Path of the Animist Shaman

Somewhere between a barbarian and a druid, shamans lead their fellow tribesmen in religious rites, feverish prebattle dances, and veneration of the spirits of the animals. They are the only barbarians with the ability to cast spells while enraged and they can later learn to shapeshift into animal forms much like a druid.

The Path of the Animist Shaman is an excellent choice for players willing to trade a little tankiness for a lot of increased utility. They are 1/3 casters and pull from the druid spell list.

Spellcasting

3rd-level Path of Animist Shaman feature

When you reach 3rd level, you augment your martial prowess with the ability to cast spells from the druid spell list. See Spells Rules for the general rules of spellcasting and the Spells Listing for the druid spell list.

Cantrips

You learn two cantrips of your choice from the druid spell list. You learn an additional druid cantrip of your choice at 10th level.

Spell Slots

The Animist Shaman Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your druid spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

For example, if you know the 1st-level spell absorb elements and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast absorb elements using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher

You know three 1st-level druid spells of your choice.

The Spells Known column of the Animist Shaman Spellcasting table shows when you learn more druid spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the druid spells you know with another spell of your choice from the druid spell list.

Spellcasting Ability

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your druid spells, since you learn your spells through understanding of nature and the spirits around you. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a druid spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

Animist Shaman Spellcasting

Barbarian LEVEL	CANTRIPS KNOWN	SPELLS KNOWN	— SPELL SLOTS PER SPELL LEVEL —
			1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH
3rd	2	3	2	—	—	—
4th	2	4	3	—	—	—
5th	2	4	3	—	—	—
6th	2	4	3	—	—	—
7th	2	5	4	2	—	—
8th	2	6	4	2	—	—
9th	2	6	4	2	—	—
10th	3	7	4	3	—	—
11th	3	8	4	3	—	—
12th	3	8	4	3	—	—
13th	3	9	4	3	2	—
14th	3	10	4	3	2	—
15th	3	10	4	3	2	—
16th	3	11	4	3	3	—
17th	3	11	4	3	3	—
18th	3	11	4	3	3	—
19th	3	12	4	3	3	1
20th	3	13	4	3	3	1

Tribe Magic

3rd-level Animist Shaman feature

Some of your magic is deeply emblematic of your tribe, almost sacred to your people. It's long been captured in the dances and rituals handed down to you. It is more felt than understood by shamans of your tribe.

You can prepare a number of spells you know whose combined levels equal your WIS modifier. Cantrips count as 1. (If your modifier is 3, you can prepare three level 1 spells/cantrips, or one level 2 spell and one level 1 spell/cantrip). These spells cannot require concentration. You can cast these spells while in a rage. These spells gain the ritual tag for you if they don't have it already.

You can change which spells you have prepared after finishing a long rest.

Spirit Defense

3rd-level Animist Shaman feature

Channeling your consciousness into your druidic focus allows you to become aware of the intentions of the spirits around you, enabling you to dodge others' attacks in combat with alacrity.

While holding your druidic focus in at least one hand, you may add your WIS modifier to your AC.

Spirit Animal

6th-level Animism Shaman feature

Your veneration of animal spirits has allowed you to become one of them. Anytime you would enter a rage, you may instead transform into a beast whose challenge rating is 1/4 or lower and doesn't have a swim or flying speed. Druid wildshape rules are followed, with the following adjustments: you retain your strength score if it is higher than the beast form's and your transformation lasts for no more than 1 hour. If you enrage while in beast form, you gain your rage damage when you attack with your beast form's natural weapons.

For convience sake, here are the druid wildshape rules copied below with barbarian clarifications put in [brackets]:

You can stay in a beast form for [1 hour].You then revert to your normal form unless you expend another use of this feature [another rage]. You can revert to your normal form earlier by using a bonus action on your turn. You automatically revert if you fall unconscious, drop to 0 hit points, or die.

While you are transformed, the following rules apply:

• Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the beast, but you retain your alignment, personality, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. You also retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the creature. If the creature has the same proficiency as you and the bonus in its stat block is higher than yours, use the creature’s bonus instead of yours. If the creature has any legendary or lair actions, you can’t use them.
• When you transform, you assume the beast’s hit points and Hit Dice. When you revert to your normal form, you return to the number of hit points you had before you transformed. However, if you revert as a result of dropping to 0 hit points, any excess damage carries over to your normal form. For example, if you take 10 damage in animal form and have only 1 hit point left, you revert and take 9 damage. As long as the excess damage doesn’t reduce your normal form to 0 hit points, you aren’t knocked unconscious.
• You can’t cast spells, and your ability to speak or take any action that requires hands is limited to the capabilities of your beast form. Transforming doesn’t break your concentration on a spell you’ve already cast, however, or prevent you from taking actions that are part of a spell, such as call lightning, that you’ve already cast.
• You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them if the new form is physically capable of doing so. [This includes the barbarian's ability to rage, reckless attack feature, and its other features except unarmored defense]. However, you can’t use any of your special senses, such as darkvision, unless your new form also has that sense.
• You choose whether your equipment falls to the ground in your space, merges into your new form, or is worn by it. Worn equipment functions as normal, but the DM decides whether it is practical for the new form to wear a piece of equipment, based on the creature’s shape and size. Your equipment doesn’t change size or shape to match the new form, and any equipment that the new form can’t wear must either fall to the ground or merge with it. Equipment that merges with the form has no effect until you leave the form.

Furry Fury

10th-level Animist Shaman feature

Your control of spirit animism magic increases.

You can now transform into beasts with a CR of 1/2 or less that don't have a flying speed.

You may expend 1 use of your rage to regain 2 levels worth of spell slots (i.e. two 1st level spell slots or one 2nd level spell slot).

Rage Mage

14th-level Animist Shaman feature

Your mastery of your tribe's ancestral magic grows.

Select one 3rd level spell you know. You can prepare that spell as if you did with Tribal Magic. It doesn't count against the number of spells you can have prepared. Whenever you take a long rest, you can change which 3rd level spell you have prepared this way.

You can now transform into beasts with a CR of 1 or less.