Shaman (CBarbH)

For other uses, see Shaman (disambiguation).

The Complete Barbarian's Handbook

Chapter 1: Character Creation
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Character Creation
The Barbarian Fighter
Requirements Level Advancement Movement Armor and Weapons Physical Abilities
The Shaman
Requirements Level Advancement Movement Armor and Weapons Physical Abilities Spells Turning Undead
Homeland Terrain
Choosing a Homeland Terrain Homeland Terrain Advantages
Intelligence and Charisma Limits

The shaman is a primitive spellcaster, drawing magical energies from ancestral spirits, a unique pantheon of deities, or, like a druid, from nature itself. His intimate knowledge of the supernatural makes him not only a gifted healer and soothsayer, but a femme combatant

Requirements

Table 10 lists the requirements for a shaman. Table 11 offers randomly determined ability scores.

Table 10: Class Qualifications

Ability Requirements	Dexterity 9 Constitution 12 Wisdom 12
Prime Requisites	Wisdom Constitution
Races Allowed	Human
Alignments Allowed*	Lawful Good Lawful Neutral Neutral Neutral Good Chaotic Good

* Unless the DM rules otherwise, players should choose one of these alignments for shaman PC. NPCs may have anv alignment.

Level Advancement

Shamans receive 1d1O hit points per level up to 9th, then 2 extra points for every additional level. Table 12 shows their advancement rates and THAC0 scores

Note the following

• A shaman earns 10% bonus to earned experience points if both Constitution and Wisdom scores are 16 or more.
• A shaman with a Constitution score of 16 or more receives a +2 bonus per hit die. However, this bonus no longer applies at 10th level and above.

Table 11: Shaman Pregenerated Ability Scores

D12 Roll	Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
1	10	17	13	15	12	12
2	8	15	12	13	16	10
3	17	9	16	12	12	14
4	11	15	12	14	14	16
5	8	16	14	8	15	13
6	11	10	17	7	16	9
7	12	15	15	9	12	15
8	15	9	14	11	17	11
9	11	12	16	13	16	9
10	9	13	15	9	15	11
11	13	10	11	8	18	10
12	10	16	12	10	14	17

Table 12 Experience Levels

Level	Cleric	Hit Dice (d10)	THAC0
1	0	1	20
2	1,500	2	20
3	3,000	3	20
4	6,000	4	18
5	13,000	5	18
6	27,500	6	18
7	55,000	7	16
8	110,000	8	16
9	225,000	9	16
10	450,000	9+2	14
11	675,000	9+4	14
12	900,000	9+6	14
13	1,125,000	9+8	12
14	1,350,000	9+10	12
15	1,575,000	9+12	12
16	1,800,000	9+14	10
17	2,025,000	9+16	10
18	2,250,000	9+18	10
19	2,475,000	9+20	8
20	2,700,000	9+22	8

Table 13: Level Improvements

	Prof.		Saving Throws
Level	W	N/W	PPDM	RSW	PP	BW	SP
1	2	4	10	14	13	16	15
2	2	4	10	14	13	16	15
3	2	5	10	14	13	16	15
4	3	5	9	13	12	15	14
5	3	5	9	13	12	15	14
6	3	6	9	13	12	15	14
7	3	6	7	11	10	13	12
8	4	6	7	11	10	13	12
9	4	7	7	11	10	13	12
10	4	7	6	10	9	12	11
11	4	7	6	10	9	12	11
12	5	8	6	10	9	12	11
13	5	8	5	9	8	11	10
14	5	8	5	9	8	11	10
15	5	9	5	9	8	11	10
16	6	9	4	8	7	10	9
17	6	9	4	8	7	10	9
18	6	10	4	8	7	10	9
19	6	10	2	6	5	8	7
18	7	10	2	6	5	8	7

Proficiency Abbreviations

W = Weapon profiaency slots

NIW = Nonweapon profiaenq slots

Saving Throw Abbreviations

PPDM = Paralyzation, Poison, or Death Magic

RSW = Rod, Staff, or Wand

PP =Petrification or Polymorph

BW = Breath Weapon

SP = spell

Movement

Shamans have a base movement rate of 15.

Barbarians are also capable of carrying heavy loads more efficiently than other characters. Using the optional Encumbrance rules from Chapter 6 of the Player's Handbook, the barbarian gains a +3 bonus for determining the movement rate while encumbered.

For instance, a shaman with 16 Strength would be able to carry a maximum weight of 195 lbs. and have a movement rate of 4. Note that the shaman's ability to move faster while carrying a heavy load does not grant the barbarian a bonus to the amount of weight he can carry.

Armor and Weapons

Shamans wear the same armor types as barbarian fighters (Table 5).

Table 5: Barbarian Armor

Type	AC	Cost (GP)	Weight (lbs.)
Padded	8	4	10
Leather	8	5	15
Studded Leather	7	20	25
Hide	6	15	30

* See Chapter 5 for descriptions of materials and construction.

They are restricted in their selection of weapons as is a cleric:. No edged weapons can be used unless the shaman worships a Power who allows their use.

With the DMs permission, a shaman may worship a mythos that has specific weapon requirements. For example, a nature deity might require his clerics to wield clubs and bows; a war deity might require spears and axes.

Unlike barbarian fighers, shamans can't make multiple attacks in the same round, nor may they attack with two weapons at the same time.

Physical Abilities

Shamans are exceptionally skilled at leaping, springing, protecting their backs, and climbing. But as indicated on Tables 14 and 15, they're not quite as adept as barbarian fighters

Table 14: Leaping and Springing Distances

Level	Running Leap	Running Spring	Standing Leap	Standing Spring
1	2d6+1	1d3	1d6	1d3
2	2d6+2	1d3+1	1d6+1	1d3
3	2d6+3	1d3+1	1d6+1	1d3
4	2d6+4	1d3+2	1d6+2	1d3+1
5	2d6+5	1d3+2	1d6+2	1d3+1
6	2d6+6	1d3+3	1d6+3	1d3+2
7	2d6+7	1d3+3	1d6+3	1d3+2
8	2d6+8	1d3+4	1d6+4	1d3+2
9	2d6+9	1d3+4	1d6+4	1d3+2
10	2d6+10	1d3+5	1d6+5	1d3+2
11	2d6+11	1d3+5	1d6+5	1d3+2
12	2d6+12	1d3+6	1d6+6	1d3+2
13	2d6+13	1d3+6	1d6+6	1d3+2
14	2d6+14	1d3+6	1d6+7	1d3+2
15	2d6+15	1d3+6	1d6+7	1d3+2
16+	2d6+16	1d3+6	1d6+8	1d3+2

Table 15: Back Detection and Climbing Chances

Level	Back Detection	Climbing
1	5%	30%
2	9%	35%
3	13%	40%
4	17%	46%
5	21%	52%
6	25%	58%
7	29%	64%
8	34%	71%
9	39%	78%
10	44%	85%
11	49%	92%
12	54%	95%*
13	60%	95%
14	66%	95%
15	72%	95%
16	78%	95%
17	84%	95%
18	90%	95%
19+	95%*	95%

* Maximum percentile score

Spells

Shamans have access to a limited number of spheres. If the DM allows a shaman to worship a specific mythos, additional sphere limitations may apply. A nature deity, for instance, may allow major access only to the animal and plant spheres. Some deities may allow spells normally denied to shamans; a fire deity might give major access to the sun and elemental spheres but deny access to the charm and necromantic spheres.

Major access: All, animal, combat, divination, healing, plant.

Minor access: Charm, elemental, necromantic, protection, sun, weather.

No access: Astral, creation, guardian, summoning.

The following restrictions also apply:

• Shamans don't get bonus spells for high Wisdom scores.
• Because they can't read or write, shamans can't use clerical scrolls. Additional limitations on magical items appear in Chapter 2.

Table 16: Shaman Spell Progression

Level	1	2	3	4	5	6*	7**
1	1	—	—	—	—	—	—
2	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
3	2	1	—	—	—	—	—
4	3	2	—	—	—	—	—
5	3	3	1	—	—	—	—
6	3	3	2	—	—	—	—
7	3	3	2	1	—	—	—
8	3	3	3	2	—	—	—
9	4	4	3	2	1	—	—
10	4	4	3	3	2	—	—
11	5	4	4	3	2	1	—
12	6	5	5	3	2	2	—
13	6	6	6	4	2	2	—
14	6	6	6	5	3	2	1
15	6	6	6	6	4	2	1
16	7	7	7	6	4	3	1
17	7	7	7	7	5	3	2
18	8	8	8	8	6	4	2
19	9	9	8	8	6	4	2
20	9	9	9	8	7	5	2

* Usable only by shamans with 17 or greater Wisdom.

** Usable only by shamans with 18 or greater Wisdom.

Turning Undead

See also Turning Undead PHB.

Generally, shamans have no power over the undead. However, if the shaman's tribe worships a deity from The Complete Priest's Handbook that allows its clerics to turn or command undead, the shaman can do so, but at an effective level two levels less than a standard priest.

Also, whereas the standard cleric uses a holy symbol to turn undead, the barbarian must focus his power through an enchanted object called a talisman (Chapter 2 gives details about barbarian talismans). A shaman of 1st or 2nd level has no chance to turn undead creatures; once the shaman reaches 3rd level, however, he may attempt to turn undead normally (see Table 17).

After the undead is selected, the player rolls 1d20 and consults the appropriate column on Table 17. Note that shamans turn undead as clerics who are two levels lower. A result equal to or greater than the listed number indicates success. A "T" means the attempt succeeds automatically; no roll is necessary. A "D" means the undead is destroyed. A dash means the shamans has no chance to turn that type of undead.

If successful, the cleric can continue to turn undead of that type in later rounds. If the turning attempt fails, that type of undead can no longer be turned by that cleric in that encounter. Shaman may try to turn different type of undead on the following round.

Table 17: Turning Undead

Type or Hit Dice of Undead	Level of Shaman
	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10-11	12-13	14+
Skeleton or 1 HD	10	7	4	T	T	D	D	D*	D*	D*
Zombie	13	10	7	4	T	T	D	D	D*	D*
Ghoul or 2 HD	16	13	10	7	4	T	T	D	D	D*
Shadow or 3-4 HD	19	16	13	10	7	4	T	T	D	D
Wight or 5 HD	20	19	16	13	10	7	4	T	T	D
Ghast	—	20	19	16	13	10	7	4	T	T
Wraith or 6 HD	—	—	20	19	16	13	10	7	4	T
Mummy or 7 HD	—	—	—	20	19	16	13	10	7	4
Spectre or 8 HD	—	—	—	—	20	19	16	13	10	7
Vampire or 9 HD	—	—	—	—	—	20	19	16	13	10
Ghost or 10 HD	—	—	—	—	—	—	20	19	16	13
Lich or 11+ HD	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	20	19	16
Special**	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	20	19

* An additional 2d4 creatures of this type are turned.

** Special undead indude unique creatures, kwilled undead of the Negative Material plane, outer planes undead, and certain Grrater and Lesser powers.