Path of the Shaman

Known as shamans, witch-doctors, medicine-men, or just healer – the Path of the Shaman is a respected and important member of tribal society. Particularly in truly barren, subsistence-level regions, their magic can ensure the survival of dozens. The shaman must possess the wisdom to suppress and manipulate his rage ability, harnessing it to reach over into the spirit world, and sometimes, to bring something back.

 

Raging Magic

You can channel rage into the spirit world, causing you to enter a trance-like state as you straddle the threshold. You may hold still, speak in tongues, dance around, jerk spasmodically or otherwise act as desired but you are less aware of your surroundings, and communicate with difficulty, causing disadvantage to all skill and ability checks except Strength/Athletics. Your rages do not end if you cast, or are casting, a spell or cantrip from the Druid spell list or warlock invocation on your turn. You may reroll one die associated with each spell cast during your trance, but must use the rerolled number, whether it is an effect, attack roll, a damage die, or an enemy’s saving throw. You can still choose to rage normally (as described in PHB p.48) but may not cast any spells while doing so.

 

Spiritual Invocations

Some shamans learn to make deals and promises to spirits and otherworldly forces, often in the form of a boon or power gifted to the shaman. At 4 level, and at every Ability Score Improvement for the Barbarian class, the shaman may choose an Invocation from the warlock class instead of increasing any ability scores. If the invocation has a prerequisite of any kind, you can choose that invocation only if you have warlock levels and meet the prerequisite. Whenever you gain an Ability Score Improvement, you can replace the invocation with another one from the warlock class. Invocations using a warlock spell slot instead expend a rage.

SHAMAN SPELLCASTING

Level       Cantrips              Spells Known     1           2          3           4           Rages

1               -                             -                              -              -              -              -              2

2               -                             -                              -              -              -              -              2

3               2                            3                              2              -              -              -              3

4               2                            4                              3              -              -              -              3

5               2                            4                              3              -              -              -              3

6               2                            4                              3              -              -              -              4

7               2                            5                              4              2              -              -              4

8               2                            6                              4              2              -              -              4

9               2                            6                              4              2              -              -              4

10             3                            7                              4              3              -              -              4

11             3                            8                              4              3              -              -              4

12             3                            8                              4              3              -              -              5

13             3                            9                              4              3              2              -              5

14             3                            10                           4              3              2              -              5

15             3                            10                           4              3              2              -              5

16             3                            11                           4              3              3              -              5

17             3                            11                           4              3              3              -              6

18             3                            11                           4              3              3              -              6

19             3                            12                           4              3              3              1              6

20             3                            13                           4              3              3              1              Unlimited

 

Spellcasting

When you reach 3rd level, you augment your martial prowess with the ability to cast spells. See the Players Handbook chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting and chapter 11 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 Shaman Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your 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 1 level spell goodberry and have a 1 level and a 2 level spell slot available, you can cast goodberry using either slot.

Spells Known of 1-LeveI and Higher. You know three 1st.level druid spells of your choice from the druid spell list.

The Spells Known column of the 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 1 or 2 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 oral tradition, pictorial representation and spiritual exploration 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.

Ritual Casting

You can cast a druid spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell prepared.

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

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your wisdom modifier

Life Saver

At 6 level your quick intercession on behalf of the dying and dead can bring them back from death’s doorstep, but at a terrible cost. You gain the Spare the Dying cantrip. Once per long rest you may sacrifice one of your rages/trances to cast the Revivify spell without using a spell slot or material components. When you cast Revivify using this ability, you suffer a -4 penalty to all ability checks, saving throws and attack rolls until you complete a long rest.

Macabre Seance

At 10 level spirits, both friendly and unfriendly, recognize and speak to you as a peer. You have advantage on charisma-based ability checks and saving throws involving fey, elementals or incorporeal undead and can understand them regardless of the language being spoken. You may cast Speak with Dead as a ritual, regaining one use of this ability per short rest, up to your proficiency bonus maximum.

Gatewarden of the Soul

At 14 level you have learned to bring the dead back from the spirit world. Once per long rest you may cast Reincarnate, expending five uses of the rage ability to do so. Alternatively, the shaman may attempt to cast Raise Dead, but the process is traumatic and painful, and the shaman suffers psychic damage equal to 1d12 per level of the target of the spell. If the shaman goes unconscious from damage while casting, the spell fails and the corpse rises as a mindless automaton as if subjected to the spell Animate Dead. If the shaman dies while casting either spell, both the shaman and the target of the spell immediately rise as hostile Specters and attack all living creatures until destroyed or otherwise incapacitated.