Spirit Shaman Suggestions

[Half-orc Bard]

I'm playing a spirit shaman in a campaign soon and I've never played one I was wondering if anyone had any:

useful tricks

good races

Prestige classes

Alternative class features

or any other suggestions

Thankyou :smallsmile:

[eggs]

The only time I played a Spirit Shaman, I got a lot of grief from the limited number of spells retrieved. I got the impression that I would have been clever to pick up an item crafting feat like Craft Staff/Wand or Scribe Scroll to diversify the class's tactical options. The stifling limits might be alleviated a bit at higher levels, but with experience being a river and more wealth being an indisputably good thing, I'd definitely encourage one of those feats.

On prestige classes, the Stormtalon would be a very nice choice, as it opens access to all of the Cleric and Druid core spell lists outside the normal Spells Retrieved limits, as well as providing some fairly useful class abilities. For those purposes, I'd also recommend the Raptoran race (for Stormtalon access and because extraordinary flight is never a bad thing).

And just to throw some cursory links in here:
The Spirit Shaman handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=6071) should help. It's a bit of a mess, so you might also want to skim the Druid handbook's spell advice (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=940.0;msg=5874), putting an emphasis on the concentration-duration spells (Summon Elemental Monolith being the big one, if you hit that high of a level). I broke down Summon Nature's ally (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13489930&postcount=4) a bit more in the Shaman Handbook, which might make it easier to use/track down noncore options. For ACFs, I'm only aware of the Spirit Shaman's Dead Level (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/cwc/20070227x) fills (note that Initiative is a Dexterity check, so a Dex spirit can be a very good choice).

[GenghisDon]

spirit shaman is pretty good IMHO. L11 or L19

spells that require concentration become hella good

[Marlowe]

The Spontaneous Summoner feat can be a useful way of getting an extra spell (Summon natures ally) "retrieved" per level per day. Takes 4-ranks K.Nature and (I think) neutral alignment. Well, it's not technically "retrieved", but it represents another spell you have access.

SS looks like a very good class, but although I made a thread ages ago requesting war stories about them I've never got any feedback on how they actually play. Just people's theories. They are a trifle MAD, because of the two-stat casting, but look worth a try.

Note there's a feat (Dynamic Priest) that lets all your casting go through Charisma. I don't like this because the SS has a lot of Wisdom-based skills and not too many Chr-based ones, and also because it comes from a Dragonlance-specific supplement nobody seems to have heard of except for this feat.

[RagnaroksChosen]

They work great as buffers or blasters... They are also extremely versatile on a day to day basis..


One recomendation is to take the time to write down quick spell "builds" for different things I find it easier. Like when I played mine, I had a spell list for dungion crawling, city, blaster, summoner, buffer, etc... as the group and what not needed me to change a lot.

[Allanimal]

One recomendation is to take the time to write down quick spell "builds" for different things I find it easier. Like when I played mine, I had a spell list for dungion crawling, city, blaster, summoner, buffer, etc...

Between this, and the Spontaneous Summoner feat mentioned above, I find my Spirit Shaman quite versatile, though he's only 3rd level at the moment. At these low levels, when we did meet "spirits", the rest of the party was quite ineffective, but with the detecting and chastising, the Spirit Shaman worked great. (Hint: carry a scroll of faerie fire so the party at least knows where the invisible stalker is.) Of course, at higher levels, the other players will be better prepared for incorporeal creatures.

The low number of spells retrieved does make knowing what the next day holds essential. If you can retrieve just the right spells, your day will be smooth. If not, my SS carries an assortment of scrolls and a couple wands (entangle!) to pick up the slack.

The number of times you can cast is generally adequate. Mine is a summoner build, but he was able to, more than once, to go in and save the party's bacon with a well-placed (and admittedly lucky) shelleleigh blow.

My SS is also the party healer due to a lack of other divine casters. I don't waste precious spells retrieved slots on cure spells, everyone contributes to a wand of cure/vigor (house ruled to be alternate forms of the same spell) and a scroll or two of lesser restoration. One could spend a feat getting spontaneous healer, but why burn a precious feat when gold will do the trick?

I don't plan to investigate prestige classes, spirit shaman isn't too bad all the way, at least considering the optimization level of our group.

[GenghisDon]

The Spontaneous Summoner feat can be a useful way of getting an extra spell (Summon natures ally) "retrieved" per level per day. Takes 4-ranks K.Nature and (I think) neutral alignment. Well, it's not technically "retrieved", but it represents another spell you have access.

SS looks like a very good class, but although I made a thread ages ago requesting war stories about them I've never got any feedback on how they actually play. Just people's theories. They are a trifle MAD, because of the two-stat casting, but look worth a try.

Note there's a feat (Dynamic Priest) that lets all your casting go through Charisma. I don't like this because the SS has a lot of Wisdom-based skills and not too many Chr-based ones, and also because it comes from a Dragonlance-specific supplement nobody seems to have heard of except for this feat.

Spontaneous Healer (or wounder) as well. None of them are as good as the druid & cleric class features...they are usable "wis mod" times/day.

Healing is much more useful when your DM doesn't let gold solve any problem (like me, an evil DM)

Expanding your daily spell use is great, but I'd still think about them first.

Marlowe: I made one up for a (occasional) player that has enjoyed druids (in the older editions) before. Shawn had some fun with the character, and it's spell casting ability seems pretty unique. As one might expect from a casual player, he had some trouble with what spells to take each day, but not much. He was quick to find some spells he liked. I recall lots of spirit jaws & rejuv cocoons.

not much of a war story, but it was enough for me to be certain the class is strong & viable.

[The Dark Fiddler]

good races


Aasimar is pretty much the only race you're going to get that boosts both of its casting stats. Take lesser aasimar, and you don't even have to deal with the LA.

Regarding the Spirit Shaman, does anybody think a houserule adding +1 spell retrieved across the board would be a bad thing?

[GenghisDon]

I'd really need to see the class played more extensively before making such a call.

sorcerers et all work fine being unable to swap at all.

[The Dark Fiddler]

I'd really need to see the class played more extensively before making such a call.

sorcerers et all work fine being unable to swap at all.

True, but they also get about twice as many spells known, and it's enough of a restriction for them that people look for ways to get more spells known (bloodline feats, Sandshaper).

[GenghisDon]

I'm certainly not adverse to feats that would add to a spirit shaman's choices/day, or prestige classes that would add a specific suite of spells to the character (within reason, unlike several published PRC's).

I'm just saying I'm not sure the class needs redesign (more spells known/day)

[Allanimal]

I'm certainly not adverse to feats that would add to a spirit shaman's choices/day, or prestige classes that would add a specific suite of spells to the character (within reason, unlike several published PRC's).

I'm just saying I'm not sure the class needs redesign (more spells known/day)

Agreed. I don't think there is an encounter I have played with my spirit shaman that I didn't think "oh, spell XYZ would have been perfect here, too bad I didn't pick it today", part of the fun is making work with what you've got. And also doing the research to try to find out what I need the next day.