Shaman

The shaman is a spellcaster whose powers come from spirits, denizens of the great beyond.  The shaman may be a medium who conjures ectoplasmic ghosts, a tribal animist who calls upon nature spirits, or even a summoner whose powers come from angels, fiends, and elementals.

Abilities: Wisdom, is the shaman's key ability score, as it determines the power of her spell ability.  Charisma is also important, since it governs a shaman's ability to affect spirits with turning.  Shamans don't have many defensive capabilities in combat, and may benefit from high Dexterity and Constitution.

Hit Die: d6.

Starting Cash: 4d4 × 100ƒ

Class Skills
The shaman’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Survival (Wis).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) × 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.

 

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the shaman:
 

Starting Feats: Shamans start with Simple Weapons Proficiency, Martial Weapon Proficiency (scimitar), Light Armor Proficiency, and Shield Proficiency.

Shamans can wear light armor and carry shields without restriction, but medium and heavy armor and tower shields can interfere with animistic spells that have somatic components. Even when wearing medium or heavy armor or carrying a tower shield, shamans may ignore up to 20% of the spell failure chance that these pieces of equipment would normally cause.

Spells: A shaman casts animistic spells, which are drawn from the shaman spell list (if a copy of Oriental Adventures isn't handy, it's okay to use cleric domains and the druid spell list, with speak with dead and the planar ally spells added). A shaman must choose and prepare his spells in advance (see below).

To prepare or cast a spell, a shaman must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a shaman’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the shaman’s Wisdom modifier.
 

Like other spellcasters, a shaman can prepare only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table 3-14: Shaman Spells. Note that the number of spell slots is fixed -- shamans do not prepare additional spells for having high Wisdom.  A shaman does, however, get one domain spell each spell level he can cast, starting at 1st level. When a shaman prepares a spell in a domain spell slot, it must come from one of his two or three domains (see Domains and Domain Spells, below).

Shamans must contact the spirit world in order to request of the spirits that they be granted their spells. Each shaman must choose a time at which he must spend 1 hour each day in quiet meditation or a light trance, in order to make contact. Time spent resting has no effect on whether a shaman can prepare spells. A shaman may prepare and cast any spell on the shaman spell list, provided that he can cast spells of that level, but he must choose which spells to prepare during his daily meditation.

In order to cast a spell, the shaman must expend the appropriate amount of magic points. A shaman's total magic points are equal to his base MP per Day (see Table 3-14: Shaman Spells) plus bonus magic points earned for high Wisdom. Bonus MP are equal to the shaman's Wisdom modifier × shaman level × one-half.
 

Base MP Cost by Spell Level

Spell Level   0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9

Magic Points  *  1  3  5  7  9  11 13 15 17

0-level spells normally cost 0 MP. A shaman can cast his 0-level spells a number of times per day equal to 3 + one-half his shaman level. After reaching this limit, 0-level spells cost 1 MP.

Most spells use the MP cost given on the chart, but for spells that deal so many dice of damage per caster level, you have to add 2 MP for each additional die of damage, up to the maximum allowed by your level.

Domains and Domain Spells: Each shaman’s two or three domains represent a spirit that the shaman has a special relationship with, from a dead ancestor to an animal totem or nature spirit. 

Each domain gives the shaman access to a domain spell at each spell level he can cast, from 1st on up, as well as a granted power. The shaman gets the granted powers of both the domains selected.
 

With access to two domain spells at a given spell level, a shaman prepares one or the other each day in his domain spell slot. If a domain spell is not on the shaman spell list, a shaman can prepare it only in his domain spell slot.

Shamans receive a third domain at 11^th level.  They immediately gain access to its granted power and can prepare its spells in their domain slot.
 

Evil, Free, Good, and Honorable Spells: A shaman can’t cast spells of an alignment opposed to his own. Spells associated with particular alignments are indicated by the evil, freedom, good, and honor descriptors in their spell descriptions.

Ready Summon: A shaman can channel stored spell energy into summoning spells that the shaman did not prepare ahead of time. As a free action, the shaman can “lose” any prepared spell that is not a domain spell in order to instantly prepare any summon nature's ally spell of the same spell level or lower. Once the swap has been made, it cannot be changed back until the shaman is again able to prepare spells normally.
 

Animal Companion: A shaman may begin play with an animal companion selected from the following list: badger, camel, dire rat, dog, riding dog, eagle, hawk, horse (light or heavy), owl, pony, snake (small or medium viper), or wolf. If the campaign takes place wholly or partly in an aquatic environment, the following creatures are also available: manta ray, porpoise, medium shark, and squid. This animal is a loyal companion that accompanies the shaman on her adventures as appropriate for its kind.

A 1st-level shaman’s companion is completely typical for its kind except as noted below. As a shaman advances in level, the animal’s power increases as shown on the table. If a shaman releases her companion from service, she may gain a new one by performing a ceremony requiring 24 uninterrupted hours of prayer. This ceremony can also replace an animal companion that has perished.

A shaman of 4th level or higher may select from alternative lists of animals. Should she select an animal companion from one of these alternative lists, the creature gains abilities as if the character’s shaman level were lower than it actually is. Subtract the value indicated in the appropriate list header from the character’s shaman level and compare the result with the shaman level entry on the table to determine the animal companion’s powers. (If this adjustment would reduce the shaman’s effective level to 0 or lower, she can’t have that animal as a companion.)

Wild Empathy: A shaman can improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check made to improve the attitude of a person. The shaman rolls 1d20 and adds her shaman level and her Charisma modifier to determine the wild empathy check result.

The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.

To use wild empathy, the shaman and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.

A shaman can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but she takes a -4 penalty on the check.

Spirit Sight: A 2^nd-level shaman is able to see spirits of all types, including all incorporeal undead, astral and ethereal creatures, and all feys, elementals, and outsiders.  Shamans can easily distinguish them from other creatures, because they appear translucent to the shaman.

Chastise Spirits: At 3^rd level, the shaman can channel ectoplasmic energy to damage hostile spirits.  (Spirits include all incorporeal undead, astral and ethereal creatures, and all feys, elementals, and outsiders.)  Chastising spirits is a standard action that deals 1d6 damage per shaman level to all spirits within 30 feet of the shaman.  The spirits get a Will save (DC 10 + ½ shaman level + Cha mod) for half damage.  When using this ability on incorporeal creatures, the shaman does not have to roll the usual 50% miss chance.  Shamans may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + their Charisma bonus.

Bonus Feats: At every 4^th level, the shaman receives a bonus feat. This feat may be a metamagic feat, an item creation feat, or a divine feat.

Spirits' Favor: After 5^th level, the shaman adds his Charisma modifier (if positive) to all his saving throws.
 

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