Yes, rage and spells don't seem to mix... so maybe change the rage skills to spell related skills, maybe druid related (though eldritch blast feels like good witch doctor like cantrip)
I have no strong feelings on how to go about this, but to me it seems like something to at least think about
If not a barbarian based subclass, maybe druid could use a subclass related to barbarian-like tribes
I think Shamans are covered pretty well by refluffing druids.
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
I don't picture shaman / witch doctor having the high level spells of a refluffed druid, myself, which was why I thought of a barbarian subclass, really... 4th or at most 5 level spells... along the lines of the eldritch knight and arcane trickster
Totem Warrior barbarians can learn to speak with animals and commune with nature. Acnestral Guardian barbarians can commune with their ancestor spirits for guidance. I think you're covered.
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Canto alla vita alla sua bellezza ad ogni sua ferita ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
If you really need a caster or shaman, I could see a multiclass Circle of the Moon Druid / Barbarian as a shaman. The moon druid has martial capabilities, and you get spells that would probably get as a shaman.
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Please check out my homebrew and give me feedback!
You could take 5-10 levels of druid and get up to 4th level spells. With moon druid, you could change into CR 3 creatures at 9th level, and you could rage while wild shaped. You get a pretty powerful multiclass combo with good shaman flavor.
I was thinking Shepard or Land Druid / Tempest Cleric multiclass for a cool shaman. You could even try subbing Barb Ancestral Guardians for one of the classes for flavor, but you would probably be spreading you ability points too thin. Shamans are generally not melee guys so I'd avoid using Barb.
I get the desire to try and shove a Shaman-shaped peg into a Barbarian-shaped hole due to their shared tribal aesthetic, I just don't think it works. The biggest stumbling block is the whole "you can't cast spells while raging" thing, so I think the only way you could make it work would involve a significant change to the Rage rules for the Shaman subclass, sacrificing some of the martial benefits in exchange for letting you cast spells. And at that point, are they really still a Barbarian? Ultimately, it's just such a different focus compared to a Barbarian that I think it deserves to be its own class. If I were to put a Shaman subclass anywhere in the current class list, it would be Druid. And even then, there are a few Druid circles already that could work as a Shaman-type character. But I think creating a Circle option that focused on things like communing with nature, speaking with the dead, etc would be interesting.
If I were to put a Shaman subclass anywhere in the current class list, it would be Druid. And even then, there are a few Druid circles already that could work as a Shaman-type character. But I think creating a Circle option that focused on things like communing with nature, speaking with the dead, etc would be interesting.
I feel like spores druid is actually a really strong fit depending on which powers you pick up. barbarians with magic dampening rage and magic using shamans just do not fit together at all. People make the mental connection that barbarian = tribal = shaman and never really think it farther than that.
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Yet tribes do usually have a spiritual guide... and no real need for a conflict... there is no need for the shaman spells to be combat related... it would still BE a barbarian in combat, with non-combat spells... would have to be some sort of trade off, maybe removing some of the rage based stuff for spells of up to lvl 4 or 5... perhaps the higher level persistent rage and brutal critical; while they are still barbarians, they aren't as fierce as most of the tribe...
Paladins are basically fighters who trade 4 attacks/round for spells, no reason a barbarian can't have a similar flavor... finding the balance is the trick
There's no need for barbarians to come from a tribe either. Let's not ruin the potential for getting a cool shaman subclass but giving WotC any bad ideas that it should be tied to a barbarian. Barbarian and shaman just do not fit together at all. You guys are trying to smash a square peg into a round hole.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
I think the Totem Barbarian looks very Shaman-esque to me: You don't really see Shamans doing off-the-cuff magic like a wizard/sorcerer in fiction very often, mostly rituals, which are covered in part by Totem Barbarians.
Or maybe a witch doctor...
Yes, rage and spells don't seem to mix... so maybe change the rage skills to spell related skills, maybe druid related (though eldritch blast feels like good witch doctor like cantrip)
I have no strong feelings on how to go about this, but to me it seems like something to at least think about
If not a barbarian based subclass, maybe druid could use a subclass related to barbarian-like tribes
I told the witchdoctor you didn't love me true.
I told the witchdoctor you didn't love me nice.
And then the witchdoctor, he gave me this advice.
"Fry her ass!"
I think Shamans are covered pretty well by refluffing druids.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
I don't picture shaman / witch doctor having the high level spells of a refluffed druid, myself, which was why I thought of a barbarian subclass, really... 4th or at most 5 level spells... along the lines of the eldritch knight and arcane trickster
Totem Warrior barbarians can learn to speak with animals and commune with nature. Acnestral Guardian barbarians can commune with their ancestor spirits for guidance. I think you're covered.
Canto alla vita
alla sua bellezza
ad ogni sua ferita
ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty
To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me
The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
If you really need a caster or shaman, I could see a multiclass Circle of the Moon Druid / Barbarian as a shaman. The moon druid has martial capabilities, and you get spells that would probably get as a shaman.
Please check out my homebrew and give me feedback!
Subclasses | Races | Spells | Magic Items | Monsters | Feats | Backgrounds
You could take 5-10 levels of druid and get up to 4th level spells. With moon druid, you could change into CR 3 creatures at 9th level, and you could rage while wild shaped. You get a pretty powerful multiclass combo with good shaman flavor.
Please check out my homebrew and give me feedback!
Subclasses | Races | Spells | Magic Items | Monsters | Feats | Backgrounds
I was thinking Shepard or Land Druid / Tempest Cleric multiclass for a cool shaman. You could even try subbing Barb Ancestral Guardians for one of the classes for flavor, but you would probably be spreading you ability points too thin. Shamans are generally not melee guys so I'd avoid using Barb.
I get the desire to try and shove a Shaman-shaped peg into a Barbarian-shaped hole due to their shared tribal aesthetic, I just don't think it works. The biggest stumbling block is the whole "you can't cast spells while raging" thing, so I think the only way you could make it work would involve a significant change to the Rage rules for the Shaman subclass, sacrificing some of the martial benefits in exchange for letting you cast spells. And at that point, are they really still a Barbarian? Ultimately, it's just such a different focus compared to a Barbarian that I think it deserves to be its own class. If I were to put a Shaman subclass anywhere in the current class list, it would be Druid. And even then, there are a few Druid circles already that could work as a Shaman-type character. But I think creating a Circle option that focused on things like communing with nature, speaking with the dead, etc would be interesting.
I feel like spores druid is actually a really strong fit depending on which powers you pick up. barbarians with magic dampening rage and magic using shamans just do not fit together at all. People make the mental connection that barbarian = tribal = shaman and never really think it farther than that.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
Yet tribes do usually have a spiritual guide... and no real need for a conflict... there is no need for the shaman spells to be combat related... it would still BE a barbarian in combat, with non-combat spells... would have to be some sort of trade off, maybe removing some of the rage based stuff for spells of up to lvl 4 or 5... perhaps the higher level persistent rage and brutal critical; while they are still barbarians, they aren't as fierce as most of the tribe...
Paladins are basically fighters who trade 4 attacks/round for spells, no reason a barbarian can't have a similar flavor... finding the balance is the trick
There's no need for barbarians to come from a tribe either. Let's not ruin the potential for getting a cool shaman subclass but giving WotC any bad ideas that it should be tied to a barbarian. Barbarian and shaman just do not fit together at all. You guys are trying to smash a square peg into a round hole.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
I think the Totem Barbarian looks very Shaman-esque to me: You don't really see Shamans doing off-the-cuff magic like a wizard/sorcerer in fiction very often, mostly rituals, which are covered in part by Totem Barbarians.