shaman questions? (d20)

[Warpwolf16]

Well Im thinking of making a shaman and dont know which one to use.Could anyone give me a few idea's? I was thinking Shaman(Oa) since its spell list and animal companion?

which shaman class do you like or feel is better?

[ghost_warlock]

I've never read over the OA shaman, but I personally like the Spirit Shaman from Complete Divine. They essentially gain part of their power from schizophrenia. :smalltongue:

[Warpwolf16]

I've never read over the OA shaman, but I personally like the Spirit Shaman from Complete Divine. They essentially gain part of their power from schizophrenia. :smalltongue:

I read over the Spirit Shaman from CD, and in most campaigns...people wont throw ethereal, fey, or elementals at you every turn...and I kinda need a animal companion for Beastmaster.

[Starbuck_II]

I read over the Spirit Shaman from CD, and in most campaigns...people wont throw ethereal, fey, or elementals at you every turn...and I kinda need a animal companion for Beastmaster.

Incorporeal undead too. So Ghost, Wraiths, etc.

[Warpwolf16]

Incorporeal undead too. So Ghost, Wraiths, etc.

yeah that too, b ut how many campaigns have you heard of running those creature types as a BBEG?

[Optimystik]

Dragon Shaman from PHB2 has a very "shamany" feel to it as well. It focuses more on the "boost the party" (i.e. totems) side of Shamanism than the "deal with spirits" side that SpSh does.

[Warpwolf16]

Dragon Shaman from PHB2 has a very "shamany" feel to it as well. It focuses more on the "boost the party" (i.e. totems) side of Shamanism than the "deal with spirits" side that SpSh does.

...I like the idea of running as Dragon Shaman...with my totem as a Rust Dragon or Black drsgon..

Spirit Shaman, as I said before kinda turns me around due to the whole no animal companion and druids spell list.

[RagnaroksChosen]

...I like the idea of running as Dragon Shaman...with my totem as a Rust Dragon or Black drsgon..

Spirit Shaman, as I said before kinda turns me around due to the whole no animal companion and druids spell list.

I'm a huge fan of spirit shamans, Though a BBEG may not be one of the items that qualify as a spirit, there are ton of "mooks" that do. I played one and was suprised about how many things qualified even my gm was a bit.

The druid spell list is pritty solid too.


OA shaman can be a bit power full i belive they get an AC and turn attempts.

[T.G. Oskar]

Well Im thinking of making a shaman and dont know which one to use.Could anyone give me a few idea's? I was thinking Shaman(Oa) since its spell list and animal companion?

which shaman class do you like or feel is better?

OA Shaman is a really weird class, notably weird since it's kind of a mixture between Cleric and Druid (while taking one of the classic skills of Paladin). They're the only other class that has a domain spell slot (which means they can prepare Domain spells in that spell slot) and their spell list is a mixture of Cleric and Druid (note that it has virtually all kinds of resurrection spells, but fewer attack spells). The problem is that...technically, the upgrade to the OA Shaman is the Spirit Shaman, considering that both deal with Spirits. If they had support of other books, Shamans would be right there on the highest tiers given their use of domains, coupled with their animal companion as-druid (which along with the domain-granted or class-specific spells can get as strong as a Druid's animal companion); however, their spell list is strictly limited to what's on the Oriental Adventures book, which severely limits their potential. You also get Imp. Unarmed Strike (if it's worthwhile for something), the ability to spontaneously cast cure or inflict spells (again, exactly like a Cleric), and larger dependence on Charisma (turn undead attempts and bonus to saves). It's a really, surprisingly strong class only limited by it's lack of spell support; domain support is questionable, but reasonable. If you wish to play them, point the DM to that little, itty-bitty section right at the beginning of the Spell Compendium and ask him whether he can expand the spell list to include some more Cleric and Druid spells; if you do, OA Shaman becomes pretty powerful.

Spirit Shaman is very odd. Don't get scared by their penchant for spirits: you have fey, incorporeal undead, actual spirits (aka, creatures with the spirit subtype if available), elementals, and even people in astral form. Now, that's not the actual important points of Spirit Shaman; what's really important is their ability to spontaneously cast spells, but their spell accessibility list being closer to Cleric and Druid than Bard, Sorcerer, Shugenja or Favored Soul. Essentially, you can decide which of the entire Druid list you'll memorize for the day, and then you'll have them available for the entire day; that's a system that's pretty interesting if you know how to use it. As well, they have slippery mind, a free ghost touch enchantment for your weapons and armor, 1/day incorporeality (1 minute, but the benefits of being incorporeal are pretty amazing), the ability to keep spells with Concentration duration going (another amazing thing), the ability to revive the dead once per week without a loss of Constitution or level (yet another amazing thing), 1/day Shadow Walk and 1/day get a Heal spell on you. Of those, virtually none are strongly spirit-related, and the Druid spell list is pretty powerful on its own right. I'd say, if you're going to play Spirit Shaman, play it full (don't PrC out, since the losses are larger than the benefits on almost every single count).

Dragon Shaman is a tad different. It's another class that benefits from not PrCing out, but this time because of what it uses. Most of the Dragon Shaman auras are not as powerful until you get to a very high level, except for Vigor which is very powerful from the onset (just not in battle; rather, out of battle). Their breath weapon isn't particularly spectacular, but it allows you to get meta-breath feats (which are particularly powerful if used correctly). Touch of Vitality is their strongest ability, since it's basically a powered-up Lay on Hands with added healing support and twice as strong (literally: class level x 2 x Cha modifier). The rest, though, doesn't justify being in the class for much; the natural armor progression is slow, the wings are gained far too late, and the skill focus and draconic adaptation abilities aren't particularly powerful or useful most of the time. Of the three shamans, it's the weakest; if you can boost the breath weapon, it can become stronger though.

[PlzBreakMyCmpAn]

TG is exactly right about the OA shaman

I didn't bother to read the spirit shaman's casting. Keep in mind that the strange spirit rebuking thing doesn't power DDM and most of the other effects of the class can be replicated easily by spells/feats. This thing's niche depends on the DM's tolerance of cheesy spells.