Shaman (5e Class)

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The Shaman class is part of the Z's Ancestral Magic sourcebook, and uses the mechanics and features presented therein.

Shaman

A small halfling child stands before the town orphanage, with nothing but a makeshift club and her favorite doll in hand, defiantly staring down the horde of undead advancing upon the building. Inside, the other children - Her friends - Watch, terrified. But as the undead draw near, she hugs her doll and calls its name, as it flares with a brilliant light - And suddenly, her doll stands tall beside her, celestial light gleaming from its sharp claws and vicious fangs.

A robed elven scribe walks the battlefield, searching through the piles of scorched and dismembered corpses as a sickly-looking vulture soars low overhead, making lazy circles. Eventually, he finds what he's looking for, not quite dead but not quite alive - The beast that felled the warriors, a dragon hatchling with scales of red. He kneels and touches the hatchling, distracting it as a swift needle of steel ends its suffering. He pulls a large piece of bone from his satchel, and washes it in the hatchling's blood, chips of bone falling away until it resembles the lifeless drake. As he withdraws with his prize, the vulture overhead cries a warning of the approaching templars. They had come to reclaim the bodies of their comrades, but with an arcane gesture from the scribe, the vulture's body began to turn red and sprout scales - They were about to face the wrath of the fallen all over again.

A dwarven tinker works in his laboratory, hammering hot steel, inscribing ancient runes, and tightening bolts. Just as he brushed his hand over the sigils to awaken the arcane might of the finished gauntlet, the dark liquid in the clear beaker on his work table began to bubble out of its container, flowing across the table to the tinker's arm. Just then, a knock was heard at the door - The town guard, come to arrest him for an explosively failed attempt to save the life of a noble's daughter. Jamming the gauntlet onto his hand, he reached for the runed hammer under his table, and the inky liquid flowed onto his skin, disappearing under his shirt. As the guards bashed down the door, the tinker shouted an arcane word and the ink expanded, covering him in oily black armor like a second skin.

These are Shamans, mystic healers, dabblers in the occult, and emissaries of spirits both benign and hateful.

Friends on the Other Side

A Shaman's first experience involves forming a bond with a special spirit creature, known as an Eidolon. This spirit bonds with the Shaman in order to gain a physical form, and in doing so, links the Shaman to the spiritual realm it hails from, be it the Upper Planes, the Feywild, or even the Far Realm. The Eidolon acts as a guardian for its mortal anchor, and curries favor with the spirits of its realm in order to grant the Shaman more power - But this power comes with a cost, as the spirits require the Shaman to follow increasingly ridiculous restrictions, for their entertainment or for an undefined greater purpose. Regardless of the nature of the Shaman, they are never truly alone.

Mediums Between Worlds

Much as the Eidolon barters with spirits on the Shaman's behalf, the Shaman is a mortal hand in the physical realm on the behalf of the spirits it serves. Some spirits don't particularly care what you do with the power they grant you so long as it is entertaining or doesn't interfere with their grand scheme, while others demand you lay down your life for the innocent, protect the natural order, or wreak havoc on the lives of those around you. No matter the nature of the Shaman's dealings with the great Other Side, their power is always a reflection of themselves and the Eidolon they've bonded to.

Creating a Shaman

When creating a Shaman, consider how you met your Eidolon, and what the goals of its superiors are. Did it seek you out on purpose, as a vessel for its masters' will on the Material plane? Or did you stumble across it on accident while searching for occult knowledge to change your life for the better?

Also, consider how your connection to the Other Side has changed your life - Has this new friend made it more difficult to live among your own kind, or has it drawn to you new friends and allies that otherwise would've overlooked you?

Quick Build

First, make Wisdom your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity and Charisma.

Second, choose the Hermit background.

Third, choose the Dancing Lights and Spare the Dying cantrips, and the Cure Wounds and Command spells.

Fourth, choose the Ghost Eidolon Model. This grants you the Chill Touch cantrip, and the Inflict Wounds spell.

Fifth, choose the Empowered Spell metamagic option and the Chill Touch spell for your Spell Secrets, and the Sacred Ground Taboo.

Class Features

As a Shaman, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d6 per Shaman level
Hit Points at 1st Level: d6 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 + your Constitution modifier

Proficiencies

Armor: Light and Medium armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons
Tools: Herbalism Kit
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
Skills: Choose two from Animal Handling, Arcana, History, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Persuasion, Religion.

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) A wooden shield, or (b) Any simple weapon
• (a) A component pouch, or (b) A druidic focus
• (a) An explorer's pack, or (b) A scholar's pack
• Leather armor, an Herbalism Kit, and two daggers.

Wealth Rolls

Alternatively, you can ignore the equipment listed above and in your background, and buy 4d4 x 10gp worth of equipment from chapter 5 of the Player’s Handbook.

Multiclassing

The prerequisites for multiclassing into or out of the Shaman class are a Wisdom score of 13 and a Charisma score of 13.

When you multiclass into the Shaman class, you gain proficiency with light and medium armor, shields, simple weapons, and the Herbalism Kit.

If you possess levels in another class that possesses the Pact Magic feature, you may add your Shaman level to your level in other Pact Magic classes for the purposes of determining your number of Spell Slots, the level of your Spell Slots, and your Mystic Arcanum feature. Thus, if you had 5 levels of Warlock, 5 levels in Shaman, and 3 levels in Blood Hunter: Order of the Profane Soul, you would have the Pact Magic of an 11th-level Warlock, granting you access to a 6th-level Mystic Arcana.

Table: The Shaman

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Cantrips Known	Spells Known	Spell Slots	Slot Level	Spell Secrets	Evolutions Known
1st	+2	Pact Magic, Summon Eidolon, Spirit Ward, Spell Secrets	2	2	1	1st	1	-
2nd	+2	Spirit Sight, Shamanic Bond	2	3	2	1st	1	-
3rd	+2	Spiritual Evolutions	2	4	2	2nd	2	2
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement, Spiritual Versatility	3	5	2	2nd	2	2
5th	+3	Augment Summoning	3	6	2	3rd	3	3
6th	+3	Shamanic Bond feature, Improved Spirit Sight	3	7	2	3rd	3	3
7th	+3	Ghost Walk	3	8	2	4th	4	4
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement, Spiritual Versatility	3	9	2	4th	4	4
9th	+4	-	3	10	2	5th	5	5
10th	+4	Improved Spirit Ward, Greater Spirit Sight	4	11	2	5th	5	5
11th	+4	Mystic Arcana (6th)	4	12	3	5th	6	6
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement, Spiritual Versatility	4	12	3	5th	6	6
13th	+5	Mystic Arcana (7th)	4	13	3	5th	7	7
14th	+5	Shamanic Bond feature	4	13	3	5th	7	7
15th	+5	Mystic Arcana (8th), Perfect Spirit Sight	4	14	3	5th	8	8
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement, Spiritual Versatility	4	14	3	5th	8	8
17th	+6	Mystic Arcana (9th)	4	15	4	5th	9	9
18th	+6	Shamanic Bond feature	4	15	4	5th	9	9
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement, Spiritual Versatility	4	15	4	5th	10	10
20th	+6	Astral Rejuvenation	4	15	4	5th	10	10

Pact Magic

Cantrips

You know two cantrips of your choice from the Shaman spell list. You learn additional Shaman cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Shaman table.

Spell Slots

The Shaman table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your Shaman spells of 1st through 5th level. The table also shows what the level of those slots is; all of your spell slots are the same level. To cast one of your Shaman spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a spell slot. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a short or long rest.

For example, when you are 5th level, you have two 3rd-level spell slots. To cast the 1st-level spell Cure Wounds, you must spend one of those slots, and you cast it as a 3rd-level spell.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know three 1st-level spells of your choice from the Shaman spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Shaman table shows when you learn more Shaman spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 3rd level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the Shaman spells you know and replace it with another spell from the Shaman spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Retrieving Spells

When you finish a Long Rest, you can command your Eidolon to bring you a sliver of power from its home realm, in the form of a spell that they retrieve, but you must return some of the power you've been granted in order to bargain for the power you seek.

When you do so, choose one spell of 1st level or higher from the Shaman spell list that you do not know; The spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots, or a spell of a level for which you have a Mystic Arcana feature. Your Eidolon vanishes into the spirit realm (As if temporarily dismissed by you) for 1d4 hours in order to retrieve the selected spell; If it is summoned before the allotted time has elapsed, it fails to retrieve the spell.

While the Eidolon is in its home realm, it must bargain with powerful entities there in order to retrieve the spell you seek; The more powerful the spell, the more reluctant a powerful entity is to grant the spell. Choose one Shaman spell you know of 1st-level or higher; This spell, called a Barter, is sent with your Eidolon as a bargaining chip, and cannot be cast until the Eidolon returns, and only then if it fails to retrieve the spell you requested. You may choose one of your Mystic Arcana spells as your Barter.

Once this is complete, make a Charisma check against a DC of 10 + twice the spell's level. You gain a bonus on your Charisma check equal to the level of the Barter spell, as it is traded for the spell the Eidolon retrieves. On a successful check, the Barter spell is removed from your list of Spells Known, and is replaced with the spell your Eidolon has retrieved; Or if you're replacing your Mystic Arcana, the spell you selected for that Mystic Arcana feature is changed. On a failed check, the Eidolon returns empty-handed, your list of spells known does not change, and you regain the ability to cast the Barter spell.

Regardless of success or failure, this ability cannot be used more than once in any 24-hour period.

Spellcasting Ability

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your Shaman spells, since your magic draws upon your awareness of the spiritual realm and your attunement to the world 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 Shaman 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

Ritual Casting

You can cast any Shaman spell you know as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag.

Spellcasting Focus

You can use a druidic focus as a spellcasting focus for your Shaman spells.

Restricted Casting

Your magic is drawn from your Eidolon, and you struggle to cast spells without it. When your Eidolon is summoned, not incapacitated, on the same plane as you, and within 100ft of you, you can cast your Pact Magic and Mystic Arcana spells normally. However, whenever the Eidolon does not fulfill these criteria, you cannot cast your Pact Magic or Mystic Arcana spells of 1st level and higher, unless they are cast as rituals.

Taboo Restriction

Additionally, your magic depends heavily on the favor of various spirits. When you break any of your Taboos, choose the Plead Forgiveness option, and fail your saving throw, you lose access to your Pact Magic and Mystic Arcana features, until you finish a Long Rest.

Summon Eidolon

At 1st level, you bond to an otherworldly spirit that guides and protects you. This spirit is known as an Eidolon, and acts as a bridge between the physical and the spiritual, creating a conduit for the power you wield.

You learn the Find Familiar spell, and may cast it as a ritual; The spell doesn't count against your number of spells known. However, when you cast the spell using this feature, instead of the familiar's normal form, you must instead summon your familiar as an Eidolon.

Upon gaining this feature, you must choose a Form and Type for your Eidolon to assume. Alternatively, you can choose an Eidolon Model to follow.

• The full rules surrounding Eidolons can be found here.

Spirit Ward

At 1st level, your connection to the spirit realm helps to protect you from supernatural harm. While your Eidolon is summoned, not incapacitated, on the same plane as you, and within 100ft of you, you cannot be possessed by any creature.

Your AC is considered to be 10 + your Wisdom modifier + your Proficiency Bonus against the following effects, unless it is already higher:

• Spell attack rolls, such as from the Fire Bolt cantrip;
• Attacks made by creatures with the Incorporeal Movement feature, such as a Ghost;
• Attacks made by creatures on the Ethereal Plane or Border Ethereal.

You Eidolon also benefits from this feature while it is summoned, on the same plane as you, and within 100ft of you, as long as you are not incapacitated.

At 10th level, this ability improves, granting you and your Eidolon an additional +2 bonus to AC against the listed attacks, regardless of your current AC.

Spell Secrets

As you draw power from the spirit realm, the spirits teach you arcane secrets to empower you, but you must keep these spirits appeased in order to maintain their favor.

At 1st level, choose one Shaman spell you know. Then, choose one Metamagic Option from among those available to Sorcerers; This Metamagic Option must not cost more than 1 Sorcery Point to apply to that spell. Each time you cast that spell, you can choose to modify that spell with that Metamagic Option without expending Sorcery points, or any other resource.

You gain additional Spell Secrets when you reach higher levels in this class, as noted in the Spell Secrets column of the Shaman table. You may apply more than one Spell Secret to an individual spell, but you must obey by the normal Metamagic rules, preventing you from applying more than one Metamagic Option to a single casting of the spell, unless the Metamagic Option specifically states otherwise.

You gain additional Spell Secrets as you gain levels in this class, as shown in the "Spell Secrets" column of the Shaman table. Each time you gain a level in this class, you may replace one of your Spell Secrets with another Spell Secret available to you.

Taboo Restriction

Each time you learn a Spell Secret, you also gain an additional Taboo. Replacing your knowledge of the Spell Secret does not change the chosen Taboo attached to it. When you break any of your Taboos, choose the Plead Forgiveness option, and fail your saving throw, you lose access to all of your Spell Secrets until you finish a Long Rest.

Spirit Sight

At 2nd level, your dealings with the spirit realm gives you the ability to spot otherworldly things more easily.

You may cast the Detect Magic spell at will, requiring no spell slot or spell components, as you shift your sight from one realm to another. Additionally, when you use your Action to reveal magical auras within the range of the spell, you gain the following benefits until the beginning of your next turn, based on your Shaman level:

• Beginning at 2nd level, you can determine the general emotional state of any creature within the spell's radius, as you read their spiritual aura. You do not need to see the creature, but this gives you no ability to determine their exact position, only their emotional state.

• Beginning at 6th level, you can see onto the Ethereal Plane within the spell's radius. Creatures and objects on the Ethereal Plane appear ghostly and translucent. You can also determine the presence and location of any Aberration, Celestial, Construct, Dragon, Elemental, Fey, Fiend, Monstrosity, or Undead creature within the spell's range, as their auras differ greatly from those of other creatures.

• Beginning at 10th level, you may cast this spell, and activate the spell's effects, as a bonus action instead of an action. Additionally, it no longer requires concentration to maintain.

• Beginning at 15th level, while this feature is active, you can also see invisible creatures within range, as well as the true form of any shapechanger or creature concealed by illusion or transmutation magic while the creature is within the spell's range and within line of sight.

Shamanic Bond

At 2nd level, your bond with your Eidolon - And with the spirit realm it connects you to - Begins to evolve and take a new form, reflecting your true colors and your own spirit. Your Bond grants you features at 2nd level, and again at 6th, 14th and 18th levels.

• Bond of the Avatar
• Bond of the Binder
• Bond of the Collector
• Bond of the Curse Eater
• Bond of the Dweomer
• Bond of the Exorcist
• Bond of the Guardian
• Bond of the Shaper

Spiritual Evolutions

At 3rd level, you learn ancient secrets that allow you to change and empower your Eidolon, further enhancing and shaping both its physical avatar and your magic in turn.

When you gain this feature, you learn two Evolutions of your choice; Your Eidolon gains the benefit of those Evolutions as long as it is summoned. When you gain certain Shaman levels, you may grant your Eidolon additional Evolutions of your choice, as shown in the Evolutions Known column of the Shaman table. A level prerequisite refers to your level in this class.

Each time you gain a level in this class, you may replace any Evolution you know with another Evolution you meet the prerequisites for.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Spiritual Versatility

Whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you can do one of the following, representing a change in your connection to the spiritual realm you draw power from:

• Replace one cantrip you learned from this class's Pact Magic feature with another cantrip from the Shaman spell list.
• Replace your Eidolon's current Type with another valid Eidolon Type.
• Replace your Eidolon's current Form with another valid Eidolon Form.
• If you're 12th level or higher, replace one spell from your Mystic Arcanum feature with another Shaman spell of the same level.

If this change makes you ineligible for any of your Spiritual Evolutions, you must also replace them now, choosing Evolutions for which you qualify.

Augment Summoning

At 5th level, every creature you summon is empowered by your connection to the menagerie of otherworldly beings you regularly have contact with. As an action you can grant the following benefits you your Eidolon, or to one creature you've summoned via spell or magic item, until the beginning of your next turn:

• When the creature makes an attack roll, it may use your spell attack bonus instead of its own attack bonus;

• When the creature forces a target to make a saving throw, it may use your spell save DC instead of its own DC;

• The creature gains access to your Shaman spells. You can use your Bonus Action to command the creature to cast a Shaman spell of your choice that you know, as if you were in the creature's space; However, you must use your own senses, unless seeing through the senses of your Eidolon. You must expend a Spell slot or a use of your Mystic Arcanum as normal.

Ghost Walk

At 7th level, you gain the ability to slip into the veil between planes, phasing into an in-between state. As a bonus action, you can activate this feature, which persists for up to 1 minute or until you choose to end it (No action required).

While in this state, you can move through objects and creatures as if they were difficult terrain, as well as see and affect creatures and objects on the Ethereal Plane. You take 1d10 force damage if you end your turn inside an object, and if this ability ends while you are inside an object, you are immediately shunted to the nearest unoccupied space large enough for you to occupy, and you take force damage equal to twice the number of feet you moved.

Additionally, while this ability persists, your weapon attacks and unarmed strikes deal Force damage instead of their normal type of damage.

You can use this feature once. You must finish a Short or Long Rest before you may do so again.

Mystic Arcana

At 11th level, the spirits bestow upon you a magical secret called an Arcanum. Choose one 6th-level spell from the Shaman spell list as this Arcanum.

You can cast your 6th-level Arcanum spell once without expending a spell slot. You must finish a long rest before you can do so again.

At higher levels, you gain additional Arcanum spells, each of which you may use once:

• One 7th-level spell at 13th level,
• One 8th-level spell at 15th level,
• And one 9th-level spell at 17th level.

You regain all expended uses of your Mystic Arcanum spells when you finish a long rest.

Restricted Casting

Your magic is drawn from your Eidolon, and you struggle to cast spells without it. When your Eidolon is summoned, not incapacitated, on the same plane as you, and within 100ft of you, you can cast your Pact Magic and Mystic Arcana spells normally. However, whenever the Eidolon does not fulfill these criteria, you cannot cast your Pact Magic or Mystic Arcana spells of 1st level and higher, unless they are cast as rituals.

Taboo Restriction

Additionally, your magic depends heavily on the favor of various spirits. When you break any of your Taboos, choose the Plead Forgiveness option, and fail your saving throw, you lose access to your Pact Magic and Mystic Arcana features, until you finish a Long Rest.

Astral Rejuvenation

At 20th level, you can use your action to briefly connect a conjured creature to the collective power of the Other Side, amplifying its abilities tenfold. Choose your Eidolon, or another creature you've summoned. The creature is returned to full health, and for the next minute, it becomes immune to possession and to any effect that would banish it from its current plane, the creature automatically benefits from your Augment Summoning ability, and if the chosen creature was summoned via a spell, rounds spent under the effects of Astral Rejuvenation do not count towards the spell's duration. Additionally, upon using this feature, choose two of the following benefits. The chosen creature gains those benefits as long as the duration persists.

• Durable: The creature gains resistance to all damage.

• Accurate: The creature gains advantage on all attack rolls.

• Resilient: The creature gains advantage on all saving throws.

• Talented: The creature gains advantage on all ability checks.

• Regenerative: Each time the creature begins its turn with 1 or more hit points remaining, it regains hit points equal to twice your Shaman level.

• Godspeed: All of the creature's movement speeds are doubled, and its movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Once you use this feature, you must finish a Long Rest before you may do so again.