Revision as of 18:05, 26 February 2017

Shaman

Toph, iconic shaman

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

Calling upon the elemental forces that run through the world, the shaman is the undisputed master of the elements. Her understanding of the natural world is unsurpassed.

Nature primary caster.

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 Points at 1st Level: 5 + Con score.

Hit Points at Each Additional Level: 5 + Con modifier.

Healing Surges: 6 + Con modifier.

Defenses: Fort +0; Ref +2; Will +4; Det +2.

Starting Age: Simple.

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. Whereas the druid looks at a forest and understands the nature of that part of the world, the shaman looks "behind" the forest and into the flow of elemental energy, seeing the forest as a nexus of the element of Wind.

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.

Whenever you gain access to a new element, you may instead choose to forgo gaining such access in favor of strengthening your connection to an element which you can already access. If you do so, choose an element you can access, and increase your max stress towards that element by amount equal to the number of elements you would have access to this level.

Example: Toph is gaining her fifth level of shaman, and would gain access to her fourth element. Toph, however, is very focused on the Earth element, and so would prefer to improve that element. Instead of gaining a fourth element, she instead improves the max stress of her Earth suite by +4.

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.

Using a Gift always causes the shaman to accrue Stress, regardless of whether or not the Gift matches the shaman's current location's elemental association. The exception to this are Basic Gifts, which can be used only in terrain of their particular element; Basic Gifts never cause stress, and can be used freely (unless the shaman's Stress towards that Gift's element is over her max stress).

The saving throw DC for Gifts is equal to 10 + stress induced + your Wisdom modifier. For purposes of saving throw DCs, Basic Gifts are considered to induce Stress equal to one-half your geomancer level, rounded down.

You gain additional gifts known based upon your Wisdom score. Each time you would gain access to a new element, you gain knowledge of one additional gifts for each element you had access to prior to that level, dependent on your Wisdom score. Refer to this table, using the order in which you gained access to elements as their effective spell level. The first two suites you can access at first level both count as 1st-level for purposes of this table.

Example: Mochos has gained his second level of shaman, having chosen Ice and Lightning as his first suites. He chooses Cosmic as his third. With his Wisdom score of 20, Mochos looks on the table to determine his total bonus gifts, and sees that he gains two bonus gifts known for each of his Ice and Lighting (which he treats as 1st-level, in regards to the table). He gains one bonus gift known for each suite at this level. When he gains his fifth level of shaman, and access to a fourth suite, he will gain his second bonus gift known for Ice and Lightning, and a bonus gift known for Cosmic (and his only, because he treats Cosmic as 2nd-level, and thus only gains one bonus gift for his Wisdom score). In essence, according to the table, he gains two bonus gifts for his initial suites, one bonus gift known for his third, fourth, fifth, and sixth suites (which he treats as 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th level, respectively), and no bonus known gifts for suites beyond them.

For purposes of bonus gifts gained, do not count any bonuses to your Wisdom score beyond inherent bonuses or similar such increases.

Each time you would gain knowledge of a new gift, you can instead choose to improve your familiarity with a gift you already know, decreasing the stress it causes you to accrue. If you do so, you can reduce the stress accrued by any gift you know by 1. You cannot reduce a gift's stress to less than half of its original cost. Changing the cost of a gift in this manner does not affect the base saving throw DC for the gift.

Example: Toph focuses solely on Earth, and has no access to any other element. Upon gaining twelfth level, she has learned all possible Earth gifts. Rather than attempt to branch out, she instead uses the two gifts she would have gained at 12th to instead reduce the stress of two of her Earth gifts by 1, though they retain their original base saving throw DCs.

Stress (Ge): Stress represents Nature's insistence on the natural order of things. By manipulating Nature itself to utilize her gifts, a shaman accrues Stress. It doesn't matter where a shaman uses a gift, it always causes her to accrue Stress, even if the terrain she is in matches the element of the gift she is using.

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

Some Gifts have a "+" denoted by their Stress cost. In such cases, you can accrue additional stress towards that gift's suite to improve the gift in some fashion; consult the gift's description to see what the effect is. In addition, you can choose to accrue more stress than necessary when using a gift - each additional stress accrued that is not used to improve the gift (if it can be improved) increases the saving throw DC for the gift by +1. You cannot spend more Stress on a gift than your geomancer level.

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 element that are in effect immediately cease. If you attempt to use a Gift that would put you over your maximum Stress for that Gift's element, the effect occurs (though if it has a duration longer than instantaneous, it instantly ends), and you suffer 1d6+1 damage for each point of Stress over your Maximum Stress incurred; this damage is non-elemental, and cannot be resisted, reduced, or avoided in any fashion.

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.

As a full-round action, a shaman can make a geomancer level check against DC 10 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. Each time you use this ability, the DC for the geomancer level check to use it has its DC increased by 5 (thus the first time in a day is 10, the second is 15, the third is 20, and so on). A shaman cannot take 20 on this check, regardless of circumstances, though he can take 10 if able to take 10 on geomancer level checks.

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.

Elemental Affinity: A shaman's attunement to the elements gives them benefits while in terrain related to that element; however, this ability requires that the shaman have experience with that element (meaning that you have must access to gifts of that element's suite).

While in a terrain with an elemental affinity, she gains the following relevant ability; if multiple elements are present, you gain all relevant abilities. These effects stack with each other (for example, if in Water and Ice terrain when a creature attempts to charm you, you gain double your Wisdom bonus as a bonus to the save made against that effect, provided you have access to the Water and Ice suites; while in Fire and Shadow terrain, all ongoing damage you inflict is increased by double your Wisdom modifier, provided you have access to the Fire and Shadow suites; and so on).

• Gravity's Pull (Na): While in Gravity terrain, a radius of squares around you equal to your Wisdom modifier are treated as difficult terrain.
• Shadow's Decay (Na): While in Shadow terrain, increase all ongoing damage you inflict by your Wisdom modifier.
• Earth's Root (Na): While in Earth terrain, effects that would cause you to move (such as bullrush or trip attempts, or wind) treat you as though you were a number of size categories larger equal to your Wisdom modifier.
• Water's Purity (Na): While in Water terrain, you gain a bonus to saving throws against effects that would inflict a status ailment equal to your Wisdom modifier.
• Ice's Clarity (Na): While in Ice terrain, you can take 10 on shaman class skills in which you have ranks even if you would otherwise be unable to do so.
• Wind's Freedom (Na): While in Wind terrain, you ignore difficult terrain.
• Lightning's Flash (Na): While in Lightning terrain, you can take an additional 5-foot step each round.
• Flame's Destruction (Na): While in Fire terrain, all damage you deal and take is increased by your Wisdom modifier.
• Life's Beauty (Na): While in Holy terrain, you gain nonstacking temporary hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier every round.
• Time's Course (Na): While in Cosmic terrain, your initiative increases by your Wisdom modifier at the beginning of each of your turns.

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; if your current terrain has multiple elements associated with it, one of those terrains is chosen at random.

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)
• From the Ashes (Na): Whenever you use a Fire gift, also roll a d%. If the result is less than or equal to your Wisdom score, you gain the reraise status for a number of rounds equal to the Stress induced by the gift used. If you die while this effect is active, your body erupts in flame, dealing 1d6/level fire damage in a 10-foot radius burst (Reflex save DC 10 + one-half shaman level + your Wisdom modifier for half damage); when your reraise effect occurs, you are revived with one-half your maximum hit points (rather than 1d6+1/level). This effect cannot occur more than once every hour. (Prerequisites: At least 8 Fire 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)
• Leaf on the Wind (Na): Whenever you use a Wind gift, also roll a d%. If the result is less than or equal to your Wisdom score, you may become incorporeal and gain a Fly speed of 60 ft. (Perfect) for a number of rounds equal to the Stress induced by the Gift used; unlike most incorporeal creatures, you may continue to affect corporeal creatures and items normally. (Prerequisites: At least 8 Wind 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)
• Pressure Unyielding (Na): Whenever you use a Gravity gift, also roll a d%. If the result is less than or equal to your Wisdom score, the target loses a percentage of its current hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier. You may opt to not use this effect. (Prerequisites: At least 8 Gravity 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

The Nature Gifts index can be found here.

Gravity Suite

Shadow Suite

Earth Suite

Water Suite

Ice Suite

Wind Suite

Lightning Suite

Fire Suite

Holy Suite

Cosmic Suite

Feats

The following are a selection of feats that are relevant to shamans.

Design 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.

Why can't you firebend anymore? Because you joined the good guys, that's why. Or you were trying to use the holy element to deal fire damage, which... I don't even know why that was a thing.

Shamans now gain bonus gifts known in a sensible manner. Huzzah for making things functional.

Also, what was going through my head when I made the gifts index pages? Seriously, U to Z? There's like... one gift that goes in there. Utterly ridiculous. As an aside, really not looking forward to reformatting the epochent stuff, because... wow, three pages. Yeah, the wiki is going to be complaining about that an awful lot...

This class's mechanics are inspired by... I think this is actually a unique system, now that I think about it. I mean, at the end of the day, it's a spell point mechanic using the "many cups" method, which is original only insofar as the "many cups" concept is original.