this would be even cooler with the enhanced graphics since DII

lunarleif

19-07-2009, 00:36

Maybe a soul devourer that eats souls in order to stay in existence except it only eats part of the soul and doesn't kill the enemy outright unless they have enough damage. The soul devourer would cause medium damage and medium slow with relatively low health but would gain health from stealing parts of souls.

Nadnerb

19-07-2009, 22:24

Could be. But I like the idea of just having a time limit on them or maybe your idea of gaining health and at the end of the time limit or whatever they fly back to the witch doctor and give him some health. Just some cool animation tied in with that idea would be awesome.

lunarleif

20-07-2009, 02:36

Fine, soul devourer that eats souls, time limit is based on souls eaten, you have a cool soul material connection with the devourer, and you watch the souls come down it. When it eats a soul you either heal health or damage.

Nadnerb

20-07-2009, 21:10

sounds good. If only Blizzard would just magically look at this whole forum. =P

lunarleif

21-07-2009, 01:38

Yeah, maybe I'll post these things on the actual forums

GetCatTonight

28-07-2009, 05:23

I've been thinking of a mobility type spell that the witch doctor could have to match with the barbarians leap and the wizards teleport. The best I can come up with is a type of 'soul swap' spell.

Basically, you switch places with an enemy or minion. Your old body "dies" and you appear out of the enemy/minion you just clicked on. Your 'resurrection' is like a Sacrifice with you being at the centre.

Logistics? I dunno. But it would give the WD a way of getting around in battle the same way the barb and wizard have.

cockatiels rule

29-07-2009, 02:45

I've removed my post. I didn't realize something similiar has already been suggested and is being discussed in another forum. I apologize.

slex lord of hatred

03-08-2009, 12:09

i know somebody said something on the 3rd page about pestillence which i love. i had an idea for a visual which was similar to the wizards slow time. however this spell travells with tht WD and the land around him and plants decay as he walks over them. i.e grass turns dark brown and black trees weep and rot. stones start to erode , i know this wouldnt be able to happen as the graphics system would most likely not be able to cope. but i would love it so much.
another effect of this would be that when enemies do enter they are mamed (not sure how to spell it ) or at least slowed and incapacitated by the plague.

i would like the witch doctor to have a fire ring - i want this as i know the wizard wont lol. she has gone down in my estimation.
this ring could whip up in a trail around a group of enemies as a trap one which they wont leave. unless they are high level enemies and are not afraid. the animation could add something where enemies go to leave but the fire bursts up quickly infront of them making them go back. higher level monsters wont be afraid and leave the ring but when the spells level is increasedeven these monsters will stay.
it is perfect for the overseer because he might leave but his fallen minions wont.

LonelyAnon

19-08-2009, 15:12

He should point the bone at people...then they should die.

ancalagon

25-08-2009, 12:41

I am not seeing any 'BAM' skills for the witch doctor if you know what I mean. I waited till this year's Blizzcon to open my trap, and now, unless Flux's upcoming skills list proves anything different, the Witch Doctor looks unimpressive. Not necessarily weak skills, but unimpressive skills. A single fireball, a few skinny toads, 3 puny spiders, small zombie dogs (they even nerfed their setting on fire / poison), locusts .... Maybe the skill runes will turn his skills into proper visual feasts and screen shakers and make you go 'YEAH', we will see.

I want some really bad curses where corpses just boil and rot over time, or causes them to explode. Flaming hands spurting from the ground, and an army of zombies running all over the place! Also some gigantic snake spawning myriads of other small snakes, and a visually improved poison nova! Or a barrage of poison 'fireballs' or some curse which causes demons' body fluids to fester and spread poisonous fumes. And better minions, the zombie dogs dont look that evil, they need to up the look, and BIGGER minions!!! Lets see what this Gargantuan is all about...

wooties

25-08-2009, 13:36

Also some gigantic snake spawning myriads of other small snakes,

Tomb of Akhenaten : When skill is activated a tomb/shrine(a building like structure) will rise up from the ground. It will spawn a ancient defender(golem or desert warrior or even zombies to fit the WD) every 5 seconds up to maximum of 5 defenders to aid the witch doctor in battle, meanwhile the tomb can also attack by releasing fearsome souls of brave warriors of the past that lies in the tomb. The souls will fly around within a certain range randomly attacking surrounding enemies dealing moderate damage (sort of like WD's original locust swarm but instead it deals direct damage like 2-5dmg each time it goes pass a target). The witch doctor can also use sacrifice on those defenders that has been spawned which will cause the defender to self destruct and deal damage. The tomb will last for about 1 min or less before the tomb and the defenders(those that have not been sacrificed) crumble down in dust and vanquish in to air by the end of duration. Only one tomb can be available at a time and maybe a cooldown time can be added to this skill. This is just a brief idea.

I got this idea from a spell called pocket factory from the hero tinker in warcraft 3. That might be a custom spell i am not sure, it is quite similar to the idea of gigantic spider spawning smaller spiders. i think the main idea is to summon something bigger that can attack and at the same time spawn smaller minions to aid you as well.
What do u guys think?

DiabloCalibur

28-08-2009, 08:11

Spirit Transpire:
Somewhat like the idea of the Spirit Trance, but rather than the purpose of scouting ahead, it will be the Witch Doctor's very own mobile/transport skill. The WD will send forth his spirit that you control, moving at x% times faster than his normal running speed (increasing with skill points spent). Neither the WD or the astral projection of himself is targetable in astral state, lasting anywhere from 2-3 seconds. The final location of the astral spirit is where the physical WD will eventually end up. If you end up in a spot where you can't physically be, the spell fails and you end up wasting mana. In essence, this skill would be a more manual (and in theory, more fun to use) version of teleport. Needless to say, the spirit form can traverse walls and chasms that Barbs and Wizards would also be able to clear with their respective "transport" skills.

DiabloCalibur

28-08-2009, 08:35

Ebolah Plague/Epidemic or simply Epidemic:
Ebolah is a real-life virus with a 90% kill rate that essentially eats away and "liquefies" you from the inside-out, creating a flesh bag. Symptoms begin with severe cough that leads to vomiting of blood and eventual bleeding from all orifices of your body (I've read of stories where victims' tongues slough off; eyeballs pop out; extreme fragility, a slight punch could effectively rupture internal organs). Your eyes become blood-red, you lose your mind, becoming bewildered and "zombie-like". Doctors operating on ebolah corpses soon catch the virus and die themselves. What if our Witch Doctor possessed this hellish power? A top-tier spell, it can only target one enemy and has a large cool-down timer. However, the damage is very substantial over a short period of time, and enemies that die from it would then unleash an AoE that spreads to new victims. Debuffs might include x% more damage taken or slowed movement and -x% damage dealt.

DiabloCalibur

28-08-2009, 08:57

Summon Wendigo:
Gigantic brutes from the Jungles of the Witch Doctor's origin, they owe their very existence to the WD people. During the invasion of the Big Three, Hell came looking for an easy yet powerful race to enslave. Naturally, the Wendigo was the perfect specimen of choice; extremely powerful, yet none all too bright. Taking pity on the rather hapless creatures, the WD decided to aid and protect the Wendigo; they were a success. The Wendigo does damage akin to the Druid's Cave Bear summon, and has huge life bonuses. It also has knock back, stun, and can produce a small shockwave in addition to its regular attack.

EDIT: I understand this goes against Blizzard's "disposable minions" theme for the Witch Doctor. But whatever Blizzard, every summoner needs a more stable, lovable traveling companion anyway! (i.e. golem, bear, valkyrie, shadow)

Jaxxkelly

28-08-2009, 10:39

I think some more disease like spells could be cool. Ebola is mentioned above, something linke that would be nice. I also like Ancalagon's idea's. Let those monsters rot away...
Something aditional could be something like Jungle Fever: burns up the monsters from the inside out (with eventually real flames). Maybe even let them run around burning and damaging others for a while. The WD probably will have some more fire skills I guess, so this could be one of those.

As for zombies I think a cool skill could be something like Collect & Create: make a big zombie or 'undead thing' out of the just killed enemies. The result could look like an Unburried or even with some resemblance of the monsters it is created from. Maybe some of the monsters original skills and damage could be used by this newly created Zombie thing. Shoot fireballs or use a warcry or whirlwind attack..

I also think that zombies combined with Runes could be very very cool. Where we've seen some skills altered with inserted Runes, like the bouncing Skull of Flames. Zombies could alter physically!
A Zombie Dog with a 'hydra' rune gets 3 heads instead of one and does 3 times the damage for example. Extra limbs for extra speed, grow bigger (just add more meat), etc etc etc. I think this could be awesome and make some truely unique zombie summons other than everyone with the same pack of Zombie Dogs or Charger..

lunarleif

31-08-2009, 05:59

We have the element of magic here, so another potentially cool spell would be to cast a virus that uses the infected host's energy to burn them. The would burst into flames etc. or maybe they would collapse, who knows? Or, it would use the original energy to infect others, and kill the host by eating all his energy. Death animation would be the enemy shriveling up into nothing as the energy is consumed.

ancalagon

31-08-2009, 13:34

MORBIDITY

PASSIVE: +% to poison skill damage and poison duration, also increases number of toads and spiders by 2.
Rune sockets :
Striking rune: ?? (ideas?)
Power rune: Pierce enemy resists
Multistrike rune: ?? (ideas?)
Lethality rune: +% critical chance and +% critical damage with poison attacks

RABID RAGE

Any Zombie Chargers under your command will instantly flock towards a single target of your choice and bite and infect, dealing X poison damage. They will keep flocking up to 5 targets, upon which they explode and release a huge poison cloud, of X damage over X time. Both zombie bite damage and cloud damage increase per point. Needs minimum of 3 Zombie Chargers.

VENOMOUS VORTEX

The Witch Doctor throws a bottle of magic elixir on the ground and summons a homing levitating spiral moving mass of deadly liquid poisons. Essentially, a homing poison tornado. Deals X poison damage over X time, once its timer fades creates a massive explosion of acid bolts which deal further instant poison damage. More points increase damage dealt by tornado, and with skill runes you can have up to 5 tornados.

VOODOO BATS

Summons a flock of demonic bats which flock to multiple targets on screen, tearing and rending flesh apart. This will make interesting use of the game's much hyped 'flesh and skeleton' system. The animation wil be so cool, enemies with various torn flesh and bones showing through. Bats deal X physical damage and monsters that survive (OUCH!!!) take +50% physical, fire or poison damage from the WD's own attacks or his summons (Zombie dogs, chargers, gargantuans, fetish, wall of zombs ...)
Can only be used every 45 seconds.

SHAMANISTIC INSTINCT

When the witch doctor is below 25% health, there is a 15% chance one of his minions sacrifices himself, granting 20% of his hit points to the witch doctor. More points increase number of sacrificed minions and % chance of sacririce happening.

bhugy

01-09-2009, 12:00

FETCH (kind of corny, needs a better name)

WD's minions automatically pick up health globes with which they come into contact.

If the WD is casting spells from behind his minions, this would prevent him from having to run into the thick of things to grab health. And with his skill that gives mana when he picks up health globes, this could keep him from having to get close to enemies to use "Soul Harvest."

Ghoulz

03-09-2009, 15:04

WRATH OF ANCESTORS: Send out multiple spirits of fallen warriors to hunt down and attack your enemies(sorta like hydra and bone spirit mixed into one). Lasting about 10 seconds with a 6 second delay. The spirits can't be attacked or targeted by enemies. Summons about 3 spirits at the first level and +1 every 5 levels or so with a small damage boost. They do weak damage but their attacks can stack up on a single enemy. They don't move super fast so they have trouble doing damage when a moderately fast monster is chasing you.

POSSESS: Send a vengeful spirit into the body of your enemy turning them against their comrads and fighting for you for a short period until the timer runs out and the spirit kills them. %chance of successful possession dependent on power of monster. Lasts 20 seconds or so making it a useless killing skill.

RWHEEZY

07-09-2009, 06:59

Take an idea out of warcraft's WD the healing wards. except reverse it to degen AOE. set up multiple wards with AOE degen.