First time as a Spirit Shaman

[Mr.Kraken]

So, I've decided to make a killoren spirit shaman, and since it's my first time using the class (and the race), I've thought about coming to you, guys. Is there anything I should know regarding the spirit shaman? Any tips on combos, feats and spells? And what about the killoren?

[Zaq]

Killoren don't have any special synergy with the Spirit Shaman, but they have no real disadvantages either, so you should be fine as one.

What level are you starting at? Spirit Shamans play very differently at low levels and at high levels. At low levels, it's hard for them to cover all their bases, because they're so limited in how many spells they can retrieve, so it can be useful to invest feats and/or items in some backup tricks for when you can't have the perfect spell prepared. At high levels, they function like T1 casters, and they've got more than enough spells to do everything they want to do. Exactly where they cross over between the two ends is a matter of opinion, of course, and there's a middle ground.

You should ask your GM for his or her opinion on how domains interact with Spirit Shamans. It's not at all clear from the book. The two most common interpretations (though by no means the only ones) are as follows:

Domain spells are added to your spell list, but you have to retrieve them normally.
You don't have to retrieve domain spells, but you can only cast one per spell level per day.


There are, as I said, other interpretations, but those are the two I've seen most frequently. If you have to retrieve domain spells normally, then seeking out domains is decently useful for you, but not necessarily the only way of increasing your utility. If you don't have to retrieve domain spells, then you definitely want to see about getting access to as many domains as you can, since they directly increase your versatility on a round-by-round basis. The usual suspects are good options for you (Contemplative and Holt Warden), but they're not the only options.

The feat Spontaneous Summoner is pretty useful for you, since it means you only have to retrieve one spell to effectively get every SNA available to you.

[The Viscount]

Killoren is perfectly serviceable as a race for Spirit Shaman.

As for working with one, the very first thing to address is whether Dynamic Priest is allowed, because it would mean you are a SAD caster.

Magic of the Land might be worthwhile, since it could save on using spells known for healing.

Versatile Spellcaster is one I'm a big fan of, does a lot for utility.

Your Prestige Class options are rather limited due to your lack of knowledge (religion). You can address this with a feat like education, or by entering Ruathar.

If you aren't taking Dynamic Priest, you'll want to minimize spells with a save effect (there is an unfortunately large number of them since the druid list is rather blasty, and their buffs are often tailored toward animals), or select one for which the save doesn't matter much.

[Mr.Kraken]

The spirit shaman will start at level 7, as I'm replacing a fallen character. Dynamic Priest isn't allowed, so I plan on focusing on no-saves spells. Actually, I'm choosing most things based on fluff, and for spells I'm going for "spiritual" ones, not animal or elemental-based stuff.