Heroic Classes of Koth

Shaman

A primative spellcaster who mixes divine powers with occult magic.

Description: Shamans are warriors to are lead down a path to study natural and occult powers. They start as fighters but quickly move to natural clerical studies focused on nature, animals and plants. Once they reach a certain level of knowledge, they delve into occult magic and attempt to merge this with natural law. Shamans are at best primitive spellcasters but do gain some unique insights into the natural world.

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Shaman Ability Score Requirements: Strength 13, Intelligence 13, Wisdom 13.
Shamans never gain an XP bonus for high ability scores.

Shaman Racial Restrictions: Human, Half-Orc, Lizardfolk

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Shaman Equipment Notes: May use fighter, magic user and clerical equipment.

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Attaining the Class:
A shaman must be from a primitive tribe or race. This will be a barbaric human tribe, a half orc raised by orcs or one of the lizard folk that has become slightly more civilized. They start their careers as fighters and may rise as high as level 6 before they switch to cleric. They must worship Frae or Kayn, or some sort of proxy that represents either one or both of these gods.

As they study divine nature they begin to delve more into the occult and stop all divine studies at level 4. They forever fight as fighters equal to the level they attained and maintain their cleric divine spell casting ability which is capped at level 4. The strength of their clerical spells however will rise with shaman level once they pass level 4 allowing the spells to gain duration and other effects as their overall ritual and casting skill increases.

Shamans are instructed in the occult by other shamans and are often groomed from birth. Several candidates may be selected in case some die as they progress through fighter and cleric. Special Abilities:
Starting at level 1, shamans have the ability to start using magic user only type items (other than scrolls) due to their understanding of the occult and arcane practices.

They also gain the ability to cast a spell like power once per day for each level of shaman that they gain. As mentioned above they also increase their clerical casting ability when their shaman level exceeds level 4 but they do not gain divine spells per day past those available to a level 4 cleric. Instead their knowledge of the occult gives them several other interesting abilities as they level up. See the XP table below for more information. Shamans may not turn undead with one exception (see below).

Shamans do pay a price for their occult studies. They stop gaining all HP bonus for CON as they level up shaman levels and only gain a D4 hit die. They are also heavily restricted on the weapons and armor they can use.

Shamans never need spell components for their spell like powers but at DM discretion, role play elements and opportunistic spell components should be considered to enhance these abilities on a per use case basis.

Shamans save as Magic Users on the saving throw table.

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Class Progression Table:

XP	Level	4 Sided Die for HP	Shaman Powers (at shaman level)
0-2250	1	0*	Affect Normal Fires as magic user spell 1/day
2251-5500	2	0	Detect Magic (aura) as magic user spell 3/day
5501-12000	3	0	Dancing Lights, Run as magic user spell 1/day
12001-24000	4	1	Leech (Cure) Poison, Push as magic user spell 1/day
24001-45000	5	2	+2 hp to all healing spells, Scare as magic user spell 1/day
45001-95000	6	3	Druid level plant and animal knowledge
95001-175000	7	4	Augury as a natural ability 3/day
175001-350000	8	5	Cure Disease/Blindness 1/day, Detect Life/Death 3/day
350001-700000	9	6	+ 4 HP to all healing spells, Charm Animal 1/day
700001-1050000	10	7	Dominate a single undead target as a level 10 cleric, Contact Other Plane 1/day
1050000-1400000	11	7+1	25 % Magic Immunity, Dispel Magic 1/day
1400,000+	12	7+2	Control Weather, Cloak of Fear 1/day
Level 12 is the maxium level for any shaman and they may not dual class.
* maintain HP (and hit die) from previous classes

Other Notes: Shaman Lore: Shamans are not found in civilized society and are feared among their own people. They do not seek leadership roles as such annoyances take them away from studying the occult and natural worlds. It is said that Shamans have found a way to tap into the powers of blood magic without actually falling into the corruption that blood magic brings but this has never been fully studied.

Shamans are secretive with their craft and do not teach others easily.

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Campaign Notes: Several tribes in the badlands as well as in the extreme north and south of the realms of Koth have skilled shamans that can train others.