Revision as of 12:42, 19 December 2010

Shaman

A shaman

"In the storm that is the elements, I am the calm in the center."

The druid's province is the environment; he concerns himself with each part of the world in turn, attuning himself to the various natural places of the planet. The shaman takes a much different approach to Nature, however: rather than attune herself to a specific land, she attunes herself to the cycle of elements. This universal approach allows her to access the power of Nature wherever she may go, but she requires her chosen elements to work with.

For the shaman, the concept of balance is pantamount. Whereas other Natural classes tend towards variety and versatility, the shaman's abilities are incredibly focused; while a creative shaman can attain versatility, she will always be restricted to her chosen elements. A shaman's choice of elemental speaks a good deal about her personality, as well as the method in which she uses them; oftentimes younger shamans will favor one element over others, while older shamans often seek to combine their chosen elements in achieving their aims.

Adventures: Shamans seek challenges that require them to use the elements in different ways, allowing them to experiment with new combinations, as well as challenging them to gain a more thorough understanding of the elements. Some shamans seek to share their beliefs about balance with others, and one of the best ways to show the strength of elemental balance is via adventuring.

Characteristics: The shaman is a powerful Force-user, if her chosen elements are available; while other Force-users are limited in some fashion, a shaman can continue to use her abilities again and again. However, this power comes at a price: a shaman without access to her elements is next to useless. Shamans have a keen understanding of the elements and how they interact, and are often knowledgeable of the other Forces in their Trinity (Divine and Void).

Religion: As part of the Trinity of Philosophy (in which resides Divine), shamans often actively refuse to worship a deity. They acknowledge Nature as the more powerful force in the world, an impartial creator that demands nothing and gives nothing in return. She acknowledges the cycle of elements as a reflection of the circle of life, and believes in that order above all else.

Background: Shamans often come from more primal backgrounds, as cultures that have developed complex social or technological advances often lose touch with the natural world. Shamans may come from such complicated lands, though these shaman are often distraught and feel a need to return to a simpler time and world. Shamans may be attracted to more civilized lands by the lure of possibly teaching new people about the elements, or simply to reach an understanding with such people.

Races: Any race with a natural connection to Nature is an excellent fit for the shaman, and races that tend towards tribal or loose groupings (such as halflings or orcs), as well as those that dwell in wilderness rather than in cities, may produce shamans. Races and nations that have well-developed or complicated social settings or technological advances may lack the primal understanding necessary to produce shamans.

Other Forces: Shamans get along well with any Natural class, and they tend to detest any Divine or Void class. Shamans also tend towards a dislike of Technology, though there certainly are shamans keenly interested in such gadgets; those who show an interest in Technology often espouse the philosophy that both Nature and Technology seek to reinforce the natural laws of the world. Magic and Psionics, however, are often seen as "cheating" the world. Time, Blue, and Chaos are often left unconsidered by most shaman; some are intrigued by Time's abilities, while others despise it as the worst sort of manipulation of the natural world. Blue is often seen as a useful tool to show that a primal understanding of the elements was once common to most people, while Chaos is often simply ignored due to its nature.

Role: The shaman is a Force-user, and that usually means that she will be in the back of an adventuring party, using her Force abilities. Her ability to use geomancy at will, with no limits, can be incredibly useful, but the requirement that her elements be present may make her unreliable. A shaman's abilities are also greatly influenced by which elements she chooses: more than almost any other Force-user, the shaman has the capacity for wielding a wide array of energy types.

Game Rule Information

Shamans have the following game statistics.

Force Alignment: Nature.

Force Resistances: DI 5 + level, VI 5 + level.

Abilities: Wisdom is the shaman's most important ability, as it modifies and improves her ability to manipulate the elements.

Hit Die: d6.

Class Skills: The Shaman’s class skills are Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Knowledge (History) (Int), Knowledge (Geography) (Int), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Naturecraft (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int.

Alignment: Any neutral.

Ethos: Green @ d10, and at least three ranks higher than either Black or Blue.

Starting Age: Simple.

Starting Gold: 3d4 x 10gp.

Favored By: None.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the shaman.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Shamans are proficient with all simple weapons and light armor, but not shields.

Geomancy (Na): The powers a shaman wields are collectively known as geomancy, though it is not Magic by any stretch of the imagination. Rather, a shaman who uses geomancy calls upon the elemental cycle inherent in the world, allowing her to produce effects by calling upon the raw elements from which existence is woven.

Elements (Ge): The shaman understands the world in terms of elements, the fundamental building blocks of existence. The elements are cyclical, and there is a natural progression, beginning with gravity in the center, and ending with cosmos on the outmost edge. Certain terrains are focal points for raw elemental power, but unlike the druid - who utilizes all aspects of a given terrain - the shaman focuses on the flow of elemental energy through a place.

A shaman need not ever have experienced a terrain that is a focal point for a given element for purposes of geomancy; her contemplation and commune with Nature allow her to arrive at the understanding of an element without ever having experienced it.

Gifts (Ge): Each specific application of elemental power in from a given element set is called a Gift. A shaman who has attained complete understanding of a given element automatically learns a basic Gift tied to that terrain, but she can spend additional time to gain a further understanding of how the element and the force of Nature interact, giving her access to additional Gifts tied to that element.

A Gift used within its home element can be used freely. However, using a Gift of an element other than the one a druid finds herself in causes Stress.

Stress (Ge): Stress represents Nature's insistence on the natural order of things - snow should remain where snow is, and not elsewhere, and so on.

A shaman who uses Gifts accrues Stress towards that element. Each Gift indicates in its description how much Stress it causes when used.

If a shaman accrues more Stress towards a given element than her Max Stress, she is immediately cut off from that element's Gifts, and any effects caused by Gifts of that terrain that are in effect immediately cease.

A shaman relieves 1 point of Stress towards all elements when she gets a night's rest. In addition, while in a given terrain, her Stress towards the element associated with that terrain is reduced by her Wisdom modifier every hour.

Once per day, as a full-round action, a shaman can make a Concentration check against DC 25 to attempt to relieve additional Stress. If she is successful, she reduces her Stress towards the element associated with the current terrain by the amount by which she overcame the DC.

Attune Totem: A shaman is well-versed in the elemental cycle, and while she respects it, she also understands that there are times when it must be broken.

A shaman can spend 24 hours attuning herself to an item, which must be spent in a terrain associated the element she wants the totem to be attuned to. After the meditation, the totem is attuned. A shaman can only have one totem attuned at a time.

As a standard action, the shaman can plant the totem in the ground. Doing so generates an elemental field around the totem, with a 10-foot radius. The elemental field is treated as terrain associated with the totem's element. A move action removes the totem and eliminates the elemental field.

Using a totem, however, is highly disruptive to the elemental cycle. Each round the totem is in use, the shaman accrues 1 point of Stress towards the element associated with the terrain the totem is planted in. If this causes the shaman to exceed her Max Stress towards that element, she suffers 1d6+1/level damage of the energy type associated with the terrain Stress is being accrued towards for every point of Stress over her Max Stress.

If a totem is used in a terrain whose associated element opposes the element of the totem, the shaman instead accrues 2 points of Stress each round, and suffers 2d6+2/level damage for each point of Stress over her Max Stress.

A shaman cannot plant a totem if her current Stress equals or exceeds her Max Stress for the totem's element.

Totem Mastery: At 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 8th levels, the shaman's ability with her totem improves. Choose one of the following abilities.

• Attune Extra Totem: You can attune one additional totem. You can take this ability up to three times.
• Elemental Denial (Na): Whenever a creature attempts to produce an effect with an energy type associated with the element opposed to your totem's element within the elemental field of your totem or with a target or area within the field, that creature must make a caster level check against DC 6 + your shaman level, or else the effect fails. You can take this ability multiple times; each time you do, the base DC increases by 1.
• Elemental Empowerment (Na): While within your totem's elemental field, when you use a Gift of your totem's element, you may choose to accrue 1 Stress towards that element to increase your effective geomancer level for that Gift by 1. You can take this ability multiple times; each time you do, you can accrue one additional Stress in exchange for one additional effective level, to a maximum of your Wisdom modifier.
• Elemental Field: The radius of the elemental field produced by your totem increases by 10 feet. You can take this ability multiple times.
• Elemental Fury (Na): All weapons within the elemental field produced by your totem deal half base weapon damage as energy damage, of the energy type associated with the totem's element.
• Elemental Haven (Na): All creatures within the elemental field produced by your totem gain energy resistance equal to your shaman level. This energy resistance is effective against the energy type associated with the element opposed to the element of the totem.
• Induce Weather (Gi): While a totem is planted, the shaman can attempt to petition Nature to modify the weather as a full-round action. Roll a d%; if the result is less than or equal to your Wisdom score, in 1d4+1 rounds, the weather becomes a weather pattern associated with the element of the totem. Such a change lasts 1d6 + your Wisdom modifier rounds, and induces Stress towards the totem's element equal to the effect's duration.
• Soothe Stress (Na): While within the radius of your totem's elemental field, you can spend a full-round action to reduce your Stress towards that element. If you do, you reduce your Stress towards that element by your Wisdom modifier, but increase your Stress towards the element associated with the terrain the totem is planted in by double that amount.

Shaman Talent: At 10th level and every two levels thereafter, the shaman's understanding of the elements of the natural world improves. Choose one of the following abilities.

• Acclimate (Na): Choose one of the elements you have access to. You gain energy resist 20 against the energy type associated with that element. You can take this talent multiple times; each time you do, choose a new element.
  • Improved Acclimate (Na): Choose an energy type you have energy resist against due to acclimate. You are now immune to that energy type. (Prerequisite: Acclimate)
    • Perfect Acclimate (Na): Choose an energy type to which you are immune due to improved acclimate. Whenever you would normally take damage from that energy type, you instead heal 1 point for every 2 points of damage you would have taken. (Prerequisite: Improved Acclimate)
• Ancestral Spirit (Gi): Your understanding of the circular nature of the elements allows you to return creatures to the circle of life that it embodies. You must utilize a Gift of each element in order (starting with any element, going in either direction), targeting the body of the creature to be revived. If the creature has been dead for less than 10 minutes, you revive them, bringing them to 1d6 hit points. A creature revived in this manner must rest for 24 hours, and is incapable of any strenuous activity until such time has passed. (Prerequisites: At least 3 Gifts known from each element)
• Calm of the Sea (Na): Whenever you use a Water gift, also roll a d%. If the result is less than or equal to your Wisdom score, you gain improved uncanny dodge and do not provoke attacks of opportunity. These benefits last for a number of rounds equal to the Stress induced by the gift used. (Prerequisites: At least 8 Water Gifts known)
• Flawless Perfection (Na): Whenever you use an Ice gift, also roll a d%. If the result is less than or equal to your Wisdom score, all rolls you make until the end of your next turn are maximized, but you cannot benefit from critical successes. (Prerequisites: At least 8 Ice Gifts known)
• Infinite Cosmic Power (Na): Whenever you use a Cosmos gift, also roll a d%. If the result is less than or equal to your Wisdom score, you take another turn after this one. This effect cannot occur more than once a round. (Prerequisites: At least 8 Cosmic Gifts known)
• Itty-Bitty Living Space (Na): Whenever you use a Gravity gift, also roll a d%. If the result is less than or equal to your Wisdom score, one of the targets - your choice, if you affected multiple targets - of your gift is also effected as though by the eject jikuu, which lasts for a number of rounds equal to your Wisdom modifier. You may opt to not use this effect. (Prerequisites: At least 8 Gravity Gifts known)
• Light of Creation (Na): Whenever you use a Holy gift, also roll a d%. If the result is less than or equal to your Wisdom score, you gain Fast Healing and a bonus to saving throws against death effects, both equal to your Wisdom modifier. Both effects last for a number of rounds equal to the Stress induced by the Gift used. (Prerequisites: At least 8 Holy Gifts known)
• Lightning Overload (Na): Whenever you use a Lightning gift, also roll a d%. If the result is less than or equal to your Wisdom score, you produce the effect again, but at half-strength. If the effect deals damage, the duplicate effect deals half damage; otherwise, the saving throw DC is halved; otherwise, the duration is halved. If none of these effects apply, then this ability has no effect. (Prerequisites: At least 8 Lightning Gifts known)
• Like A Rock (Na): Whenever you use an Earth gift, also roll a d%. If the result is less than or equal to your Wisdom score, you gain a natural armor bonus to AC equal and a bonus to opposed rolls and saving throws against effects that would cause you to move, compulsion, and charm effects; all these bonuses are equal to your Wisdom modifier. These effects last for a number of rounds equal to the Stress induced by the Gift used. (Prerequisites: At least 8 Earth Gifts known)
• Unholy Blight (Na): Whenever you use a Shadow gift, also roll a d%. If the result is less than or equal to your Wisdom score, you generate an aura of shadow, dealing shadow damage to all creatures within 10 feet equal to your Wisdom modifier at the beginning of your turn. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to the Stress induced by the Gift used. If this effect occurs again while still active, the effects do not stack; use the longer duration of the two effects. (Prerequisites: At least 8 Shadow Gifts known)
• Totem Mastery: A shaman can choose an additional totem mastery ability in place of a special ability.
• Feat: A shaman can gain a bonus feat in place of a special ability.

Elements and Gifts

Gifts, yay! Linkage.

Development Notes

We are moving from an Avatar-esque casting system to something more in line with the druid, because we want some amount of consistency in each force.

Basically, now, the shaman and the druid are both tied to terrain, but in different ways: the druid uses the actual terrain itself, whereas the shaman uses the energy type behind the terrain. The shaman is a more esoteric version of the druid, in a sense.