Post/Author/DateTime	Post
The_Cheeseman 11-22-06, 02:01 PM	THE SHAMAN Post-edit additions are hilighted in purple. A shaman is an elven mystic who acts as an intermediary between the material plane and the spiritual realms. By strengthening the natural ties that elves possess with nature, magic, and the elements, a shaman is able to draw upon that power to call forth avatars of the spirits who aid her in battle. The act of summoning a spirit is taxing and success is never guaranteed, but those who master the art are never without allies. MAKING A SHAMAN Abilities: Charisma is by far the most important ability score for a shaman, for it is what allows her to make pacts with the spirits and call them to her side. After mid-levels, it also helps to shore up the gaps in her defense, granting a significant bonus to her AC and saving throws. A shaman who expects to encounter battle often may consider a high Dexterity score, to compliment her light armor and help avoid attacks. Because her spirit calling ability relies heavily on Concentration, a strong Constitution score is a wise choice, as would be a decent Wisdom score to defend against distracting mind-effects. Since the shaman is by no means a front-line class, Strength can be easily overlooked in favor of a good Intelligence score to enhance her already respectable skill points. Races: Only elves have the spiritual ties necessary to become a shaman. Wood elves are the most likely subrace to choose this path, as they are close to nature and form strong bonds with their environments. However, shaman may also be found among the dark elves, who use the power of the spirits to shape the walls of their cavernous homes and light their way through the depths of the underworld. High elves are usually too caught-up in politics and intrigue to be bothered with the goings-on of the spirit world, and gray elves prefer to pursue the magical arts via independent study and research, rather than through so-called folk religion. Alignment: The mysterious and mystical nature of the spirit world lends itself to exploration by more neutral or chaotic individuals, making these the most common alignments for shamans. The spirits themselves are largely amoral beings, and they will form bonds with good and evil individuals alike. Starting Gold: 2d4x10 (50 gp) Starting Age: As druid CLASS FEATURES Table: The Shaman......Hit Die: D6 Level......BAB......Fort......Ref......W ill......Special 1st.........+0.......+0........+2....... +2......sense elements, Spirit Calling 2nd........+1........+0.......+3.......+ 3.......DR 1/cold iron 3rd.........+1.......+1........+3....... +3.......detect spirits 4th.........+2.......+1........+4....... +4......Spiritual Affinity (1st) 5th.........+2.......+1........+4....... +4......DR 2/cold iron 6th.........+3.......+2........+5....... +5......Unearthly Grace 7th.........+3.......+2........+5....... +5......Spirit Link (telepathic, medium range) 8th.........+4.......+2........+6....... +6......Spiritual Affinity (2nd) 9th.........+4.......+3........+6....... +6......Veil of Spirits 10th.......+5.......+3........+7.......+ 7......DR 3/cold iron 11th.......+5.......+3........+7.......+ 7 12th.....+6/+1....+4........+8.......+8......Spiritu al Affinity (3rd) 13th.....+6/+1....+4........+8.......+8 14th.....+7/+2....+4........+9.......+9......Spirit Link (sensory, long range) 15th.....+7/+2....+5........+9.......+9......DR 4/cold iron 16th.....+8/+3....+5........+10.....+10....Spiritual Affinity (4th) 17th.....+8/+3....+5........+10.....+10 18th.....+9/+4....+6........+11.....+11......Solace of Spirits 19th.....+9/+4....+6........+11.....+11 20th....+10/+5...+6........+12.....+12......Spiritua l Affinity (5th), Spirit Who Walks Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level, x4 at 1st level): Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Heal, Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (history), Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nature), Knowledge (the planes), Listen, Ride, Spellcraft, Spot, Survival, and Swim. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: You are proficient with all simple weapons, light martial weapons, ranged martial weapons, and light armor. Bonus Languages: Your bonus language options include Auran, Aquan, Ignan, Sylvan, and Terran. These choices are in addition to the bonus languages available to you because of your race. Sense Elements (Sp): At will, as a full-round action, you can become aware of all sources of one specific element (air, earth, fire, or water) within 10 feet of you. Living creatures are usually considered to be composed of all four elements. You learn the size of the objects but not their precise location or actual nature. By concentrating longer, you can either extend your magical senses or gather more information about the elements you have detected. Each additional round spent in concentration allows you to add 5 feet to the radius of your sense ability, to a maximum of 5 additional feet per shaman level. Alternatively, you can focus on one source of the sensed element per round, attempting a Spellcraft check to determine more about that single item. The amount of information discovered depends on the Spellcraft check result: ***SNIP: Table Removed*** Like many divination spells, your sense elements ability is blocked by 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt. Spirit Calling (Su): By calling upon the wills of nature and the elements, you can use your ties to the spiritual realms to conjure powerful incarnations of the very essence of magic. This ability may be used at will, and allows you to summon any spirit creature (a spirit creature is any creature of the elemental or fey type or the spirit subtype) with a CR equal to or less than your shaman level as if by using the summon nature’s ally spell. To use this ability, you must spend one full round to focus your mind and project your will onto the spiritual plane (this action provokes attacks of opportunity from all enemies who threaten you). At the beginning of your next turn, roll a d20 and add your shaman class level and your Charisma modifier. If this result is greater than 10 + double the CR of the chosen spirit, the summoning was a success and the creature materializes in the nearest space adjacent to you, ready to act immediately. You may take ten on the summoning check if you spend 10 rounds doing so, giving you ample time to bargain with and flatter the spirits you petition for aid. You may also take 20, but this extends the time to 10 minutes. The first time you use this ability to summon a specific kind of creature, the subject appears as an average member of its race. From that point onward, each time you summon that kind of creature again, your call is answered by the same individual. If you summon a certain spirit multiple times in a day, it appears each time in the same state it last left, including its current hit points, used spells or spell-like abilities, level/ability drain, disease, or other conditions. The durations of temporary effects, such as spells or potions, continue to expire when the subject is not in your presence. Once you have rested, all spirits you summoned over the course of the previous day are restored to their normal state as average members of their race. Summoned spirits do not retain any items given to them upon previous summonings. If a spirit dies while in your service, you are unable to summon it again that day, and you suffer a -5 penalty on the summoning check to use spirit call to summon any other spirit for the rest of the day. The summoned creature is completely loyal to you, and it will follow your commands as best it can. You have an empathic link with your summoned ally that extends up to short range (25 feet + 5 feet per every 2 shaman levels), allowing you to communicate simple emotions or desires at a distance. If you ever lose line of effect to your summoned ally, or if it moves beyond the range of your empathic link, the effect ends - returning the creature to its home plane immediately. You may dismiss your spirit ally as a free action, otherwise it will remain for up to 24 hours. At your option, you may have any spell or spell-like ability your spirit ally casts on itself also affect you. You must be within 5 feet at the time of casting to receive the benefit. Additionally, your spirit ally may cast a spell with a target of "You" on you (as a touch range spell) instead of on itself. Damage Reduction (Ex): Upon reaching 2nd level, your bond with your spirit kin grows, granting you damage reduction 1/cold iron. Your damage reduction further improves to 2/cold iron at 5th level, 3/cold iron at 10th level, and 4/cold iron at 15th level. Detect Spirits (Sp): At 3rd level, you gain the ability to perceive nearby spirits. At will, you can use detect spirits as a spell-like ability. It functions just like detect undead, except it detects spirits. Spiritual Affinity (Ex): At 4th level, and every 4 shaman levels thereafter (8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th) you form an even more intimate bond with one group of spirits that you favor. Each time you gain a new spiritual affinity, choose one of the following groups of spirits. You receive a +1 bonus to your effective shaman level and a +1 bonus on summoning checks for the purpose of summoning spirits of that kind. Water Affinity: You have a strong bond with all creatures of the aquatic, cold, or water subtypes, or those that list aquatic terrain in the Environment entry of its description. Fire Affinity: You are especially drawn to creatures of the fire subtype, or those that list desert terrain in the Environment entry of its description. Earth Affinity: You strengthen your spiritual ties to any creature with the earth subtype, or those that list mountains, hills, or underground in the Environment entry of its description. Air Affinity: Your bond is especially strong with creatures of the air subtype, or those that list plains terrain in the Environment entry of its description. Nature Affinity: You share a greater link with creatures who list the forest terrain in the Environment entry of its description. Dark Affinity: Your kin are those creatures with the evil or shadow subtypes, or that list the marsh or underground terrain in the Environment entry of its description. Each time you gain an additional Spiritual Affinity, you may choose an affinity you have already chosen, and gain an additional +1 bonus on your shaman level and summoning checks for that group of spirits. If one creature would belong to more than one group for which you have an affinity, the bonuses from all applicable affinities stack. Unearthly Grace (Ex): After 6th level, you begin to display the otherworldly manner of your spirit kin. You add your Charisma modifier as a bonus on all your saving throws, and as a deflection bonus to your Armor Class. Spirit Link (Su): At 7th level, the link you share with your summoned spirit grows stronger. You can now communicate telepathically with your spirit ally, regardless of language, with a range of medium (100 feet + 10 feet per shaman level). You must still maintain line of effect with your spirit at all times. At 14th level, your bond improves again, allowing you to sense anything your spirit ally senses as if you were seeing through its eyes, and hearing through its ears. This superior link extends to long range (400 feet, + 40 feet per shaman level) and no longer requires line of effect to maintain. Veil of Spirits (Su): Upon reaching 9th level, you gain the protective blessing of the spirit world when you project your essence into their realm. After successfully summoning a spirit to your side, you gain the benefit of a constant sanctuary spell (DC 11 + your Charisma modifier), as cast by a cleric of your shaman level. This effect lasts for as long as you maintain concentration on your summoned spirit ally. Solace of Spirits (Su): After 18th level, your spiritual protection is enhanced, allowing you to find refuge between the material and spiritual planes. While you concentrate to maintain the link with your spirit ally, you gain the benefits of the ethereal jaunt spell, in addition to the protection bestowed by your Veil of Spirits ability. Spirit Who Walks (Ex): At 20th level, you become one with the spirit world. You are forevermore treated as a fey instead of a humanoid for the purposes of spells and magical effects. Additionally, your damage reduction improves to 5/cold iron. PLAYING A SHAMAN Shamans choose to adventure for many reasons, for each individual shaman is as unique as the spirits she reveres. Some seek to strengthen their ties with nature by exploring the world and discovering its natural wonders, while perhaps others seek only to use their dominion over the spirit world to broaden their power on this plane. Religion: Some shamans worship nature and the spirits, revering them as deities in their own right, or as a primal powers even beyond the ken of the divine. Others see the spirits merely as reflections of the world, little more than puppets to be controlled by those with the power to do so. To the former, the life of a shaman is its own religion, each day bringing them into closer harmony with their perceived gods. The latter consider shamanism completely separate from her religion, and could follow any belief system commonly practiced by her culture. Other Classes: Being quite fragile, most shamans prefer to adventure alongside at least one or two more combat-capable individuals. Summoning takes a significant amount of time, and leaves the shaman quite vulnerable in the interim, so having some strong allies to shield her from the front lines is vital to a shaman’s survival. Shamans get along well with druids, spirit shamans, rangers, and clerics of nature deities, seeing all these as merely different means of discovering the spirits for one’s self. Totemic barbarians and even some sorcerers can also be of interest to a shaman, for similar reasons. Unfortunately, since their beliefs differ so greatly from most clerics and paladins, shamans often find followers of those classes difficult to understand and have a hard time working closely with them. Shamans are often met with disdain by studious wizards or archivists, who sometimes view shamanic practices antiquated or at worst, outright phony. Combat: With only a 6-sided hit die and little in the way of armor proficiency, a shaman is usually best when away from the front lines. Finding a safe spot to stop and summon your spirit ally is important, as you will often miss the first crucial rounds of combat. However, once you have done so, you will be a powerful combatant, bringing to bear the raw strength of a greater elemental, the subtle guile of the mischievous sprites, or a dizzying array of spell-like abilities from your spirit ally. Be careful not to let that power go to your head, however. Far too often has an up-and-coming shaman tried in vain to repeatedly summon a spirit beyond his means, only to find that he had lost favor with the spirits at a crucial moment! Advancement: Shamanism is usually a personal journey, and thus there are few hierarchies devoted to it specifically. Because of this, most shamans seek advancement through other means, either by using their powers to gain wealth and fame, or to help advance a cause - just as any other adventurer would.
The_Cheeseman 11-22-06, 02:05 PM	Just wanted to get some feedback on this new class I designed. Think it would be fun to play? Is it too weak, or too powerful? What could I do to tighten it up and get it ready for play? I appreciate any feedback, but I am especially fond of that which includes data or at least citations where I can get more information. Therefore, if you are going to say that, "Gee this class sucks!" please at least tell me why you think that way, and if you're feeling like a swell fellow, give me a couple of suggestions! I love suggestions - and criticism! So bring it on, tell me what you really think!
Blue23 11-22-06, 07:12 PM	Came over here from your post on the CO boards. A few thoughts. First is that because this is based on Shaman character level, it's a core class that really looses out on prestige classes, because none of them will advance casting. You may want to put in a special note that +1 caster classes could advance it, much like the Warlock (CArc). Second, this gets to an interesting point of CR vs. ECL. Since you can maintain the summoning for as long as you are willing to concentrate (and it doesn't look like damage can force concentrationchecks for either summoning or keeping), you definitely can keep it around for long enough to use all of it's special abilities. Some special abilities might be a bit powerful for a character to have access to every day, or even more if willing to use up powers, release, and then get another of the same type. The base MM doesn't seem too bad on first glace, but with other Monster Manuals, I can picture something that has a 1/day or even more frequent ability that would be very significantly more powerful then a PC of that level shoudl have regular access to, which getting back to the beginning of this point is the primary difference when then rate CR vs. ECL. A quick example. Dryad, ar CR 3, has the following spell like abilities cast at twice that level: At will—entangle (DC 13), speak with plants, tree shape; 3/day— charm person (DC 13), deep slumber (DC 15), tree stride; 1/day—suggestion (DC 15). Caster level 6th. Another example: A nymph has a CR of 7, casts as a 7th level druid plus has a number of other abilities like stunning glace and blinding beauty. And if you go through all the spells of a 7th level druid, just release them and summon another one. Finally, I'm not too sure how much fun this would be. In the end, you can never attack or do standard/full round actions while using your primary ability since you need a standard action each round to concentrate, so you're not really playing you, just playing the summon. Because the summoning mechanic penalizes you for each attempt, you don't even want to let a summon go between encounters, so it could effect RP and other non-encounter time. A few suggestions: First, I'd have you summon the same creature ever time. Furnacii the Fire Elemental and Duanna the Dryad vs Generic Fire Elemental #3234. Gives the player fun to make personities, develop them, etc. It also avoids issues like summoning something easy for limited use abilities, then dismissing it and getting another of the same to use more abilities. Perhaps each creature needs to be met or have a binding ritual to control the sheer versatility of an unbound summoner. Second, Fey in particular often have lots of abilities on a less powerful frame (low CR). Perhaps they should be harder to control then simple-minded elementals, perhaps a charisma check to force them to use powers or something. I'd suggest using ECL instead of Cr, but many don't list it, and I think it would be too limiting. Third, after a successful summoning I'd let them dismiss without increasing the check penalty - changes for forcing them to keep it around all the time. The flip side of that is to disallow multiple attempts at the same creature the same day. A CR at level might be a 50/50 chance, but if you can try it 3 or 4 times and not be too worse off, that could be a problem. Last, a flavor comment - aren't feys normally HURT by cold iron? Perhaps make it DR/silver, which seems more in theme. Good luck - you have an inovative concept, I think that with ironing out a few wrinkles it could be a lot of fun. Cheers, =Blue(23)
The_Cheeseman 11-22-06, 08:17 PM	Thanks for the feedback! I really appreciate it. You make a few excellent points, at least one of which I cannot believe I missed. I actually meant for the "same creature every time" rule from the beginning. When I was planning the class with a friend of mine, we discussed this concept, and we agreed that you should be able to summon the same creature multiple times per day, but that it would be more difficult each time (it doesn't want to be bothered) and it will always appear in the same state as it left. So if you dismiss Sam the Fire Elemental at the very last second with only 3 HP left, summoning him again that day will bring him back at 3 HP. (of course, any spell effect durations would still expire, even when they are not present). Any spell-like abilities they may have used while in your service earlier that day will remain expended. Secondly, it was actually the intent of the class to "play the summon" as such. I really pictured it as a creative means of spontaneous casting. If you need to cast Faerie Fire (don't ask me why, just play along) you can summon a grig, have him cast it, and then dismiss him. I also intentionally made the shaman herself very weak, but also highly defensive, to allow her to stand back and call powerful elementals to fight her battles for her. As for the ECL vs. CR issue, I am well aware of that, believe me, and I went through many revisions of the class where I looked into the listed ECL's of those fey that had them, where they fell on the summon nature's ally lists, comparing them with creatures of similar levels, and comparing the abilities they have with warlock invocations and binder granted powers of equivilent level. In the end, after all that, I looked at the Cleric and Druid classes and decided there was really nothing in the shaman that could even approach them. So I decided that perhaps a simple, elegant solution would be best. After running the numbers, it seemed like that you'd getter better results playing it safe and summoning spirits below your CR, rather than risk even a 50% failure chance and a growing penalty for failure. So, in a way, the mechanic causes the player to place limits on himself. Finally, I guess I just assumed that it was implied that the Concentration required to maintain the summon would be disrupted by anything that disrupts a spell, but I'll make sure to add that wording later on. I really didn't plan for the shaman to summon one spirit at the beginning of the day and keep it around. I figured that the shaman would summon different spirits at the beginning of each encounter, depending on the specific needs of that encounter, and I even included the full-round casting time as a balancing factor in my estimation of class effectiveness. Basically, the concentration is meant to immobilize the caster, forcing him to give up his own actions for that of his spirit ally. Basically, you're right, you are "playing the summon." This state is supposed to leave the caster vulnerable, almost helpless, which is why I added the Veil of Spirits abilities. Any thoughts on how to better enforce this restriction?
The_Shaman 11-22-06, 09:07 PM	Last, a flavor comment - aren't feys normally HURT by cold iron? Perhaps make it DR/silver, which seems more in theme. Good luck - you have an inovative concept, I think that with ironing out a few wrinkles it could be a lot of fun. Cheers, =Blue(23) Nope, DR X/some material means that all attacks with weapons NOT made of this material do X less damage. In other words, that is the material these creatures are vulnerable to. Check the pixie - DR 10/Cold Iron.
The_Cheeseman 11-22-06, 09:11 PM	Sorry friend, but I am afraid I didn't make a base class based on you. ;)
Blue23 11-23-06, 01:04 AM	Nope, DR X/some material means that all attacks with weapons NOT made of this material do X less damage. In other words, that is the material these creatures are vulnerable to. Check the pixie - DR 10/Cold Iron. *smacks forehead* Can I blame it on temporary insanity? Sunspots? You're right, I'm wrong. Cheers, =Blue(23)
The_Cheeseman 11-24-06, 07:57 AM	Just a quick bump. I look forward to hearing your responses!