The main question I have with the Animist is the flavour. What sort of character is it based on? What myths and stories should I be looking at for inspiration? At the moment I am a blank.
Not sure I was really based on anything - other than maybe the 1e Medium character that I started as.
As far as personality and character type, I am mostly a diplomat and party face that doesn't limit that attitude to only the living. I don't really like undead because they aren't happy with their state. Not to mention the whole 'usually trying to kill me' thing. But if I found undead that were more pleasant and friendly, I probably would be the same towards them too.
As a 1e Medium I had Psychic Spellcasting, so could cast subtly automatically. As an Animist I spent my level 2 feat on Conceal Spell so that I could do the same. Being a Gnome, I do enjoy playing pranks. I once used Mage Hand and Unseen Servant (that I got from an Archmage spirit) to convince an antagonist NPC that he was being haunted. Teaching him the haunt protection chant of "Owaaa tagooo siaaam" was a riot.
When adventuring, I don't stress too much over picking just the right spirits to connect with. It is too hard to know what the day is going to bring. In 1e default Medium the available spirit types were based on what locations were available. That restriction has been relaxed and I get to have more spirit allies at a time. But hey, more friends is better, right?
One thing that I am missing is the influence that the spirits would have over my attitudes. I remember one day taking a Marshal spirit and the taboo of "you must embrace any opportunity to spread the legend of yourself and your allies, even when a low profile would be helpful."... And then spending the rest of the day trying to light something on fire so that everyone on this monster-infested island would know where we are. I thought it was the greatest idea ever. The rest of the party had to keep a very close eye on me.
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As for existing characters in myths and stories, the first one that comes to mind is the TV show 'Medium'. Probably because of the name. Also, different mechanics, but similar concept as Animist - there is a TV show 'IZombie'.
I have visions of an Iruxi Animist who is a bit of trickster, making deals with local spirits to gain insight into the local area, and to always be changing what she can do to fit the situation at hand. She is a holy woman to her community but finds the gods too ridged and big to bother. people tell stories of her too different to all be true. She can turn into a rat, a bat, a crocodile, the river itself. She can summon fire from the center of the earth, or spirits of ancient battles and dances through combat with enemies unable to hit her.
I mean no one can do all that stuff right?
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The main question I have with the Animist is the flavour. What sort of character is it based on? What myths and stories should I be looking at for inspiration? At the moment I am a blank.
Animism is a common spiritual practice throughout our planet. Sometimes conflated with shamanism. The iconic Animist seems to draw a lot from Finnish animism but really any indigenous peoples myth cycles, legends, dreamtime lore or creation stories can point the way.
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Gonna go out on a weird limb and say that the way animist is described as getting power at the moment has a very... Everything Everywhere All at Once feeling.
Beyond that, yes various fantasy version of "shaman" hit somewhere on the target if not in the bullseye. Cyberpunk Shamans might be very similar actually (at least the HBS PC Game implementation, havn't kept up with later editions)
Warcraft Shamans also get their powers from "The spirits" but those would be alot closer to kineticist than what we have here.
Oooh Oooh, Talion, from the LotR game is also similar. You could push it and RP wise V from Cyberpunk 2077 kinda hits the mark as well.
There's also well..... Spirit Island wich i'm pretty sure the dev's are big fans off, the names for alot of feats in Animist Kineticist and Exemplar SCREAM Spirit Island. Like they could have just called the first one Growth Spirit or a Plant Spirit or a Protection Spirit or Wisdom Spirit, based on the description, whatever but no they went with "Custodian of Groves and Gardens".
Like "Stalker in Darkened Boughs" is pretty much channeling "Sharp Fangs Behind Leaves".
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What sort of character is it based on? What myths and stories should I be looking at for inspiration? At the moment I am a blank.
Oh, of course. Dr. Facilier from the Princess and the Frog.
What sort of character is it based on? What myths and stories should I be looking at for inspiration? At the moment I am a blank.Oh, of course. Dr. Facilier from the Princess and the Frog.
Thanks.
Any suggestions who aren't a bad guy?| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Part of why I want this class is because animism I’m western media is so frequently villainized.
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Yes the main idea of a character that act like vessel for some kind of spirit usually is usually related as foul magic and represented as villains in ocidental media. While in oriental media (usually animes) its more neutral like Shaman King or Yu-gi-oh having more wide range of "alignments".
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Yeah, a lot of the ones I am coming up with for Animist type protagonists are from other cultures. I'm thinking things like Coco and Jojo's Bizarre Adventures and video games like Okami, Astral Chain, Persona or even some Zelda games like Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess.
Oh, and of course the Abhorsen series of books.
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my animist has been an android whose apparitions are previous souls who lived in the same body previously. they don’t really have a name, just going by the previous spirit’s names. also, their non-spellcasting fighting activities consists of using a double barreled pistol. they’re based off a pf1 medium i played. very different classes, obviously
it’s been going well. gonna start giving them my feedback pretty soon