Shamans

Shamans are tribal priests found in savage, barbaric, or nomadic societies. In their homelands, shamans serve their tribes in much the same way that clerics serve the common people of more civilized lands: They act as guides, protectors, and advisers, using their magical powers to strengthen and defend their tribes. Shamans often serve as the keepers of knowledge and legend for their peoples and lead their tribes in the various rites and ceremonies required by their tribes' belief systems. Player character shamans may still be associated with their tribes, they may be wanderers or exiles who have abandoned their duties, or they may have be pursuing an extended goal for their tribes that takes them away from their people for a long period.
Shamans may be of any alignment. They are always found in tribal or barbaric cultures. If players wish to run shamans in a more civilized campaign setting, their characters are considered to be barbaric foreigners by most common folk they meet. The shaman's arduous life in uncivilized lands requires a good Constitution, and Wisdom is required for dealing with tribal matters and speaking to the spirits. Shamans with Wisdom scores of 16 or better earn a 10% bonus to the experience points they gain. Shamans progress in experience levels as do clerics.
Shamans are unusual characters in the adventuring party. Like druids, they are not front-line fighters, but they also lack the high-powered combat spells that druids command. However, a shaman's mysterious spirit powers allow him or her to make use of magic that is usually out of the reach of low-level characters. A shaman who demonstrates intelligence and respect in dealing with the spirits can be an extremely effective character in a number of situations. Shamans view themselves as advisers and guides to a party of adventurers and often have an uneducated but insightful view on the more civilized societies they visit.
Shamans may wear any armor normally associated with their tribes. In the absence of more specific information, tribal armor is usually hide, leather, or studded leather with a tough wooden, wicker, or hide-covered shield. Similarly, shamans may use tribal weapons, which usually include the short bow, club, dagger, dart, hand axe, harpoon, javelin, knife, quarterstaff, sling, and spear. Blowguns might he appropriate for shamans of jungle tribes, or light lances and composite bows for shamans of tribal horsemen.
Shamans may use any magical items normally usable by priests. They have a non-weapon proficiency crossover with the warrior group and can learn priest or warrior proficiencies at the normal cost. Shaman access to spells is dependent on their deity. Shamans never gain followers or establish strongholds. Good-aligned shamans may turn undead, and neutral or evil shamans may command undead.
In addition to their priest spells, shamans have a special connection to the spirit world and can call on the spirits for guidance, knowledge, or magical aid. While shamans often function as priests of a tribal deity, their primary concem is the spirit world. To a shaman, the physical world is not the entirety of existence. The spirits of animals, nature, and the tribe's dead are always near, and interacting with these spirits is the shaman's greatest duty and responsibility.

Shaman Spirit Powers

Shamans each begin play with one minor spirit ally or guide of their choice. As they rise in level, they learn the rites necessary to call additional spirits and seek their favor. Spirits are individuals —speaking to a spirit of the dead means the shaman is in contact with one particular deceased individual. Dozens of spirits exist for each species of animal, representing every aspect of the animal's existence. In addition, a near-infinite number of nature spirits of the land, air, and water embody different aspects of the natural world. The number of spirits a shaman knows how to contact appears on the table below:

Shaman Spirit Progression

Shaman's Level	Minor Spirit	Major Spirit	Great Spirit
1	1	-	-
2	1	-	-
3	2	-	-
4	2	-	-
5	2	1	-
6	3	1	-
7	3	2	-
8	4	2	-
9	4	2	1
10	4	3	1
11	4	3	2
12	5	3	2
13	5	4	2
14	5	4	3
15	6	4	3
16	6	5	3
17	6	5	4
18	7	5	4
19	7	6	4
20	7	6	5

Performing the ceremony to call a spirit for the first time requires a week or more of fasting, prayer, and solitude in the appropriate location. If a shaman is trying to call a wolf spirit, she or he must find a location frequented by wolves, and if a shaman is trying to call an ancestral spirit, the shaman should perform the ceremony at the individual's burial site. At the conclusion of this week-long ceremony, the spirit appears, and the shaman establishes contact with it. From that time forward, the shaman may attempt to contact the spirit anywhere or anytime to seek information or request a favor of the spirit. When shaman characters begin play, it is assumed that they have each already performed the ceremony to attract their first spirit guides.
When a spirit casts a spell for a shaman, the spirit casts the spell either at the shaman's level or at the experience level normally required for a priest to cast a spell of that level, whichever is greater.
Spirits of the Dead: These ancestral spirits are individuals who were renowned for their wisdom, skill, or courage in life. Minor spirits may be recent relatives of the shaman, while major spirits are great heroes and wise people of the tribe. A great spirit of the dead is a chieftain, shatman, or other personage of legendary standing. While spirits of the dead may seem to be frightening allies, they are actually very protective of their living protégés and bear few grudges against the living.
Spirits of the dead know many things. Naturally, they are familiar with any details or events of their own lifetimes. They are able to perceive a shaman's likely fate or future and can offer advice in times of tough choices. Spirits of the dead can also provide some measure of protection for a shaman and his or her allies by using their powers on the shaman's behalf. Minor spirits can invoke the powers of Augury, Feign Death, Prayer, or Speak With Dead on behalf of the shaman. Major spirits can invoke Divination, Commune, or Find the Path/Lose the Path for the shaman. Great spirits can invoke Raise Dead/Slay Living, Forbiddance, or Astral for the shaman. Note that most of these are spells normally outside the shaman's spheres of access. In addition, shamans often gain other effects in role-playing a conversation with these spirits, such as information or guidance in difficult choices.
Animal Spirits: Shamans live in a world in which animals are a vital part of human life. Animals provide food, shelter, clothing, and tools for a shaman's people, and the animal spirits are revered for their wisdom and knowledge. Minor and major spirits are embodiments of an archetype, such as the Old Wolf, the Sleeping Bear, or the Hunting Eagle. Great animal spirits are the leaders of these lesser spirits and contain in themselves everything the animal stands for — the Great Bear, the Great Wolf, and so on.
Animal spirits are powerful, but they are also less inclined to offer advice or guidance to shamans. Their interest lies in ensuring that shamans are respectful toward their species and that shamans help to guide others in dealing with animal spirits' kin. They are not very interested in aiding shamans in their own affairs. The spirits of game animals such as moose or deer do not mind if shamans or their peoples hunt the animal, but they grow angry if the hunting is wanton or disrespectful.
Animal spirits have knowledge of events that have affected their species in the local area and have a number of powers they can use on a shaman's behalf. Minor animal spirits can aid shamans by using Animal Friendship, Speak With Animals, or Animal Summoning I. In addition, an animal spirit can grant a limited form of Clairaudience and Clairvoyance by allowing a shaman to see through the eyes and hear through the ears of an animal of the spirit's species within a range of one mile. Animals of the species in question will never attack the shaman or anyone under his or her protection unless the shaman has angered the spirit or the animals are magically controlled.
Major animal spirits can use Animal Summoning II, grant shamans the speed or movement powers of the animal (flying, swimming, or running at the animal's base speed), or transform shamans into the shape of the animal, similar to a druid's shapechange. Great spirits can use Animal Summoning III, heal a shaman or one person under his or her protection (or harm an enemy), or become tangible and aid the shaman in a form resembling Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound in abilities but shaped in the form of the animal.
Spirits of Nature: The most reclusive and powerful spirits are the elemental spirits of nature. These beings represent the physical world around shamans. The strength or power of the feature the spirit represents determines whether it is considered a minor, major, or great spirit. A stream, copse, or hilltop may he home to a minor spirit; a river, moderately-sized forest, or canyon may be guarded by a major spirit; and a mountain, large forest, or mighty river may be the home of a great spirit. Spirits of nature frequently take on humanlike features or characteristics when dealing with shamans, so a spirit might be known as Old Mountain, River Woman, or Forest Walker.
Spirits of nature are even more distant than animal spirits, but they do feel some attachment to the people and creatures who live nearby. A river spirit is likely to be protective of the village built on its banks as long as the people show respect to it. Nature spirits often change with the seasons, so a river spirit in the spring flood may be wild, capricious, and dangerous to deal with, while a forest spirit in winter may be sleeping and hard to rouse.
Spirits of nature are generally well-informed about anything that has taken place in their location and can relate this information to shamans. Spirits of nature are also capable of using potent powers on a shaman's behalf. The principle difference between minor and great spirits is the size of the area in which they can be summoned. Minor spirits are bound to one specific site not more than a few hundred yards across, major spirits are limited to 5 or 10 square miles, and great spirits can act in areas the size of small nations. Note that the areas of effect of spell-like abilities the spirits can enact remain unchanged — a great spirit is powerful because the region in which it is available to assist the shaman is much larger than a minor spirit's range.
Spirits of nature can help a shaman by invoking a number of spell-like powers for the shaman. Unlike elementals, spirits of nature include aspects of vegetation and all the elements of their home, so a mountain spirit has influence over earth and air as well as the forests that grow on the mountain's slopes. The abilities available to spirits of nature are described below. The reverse forms of reversible spells are able to be granted also, though the listed form is most commonly requested.
Land Spirits: 1st Entangle, Pass Without Trace; 2nd Dust Devil, Trip; 3rd Meld Into Stone, Snare; 4th Speak With Plants; 5th Commune With Nature; 6th Stone Tell, Liveoak, Wall of Thorns; 7th Animate Rock, and Changestaff. Land spirits may he associated with mountains, plains, forests, plateaus, canyons, mesas, or any other distinct land feature.
Air Spirits: 2nd Obscurement; 3rd Call Lightning, Gust of Wind, Wind Wall; 5th Commune With Nature, Air Walk, Control Winds; 6th Weather Summoning; 7th Control Weather/Uncontrolled Weather, and Wind Walk. Air spirits are associated with high peaks, windswept plains or valleys, or seasonal winds such as a sirocco or the north wind of the winter.
Water Spirits: 1st Wall of Fog; 2nd — Fog Cloud; 3rd Water Breathing, Water Walk; 4th Lower Water, Solid Fog, Reflecting Pool, 5th Commune With Nature, 6th Part Water, and Transmute Dust to Water, Water spirits are associated with lakes, streams, rivers, or seas.

Calling Spirits

Once shamans have performed the initial ceremonies that attract spirits and establish connections to the beings, they can summon those spirits anytime to seek the information, favors, and powers described above. A shaman's location does not matter. Spirits can come to shamans anywhere, even though spirits of nature may not be able to help them outside their homes.
To summon a spirit, a shaman must chant, pray, and perform a ceremonial dance for at least one turn. The base chance of success is 10% per character level, plus 10% for every additional turn the character chants and dances to a maximum 90% chance of success. If a shaman has already summoned a spirit that day, the maximum chance of success falls by 10% per summoning. For instance, a shaman who has called two spirits and is trying to summon a third has a maximum success chance of 70%, or possibly less if she is a low-level character in a hurry. In any event, shamans may attempt no more than one calling per their character level in the course of a single day. A roll of 96 or higher (91 or higher in the case of spirits of nature) angers the spirit the shaman is trying to call.
If the spirit is not angry at the shaman for some reason, it appears with a successful roll. Only shamans can see the spirit or speak to it. Other characters may be aware of chills, strange odors, shimmering hazes, unusual gusts of wind, and other signs. The shaman can converse with the spirit for one round per character level, asking one question per round. Asking a favor of a spirit, such as the use of a spell-like ability, requires one round for minor spirits or abilities, two for major, and three for abilities that can only be granted by great spirits. During this request the shaman explains what she or he wishes of the spirit and why the spirit should grant help. If the DM thinks it appropriate, the player must role-play this conversation. If the spirit agrees to help, the spell-like effect is granted to the shaman, who may retain it in reserve for up to one full day until the shaman is ready to invoke the spirit's power. A shaman can only hold one favor in reserve at a time and cannot request another of any spirit until the held ability is used.
Spirits as NPCS: Spirits are individuals, and they have long memories. A shaman who takes actions the spirits find offensive or who asks their help in questionable circumstances may be denied assistance just because the spirit does not feel like being helpful. The DM may find it useful to refer to Table 59: Encounter Reactions in the DMG. Simply rate the spirit's frame of mind as threatening, hostile, indifferent, or friendly depending on how the shaman has been acting and how outrageous the shaman's request is to the spirit. It is a good idea to create personalities, motivations, and attitudes for the spirits the shaman deals with most often.
Spirits do not have game statistics. Normal mortals have no means of injuring them, although other divine creatures may be able to do so. Only greater spirits can take a physical form, and even then they are reluctant to do so. Greater spirits of the dead can briefly resume their living form with the appropriate class and abilities; animal spirits can appear as a double-sized version of the normal variety; and spirits of nature can appear as 12-HD elementals. In physical form, spirits can only be injured by +2 or better magical weapons. Even if they are "killed," they actually only retreat from the scene for a short while.
Angering the Spirits: A shaman can completely alienate the spirits by taking particularly offensive actions. If the offense is temporary or unintentional, the spirit simply refuses to answer any calls for a suitable period of time — one week to a year may be appropriate. If the offense was deliberate or permanent in nature, the spirit severs its connection to the shaman and cannot be called again until the shaman atones for the offense, repairs whatever damage she or he did and repeats the week-long summoning ceremony.

[Faiths & Avatars]

Requirements: Constitution 12, Wisdom 12
Prime Requisites: Wisdom
Races Allowed: Human, humanoid