Thematically, what kind of magic should a witch doctor have,

>>54112237
Animism/communion with spirits. Possibly the user acts as a host/vessel for a large number of spirits and "borrows" power from this collective.

>>54112237
This >>54112410

Spiritualism fits best for any sort of shamans or foreign priests like that. It fits well for the belief systems of those cultures that tend to have lots and lots of spirits and entities that range from small to godlike, contrasting with more European style where there's more of a monotheistic influence and leaning, where there's a clear line between what's a god and what's just some minor entity.

>>54112237
How would it be different from voodoo?

>>54112804
Vodou is just one type of mysticism that involves animism.

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What about weird Eastern magic?

Thematically, the shaman is the tribe's "outsider" who represents a relationship with nature and tribal ancestors. He or she knows the "outside" knowledge apart from day-to-day life.

So....they're good for getting a character "back in touch with the Way of Nature" or "In touch with the spirit world" and is good for sending the PC's on quests in that regard.

Voodoo - everything the tribe is afraid of: death, spirits, unknowable magic, hungry and malevolent beings from beyond, etc. Thematically, use them as villains, or sinister points-of-contact.

>>54112237
Reciprocal magic. Witch doctor is all about finding friends in unlikely places and helping them, with the implication that sooner or later they'll return the favor. On most basic level, this can be watering the plants, relocating the frogs to a more spacious pond, or guiding a traveller out of the woods. More advanced witchery can be trickier to comprehend - staring at the Sun to prove to it that it's not hideous (or else why would people always shield their eyes?), engaging in slapstick and accidentaly hurting yourself to make the concept of Luck laugh (few can enjoy their own misfortune, but those who can may be rewarded with fortune later), or even stop your heart for ten seconds so that Life and Death can finally talk to each other. The network has transitional properties; Wind has heard from Laughter that you are a nice guy so sure, it doesn't mind changing the direction when you ask him to.

That's how I see them. Please mind that it's not a debt system - Witch Doctors don't owe anything to anyone and vica versa, but failure to give will surely deplete the patience of those who grant you favors.

>>54112939
Eastern magic fits just fine with that sort of animism. You have spirits of nature or spirits of ancestors that you call upon for aid.

>>54112237

"Witch doctor" is a term that your standard-European-styles would apply to any form of magic that they don't understand.

The "witch" element indicated that the magic is mysterious and untrustworthy (and possibly evil) from the speaker's point of view.

The "doctor" element indicates the witch's position in society; i.e, his magic doesn't look trustworthy, but it looks like he's still helping people, or at least claiming too.

Or you could do it backwards, the witchdoctor is a doctor (a master of lore), but his lore is witch-ey and mysterious. Either way, the idea of the witch doctor gets its coolness from combining these elements.

And the main thing I'm getting at is that there probably shouldn't BE one definitive "witch doctor", creatures from opposite corners of the world might be described as witch doctors, their magic having nothing in common.

>>54112237

Friends on the other side

>>54114025
Or it's a person with a PhD in Witchcraft.

>>54112237
Talking to spirits

getting spirits to favors

can gain personal wealthiness by actions of the spirit world

downside is spirits will sometimes perform their own shenanigans and trickery to 'test' the witchdoctor

downside is spirits will blackmail the witchdoctor and force his hand to perform tasks that display loyalty/dedication/religious zeal or any other trait the 100's of spirits have

>>54116995
This.

>>54112237
throw jars of spiders

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>>54113119
This is a good anon.

>>54121237
>not summoning rain of frogs
The spirit of ke'ek is the most powerful of all

>>54112237
magic power imbued in objects. I'm hardly an expert, but I know that some cultures like Mali didn't have a written language for a really long time and believed in magic being part of certain objects, while the classic western idea of magic is that it is ultimately based on written words and incantations.

>>54112939
Internal and external alchemy, represented by physical exercises and potions respectively.

Appealing to gods and spirits through established bargains, bribes, or just bugging them until they get off their butt and do their damn job.

Geomancy and Feng Shui used for magic architecture, or finding pressure points on a human body.

>>54112237
Speaking from a canadian perspective where we have native shamans still, you have
>connecting with local spirits
>Extensive rituals that empower or heal the participants
>plant medicine

Where wizards read books, which doctors listen to wind. Where wizards summon demons, witch doctors talk to local spirits. where wizards brew potions, witch doctors mix medicine bundles.