shaman class?

[aurin777]

Hey, I've played the GR shaman, and came to the conclusion that I could have just played a druid. If they are in love with the idea of a a shaman, allow them to take the spirit feats, or even perhaps the skills (2 of the 4 new skills I like). It is more of a matter about how the DM chooses to run the druid, rather than the exact "class" he is.
~~Brandon

 

[Psion]

My take:

The Green Ronin and the Mongoose version are both very good.

The Green Ronin version is more ready to go out of the box. You have to do less work to get a shaman going. Plus, I like the green ronin version of spirits better (they had more room to fiddle with them, though.)

The Mongoose version requires more work on your part since you have to make up spells for all the spirits the shaman allies with, and will have to consider what spells you should permit the shaman. However, this gives you a lot more room to make the spirits distinctive and tangible in your game, and more room to personalize the shaman.

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

The one in Diomin is actually less bad than the book's overall reputation might make you think.

Pretty similar to how a Sha'ir would work in 3e.

 

[drnuncheon]

The GR shaman has some great 'flavor' spells that really sold me on the class - spells like 'Combat Disease Spirit' (I think that's the name) where, rather than just casting a boring old 'Remove Disease', you actually have to fight and defeat the spirit causing the illness.

J

 

[starwolf]

My take:

The Green Ronin and the Mongoose version are both very good.

The Green Ronin version is more ready to go out of the box. You have to do less work to get a shaman going. Plus, I like the green ronin version of spirits better (they had more room to fiddle with them, though.)

The Mongoose version requires more work on your part since you have to make up spells for all the spirits the shaman allies with, and will have to consider what spells you should permit the shaman. However, this gives you a lot more room to make the spirits distinctive and tangible in your game, and more room to personalize the shaman.

Yep, I have to agree on both cases. Our House Rule shaman has evolved into a cross between the Gr and the Mongoose shaman for just these reasons, and the reason DrN points out. The GR has some good spells, and the Mongoose makes the Spirits much more involved in the roleplay. We took away a most of the spells from the GR and made soem of the others into the rituals of Mongoose version. Essentially if the spell effects the Spirits or spirit world, it is a ritual. If it is an offensive, buff, or prime material defensive spell then it has to come from a spirit ally.

And there;s nothing quite like having the other party members watching a shaman character arguing with an unseen entourage.

 

[Graf]

The OA shaman is quite good. Fits in perfectly to the system without introducing a bunch of new mechanics. I'm always pleased when somebody makes something cool and you don't have to spend hours tweeking it and debating things with the player.

(I prefer to spend hours talking about it because I want to )

 

[Kesh]

Yep. The OA Shaman has a few more martial feats than you might expect for a Western-style shaman, but otherwise works really well. Maybe trading those monk-ish abilities for ones more suited to your own setting would be appropriate.