Shinto-esque Divine Caster discussion

[gamerprinter]

Looking at ideas from this thread in the General Forums... Shinto-esque I am looking at the possibility of using this idea for Kaidan: a Japanese Ghost Story setting.

Premise - if spirits or godlings define the bulk of deities, and each are bound to specific locations granting spell casting and powers only within close proximity to these holy sites, but do not provide omnipresence or powers at great distances.

Thus a divine spell caster serving these spirits are either established at a single shrine in communion with a single spirit, or travels around and must constantly bond with new holy sites, to commune with new spirits. This would mean that either the 'cleric' has mutable Domains (it changes with whichever spirit he is in current contact), and the powers vary based on nearness or farness to a given holy site.

Ideas might be, Channel Energy gains +2/HD when in viewing distance of the holy site, +0 within 1 mile of the site, -1/-2 at five or ten miles from the site. Other holy sites may offset this distance by placating another spirit's power with its own.

My question is should I hammer a cleric or oracle to fit this premise, or am I looking at an entirely new class, something like a shaman?

I might just build me a new class to look at the idea, but any considerations on how to change the current divine casters to meet this need, or perhaps I need to beat the new rules ideas into better shape...

Thoughts?

GP

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Well, I think the OA and KoK Shaman classes are pretty good animist casters, but you might be able to kludge a decent one out of the Witch.

 

[gamerprinter]

I'd rather cludge a divine caster than an arcane one, the Witch may still get use in Kaidan, but not as the primary divine caster of the setting. Oracle is close, but I think I'm heading towards new class territory. I've recently decided to stick with oriental flavored archetypes for the base classes, and not invent any new base classes, but my animistic divine issues seem to be going that way anyway.

I can look at OA, but I don't have access to KoK Shaman. I'll see what I can do.

It wouldn't be the only divine class, as a Miko shrine maiden is an Oracle of the Spirit Mystery, and the Yamabushi is the Inquisitor of the setting. Rangers, called Matagi have a nature veneration, animal spirit connection in addition to be a hunter/guide archer of the wilderness.

Whatever the new class is will replace the Cleric for the setting, it shouldn't be needlessly cludged.

 

[BinkyBo]

you could use the oracle and make the tie to the location function as the curse. As they level, there are ways to circumvent through things like drawing power (mysteries) from aligned spirit's shrines and later a kami absorption power where you can carry "it" with you...It would give you the flavor while only really having to re-tool the curse.

 

[gamerprinter]

I was thinking of trying a Druid archetype, with Urban Druid in mind - not the urban part mind, but the nerf on shapechange.

Although I do like the locationary aspect as an Oracle Curse, it makes more sense than lots of Oracle Curses.

Good thoughts.

GP

 

[pawsplay]

Why not use straight up cleric or oracles, replace planar ally with kami ally, and treat sites as a sort of magical item or trap? You could also devise some feats that reflect expertise dealing with spirits and holy sites. In that way shinto type casting could be kept open to summoners and druids as well, even sorcerers.