Evilhalfling said:
I modified the orginal concept, I was the one objecting to the CoN spell lists.
To each there own – and exactly why I wanted a templated class structure so it would be easy to do such modifications to personal taste and campaign style.
This is what I was using -
Sprit Lineage Spell List : 0–know direction; 1st-Summon Nature’s Allay I; 2nd-Speak w/ animal; 3rd Summon Nature’s Ally III; 4th-BestowCurse; 5th- Summon Nature’s Ally V; 6th-Geas ; 7th- Summon Nature’s AllyVII; 8th-Stone Tell, 9th – Elemental Swarm
This is … odd? It seems, when mixed with the Plant/Animal Domain access to be more of a Totem Spirit concept rather than an Ancestor Spirit concept? Why Bestow Curse?
Also, if they have sworn off the Summon Ally spells, I would suggest the following to balance it out and make it more fair and related to the concept but keep some of the original flair you had to the list. This is assuming you are going for a more “Nature Totem” Spirit feel.
Sprit Lineage Spell List: 0–know direction; 1st-speak with animals; 2nd-barkskin; 3rd-speak with dead; 4th-bestow curse; 5th-(See Below); 6th-geas; 7th-(See Below); 8th-stone tell; 9th–elemental swarm
5th: Lots of options here depending on the style of game.
I am not sure what to place here since you mention knowledge spells are pricey, but yet you give
Stone Tell,
Speak with Dead etc. so if you feel beneficent and want to go with the divination line add
Commune with Nature. Otherwise I would choose
Baleful Polymorph for a combat oriented spell,
Stoneskin for a defensive spell or
Tree Stride as a utility spell.
7th: The same deal as with 5th level. If you want to follow the divination path then grant
Greater Scrying or
True Seeing. If not , then either
Fire Storm or
Changestaff as a combat spell,
Wind Walk as a utility spell.
Just some thoughts…
……At 2nd level Spirit sorcerers gain animal empathy as a druid or ranger
I assume you are using 3.0 – but I would still drop the Animal Empathy thing if it is not being utilized in the campaign. You could replace this with the Augury ability (see my comments on that below).
Lets see I like the augury. as "the price of seeking knowledge" is the theme of this campaign
so I may feel evil enough to require a personal sacrifice in hit pts = caster level in blood loss perhaps? to fuel this power. (I realize this is only appropriate for this campagin) This can be added via quest as well.
You could do this as a quick change of fluff and mech for the ability. Remove reference to the bonfire, bones, etc. and make it a blood sacrifice spell. Requires the expenditure of HP (I would say roughly 1d4 hp?) per use instead of the gold cost.
See invisble and Buffing? not sure if both are appropriate and certainly tone the buff down to the houserule duration of existing spells i.e. 10min per level.
Is this a general comment or in regards to your Spirit version? The Sense Invisibility comes as apart of the Sense Incorporeal – since incorporeal creatures are invisible. It also isn’t true “See Invisible” as it does not negate the invisibility miss chance, it only decreases the penalty by 25% to 75% from 100%.
As for the Buff duration – I am not sure. I personally am in the camp of “It wasn’t broken”. The spells are really not of any use to cast if they are short duration, and no sorcerer in his right mind would ever learn them and waste those precious slots – even at 10min/level. As for appropriate – I think that the buff spells are very fitting to the kind of shaman I described, but only moderately for the type you describe. I will have to think on the duration.
Adding all divinations to spell list is a great idea - it fixes my speak w/dead problem, improves the paltry lists I gave him (not wanting healing as druid).
This was my initial difficulty with the list. The healing cross-over is the difficult part. Most of the Decent druid spells fall outside the Animal/Plant spheres. However they come from too many descriptors and schools to list them. You “Could” get a druid feel without healing by granting access to all Animal, Plant, Divination and Elemental descriptor spells. You still lose a few good ones like Changestaff, Control Weather, etc. but its as close as you can get without granting the whole list (or saying the Druid list “except” healing spells).
I like new Limitations they fit better then CoN *Yoink*
Yes this is a key area that is very different from a Shaman concept to a Druid concept.
The Wildshape at 14th makes more sense to me then the anchestor spirit - as he is closely linked to both Bear and Stag spirits - one by birth the other by vison quest. I can move trackless step back to 2nd, but woodland stride is a huge change
I think i will keep it at 8th and use either buff or See Inv.
That works as well. I was under the impression from the original post it was more an ancestor spirit, thus the one I wrote up. However the totem spirit is different and I agree that the wild shape works better.
Did I mention this thread convinced me to quit lurking
Welcome to the boards!
Ok so overall we have something similar to this for your lineage.
TOTEM SPIRIT SHAMAN LINEAGE: The totem spirit shaman sorcerer is one with a deep connection to nature and to the animal and nature totem spirits. This lineage links them to the powers of the nature spirits, imbuing them with powers more linked to nature than most other sorcerer.
Benefit: Totem spirit shaman sorcerers gain Heal and Survival as class skills. Their link to their ancestor spirits allow them to speak with those spirits to gleam information about the future. This acts as an
augury (as the spell), a spell-like ability, usable a number of times per day equal to 3+ the sorcerer’s Charisma modifier. However, unlike other spell-like abilities, this
augury still requires the use of a fortune telling medium such as bones, runes, arcane bonfire, blood etc. (but only worth 5gp) but does not require the use of incense. Totem sorcerers, like nature and animal spirits, do not leave trails and cannot be tracked in any terrain, unless they choose to leave a trail. Totem sorcerers may learn any spell of the Divination, Animal or Plant designator regardless of the spell list from which it comes.
Special Limitation: Totem sorcerers have an innate connection to their ancestors and their culture and thus are influenced by the cultures more wild tendencies and thus they may not be of a lawful alignment and are illiterate like others of their culture, though they may spend 2 skill points at any time to become literate. They may also never learn any spell, spell-like ability or supernatural ability with the Lawful designator nor that creates or controls undead. The totem sorcerer cannot use spell completion or spell trigger items that activate banned spells, as they just do not work for the sorcerer. Due to their strong affinity to magic of the spirit world, they are left with a natural weakness toward magic of necromantic origin, receiving a –2 penalty to all saving throws against any spell, spell-like ability, or supernatural ability of the necromancy school or used by creatures of the undead type. A totem sorcerer who becomes of any lawful alignment or learns a prohibited spell, spell-like ability or supernatural ability may no longer gain levels as a sorcerer as well as loses all sorcerer lineage abilities (including lineage bonus known spells and spell-like abilities, but not including weapon proficiencies and normal spells known), until they atone (see the atonement spell description). Also, like a member of any other class, a totem sorcerer may be a multiclass character, but they face a special restriction. A totem sorcerer who gains a new class or template that involves racial or bloodline or heredity related abilities that are not specifically spirit oriented (for example Half-Dragon), may never again raise their sorcerer level and loses all sorcerer lineage abilities (including their bonus spells known and lineage based spell-like abilities, but not including weapon proficiencies and standard spells known).
Lineage Spells: The sorcerer has a specific affinity with their ancestor spirits and the magic they wield that manifests in a Lineage Spell List. These lineage spells may never be changed through spell swapping or spell evolution, but only through Innate Ability evolution. These lineage spells are gained as bonus known spells as soon as the sorcerer is able to cast spells of that spell level. The sorcerer gains the Totem Spirit Shaman Lineage spell list.
Totem Spirit Shaman Lineage Spell List: 0–know direction; 1st-speak with animals; 2nd-barkskin; 3rd-speak with dead; 4th-bestow curse; 5th-commune with nature; 6th-geas/quest; 7th-scrying, greater; 8th-stone tell; 9th–elemental swarm
Lineage Abilities: The totem sorcerer’s connection with their ancestor spirits grows over time and they become more attune to the force of the spirit world.
……….At 8th level the totem sorcerer gains the ability to imbue themselves or others with the power of their totem spirits, enhancing any one ability score (per use of the ability) as if casting the 2nd level ability score enhancement spell
bear’s endurance, bull’s strength, cat’s grace, eagle’s splendor, fox’s cunning or owl’s wisdom. The sorcerer need not know the specific spell to duplicate its effects. The enhancement lasts 10 minutes per sorcerer level. This ability may be used a number of times per day equal to their Charisma modifier.
………. At 14th level the totem sorcerer gains the ability to
Wild Shape into an animal form (and back again) a number of times per day equal to their Charisma modifier. This ability acts exactly as the druid’s Wild Shape ability, except that the sorcerer is considered a druid of half their sorcerer level for determining the shapes they may assume.
……….At 20th level, a totem sorcerer becomes so attune to their lineage that they gain the outsider type as well as the augmented and native subtypes. The sorcerer undergoes no outward physical transformation however. They are forevermore treated as an outsider rather than as a humanoid (or whatever the sorcerer’s creature type was) for the purpose of spells and magical effects. Additionally, the totem sorcerer gains the following benefits.
• Darkvision out to 60’.
• Gain
Damage Reduction (Su): Grants damage reduction 5/-, which allows them to ignore the first 5 points of damage from any attack made by a weapon or by any natural attack made by a creature that doesn’t have similar damage reduction.
• Gain
Spell Resistance (Ex): This grants spell resistance of 30.
Unlike other outsiders, the sorcerer can be raised, reincarnated, or resurrected just as other living creatures can be. Also unlike other outsiders, native outsiders still need to eat and sleep.
Thoughts?