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harveyslayer
2015-07-03, 12:44 PM
Hello again everyone. I am back to these forums for the 1st time since I stopped hanging with my 3.5 playgroup. I have been playing 5th edition and loving it to death. It reminds me a lot of the way Baldur's Gate feels in terms of play style. Anyway, I decided that one thing that was missing and made sense for the world of Dungeons and Dragons was the classic healer of the sick and worshiper of spirits, The Shaman. This is my 2nd custom class, but since the 1st one requires Victorian era firearms to be used in the game, I' ll ask for advice on this class 1st.

harveyslayer
2015-07-03, 01:07 PM
Ok I have made some edits and here is the 2nd version of this class. I am now stuck on ideas for the subclass features and This class also has the same spellcasting progression as the Paladin, I just didnt put it because I am too lazy to make a table that big again. Any advice on the class would be great :)

The Shaman

The Shaman
Level Proficiency Bonus Features
1 2 Ancestral Calling, Shaman Totems, Spirit Weapons,
2 2 Fighting Style, Spellcasting
3 2 Ancestral Warding, Soul Sense
4 2 Ability Score Improvement
5 3 Ancestral Calling Feature, Extra Attack
6 3 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
7 3 Life Rejuvenation
8 3 Ability Score Improvement
9 4 Improved Ancestral Warding
10 4 Ancestral Calling Feature
11 4 Spell Power Overload
12 4 Ability Score Improvement
13 5 Spirit Walk
14 5 Ancestral Calling Feature
15 5 All Seeing Eyes
16 5 Ability Score Improvement
17 6 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
18 6 Ancestral Calling Feature
19 6 Ability Score Improvement
20 6 Shaman Ascendance


Class Features
As a Shaman, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per shaman level
Hit Points at 1st level: 8+ your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8(or 5) + your Constitution modifier per shaman level after 1st.

Proficiencies
Armor: Light
Weapons: All Simple Weapons
Tools: Herbalism Kit
Saving Throws: Strength, Wisdom

Skills: Choose two from Athletics, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, and Survival

Equipment
You start with the following equipment in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
• Any simple weapon
• Leather Armor
• An arcane focus
• Herbalism Kit
• Explorer’s pack

Ancestral Calling
At 1st level, you have some sort of revelation or internal feeling of what kind of shaman the spirit world wishes you to become; an Element Wielder, or a Witch doctor, or a Voodoo Master, each of which is detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 1st level and again at 5th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level.
Shaman Totems
To appeal to the spirits, shamans carve totems out of pieces of wood that represent the spirits of both people and nature.
At 1st level, you carve one totem of your choice, and enhance it with spiritual power. These totems are described at the end of this class description. When you gain certain shaman levels, you may carve additional totems of your choice as shown by the Totems column.
These effects only apply when the totems are being carried on your person and once a totem is carved, it can never be changed.
Spirit Weapons
At 1st level, you can use your spiritual energy to create weapons for yourself. Choose any three weapons that you are proficient with to be your spirit weapons. You can use your action to create one of these weapons in one or both of your empty hands. You cannot be disarmed of this weapon except by magical means, and you may destroy the weapon as a bonus action during your turn. This weapon counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. You may change your spirit weapons whenever you finish a long rest.
Fighting Style
At 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you get to choose again.
Archery
You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.
Defense
While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
Great Weapon Fighting
When you roll a 1 or a 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must has the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.
Two-Weapon-Fighting
When you engage in two-weapon-fighting, you can add you ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Spellcasting
Starting at 2nd level, you can form your spiritual energies into spells. This is worded exactly the same as a Paladins spellcasting but using Wisdom in place of Charisma. This class also follows the Paladins spellcasting progession.

Ancestral Warding
Starting at 3rd level, your loyalty to your Ancestors and the Spirit World makes you worthy of their protection. An invisible sheet of energy envelopes your skin and shines blue whenever you become hit. Add half of your Wisdom modifier (rounded down) to your AC.

Soul Sense
Starting at 3rd level, you can feel the souls of all living beings and ghosts, as well as undead which still house their souls, as long as they are within 10ft per Shaman level of you. This ability can also discern if there are any invisible or otherwise hidden creatures (ex. invisible stalkers and mimics) but it cannot tell you their specific location. You may also meditate and focus to extend this range out to 1 mile per Shaman level. This ability does not work on constructs or beings whose souls no longer inhabit their bodies (ex. Liches) nor can this ability sense any souls that are magically trapped or contained.

Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you may increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Life Rejuvenation
Starting at 7th level, you may utilize the power of the spirits in order to cleanse the body. During your turn, you may use an action to expend a spell slot and heal a creature for 1d6 per spell level + your Wisdom modifier hp as well as any poisons or diseases that creature may have affecting it. This feature has no effect on constructs or undead.
Improved Ancestral Warding
Starting at 9th level, the Spirits grant you protection from even further harm. Whoever you must make a saving throw, add your Wisdom modifier as a bonus to that saving throws.

Spell Power Overload
Starting at 11th level, you may pray to the spirits to regain some of your magic. After finishing a short rest, you may regain spell slots whose combined level does not exceed half of your Shaman level (rounded down). You may not use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Spirit Walk
Starting at 13th level, your connections with the spirits has become so great that you are now able to send yours over to another plane of your choosing. Doing so requires a meditation ritual that takes a total of 4 hours to complete. Upon completion of this ritual, your soul shall leave your physical body and travel to any plane of existence of your choosing. Your physical body remains motionless at the spot of the ritual in a coma like state until you decide to reenter your body. If your physical body becomes destroyed, your soul will be trapped on the plane it is currently on and a replica of your body will need to be created in order for you to return. If your souls become trapped somehow, you will not be able to leave and reenter your body until your soul is freed from its prison.

All Seeing Eyes
Starting at 15th level, you are granted the ability to see beyond the realm of perceived reality. As a bonus action on your turn, you may use this feature to gain Truesight and Darkvision out to 60ft for up to one minute with concentration. In addition, this Darkvision will allow you to see through magical darkness. While this ability is in effect, your eyes are pure white and glow brightly. You may not use this feature again until you finish a short rest.

Shaman Ascendance
At 20th level, you are able to tap into the full potential that the spirits have to offer you. Your Wisdom score increases by 4 and your new maximum for that score is 24.
Ancestral Callings
A shaman never chooses their own destiny; their path in life is determined by the spirit world and the wishes of their ancestors. Not all shamans abide by the decision made for them, but to go against the spirits and their ancestors is the gravest sin a shaman can make.

Element Wielder
An Element Wielder uses their power to shape the elements and bend them to their will. They fight will the very forces of nature themselves.
Expanded Spell List
1st Level: Burning Hands, Thunderwave
2nd Level: Gust of Wind, Scorching Ray
3rd Level: Fireball, Lightning Bolt
4th Level: Conjure Minor Elementals, Ice Storm
5th Level: Cone of Cold, Conjure Elemental

Novice Elementalist
Beginning when you choose this calling at 1st level, you learn the Fire Bolt and Ray of Frost cantrips.


Voodoo Master
A Voodoo Master is the ultimate in manipulation and control. The spirits grant them the ability to warp the minds of their enemies and summon the undead as allies.
Expanded Spell List
1st Level: Charm Person, Hex
2nd Level: Blindness/Deafness, Phantasmal Force
3rd Level: Animate Dead, Bestow Curse
4th Level: Contagion, Phantasmal Killer
5th Level: Insect Plague, Modify Memory

Negative Energy
Beginning when you choose this calling at 1st level, you learn the Chill Touch cantrip and you may choose to have your spirit weapons deal necrotic damage instead of their normal damage. Furthermore, any necrotic damage you deal ignores resistance to necrotic damage.

Voodoo Barrier

Mind Games
Legion of the Damned

Trap the Soul

Witch Doctor
A Witch Doctor is a healer of all that are wounded. The spirits grant them powers to cure ailments far beyond the capabilities of conventional medicines.
Expanded Spell List
1st Level: Cure Wounds, Healing Word
2nd Level: Lesser Restoration, Prayer of Healing
3rd Level: Beacon of Hope, Mass Healing Word
4th Level: Death Ward, Guardian of Faith
5th Level: Greater Restoration, Mass Cure Wounds

Medicine Man
Beginning when you choose this calling at 1st level, you learn the Spare the Dying cantrip.

harveyslayer
2015-07-03, 01:09 PM
Shaman Totems
If a totem has prerequisites, you must meet them to craft it. You can carve the totem at the same time you meet its prerequisite.

Angry Face
Add +2 to the damage rolls of all your melee attacks.

Bear
You have advantage on grapple checks.

Blind Face
Gain dark vision out to 60ft. If you already have dark vision, increase the range by 60ft.

Boar
Prerequisite: Witch Doctor
Whenever you cast a spell to heal a creature, you also regain hit points equal to 2+ the spell’s level.

Buffalo
Your hit point maximum increases by an amount equal to you shaman level.

Coyote
Gain proficiency with the deception and persuasion skills.

Crocodile
You can hold your breath underwater for up to 1 hour.

Crow
Prerequisite: Voodoo Master
Whenever you cast a spell that charms one or more creatures, the victims have no idea who it was that charmed them.

Eagle
Prerequisite: Spirit Warrior
Your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.

Falcon
All allies within 30ft of you add +1 to their attack rolls and their AC.

Fox
When you choose the Move action during your turn, you may instead teleport the distance you wish to move.

Happy Face
You have advantage on Charisma skill checks.

Hawk
You have advantage on all concentration checks.

Horse
Your movement is unaffected by difficult terrain.

Mute Face
Gain an additional spell slot.

Owl
Add your wisdom modifier to the damage roll of your spirit weapons.

Raven
You have proficiency with Intelligence saving throws.

Sad Face
You may use a shaman spell slot to cast a cantrip you know as a bonus action on your turn.

Snake
Your spirit weapons deal an additional d4 of poison damage.

Stag
Prerequsisite: Call Spirit Animal Feature
Gain one more use of Call Spirit animal per long rest.

Stone Face
Gain +2 AC.

Wolf
Increase your movement speed by 10ft.

harveyslayer
2015-07-03, 01:12 PM
Shaman Spell List

1st Level
Bane
Bless,
Detect Good and Evil,
Divine Favor,
Protection from Good and Evil,
Sheild
Sleep
Witch Bolt

2nd Level
Alter Self,
Barkskin,
Blur,
Continual Flame,
Darkness
Gust of Wind,
Invisibility,
Mirror Image,


3rd Level
Call Lightning
Dispel Magic,
Fear,
Magic Circle
Major Image,
Remove Curse

4th Level
Banishment
Control Water,
Dimension Door,
Greater Invisibility,
Stoneskin

5th Level
Commune with Nature,
Contact Other Plane,
Dream,
Planar Binding,
Reincarnate,
Teleportation Circle

Amnoriath
2015-07-03, 03:51 PM
This class is no where near balanced. Not only does this cast more than the Warlock with the same mechanic you gave it 9th level slots. On top of being a decent martial character with free magical items and more effective fighting styles than others to boot you can cast 9th level spells multiple times a day this is completely unheard of in 5e. Than to add insult to injury you gave a feature to almost mimic an entire subclass. Finally as a capstone you give it the ability to increase its proficiency bonus. This puts it ahead in every thing it does in comparison to others. I can't really tell you exactly what you need to do because you need to cut a lot out to have a resemblance balance here.

harveyslayer
2015-07-03, 03:57 PM
I guess I could tone down the spell casting. The idea was to make them like a hybrid magic melee class so 5th or 6th level spells would suffice. What about the class seems fine as it is right now though?

Amnoriath
2015-07-03, 11:56 PM
I guess I could tone down the spell casting. The idea was to make them like a hybrid magic melee class so 5th or 6th level spells would suffice. What about the class seems fine as it is right now though?

Well, lets just say for the sake of argument that it is the problem you have with this class is that it has so much going on but doesn't take the time to flesh them out well or personalize it feels very disoriented and lacking avenues of specificity. I have already expressed why it isn't aside from the 9th level spirit magic casting. The Warlock is a good example in which to look at because it could have easily fell down the path you have here but it instead gave different choices and otherwise made a seemingly dead level ridden class but instead let other choices fill in the voids. I am not saying copy but if you want nature oriented mystical warrior than features such as the call spirit animals maybe shouldn't be class features and prioritize. If you want to expand this is why you have subclasses.

harveyslayer
2015-07-04, 12:05 AM
I think I am getting a better picture. What I was going for with the subclasses was Witch doctor is cleric like, voodoo master is pretty much a necromancer and spirit warrior is more fighter oriented. Maybe I have too much Variety and not enough of a focus.

harveyslayer
2015-07-04, 03:29 PM
bump , also can anyone let me kmow about totem ideas and which of the current ones need tweeked

PoeticDwarf
2015-07-05, 06:12 AM
Where are they lv. 7 spells???

harveyslayer
2015-07-05, 11:20 AM
There I placed the 7th level spells.

harveyslayer
2015-07-07, 01:48 PM
Bump to 1st pagr. I also edited the class in the 1st post as well as the spell list.