Shamans are inspiring and dangerous battle leaders. They command powerful spirit guides, and through them lead their allies. These nature spirits bolster their allies' attacks and offer protection and healing when needed.
In a rite of passage or initiation, you pledged yourself to the spirits, to be their voice and hands in the world. Through ancient song and sacred ceremony, you have called a powerful spirit companion to your side. The primal spirits of nature affirm your will, guide the actions of your allies, and deal mighty attacks against your foes. You might be a venerable advisor to a tribal leader, a young traveler seeking to bring tales of a wider world back to your people, or a scholar devoted to the pursuit of nearly forgotten lore.
The spirits and voices of nature guide your every step. Their power flows through you, calling you to lead, to fight, and to triumph.
Class Traits
Role: Leader. Your spirit companion bolsters and heals your nearby allies, and you can evoke other spirits to aid your allies and harm your foes. Depending on your choice of class features and powers, you lean toward either defender or striker as a secondary role. Power Source: Primal. The spirits of the natural world give you power and manifest on your behalf. Key Abilities: Wisdom, Constitution, Intelligence Armor Proficiencies: Cloth, leather Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + Constitution score Trained Skills: Nature. From the class skills list below, choose three more trained skills at 1st level. |
Creating a Shaman
All shamans rely on Wisdom, and they also benefit from a high Constitution or Intelligence. You can choose any shaman powers you like for your character, though many shamans favor one of two different builds, letting their power choices be shaped by the form of their spirit companions.
Bear Shaman
You excel at protecting your allies and preserving life. Make Wisdom your highest ability score, followed by Constitution so that you can better lend health to your allies. You'll want a good Intelligence score to improve your AC as well. Choose powers that help guard your allies against attacks, restore hit points, or provide temporary hit points. Your secondary role is defender.
Suggested Class Feature: Protector Spirit
Suggested Feat: Shared Healing Spirit
Suggested Skills: Endurance, Heal, Nature, Perception
Suggested At-Will Powers: defending strike, protector's strike
Suggested Encounter Power: thunder bear's warding
Suggested Daily Power: spirit of the healing flood
Panther Shaman
You wield the spirits' power to see events before they unfold and to shape them as you like, guiding your allies' actions in battle. Wisdom should be your best ability score, then Intelligence so that you can increase your allies' tactical advantage. A high Constitution will improve your hit points and Fortitude. Choose powers that support your allies in melee, particularly allies who seek combat advantage and who relish quick movement. Your secondary role is striker.
Suggested Class Feature: Stalker Spirit
Suggested Feat: Stalker Spirit Adept
Suggested Skills: Athletics, Heal, Nature, Perception
Suggested At-Will Powers: stalker's strike, watcher's strike
Suggested Encounter Power: twin panthers
Suggested Daily Power: wrath of the spirit world
Shaman Class Features
Shamans have the following class features.
Companion Spirit
As part of your initiation as a shaman, you acquired a spirit companion, an animal spirit that accompanies and assists you. Many shaman powers have the spirit keyword (page 220). Your spirit companion must be present when you use such a power.
You gain the call spirit companion power, which allows you to call your spirit companion to your side. In addition, choose one of the following Companion Spirit options. Your choice provides you with a Spirit Boon as well as a special attack made through your spirit companion, and your choice determines one of your at-will attack powers. Your choice also provides bonuses to certain shaman powers, as detailed in those powers.
Protector Spirit
You draw on the strength of the bear or a similar protective spirit to defend and bolster your allies.
Spirit Boon: Any ally adjacent to your spirit companion regains additional hit points equal to your Constitution modifier when he or she uses second wind or when you use a healing power on him or her.
Spirit's Shield: You gain the spirit's shield power, an attack you make through your spirit companion as an opportunity action.
At-Will Attack Power: You gain the protector's strike power. You choose a second at-will attack power as normal.
Stalker Spirit
You call on the stealth and cunning of the panther or a similar stalking spirit to empower and position your allies.
Spirit Boon: Any ally adjacent to your spirit companion gains a bonus to damage rolls against bloodied enemies equal to your Intelligence modifier.
Spirit's Fangs: You gain the spirit's fangs power, an attack you make through your spirit companion as an opportunity action.
At-Will Attack Power: You gain the stalker's strike power. You choose a second at-will attack power as normal.
Healing Spirit
You gain the healing spirit power. Through this power, you grant your allies additional resilience with a short evocation of primal power.
Speak with Spirits
You gain the speak with spirits power. You are aware of the constant presence of spirits that float at the edges of reality. You can focus your inner energy and open your mind to these spirits, letting them guide your actions or fill you with insights.
Implements
Shamans use totems carved to resemble the spirits they most commonly call upon, particularly their spirit companions. When you wield a magic totem, you can add its enhancement bonus to the attack rolls and the damage rolls of shaman powers and shaman paragon path powers that have the implement keyword. Without an implement, you can still use these powers.
Shaman Powers
Your powers evoke primal spirits that you view as partners and revered elders. Many of your powers channel primal energy through your spirit companion and have the spirit keyword (page 220), including powers that have "spirit" as part of the range. Those powers treat your spirit companion's space as the origin square for the power, so "melee spirit 1" means you can target a creature adjacent to your spirit.
Other shaman powers call on other spirits to intervene in the course of battle on your behalf, and many of those spirits then channel their energy through your spirit companion either to benefit allies or to harm enemies.
Character Classes |
Player's Handbook | Cleric ✦ Fighter ✦ Paladin ✦ Ranger ✦ Rogue ✦ Warlock ✦ Warlord ✦ Wizard |
Player's Handbook 2 | Avenger ✦ Barbarian ✦ Bard ✦ Druid ✦ Invoker ✦ Shaman ✦ Sorcerer ✦ Warden |
Player's Handbook 3 | Ardent ✦ Battlemind ✦ Monk ✦ Psion ✦ Runepriest ✦ Seeker |
Setting-Specific | Artificer (Eberron Player's Guide) ✦ Swordmage (Forgotten Realms Player's Guide) |
Character Classes |