[3.5] The Spirit Shaman

[assassin8]

I am thinking about creating a Wild Elf Spirit Shaman. I know good feats to take are Spontaneous SUmmoner as well as Spontaneous healer. Are there any other good feats to take as a spirit shaman?

I don't plan on Multiclassing. WIll be wielding a Quarterstaff to make full use of Shillelagh.

Any ideas?

[DarthCyberWolf]

I am thinking about creating a Wild Elf Spirit Shaman. I know good feats to take are Spontaneous SUmmoner as well as Spontaneous healer. Are there any other good feats to take as a spirit shaman?

I don't plan on Multiclassing. WIll be wielding a Quarterstaff to make full use of Shillelagh.

Any ideas?

Arn't Spirit Shamans already spontaneous casters?

[Paulus]

I am thinking about creating a Wild Elf Spirit Shaman. I know good feats to take are Spontaneous SUmmoner as well as Spontaneous healer. Are there any other good feats to take as a spirit shaman?

I don't plan on Multiclassing. WIll be wielding a Quarterstaff to make full use of Shillelagh.

Any ideas?

Well not that I'm much help but I believe there are actually Spirit Shaman only feats out and about there... I seem to recall a PDF of feats which list just this very thing. S'all the info I can offer, maybe in the SRD, maybe D&D wiki. Not sure honestly. Sorry I can't be more helpful.

[Starbuck_II]

Arn't Spirit Shamans already spontaneous casters?

There are... but you choose your known spells each day (limited like Sorceror). But from these knowns you are spontaneous.
As far as I know, the only Semi-Spontaneous caster besides Erudite.
So I guess he take Spontaneous summoner/healer so he can not choose SNA/curing spells as a known and still use them.
Bsasically it adds a few extra knowns that way.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

Spend some GP for wands and/or let one of your first level spells known be Lesser Vigor and spare yourself from taking the feat.

[Sinfire Titan]

There are... but you choose your known spells each day (limited like Sorceror). But from these knowns you are spontaneous.
As far as I know, the only balanced Semi-Spontaneous caster besides Erudite.
So I guess he take Spontaneous summoner/healer so he can not choose SNA/curing spells as a known and still use them.
Bsasically it adds a few extra knowns that way.

You missed a key point there. Spirit Shaman is a great class power-wise, but not as unbalanced as the actual Druid, or Erudite.


@OP: Multiclassing into a casting PrC is actually a good idea. The Spirit Shaman doesn't have many class features, and may not be optimal to 20th (like the Druid is). Weigh your options carefully. If straight Spirit Shaman provides more benefits than potential PrC dips, then go ahead. But odds are the PrCs will be decent options (such as the Sacred Exorcist for Turn Undead).

[JellyPooga]

One advantage to staying the Full-20 course with Spirit Shaman is that your Chastise Spirits advances (there's no PrC that advances Chastise Spirits AFAIK). You at least want level 10 in Spirit Shaman for Guide Magic (which is made of pur win), but after that it's up to you whether you want to PrC out.

Feats-wise, Spirit Shamans are good for Metamagic because they fall somewhere inbetween prepared casters and spontaneous casters when using it...rather than apply it on the fly, they "prepare" a spell known as a metamagic varient, which means the casting time isn't increased (like it is for a normal spontaneous caster), but you are limited by the fact that if you want Maximised Call Lightning and Call Lightning, you're going to have to use up 2 of you Spells Known for that day (one each at levels 6 and 3 respectively).

I would personally advise againt taking Spont Summoner and Spont Healer if only because there's better things to do with your Feats. If you want to summon, take a summoning spell as one of your spells known for the day, if you want to heal, likewise. You're better off taking a different feat IMO.

As a Spirit Shaman, you actually fill a strange niche...against incoporeals, you are probably one of the parties front-line fighters...spells like Bite of the Were-X make you a formiddable ghost-killer in conjuction with your Chastise Spirits and Ghost Warrior abilities. If you want capitalise on this, investing in some combat feats might be worthwhile.
When you're not fighting "spirits", then you're just another full caster. For a little staying power, a Reserve feat could be handy (if you really want that summoning, then the Summon Elemental Reserve Feat might be a better choice than Spont. Summoning, depending on how you look at things). Otherwise, you want to make the most out of your ability to cast a few spells a lot of times; the Spell Rehearsal feat (RotD) is good for this as it gives cumulative bonuses for casting the same spell several times in succession. Combine this with Metamagic Vigor (Complete Mage) and you're effectively getting twice the benefit for doing exactly the same thing.

[Johanas]

+1 to everything said here. Good advice. One thing to add. If you want to get the most out of your Chastise Spirits, try looking in the Tome of Magic at the Supernatural Ability modifying feats. They're in the Binder section. I believe they have Widen and Extend (which won't work) and Empower and Enlarge (which would).

[deuxhero]

If you are taking a feat for healing, isn't Touch of Healing+wands for the other half better than spontainous?

How do SSs work with spell completion (scrolls, wands) items anyways?

[JellyPooga]

How do SSs work with spell completion (scrolls, wands) items anyways?

Exactly the same as a Druid.

[Tempest Fennac]

What are Erudites like? I've heard they are powerful but I've not been able to find any information about them.

[PhoenixRivers]

It's an optional class in the back of Complete Psionic.

Variant of Psion, rather beefy.

[lord_khaine]

As i recall the biggest problem with the Erudites is that people cant really agree on how they work, leaving them either weak or broken.

[Hurlbut]

the Summon Elemental Reserve Feat might be a better choice than Spont. Summoning From a fluff standpoint it also fit. Elementals are considered spirits and it's very flavorful to summon elementals to help out as spirit allies :).

[Blackfang108]

From a fluff standpoint it also fit. Elementals are considered spirits and it's very flavorful to summon elementals to help out as spirit allies :).

Just be careful not to overuse the fire elementals, lest they have the same effect as Explosive Runs on your Lower Digestive Tract. :smallbiggrin:

[Sinfire Titan]

What are Erudites like? I've heard they are powerful but I've not been able to find any information about them.

3 versions:



11 unique powers/day, flat. About as powerful as a Wilder with Poor BAB and no Wild Surge, but the ability to change powers "known" every day and the ability to pick and choose spontaneously which powers fill their Unique Powers/day. Spell to Power breaks it by letting them bypass their unique powers/day limit with a single arcane spell: Arcane Fusion.
11 Unique Powers/Power Level/Day, the RAW from Dragon. This is the original version, back when Psionics had Astral Construct Level 4 and such, when powers were abundant and the Augment system didn't exist. In other words, it works fine using that method, but in the current system you'll be hard pressed to find 99 powers/day without going 3rd party. Spell to Power breaks this, as it gives them access to a massive amount of spells and powers without drawbacks.
11 Uniqe Powers/Class Level/Day. Single most broken interpretation there is, and also RAW. At least if you ignore Bruce Cordell's addendum at the end. Good like picking your 220 unique powers without ticking off the rest of the table. The good side? Completely spontaneous selection. The bad side? Cannot fill every slot without Spell to Power, which is Broken.


All three are broken in some way, and Spell to Power only make it obvious. The second interpretation is possibly balanced if you use a hybrid of the old Psionics system and the XPH, allowing them to learn powers as per the original but enforcing the much more streamlined 3.5 combat system.

[Hurlbut]

Just be careful not to overuse the fire elementals, lest they have the same effect as Explosive Runs on your Lower Digestive Tract. :smallbiggrin::smallannoyed::smalltongue: Yeah I walked into that one didn't I? :smallamused:

[Blackfang108]

:smallannoyed::smalltongue: Yeah I walked into that one didn't I? :smallamused:

Only a little.

Don't worry, the brusing's barely noticible. :smallsmile:

(aside) Don't tell him how bad it REALLY looks, folks.:smallfrown: It'll only make him cry.:smalleek:

EDIT: I'm in a mood today, aren't I?

[assassin8]

Thank you for all the suggestions.

[Godskook]

If you are taking a feat for healing, isn't Touch of Healing+wands for the other half better than spontainous?

Yes, but I prefer Draconic Aura-Vigor to even that, as the Aura, at most, requires a swift action to activate, and then lasts for pretty much as long as you need it to. It also has better range than the reserve feat too.

[*.*.*.*]

I believe my build for a spirit shaman was...

Spirit Shaman5/Mystic Wanderer2/Ruathar1/Divine Oracle1/Spirit ShamanX/Sovereign Speaker5


The skills for Mystic wanderer is pretty annoying though, but so worth it

[Nate the Snake]

11 Uniqe Powers/Class Level/Day. Single most broken interpretation there is, and also RAW. At least if you ignore Bruce Cordell's addendum at the end. Good like picking your 220 unique powers without ticking off the rest of the table. The good side? Completely spontaneous selection. The bad side? Cannot fill every slot without Spell to Power, which is Broken.

:smallconfused:
I don't get it. I thought the RAW was a flat 11/day. How does one come up with 11/class level/day?

[Starbuck_II]

:smallconfused:
I don't get it. I thought the RAW was a flat 11/day. How does one come up with 11/class level/day?

I'll sum up what it says:
"Unlike a Psion, Erudite limited to manifesting a certain # of unique powers of each level per day for his known, according to class level."

Yes, it actually says each level per day.
Meaning it translates directly into X/class level/day.

The example is 1st level so there is no indication either way.