Humanoid witch doctors are, in essence, multi-class shaman/magic-users. As they increase in level, they also increase in dice for hit points and combat ability. For each level of shaman above the 1st, the witch doctor adds 1d4 hit points. For each level of magic-user, they add 1 hit point. Adjustments for Constitution, if any, is added at each level (shaman and magic-user) and divided by two. For every two levels of shaman ability, the creature fights as if one hit dice better. Thus, an orc witch doctor (level 4/4) would have the following dice for hit points: 1d8 (the normal orc HD) plus 3d4+3 for his witch doctor levels. He or she would fight as a 3 hit dice monster (even though his or her number of hit dice are higher; thus in the stat block for the monster, the “hit dice” will be listed as only 3).
Cavemen Witch Doctors. These characters are actually multi-class cleric/magic-users. While they conform to all the limitations of the witch doctor laid out here with respect to hit dice progression and magic-user spell limitations, they function as full clerics with access to the full list of cleric spells. However, they also have the limitations on weapon types as would a cleric.
As covered in Combat, Saving Throws, monsters with the abilities of other classes gain the most favorable saving throw available. In this case, check the saving throw value on the Monster Saving Throw Matrix with the creature’s increased hit dice (in fighting ability if any), compare this to a cleric’s saving throws of the shaman’s caster level (1 through 4), then compare these to a magic-user’s saving throws of the witch doctor’s caster level (1 through 4) and use the best save for each category.
Like shamans, witch doctors are not restricted to blunt weapons but are limited to weapons used by that humanoid type. To cast magic-user spells, they cannot wear any armor or use shields.
