Witchdoctor Class Details 

A young tiefling escaping the clutches of the King’s guards mutters something under his breath before disappearing, leaving nothing but a twisted wisp of smoke in his place.  

As she shoots a dart from a blowgun into her wounded comrade, a merciful wood elf smiles, knowing she’s just stopped another soul from crossing over to the other side. 

With a long grey beard down to his knees, a wrinkled human pricks his finger with a needle, wickedly sneering all the while in a way that seems to say, “I’ve just set the world ablaze”.

Witchdoctors are experts in medicine, nature, mind games, and the balance between life and death itself. They obtain their abilities by extracting the soul from their body, and permanently entrapping it within a shaman’s staff; forgoing the afterlife in exchange for unearthly abilities, granted through the forgotten secrets of ancient voodoo magic. 

Bu Magic

Bu is the energy of life itself. Though it is present in all living creatures, plants, and beasts, only Witchdoctors can tap into this energy form. It enables them to become excellent healers, natural allies, deceptionists, and deadly killers.  

Mysterious Swindlers

Because of the nature of their magic, Witchdoctors often live lives of crime. Generally, they are nonviolent unless provoked. They make excellent con artists, using their abilities to bewilder and mezermise their targets. As a result of this, Witchdoctors have developed a rather unsavory reputation in the eyes of most lawful creatures. But you’d be hard pressed to find a commoner who wouldn’t at least be curious about the Witchdoctor alluring magic. 

Witchdoctors are usually wanderers, drifting from town to town, scamming creatures along the way. Though they don’t tend to stay in one location for an extended period of time, they rarely have trouble finding a place to stay as a result of their charming presence and silver tongue. 

The Witchdoctor Table

Level                             Proficiency Bonus       Bu Points                     Features 

Class Features

As a witchdoctor, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per witchdoctor level

Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier

Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per Witchdoctor level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: None

Weapons: Simple weapons, Blowgun

Tools: Medicine Kit, Playing Card Set, Poisoner’s Kit, Herbalism Kit

Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma

Skills: Choose four skills from: Animal Handling, Arcana, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Performance, Sleight of Hand,  and Survival. 

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a Spear, 10 Poison / Rejuvenating Spearheads or (b) a Blowgun, 10 Poison / Rejuvenating Darts. You pick the ratio of Poison / Rejuvenating Darts / Spearheads. Your Spear / Blowgun acts as your shaman’s staff, allowing you to cast magic and deal piercing damage. Additionally, the staff cannot be removed from your person against your will. Witchdoctor Spearheads are brittle, and break off into their targets after a single use, delivering highly concentrated poisons and antidotes. Neither Witchdoctor Darts nor Spearheads can be reused.
• (a) Medicine Kit, (b) Poisoner’s Kit, or (c) Herbalism Kit
• Playing Card Set

Expertise

At 1st level, choose one of your skill proficiencies, or your proficiency with a Medicine Kit, Poisoner’s Kit, Playing Card Set, or Herbalism Kit. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses your chosen proficiencies.

At 6th level, you can choose one more of your proficiencies (in skills or with tools) to gain this benefit.

Umbra

You know Umbra, the secret language of Witchdoctors. You can speak the language and use it to leave hidden messages. You and others who know this language automatically spot such a message. Others spot the message’s presence with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check but can’t decipher it without magic.

Poison Dart  / Spearhead 

[action, reagent required] - coated with common but painful insect venom (which you must roll a nature check of 10 or above to find and catch enough to make 10 doses of), target must make a constitution saving throw against 10 + your Wisdom modifier + your medicine bonus. If the target fails, the Poison Dart / Spearhead causes 1 Piercing and 1d4 poison damage as the initial effect. On subsequent turns, the target must make another saving throw or take another 1d4 plus an additional 1d4 damage and suffer the effect of "poisoned". This poison damage increases 1d4 on each turn as long as the target fails their Constitution save. Poison Dart / Spearhead damage stacks to a max of 4d4 and the effect lasts 1 minute (10 turns) or until the target makes a successful saving throw.

Rejuvenating Dart / Spearhead 

[action, reagent required] - coated with an herbal pain reliever (which you must roll a nature check of 10 or above to find enough to make 10 doses of), it is shot / stuck into a friendly target causing 1 piercing damage and healing 1d4 hit points on the start of the targets turns, lasts 30 seconds (5 turns). Dart / Spearhead healing stacks to a maximum of 8d4, and lasts 5 minutes unless the target reaches maximum health.

Shadow Familiar

Bu cost: 1

As an action, you can cast this spell, granting you the service of your shadow as a familiar. 

Your familiar acts independently of you, but it always obeys your commands. This familiar is unable to interact with the physical world, and thus cannot engage in combat or use objects.Your familiar has 1 hit point, and is immune to all damage except Radiant. When the familiar drops to 0 hit points, it disappears entirely. 

While your familiar is within 100 feet of you, you can communicate with it telepathically. Additionally, as an action, you can see through your familiar's eyes and hear what it hears until the start of your next turn. During this time, you are deaf and blind with regard to your own senses. 

Unarmored Defense 

While you are not wearing any armor and not wielding a shield, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier. 

Prestidigitation

You know the Prestidigitation cantrip, and can cast it as an action at will.

Soulbind

You permanently bind your soul with your shaman’s staff, gaining extraordinary skills from a specific branch of voodoo magic. 

Anesthetic Dart / Spearhead 

[bonus action to make and bonus action to fire, reagent required] – the Witchdoctor uses their bonus action to modify and coat his next Dart / Spearhead with a local anesthetic made from an uncommon mushroom (must make a nature check of 12 or above to find enough for 3 doses). The next Dart / Spearhead used does no damage. If it’s a Dart, it hits the target and immediately crumbles, leaving no trace. The target is unaware they’ve been hit, much less dosed with mushroom juice. If it’s a Spearhead, the target realizes they’ve been stabbed, but feels no pain, and is oblivious to the presence of the mushroom juice now coursing through their veins. The target must make a constitution saving throw against 10 + your Wisdom modifier + proficiency bonus. If the target fails, they fall asleep as if under the effects of the sleep spell.

Cardshark

Cost: 1 Bu

You gain the ability to magically deal yourself any hand while playing a card game. This action is completely imperceptible, but should you use it multiple times, creatures may become suspicious at the DM’s discretion. 

Misty Step

Cost: 1 Bu

You gain access to the misty step spell.

Dart / Spearhead Replenishment 

Cost: 1 Bu

Once per short or long rest, you can use an action to restore your Darts or Spearheads. Roll 1d10, and add your Wisdom modifier to that number. You regain a number of Darts / Spearheads equal to that total. The Darts / Spearheads have no status effects applied to them, but you can add these effects provided you have the materials necessary. 

Paralyzing Dart / Spearhead

[bonus action, reagent required] - coated with less-common but highly-potent snake venom (must make a nature check of 12 or above to find enough for 3 doses). The Paralyzing Dart / Spearhead causes 1d6 poison damage on the target’s turn, and an additional 1d6 poison damage on turns thereafter. The target must make a Constitution save—if failed, the target is paralyzed until it succeeds. Paralyzing Dart / Spearhead damage stacks to a maximum of 6d6, and lasts for 1 minute until either a successful saving throw or until it is cleansed.

Friend on the Other Side

You gain access to the Unseen Servant spell, and can cast it at will.

Trip cost: 1 Bu

Though this Servant can’t attack, it can perform “Trip”, which forces a Dexterity saving throw on an enemy within 5 feet. Unless it succeeds the saving throw against 8 + your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus, it is knocked prone. This ability can be used as a bonus action.

Unarmored Perception 

While you are not wearing any armor and not wielding a shield, you gain the ability to see invisible creatures as if they were visible. 

Shadow Walk

Cost: 1 Bu

As an action, you can transport yourself to the shadow realm. While in the shadow realm, you are invisible, your movement speed is doubled, and you’re immune to all damage except radiant. You can’t interact with the physical world, and therefore cannot make attacks, cast spells, or interact with objects. This effect lasts until you use a bonus action to dismiss it. 

Therianthropy

Cost: 2 Bu

As an action, you can touch a willing creature, turning them into any animal with a challenge rating of 0.

Transformed creatures lose all their character’s abilities, with the exception of spell casting, and gain temporary hit points equal to the hit points of the animal they’ve been turned into. When those hit points drop to 0, the creature is returned to their original form with whatever hit points they had prior to being transformed. Alternatively, the Witchdoctor can use a bonus action to dismiss this effect. 

Necrotic Dart / Spearhead 

[bonus action, reagent required] - coated with the blood of a dead animal (must make a nature check of 14 or above to find enough for 1 dose). The Necrotic Dart / Spearhead causes 1d8 necrotic damage on the target’s turns. The target must make a Constitution save—if failed, the target takes an additional 1d8 necrotic damage on its subsequent turns until it succeeds. Necrotic Dart / Spearhead damage stacks to a maximum of 8d8, and lasts for 1 minute or until the target makes a successful save. 

Shadow Dodge

Cost: 1 Bu

When an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to transfer the damage to your shadow instead of you. This ability causes you to take 0 damage, and destroys your shadow. To reobtain your shadow, you must recast Shadow Familiar. 

Alter Creature 

Cost: 2 Bu

You gain access to the alter self spell. Additionally, you can touch a willing creature to cast the spell on them instead of you. 

Shadow Possession 

Cost: 3 Bu

A creature within range must make a Wisdom saving throw against 10 + your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failed save, your shadow can temporarily enter their body, possessing them until the end of your turn. While controlled by your shadow, creatures will perform any action you command them to, so long as it is not directly harmful to themselves or others. As such, they cannot attack, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be used for combat. For instance, were there a trap in place that they couldn’t see, you could command them to trigger it. At the end of your turn, your shadow exits the creature, returning back to you fully intact, and leaving the creature without any memory of what happened while they were controlled. Additionally, the creature has no idea they’ve been controlled by you. 

Voodoo Guru

Cost: 5 Bu

You touch a creature, forcing a Wisdom saving throw on them. On a failed save, the creature is turned into any animal with a challenge rating of 0, losing their current hit points and having them replaced by that of the animal they’ve been turned into. On a successful save, the creature takes 10d10 necrotic damage. You can have only one creature transformed at a time. As a bonus action, you can restore the creature's hit points and natural form if you choose.

Subclasses 

Bind of the Undying

You devote yourself to the art of medicine. By tethering your soul to your staff, you gain potent healing abilities. 

Improved Rejuvenation

At 3rd level, you can add your Wisdom modifier to the healing of all Rejuvenating Darts / Spearheads. This effect works at the start of the target's turn for the duration of the Dart / Spearhead’s healing effect. 

Merciful Healer

Cost: 1 Bu per d4

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 120 feet

Components: S

Duration: instantaneous 

At 6th Level, you can use an action to gain a pool of hit dice you can distribute to yourself and willing creatures. You can purchase as many d4s as you choose at once. Once you have purchased these hit dice, you have access to each individual die until you choose to roll it. As an action, you can roll as many dice as you want at once, and you can distribute the points to as many creatures within range as you choose, but all points rolled must be given out on your turn as a bonus action, or they will be lost. Note: you roll each die separately, and cannot split up the value of a single die amongst multiple creatures. 

Aura of Health

Cost: 1 Bu

Casting Time: 1 action 

Range: 15 feet

Components: V

Duration: 30 seconds 

At 10th level, you gain a healing aura. While not in combat, your aura heals all creatures, excluding yourself, within 15 feet of you for 1 hit point per turn. This effect can only be active for 30 seconds (5 turns). The healing effect is granted at the beginning of the target's turn. This ability can be used once per short or long rest. At higher levels, the aura heals for more hit points.

Witchdoctor level 10-16 1 hit point

Witchdoctor level 17-20 2 hit points 

Saving Grace 

Cost: 2 Bu

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 120 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: instantaneous  

At 14th level, as an action, you can make a creature within range whose hit points have dropped to 0 on their last turn drop to 5 instead. You can use this ability once per long rest. 

Bind of the Forest

You become one with the natural world. By tethering your soul to your staff, you gain mysterious animalistic and botanical abilities. 

Animalistic Attunement

At 3rd level, you know the Speak with Animals spell and can cast it at will. 

Arachnid Ally

Cost: 1 Bu

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: self 

Components: V

Duration: instantaneous 

At 6th level, as an action, you can summon a spider familiar. As a bonus action, you can command the spider to attack, dealing 1d10 poison damage + your Wisdom modifier. The spider cannot perform any actions other than attack, and it sits still on your shoulder until it does so. It is virtually invisible, appearing to be a part of the Witchdoctor’s form.

Each Bu point you spend past 1 grants you an additional 1d10 to the damage roll of this spell. 

Thorn Snare

Cost: 2 Bu

At 10th level, you cause the ground beneath a creature to become a thorn bush. The creature must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 2d12 piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. Enemies who fail the save also become entangled, and must use an action to free themselves. 

Each Bu point you spend past 2 grants you an additional 1d12 to the damage roll of this spell. 

Great Oak

Cost: 2 Bu

At 14 level, you gain the ability to turn yourself into an oak tree. Doing so grants you resistance to all damage types except Fire and Lightning for the duration, and immunity from one damage type (that isn’t Fire or Lightning) of your choice. This effect lasts 30 seconds (5 turns), unless you use a bonus action to dismiss it. While a tree, you cannot move or make weapon attacks, but you can cast spells. 

Bind of the Fearmonger

You become a being fueled by the fear of your enemies. By tethering your soul to your staff, you gain terrifying hellish abilities. 

Occultist Illusionist

At 3rd level, you know the Improved Minor Illusion cantrip, and can cast it at will. 

Fatal Fear

Cost: 1 Bu

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 120 feet

Duration: until your next long rest 

At 6th level, enemies frightened by you take 1d6 damage at the start of their turn for the duration of the effect. At higher levels: The hit dice increase.

Witchdoctor level 10- 1d8

Witchdoctor level 15- 1d10

Witchdoctor level 17- 1d12

Witchdoctor level 19- 2d8

Horrify

Cost: 1 Bu

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 40 feet from self

Duration: 1 minute 

At 10th level, as an action, you can scare all enemies within 40 feet of you, forcing them to make a Wisdom saving throw against 8 + your Wisdom modifier + your intimidation bonus. On a failed save, they are frightened until their next turn. Every turn, the creature can reroll its saving throw, remaining frightened until they make a successful save. 

Delusional Damage

Cost: 2 Bu 

At 14th level, you can cast Phantasmal Killer.

Each Bu point you spend past 2 grants you an additional 1d10 to the damage roll of this spell. 

Bind of the Fetish 

You understand the forces of life and death. By tethering your soul to your staff, you gain reflexive destruction abilities. 

Necrotic Blast

Cost: 1 Bu

At 3rd level, you can cast this spell. A beam of decay and rot streaks toward a creature within range. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 1d6 necrotic damage.

The spell creates more than one beam when you reach higher levels: 2 beams at 5th level, 3 beams at 11th level, and 4 beams at 17th level. You can direct the beams at the same target or at different ones. Make a separate attack roll for each beam.

Mirror Damage

Cost: 1 Bu

At 6th level, you can use your reaction to reflect any damage you suffer back on the creature that attacked you. You take 0 damage, and the enemy takes damage equal to the amount they would have dealt to you.

At higher levels: This ability costs additional Bu points to cast.

Witchdoctor level 6-10- 1 Bu

Witchdoctor level 11-20- 2 Bu

Boiling Blood

Cost: 1 Bu

At 10th level, you can open one of your veins with a razor, dealing 1d8 piercing damage to yourself. Your blood is then magically transferred onto a target of your choice. Targets covered in your blood lose all their resistances and 1 immunity (if they have any) of your choice. This effect lasts 1 round. At higher levels: You take additional Piercing damage

Witchdoctor level 10-14 1d8

Witchdoctor level 15-17 1d10

Witchdoctor level 17-20 1d12

Jinx

Cost: 2 Bu

At 14th level, you can use an action to conjure a voodoo doll. As a bonus action, you can then prick this voodoo doll with a needle, dealing 5d10 piercing damage to a target of your choice on a failed Constitution save, or half as much on a successful one. You can only use this ability once on a single target.

Each Bu point you spend past 2 grants you an additional 1d10 to the damage roll of this spell. 

Bind of the Blade

You devote yourself to mastering the efficacy of your Spear. By tethering your soul to your staff, you gain additional cutting and elemental abilities. 

Spearman

At 3rd level, your Spearheads do 1d8 Piercing damage to all targets, without Bu point bonuses. 

By expending 1 Bu point, you can add an additional 1d8 to your Spearhead’s Piercing damage.

Extra Attack

Cost: 1 Bu

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: self

Duration: until your next short or long rest 

At 6th level, you can attack twice with your spear every time you take the attack action. 

Backstab

Cost: 1 Bu

At 10th level, when you attack an enemy who attacked someone other than you on their last turn, or couldn’t see you on their last turn, you have advantage on all damage rolls against them related to your Spear. This includes the initial Piercing damage, and the status effect damage. 

Pick your Poison

Cost: 2 Bu

At 14th level, as a bonus action, you can magically imbue 1 Spearhead with one of the following damage types: Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, or Poison. When you attack with an imbued Spearhead, the target takes the base Piercing damage of your spear, and an additional 1d12 damage from the damage type you chose.

By expending 1 Bu point, you can add an additional 1d12 to your Spearhead’s elemental damage.

Suggested Characteristics

this is a CLASS with 5 unique subclasses, all of which are listed above. You basically play as Dr. Facilier from The Princess and the Frog, he was my biggest inspo for this homebrew.