Voodoo Witch Doctor class for review

I've been puttering around with the idea of a voodoo based character for a while and, given the chance to (finally) be a player instead of DM again, I finished it. It is meant to work as a replacement for the cleric in a voodoo-type culture, but also takes some aspects of wizard and druid into account. Please tell me what you think of it...

Witch Doctor
Game Rule Information
Abilities: as Cleric

Alignment: as Druid

Hit Die: d8

Class Skills
The witch doctor's class skills are Alchemy, Animal Empathy, Concentration, Craft, Heal, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (Nature), Knowledge (the Planes), Knowledge(Religion), Profession, Scry, Spellcraft and Wilderness Lore.

Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Witch Doctors are proficient with all simple weapons (including the blowgun in the DMG) and all types of light armor. Note that they can cast spells freely when wearing light armor, with no penalties.

Spells: Spells/day as druid

Spirits and Superstitions: All of the Witch Doctor's (WD) spells are granted by 10 spirits, each granting a specific type of spells, but each demanding a different sacrifice when spells are cast, or they are unlikely to grant the request. If the need is great (DM's discretion) the spell may be cast. Sacrifices are used up and destroyed when the spell is cast. The spirits have many names, but their 'domains' and required sacrifices are as follows:
Summoning - Fresh animal blood
Healing - Chicken egg
Protection - Small blade or metal tool
Mind - Fragrance or incense
Divination - Money, coins or small gems
Possession - Tobacco or pipeweed
Weather - Fruit, usually a melon or citrus fruit
Transformation - A piece of clothing
Emotions - Strong alcohol, usually rum

Chaotic, Evil, Good and Lawful Spells: as Cleric

Turn or Rebuke Undead: as Cleric, gained at level 1

Poison Use: as Assassin, gained at level 3

Bonus Feat: as Wizard, gained at level 5

Ex-Witch Doctors
A witch doctor who ceases to revere the spirits or who changes to a prohibited alignment loses all spells and witch doctor abilities and cannot gain levels as a witch doctor until he atones (see the atonement spell description).

Spell List:(sorry about the format, but HTML is disabled, so no tables...)
Name ----Governing Spirit
0-level
Create Water ----Weather
Cure Minor Wounds ----Healing
Dancing Lights ----Summoning
Daze ----Affliction
Detect Magic ----Mind
Detect Poison ----Divination
Flare ----Emotion
Mending ----Transformation
Read Magic ----Possession
Resistance ----Protection

1st level
Animate Rope ----Summoning
Bless Water ----Weather
Calm Animals ----Emotion
Cause Fear ----Emotion
Comprehend Languages ----Possession
Cure Light Wounds ----Healing
Detect Undead ----Divination
Endure Elements ----Protection
Expedious Retreat ----Possession
Goodberry ----Healing
Hypnotism ----Mind
Identify ----Divination
Inflict Light Wounds ----Affliction
Invisibility to Undead ----Transformation
Obscuring Mist ----Weather
Protection from C/E/G/L ----Protection
Ray of Enfeeblement ----Affliction
Sleep ----Mind
Spider Climb ----Transformation
Summon Monster I ----Summoning

2nd level
Augury ----Divination
Blindness/Deafness ----Affliction
Cure Moderate Wounds ----Healing
Darkvision ----Possession
Delay Poison ----Healing
Detect Thoughts ----Mind
Fog Cloud ----Weather
Gentle Repose ----Weather
Ghoul Touch ----Affliction
Hypnotic Pattern ----Mind
Invisibility ----Transformation
Lesser restoration ----Transformation
Locate Object ----Divination
Resist Elements ----Protection
Rope Trick ----Protection
Scare ----Emotion
Speak with Animals ----Possession
Summon Monster II ----Summoning
Summon Swarm ----Summoning
Tasha's Hideous Laughter ----Emotion

3rd level
Animate Dead ----Summoning
Bestow Curse ----Affliction
Clairaudience/Clairvoyance ----Mind
Create Food and Water ----Weather
Cure Serious Wounds ----Healing
Dispel Magic ----Weather
Fly ----Transformation
Hold Person ----Emotion
Leomund's Tiny Hut ----Protection
Magic Circle against C/E/G/L ----Protection
Neutralize Poison ----Healing
Protection from Elements ----Protection
Remove Curse ----Affliction
Sleet Storm ----Weather
Speak with Dead ----Possession
Speak with Plants ----Possession
Suggestion ----Mind
Summon Monster III ----Summoning
Water Breathing ----Transformation

4th level
Charm Monster ----Emotion
Contagion ----Affliction
Control Water ----Weather
Cure Critical Wounds ----Healing
Discern Lies ----Mind
Divination ----Divination
Emotion ----Emotion
Enervation ----Affliction
Fear ----Emotion
Freedom of Movement ----Possession
Giant Vermin ----Transformation
Hallucinatory Terrain ----Mind
Leomund's Secure Shelter ----Protection
Locate Creature ----Divination
Reincarnate ----Summoning
Restoration ----Healing
Rusting Grasp ----Transformation
Scrying ----Divination
Summon Monster IV ----Summoning
Tongues ----Possession

5th level
Atonement ----Protection
Awaken ----Mind
Break Enchantment ----Protection
Contact Other Plane ----Divination
Control Winds ----Weather
Death Ward ----Possession
Ethereal Jaunt ----Transformation
Hallow ----Weather
Healing Circle ----Healing
Insect Plague ----Summoning
Mark of Justice ----Affliction
Nightmare ----Emotion
Raise Dead ----Healing
Summon Monster V ----Summoning
True Seeing ----Divination

6th level
Analyze Dwoemer ----Divination
Antilife Shell ----Affliction
Banishment ----Emotion
Eyebite ----Affliction
Fire Seeds ----Transformation
Forbiddance ----Protection
Geas/Quest ----Mind
Heal ----Healing
Heroe's Feast ----Weather
Legend Lore ----Protection
Liveoak ----Mind
Repulsion ----Emotion
Stone Tell ----Protection
Summon Monster VI ----Summoning
Tenser's Transformation ----Transformation

7th level
Control Weather ----Weather
Creeping Doom ----Summoning
Destruction ----Affliction
Greater Restoration ----Healing
Greater Scrying ----Divination
Insanity ----Mind
Power Word, Stun ----Emotion
Protection from Spells ----Protection
Vision ----Possession
Wind Walk ----Transformation

8th level
Animal Shapes ----Transformation
Antimagic Field ----Protection
Mass Heal ----Healing
Otto's Irresistible Dance ----Emotion
Trap the Soul ----Mind

9th level
Foresight ----Divination
Shambler ----Summoning
Storm of Vengeance ----Weather
Time Stop ----Possession
Wail of the Banshee ----Affliction

Anyone? Plenty of views and not even a "looks okay, I guess?"

*bump*

damn, on a crappy computer. Stupid double post...

hey DWARF!

let me see if i understand correctly. the WD has to make the material sacrifices every time any spell is cast? ouch!

did you make casting requirements so severe to balance the divine and arcane spells?

as a DM, i'm not sure if i would allow a player to play this class. unless the "each demanding a different sacrifice when spells are cast, or they are unlikely to grant the request. If the need is great (DM's discretion) the spell may be cast" had a real penalty attached. i could see a player trying to abuse this any time they thought they needed to cast a spell with no components, emergency or not. i would also disallow the Eschew Materials feat for a WD.

(i think i would lower the skills to 4+/level, too.)

i'm curious to know what your DM thinks of this class. would you allow it in a game you ran?

My DM seems to think it's okay, but he's a former player of mine who's DM-ing for the first time.

As for the class, I think I'd allow it. In light of a lot of recent class smackdowns, etc. (especially a well planned psionic warrior), it doesn't seem that overpowering to me. It has no straight combat spells, no medium and heavy armor. And those sacrifices I added are really more for flavor than anything else. Please note that the sacrifices are on top of any other material components in the spell description.

It's designed as a really well rounded support character, and I gues has the potential for abuse. But as I designed it after a character idea of mine, I'm not looking for loopholes, etc.

i didn't think you were looking for loopholes in your own class!

i just can't help but think a WD would be really hosed without his components. i mentioned 'penalties' because if you came up with a good way to penalize for not having components, you would at least have some option for casting in a pinch (like subdual damage or temporary ability damage).

i'm running a cleric in a game currently, so i made a point of writing down all the spells i could cast without my holy symbol (if it was shattered, or whatever...). so, i know i can at least cast any cure spells if i need to, because they don't require any kind of material component or divine focus.

just something to consider...

Perhaps I get little help from the spirit, as it is angered, and I take the spell level as subdual damage?

at early levels this might be significant, but at high levels, it wouldn't work. what's 9 hit points (for a 9th level spell) to a 17+ level caster?

i was just thinking about caster level times level of spell, but that wouldn't work either. 20th level times 9th level spell = 180 points (more than a WD could ever roll for hit points (not including Con bonus, of course))

i guess i'll have to think on this. any other ideas?

Maybe just 1d4 or so per spell level. It scales with level, but alone shouldn't casue too many problems.