Long ago I once had this discussion aswell on this forum. People told me voodoo is impossible for humans to handle. But I've recently came to notice the "kurzen compound."
Just the title of their names: The Kurzen "tribe" includes: commandos, jungle fighters, medicine men, headshrinkers, and shadow hunters
So I'm reconsidering, is it truely possible humans can handle voodoo in really old traditional ways? Maybe not the same as trolls do, by praying to the loa but in a different way. [I totally wanna make a voodoo pirate if it's possible.]
I just looked up the camp you speak of, and they've been taken control of by an Ogre mage. It doesn't really have anything to do with Voodoo, that I can see.
... Unless Ogres now use Voodoo.
Well their names reffer to voodoo practicers. Witch doctor, medicine man, shadow hunter. It all seems really odd they used those particular names for "non-voodoo" users.
I'd say that voodoo isn't troll-specific, but certain elements, such as loa worship, would be absent from a human using voodoo.
Yeah, it's weird, but I don't think NPC names is enough to substantiate something like that.
Just my two cents.
So avon, you think humans can use voodoo, but not all the same rituals as trolls right?
And I also think the titles "do" matter. Since they used particulary the npc titles off those who practise voodoo.
I would avoid calling it "voodoo" since the term in the Warcraft universe refers to very specific concepts, a large part of which typically involves the loa -- a very troll-specific concept.
That said, sailors are very superstitious in addition to being well-traveled, so you could probably apply a number of very broad concepts into a psuedo-system of beliefs that your character has adopted.
The Kurzen guys are a reference to Apocalypse Now. The humans there have gone "tribal" and become savage psychopaths, so yeah. In theory I suppose a human -could- use Voodoo, BUT probably not out of free choice, and still be a respectable human.
In older research I did on witches as a whole in World of Warcraft, I found that witches and witch doctors of a variety of types have a base in alchemy and potion making. Hence voodoo-practicing Trolls as well as Forsaken Apothecaries would both fall under the general category of witches. A human witch/voodoo type character would likely be grounded in forms of potions and poisons, so if this is a concept you wish to pursue, I would try something along those lines.
As far as a voodoo pirate goes, said character's travels may have exposed him to some of these cultures, which I assume would provoke the interest. The disadvantage for your particular character (the Human Cervantes), is that the foremost practitioners of voodoo and witchcraft are Horde-based, so if you want to incorporate it, you'd have to justify how he discovered these practices, and how he would have learned them. Or, you could have him know of their existence, and be self-taught.
I think that it might be relevant to consider the differences between the terms "voodoo" and "witch-doctor." (Correct me if I'm wrong in what I'm about to say, but this is my understanding.) Witch-doctors, originally, were people who were supposed to protect others against witchcraft, and they have more or less evolved into medicine men/shamans, with some obvious differences between cultures and the like. They are usually associated with divinity and healing. Voodoo (or Vodou, depending on the area you're looking at) is a Caribbean religion that has traces its roots back to the African diaspora. It's mostly concerned with spirits, nature, ancestors, and how they affect the world around us. More or less, they're not the same, though they're similar. If you're looking into someone who is seen as more of a healer, a spiritual leader, and general "wise person," you're thinking of more of a witch-doctor or a shaman. If you're looking for someone who practices rituals including dances, ceremonies, and someone who believes that spirits can possess people and act through them, you're thinking more along the lines of voodoo.
Of course, within the WoW universe specifically, there might be differences and overlaps with these two concepts. I know the WoWWiki page lists witch-doctors under voodoo practitioners, but the info they list for the voodoo and witch-doctors sound closer to their real-life counterparts, in which case, they'd probably be separate. But like Jonoth said earlier, they are also closely linked through alchemy-like practices. In terms of whether a human would know either of these... I'd have to agree with Jonoth. It seems like, initially, a Human wouldn't really be proficient at voodoo or being a witch-doctor, but they could have easily heard of it if they came into contact with Trolls or other races that practice these arts. Especially being a pirate, they're probably more likely to have encountered such practitioners on their journeys. It seems highly unlikely that the Human would be self-taught, as Trolls are the predominate, not to mention Horde-based, race that practices voodoo, and Forsaken are also Horde-based as apothecaries. You'd have to think things through very carefully and make sure you think of potential plot holes and such while developing this character.
...I don't know how I didn't see this thread earlier in the day. -Any- race can use voodoo! It's stated explicitly in the RPG books (No, they aren't cannon, but they're the only thing we've got when it comes to this) that Shadow Hunters and Witch Doctors can be of -any- race. Witch Doctors, it depends on what version you're reading, but I digress. The important aspect of this however, is that any race can be a -Shadow -Hunter-. Those who deal with the Loa directly. Now, if any race can belong to an extreme such as this, then it isn't hard to believe that they could be a simple priest, and not a paragon of their art. Still, you may argue that this is outdated information and I would be forced to agree with you, however I still draw upon the RPG books for inspiration when there is nothing that directly contradicts them in more recent lore.
Hope that helps!
If it stands in the RPG books it can't possibly lie! Those are like the bible, so I guess it's possible for humans to learn it then. Although I need to have a good reason for it then. From where he picked it up and such. Since torturing a troll would never happen since they keep the secret with them till they die. I also think trolls don't write books aswell. However torturing a kurzen might be possible, any suggestions on that part?
Also could it be an own variant type of voodoo combined with buccaneer magic?
Hehe, I think under torture a voodoo practitioner would probably teach you something false and then watch you die from it all the while laughing, they tend to be a tad off the deep end when it comes to sanity.
Quote:If it stands in the RPG books it can't possibly lie! Those are like the bible, so I guess it's possible for humans to learn it then.
We actually try to avoid using the RPGs as much as possible here due to the fact that they were declared non-canon. As for if humans can use Voodoo? I have no idea as that's not a lore concept I've really explored!