Witch Doctor
From Liquipedia Dota 2 Wiki
Witch Doctor
20 + 2.1
13 + 1.4
22 + 3.1
| Grants the following bonuses per level: | |
|
+46.2HP and +0.21HP regeneration |
|
+0.23 armor and 1.4 attack speed |
|
+37.2MP and +0.155MP regeneration +0.1% base magic resistance +3.1 Main Attack Damage |
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1200 Projectile Speed
| ||
100 (113)
(1.7 BAT) | ||
0.4 + 0.5
| ||
0.6
| ||
Default
Gib Type | ||
2010-11-01
Released | ||
2006-02-24
(6.28) | ||
Competitive Span
2010-11-01 — Present | ||
Version Control This article has been updated to the latest version (7.40b) and is mostly accurate. |
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| Channels a high damage death ward. | |
|---|---|
| A bizarre figure shambles across the land, searching for any opportunity to apply the morbid arts of Prefectura Island. Filling a skull with noxious powder, the Witch Doctor throws this Paralyzing Cask to stun enemies in succession. To his allies, Zharvakko is a fountain of health, curing ailments with Voodoo Restoration. To his foes, he is the source of curses and Switcheroos. Notoriously known for Maledicting his adversaries and forcing them to relive the agony they will inevitably receive from his Death Ward, few can match Witch Doctor's versatility. | |
       | |
| Roles: |  Support  Nuker  Disabler |
| Adjectives | BadTeeth, Potbelly, Nose Legs ( 2 ) |
Cleft Death
Death Ward attacks multiple targets simutaneously with reduced damage.
Deals lesser damage to the secondary target.
Deals lesser damage to the secondary target.
+1 Max Attack Target Bonus
-5 Ward Attack Damage Reduction
-5 Ward Attack Damage Reduction
Malpractice
Applies a portion of the next Maledict current health loss as damage within the radius, upon the debuff-affected enemy unit's death.
×0.75 Next Current Health Loss to Damage Factor
Upgrades
[edit]Aghanim's
[edit]
Aghanim's Scepter Upgrade:
The Death Ward's attacks now bounce between nearby enemy units.
Grants the Voodoo Switcheroo ability.
The Doctor turns into the Death Ward of its corresponding level while being hidden.
The Doctor turns into the Death Ward of its corresponding level while being hidden.
Talents
[edit] | ||
|---|---|---|
| +40 Death Ward Damage | 25 | -6s Paralyzing Cask Cooldown |
| +1% Voodoo Restoration Max Health as Heal | 20 | +75 Death Ward Attack Range |
| +4s Maledict Duration +1 Maledict Intervals | 15 | +2 Paralyzing Cask Bounces |
| +200 Health | 10 | -25% Voodoo Restoration Mana per Second |
| ▃ ▃ ▃ ▃ ▃ ▃ ▃ +2 All / / Attributes | ||
Bio
[edit]Malpractice makes perfect.▶️Zharvakko, the Witch Doctor
Alias:
WD
Lore:
A wiry silhouette hitches forward—uneven of feature and limb, bizarre of gait, relentlessly criss-crossing the battlefield in search of that vital weak point where his talents can do most good, and most harm. Whether broken or mismade it is not clear, but still, none can doubt the power carried in his twisted physique. A long staff thumps the earth as the Witch Doctor advances, deploying a terrifying arsenal of fetishes, hexes and spells. It is a body of magical knowledge learned over several lifetimes in the island highlands of Prefectura, now wielded with precise accuracy against his enemies. Witch Doctor is your best friend, or your worst enemy--healing allies and laying waste to all who oppose him.
Voice:
Gris-Gris
[edit] Consume
No
Affects
Self
Starts the game with a neutral consumable item — Gris-Gris.
This can be consumed anytime to grant the stored gold to the Doctor.
This can be consumed anytime to grant the stored gold to the Doctor.
Stored Gold to Bonus Gold Factor: 1
The stored gold passively increases per in-game interval.
Gold Increase Interval: 3
Gold Increase per Instance: 1 
Gris-Gris also increases its selling cost based on the Doctor's gold lost value upon death.
Death Gold Loss to Gold Increase Factor: 1
- The neutral item granted has the following properties:
- Grants unreliable gold upon activation.
modifier_item_gris_gris
Hidden Modifier
MODIFIER_EVENT_ON_HERO_BEGIN_DYING modifier_item_gris_gris_counterGris-Gris Gold: The owner will receive x of the saved gold when consuming the Gris-Gris.
MODIFIER_PROPERTY_TOOLTIP- The actual ability values are bound to the item traits and values.
Hero Model
[edit]
Details
Hidden Innate Abilities
Tap on the 
innate abilities for more details.
innate abilities for more details.Abilities
[edit]Paralyzing Cask
[edit]
Launches a cask that ricochets between enemy units, stunning and damaging those it hits.
Cast Animation: 0.2 + 0.52
Cast Range: 
600
600 Bounce Distance: 
575
575 Number of Bounces: 4/5/6/7 (
6/7/8/9)
6/7/8/9) First Damage: 55/70/85/100
Damage Increment per Bounce: 20
Stun Duration: 0.8
20/18/16/14
80/100/120/140
The Witch Doctor recycles the bones of fallen friends and foes, using the powder as part of his arsenal of charms and alchemy.
- All projectiles bounce in 0.1-second intervals despite utilizing two different
projectile speeds.
- The first launched projectile to the first
unit-targeted enemy has 1200-speed. 
- For convenience, the first enemy unit is counted toward the bounces in the calculations below for this ability.
- Can bounce on the same enemy unit, after another enemy unit was hit between bounces.
- The first launched projectile to the first
- Subsequent bounce projectiles have 1000-speed.
- Both the primary projectile and subsequent projectiles cannot be disjointed.
- Projectiles can bounce to and bounce off the following units:
Fogged units.
Hidden units.
Spell Block-affected units.
- Does not bounce to the following units.
- Attack immune units.
- Enemy
Couriers. - Hidden units.
Invisible units.
Invulnerable units.
Ward-type units.
- All projectiles bounce in 0.1-second intervals despite utilizing two different
- The
magical 
spell damage considers 
clones, 
illusions and 
creep-heroes as heroes.
Blocks the ability effects on the Spell Block-affected unit individually per proc.
Neither stops the bounce component, nor stops the damage increment component.
Neither stops the bounce component, nor stops the damage increment component.
Does not proc Spell Reflection sources on secondary affected units.
modifier_witchdoctor_cask_thinkerOn hidden entity
modifier_stunned
Stunned
MODIFIER_STATE_STUNNEDMODIFIER_PROPERTY_OVERRIDE_ANIMATION- Deals a total 420/650/930/1260 ( 750/1050/1400/1800) magical spell damage (before reductions).
-
- The following ability effects are applied:
stunned.- The magical spell damage.
- The following ability effects are applied:
Voodoo Restoration
[edit]
Toggle / Aura
Affects
Allied Units
Focuses his magic to heal nearby allied units, costing mana every second to keep the aura active.
Cast Animation: 
0 + 0
0 + 0Radius: 500/550/600/650
500/550/600/650 Heal per Second: 
20/30/40/50
20/30/40/50 Aura Linger Duration: 0.5
Max Health as Heal per Second: (
1%)
( 1%) 
While affected by invulnerable sources, the Doctor does not lose mana while Voodoo Restoration is toggled on with all ability effects active.
0
25
The mana loss per second is bound to the aura.
The ability causes the Doctor to lose mana as long as an allied unit is still affected by the aura.
The ability causes the Doctor to lose mana as long as an allied unit is still affected by the aura.
9/12/15/18 / s(
6.75/9/11.25/13.5)Zharvakko's hocus pocus is not limited only to hexxing his opponents and is quite adept at curing ailments.
- Creates the
aura centered around the Doctor with the activation mana cost.
- All ability components are granted by the same aura.
-
- Loses 9/12/15/18
current mana in 0.33-second intervals, the first interval starts 0.33 seconds after toggled . - The current mana loss per interval is bound to the aura and its linger duration.
- Hence, when toggled
in any way, the ability still applies all of its ability effects for another 0.5 seconds.
- Hence, when toggled
- Loses 9/12/15/18
-
- Learning the max health as heal talent immediately updates the current active instance.
- Creates the
- Does not affect the following units:
- Hidden units.
- Invulnerable units.
- Affects the following units:
- Allied Couriers.
- Allied
- Does not affect the following units:
modifier_voodoo_restoration_aura
Hidden modifier
modifier_voodoo_restoration_healVoodoo Restoration: The Witch Doctor be healing you!
Maledict
[edit]
Curses all enemy heroes within the radius, causing them to take a set amount of damage each second.
Cast Animation: 0.35 + 0
Cast Range: 600
600 Radius: 200 (
204)
200 ( 204) Damage per Second: 15/20/25/30
Duration: 12 (
18)
18) 
The curse also deals bursts of damage per interval based on the amount of current health lost since the curse begin.
Proc Interval: 4
Curse Instance: 3 ( 4.5)
4.5)Current Health Loss to Damage: 16%/24%/32%/40%
30/26/22/18
105/110/115/120
Certain voodoo magics can make an enemy regret engaging the Witch Doctor.
Malpractice
Applies a portion of the next Maledict current health loss as damage within the radius, upon the debuff-affected enemy unit's death.
Effect Radius: 800
Next Current Health Loss to Damage: 12%/18%/24%/30%
Next Current Health Loss to Damage: 12%/18%/24%/30%
This ability component does not work on enemy illusions.
- This ability has two main components:
- The debuff component considers clones, illusions, and creep-heroes as heroes.
maledict- Checks the affected enemy heroes'
current health 4 ( 5.5) times for the entire duration, starting immediately upon debuff application. - The health loss to damage is defined as:
- EXPR
ΣSpellDmg = (CurrentHP BeforeDebuff - CurrentHealth) × DamageFactor- Hence Maledict utilizes the current health difference for the spell damage value, not the incoming damage values on the affected enemy heroes.
- Hence Maledict utilizes the current health difference for the
- The current health loss to damage happens 0.1 seconds before per proc interval at the following intervals:
- After the 3rd 7th 11th
15th 19th second of the debuff duration.
- After the 3rd
- Releases a projectile to all valid enemy units within the radius upon the debuff-affected enemy heroes'
death.
- Affects the following units:
- Fogged units.
- Invisible units.
- Does not affect the following units:
- Hidden units.
- Invulnerable units.
- Affects the following units:
- Checks the affected enemy heroes'
maledict_dot- The magical spell damage per second component deals damage in 0.5-second intervals, starting immediately after damage per second debuff application.
- The
- The debuff component considers
- With all spell damage components, the ability deals a maximum of 28 ( 41.5) damage instances over the entire duration.
The curse damage procs on debuff immune targets but its damage doesn't ignore the magic resistance bonus granted by debuff immunity sources.
Only the Malpractice ability component can be disjointed.
Malpractice ability component can be disjointed. modifier_maledictMaledict: Cursed. Taking damage over time, and taking bonus damage every 4 seconds based on HP lost since the beginning of the curse.
modifier_maledict_dotHidden Modifier
- The total current health loss to spell damage per level (before reductions) on each proc interval is roughly as follows:
Proc Interval ≈ CurrentHP to Damage 0s – 3.9s 48%/72%/97%/121%
( 80%/120%/161%/201%)
3.9s – 7.9s 32%/48%/65%/81%
( 64%/96%/129%/161%)
7.9s – 11.9s 16%/24%/32%/40%
( 48%/72%/97%/121%)
11.9s – 15.9s 32%/48%/65%/81%
15.9s – 20s 16%/24%/32%/40%
-
-
- Has 1200- projectile speed.
- Has 1200-
Voodoo Switcheroo
[edit]No
Affects
Self
The Doctor turns into the Death Ward of its corresponding level while being hidden.
Cast Animation: 0.1 + 0.73
Duration: 2.5
The Death Ward has a lower attack speed.
Attack Speed Slow: 45
50
200
This ability levels up with Death Ward.
- Acquiring
Aghanim's Shard unlocks this ability in the fourth ability slot.
-
- The ability lasts for the entire duration unless the Doctor dies during it.
- The following ability effects are applied on self upon cast:
- Hidden, with the Doctor's hero model being invisible.
- Grants the Doctor invulnerability.
- Disjoint incoming projectiles.
- Cannot act.
- Grants the Doctor
- Creates Death Ward of its corresponding level at the Doctor's current cast location.
- The ability lasts for the entire duration unless the Doctor
- Other Death Ward notes apply, including its facet,
talent, and ability upgrades.
Requires drafting Death Ward to unlock this ability.
Death Ward to unlock this ability. modifier_witch_doctor_death_ward_switcheroo_attackspeed_reductionHidden Modifier
MODIFIER_PROPERTY_ATTACKSPEED_BONUS_CONSTANT-
- Directly uses Death Ward's ability values. It does nothing if Death Ward is not learned upon cast.
Death Ward
[edit]
Summons a deadly ward to attack enemy heroes within its attack range.
Cast Animation: 0.35 + 0
Cast Range: 500
500 Max Channel Time: 8
Max Attack Targets: 1
Accuracy: 50%
Pure Attack Damage: 60/90/120 ( 100/130/160)
100/130/160) 
Aghanim's Scepter Upgrade
The Death Ward's attacks now bounce between nearby enemy units.
Deals pure attack damage on the first attacked unit, with subsequent bounces dealing pure spell damage instead.
The Death Ward's attacks now bounce between nearby enemy units.
Deals pure attack damage on the first attacked unit, with subsequent bounces dealing pure spell damage instead.
Bounce Distance: ( 575)
( 575) Number of Bounces: ( 
)
_icon.png){kind=icon}
) 
Aghanim's Scepter Upgrade
Both Roshan and the Tormentor can only be affected by the Death Ward's bounced attack.
Both Roshan and the Tormentor can only be affected by the Death Ward's bounced attack.
100/90/80
200
Witch Doctor performs a ritualistic dance, one that haunts the dreams of those who live to recount it.
Cleft Death
Death Ward attacks multiple targets simutaneously with reduced damage.
Deals lesser damage to the secondary target.
Deals lesser damage to the secondary target.
Max Attack Targets: 2
Attack Damage Reduction: 5
Secondary Target Damage Factor: 0.65
Attack Damage Reduction: 5
Secondary Target Damage Factor: 0.65
135
-
Can be controlled to attack a specific enemy unit or to stop attacking altogether.
-
Lvl
3
0
0%
0
0 (x̄)
Talent Upgrade
The Death Ward becomes deadlier as time passes.
The Death Ward becomes deadlier as time passes.
Attack Damage Bonus: ( 40)
40)Attack Range Bonus: (
75)
75)Acquisition Range Bonus: ( 75)
75)Whenever the channeling completes or is interrupted, the unit disappears after a brief period of time.
The unit now has phased movement and grants vision centered around it during the grace duration.
The unit now has phased movement and grants vision centered around it during the grace duration.
Grace Duration: 5
This unit does not feel the effects from any damage source.
It cannot be targeted by attacks or abilities and has its health bar temporarily hidden.
It cannot be targeted by attacks or abilities and has its health bar temporarily hidden.
- All damage applied is sourced to the Death Ward, with the following damage type properties:
Attack Target Damage Type Source First 
Pure
Attack Damage
Secondary
Instant Attack
Bounce
Spell Damage
- Has the following unit additional properties:
- The unit is always spawned facing
. - With the unit's attack projectile originating fron the front of the unit model's skull, the Death Ward has to
turn and 
face the target before attacking within its 600 ( 675) 
attack range, except within the 23° circular sector area marked blue.
- The unit is always spawned facing
- Has the following auto-attack priorities:
- Nearest Enemy Heroes within the blue circular sector area Nearest Enemy Heroes Nearest Enemy Units
- Considers clones, illusions, and the Spirit Bear as heroes; other creep-heroes as creeps.
- The nearest enemy hero within the blue circular sector will be the first attacked target.
- Considers
- Only attacks on the first attacked target have percentage-based accuracy, which prevents its attacks from being missed from the following sources:
- Does not consider the following units as valid first attacked targets:
- Has the following auto-attack priorities:
_icon.png){kind=icon}
- Does not have a death animation and expires 5 seconds later when the channeling is completed or interrupted in any way.
- Does not have a
- Additionally applies the following ability effects on itself:
-
modifier_stunned - A 5-second
phase movement. 
- A 5-second non-lingering
1200-radius or 
800-radius ground vision centered around the Death Ward. - The vision component is bound to the unit.
- A 5-second non-lingering
- Resummoning the unit
instant kills the unit and causes the aforementioned components to no longer be active.
- Both regular attacks and bounced attacks from the Death Ward now bounce toward the closest enemy units within 575 radius.
- Acquiring the ability upgrade immediately updates the current active instance.
- The same attack projectile may damage the same enemy units once per attack,
- Does not affect the following units:
- Fogged units.
- Invisible units.
- Secondary attack immune units.
- However, attack immune units can still receive damage from the bouncing projectile.
- Acquiring the
The attack projectile does not continue bouncing when disjointed by the primary attack target. When disjointed by a secondary target, the disjointing unit is not registered as hit, so the attack may immediately bounce on it again if within range. modifier_witch_doctor_death_wardHidden modifier
MODIFIER_STATE_MAGIC_IMMUNEMODIFIER_STATE_INVULENRABLEMODIFIER_STATE_NO_HEALTH_BARMODIFIER_PROPERTY_PREATTACK_BONUS_DAMAGEMODIFIER_PROPERTY_ATTACK_RANGE_BONUSMODIFIER_EVENT_ON_ATTACK_RECORDMODIFIER_EVENT_ON_ATTACKMODIFIER_EVENT_ON_ATTACK_LANDEDMODIFIER_EVENT_ON_TAKEDAMAGEMODIFIER_EVENT_ON_DAMAGE_CALCULATEDMODIFIER_EVENT_ON_DEATHMODIFIER_EVENT_ON_ATTACK_RECORD_DESTROY modifier_phasedPhased
MODIFIER_STATE_NO_UNIT_COLLISION modifier_stunnedStunned
MODIFIER_STATE_STUNNEDMODIFIER_PROPERTY_OVERRIDE_ANIMATION
- The attack projectile directly utilizes and applies pure attack damage and has the following mechanic interactions:
- Affected by both main attack damage and total attack damage manipulation sources when applicable.
- Does not interact with
armor sources. - The following
incoming damage reduction sources do not interact with this player-based damage source, due to the damage being sourced to the Death Ward:
- Frost Shield
- Bulwark only redirects the primary projectile.
- However, it cannot reduce the damage of either the primary projectile or the bouncing projectile.
- Fire Shield
- Affected by both
- The attack projectile directly utilizes and applies pure attack damage and has the following mechanic interactions:
-
- Bounced attacks are considered instant attacks with the following properties:
- Deals a
0-attack damage instance, with a fixed 60/90/120 ( 100/130/160) pure spell damage bonus added upon projectile impact. - The applied damage neither interacts with damage manipulation sources, nor applies most on-damage effects.
- Hence the accuracy component only applies to the first attacked target.
- Does not grant shared vision on instant attack-affected enemy units.
- Deals a
- Has the following auto-attack priorities:
- Nearest Enemy Heroes Nearest Enemy Units
- Bounced attacks are considered instant attacks with the following properties:
Recent Matches
[edit]Main Article: Witch Doctor/Matches
| Date | Tier | Tournament | Picks | Score | vs. Picks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 9, 2026 - 16:00 PET | Qualifier |   | SA CQ DreamLeague S28 |      |  | 1 : 0 |  |      | |
| January 9, 2026 - 12:00 SGT | Qualifier | | SEA CQ DreamLeague S28 |     |  | 1 : 0 |  |    | |
| January 3, 2026 - 14:30 SGT | Qualifier |  | SEA OQ2 RES Unchained 3 |    | | 0 : 1 |  |     | |
| January 3, 2026 - 13:20 SGT | Qualifier | | SEA OQ2 RES Unchained 3 |   | | 1 : 0 |  |   | |
| December 30, 2025 - 12:00 SGT | Tier 3 |  | Lunar Snake 5 - Playoffs |  | | 1 : 0 | |    |
Recent Changes
[edit]Description
- Death Ward
- Reduced damage from 60/95/130 to 60/90/120.
- Cleft Death: Reduced damage from 55/90/125 to 55/85/115.
Talents:
- LVL 25 +45 Death Ward damage reduced to +40.
- Voodoo Restoration
- Reduced activation mana cost from 35/40/45/50 to 25 on each level.
- Rescaled mana cost per second from 8/12/16/20 to 9/12/15/18.
- Maledict
- Now also affects player-controlled creeps.
- Malpractice: Burst damage no longer applies from non-hero units.
- Aghanim's Scepter upgrade:
- Reduced Death Ward bounce radius from 650 to 575.
- Talents:
- LVL 15 +125 Maledict AoE ➜ +4s Maledict duration.
- LVL 25 +8s Maledict duration ➜ -6s Paralyzing Cask cooldown.
- Paralyzing Cask
- Now deals a 20 magical spell damage per bounce.
- Rescaled number of bounces from 2/4/6/8 to 3/4/5/6.
- Reduced creep damage factor from 1.5 to 1.
- Increased first damage from 50 on each level to 55/70/85/100.
- REMOVED the
Headhunter facet.
- Maledict
- ADDED the Malpractice facet.
- Deals the next 0.75 * CurrentHP burst damage within 800 radius centered around the debuff-affected enemy upon its death.
- Has a 1200- projectile speed , and is disjointable .
- Does not consider illusions as valid units.
- This ability component works even if the debuff-affected enemy dies to the last burst of damage.
- ADDED the
Dota Plus Progress
[edit]Main Article: Hero Challenges
Relics track a hero's actions and statistics, and display in-game notifications when a milestone is reached. They are only available to Dota Plus subscribers.
| Witch Doctor's Relics | Voice Lines | |
|---|---|---|
 Bronze |
||
 Silver |
||
 Gold |
||
 Platinum |
| |
 Master |
| |
 Grandmaster |
| |
Equipment
[edit]| Sets | |
|---|---|
| Weapon | |
| Head | |
| Shoulder | |
| Back | |
| Taunt | |
 | "Template:Navbox/old" is deprecated! Please use Template:NavBox instead. |
Trivia
[edit]- Witch Doctor is sometimes called "The Walking Fountain", referring to his support abilities Voodoo Restoration and Death Ward.
- Witch Doctor's last hit response ▶️ "Pills here!" is a reference to "Left 4 Dead", another title from Valve, where the players can notify the other survivors that they found pills. The survivors would say "Pills here" upon finding some.
- His death response ▶️ "Bad medicine.." is likely a reference to Bon Jovi's popular old classic "Bad Medicine".
- His kill response ▶️ "Ask not for whom the spell tolls." is a reference to John Donne's poem "Meditation XVII".[1]
- Witch Doctor's name, Zharvakko, may be a reference to the popular novel and film "Doctor Zhivago".[2]
- Warcraft 3 similarities:
- Witch Doctor's hero concept is originally based on the Witch Doctors, a ranged Orc caster unit.
- In DotA, Witch Doctor is named Vol'jin. The name was changed in Dota 2 to avoid copyright issues with "Blizzard Entertainment", since the Vol'jin is a character within the Warcraft universe.
- Voodoo Restoration may be based on the Witch Doctors' Healing Ward.
- Death Ward is based on the Naga Sea Witch's Tornado, but summoning a ward, instead of a tornado.
- The Death Ward uses the model of the Witch Doctor's Stasis Trap Wards.
- Witch Doctor has a 1/8 chance to spawn in with the name "Moose", a tribute to a community figure who contributed a lot to the Dota.
- Witch Doctor's hero concept is originally based on the Witch Doctors, a ranged Orc caster unit.
Gallery
[edit]
Model
Wraith-Night artwork
Concept art
Concept art
Concept art
Concept art
Ability icon progress
Hero icon progress
Bone Harvest sprite - alive
Bone Harvest sprite - dead
