The Spirit Shaman

[koz]

This is not 100% complete, due to slight idea burnout on my part. Thus, any and all suggestions are very welcome, as ever. The asterisked spells will be edited in in the morning.
Edit: Added those spells now.
Edit 2: Fixed the dead levels.
Edit 3: Added bonus skills for certain spirit guides. Still need ideas for the bear and the bull, though.
Edit 4: (Hopefully) final.

The Spirit Shaman

Hit die: d8
BAB: Average
Saves: Fort good, Ref poor, Will good
Class Skills: Bluff, Concentration, Climb, Craft, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Heal, Jump, Knowledge (all skills, taken individually), Listen, Profession, Ride, Spellcraft, Spot, Survival, Swim, and Use Rope
Skill Points: 4+Int, x4 at level 1
Starting age: Average (as fighter)
Starting gold: 5d4 x 10gp (125gp)

1: Spells, Rites, Spirit Guide (basic access)
2: Turn Spirits
3: Spells
4: Spirit Guide Protection
5:
6: Ghost Warrior, Spirit Guide (advanced access)
7:
8: Spirit Form
9:
10: Guide Magic
11:
12: Second Guide (basic access), Spirit Guide (expert access)
13:
14: Greater Spirit Guide Protection
15:
16: Beckon Spirit Aid
17:
18: Second Guide (advanced access)
19:
20: Spiritual Transformation

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: A spirit shaman is proficient with all simple weapons and one martial weapon of their choice. They are proficient with light armour, but not shields.
Spells: A spirit shaman casts divine spells drawn from the spirit shaman list. They automatically know all spells on their list. To cast a spell, they must have a Charisma score of 10+the spell’s level, and the DCs for their spells are 10+1/2 spirit shaman’s character level+1/2 spirit shaman’s Cha modifier. They receive bonus spells per day if they have a high Charisma score, and have the same spells per day chart as the druid, without the 0-level spells. As they cast divine spells, ASF does not apply to their spellcasting. A spirit shaman’s caster level is equal to his character level.
Rites: A spirit shaman may use any of the following as at-will SLAs: deathwatch, detect animals and plants, detect spirits*, speak with animals, unseen servant. The caster level is equal to his character level.
Spirit Guide (Su): At 1st level, a spirit shaman must select an animal that represents her take on nature and the world in general. This gives him access to the animal’s sphere (see below) at basic access. At 6th level, this upgrades to advanced access, and at 12th level, expert access. Although only six animals are defined, any animals which are perceived in the spirit shaman’s culture with the qualities that this animal possesses use those rules instead. Any spells used by the spirit shaman that affect an animal of the type that he has chosen (for example, all bears, all foxes etc) are considered to have a CL four higher than normal. Additionally, the spirit shaman receives a natural attack based on the animal chosen:
Bear – bite (1d8)
Bull – gore (1d8)
Cat – 2 claws (1d4)
Eagle – bite (1d8)
Fox – bite (1d8)
Owl – bite (1d8)
Turn Spirits (Su): As a standard action, a spirit shaman of 2nd level or higher can attempt to force any incorporeal undead, elementals or creatures in astral form or with astral bodies (‘spirits’ henceforth) to flee. He may use this ability 3+Cha mod times per day. All spirits within Close range must make a Will save (DC 10+1/2 spirit shaman’s character level+spirit shaman’s Wis modifier) or suffer a -2 penalty on all attack rolls, saves and checks for 1d4 rounds. If any spirit fails the save by 4 or more, they must instead flee from the spirit shaman at maximum speed for 1d4 rounds. If any spirit fails the save by 8 or more, that spirit is destroyed.
Spirit Guide Protection (Su): At 4th level, the spirit shaman is under his or her guide’s constant protection. This manifests itself as a magic circle against an alignment of the spirit shaman’s choice, changeable as a swift action, which is active constantly, and has a caster level equal to the spirit shaman’s character level.
Ghost Warrior (Su): At 6th level, a spirit shaman learns ways to combat incorporeal opponents. All of his attacks are considered to have the ghost touch property, and he uses his normal AC (not his touch AC) against attacks by incorporeal creatures.
Spirit Form (Sp): Starting from 8th level, a spirit shaman can turn himself into a spirit as a standard action. He gains the incorporeal subtype, loses his Strength score (using his Dexterity modifier for attack rolls) as well as any armour or natural armour bonuses to AC, instead gaining a deflection bonus to AC equal to his Charisma modifier + any enhancement of the armour he is wearing or shield he is carrying. He may remain in this form for a number of minutes equal to his Wisdom modifier, and may use this ability a number of times per day equal to his Charisma modifier. At 16th level, neither of these limitations apply – a spirit shaman of that level can become a spirit as often as he wants, for as long as he wants.
Guide Magic (Su): At 10th level, the spirit shaman’s spirit guide can concentrate on one spell for the spirit shaman, keeping his attention free for other things.
Second Guide (Su): At 12th level, the spirit shaman acquires a second spirit guide. This guide is identical to the first, except that its sphere is available at basic access only. As a result, the spirit shaman now maintains two magic circles as per Spirit Guide Protection (which must be against different alignments, but stack against any creature that would be subject to both, even if they normally wouldn’t), and can maintain concentration on two spells, as per Guide Magic. The second guide’s sphere improves to advanced access at 18th level.
Greater Spirit Guide Protection (Su): Starting at 14th level, the two spirit guides of the spirit shaman work in tandem to give him even greater protection. He gains evasion, mettle or DR 15/silver, changeable as a swift action, at all times.
Beckon Spirit Aid (Sp): Once per day, a spirit shaman of 16th level or higher may ask the spirits for aid, which works identically to a wish spell.
Spiritual Transformation (Su): At 20th level, a spirit shaman becomes a spirit, gaining DR 10/- and SR 30.

Spirit Shaman Spell List

1 – calm animals, cause fear, charm animal, faerie fire, hide from animals, magic fang, mount, obscuring mist, protection from chaos/evil/good/law, sanctuary, silent image
2 – animal affinity*, animal messenger, augury, barkskin, command undead, consecrate, death knell, desecrate, hideous laughter, hold animal, minor image, see invisibility, spectral hand, summon spirit*, whispering wind
3 – bestow curse, blink, dominate animal, glyph of warding, greater dispel magic, greater magic fang, halt undead, helping hand, invisibility purge, locate object, magic circle against chaos/evil/good/law, major image, phantom steed, remove curse, remove disease, speak with dead
4 – black tentacles, death ward, dimensional anchor, dimension door, locate creature, nightmare, phantasmal killer, reincarnate, seeming, sending
5 – commune, dismissal, disrupting weapon, hallow, mage’s faithful hound, persistent image, plane shift, prying eyes, secret chest, slay living, true seeing, unhallow
6 – banishment, circle of death, find the path, forbiddance, greater glyph or warding, permanent image, programmed image, mass animal affinity*, repulsion, shadow walk, undeath to death, veil, wind walk
7 – control undead, ethereal jaunt, finger of death, greater restoration, phase door, project image, sequester, vision
8 – dimensional lock, discern location, greater prying eyes, mind blank, trap the soul
9 – etherealness, foresight, soul bind, weird

Animal Spheres

Bear
Special: You may act normally when on negative hit points (but you still lose hit points for taking strenuous actions as normal). You also gain Intimidate as a class skill.
1: Lesser Vigour
3: Bear’s Endurance
5: Rage
7: Stoneskin
9: Death Ward
11: Mass Bear’s Endurance
13: Sequester
15: Temporal Stasis
17: Consume*
19: Time Stop

Bull
Special: You deal double damage on a charge. You also gain Ride as a class skill.
1: Enlarge Person
3: Bull’s Strength
5: Rage
7: Mass Enlarge Person
9: Righteous Might
11: Mass Bull’s Strength
13: Destruction
15: Earthquake
17: Regenerate
19: Power Word Kill

Cat
Special: You gain a +10ft enhancement bonus to your land speed. You also gain Balance as a class skill.
1: Pouncing Charge*
3: Cat’s Grace
5: Haste
7: Greater Invisibility
9: Tree Stride
11: Mass Cat’s Grace
13: True Seeing
15: Greater Teleport
17: Foresight
19: Time Stop

Eagle
Special: You are immune to fear. You also gain Tumble as a class skill.
1: Cause Fear
3: Eagle’s Splendour
5: Fly
7: Freedom of Movement
9: True Seeing
11: Mass Eagle’s Splendour
13: Greater Scrying
15: Discern Location
17: Etherealness
19: Foresight

Fox
Special: You gain low-light vision. Additionally, you have Escape Artist as a class skill.
1: Expeditious Retreat
3: Fox’s Cunning
5: Haste
7: Greater Invisibility
9: Passwall
11: Mass Fox’s Cunning
13: True Seeing
15: Moment of Prescience
17: Energy Drain
19: Foresight

Owl
Special: You may use your Wisdom bonus instead of your Intelligence bonus on any Knowledge checks. You also gain Sense Motive as a class skill.
1: Comprehend Languages
3: Owl’s Wisdom
5: Fly
7: Fear
9: Prying Eyes
11: Mass Owl’s Wisdom
13: Plane Shift
15: Discern Location
17: Weird
19: Foresight

Spirit Shaman Specific Spells

Animal Affinity
Transmutation
Level: Spirit Shaman 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 1 min/level
Save: Will negates (harmless)
SR: Yes

The target receives a +4 enhancement bonus to one ability score of your choice. For every 5 caster levels above 3rd, the target receives a +4 enhancement bonus to an additional ability score of your choice.

Animal Affinity, Mass
Transmutation
Level: Spirit Shaman 6
Range: Close
Targets: One creature/level, no two of which can be more than 30ft apart

This spell functions like animal affinity, except that it affects multiple creatures as described above. Additionally, it bolsters only one ability score, plus an additional ability score for every 5 caster levels above 11th caster level.

Consume
Transmutation
Level: Bear 9
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: One living creature touched
Duration: Instantaneous and 1 hour; see text
Save: Fort half
SR: Yes

You grab at a creature and stuff it into your mouth, dealing it 30d6 points of damage. Anything killed by this is destroyed utterly, leaving behind only a few scraps. A consumed creature’s equipment is not tasty, and hence, is not affected.
If you do not totally consume a creature (i.e. the target still has at least 1 hit point remaining), you gain temporary hit points equal to the damage you dealt for 1 hour. If you totally consume a creature, you gain temporary hit points as above, as well as a +4 enhancement bonus to all your ability scores and a +10 competence bonus to Disguise checks to appear as that creature for 1 hour.

Detect Spirits

This functions as detect undead, except that it detects ‘spirits’ (that is, incorporeal undead, elementals or creatures in astral form or with astral bodies.

Pouncing Charge
Transmutation
Level: Cat 1
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous

When you charge after casting this spell on the same round, you may make a full attack.

Summon Spirit
Conjuration (Summoning) [see text]
Level: Spirit Shaman 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Close
Effect: One summoned spirit
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Save: None
SR: No

This spell summons a ‘spirit’ (an incorporeal undead or elemental), whose CR cannot be greater than the caster’s character level-2, and cannot be a templated form. For every additional -2 CR that you apply to the creature, you may summon twice as many of them. Thus, you may summon one spirit of your level-2 CR, two of your level-4 CR, four of your level -6 CR, and so on.
The spirit appears where you designate and acts on your turn, attacking opponents to the best of its ability. If you can communicate with the spirit, you can tell it to do other things that it is capable of. A summoned creature cannot summon or call other creatures, nor can it use any teleportation or planar travel abilities. You cannot summon a creature into an environment which cannot support it. When you use this spell to summon an air, chaotic, earth, evil, fire, good, lawful or water creature, it is a spell of that type.

[koz]

Any ideas at all? It's done now....

[SunTzuWarmaster]

Honestly, looks good to me. I don't like the class, but it appears balanced and useful.

I would alter the skill list. They should have Hide amdn Move Silently, at the very least (a Cat Shaman), and there are many others that should be there, in my opinion.

You have neglected to mention weapon an armor proficiencies. I would limited to Simple Weapons only + 3 martial weapons with heavy armor and no shields. But that is me.

[koz]

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: A spirit shaman is proficient with all simple weapons and one martial weapon of their choice. They are proficient with light armour, but not shields.

I don't see the problem with finding this part of the text.

What skills beside Hide and Move Silently do you reckon should be on there? Perhaps I could peg them to the choice of sphere that spirit shamans make?

[SunTzuWarmaster]

Yea, adding a coupe of selections based on the choice would probably be a good idea.

Failed my spot check for that weapon and armor thing. I thought I even CTRL+F'ed for it, too.

Balance (for cats)
Escape Artist (for foxes?)
Sense Motive (owls)
Tumble (foxes?)

[CatharzGodfoot]

So how much do spirit shapeople look like their spirit animals? I assume a bull spirit shaman has horns and a cat spirit shaman has retractable claws, but does an owl shaman have a beak?

[koz]

You're once again right, CGF - spiritshaped people do look like people with animal-like traits. And yes, owl shamans do get beaks.

[koz]

Ok, added the skills to the spheres as per STW's suggestion. Still need ideas for bear and bull, though - their skill set is already covered, unless you can make a case for UMD or something.

[Hicks]

Why is animal growth on his spell list if he has neither an animal companion nor summonable animals?

Bear Skill: Intimidate (rawr!)

Bull Skill: Ride (As in: the bull? Get it? GET IT?!)

[koz]

Thank you, Hicks, those are perfect! Will add now.