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3 years ago ::
May 25, 2010 - 5:24AM
#1
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 Dragon 387
Shaman Basics
Envoys to the Spirit WorldBy Robert J. Schwalb After a long hiatus, we're back to the Basics! Here, Robert presents us with strategies for playing Shamans, what choices to make, and even gives us a bunch of feats and new evocations!
And then, gathered all around, the spirits assembled, their forms running from beautiful to hideous, with some as multicolored motes drifting like dandelion seeds carried on the wind, and others made from mud and twigs, green eyes shining. From such a congress, Corben knew he would learn the villagers’ fate and, if they still lived, where he would find them.Talk about this article here. 
A great man once said "If WotC put out boxes full of free money there'd still be people complaining about how it's folded." – Boraxe
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3 years ago ::
May 25, 2010 - 6:22AM
#2
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Date Joined:
Sep 14, 2009
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I'm really loving the class and race articles lately-- they seem to have doubled or tripled in length, most of it being really nice crunch. Keep it up. 
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3 years ago ::
May 25, 2010 - 8:46AM
#3
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Date Joined:
Jun 18, 2009
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I'll start by saying that some of the powers are pretty good. Some of the feats seem good, but since 13/15 of them have very limiting prereqs (and the 2 that don't have very limited use, see below), they will have little-to-no bearing on many existing Shamans.
Under "Moving your Spirit Companion", how 3 paragraphs are spent on moving your Spirit Companion without mentioning the ability to attack flying creatures (among other floating Spirit Companion questions) is beyond me. It get briefly mentioned under "Unaffected by the Environment" that it can move horizontally and vertically, but yet isn't spelled out in the Fundamentals part of a Basics article.
Also bewildering to me is how the article has a bunch of feats and powers that deal with extra moving of your spirit companion. Now, maybe there are some Shamans out there that don't take Sudden Call/Nimble Spirit until late heroic/early paragon, fine. But why would you take an extra feat (Aggressive Spirit, Mobile Spirit) that allows you to teleport your spirit companion for free when you already have a class feature that, after being enhanced by Sudden Call/Nimble Spirit, is even more flexible and still free? I attack here, I resummon my Spirit Companion somewhere else as a free action with Nimble Spirit (thank you, errata), I do something else. As long as it is my turn, Agressive/Mobile Spirit is of no additional help. Since I don't have a lot of off-turn attacks as a Shaman (unless the DM hands me an OA with Spirit's Shield/Fangs, which doesn't happen too very often) , Agressive Spirit is not going to gain me anything off-turn either. Mobile Spirit only provides a gain if other party members grant me move actions when it isn't my turn, an even more rare event.
Finally, I thought there would be a chance (however slim) in a Shaman Basics article, that the Protector Spirit Shaman's boon "use on" would be clarified, target vs. anyone, or one time when it is cast vs. any time the power heals (important for sustainable powers and such). I'm glad I wasn't holding my breath.
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3 years ago ::
May 25, 2010 - 9:09AM
#4
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- Dragon Slayer
- If only he would apply himself
- Dammit Jim, this is Star Trek, not D&D!
Date Joined:
Jan 31, 2006
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"This means when it moves, it ignores difficult terrain and can move vertically and horizontally."
Is that correct? My understanding was that the spirit companion can be moved across something like a pit, but that it could not move vertically (it does not fly).
I otherwise really enjoyed the article. The shaman is one of the more complex classes and this article will likely help draw players to the very fun class.
Follow my blog and Twitter feed with Dark Sun campaign design and DM tips! Dark Sun's Ashes of Athas Campaign is now available for home play (PM me with your e-mail to order the campaign adventures).
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3 years ago ::
May 25, 2010 - 9:10AM
#5
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Date Joined:
Jun 18, 2009
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Thank you for making my point, Alphastream.
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3 years ago ::
May 25, 2010 - 10:41AM
#6
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At the beginning of the article, it talks about using Call Spirit Companion and inplied that this power is close burst 10. Any good Shaman worth his salt knows that call spirit companion is close burst 20.
Also, the article doesn't seem to take into count the previous errata of your spirit companion going away if you use call spirit companion (thus enabling you to move the spirit companion with one minor action, instead of 2 minor action.)
The article also doesn't point out that if you do not have line of effect to your spirit companion at the end of your turn, your spirit companion goes away. So, if someone puts a wall of force down between you and your spirit companion, you need to move around it (or move your spirit companion around to your side of the wall) or at the end of your turn, the spirit companion is go away.
All in all, a decent article. The shaman class needs more options, dang it!
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