The Romance of the River Kingdoms

[Dr Simon]

My sense is that it would be possible to pick up new spell domains as one learns them from various minor spirit cults. I'm almost tempted to allow non-spellcasting classes access to them as well, on a 1/day basis, since minor magic is more common in Conclave.

Shaman and Spontaneous Druid are different classes. For Spontaneous Druid, use the standard Spontaneous Divine rules, i.e usual spells per day plus one (4/2 base).

No Druidic language. I was thinking of replacing it with Spiritspeak as an option (since a Conclave 'druid' would be more akin to someone who reveres the nature spirits anyway).

 

[Shayuri]

If domain access granted all the spells in the domain as new "known" spells for sorcerors, that'd be huge, even without the domain granted powers. It might even be too much, given that the standard "extra spell" feat only grants one new spell, of up to 1 level less than your max!

Which always seemed stingy to me, admittedly. Still.

Is that what you're considering allowing for sorcerors?

 

[Dr Simon]

I don't know. It's kind of a weird progression, since depending at what level you take it depends on how much immediate use you get from it. At 1st level you would only get access to one more spell, but there'd be another already waiting for you when you got to 3rd, and so on. I can't think of other feats that behave as a kind of ability pension scheme, which is why I'm not sure if it's a good idea. At higher levels you'd get a larger immediate hit, but then higher level characters have more resources in the form of scrolls, wand etc. so it probably would have an overall small impact.

 

[Shayuri]

I will be frank and say that my feel for the idea depends on what domains are allowed.

In terms of spell selection, not all domains are equal. This is -especially- true for allowing domain access to arcane casters. Consider, for example, the Healing domain. A sorceror casting from that could out-heal any cleric (spontaneous clerics may change that dynamic). That may not be a bad thing, but it changes certain assumptions in the system. And if the feat can be taken more than once, granting access to a different domain each time, it could get pretty crazy.

On the other hand, speaking from experience, it's pretty hard for a sorceror to be a "main arcane caster," just because they don't have enough spell knowledge to cover the three bases adequately (those being Utility, Blasts and Buffs). They can do any one of those exquisitely, two of three adequately, but all three means they're stretched really thin. Domain access could really help with that.

If you do allow it, I think we'd have to devote some time to making sure the domain choice was appropriate though. Just letting the PC (even me) cherry-pick domains is a sure way to wind up with MOLTAN, DEVOURER OF CAMPAIGNS!

 

[Walking Dad]

Maybe you should allow:
- non-spellcasting classes access to them, on a 1/day basis
- arcane casters to wizard domains, or divine on a 1/day basis
- divine casters to divine domains, or wizard on a 1/day basis

 

[Shayuri]

I was thinking of the domains being granted by 'spirit patrons,' who only offer limited portfolios...kind of like gods, but for arcanists (possibly available to nonspellcasters, but I'd be REAL careful there, for all the reasons I listed in my last post x10).

Through pacts or ancestry, you have a connection to a powerful spirit that grants increased arcane power.

Nai-Nek-Chai could have domains associated with their animal type. Other sorcerors might have more RP involved, though I hate to use that as a balancing factor. I'd expect spirit patrons to have the same oversight of their granted spells as deities have over clerical magic as well.

 

[Dr Simon]

Yeah, I think a seperate set of feats, rather than just importing the clerical domains whole cloth, would work more tidily. The idea behind the shaman is that they use the domains as a basis for spontaneous casting and it would kind of take away the speciality of that class to open out the idea. Plus, as you say, it could get messy pretty quickly.

I think for the time being, if you want a 'themed' sorcerer, you may just have to go with the spell choice (and as I said earlier, I'm open to some spell customisation).

 

[Walking Dad]

Perhaps one domain instead of the familiar?

 

[The Rolling Man]

Here's my (almost) completed character. I assumed that shaman had the same HD, starting money and weapon/armor proficiency (and restriction ???) as a druid. Lastly, what spells are on my spell list for the purpose of wands and scroll ? I assume it's only the spells in the domains I possess.

Feel free to comment, correct, analyse, etc ...

[B]Name: [/B] Jar'Thol "The wanderer"
[B]Class:[/B] Shaman 1 
[B]Race:[/B] Salsham'ai (Treefolk)
[B]Size:[/B] Small
[B]Gender:[/B] Male
[B]Quote:[/B] [COLOR=Green]"You should come up here, the view is simply stunning!"[/COLOR]

[B]Str:[/B] 10 +0 ( 4p.)	[B]Level:[/B] 1	[B]XP[/B]: 0
[B]Dex:[/B] 16 +3 ( 6p.)	[B]BAB:[/B] +0		[B]HP:[/B] 17 (11+6)
[B]Con:[/B] 10 +0 ( 2p.)	[B]Grapple:[/B] -4
[B]Int:[/B] 14 +2 ( 6p.)	[B]Speed:[/B] 20'
[B]Wis:[/B] 16 +3 ( 6p.)	[B]Init:[/B] +7
[B]Cha:[/B] 12 +1 ( 4p.)	[B]ACP:[/B] 0

[B]	Base	Armor	Shld	Dex	Size	Nat	Misc	Total[/B]
[B]Armor:[/B]	10	+2	+0	+3	+1	+0	+0	16
[B]Touch:[/B]	14	[B]Flatfooted:[/B] 14

[B]	Total	Base	Mod	Misc[/B]
[B]Fort:[/B]	+0	+0	+0
[B]Ref:[/B]	+3	+0	+3
[B]Will:[/B]	+5	+2	+3

[B]Weapon		Attack	Damage	Critical	Range[/B]
Club		+1	1d4	x2		------
Sling		+4	1d3	x2		50 ft

[B]Languages:[/B] Themnassic, Shromic, Low Imperial, High Imperial

[B]Abilities:[/B] 
Arboreal : +8 racial bonus to climb, can always take 10 on climbing checks,
climb is a class skill
Camouflage : +4 racial bonus to hide in woodland, +2 in surroundings with 
woodland tones
Prehensile feet
+2 racial bonus to Craft, Diplomacy and Knowledge (nature) checks
Travel domain power: For 1 round per day, Jar'Thol can act freely as if under
the effect of a [I]freedom of movement[/I] spell

[B]Feats:[/B] Improved initiative

[B]Domains:[/B] Spirits, Healing, Plant, Travel

[B]Spells[/B] (Save DC 14 + spell level; 5/4):
0 - Create Water, Cure Minor Wounds, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Flare, 
    Guidance, Know Direction, Light, Mending, Purify Food and Drink, Read Magic, 
    Resistance, Virtue;
1st - Cure Light Wounds, Detect Spirits, Entangle, Longstrider


[B]Skill Points:[/B] 24	[B]Max Ranks:[/B] 4/2
[B]Skills			Total	Ranks	Mod 	Misc[/B]
Climb			+10	2	+0	+8
Concentration		+4	4	+0	0
Diplomacy		+5	2	+1	+2
Hide			+7(+11)	0	+3	+4 (+8 in woodlands)
Listen			+5	2	+3	0
Knw (spirits)		+6	4	+2	0
Knw (geography)		+4	2	+2	0
Knw (nature)		+8	4	+2	+2
Spot			+5	2	+3	0
Survival		+5	2	+3	0

[B]Equipment (all small sized):		Cost	Weight[/B]
Club					--	1.5 lb
Leather armor				1000y	7.5 lb
Sling					--	--
20 sling bullets			20y	5 lb
Traveller's Outfit			--	--
Backpack				200y	0.5 lb
Belt pouch				100y	0.125 lb
Bedroll					10y	1.25 lb
Trail rations (x4)			200y	1 lb
Waterskin				100y	1 lb
Sunrod (x3)				600y	3 lb
Tindertwig (x5)				500y	--
Acid flask (x3)				3000y	3 lb

[B]Total Weight:[/B] 23.9 lb	[B]Money:[/B] 2270 yens

[B]		Lgt	Med	Hvy	Lift	Push[/B]
[B]Max Weight:[/B]	25	25-50	50-75	150	375

[SBLOCK=Appearance]Age: 19
Height: 2'9"
Weight: 47 lb
Eyes: Dark green
Hair: Black
Skin: Light Brown
Jar'thol is a slim Salsham'ai who wears simple brown leathers and a hooded cloak. A few swirling green patterns decorate his clothing and make him harder to spot in woodland areas. Like most of his people, Jar'thol wears his hair long and partly braided. He also almost never wear boots or shoes.[/SBLOCK]
[SBLOCK=Background]Jar'thol grew up in Little Thalsa in the port city of Llaza. As a youngster, he always liked to go down to the dock area and to speak to the travelers about distant lands. The docks were a more dangerous area than the beloved treetop of Little Thalsa but all the wonderful stories made it worth it. Eventually, wanderlust took over and he started to travel the lands.

Like most of his people, his elders had taugh him the way of the spirits and how they influence the great and small events of everyone's lives. However, he never felt their presence as strongly as after he started his travels. Jar'thol always felt a conforting presence watching over him while he was on the road. One day, while visiting a small group of salsham'ai in a deep forest, he was invited to meet the matriach of the community. In a surprising turn of event, she told him that she felt a strong connection between him, the spirits and the Pas Aat. She would teach him about them if he stayed with this community for a while. Curiousity and a bit of mystic compulsion made him accept her offer. She was an old withered crone but her knowledge was vast. She told him much about nature, plants and the spirits of the woods. She also showed him how to call upon the spirit to help manipulate the Pas Aat. Eventually, she told him that he had learned all he could and that he should leave her to her rest. He never saw again the old wise woman but afterward, the spirits were always with him, protecting him and allowing him to help those in trouble.

A few years later, Jar'thol was visiting yet another little colony of his own people, near the town of Cormondal. The treefolk had trouble with local farmers who had started to excessively hunt game, gather fruit and mushroom and cut lumber in their forest. This was caused by a flood that had destroyed most of the farmers' crop. Being familiar with human culture, he met the local Vashti and together they were able to come up with a peaceful trade and cooperation agreement between the two groups. Impressed with his talents, the Vashti invited him to stay in Cormondal and help her with her good works. He did so for a while before wanderlust took him again and he left to explore other regions. A few months later, a messenger carrying a letter found him as he was staying in a human inn. The content of the letter sadden him a bit but the curious Jar'thol once again took his pack and headed toward Cormondal.[/SBLOCK]

 

[Dr Simon]

Here's my (almost) completed character. I assumed that shaman had the same HD, starting money and weapon/armor proficiency (and restriction ???) as a druid. Lastly, what spells are on my spell list for the purpose of wands and scroll ? I assume it's only the spells in the domains I possess.

Feel free to comment, correct, analyse, etc ...

All seems in order to me. Shaman HD is d6. Starting money may as well same as druid. Simple Weapon Prof, Light Armour Prof, and yes, only spells from the domains count as on 'spell list' (more 'spells known', really).

For flavour, each of your domains except Spirit come from a spirit ally, maybe an ancestor or maybe a nature spirit. You can, if you like, invent names and even a bit of personality for them. When a shaman cast a spell, he's usually callling on his spirit allies to act for him (hence no spell failure chance from armour either).