Spells & Magic - Orbis Terrarum RPG

Priests
same level advancement as clerics do.
The shaman is an unusual character in the adventuring
party Like the druid, he is not a front-line fighter, but he
also lacks the high-powered combat spells that the druid
commands However, his mysterious spirit powers allow
um to make use of magic that is usually out of the reach of
ow-level characters. A shaman who demonstrates intelli-
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gence and respect in dealing with the spirits can be an
extremely effective character in a number of situations.
Shamans view themselves as advisors and guides to a party
of adventurers and often have an uneducated but insightfd
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view on the more civilized societies they visit.
Shamans may wear any armor normally associated with
their tribe. In the absence of more specific information,
tribal armor is usually bide, leather, or studded leather with
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a tough wooden, wicker, or hidecovered shield. Similarly,
shamans may use tribal weapons, which usually include the
short bow, club, dagger, dart, hand axe, harpoon, javelin,
knife, quarterstaff, sling, and spear. Blowguns might be
appropriate for shamans of jungle tribes, or light lances and
composite bows for shamans of tribal horsemen.
Shamans may use any magical items normally usable by
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priests. They have a nonweapon proficiency crossover wtth
the warrior group and can learn priest or warrior proficiencies
at the normal cost. Shamans have major access to the
spheres of all, animal, protection, summoning, travelers,
and wards, as well as minor access to healing and plant.
Shamans never gain followers or establish strongholds.
Good-aligned shamans may turn undead, and neutral or
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evil shamans may command nndead.
In addition to their priest spells, shamans have a special
connection to the spirit world and can call on the spirits for
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guidance, knowledge, or magical aid. While shamans often
function as priests of a tribal deity, their primary concern is
the spirit world. To a shaman, the physical world is not the
entirety of existence; the spirits of animals, nature, and the
~ tribe's dead are always near, and interacting with these spir-
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ts is the shaman's greatest duty and responsibility
Shaman Spirit Powers: A shaman begins play with oae
minor spirit ally or guide of his choice; it's assumed that he
has already performed the rites to snmmon this first guide.
As he rises in level, he learns the rites necessary to call additional
spirits. Spirits are individuals-speaking to a spirit of
the dead means the shaman is in contact with one particular
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deceased individual. There are dozens of spirits for each
species of animal, representing every aspect of the animal's
existence, and a near-infhite number of nature spirits. The
number of spirits a shaman knows how to contact appears
on Table 5 Shaman Spirits Per Level.
Performing the ceremony to call a spirit for the first time
quires a week or more of fasting, prayer, and solitude in the
appropriate location-if the shaman is trying to call a woLf
spirit, he must find a location fquented by wolves, and if he
is trying to call a dead spirit, he should perform the cemony
at the individual's burial site. At the conclusion of this weehrlong
ceremony, the spirit appears, and the shaman establishes
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contact with it. Fmm that time forward, the shaman may
~ attempt to contact the spirit anywhere or anytime to seek infor-
! mation or quest a favor of the spirit-ee Calling Spirits.
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Spirits of the Dead These ancestral spirits are individuak
who were renowned for their wisdom, skill, or courage in life.
Minor spirits may be ment relatives of the shaman, while
major spirits arr great heroes and wise men of the tribe. A