The Tome of Secrets, now available for preorder from Adamant Entertainment, will be released on August 13th, 2009. In anticipation of the the release, we'll be posting previews every week until August 13th, giving a glimpse of what lies within the pages of the Tome. This preview gives us a look at Gerrek, a half-orc Shaman.
Gerrek
Male half-orc shaman 8
CN Medium humanoid (half-orc)
Init +4; Senses Perception +8, Darkvision
DEFENSE
AC 13, touch 11, flat-footed 13 (+2 armor, +0 Dex, +1 ring)
hp 51 (8d8+8)
Fort +9, Ref +2, Will +11
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee +1 Spear +8/+3 (1d6+2)
Special Attacks spirit energy (4d6 vs. spirits, DC 16, 5/day), various domain powers (changes daily)
Spells Known (CL 8th)
Lvl. 0 (at will): Detect Magic, Light, Purify Food and Drink, Read Magic, Stabilize.
Lvl. 1 (6 per day): Cure Light Wounds, Endure Elements, Entangle, Produce Flame
Lvl. 2 (5 per day): Delay Poison, Flaming Sphere, Lesser Restoration.
Lvl. 3 (5 per day): Call Lightning, Remove Disease
Lvl. 4 (3 per day): Flame Strike
STATISTICS
Str 15, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 9, Wis 17, Cha 15
Base Atk +6/+1; CMB +8; CMD 18
Feats Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Self-Sufficient
Skills Handle Animal +7, Heal +14, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (nature) +4, Perception +8, Spellcraft +4, Survival +13
Languages Common, Orc
SQ Orc Ferocity, Spirit Guides, Detect Spirits, See Invisible, Ghost Touch
Combat Gear wand of cure moderate wounds (32 charges)
Other Gear +1 spear, +1 ring of protection, elemental gem (air).
The shaman is designed to be the divine version of the sorcerer; a divine spellcaster that burns slots instead of prepared spells. As a class, “shaman” means different things to different people; and so we decided to take the approach that the shaman is a primitive precursor to divine classes, specializing in the spirit world, and thus has elements of both the cleric and druid classes.
The shaman is a spiritual advisor found primarily in primitive, countryside, and wilderness settings, often serving a particular community. A shaman does not rely on spell books nor prayer to distant deities; instead, the shaman considers the immediate needs of the community and asks the spirits that are currently listening for assistance. For the purposes of a shaman's class features, a spirit is any creature of the elemental, fey, or outsider type, or of the incorporeal subtype. For example, undead are not included in the category, but incorporeal undead (such as ghosts), would be considered spirits.
Through communion with the spirit world, Gerrek can channel energy like a cleric, except that this limited form of channelling can only affect spirit creatures. The spirit energy can be used to benefit or harm spirits, but has no effect on other creatures.
Gerrek casts divine spells, which are drawn from the druid spell list. Like a sorcerer, the shaman need not assign these spells to his daily slots, but may use any spell known provided that he has a spell slot available. Gerrek must commune with the spirits for at least an hour a day in order to replenish his daily allotment of spells. Gerrek may also ask for extra assistance from a particular Spirit Guide for that day. This communion grants Gerrek the granted powers of a clerical domain, as well as access to domain spells (although this does not grant extra daily spell slots). Gerrek may choose different domains from day to day.
As a master of the spirit world, Gerrek can detect spirits at will (this functions as per the spell Detect Undead, but applies to spirits). He also see any objects or beings that are invisible within his range of vision, at all times. In addition, as an 8th level Shaman, any weapon or armor that Gerrek is holding or wearing is treated as having the Ghost Touch ability.
So that's a brief look at one of the eight new classes that will be presented in the Tome of Secrets. For our next preview, coming this Wednesday, we'll show you how our rules for Chases work!
|
This preview already makes me happy about having ordered Tome of Secrets. I loathe the Favored Soul class (the only 3.X class I wouldn't allow players in my games to use) because it gives unrestricted access to a god's power without the god being able to restrict how that power is used. The shaman as presented here gives a viable alternative the favored soul, and I like what I'm seeing about the spirits (reminds me a bit of the sha'ir's gen, from Al Qadim).
I'm still kind of cautiously optimistic about this product, not wanting to jump too far onto any bandwagon, but I do like that this is a simple class that represents the archetype in question with rules reinforcing the "fluff," and doesn't get too complicated in doing so.
I'm interested to see the other classes.
|
|
I admit to some concerns about the continual see invisibility...
Depending on when they gain the ability to see invisible things it might not be that big a deal. See Invisible is only a second level spell, and it can be made permanent by a tenth level wizard for five thousand gp, something a seventh or eighth level character could easily have done. If the power is gained any lower than sixth level it might be a bit of a problem, but still, how often would this break an encounter?
Depending on when they gain the ability to see invisible things it might not be that big a deal. See Invisible is only a second level spell, and it can be made permanent by a tenth level wizard for five thousand gp, something a seventh or eighth level character could easily have done. If the power is gained any lower than sixth level it might be a bit of a problem, but still, how often would this break an encounter?
I agree, it would be a niche thing that the shaman just happens to excel at, which several other classes have as well.
kinda digging the preview good way to look at a shaman
Director of Brand Strategy
|
Looks good. I'm curious about two issues that I'll look over once the full book is out, but overall I'm impressed.
First, I wonder how the "domain-of-the-day" is determined. Is it based on creature type communed with, or subtype of said creature? Is it random? And can a shaman commune with a fey when no fey are around? I think it would be a great power balancer that a shaman simply channels what's there, so you don't know what you're going to get until the GM (or a random table) tells you.
Second, I'd like a bit more info on how the channeling works. I wonder if one could use it to heal a summoned celestial ally in the same burst as hurting an evil fey creature or whether a single channeling will affect all spirits indiscriminately and a shaman must choose ahead of time whether it will heal or hurt. I assume all channeling feats like selective channeling and such would apply to this power, but I'd want to make sure.
Again, though, this preview looks great and I can't wait for the next one. I think a pdf purchase of this is definitely in the cards, and if I like the rest of the previews a preorder of the print version.
This made me dig back into my books to compare it to the Spirit Shaman from Complete Divine. They do share various similiarities due to both being more connected to spirits with flavor and class abilities. Both have similar (or identical abilities) that deal with spirits, but also having a number of different abilities (including a different method of casting). So far it looks interesting.
I'm in a very odd positon here, on the whole I like the class, at lest as presented, however ever its not my concept of a shaman, for me that still falls to GR shman class, but its a class that needs some buff up. As to the role for the shaman as presented I prefer the Mystic which also needs to be improved.
By itself the class is nice, but I think'd pluck what I like and added it to other classes. This isn't a negative thing, in fact its actually getting my intrest in the product.
TTFN DRe
For those who were curious: The shaman gained the ability to see the invisible at 6th level.
I'll have to wait and see the other previews to be absolutely sure, but there is a fair chance I'll be buying this from my FLGS, if that's possible.
I'll have to wait and see the other previews to be absolutely sure, but there is a fair chance I'll be buying this from my FLGS, if that's possible.
It will be possible -- you'll just have to wait until November, alas. (That's when it will be shipping to distribution -- it's being solicited now.)
AC 13 and 50ish HP seems...painful. A tank CR 8 could easily do that much in one round.
Yes, a tank could. Which is why a Shaman would never go up against one. :)
The designers of these classes have seen the final PFRPG rules?
Yes, we have. Publishers who signed the license had the opportunity to receive advance copies of the manuscript.
(...and no, I can't tell you anything about it. Sorry! The advance look came with a Non-Disclosure clause -- which, by the way, is the reason that there are some questions about our preview here that I can't answer directly, because it would require revealing that information.)
Interesting, kinda reminds me of the Shaman classes from the Complete Shaman book (AD&D 2ed).
(...and no, I can't tell you anything about it. Sorry! The advance look came with a Non-Disclosure clause -- which, by the way, is the reason that there are some questions about our preview here that I can't answer directly, because it would require revealing that information.)
You can tell me though, that'd be OK ;-)
What exactly is a spirit in game mechanics terms?
|
What exactly is a spirit in game mechanics terms?
Sigh. As the preview above just said:
"For the purposes of a shaman's class features, a spirit is any creature of the elemental, fey, or outsider type, or of the incorporeal subtype."
Sorry to get snarky about it, but it's spelled out right there in the second paragraph after the stat block.
Sounds interesting- and what a kick-ass cover!
Gru
