THE WITCH DOCTOR

In tribes without shamans, a witch doctor may be found taking their place. More rare that shamans, witch doctors are essentially multi-class shaman/magic-users. While these few play a similar role as shaman, they are less likely to lead a tribe, particularly those that are martially focused. Like shamans, witch doctors are normally used as a non-player class for monstrous humanoids.

• Primary Ability Scores. None.

• Minimum Ability Scores. Intelligence Rating (Average; or 9). A witch doctor with a Wisdom score under 9 has an additional 5% priest spell failure chance per point under 9 (see Wisdom) when casting shaman spells.

• Hit Dice. d4 plus Hit Die Bonus (see below); Maximum 3d4 plus Hit Die Bonus; Self-train (1st);

• Hit Points. For each level starting with 2nd, the witch doctor gains 1d4 hit points adjusted for Constitution (if any) and hit die bonus. Witch doctors can roll for hit points or take 2.5 hit points for each die (rounding up at the end) plus any hit die bonus(es).

• Alignment Restrictions. Cannot be (true) Neutral.

• Class Races. Bugbear (2nd), Gnoll (4th), Goblin (4th), Hobgoblin (4th), Kobold (2nd), Lizard man (2nd), Orc (4th). Other races may also have witch doctors and these will be listed in the monster description.

• Armor and Shield. None.

• Weapon Proficiencies. Initial As per creature type (typically 2 or more); Penalty -2; Additional none.

• Available Weapon Proficiencies. As per creature type (any).

• Attack Table. Use the Monster Attack Table.

• Saving Throws. Use the better of Magic-user Saving Throws (based on caster level), Cleric Saving Throws (based on caster level), or Monster Saving Throws (based on hit dice) in each category.

• Magic Item Use. Witch doctors can use magic items as if they were clerics and magic-users and have the same chance to have magic items as an NPC of their class level. If a tribe's treasure includes magic items usable by the witch doctor, the witch doctor will possess these (unless extenuating circumstances exist).

Level. The witch doctor's class level and caster level.

XP Needed. This is the experience point required before the witch doctor is eligible to train into the next witch doctor class level.

HP. For each level starting with 2nd, the witch doctor gains 1d4 hit points adjusted for Constitution (if any) and hit die bonus. Witch doctors can roll for hit points or take 2.5 hit points for each die (rounding up at the end) plus any hit die bonus(es).

HD. A witch doctor adds 1 hit die for every +1. These hit dice do not increase hit points, but will increase attack rating, saves, etc.

DEITY

As a shaman (witch doctors also function as shamans), you are a mortal servitor of a deity you revere above all others. Your alignment must be one listed in the entry. Your deity grants you a bonus weapon proficiency with the deity’s listed weapon.

Certain deities may also add spells to your spell list. You can prepare these just like you can any spell on the cleric spell list, once you can prepare spells of their level as a cleric. Some of these spells aren’t normally on the cleric list, but they’re divine spells if you prepare them this way.

HIT DIE BONUS

A creature that begins play with racial hit dice of 1d8 or higher and a character class (such as Witch Doctor), will add a hit die bonus enhancement rating of +2 (on top of any hit die increase due to the witch doctor class). E.g. A 3rd level orc witch doctor is considered 2+2 HD (with hit points equal to 1d8+2d4+6) and is caster level 3 able to cast both shaman spells and magic-user spells.

INTERPRET WRITTEN MAGIC

Interpret Written Magic. [innate] (complex; 10 rounds per spell)

Witch doctors can intrepret written magic-user spells from spell books or spell scrolls as if using a read magic spell. This allows them to use magic-user spell scrolls (or transfer a spell from a scroll to whatever functions as their spell book as would a magic-user including the required inks, etc.—making this occurrence rare).

MAGIC-USER SPELLS

Spells. [spells, incantation] (declared; major, casting time)

Witch doctors obtain, prepare, and cast magic-user spells as magic-users of their level. However, in most cases, the witch doctor’s spell book will be nothing more than a collection of loose pages taken from many sources. This spell collection is unorganized (at best) and is normally learned from witch doctor to witch doctor (and these are not known for being helpful with each other). Thus, other than one spell per spell level, such magic-user spells are determined randomly (or by the GM).

PRIEST SPELLS

Spell. [incantation] (declared; casting time)

Witch doctors also cast spells as a shaman of their level:

At 1st level, you gain the ability to cast spells. In order to cast spells, you must have a deity who bestows such spells on their devout followers. Shaman employ certain holy symbols to denote their faith and give power to many of their spells.

The Shaman Class Table shows how many spell slots you have to prepare your spells of 1st level and higher. Shaman gain spells through meditation and prayer, spending up to an hour to regain spells. Shaman may pray for any spell on the shaman spell list assuming they have access to that level of spell.

Personal Spells. Each shaman can also access up to 2 spells from the cleric spell list per spell level. Once chosen, the spells are fixed and cannot be changed. These should make sense based on the shaman's background, locale, and deity (per the GM).

To cast a spell, you must incant according to the procedure laid out in Casting Spells. Once cast, the spell is gone, but the shaman can then rest to gain the ability to cast the spell again (see also Spells and Spell Preparation).

A shaman with a high Wisdom score may have access to bonus spells available per day. See Wisdom for details.

SHAMAN SPELL LIST

Spells noted with a "(R)" may also be cast with a reverse effect. * As per the druid spell.