PRIEST-SHAMAN Class Description: Shamans are tribal priests found in savage, barbaric, or nomadic societies. In their homelands, Shamans serve their tribes in much the same way that priests serve the common people of more civilized lands: They act as guides, protectors, and advisors, 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 or they may be wanderers or exiles who have abandoned their duties, or they may have an extended goal for their tribes that takes them away from their people for a long period. Shamans are always native to tribal or barbaric cultures, and their homelands are always in wilderness areas. A Shaman who leaves such society and enters a more 'civilized' region will be treated as a barbaric foreigner by most folk that they encounter. Shamans may be of any non-lawful alignment (in keeping with the traditions of barbarian society) and use eight-sided hit dice and the saving throws and THAC0 of priests. Shamans advance on the Druid experience point table. Their arduous life in uncivilized lands requires good physical health as well as mental fortitude; hence Shamans must have scores of at least 12 in Wisdom and 13 in Constitution. Shamans begin play with 2 weapon and 4 non-weapon proficiency slots, gaining one more of each type every 3 levels. Shamans may be humans, dwarves, half-orcs, or half-ogres. Weapons & Armor: Shamans can wear only hide or studded hide armor and can use only shields made of wood, wicker, hide, or bone. Their selection of weapon proficiencies is based on their home terrain and culture and are similar to those available to Barbarian and Nomad warriors. Hence, all Shamans can become proficient in the following weapons: axe (hand), club (any), knife, spear, staff, and bow (short). Culture-specific weapons are as follows: Arctic: axe (battle), ice pick, pick (ice axe), spear (any), sword (iuak) Coastal: axe (battle), hammer (throwing), net, spear (any), sword (broad) Desert/Plains: bolas, bow (short composite), javelin, lance (medium or light), lasso, sword (scimitar) Forest/Jungle/Swamp: axe (battle), blowgun, bow (any), dart, javelin, sword (machete) Hill/Mountain: hammer (any), pick (any), polearm (any swinging) Special Benefits: Shamans are very respected individuals in barbaric and nomadic cultures, gaining a +4 bonus to reactions with those from their own culture and a +2 bonus with barbaric and nomadic cultures of all types, who recognize the Shaman's special status. Their advice is sought by those of their tribe for their wisdom, their contact with the spirit world, and their insight into the future. Barbaric cultures also respect Shamans for their willingness and ability to fight. Each Shaman must choose a single weapon from the list given for his or her culture as his or her 'weapon of choice,' and he or she gains a +1 bonus to hit with this weapon. Besides these generic bonuses, Shamans receive the following class-based special abilities: Circle of Aged Masters: Upon reaching 12th level, a Shaman gains membership in this mysterious group that comprises Shamans of all types and all backgrounds. This group is not so much an organized brotherhood; instead it comprises those extremely wise, talented, and experienced (and usually very old) Shamans who have managed to reach this level of attainment. Shamans of this level have their natural aging process slowed to one-half the normal rate (though magical aging is unaffected) and become immune to natural diseases. At 16th level, a Shaman is able to hibernate for any amount of time desired. This can only be accomplished in his or her native terrain, where they are most in tune with their surroundings. A hibernating Shaman is completely unconscious and can be killed as easily as any other sleeping creature, though creatures native to his or her home terrain will ignore a hibernating Shaman unless magically or psionically controlled. While hibernating, the Shaman's bodily functions slow to the point where he or she appears dead and natural aging is slowed to one-tenth the normal rate. This comatose state continues until there is a significant change in the Shaman's environment that might harm the Shaman (e.g., flooding in a river valley, very severe weather) or until a preordained amount of time (decided when hibernation was begun) has passed. Upon reaching 20th level, a Shaman is able to ignore all age-related penalties for aging, as his or her body retains a vigorous level of health, so much so that the Shaman cannot die of natural causes (though they can, of course, still be slain in combat or through other means). In addition to these lifespan enhancements, a member of the Circle of Aged Masters can choose at each level of experience he or she attains to become completely immune to any one specific weapon type used by Barbarians of his or her home terrain or one specific creature type native to his or her home terrain: - If a Shaman chooses immunity to a particular weapon (e.g., battle axe for an Arctic Shaman), he or she cannot ever again wield that weapon in combat but he or she also becomes immune to damage from other weapons of that type, including conjured and magical versions. - If a Shaman chooses immunity to a creature, no attacks from that creature can ever harm the Shaman (e.g., an Arctic Shaman choosing immunity to frost giants would be immune to weapon blows, spells, missiles, or any other direct attacks), though indirect harm can come to the Shaman through the action of such creatures (e.g., an avalanche caused by frost giants could still bury the Arctic Shaman described above). Note that this creature immunity exists only as long as the Shaman never takes offensive action against a creature of that type; if such an attack is made, this immunity is lost forever and can never be regained. Communion with Nature: The connection of Shamans with the spirits of nature allows them to transcend the normal boundaries of communication as they advance in level. Shamans of 5th level and above can speak with animals at will, while those of 10th level and above can speak with plants at will, and their communion with the spirit world is so strong that they can reincarnate a creature once per month. Shamans of 15th level and above can commune with nature once per month and can stone tell at will. Natural Medicine: Because of their extensive knowledge of the medicinal properties of plants found in their native terrain, all Shamans gain the benefits of the Healing and Herbalism proficiencies while in terrain of that type. Outside their native terrain, however, these benefits are lost unless a Shaman chooses to spend the requisite proficiency slots to learn these proficiencies normally. If this is done, a Shaman gains a +4 bonus to the use of both proficiencies while in his or her native terrain. In addition to the mundane applications of Natural Medicine, all Shamans can attempt to create a sacred bundle once per week. He or she must seek out medicinal herbs for a full hour and must make an Herbalism proficiency check. If the check is successful, the sacred bundle will provide the effect of a protection from evil or protection from good spell, which lasts for one full day if it is worn by an individual from a barbarian culture (one hour if worn by a civilized PC), after which the herbs lose their effectiveness. Omen Reading: Once per week for every five levels of experience (rounding up), a Shaman can attempt to forecast the general fortunes of some major undertaking by interpreting an omen from observing the natural conditions around him or her. To be receptive to an omen, the Shaman must do nothing but concentrate uninterrupted for a full turn; if this concentration is broken, the Shaman cannot attempt to interpret an omen for another week. After the turn of concentration, the Shaman studies his or her surroundings for a sign of some sort: a rippling pond, a gathering of clouds, a swarm of insect, or the veins in a leaf are all possible sources of the omen. Omens are usually consulted only for major events, such as starting a journey, engaging in a battle, or some other significant task. If the DM has knowledge about the likely outcome of an action, then the omen should reflect that. In situations where the DM has no reliable information on which to base the outcome of the omen, then a random die roll should be made: 1 Ill omen: The task should not be undertaken today. Those who ignore the omen and continue suffer a -1 penalty to hit and on saving throws for the rest of the day, with double the normal chance of encounters and a -3 reaction penalty. 2-4 Great danger exists: If the party proceeds, chances for encounters are doubled with a -3 reaction penalty, and opponents gain a +1 bonus to hit. 5-7 Neutral omen: The signs are vague and no special modifiers apply. 8-9 Favorable omen: The party's overland movement is increased by 50% for that day, chances for encounters are halved, and opponents have a -1 penalty to hit against them. 10 Auspicious omen: Benefits as for a favorable omen, with a +1 bonus to hit and on saving throws for the rest of the day. Second Sight: In addition to their worldly status and combat skills, Shamans are very connected to the world of spirits of nature and the land, the wind, and the water. Their frequent communion with spirits provides them with the gift of Second Sight. This grants them a base 5% per level chance to detect hidden or invisible objects or creatures (including secret doors and hidden compartments), see through disguises, note the fact that a given creature is shapechanged or polymorphed into another form, determine the plane of origin of any individual creature, or to detect spellcasting or other magical ability in any creature. In order to use this ability, a Shaman must concentrate for a full round, preventing any other action during the round the power is used. This power can be used as often as desired. If more than one of the above conditions exists within the 100' of the Shaman, a separate check should be made for each. Spirit Guide: All Shamans have a Spirit Guide with whom they have bonded through the course of their training to become Shamans. Their Spirit Guide is an animal spirit of a type determined below, and the Shaman's relationship with his or her Spirit Guide allows him or her to access great magical power. d20 roll Spirit Guide 1-2 Avian, small (e.g., dove, raven, duck, canary, robin, sparrow) Benefits: Excellent Vision 3-5 Avian, predatory (e.g., hawk, eagle, osprey, vulture) Benefits: Excellent Vision 6-7 Nocturnal/subterranean (owl, bat, large spider, giant centipede, lizard) Benefits: Acute Hearing, Night Vision 8-10 Mammal, small (e.g., rat, rabbit, raccoon, squirrel, ferret, porcupine) Benefits: Acute Hearing, Acute Smell (+2 to Tracking, Foraging, and Hunting proficiencies) 11-13 Mammal, medium (e.g., deer, mountain goat, wild boar, antelope) Benefits: Acute Hearing, Fleet Footed 14-17 Mammal, small predator (e.g., fox, wild dog, jackal, lynx, ocelot, badger) Benefits: Acute Smell (+2 to Tracking, Foraging, and Hunting proficiencies) 18 Mammal, medium predator (e.g., wolf, mountain lion, leopard, black bear) Benefits: Acute Smell (+2 to Tracking, Foraging, and Hunting proficiencies) 19 Mammal, large predator (e.g., tiger, lion, brown bear) 20 Reptile/amphibian (e.g., toad, snake, lizard, salamander) Benefits: +2 to saves vs. poison The Shaman's Spirit Guide is bonded to the character, but it has its own business to attend to in the spirit world. Hence, each day a Shaman must chant, pray, and perform a ceremonial dance for at least one turn (reduced by one round per level of the Shaman over 9th, to a minimum of one round at 18th level) in order to summon his or her Spirit Guide to aid and assist him or her for the day. The chance of the Spirit Guide being successfully summoned is 10% per level of the Shaman, plus 10% per turn of chanting and dancing after the first (with the chance checked at the end of each turn), to a maximum of 90%. A roll of 00 indicates that the spirit is angry and will not respond to the Shaman's call for 1d6 days or until the Shaman offers some special sacrifice to propitiate the spirit. This animal spirit acts as an advisor and intermediary to the Shaman with other parts of the spirit world. It can offer advice and observations to the Shaman based on things that have transpired within the local area or that have happened to other members of the species and have been passed along, though their worldview is influenced by their species and how it has been treated by others, particularly the Shaman and those with whom he or she associates. They have considerable interest in ensuring that the Shaman and his or her associates treat animals and nature in general and their species in particular with respect; e.g., they do not object to hunting, so long as such hunting is neither wanton nor disrespectful of the creatures hunted. It is important to note that no creature of the Spirit Guide's species will harm the Shaman in any way unless it is being magically controlled or unless the Spirit Guide is angry with the Shaman. A Shaman's Spirit Guide imparts a bit of its essence to the Shaman at the time of bonding, conferring the above-listed benefits at no cost to the Shaman. In addition, as a Shaman advances in level he or she gains other abilities. At 5th level, a Shaman gains the ability to shape change into the form of his or her Spirit Guide once per day for every five levels (rounding down), retaining his or her own normal saving throws and hit points but taking on all other aspects of the animal form. This shape change requires a full round of concentration and can be maintained indefinitely or can be ended at any time. If any damage is suffered in animal form, 10% to 60% of it is healed when the Shaman returns to human form. At 10th level, a Shaman can retain his or her normal human form but can take any of the attributes of his or her Spirit Guide; hence, the Shaman could use the movement rate (including flight, swimming, or climbing), Armor Class, attack routine (THAC0, number of attacks, and damage per attack, including poison if applicable), sensory abilities, etc. Only one such attribute may be used at a time, but the Shaman may freely switch attributes by concentrating for one round. While using one of these animal attributes, the Shaman retains his or her humanoid form but his or her appearance may change (e.g., if flying, he or she will grow wings like those of the Spirit Guide; if attacking, he or she will grow claws and teeth (or other natural weapons) like those of the Spirit Guide). Once per day, the Shaman can ask his or her Spirit Guide to invoke one of the following magical spell effects on his or her behalf: speak with animals, animal friendship, charm person or mammal, locate animal, animal spy, hold animal, polymorph self (into the same type of animal as his or her Spirit Guide), or animal summoning I. This takes one round of chanting and a successful Wisdom check. If the check is successful, the Shaman gains the power to cast the spell in question (taking effect at his or her level). The spell may be cast immediately or may be retained for up to one full day, but no further magical favors can be requested until the spell is used. If the check is failed, the Spirit Guide is unable to provide any direct magical assistance for that day. A Shaman of 5th level can instead request animal summoning II or for the spirit to stand guard with the effect of a Mordenkainen's faithful hound spell, though of course in the shape of the animal spirit. A Shaman of 10th level can request animal summoning III, anti-animal shell, heal, or for the spirit to manifest itself in physical form as a double-sized (or giant-sized, if a very small animal) version of its species with maximum hit points. In addition to this direct magical aid, a Shaman's Spirit Guide is able to act as an intermediary between the Shaman and the spirit world and allows the Shaman to call upon the power of these spirits in the form of magical spells from other magical sources. A Shaman does not memorize spells or even follow the spell progression table as other priests do. Instead, whenever a Shaman desires to cast a spell he or she dispatches the Spirit Guide to commune with the local spirits for their aid in providing the assistance that he or she has requested. Shamans are somewhat limited in the types of spells that they can request, however, with major access to the Animal, Elemental (Air, Earth, Water), Nature, and Plant spheres and minor access to All, Divination, Elemental (Fire, Ice), Healing, Protection, Travelers, Wards, and Weather. This request for magical aid from the spirits of nature is not instantaneous, however, and a Spirit Guide requires a certain amount of time and effort to find spells for the Shaman. The higher the spell's level, the longer the Spirit Guide must search and the greater the chance that its search will fail. The basic time required is 1d6 rounds plus one round per level of the spell being requested. However, if the spell is of a higher level than could be cast by a priest of the same level, then the search requires 1d6 turns plus one turn per level of the spell. The exception to this is that spells of the Animal and Nature spheres take only one round (or turn) per level of the spell to search for, due to the Shaman's closer attunement with the spirits and forces involved in such magic. The chance of success of the Spirit Guide in bringing back the requested spell is a base of 50 percent, modified as follows (note that a roll of 91 or above always indicates failure): - Each level of the Shaman: +5 percent - Each level of the spell: -10 percent - Wisdom score 15-16: +5 percent - Wisdom score 17-18: +10 percent - Spell is a Common spell: +10 percent - Spell is a Rare spell: -10 percent - Spell is a Very Rare priest spell: -20 percent If the modified chance is 0 or less, the Spirit Guide cannot successfully find the spell. Also, if the die roll result is a natural 00, the search will be unsuccessful and the Spirit Guide will be delayed for 1d10 rounds (or turns). Each time the Spirit Guide is sent to retrieve the same spell within a single day 24-hour period, regardless of previous success or failure in finding the same spell, it suffers a penalty of 10 percent (cumulative) to its chance of successfully finding the spell for each attempt after the first to retrieve that spell. Note that the Spirit Guide will be absent for the full length of time required to find the spell, regardless of whether or not it is successful. If it fails, it will return to the Shaman extremely apologetic for its failure and ready to undertake any new task. If the roll is successfully made, the Shaman now possesses the spell and may cast it at any time within one turn per experience level of receiving the spell. It is important to note that the Shaman's Spirit Guide cannot be dispatched to retrieve another spell until the Shaman has cast the spell that has already been brought. The Spirit Guide provides the Shaman with all information required to cast the spell, including any material components required. If the Shaman does not wish to collect the material components, however, he or she has the option of casting the spell without them, though this will increase the casting time of the spell by one order of time units; i.e., turns become hours, rounds become turns, initiative modifiers become full rounds. Shamans never need to use a holy symbol as a material component, however, as their ritualistic tattoos and body paint replace the need for such things. Special Hindrances: Shamans gain a host of special abilities, but they must pay a significant cost for them. Their chief disadvantage is that they do not have memorized spells on command at all times. Anytime they need a spell, they must ask their Spirit Guide to provide them with a direct magical favor or dispatch their Spirit Guide to attempt to enlist the aid of nature spirits nearby to enact the spell they desire, with a delay before the magic arrives, and with success never automatic, regardless of the Shaman's level. Also, on some days their Spirit Guide will not be available to assist them and they must make do with assistance already offered and their other abilities. Shamans may not become multi-classed, and they do not gain experience point bonuses for having high ability scores. Further, their strange appearance and barbaric mannerisms make strangers who are not themselves barbarians or nomads very wary of him or her, applying a -2 reaction penalty. Further, the best possible reaction with such NPCs is "indifferent," never "friendly." Shamans may never retain henchmen or hirelings, but at 12th level a Shaman will attract 1d4 novice Shamans (1st level) to serve them and learn from them. A Shaman who is ready to progress to 12th level and join the Circle of Aged Masters must meditate for 24 hours communicating with the spirits and obtaining from them a special spirit quest, granting them a series of visions to guide them on the path that they must take to achieve enlightenment and gain the desired level. Some spirit quests will allow the Shaman to bring along associates, while some will require the Shaman to go it alone. The precise nature of a spirit quest is highly variable, though it is often some special service on behalf of their tribe, their culture, or the spirits that give them their powers. It may also relate to the type of weapon or creature against which the Shaman hopes to gain immunity at 12th level (see Special Benefits - Circle of Aged Masters above). If a Shaman fails or abandons the spirit quest, he or she is immediately dropped to the minimum experience point level for 11th level and must again accrue experience points until 12th level could be reached again, at which point a new spirit quest must be undertaken. This process continues until a Shaman successfully completes a spirit quest, at which point the new level is gained. A Shaman must repeat this spirit quest each time he or she wishes to advance a level beyond 12th. Shamans disdain traditional "civilized" magic, especially over-reliance on magical items. A Shaman may own no more than one magical item per three levels of experience (rounding up). Similarly, they disdain reliance on wealth and material possessions. A Shaman can begin play with a suit of hide armor and a single weapon in whose use he or she is proficient, plus 1d4 x 10 g.p. besides to buy other equipment. Bonus Proficiencies: Chanting, Survival (in native terrain) Required Proficiencies: up to three slots from the following Preferred Proficiencies. All remaining initial slots must be used for preferred proficiencies from the Shaman's area of origin. Preferred Proficiencies: Acute Hearing, Alertness, Animal Lore, Awareness, Dancing, Direction Sense, Distance Sense, Endurance, Excellent Vision, Foraging, Hunting, Immovability, Intimidation, Jumping, Navigation, Night Vision, Running, Sixth Sense, Tannery, Tracking In addition to the above preferred proficiencies for all Shamans, other preferred proficiencies apply, depending on the Shaman's area of origin: Arctic: Camouflage, Fire-building, Fishing, Mountaineering, Navigation, Weather Sense Coastal: Boat Building, Boating, Brewing, Carpentry, Fishing, Navigation, Rope Use, Seamanship, Signaling, Swimming, Weather Sense Desert/Plains: Bowyer/Fletcher, Display Weapon Prowess, Leatherworking, Riding (Land-based), Riding Specialization, Set Snares, Veterinary Healing Forest/Jungle: Ambush, Animal Noise, Bowyer/Fletcher, Camouflage, Carpentry, Dodge Blow, Healing, Herbalism, Set Snares, Trailing, Wickerwork Swamp: as Forest/Jungle and Coastal Hill/Mountain: Ambush, Camouflage, Fire-building, Leatherworking, Mining, Mountaineering, Running, Set Snares, Stonemasonry, Tunneling Forbidden Proficiencies: Reading/Writing, plus any proficiency from the Psionicist, Rogue, or Wizard list that is not listed above.