Reaper of Souls Datamining: Witch Doctor Skill Changes

Following up the Demon Hunter and Barbarian skill changes, here are the Reaper of Souls Datamining: Witch Doctor Skill Changes datamined from from the latest test build of RoS on one of Blizzard’s servers.

Witch Doctor Skills

Every single active skill got at least a tweak, though many of the Rune Effects were not changed. Ones that got no change in this patch aren’t listed below, but expect many changes in Reaper of Souls compared to D3V. Refer to the previous Witch Doctor skill DM post for earlier changes. The mandatory disclaimer: these are taken from a work in progress pre-beta version of RoS and things may be quite different in the final game.




New Witch Doctor Passive Skills

Several new ones, plus changes to a few of the old passives.

Creeping Death:

Tooltip: Your Haunt, Locust Swarm, and the damage amplification from Piranhas last almost forever.

Lore: “There are some terrors that cannot be outrun. Bit by bit, second by second, they consume you. (Formerly: “He ran from darkness and from fire. On the tenth day he stopped running.”)




Physical Attunement

Tooltip: You gain 60 Physical Resistance for every enemy within 8 yards. The range of this effect is increased by your gold pickup radius.

Lore: “Know your enemies. Know their strength. Make it your own.” (Formerly: “When needed, you can always draw upon the help of those around you.”)




Midnight Feast

Tooltip: You can have 1 additional Zombie Dog summoned at one time. The damage of your Zombie Dogs and Gargantuan is increased 50%.

Lore: “In the deepest hour of night, they emerge for the hunt. (Formerly: “Only a fool tries to cheat death. The wise offer a fair trade.”)




Blood Ritual

Tooltip: 15% of Mana costs are paid with Life. In addition, you regenerate 1% of your maximum Life per second. (Formerly 2% life per second.)




Rush of Essence

Spirit spells return 100 Mana (formerly 49) over 10 seconds. Spirit spells are: Haunt, Horrify, Mass Confusion, Soul Harvest, Spirit Barrage, and Spirit Walk.




Click through for a new Witch Doctor skill and many changes (mostly huge buffs) to others. The WD was by far the least modified of the classes when we saw our first look at RoS datamining, and it’s obvious that a lot of work has gone into revising and buffing the class since then.

Witch Doctor Active Skills

Listed below are all Witch Doctor skills and rune effects that have been changed in the recent RoS build. Many other WD skills have been changed from D3V to RoS, but are not listed since the most recent patch didn’t change them further. Refer to the previous Witch Doctor RoS datamined skills list for further details. And remember these skills are all a work in progress and may change further prior to release.




New Witch Doctor Skills

The initial fan reaction to Piranhas was pretty lukewarm, as it seemed like merely a revision of Grasp of the Dead. Now that more of the runes are filled in and not just NYI, it looks a bit more interesting, with some elements of Toad of Hugeness and Zombie Bears mixed in. Also, bonus points for amusing rune names.

Piranhas
Summons a pool of deadly piranhas that deals 400% weapon damage as Poison over 8 seconds. Affected enemies will also take 15% increased damage. (Formerly 150% weapon damage per second for 3 seconds, plus 25% increased damage for 3 seconds.
Cooldown: 8 seconds.
Cost: 250 Mana (Formerly 221 mana.)

Bogadile: A giant bogadile emerges from the pool of water and bites a monster dealing 840% weapon damage.

Zombie Piranhas: Turn the piranhas into zombie piranhas. The piranhas will leap out from the pool savagely at nearby enemies

Piranhado: The pool of piranhas becomes a tornado of piranhas. Nearby enemies are periodically sucked into the tornado. (In case you were hoping for more meme-of-the-moment skill names.)

Wave of Mutilation: Turn each cast into a wave of alligators that crash forward dealing 50% weapon damage and causing all enemies affected to take 15% increased damage for 8 seconds.

Fiery Piranhas: Increase the damage dealt to 400% weapon damage as Fire over 8 seconds.

The previous WD skill datamining showed another new skill called Carrion Swarm that was only halfway implemented. It remains a work in progress with no changes in this patch.




WD Primary Skills

Poison Dart
This is a Signature spell. Signature spells are free to cast. Shoot a deadly Poison Dart that deals 140% (formerly 100%) weapon damage as Poison and an additional 40% weapon damage as Poison over 2 seconds

Flaming Dart: Ignite the dart, dealing 240% weapon damage as Fire at once. (Formerly 180%.)

Splinters: Shoot 3 Poison Darts that each deal 140% weapon damage as Poison and an additional 40% weapon damage as Poison over 2 seconds. (Formerly 60%, and the 40% over 2 seconds is newly added.)

Spined Dart: Gain 25 Mana every time a Poison Dart hits an enemy. (Formerly 25 mana.)

Snake to the Face: Transform your Poison Dart into a snake that has a 25% chance to Stun the enemy for 1.5 seconds. (Formerly 30%.)




Corpse Spiders
This is a Signature spell. Signature spells are free to cast. Throw a jar with 4 spiders that attack nearby enemies for a total of 192% weapon damage as Physical before dying. (Formerly 120%.)

Blazing Spiders: Throw a jar with fire spiders that deal a total of 230% weapon damage as Fire. (Formerly 156%.)

Spider Queen: Throw a jar with a spider queen that births spiderlings, dealing 2175% weapon damage as Poison over 15 seconds. You may have one spider queen summoned at a time. (Formerly 635% damage.)

Leaping Spiders: Throw a jar with jumping spiders that leap up to 25 yards to reach their enemy and attack for a total of 211% weapon damage as Physical. (Formerly 144%.)

Medusa Spiders: Throw a jar with paralyzing spiders that have a 100% chance to Slow enemies by 60% with every attack. (Formerly 25% chance to slow.)




Plague of Toads
This is a Signature spell. Signature spells are free to cast. Release a handful of toads that deal 175% weapon damage as Poison to enemies they come in contact with. (Formerly 130% weapon damage.)

Explosive Toads: Mutate to fire bullfrogs that explode for 245% weapon damage as Fire. (Formerly 169% weapon damage.)

Rain of Toads: Cause toads to rain from the sky that deal 182% weapon damage as Poison to enemies in the area over 2 seconds. (Formerly 130% weapon damage.)

Toad Affinity: Gain 9 Mana every time a toad hits an enemy. (Formerly made casting free with a hit.)

Addling Toads: Mutate to yellow toads that deal 175% weapon damage as Poison and have a 15% chance to Confuse affected enemies for 4 seconds. (Formerly 130% weapon damage.)




Firebomb
This is a Signature spell. Signature spells are free to cast. / Lob an explosive skull that deals 140% weapon damage as Fire to all enemies within 8 yards. (Formerly 110% weapon damage.)

Fire Pit: The explosion creates a pool of fire that deals 60% weapon damage as Fire over 3 seconds. (Formerly 36% weapon damage.)

Pyrogeist: Create a column of flame that spews fire at the closest enemy for 640% weapon damage as Fire over 6 seconds. You may have up to 3 Pyrogeists active at a time. (Formerly only 1 active at a time.)




WD Secondary Skills

Grasp of the Dead
Ghoulish hands reach out from the ground, slowing enemy movement by 60% and dealing 800% weapon damage as Physical over 8 seconds. (Formerly 320% weapon damage.)
Cost: 150 Mana (Formerly 125 mana.)
Cooldown: 8 seconds

Groping Eels : Increase the damage done to 1240% weapon damage as Physical. (Formerly 416% damage.)

Rain of Corpses: Corpses also fall from the sky, dealing 675% weapon damage as Physical over 8 seconds to nearby enemies. (Formerly 80% weapon damage.)




Firebats
Call forth a swarm of fiery bats to burn enemies in front of you for 425% weapon damage as Fire. (Formerly 385%.)
Cost: 225 mana. (Formerly 221 and additional 65 while channeling.)

Dire Bats : Summon fewer but larger bats that travel up to 40 yards and deal 300]% weapon damage as Fire. (Formerly 220% weapon damage.)

Plague Bats: Diseased bats fly towards the enemy and infect them. Damage is slow at first, but can increase over time to a maximum of 638% weapon damage as Poison. (Formerly 578% weapon damage.)

Cloud of Bats: Call forth a swirl of bats that damage nearby enemies for 553% weapon damage as Fire. The damage of the bats increases by 20]% every second, up to a maximum of 100]%. (Formerly 501% weapon damage.)




Haunt
Haunt an enemy with a spirit, dealing 1900% weapon damage as Arcane over 6 seconds. If the enemy dies, the spirit will haunt another nearby enemy. An enemy can only be affected by one Haunt at a time. (Formerly 575% weapon damage.)
Cost: 200 Mana (Formerly 98 mana.)

Grasping Spirit: Slow the movement of haunted enemies by 60%. (Formerly 30%.)

Draining Spirit: The spirit returns 25 Mana per second. (Formerly 20.4 mana per second.)

Resentful Spirits: Release two spirits with every cast.




Locust Swarm
Unleash a plague of locusts that swarms an enemy, dealing 1240% weapon damage as Poison over 8 seconds. The locusts will jump to additional nearby enemies. (Formerly 360% weapon damage.)
Cost: 300 Mana (formerly 196 mana.)

Searing Locusts: Engulf the enemy with burning locusts that deal 1760% weapon damage as Fire over 8 seconds. (Formerly 468% weapon damage.)

Cloud of Insects : Increase the duration of the swarm to deal 2480% weapon damage over 16 seconds. (Formerly 10 seconds, and no increased damage)

Devouring Swarm: Gain 25 Mana for every enemy affected by the swarm. (Formerly 37 mana.)




WD Defensive Skills

Summon Zombie Dogs
Summon 3 Zombie Dogs from the depths to fight by your side. Each dog deals 12% of your weapon damage as Physical per hit. (Formerly 9% weapon damage.)
Cooldown: 45 seconds.
Cost: Free (Formerly 49 mana.)

Burning Dogs: Your Zombie Dogs burst into flames, burning nearby enemies for 20% of your weapon damage as Fire every second. (Formerly 2% weapon damage.)

Rabid Dogs: Your Zombie Dogs gain an infectious bite that deals 30% of your weapon damage as Poison over 3 seconds. (Formerly 9% weapon damage.)




Horrify
Don a spectral mask that horrifies all enemies within 12 yards, causing them to run in Fear for 4 seconds.
Cooldown : 16 seconds.
Cost: Free (formerly 37 mana.)

Ruthless Terror: Gain 55 Mana for every horrified enemy. (Formerly 27 mana per enemy.)




Spirit Walk
Leave your physical body and enter the spirit realm for 2 seconds. While in the spirit realm, your movement is unhindered. Your link to the spirit realm will end if your physical body sustains 50% of your maximum Life in damage.
Cooldown: 15 seconds
Cost: Free (Formerly 49 mana.)

Umbral Shock: When Spirit Walk ends, your physical body erupts for 1275% weapon damage as Fire to all enemies within 10 yards. (Formerly 310%.)




Hex
Summon a Fetish Shaman for 12 seconds that will hex enemies into chickens. Hexed enemies are unable to perform offensive actions and take 10% additional damage.
Cooldown: 15 seconds.
Cost: Free. (Formerly 40 mana.)

Painful Transformation: Hex causes the enemy to Bleed for 125% weapon damage as Physical. (Formerly 12% damage.)

Angry Chicken: Transform into an angry chicken for up to 2 seconds that can explode for 1850% weapon damage as Physical to all enemies within 12 yards. (Formerly 5 seconds and 215% weapon damage.)




WD Terror Skills

Soul Harvest
Feed on the life force of up to 5 enemies within 16 yards. Gain 2% Intelligence for each affected enemy. This effect lasts 30 seconds. (Formerly 150 mana per enemy.)
Cooldown: 15 seconds.
Cost: Free (Formerly 50 mana.)

Siphon: Gain 4954 Life for every harvested enemy. (Formerly 5780 life.)

Languish: Reduce the movement speed of harvested enemies by 80% and attack speed by 50% for 5 seconds. (Formerly 3 seconds.)

Vengeful Spirit: Harvested enemies also take 950% weapon damage as Physical. (Formerly 230% weapon damage.)




Sacrifice

Pride: Gain 600 Mana for each Zombie Dog you sacrifice. (Formerly 294 mana per mongrel.)




Mass Confusion:
Incite paranoia in enemies, confusing them and causing some to fight for you for 12 seconds.
Cooldown: 60 seconds.
Cost: Free (formerly 74 mana.)

Mass Hallucination : Amid the confusion, a giant spirit rampages through enemies, dealing 250% weapon damage per second as Physical to enemies it passes through. (Formerly 22% weapon damage.)




WD Decay Skills

Zombie Charger
Call forth a reckless, suicidal zombie that deals 560% weapon damage as Poison to all enemies in its path before decomposing. (Formerly 205% weapon damage.)
Cost: 140 mana.

Zombie Bears : Summon zombie bears that stampede towards your enemy. Each bear deals 392% weapon damage as Poison to enemies in the area. (Formerly 236% weapon damage.)

Dead Rush: Zombies crawl out of the ground and run in all directions, dealing 280% weapon damage as Physical to nearby enemies. (Formerly “Wave of Zombies” which sent 3 zombies each of which dealt 115% weapon damage as poison.)

Pile On: Summon a tower of zombies that falls over, dealing 800% weapon damage as Physical to any enemies it hits. (Formerly 240% weapon damage over 3 seconds.)

Undeath: If the Zombie Charger kills any enemies, it will reanimate and charge nearby enemies for 360% weapon damage as Poison. This effect can repeat up to 2 times. (Formerly 205% weapon damage.)

Explosive Beast: Summon an explosive Zombie Dog that streaks toward the enemy before exploding, dealing 532% weapon damage as Fire to all enemies within 9 yards. (Formerly 236% weapon damage.)




Spirit Barrage
Bombard an enemy with a spirit blast that deals 425% weapon damage as Physical. (Formerly 230% weapon damage.)
Cost: 100 Mana (Formerly 108 mana.)

Phlebotomize: Enemies hit have a 15% chance to be Charmed for 4 seconds. (Formerly 100% chance and 2 seconds duration.)

Phantasm: Summon a spectre that deals 790% weapon damage as Physical over 5 seconds to all enemies within 10 yards. You can have a maximum of 3 Phantasms out at one time. (Formerly 225% weapon damage.)

The Spirit Is Willing: Gain 90 Mana each time Spirit Barrage hits. (Formerly 44 mana.)

Manitou: Summon a spectre that hovers over you, unleashing spirit bolts at nearby enemies for 4000% weapon damage as Physical over 20 seconds. (Formerly 1667% weapon damage.)




Acid Cloud
Cause acid to rain down, dealing an initial 300% weapon damage as Poison, followed by 360% weapon damage as Poison over 3 seconds to enemies who remain in the area. (Formerly 115% on hit and 150% over 3 seconds.)
Cost: 175 mana (formerly 172 mana.)

Corpse Bomb: Raise a corpse from the ground that explodes for 525% weapon damage as Poison to enemies in the area. (Formerly 230% weapon damage.)

Lob Blob Bomb: The acid on the ground forms into a slime that irradiates nearby enemies for 600% weapon damage as Poison over 5 seconds. (Formerly 250% weapon damage.)

Slow Burn: Increase the duration of the acid pools left behind to deal 720% weapon damage as Poison over 6 seconds. (Formerly 300% weapon damage.)

Kiss of Death: Spit a cloud of acid that deals 330% weapon damage as Poison, followed by 396% weapon damage as Poison over 3 seconds. (Formerly 127% weapon damage followed by 165% poison for 3 seconds.)




Wall of Zombies
Raise a line of zombies 28 yards wide from the ground that attacks nearby enemies for 640300% weapon damage as Physical over 4 seconds. (Formerly 640% weapon damage.)
Cooldown: 8 seconds
Cost: Free (Formerly 103 mana.)

Offensive Line: Knock all enemies behind the wall. (Formerly “Dead Rush” this dealt 445% weapon damage.)

Wrecking Crew: The line of zombies taunt enemies to attack them. (Formerly Pile On, which reduced cooldown per enemy hit.)




WD Voodoo Skills

Gargantuan
Summon a Gargantuan zombie to fight for you. The Gargantuan attacks for 100% of your weapon damage as Physical.
Cooldown: 60 seconds
Cost: Free? (Formerly 147 mana.)

Big Stinker: The Gargantuan is surrounded by a poison cloud that deals 45% weapon damage as Poison per second to nearby enemies. (Formerly 15% weapon damage.)

Wrathful Protector: Summon a more powerful Gargantuan to fight for you for 15 seconds. The Gargantuan’s fists burn with fire, dealing 575% of your weapon damage as Fire and knocking enemies back. (Formerly 110% weapon damage.)




Big Bad Voodoo

Rain Dance: The ritual restores 250 Mana per second while standing in the ritual area. (Formerly 123 mana restored.)




Fetish Army
Summon an army of 5 dagger-wielding Fetishes to fight by your side for 20 seconds. The Fetishes attack for 130% of your weapon damage as Physical. (Formerly 20% weapon damage.)
Cooldown: 120 seconds.




Conclusion

Disappointment at the lack of changers was the most common reaction to the first look we had at datamined RoS versions of the Witch Doctor skills. The hope then was that the devs just hadn’t gotten to the WD yet, and that once they did many more changes would be executed.

It looks like that’s exactly right, as here we are a few weeks later and every single WD skill has at least some changes, and often several major alterations, usually focused around greatly increasing the damage. Other classes have skills that are going from something like 110% to 125% damage. The WD has a few of those, but more common are huge boosts, from 70% to something like 512%, and that’s true of multiple skills and rune effects.

The irony is that the WD is not underpowered at all, but there are two attacks (Zombie Bears and Cloud of Bats) that the vast majority of players use. So it looks like the devs are giving mega buffs to lots of other skills to try to raise them to the level of the two current champions.

Diversity though bigger numbers = success!

I went through these pretty quickly, mostly doing the formatting and such, so I’m curious what you WD experts see in a more studious read. Which 1 or 2 skills/runes are you most pleased or disappointed by?