[Base class] Somebody call for a doctor?

WITCHDOCTOR
The witchdoctor is an arcane healer and abjurer, whose ability to dispel curses and heal wounds derives not from the favour of a god or spirit but from his own knowledge of magical secrets. At higher levels his detailed knowledge of anatomy gives him an edge in close combat, and he crafts valuable magical talismans for protection and healing. Witchdoctors are particularly common among savage races with evil gods whose clerics are unable to cast heal spells spontaneously.

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Abilities: Intelligence determines how powerful a spell a witchdoctor can cast, how many spells he can cast, and how hard those spells are to resist. A high Dexterity score is helpful for a witchdoctor because it provides him with a bonus to Armour Class.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d8. A witchdoctor's knowledge of health and healing make him rather more robust than most arcane casters.

Class Skills
The witchdoctor's class skills (and the ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the witchdoctor.
Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Witchdoctors are proficient with all simple weapons except the crossbow, and with the blowpipe. Witchdoctors are not proficient with any armour, nor with shields. Witchdoctors who wear armour incur the usual arcane spell failure chance.
Spells: A witchdoctor casts arcane spells. A witchdoctor must choose and prepare his spells ahead of time.
To learn, prepare, or cast a spell, the witchdoctor must have an Intelligence score of at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a witchdoctor's spell is 10 + the spell level + the witchdoctor's Intelligence modifier.
Like a wizard, a witchdoctor may know any number of spells. He must choose and prepare his spells ahead of time by getting a good night's sleep and spending 1 hour studying his spellbook. While studying, the witchdoctor decides which spells to prepare.
Spellbooks: Witchdoctors must study their spellbooks each day to prepare their spells, much like wizards. A witchdoctor cannot prepare any spell not recorded in his spellbook (except for read magic, which all witchdoctors can prepare from memory). A witchdoctor begins play with a spellbook containing all 0-level witchdoctor spells plus three 1st-level spells of the player's choice. For each point of Intelligence bonus the witchdoctor has, the spellbook holds one additional 1st-level spell. Each time the witchdoctor achieves a new level, he gains two new spells of any level or levels that he can cast (according to his new level). The witchdoctor can also add spells found in the spellbooks of other witchdoctors.

THE WITCHDOCTOR
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|0|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th|7th|8th|9th

1st|+0|+2|+0|+2|Canny defence, defensive strike, transference|3|1|—|—|—|—|—|—|—|—

2nd|+1|+3|+0|+3|Precise strike +1d6|4|2|—|—|—|—|—|—|—|—

3rd|+2|+3|+1|+3||4|2|1|—|—|—|—|—|—|—

4th|+3|+4|+1|+4|Craft talisman|5|3|2|—|—|—|—|—|—|—

5th|+3|+4|+1|+4|Spell turning|5|3|2|1|—|—|—|—|—|—

6th|+4|+5|+2|+5|Precise strike +2d6|5|3|3|2|—|—|—|—|—|—

7th|+5|+5|+2|+5||6|4|3|2|1|—|—|—|—|—

8th|+6/+1|+6|+2|+6|Stunning strike|6|4|3|3|2|—|—|—|—|—

9th|+6/+1|+6|+3|+6|Venom immunity|6|4|4|3|2|1|—|—|—|—

10th|+7/+2|+7|+3|+7|Precise strike +3d6|6|4|4|3|3|2|—|—|—|—

11th|+8/+3|+7|+3|+7||6|5|4|4|3|2|1|—|—|—

12th|+9/+4|+8|+4|+8|Painful strike|6|5|4|4|3|3|2|—|—|—

13th|+9/+4|+8|+4|+8||6|5|5|4|4|3|2|1|—|—

14th|+10/+5|+9|+4|+9|Precise strike +4d6|6|5|5|4|4|3|3|2|—|—

15th|+11/+6/+1|+9|+5|+9||6|5|5|5|4|4|3|2|1|—

16th|+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+10|Paralysing strike|6|5|5|5|4|4|3|3|2|—

17th|+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+10||6|5|5|5|5|4|4|3|2|1

18th|+13/+8/+3|+11|+6|+11|Precise strike +5d6|6|5|5|5|5|4|4|3|3|2

19th|+14/+9/+4|+11|+6|+11||6|5|5|5|5|5|4|4|3|3

20th|+15/+10/+5|+12|+6|+12|Deadly strike|6|5|5|5|5|5|4|4|4|4[/table]

Canny Defence (Ex): When wearing no armour and not using a shield, a witchdoctor adds his Intelligence bonus to his AC. Any condition that causes the witchdoctor to lose his Dexterity bonus to AC also causes him to lose this bonus.
Defensive Strike (Ex): If an opponent attacks a witchdoctor and misses while he is using the total defence action, but wearing no armour and not using a shield, he can attack that opponent on his next turn with a +4 bonus on his attack roll. He gains no bonus against an opponent that does not attack him or against an opponent that attacks and does not miss. The witchdoctor may use a defensive strike to make a touch attack if he so chooses.
Transference (Sp): A witchdoctor may "lose" any prepared spell in order to cast a Conjuration (healing) spell of the same level or lower, provided the healing spell is in his spellbook. The witchdoctor must then make a touch attack on another creature within a number of rounds equal to his Intelligence bonus, thus inflicting the damage healed on the victim. Spells that raise or resurrect the dead cannot be transferred in this way. If the touch attack succeeds, the victim is entitled to a Fortitude saving throw to negate the damage. If the touch attack fails, or the saving throw succeeds, or the victim is immune to the damage dealt, the healing is cancelled and, in addition, the witchdoctor receives damage equal to half the damage he attempted to transfer. Many witchdoctors keep animals such as goats or chickens, or sometimes captive enemies, in order to have ready victims for transferred damage.
Precise Strike (Ex): At 2nd level, a witchdoctor's knowledge of anatomy enables him to make a precise strike with any light or one-handed melee weapon he is proficient with, dealing an extra +1d6 damage. The witchdoctor must study his foe for 3 rounds first, during which time he can take only move actions. Having completed the 3 rounds of study, the witchdoctor must make the strike within the next 3 rounds, or the study is wasted. A defensive strike cannot be a precise strike. The witchdoctor cannot use a precise strike to deliver a spell (not even to transfer damage). At every 4th level thereafter, the witchdoctor adds another +1d6 to damage with a precise strike: +2d6 at 6th level, +3d6 at 10th level, +4d6 at 14th level and +5d6 at 18th level. He cannot make a precise strike against any creature that is immune to critical hits for any reason.
Craft Talisman: At 4th level, a witchdoctor gains the Craft Talisman feat for free. He can create a one-use magic talisman, imbuing it with the power of any spell in his spellbook that is 3rd level or lower. The witchdoctor must provide any material components or focuses the spell requires. If casting the spell would reduce his XP total, he pays the cost upon beginning the process in addition to the XP cost for making the talisman itself.
Spell Turning (Su): At 5th level, witchdoctor who has readied spell turning as an action, or who is using the total defence action, may turn offensive spells back on enemy spellcasters. The witchdoctor must first make a Spellcraft check (DC 15 + the spell's level, or 20 + the spell's level for divine spells) to identify the spell. If the check fails, the witchdoctor (if he is the target) must make a save against the spell as normal, at a -2 penalty due to the distraction of making the Spellcraft check. If the check succeeds, the witchdoctor expends a spell slot of the offensive spell's level or higher. If he has no such spells left, he cannot turn the offensive spell, but can make his save against it (if he is the target) as usual; he gets a +2 bonus for knowing what's about to hit him, which merely cancels the -2 penalty for the distraction of making the check. The witchdoctor then makes a caster level check against the spell's usual save DC. If it succeeds, the spell has no effect on its target but instead takes full effect on the caster. If the caster level check fails, the witchdoctor has forfeited any saving throw against the spell and (if he is the target) takes full damage.
A witchdoctor may turn any offensive spell or spell-like attack of a level equal to or lower than the highest-level spells he himself can cast, or any supernatural attack effect produced by a creature whose HD is no greater than twice the level of the highest-level spells he himself can cast. For spell-like abilities the DC to the initial Spellcraft check DC is 20 + spell level. For supernatural abilities the witchdoctor must instead make a Knowledge check at DC 25: Knowledge (nature) if the creature is an animal, a fey, a magical beast, a plant, or vermin; Knowledge (arcana) if it is an aberration, a construct, or a dragon; Knowledge (the planes) if it is an elemental or an outsider; Knowledge (local) if it is a humanoid or monstrous humanoid; Knowledge (religion) if it is undead. If the witchdoctor chooses an inappropriate knowledge skill, the check automatically fails. The spell slot he expends to turn a supernatural ability must be of a level equal to or higher than one-half the creature's HD, or, for supernatural abilities granted by class levels, one-half those class levels.
The witchdoctor may turn spells and powers targeted on himself or an adjacent ally, or whose effect is to create a ray (ranged touch attack) aimed at himself or an adjacent ally. In these cases, the spell is completely countered as regards its intended target. Spells whose effect is to deceive, charm, or control the target simply fail if successfully turned; other spells affect the original caster as they were intended to affect the target, with no saving throw (but spell resistance and other forms of resistance or immunity still apply). The witchdoctor can also partially turn area-of-effect spells. In such a case, the spell is not completely dispelled, but is cancelled out within a cylinder of 10-foot radius centred on the witchdoctor. The original caster receives the damage the witchdoctor would otherwise have received (again, spell resistance and other forms of resistance or immunity still apply). A witchdoctor cannot turn an area-of-effect spell whose area does not include his space.
Stunning Strike (Ex): At 8th level, a witchdoctor may use a precise strike to stun a foe. If the witchdoctor so desires, an opponent struck by a precise strike must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 level + witchdoctor's Int modifier) or become stunned for one round. If the saving throw succeeds, the precise strike deals 1d6 less extra damage than a normal precise strike.
Venom Immunity (Ex): At 9th level, a witchdoctor gains immunity to all poisons.
Painful Strike (Ex): At 12th level, if a witchdoctor so desires, the victims of his successful stunning strikes are subject to such debilitating pain that they are nauseated for one round following the round they are stunned. If the saving throw succeeds, the precise strike deals 2d6 less extra damage than a normal precise strike.
Paralysing Strike (Ex): At 16th level, a witchdoctor may use a precise strike to paralyse a foe. If the witchdoctor so desires, an opponent struck by a precise strike must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 level + witchdoctor's Int modifier) or become paralysed for 1d6 rounds plus 1 round per level of the witchdoctor. If the saving throw succeeds, the precise strike deals 3d6 less extra damage than a normal precise strike.
Deadly Strike (Ex): At 20th level, a witchdoctor may use a precise strike to kill a foe. If the witchdoctor so desires, an opponent struck by a precise strike must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 level + witchdoctor's Int modifier) or die. If the saving throw succeeds, the precise strike deals 4d6 less extra damage than a normal precise strike.

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Originally Posted by NakedCelt

WITCHDOCTOR
The witchdoctor is an arcane healer and abjurer, whose ability to dispel curses and heal wounds derives not from the favour of a god or spirit but from his own knowledge of magical secrets. His detailed knowledge of anatomy makes him a force to be reckoned with in close combat. Witchdoctors are particularly common among savage races with evil gods whose clerics are unable to cast heal spells spontaneously.

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Abilities: Intelligence determines how powerful a spell a witchdoctor can cast, how many spells he can cast, and how hard those spells are to resist. A high Dexterity score is helpful for a witchdoctor because it provides him with a bonus to Armour Class.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d8. A witchdoctor's knowledge of health and healing make him rather more robust than most arcane casters.

Class Skills
The witchdoctor's class skills (and the ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the witchdoctor.
Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Witchdoctors are proficient with all simple weapons except the crossbow, and with the blowpipe. Witchdoctors are proficient with light armour, but not with shields.
Spells: A witchdoctor casts arcane spells. A witchdoctor must choose and prepare his spells ahead of time.
To learn, prepare, or cast a spell, the witchdoctor must have an Intelligence score of at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a witchdoctor's spell is 10 + the spell level + the witchdoctor's Intelligence modifier.
Like a wizard, a witchdoctor may know any number of spells. He must choose and prepare his spells ahead of time by getting a good night's sleep and spending 1 hour studying his spellbook. While studying, the witchdoctor decides which spells to prepare.
Spellbooks: Witchdoctors must study their spellbooks each day to prepare their spells, much like wizards. A witchdoctor cannot prepare any spell not recorded in his spellbook (except for read magic, which all witchdoctors can prepare from memory). A witchdoctor begins play with a spellbook containing all 0-level witchdoctor spells plus three 1st-level spells of the player's choice. For each point of Intelligence bonus the witchdoctor has, the spellbook holds one additional 1st-level spell. Each time the witchdoctor achieves a new level, he gains two new spells of any level or levels that he can cast (according to his new level). The witchdoctor can also add spells found in the spellbooks of other witchdoctors.

THE WITCHDOCTOR
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|0|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th|7th|8th|9th

1st|+0|+2|+0|+2|Canny defence +0, defensive strike, spell turning, transference|3|1|—|—|—|—|—|—|—|—

2nd|+1|+3|+0|+3||4|2|—|—|—|—|—|—|—|—

3rd|+2|+3|+1|+3|Craft wondrous item|4|2|1|—|—|—|—|—|—|—

4th|+3|+4|+1|+4|Precise strike +1d6|5|3|2|—|—|—|—|—|—|—

5th|+3|+4|+1|+4|Canny defence +1|5|3|2|1|—|—|—|—|—|—

6th|+4|+5|+2|+5||5|3|3|2|—|—|—|—|—|—

7th|+5|+5|+2|+5||6|4|3|2|1|—|—|—|—|—

8th|+6/+1|+6|+2|+6|Improved critical, precise strike +2d6, stunning strike|6|4|3|3|2|—|—|—|—|—

9th|+6/+1|+6|+3|+6|Venom immunity|6|4|4|3|2|1|—|—|—|—

10th|+7/+2|+7|+3|+7|Canny defence +2|6|4|4|3|3|2|—|—|—|—

11th|+8/+3|+7|+3|+7||6|5|4|4|3|2|1|—|—|—

12th|+9/+4|+8|+4|+8|Precise strike +3d6, painful strike|6|5|4|4|3|3|2|—|—|—

13th|+9/+4|+8|+4|+8||6|5|5|4|4|3|2|1|—|—

14th|+10/+5|+9|+4|+9||6|5|5|4|4|3|3|2|—|—

15th|+11/+6/+1|+9|+5|+9|Canny defence +3|6|5|5|5|4|4|3|2|1|—

16th|+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+10|Precise strike +4d6, paralysing strike|6|5|5|5|4|4|3|3|2|—

17th|+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+10||6|5|5|5|5|4|4|3|2|1

18th|+13/+8/+3|+11|+6|+11||6|5|5|5|5|4|4|3|3|2

19th|+14/+9/+4|+11|+6|+11||6|5|5|5|5|5|4|4|3|3

20th|+15/+10/+5|+12|+6|+12|Canny defence +4, precise strike +5d6, deadly strike|6|5|5|5|5|5|4|4|4|4[/table]

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Looks good so far

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Canny Defence (Ex): When wearing light or no armour and not using a shield, a witchdoctor adds his Intelligence bonus to his AC. In addition, the witchdoctor gains a +1 dodge bonus to his AC at 5th level. This bonus increases by +1 for every five witchdoctor levels thereafter (+2 at 10th, +3 at 15th, and +4 at 20th). Any condition that causes the witchdoctor to lose his Dexterity bonus to AC also causes him to lose these bonuses.

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Odd, possibly to strong.

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Defensive Strike (Ex): If an opponent attacks a witchdoctor and misses while he is using the total defence action, he can attack that opponent on his next turn with a +4 bonus on his attack roll. He gains no bonus against an opponent that does not attack him or against an opponent that attacks and does not miss. The witchdoctor may use a defensive strike to make a touch attack if he so chooses.

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Interesting ability.

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Spell Turning (Su): A witchdoctor who has readied spell turning as an action, or who is using the total defence action, may turn offensive spells back on enemy spellcasters. The witchdoctor rolls a d20 and adds his witchdoctor level and Int modifier. If the result beats the offensive spell's DC, the spell has no effect on its target but instead takes full effect on the caster.

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Too Powerful. Saves start to work almost constantly at higher levels. On other hand it requires a readied action. But also, why wouldn't this guy just stay full-defensed?

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A witchdoctor may turn any offensive spell or spell-like effect of a level equal to or lower than the highest-level spells he himself can cast, or any supernatural attack form produced by a creature whose HD is no greater than twice the level of the highest-level spells he himself can cast. He can turn spells and powers targeted on himself or an adjacent ally, or whose effect is to create a ray (ranged touch attack) aimed at himself or an adjacent ally. In these cases, the spell is completely countered as regards its intended target. Spells whose effect is to deceive, charm, or control the target simply fail if successfully turned; other spells affect the original caster as they were intended to affect the target, with no saving throw (but spell resistance and other forms of resistance or immunity still apply). The witchdoctor can also partially turn area-of-effect spells. In such a case, the spell is not completely dispelled, but is cancelled out within a cone-shaped area beginning just in front of the witchdoctor and extending away from the original caster. The original caster receives the damage the witchdoctor would otherwise have received. If the point of origin for an area-of-effect spell is beyond the witchdoctor (from the caster's point of view), a successful spell turning places the point of origin on the witchdoctor instead, and the original caster receives damage appropriate to the spell's point of origin. A witchdoctor cannot turn an area-of-effect spell whose area does not include his space.

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Too powerful.

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Transference (Sp): A witchdoctor may "lose" any prepared spell in order to cast a Conjuration (healing) spell of the same level or lower, provided the healing spell is in his spellbook. The witchdoctor must then make a touch attack on another creature within a number of rounds equal to his Intelligence bonus, thus inflicting the damage healed on the victim. Spells that raise or resurrect the dead cannot be transferred in this way. If the touch attack succeeds, the victim is entitled to a Fortitude saving throw to negate the damage. If the touch attack fails, or the saving throw succeeds, or the victim is immune to the damage dealt, the healing is cancelled and, in addition, the witchdoctor receives damage equal to half the damage he attempted to transfer. Many witchdoctors keep animals such as goats or chickens, or sometimes captive enemies, in order to have ready victims for transferred damage.

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So, he casts a healing spell like a cleric, and channels the damage he just healed to someone else? Strange.

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Craft Wondrous Item: At 3rd level a witchdoctor gains the Craft Wondrous Item feat for free.

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Umm why? There seems to be no reason for it.

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Precise Strike (Ex): At 4th level a witchdoctor's knowledge of anatomy enables him to make a precise strike with any melee weapon he is proficient with, dealing an extra +1d6 damage. The witchdoctor must take a full-round action to make a precise strike, as he must concentrate on his enemy's movements in order to place the attack. He cannot use a precise strike to transfer damage. At every 4th level thereafter, the witchdoctor adds another +1d6 to damage with a precise strike: +2d6 at 8th level, +3d6 at 12th level, +4d6 at 16th level and +5d6 at 20th level. He cannot make a precise strike against any creature that is immune to critical hits for any reason.

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A Caster should not be a melee combatant.

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Improved Critical (Ex): At 8th level a witchdoctor gains the Improved Critical feat for free with one weapon that he is proficient with, even if he does not have the normal prerequisites for that feat.

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One again, Why?

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Stunning Strike (Ex): At 8th level, a witchdoctor may use a precise strike to stun a foe. If the witchdoctor so desires, an opponent struck by a precise strike must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 level + witchdoctor's Int modifier) or become stunned for one round. If the saving throw succeeds, the attack is a normal precise strike.

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So why wouldn't he every time?

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Venom Immunity (Ex): At 9th level, a witchdoctor gains immunity to all poisons.

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Ok.

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Painful Strike (Ex): At 12th level, if a witchdoctor so desires, the victims of his successful stunning strikes are subject to such debilitating pain that they are nauseated for one round following the round they are stunned.

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Once again, there is no reason not to do this.

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Paralysing Strike (Ex): At 16th level, a witchdoctor may use a precise strike to paralyse a foe. If the witchdoctor so desires, an opponent struck by a precise strike must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 level + witchdoctor's Int modifier) or become paralysed for 1d6 rounds plus 1 round per level of the witchdoctor. If the saving throw succeeds, the attack is a normal precise strike.

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Once again, no disadvantage to doing so, why not just say that gains these capabilities?

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Deadly Strike (Ex): At 20th level, a witchdoctor may use a precise strike to kill a foe. If the witchdoctor so desires, an opponent struck by a precise strike must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 level + witchdoctor's Int modifier) or die. If the saving throw succeeds, the attack is a normal precise strike.

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Nothing at 20th level.

The way I see it, this class is attempting to combine a rogue with a wizard with a spell thief. It is a bit too strong.

Agree with most of what the previous poster said... They better have the CRUDIEST spell list ever... the steps I see in that direction is that they have no domain spells, a restricted spontanious casting option, and don't get all the spells immediately like a cleric does. You never technically specified how they add new spells... I will assume it works exactly like a wizard (2 free every level, spellcraft roll required for others, scribing costs etc).

Thematically, this is rather similar to the Adept NPC class, only strong enough for a PC.

Also, there are an awful lot of dead levels, while other levels get as many as three new abilities. This is very unbalanced design, & could easily be remedied with a refined spacing out of abilities. You have 20 levels, & precisely 20 special abilities. Spacing them out evenly would be a snap, & should smooth out the uneven power progression that I see with this class.

Changes made. Thanks, guys. I don't want to give up spell turning entirely, but I've made it a lot harder, and reduced the effect when it comes to area spells. I thought the witchdoctor needed some combat ability, too, since (a) I wasn't going to give him many attack-from-a-distance spells, and (b) both transference and spell turning require him to be in the thick of things.

Now.

WITCHDOCTOR SPELLS
"OA" = Oriental Adventures; "ΨHB" = Psionics Handbook (the spell emulates a psionic power).

0-Level Witchdoctor Spells (Cantrips): arcane mark, cure minor wounds, daze, detect disease (OA), detect magic, detect poison, guidance, inflict minor wounds, mending, purify food and drink, read magic, resistance, touch of fatigue, virtue

1st-Level Witchdoctor Spells: accuracy (OA), alarm, bane, bless, calm animals, cause fear, charm animal, charm person, command, cure light wounds, deathwatch, detect chaos/evil/good/law, doom, endure elements, enlarge person, entropic shield, erase, expeditious retreat, ghost light (OA), hypnotism, identify, inflict light wounds, magic fang, magic stone, magic weapon, Nystul's magic aura, object reading (ΨHB), protection from chaos/evil/good/law, reduce person, remove fear, sanctuary, shield

2nd-Level Witchdoctor Spells: aid, augury, backbiter (OA), barkskin, bear's endurance, blur, bull's strength, calm emotions, cat's grace, cure moderate wounds, darkness, death knell, delay poison, eagle's splendour, fox's cunning, gentle repose, hold animal, inflict moderate wounds, know motivation (OA), know the shadows (OA), lesser restoration, locate object, magic mouth, make whole, owl's wisdom, protection from charm (OA), rebuke (OA), remove paralysis, resist energy, scare, shield other, silence, snare, spider climb, status, warning (OA), zone of truth

3rd-Level Witchdoctor Spells: attraction (ΨHB), bestow curse, blindness/deafness, contagion, cure serious wounds, detect curse (OA), detect thoughts (ΨHB), discern lies, discern shapechanger (OA), dispel magic, glyph of warding, haste, inflict serious wounds, keen edge, kiss of the toad (OA), magic circle against chaos/evil/good/law, magic vestment, mental strength (OA), mental weakness (OA), neutralize poison, nondetection, poison, protection from energy, remove blindness/deafness, remove curse, remove disease, slow, vampiric touch, water breathing

4th-Level Witchdoctor Spells: aversion (ΨHB), blight, cure critical wounds, death ward, divination, enervation, fatigue (OA), freedom of movement, giant vermin, imbue with spell ability, inflict critical wounds, lesser globe of invulnerability, obscure object, pain (OA), Rary's mnemonic enhancer, reanimation (OA), remove fatigue (OA), repel vermin, restoration, rusting grasp, sensitivity to psychic impressions (ΨHB), snake barrier (OA), spell immunity, sustain (OA), tongues

5th-Level Witchdoctor Spells: advice, awaken, break enchantment, commune with nature, dispel chaos/evil/good/law, fatal attraction (ΨHB), greater command, insect plague, mark of justice, mass cure light wounds, mass inflict light wounds, permanency, possess (OA), raise dead, sense magic (as sense psionics ΨHB), scrying, slay living, spell resistance, symbol of pain, symbol of sleep, telekinesis, true seeing

6th-Level Witchdoctor Spells: animate objects, antilife shell, antimagic field, baleful polymorph, blade barrier, find the path, geas/quest, greater dispel magic, greater glyph of warding, globe of invulnerability, harm, heal, mass bear's endurance, mass bull's strength, mass cat's grace, mass cure moderate wounds, mass eagle's splendour, mass fox's cunning, mass inflict light wounds, mass owl's wisdom, mind probe (ΨHB), Mordenkainen's lucubration, prying eyes, repel wood, snake darts (OA), spellstaff, symbol of fear, symbol of persuasion, transfix (OA), vulnerability (OA)

7th-Level Witchdoctor Spells: destruction, greater restoration, greater scrying, ironwood, mass cure serious wounds, mass inflict serious wounds, mislead, refuge, regenerate, repulsion, resurrection, sequester, spell turning, symbol of stunning, symbol of weakness, transmute metal to wood

8th-Level Witchdoctor Spells: compel (OA), discern location, finger of death, greater spell immunity, limited wish, mass cure critical wounds, mass inflict critical wounds, mind blank, moment of prescience, surelife (OA), symbol of death, symbol of insanity, waves of exhaustion, withering palm (OA)

9th-Level Witchdoctor Spells: antipathy, energy drain, freedom, foresight, greater scrying, horrid wilting, implosion, imprisonment, mass harm, mass heal, Mordenkainen's disjunction, psychic chirurgery (ΨHB), refuge, soul bind, sympathy, true resurrection, wish

Specifying who can use talsimens would be good... do they work like wands, scrolls(without the need to see it), or potions (anyone can use)?

According to Oriental Adventures (where I snagged Craft Talisman from), "A talisman is a single-use magic item similar to a potion or a wand. It can be triggered once before it loses its magical power, but it lasts indefinitely until triggered. A talisman can hold a spell of up to 3rd level, and any character can activate the spell. Most talismans are beneficial to the user. Talismans with offensive capabilities are all but unheard of." So, basically, it's like a potion.

Er, any comments on my spell selection?

I dunno..... Having a spellbook doesn't strike me as right simply by flavour. Witch doctors were like a cross between druid (nature magic), cleric (villiage holy man), and wizard (magic power through knowledge). It just seems to me that the cultures that had them didn't have writing.
Personally I think they should cast through totems or talismens exclusively. Like meditate on a totem once per day to charge it with the spells you want for the day. So it's like a wizard meditating on his spells but without the spellbook aspect.
That still doesn't stike me as quite right, because they were holy men in their culture. So their magic should reflect that.
I don't know, these are just my thoughts.

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Originally Posted by Darkkwalker

I dunno..... Having a spellbook doesn't strike me as right simply by flavour. Witch doctors were like a cross between druid (nature magic), cleric (villiage holy man), and wizard (magic power through knowledge). It just seems to me that the cultures that had them didn't have writing.
Personally I think they should cast through totems or talismens exclusively. Like meditate on a totem once per day to charge it with the spells you want for the day. So it's like a wizard meditating on his spells but without the spellbook aspect.
That still doesn't stike me as quite right, because they were holy men in their culture. So their magic should reflect that.
I don't know, these are just my thoughts.

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Thanks. Yes, I hesitated about the spellbook part too. I've been slowly throwing ideas together for the last wee while, for a very low-tech campaign world where most characters are illiterate. My idea is that the witchdoctor is the one exception to that rule — the one person who has mastered the secret marks that somehow, mysteriously, allow you to know what another person wanted to say to you days or even perhaps years before. I'd imagine they'd have their own language, something akin to Druidic and Draconic. This campaign world already has shamans, as a separate class, to fill the role of holy man; hence the more arcane, wizardly nature of the witchdoctor.

...so everyone likes my spell list, then?

Good looking spell list. One thing though, the 9th level spells look a bit too deadly , if I were you I would make some new 9th level healing spells, and remove the dangerous ones. Maybe throw in some low level buff spells to even it out. This is the kind of class I was looking for for ages. Great job!

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Originally Posted by Zeta Kai

Also, there are an awful lot of dead levels, while other levels get as many as three new abilities. This is very unbalanced design, & could easily be remedied with a refined spacing out of abilities. You have 20 levels, & precisely 20 special abilities. Spacing them out evenly would be a snap, & should smooth out the uneven power progression that I see with this class.

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When it comes to this the class suffers from a common issue of homebrew base classes. In order to make the class feel unique from the get go, you have given it a lot of abilities on first level. As the class is a base class, and thus has no requirements, it makes it way too dipworthy. You should spread the abilities out more evenly, reducing the class' "feel" at first level, but making it more balanced and fun to advance in.

Yeah, Ceres is quite correct. With Canny Defense, Defensive Strike, Spell Turning, & Transference all as 1st level abilities, you'd have to be pretty crazy not to take a dip into this class if you had even the most casual of interests in these abilities. This needs to be fixed; otherwise this class is broken at low levels.

This is like an every class, the sneak attack of a rouge, the stunning of a monk, and the spells of a Cleric AND Wizard. This guy is too powerful, with too many abilities that just don't match up. Take away his melee advantage, make the spell turning weaker, decrease the d8 to a d6, and maybe do some other work and he could be a good class.

The sneak attack needs 3 rounds of study during with you can only make move actions. This is a caster class. Spending 3 rounds waiting to make a melee attack when you could just cast spells? Nope, doesn't sound so usefull.

Monk habilites require him to use the precise strike, so don't strike me as that much of a problem either.

Even the cleric seens to have more offensive spells (at lower levels) lowering the HD doesn't striky me as a good idea. Wizards have d4 for hp because their spell lists are heavily offensive.

On the rest, looks cool. And about the "primitive without a spellbook". We must remember some words from the Complete Mage, althought the name is "spellbook", it can be pretty much any kind of written text with the diagrams and formulla for the spells. Ranging from real grimoires with complex maths, to wooden tablets with elderly carvings.

But wooden tablets would sure be heavier than a good ol' spellbook...

OK. I've shunted Spell Turning to 5th level, and made some clarifications so that the witchdoctor can't combine canny defence or defensive strike with armour. What think ye now?

To boil down a lot of the questions asked thus far:
What do you do with a witchdoctor?
I mean, don't get me wrong, I love the idea. Every time I see the word Shaman, I check to see if they've gotten the witchdoctor idea right yet or not.
But say I make a character using this class - what's his role? What does he do in combat? What does he spend lower levels doing, and how does that role change later on? Is he in melee? Is he at range? What niche does this class fill?
And seriously, spread out those first level abilities. Or people will dip so hard.

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Originally Posted by Finerty

To boil down a lot of the questions asked thus far:
What do you do with a witchdoctor?
I mean, don't get me wrong, I love the idea. Every time I see the word Shaman, I check to see if they've gotten the witchdoctor idea right yet or not.
But say I make a character using this class - what's his role? What does he do in combat? What does he spend lower levels doing, and how does that role change later on? Is he in melee? Is he at range? What niche does this class fill?
And seriously, spread out those first level abilities. Or people will dip so hard.

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Basically, he follows warriors around, healing them and shielding them from magic, and turning the damage they get dealt back on the people who dealt it. He's generally in melee, which is why some kind of defensive capability is pretty indispensable — and armour would be all wrong, flavour-wise. It's also why I haven't given him any area-of-effect spells to speak of. At higher levels Precise Strike gives him that little bit of extra edge, but he's always going to be depending on a friendly fighter or barbarian to watch his back.

My suggestion is to change it's casting to being Bard-based and outright giving it sneak attack damage over precise strike. This way it still retains the healing factor and secondary melee ability, but doesn't appear to be a caster. Further, having access only to 6th level spells removes alot of the issues of caster-balance versus secondary melee combatant.

IIRC a witchdocter was one who was feared by the locals for his lack of civilized manners. They were also revered in times of great need. such as a disease or other natural disaster.

As far as casting goes, I would make it spontaneous as a sorcerer. They should know thier spells and not be restricted to having to study them. With a limited spell list, they could easily get away with spontaneous casting. but to balance it out, require them to have a special talisman or similar object with which they need to focus on (kinda like the spellbook, or prayer). If they lose the talisman they lose thier ability to cast spells until they go through some ritual to make another.

If you want something like the sneak attack, just use the ninja's sudden strike. It requires the opponent to be without his dex bonus. To add on to it, simply add the study for 2 rounds and you can make the strike even if the opponent has his dex bonus.

Transference is good, but I would change it so that he has to deal the damage first. OR, if he doesnt deal said damage in x rounds, he takes the damage himself. Dont cancel the healing. its too hard to remember. also, if you lose a spell to heal someone, and have to inflict that damage, why not just prepare the spell instead, (see above for other options). I'd say this:
Transference: a witchdocter may heal an ally for 1dx, but must also deal that same amount in damage by a touch attack to an opponent in x rounds or suffer the damage himself. As the witchdocter gains levels, he can heal more damage. at y level the damage increases to 2dx. every z levels after the damage healed increases by 1dx.

As for his special strikes, limit them to x number of uses per day.

He also needs a better 20th level ability.

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Originally Posted by deshrimp

As far as casting goes, I would make it spontaneous as a sorcerer. They should know thier spells and not be restricted to having to study them. With a limited spell list, they could easily get away with spontaneous casting. but to balance it out, require them to have a special talisman or similar object with which they need to focus on (kinda like the spellbook, or prayer). If they lose the talisman they lose thier ability to cast spells until they go through some ritual to make another.

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Transference doesn't work if he can cast spells spontaneously anyway — why bother facing the choice between losing your spell and running into the enemy if you can just chuck out a cure spell whenever the occasion arises?

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Originally Posted by deshrimp

He also needs a better 20th level ability.

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I'm open to suggestions.

heres a 20th level ability called purification , give them chastise spirits, planar turning, turn undead, and the power to preform an exorcism, all at his level - 15 + his wisdom bonus, but never more than his level -3. he uses the same wellspring for all abilities, which is equal to 3+ his cha modifier.

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Originally Posted by smart thog

heres a 20th level ability called purification , give them chastise spirits, planar turning, turn undead, and the power to preform an exorcism, all at his level - 15 + his wisdom bonus, but never more than his level -3. he uses the same wellspring for all abilities, which is equal to 3+ his cha modifier.

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Thanks, but wrong flavour; the Witchdoctor's arcane, for one thing, and for another (though you can't be faulted for not knowing this), the campaign world he's designed for already has shamans to deal with spirits and other planes.

Witch doctors were known for healing people and banishing sprites. It was meant more as a flavor thing then actual mechanics. Maybe even have max level minus five so that it cannot even steal the paladins thunder on the undead front.