D&D General The Animist Class (sometimes referred to as "Shaman")

[Sacrosanct]

I haven't made it through the whole thing yet, but I love it. It is dense and has tons of ideas and flavor. The artwork is abundant and gorgeous. The author is not himself Korean, but he has lived in (South) Korea for a decade, and he took care to work with Korean cultural consultants to get the details right. I highly recommend it.

I wasn't aware of that, but I'm really happy to see it. As someone who lived in Korea for several years myself, it was disappointing that every time we see a far east Asian supplement for a game, it's dominated by Chinese and Japanese cultural influences, and you hardly see anything re: Korea being represented. So this is pretty cool.

 

[Sithlord]

I wasn't aware of that, but I'm really happy to see it. As someone who lived in Korea for several years myself, it was disappointing that every time we see a far east Asian supplement for a game, it's dominated by Chinese and Japanese cultural influences, and you hardly see anything re: Korea being represented. So this is pretty cool.

I am happy to see more products for the different areas of Asia. I am dying for a great product based on Vietnam. I’ve been a lover of their culture for decades.

 

[Tonguez]

So if I’m a Level 7 Animist I can get a Hawk Companion for +1 Dex

And Bond with 4 Spirits, choosing Hawk, Aloe, Basilisk and Bear and thus get 4 Aspects (eg Eyes of the Hawk)

As a result I also get
4 Passive Abilities - Fire Resistance, +4 Save v Petrify, Bear Stamina (1 HP), claw attack and dive attack
3 Minor Invokes per day Grant fire resistance, Immunity to Petrify, Bears Strength +4, Hawks Speed +10
1 Major Invokes per day Petrifying Gaze or Bear Hug...

I like, but I do wonder about the Healing and more spiritual talents of Animist

 

[Sacrosanct]

So if I’m a Level 7 Animist I can get a Hawk Companion for +1 Dex

And Bond with 4 Spirits, choosing Hawk, Aloe, Basilisk and Bear and thus get 4 Aspects (eg Eyes of the Hawk)

As a result I also get
4 Passive Abilities - Fire Resistance, +4 Save v Petrify, Bear Stamina (1 HP), claw attack and dive attack
3 Minor Invokes per day Grant fire resistance, Immunity to Petrify, Bears Strength +4, Hawks Speed +10
1 Major Invokes per day Petrifying Gaze or Bear Hug...

I like, but I do wonder about the Healing and more spiritual talents of Animist

Here are all of them so far, but I caution again, don't get hung up on a particular power, as they haven't remotely been balanced or tested. Just rough ideas for now.

Also, the actual spirit companion will do those attacks, not you as the animist. It's basically a pet class with additional features being calling forth the various spirits to assist you with their abilities.

Aloe
Passive: Fire resistance
Minor: Grant fire resistance to target (touch, duration 1 round per level).
Major: Animist gains immunity to fire damage for 1 turn per level.

Basilisk
Passive: +4 bonus to Saving Throws to resist petrifying or paralysis attacks or effects.
Minor: Immune to petrification or paralysis for 1 turn per level.
Major: Target one creature within 60ft. That target must make a saving throw vs. creature attack or be petrified.

Bear
Passive: Once per day, when dropped to 0 HP or below, instead drop to 1 HP.
Minor: +4 strength for 1 round per level.
Major: Bear Hug. If melee attack is successful, target is brought next to PC and suffers 6d8 additional damage and is grappled.

Blackberry
Passive: No longer require food or water to survive.
Minor: Arms change to thorny vines. Reach 15ft, on a successful attack roll, target suffers 1d8 damage and is grappled. Duration of 1 round per level.
Major: Create a 10ft cube per level of a wall of thorns up to a range of 80ft away. Any creature trying to force their way through the wall will suffer 1d8 damage per 5ft moved. While immune to normal fire, magical fire will set this wall alight, turning it into a wall of fire (as per the spell) for 2d4 rounds before burning away. Duration of 1 turn per level.

Blackthorne
Passive: Immune to curse spells or magic items
Minor: Target creature up to 60ft away needs to make a save vs. spells or be cursed for 1 round per level (-4 to attack and saving throw rolls, damage reduced by half).
Major: As part of the action to call the spirit, call a target creature by name. Target will suffer a cumulative -1 penalty per day to their strength and constitution. This will last for 1 day per level of the animist, until a remove curse spell is cast on the creature, or one of the ability scores is reduced to 0 (which will kill the target creature).

Bull
Passive: Double carrying capacity.
Minor: Charge attack. If you move at least 20ft straight before attacking with a melee attack, double damage will be inflicted on a successful hit.
Major: +2 temporary hit points per level that last for 1 turn per level.

Chamomile
Passive: +3 bonus to saving throws to resist charm or fear effects.
Minor: Remove the following statuses from one target (can be animist): fear, charm, geas, hold person/monster, fumble, feeblemind.
Major: Immune to all mind-effecting magic for 1 turn per level.

Cobra
Passive: +4 bonus to saving throws vs. poison or venom.
Minor: As per the Charm Person or Mammal spell, but target suffers a -3 penalty to its saving throws.
Major: Spit venom. 30ft range, one target. If attack roll is successful, damage is 1d6 + victim must make a saving throw vs. venom or suffer the effects of a mild venom immediately. Duration of 1 round per level.

Dolphin
Passive: Swim speed equals base movement speed.
Minor: Water breathing for 1 turn per level.
Major: Triple swim speed. Underwater ram attack (If move straight for at least 30ft, dmg: 2d6 + save vs. creature ability or be stunned for 1d4 rounds). Duration 1 turn per level.

Dove
Passive: Once per day per level, heal 1d4 points of damage.
Minor: Cure disease, poison, or venom status.
Major: This power will cause the life force of the target creature to return to the creature, bringing it back from death. An animist cannot raise a creature that has been dead for more than 1 day per caster level. Additionally, the target must make a successful check as per defined in the Constitution table, or the spell fails. If successful, the target is weak, and cannot engage in strenuous activities (such as combat, marching, studying, etc) for a period of days equal to the number of days they were dead.
If cast on an undead creature, that creature must make a saving throw vs. spells or instantly be destroyed.

Dragon
Passive: Choose one type of dragon (this cannot be changed). Gain resistance to the breath weapon type of the dragon. For example, choosing a black dragon spirit would grant resistance to acid damage.
Minor: Exhale breathe weapon of the dragon type in a 30ft cone or 60ft line 5ft wide. All creatures must save vs. creature ability or suffer 1d6 points of damage per level.
Major: Summon dragon spirit. 1 HD for every odd level of the animist. AC: 15. Damage from all attacks is 1d6. Breath weapon is 1d4 per HD of dragon. Duration is 1 turn per level, and will follow the commands of the animist.

Eagle
Passive: Clear eyesight out to 1 mile. +4 to perception checks.
Minor: Fly at a speed of 50ft per round for a duration of 1 turn per level.
Major: Flying speed and duration doubled. When flying, and dive at least 30ft, can make a talon attack (+2 to hit, Dmg: 3d8).

Elephant
Passive: +3 charisma checks.
Minor: Stomp (all creatures within 20ft radius must make a saving throw vs. creature ability or fall prone).
Major: Summons spirit elephant (use elephant stat block). Will follow the commands of the animist. Duration for 1 turn per level.

Elk

Passive: +10 to base movement speed.
Minor: This power creates a link between the animist and the elk spirit, allowing them to ask one yes or no question per level. This spell does not allow a chance of failure or vague interpretation, but is a direct communication between the animist and the spirit.
Major: Double jump and movement distance. Do not have to disengage from melee combat to avoid opportunity attacks. Duration of 1 turn per level.

Granite
Passive: Reduce damage from physical attacks by 1 point. At level 6, this becomes 2 points, and at level 12, it becomes 3 points.
Minor: Stone Shape. The animist can shape the stone and rock around them to any shape they wish, up to the maximum area of 3 cubic feet +1 cu ft per level. This includes a doorway, weapon, idol, or other item. Once formed, the spell is permanent.
Major: Stone to Flesh. This power transforms flesh into stone (or stone into flesh). This can target one creature who has been turned into stone to instantly reverse the process and restore them to their original form.

Mandrake
Passive: +2 bonus to all saving throws.
Minor: Invoke to adjust any die roll up or down by 5.
Major: Remove any one condition from target creature (touch). This includes but is not limited to: poison, venom, disease, hold, petrification, charm, or fear.

Mole
Passive: “See” via vibrations out to 20ft radius. This includes all hidden or invisible creatures.
Minor: Grow claws with a dig speed of 20ft per round through dirt or 5ft per round through stone. If used in combat, damage is 1d6. Duration of 1 turn per level.
Major: Passwall. This power allows the animist to create an inter-dimensional passage through solid material. Subsequent invocations can create a passageway longer than 10ft.

Monkey
Passive: +4 bonus to all reflex saving throws.
Minor: As a reaction to being targeted with an attack, can force the attacker to make a saving throw vs. creature ability or attack another target within range of its normal attack.
Major: Triple climb and jump speed. +2 AC. Duration of one turn per level.

Mugwort
Passive: Infravision 60ft (or +60ft if you already have it).
Minor: The animist can choose either to remove the blindness status on any one target, or choose to see invisible and other hidden creatures within a 30ft radius of them lasting a duration of 1 round per level.
Major: This power will reveal all hidden creatures, objects, passages, doors, and invisible creatures to the animist for a duration of 1 turn per level.

Oak
Passive: Heal any one plant via touch. If used against plant creatures, heal 1d6 hit points.
Minor: This power allows the animist to hold basic conversations with plants. Even though plants have no intelligence, this magic allows them to convey things they may have experience through their senses. Therefore, a patrol of orcs that passed by may be described as leaves and branches buckling and breaking against human sized creatures, with the odor of orcs. Sometimes, the plants may also be convinced to move for the character, such as swaying to the side or parting out of the way. This is entirely up to GM discretion, and the PC may have to do something in return that benefits the plant.
Major: This power allows the animist to teleport from one tree or large plant to another. The character enters a chosen plant within their movement range, and then chooses another plant up to 500 meters away. They will then immediately emerge from that other chosen plant. If there is no other large plant within range, the animist can remain inside the first plant for a number of rounds equal to their level before being expelled.

Obsidian
Passive: Create an obsidian shard that can be thrown up to 30ft away. Damage is 1d4 on a successful attack roll.
Minor: Create a shard that can be thrown up to 60ft away with a base damage of 1d6+2. Duration of 1 round per level.
Major: Create a shard storm with a 20ft radius up to a range of out to 80ft. All within the storm must make a saving throw vs. reflex or suffer 1d6 points of damage per level. A successful save results in half damage.

Octopus
Passive: +5 to grapple checks.
Minor: Create ink cloud (even in air) 20ft radius, obscuring all vision for a duration of 1 round per level.
Major: Spectral tentacles are created. Target one creature out to a range of 20ft. On a successful attack roll, target suffers 2d6 points of damage and is restrained. Target will automatically take 2d6 points of damage at the start of the animist’s turns until it breaks free (grapple check) or 1 round per animist level has passed.

Owl
Passive: Night vision (see in dark as if it were dim light) 60ft.
Minor: Fly at a rate of 50ft per round. Duration 1 turn per level.
Major: As a reaction to being called to make a saving throw vs. spells, can invoke this power to change a failed saving throw into a successful one.

Porcupine
Passive: Spines cover the body. Any creature grappling you suffers 1d4 damage each round.
Minor: Throw 2 spines per round out to a range of 30ft. Each spine will inflict 2d6 damage on a successful attack roll. Duration of 1 round per level.
Major: Extend spines to where any creature attacking you with a melee attack will suffer 2d6 points of damage. Duration of 1 round per level.

Rabbit
Passive: +10 jump distance, +2 to perception checks.
Minor: Speed and jump distances doubled for 1 turn per level.
Major: As a reaction, reroll any die result and take the new result.

Raven
Passive: +2 bonuses to stealth, open locks, and sleight of hand ability checks.
Minor: Send out a spirit raven out to a 1 mile radius. See through the raven’s eyes. This takes an entire turn (10 minutes) to cover the area.
Major: Take on raven spirit form, immune to all non-magical attacks and gain flight 60ft for 1 round per level.

Reptile
Passive: Immune to heat exposure and dehydration.
Minor: This power alters the creature touched to have extremely sticky hands and feet, allowing them to climb shear surfaces, including ceilings, without fail at a rate of 30ft per round. Note that it will be exceptionally difficult to use tools or handle objects while this spell is active, and will last for one hour per level, or until the animist cancels it.
Major: Regenerate 1 hp per round, including regenerating lost limbs. Duration 1 turn per level.

Sage
Passive: +4 bonus to saving throws when resisting toxic poisons or diseases or spells (like cloudkill or stinking cloud).
Minor: Dispel any toxic area up to a 50ft radius, and nullify any toxic spells such as cloudkill or stinking cloud, and renders the animist immune to stench abilities from monsters. Duration of 1 round per level.
Major: Animist and one target per level is immune to poison, venom, disease, and any toxic magic or supernatural effects that are airborne (such as cloudkill, stinking cloud, or a troglodytes stench). Duration of 1 round per level.

Shark
Passive: +1 damage to wounded targets
Minor: Detect living creatures within 100ft.
Major: Frenzy (+2 to attack rolls, +1d8 damage to any creature with fewer than its hit point maximum). Duration of 1 round per level.

Spider
Passive: +5 bonus to saving throws vs. poison and venom.
Minor: When this power is invoked, it must be cast between two anchor points or it will collapse upon itself. When it is cast, a mass of sticky webs will fill the area of effect. Any creature within the area of effect when the power is cast must make a saving throw vs. spells at a -2 penalty or be stuck fast. Creatures entering the web for the first time must make a regular saving throw vs. spells or be stuck fast. Even those who have succeeded their saving throws, their movement rate will be reduced. Creatures with a strength score between 10 and 17 can move at 5ft per round, and creatures with a strength of 18 or greater can move at 10ft per round. Creatures caught in the web are not able to attack or cast spells, regardless if they made their saving throw or not. The web is highly flammable, and if set to flame, will burn in one round, inflicting 2d4 fire damage to any creature within the area of effect.
Major: Venomous bite (1d6 Dmg + target must make a saving throw vs. venom or immediately suffer the effects of a typical venom). Duration 1 round per level.

Tiger
Passive: +10 to jump and climb rates.
Minor: Roar. This power creates a loud fearful roaring sound in a 30ft radius, forcing any enemy creature in the area of effect to make a saving throw vs. spells. Failure results in the creature spending its action to flee in terror away from the caster as far as their movement allows for a duration of 1 round per level.
Major: Pounce. Animist leaps towards target. (+4 to attack, 30ft range. If successful, target suffers 4d8 claw damage and is knocked prone if huge size or smaller).

Tortoise
Passive: +2 AC.
Minor: Immune to non-magical weapons or attacks for 1 round per level.
Major: As a reaction to a successful attack landing on you, choose to make that attack miss instead.

Vervain
Passive: Resistance to electrical damage.
Minor: Lighting bolt. The animist unleashes a streaking bolt of lightning out to the maximum range, striking any and all creatures within the path. The creatures may make a saving throw to take half damage, but if they fail, they will take the full 1d6 points of damage per animist level. This spell has two options when cast: a forking bolt 10ft wide by 40ft long, or a single bolt 5ft wide by 80ft long. In either case, the lighting will “bounce” and ricochet if it hits a solid object that does not conduct electricity, such as a stone wall.
Major: Storm Lord. Fly 30ft. Once per round can shoot an arc of electricity up to a 30ft range. If attack roll is successful, target suffers 4d8 electrical damage. Also immune to electrical damage yourself. Duration of 1 round per level.

Viper
Passive: +4 bonus to saving throws vs. poison or venom.
Minor: Turn arms into snakes, allowing two attacks per round. Each snake head will inflict 1d6 points of damage if a saving throw vs. venom is failed, the target will immediately suffer the effects of a weak venom. This will last for 1 round per level.
Major: Snake form. Can fit through narrow openings as small as 6 inches in diameter. Bite attack with a base damage of 2d6 + a typical venom that would take effect immediately for an onset time. Duration is 1 round per level.

Whale
Passive: Double carrying capacity.
Minor: Water breathing and swim speed = base movement rate for 1 turn per level.
Major: Summon spirit whale for 1 hour per level. Whale cannot attack or be attacked (but passengers can). Surrounds up to 8 medium sized creatures in the form of the whale, granting water breathing while they all remain inside the whale. Whale can transport creatures in this manner for the duration.

Wolf
Passive: +4 bonus to all perception and tracking checks.
Minor: Howl. All allies within 30ft gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls and saving throw rolls while all enemies within 30ft suffer -1 to attack and saving throw rolls. Duration of 1 round per level.
Major: Any melee attack that hits a target will “wound” the creature. Movement will be reduced by 50% and the creature will suffer 1d8 bleeding damage automatically at the start of each of its turns for a duration of 1 round per level.