Preview: The Shaman

[Kobold Avenger]

I think it's also very likely that there will be a feat to raise the Spirit Companion's damage threshold, to maybe something like 15 or 20 +1/2 level.

 

[Mengu]

I can certainly understand why they didn't want area and close attacks to hurt the spirit. It's like punishing the Shaman twice for having a spirit companion, should both of them be caught in an AoE (think of the old Shield Other problems).

I think the spirit is meant to be largely ignored by monsters, except by those that can do massive damage and have nothing better to do, or need to get the spirit out of the way if it's blocking a lane, or to eliminate the potential opportunity attacks. The shaman can't really stay too far away from his companions if he wants to be able to heal them, or use attacks like Haunting Spirits, Wrath of Winter, and a number of encounter/daily powers with a range of 5. So he will be threatened about as frequently as a devoted cleric.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I want the spirit of a green slime as my spirit guardian.


splat.

Oozemaster?

 

[Rechan]

I'd much rather reskin this shaman as a necromancer binding ghosts/whathaveyou to its will, or perhaps an Ancestral worshiper - and using the Spirit as an ancestor coming to assist its descendant.

 

[Appleseeth]

Excellent idea Rechan. I think Shaman might be the class that is most apt to complete reflavouring.

"Look at me, I'm Jennifer Love Hewitt and I whisper to ghosts." Is only the tip of the iceberg. Also, I want Slimer as my spirit.

 

[Rechan]

Excellent idea Rechan. I think Shaman might be the class that is most apt to complete reflavouring.

Yeah. Partly because I just don't like the connotation of the Spirit doing the work. I would expect the Spirit to be more like a Guide than, well, an attack dog. It just doesn't work when it comes out like this:

"Shaman, I am here to aid your travels. I am a spirit of the wild, of nature."
"Cool. Now, do you mind attacking stuff for me so I can stay out of harm's way and shoot from the back?"
"You do not wish to handle your own battles, with minor assistance by me?"
"No, I'd rather you beat up my adversaries for me."
"..."

 

[Fallen Seraph]

I am viewing it more that the will of the Shaman helps to reinforce the spirit into being connected to the world/material realm. Thus too why the Shaman takes damage when the Spirit Companion disappears. So their essentially bonded to each other.

So while the Spirit Companion can still act as a guide and what not, which would be entirely RP-based for the most part. They together act as a united front in combat, with the Spirit Companion being the physical aspect and the Shaman reinforcing and letting the spirit act in this world.

 

[RavenSinger]

Yeah. Partly because I just don't like the connotation of the Spirit doing the work. I would expect the Spirit to be more like a Guide than, well, an attack dog.

I am viewing it more that the will of the Shaman helps to reinforce the spirit into being connected to the world/material realm. Thus too why the Shaman takes damage when the Spirit Companion disappears. So their essentially bonded to each other.

So while the Spirit Companion can still act as a guide and what not, which would be entirely RP-based for the most part. They together act as a united front in combat, with the Spirit Companion being the physical aspect and the Shaman reinforcing and letting the spirit act in this world.

Though I haven't read the article, what is to say that the "spirit companion" is not one individual personality, but many. So that the attacking powers are coming from feisty spirits (tiger, wolf, warrior ancestor), and the guidance/utility powers are coming from other spirits who would be more like that? Spirit of the mouse to hide well, spirit of the hawk to see well, spirit of your passed-away mother to remind you to pick up your socks, etc. . .

Just a thought,
Brian

 

[Nymrohd]

I still very much hope that animal spirits is just one of the options for shamans. I hope we get spirits of the dead and nature spirits as well. Nature spirits could well only appear as paragon or epic level summons but spirits of the dead are a classic part of the shaman archetype.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

I still very much hope that animal spirits is just one of the options for shamans. I hope we get spirits of the dead and nature spirits as well. Nature spirits could well only appear as paragon or epic level summons but spirits of the dead are a classic part of the shaman archetype.

Well their not even specifically animal spirits, by the official fluff their just "primal spirits of nature". So they could really look like anything you want, and if your fine with not going with the official fluff I think a spirits of the dead could work just as fine.