Chosen at birth and raised by your predecessor, you were always destined to speak for your people. The shaman’s place, and indeed their importance as a person, differs from Clan to Clan, Place to Place. Some Clans view shamans as more important even than their Clan elders, looking to them as religious connections to their gods or the spirits of nature. Others believe them to be living extensions of the gods themselves, so holy that to look at or touch them would be to burst into flame. In the same place, there can be the same group of people, descended from the same ancestors and have different believes on the shaman. Though Shamans are mostly Druids they also seem to be Clerics in other places.
- Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from Arcana, Nature, Medicine, Religion
- Tool Proficiencies: Choose from Herbalism Kit or Poisoner's Kit and Flute, Pan Flute, Drum, Shawm
- Languages: One of your choice
- Equipment:
- A Staff, a bag filled with shamanic trinkets, a Tinderbox, a Small Knife, a Totem, a set of Commoner's Clothes, and a small pouch containing 5gp
Every shaman has a way to contact the souls connected to its community. You can work with your DM to determine the exact nature of that communication, or you can choose or roll on the table below to determine the way your ancestors can speak to you.
| d8 | Voice of the Ancestors |
|---|---|
| 1 | I can hear their voices echoe through the wind. |
| 2 | I can talk to them through flames. |
| 3 | I can read their words in bones. |
| 4 | I can feel their presence in wild beasts. |
| 5 | I retreat in deep meditation, knowing that they live within me. |
| 6 | I see them whenever I look up at the stars. |
| 7 | I keep old trinkets from when they were alive, which still contain part of their essence. |
| 8 | I can feel them when I'm covered by the blood of my enemies. |
The spiritual training that you've endured over the year has strengthened the link between you and your ancestors, allowing you to communicate with them. Although you cannot have complete and coherent conversation with them, you've learned to analyze and understand the subtle hints in the elements, as your ancestors try to give you knowledge of past or future events.
Work with your DM to determine the details of your communication and how much information you're able to get.
Spell List
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| Cantrip | thorn whip |
| 1st | ceremony, faerie fire, goodberry |
| 2nd | healing spirit, pass without trace, skywrite, spiritual weapon |
| 3rd | speak with dead, speak with plants, spirit guardians |
| 4th | elemental bane, guardian of nature, hallucinatory terrain |
| 5th | commune, legend lore |
| 6th | wall of thorns |
| 9th | astral projection, foresight |
These Spells count as Shaman Spells for you and are based on the Shaman Background. Spells that call upon Deities will call upon the Spirits and Ancestors instead.
Suggested Characteristics
Some shaman take their role seriously, spending most of their time communicating with spirits and guiding their fellow community members, while others have strayed away from their shamanic duties. Whether they still talk to the spirits of their ancestors at every dawn and dusk, they are marked by the rough training they had to endure and the spiritual connection with the dead.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I have the utmost respect for the dead and their resting place. |
| 2 | I connect everything that happens to me to a grand, cosmic plan. |
| 3 | I often get lost in my own thoughts and contemplation, becoming oblivious to my surroundings. |
| 4 | I often speak in vague metaphors, instead of giving a straight answer. |
| 5 | I have odd customs from my tribe that I still practice regularly. |
| 6 | I have an animal companion that some consider odd or dangerous. |
| 7 | I watch over my friends as if they were a litter of newborn pups. |
| 8 | The spirits have taught me to be tolerant and understanding of all creatures. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Tradition. The ancient traditions of my ancestors must be honored and upheld. (Lawful) |
| 2 | Greater Good. It is my duty to use my abilities to help people and assist the ailing. (Good) |
| 3 | Wild. Nature abhors a wall. (Chaotic) |
| 4 | Balance. Both the mundane and spiritual world seek balance in all things. (Neutral) |
| 5 | Power. Communion with the spirits can offer the path toward power and domination. (Evil) |
| 6 | Wisdom. The path to power and improvement is through the understanding of ancient wisdom. (Any) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | Protection of the spirits and the natural order is paramount. |
| 2 | My life is my devotion to my people and their traditions. |
| 3 | I stand by the leader of the tribe. We are two sides of the same coin. |
| 4 | I am starting to get old, and it is my responsibility to raise the one who will succeed me. |
| 5 | I have an old master that taught me everything I know. |
| 6 | The land is my teacher, and I will follow wherever it leads me. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | The spirits often interfere with my life and request things of me. |
| 2 | I am in awe of the spirits and am afraid to act against them. |
| 3 | As the shaman, my wisdom is absolute. Any who question me are incorrect and disrespectful. |
| 4 | I cannot take any major decision without first asking my ancestors for guidance. |
| 5 | I’d risk too much to uncover a lost bit of knowledge. |
| 6 | I am gullible and quick to believe the lies of most anyone - people did not lie to meand I cannot wrap my head around them doing so to any Shaman |
Contacts
Other Shamans are likely to share their Experience and Signs thought they won't share anything closely related to their work. Most only tell a warning of rough times and share recipes for medicine.
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Posted May 13, 2021Great job with a universal shaman background!