It is said that when the gods created the world, they gently blew life into it, awakening the conscience in every piece of their work. Trees, rocks, rivers, fire, wind, mountains... all of them received the holy breath, and all of them worshipped the gods before the first race set foot on the face of the world. They were the animae, the souls of all things: the spirits. These beings are the heart of Creation, overseeing the turning of the seasons, the cycle of predator and prey and even the falling of each flake of snow. This first age was a paradise, but when the gods had set the stage for their mortal children, the spirits lost their place as the inhabitants of the world.
Yet they were not really gone. Shunned to the lands behind the mirror, the spirits maintained their connection with that which gives them life, and they served a new role as the intermediaries between the gods and the physical world.
They remember who was the firstborn among the races, for they were present at the moment of their birth, and they have watched behind the wall between the planes as their flesh-bound brethren grow and progress. The spirits took pity on their first clumsy steps, and many of them decided to help; they whispered their songs to the ears of a few, and revealed to them the secrets of the first magic. And as the gods gave spirits their power, so the spirits shared it with the shamans, those among the mortals who can perceive them, look behind the curtain of the world's stage and see the spirits as the stagehands overlooking the gods' play.
Shamans existed long before clerics and wizards usurped their role as the wise leaders of the people, the first to try and make sense of a strange world and the earliest people to delve into the powers of the unknown. Their magic is unsophisticated, and looked down upon as the province of the uncivilised, a primitive tool inferior to arcane formulae and divine prayer.
Despite being forgotten, the spirits' power has not diminished, and the old shamans did not forget either, they trained their successors generation after generation, and their descendants spread the gift to see the invisible.
The primary purpose of this sourcebook is to give players and Games Masters alike all the information they need to add a new dimension to their campaign in the form of the spirits, their world and the people who see and serve them. Within these pages you will find chapters devoted to shamans and their tradition, the way they practice their craft as opposed to traditional divine spellcasters, plus new Domains and spells that take advantage of the spirits' influence on the material world. You will also find shamanic feats that expand the shamans' power, as well as allowing other classes to be touched by the subtle hand of the spirits.
The shaman's path is seen with scorn by the refined worshippers of deities and greater powers, and it bears many obstacles to those who would dare to walk it, but the rewards along the way are great, for while not gods themselves, the spirits are an intrinsic part of creation. The shamanic tradition is rich, and no less powerful than its successors; it takes a brave man to open his eyes to the true nature of the world, but he will find that everything is worth it at the end.
Shaman Magic - An Overview:
A detailed account of how shamanic magic works and how it relates to other divine paths.
The Shaman's Paths:
A brand new core character class, the Shaman, is presented, along with many unique class features and abilities.
Secrets of the Craft:
This chapter introduces a new range of feats and takes a look at the skills required by the Shaman character class.
Spirit Magic:
In dealing with spirits, a Shaman is courting the very creative powers of the world. Through the wisdom presented in this chapter, players will be able to bargain and cajole the spirits without endangering themselves.
Spirit Domains and Spells:
The spirits are able to grant a devoted Shaman many unique powers, all of which are covered here.
Spirits:
A full listing of a the spirits a Shaman may encounter in his long and hard career.
Help for Games Masters:
Full guidelines are given to enable a Games Master to seamlessly introduce Shamans and their spirit magic into his campaign. |
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