Was the version that could trash from play also a $4? Exorcist seems to compare unfavourably to Raze
I'm not here to debate your statement. I can answer your question; when it could trash from play it cost $4. That doesn't tell you anything except how poorly I guessed as to what it should cost though. It was stronger than Upgrade (one of the easier cards to try to compare it to).
Exorcist is a Night card at least. It seems comparable to Salvager in the early game, but doesn't compare so favourably late game when you just want Provinces. Estates for Wisps are nice since Wisp will draw any starting cards and Imps as well as themselves. Ghost seems like a lot of work to get.
Pixie seems cool enough, but Goat is crazy to have at the start of the game! It can trash anything, including those stupid curses from Cursed Gold, and the Cursed Gold itself. Even cooler, it can trash Haunted Mirror.
Vampire, I dunno. It competes with power 5-cost cards, but wants to be gained early. I guess you want it if you are going to gain a bunch of Bazaars and Werewolves or something. And the non-terminal Hex attack is not nothing.Bat as a trasher works well enough to support what Vampire is trying to do.
And yay, Bats are a thing after all!
Edit: oh, some Heirlooms will give you Imps when trashed by Exorcist. "Why are the things passed down to me possessed"?