Shamans?

[Nyaricus]

FYI, OA lists all outsiders as of the spirit subtype.

thanks for the heads up, but there are a few issues in your added imput. One, that was 3rd Edition, whereas Complete Divine is 3.5e > if R&D at WotC had figured that it was nessisary to include all outsiders under the title of "spirit" for the Spirit Shaman class, they would haev stated so. Also, for flavour and game mechanics, while sharing the same name, the Shaman described in OA is an Oriental version, whereas, what with the reference to "proto-druid" and such, this thread's purpose is regarding the nature of a European Shaman. Also, would you not think that allowing one class to be able to effect all of the mentioned types with certain abilities (as per the Spirit Shaman class) is unbalanced if one were to add all outsiders to that list? I certainly would.

So, to reiterate the purpose of this thread > we are trying to create a European(ish) Shaman that reflects a "proto-druid" feel, but with less focus on nature in general, and more with the spirits that live within nature. I thknk that covers the flavour section. as for specific class abilities, these will be outlined in subsequent posts.

***EDIT > sorry, i misread what you said there. WotC did in fact keep their idea, so that is my bad. I should haev double-checks that. also note thoguh that ALL undead, dragons, outsiders, adn soem fey adn elementals are considered "spirits." i dont think that all of those are appropriate; but i need sleep, so goodnight to all, ill be back tomorrow )

 

[Thia Halmades]

Shamanism is one of the absolute hardest things to properly translate, because everyone wants to make sure the flavor is correct, which is great. The question is; what does Shamansim taste like? Is it chunky, with lots of feats? Is it deep and relaxing, with domains? Is it friendly, and deal with animals? Answer: None of the above.

There was a long volley between two peeps about whether or not you can pinch-hit Shamanism. Sure, you could. Whether you focused on Druidism, to bring out the Totemic side, or Clerics, to bring out the philosopher side, you can take either class and say "This is a Shaman for my purposes." However, my suggestion would be to do a fresh build (yeah, I'm going there) and, without completely reinventing the wheel, develop a set of core abilities that would allow the class flexibility without stepping on the toes of the other primary casters.

So here's a model (literally off the top of my head, that may or may not resemble what's come before) which y'all can feel free to borrow, rip, tear and assist in defining. My two cents sound like this when they hit the concrete:

Class: Shaman (Divine based Spellcaster Hybrid)

Hit Dice: d8. Shamanists spend much of their lives enduring self-induced trials in an attempt to force their minds and souls into a greater state of oneness with the cosmos. They are tough, and can take serious punishment.

Skill Points at 1st Level: 4xINT modifier; the bulk of a Shaman's power comes from the spirits they call and channel; far more time is spent in reflection and communion than study and lore. However, they must know certain things to fulfill their role as healer and apothecary. The Shaman uses the Druid skill list. Includes Knowledge: The Planes.

BAB: Average Progression

Saves: All Good. Shaman are trained early on when fighting spirits and their manifestations that swiftness, toughness and strong will are all required to survive.

Armor: Shaman Dance and Rituals require freedom of movement. They also believe that wearing heavier armors interferes with the spirits ability to reach them. As such, Shamans have the Arcane Spell Failure for armor counted against them when Calling Spirits to them.

Spell List: Shaman draw spells from specific domains, not from the standard collection of spells, and may pull spells from those domains only. Each morning, while communing with the Spirit World, the Shaman may select three of her total known domains and gain the benefits of them as a Cleric would. At 5th level and every 5 levels beyond, the Shaman may choose an additional Domain Power each morning that she can utilize.

Domains Known: A shaman begins play with six known domains, and learns a new domain at 3rd level and every 3 levels thereafter. This gives the Shaman flexibility, and forces them to carefully choose their font of power. Shamans use the Sorcerer spells per day table to determine casting ability. A shaman does not need to prepare their spells ahead of time; they know them in their souls, but they must commune with the spirits at a time the Spirit deems appropriate, usually based more on the spirits most active cycle than any alignment. A Bat spirit is active at night; a Wolf spirit hunts during the day.

Here's the part that needs real work (like, hours). Shaman Abilities. Shaman are defined by their association to the Spirit World. Through that communion, they can reach past the mortal world and into another world entirely. This ability is known as Calling. A Shaman's ability to Call is similar to a Clerics ability to Turn; different Callings consume a different number of Call attempts, and a Call is not a guaranteed success.

As far as full blown development of all possible Calls, I'm envisioning something that can be modified for flavor (i.e., which spirit and why?) without pidgeon holing the Shaman into something specifically Native American or Chinese, which is unfair stereo typing. A Shaman would begin play with only a few Calls, and would learn new Calls as they leveled (at a rate of roughly 1/2 lvls, as this is their bread & butter ability).

Call Attempts are Charisma based; the Shaman is putting their soul on the line to ask a Spirit for assistance. A Shaman gets a number of Call Attempts per day equal to their level plus their Charisma modifier. The mechanic I've envisioned would work similarly to the Wilder from the XPH; a class which has the option early on to burn multiple attempts (Calls) to achieve a higher than average result, with each additional Call attempt used raising the difficulty for the check by two, and the number of calls directly related to the math used to determine the final effect.

The check for a successful Call would be: 10 + Call Level + Call Attempts (x2). So, if we say that Call of the Predator is a 1st level Call, and the Shaman has opted to use one Call attempt, then they make a Charisma check equal to a DC 13 (10, plus Call of the Predator (level 1 call) plus one call attempt (2)).

To complete this, we then have multiple options as to how to grow the class. We have a mechanic, we simply need to create Calls in a manner similar to feats. Say, Call of the Predator is level one. Call of the Predator would be level 4, give additional benefits and have Call of the Hunter as a prereq.

Call of the Hunter (level 1): The Shaman channels forth a greater manifestation of the Hunter, granting the ability to Track, the Scent feat, and superior vision (low light, if the shaman has low light vision, its range doubles). The Shaman gains +X on all Survial checks, where X is the number of Call attempts used.

Duration: 10 min/call attempt

Call of the Predator (level 4, Call of the Hunter, min. 2 Call Attempts): The Shaman channels the Spirit of Wolf. He gains a +X circumstance bonus on all Survival checks, and +1/2 X to both Strength and Dexterity. X is the number of call attempts used in Calling forth the spirit into the Shaman's body. He gains all benefits of Call of the Predator, as well as the improvements of Call of the Hunter.

Duration: 10 minutes/Call Attempt

Feats would be simple; Extra Domain, Extra Calling, Improved Duration (spend a call attempt at no charge to the roll, improve duration) and so on.

This is a very rough draft that I'm editing on a small window, so please forgive any errors and build / edit as necessary.

LCpt. Thia Halmades

 

[Raven Crowking]

Here's part of what I'm doing

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?p=2640606#post2640606

 

[Shades of Green]

Did Shaman's usually take part as true hunters and do day to day work in many cultures? I was under the impression that one of the characteristics of Shamanism is that Shamans were the first full-time occupational specialists found in a culture and, as an occupational specialist, their role generally excludes them from the role of hunter with the Shaman relying on others to do the actual hunting and provide them with food.

In the more primitive cultures a shaman is actually a part-time job; he is regarded as a holy man only when he wears his mask and performs his shamanic duties, and, when not "on duty", he works/gathers/hunts like any other tribesman. In more developed countries, where better hunting, gathering or horticulture techniques yeald larger amounts of food per capita, there is enough surplus food to allow a person to do a job which isn't directly related to getting food (though the tribesman might think his work does bring them better hunts), and the shaman becomes a full-time job, eventually giving rise to a priestly caste. Ofcourse, in D&D, magic does work and thus full-job shamans will appear far earlier.

Again, my understanding was that the shaman's role in the hunt as leader was typically in a capacity to use their magic to aid in the hunt, because thier magic was deemed important to a hunt's success. The hunters relied on the shaman to use his or her magic to bless the hunters, the hunt itself and summon the animals; should the Shaman accompany a hunting party as leader, they used their magic to lure the animals to a spot. Without a Shaman to bless the hunt, hunters in many cultures actually postponed the hunt until a Shaman could be found.

Yes, the shaman blesses the hunt and helps the hunters in many ways; his magic is invaluable in this regard. However, a low-level shaman must be able to endure attacks by enraged game animals and/or predators, especially since many rituals might involve the shaman going on his own into the wild to commune with spirits. A 1D6 hit die is possible for cultures in milder conditions, but an 1D8 hit die fits a shaman of cultures living in more extreme conditions.

 

[Nifft]

Here's my Spirit Binder class, based on the Tome of Magic's Binder class:

http://enworld.org/showthread.php?t=161597

(scroll down below the Racial Sub levels)

Three different classes for all your animystical needs.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Felix]

Has anyone mentioned the Adept?

I always thought that that class, while weaker than the base PC classes, works very well for NPC shamans. It's a divine spellcasting class, has good access to healing, Wis-based casting, and it also has a smattering of arcane spells to throw someone off.

If you want a higher-level NPC who can hold his own with the PCs, take a look at the Hexer PrC (Masters of the Wild), which from what I remember provides full BAB, continued Adept spellcasting progression, and a fair HD. You also get gaze attacks, so you would be able to give folks the evil eye or a hairy eyeball and it will actually do something to them.

Because one of its requirements is, "Be able to cast Lightning Bolt as a divine spell" the Adept is one of the only ways to get into the class. That will mean 8 NPC class levels and a 1/2 BAB until then. But for a 12th to 14th level NPC, Adept/Hexer is a great class combination for a shaman type.

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There is, of course, the Witch variant spell list in the DMG, which replaces the sorcerer's spell list but keeps the rest of the Sorcerer's progression. Also works for a shaman.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

For the record, there is also the Shaman from Kingdoms of Kalamar, which was an official setting. It was considered a bit of a standout from the rest of the classes from that book.

If you don't mind trying a different D20 product, check out the Greenbond from Arcana Unearthed/Arcana Evolved. None of its powers are game-specific (as I recall)- all you'd have to do is use the druid's spellcasting list (or something similar) since the Greenbond's list is a little different from the PHB druid.