Ancestral Speaker
Many cultures, both primitive and
surprisingly advanced, give their religious devotion not to deities (or at
least not solely to deities), but to the spirits of their departed ancesters.
An ancestral speaker calls upon his forebears, and the deceased patriarchs and
matriarchs of his clan, family, or nation, for spells and guidance. Unlike
standard clerics, whose first devotion is often to their priesthood, an
ancestral speaker serves and protects the honor of his ancestors and the well-being
of his people with equal fervor. They are, after all, essentially the same
thing; his people today are the family of those who have gone, and they
themselves will one day be the ancestor spirits to following generations.
Hit
Die: d8
Alignment: Any
Starting Gold: 4d4 × 10
Class Skills: The
ancestral speaker's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (spirits) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill
Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill
Points at Each Additional Level:
4 + Int modifier.
|
Level
|
Base
Attack Bonus
|
Fort
Save
|
Ref
Save
|
Will
Save
|
Special
|
Spells
per Day*
|
|||||||||
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
||||||
|
1st
|
+0
|
+0
|
+0
|
+2
|
Ancestral
communion (skills) 1/day, animal companion, holy prescence
|
3
|
1+1
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
|
2nd
|
+1
|
+0
|
+0
|
+3
|
Spirit
sight
|
4
|
2+1
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
|
3rd
|
+2
|
+1
|
+1
|
+3
|
4
|
2+1
|
1+1
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
|
|
4th
|
+3
|
+1
|
+1
|
+4
|
Bonus
feat, death talker +2
|
5
|
3+1
|
2+1
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
|
5th
|
+3
|
+1
|
+1
|
+4
|
Ancestral
commumion 2/day, spirits' favor
|
5
|
3+1
|
2+1
|
1+1
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
|
6th
|
+4
|
+2
|
+2
|
+5
|
5
|
3+1
|
3+1
|
2+1
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
|
|
7th
|
+5
|
+2
|
+2
|
+5
|
6
|
4+1
|
3+1
|
2+1
|
1+1
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
|
|
8th
|
+6/+1
|
+2
|
+2
|
+6
|
Bonus
feat, death talker +4
|
6
|
4+1
|
3+1
|
3+1
|
2+1
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
|
9th
|
+6/+1
|
+3
|
+3
|
+6
|
Ancestral
communion (questions), improved resurrection
|
6
|
4+1
|
4+1
|
3+1
|
2+1
|
1+1
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
|
10th
|
+7/+2
|
+3
|
+3
|
+7
|
Ancestral
communion 3/day
|
6
|
4+1
|
4+1
|
3+1
|
3+1
|
2+1
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
|
11th
|
+8/+3
|
+3
|
+3
|
+7
|
6
|
4+2
|
4+1
|
4+1
|
3+1
|
2+1
|
1+1
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
|
|
12th
|
+9/+4
|
+4
|
+4
|
+8
|
Bonus
feat, death talker +6
|
6
|
4+2
|
4+1
|
4+1
|
3+1
|
3+1
|
2+1
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
|
13th
|
+9/+4
|
+4
|
+4
|
+8
|
6
|
4+2
|
4+2
|
4+1
|
4+1
|
3+1
|
2+1
|
1+1
|
—
|
—
|
|
|
14th
|
+10/+5
|
+4
|
+4
|
+9
|
6
|
4+2
|
4+2
|
4+1
|
4+1
|
3+1
|
3+1
|
2+1
|
—
|
—
|
|
|
15th
|
+11/+6/+1
|
+5
|
+5
|
+9
|
Ancestral
communion 4/day
|
6
|
4+2
|
4+2
|
4+2
|
4+1
|
4+1
|
3+1
|
2+1
|
1+1
|
—
|
|
16th
|
+12/+7/+2
|
+5
|
+5
|
+10
|
Bonus
feat, death talker +8
|
6
|
4+2
|
4+2
|
4+2
|
4+1
|
4+1
|
3+1
|
3+1
|
2+1
|
—
|
|
17th
|
+12/+7/+2
|
+5
|
+5
|
+10
|
6
|
4+2
|
4+2
|
4+2
|
4+2
|
4+1
|
4+1
|
3+1
|
2+1
|
1+1
|
|
|
18th
|
+13/+8/+3
|
+6
|
+6
|
+11
|
6
|
4+2
|
4+2
|
4+2
|
4+2
|
4+1
|
4+1
|
3+1
|
3+1
|
2+1
|
|
|
19th
|
+14/+9/+4
|
+6
|
+6
|
+11
|
6
|
4+2
|
4+2
|
4+2
|
4+2
|
4+2
|
4+1
|
4+1
|
3+1
|
3+1
|
|
|
20th
|
+15/+10/+5
|
+6
|
+6
|
+12
|
Ancestral
communion 5/day, bonus feat, death talker +10
|
6
|
4+2
|
4+2
|
4+2
|
4+2
|
4+2
|
4+1
|
4+1
|
4+1
|
4+1
|
|
*In
addition to the stated number of spells per day for 1st- through 9th-level
spells, a shaman gets a domain spell for each spell level, starting at 1st.
The "+1" on this list represents that. These spells are in addition
to any bonus spells for having a high Wisdom.
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Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Shamans are proficient with all simple weapons and with
light armor. Note that armor check penalties for armor heavier than leather
apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently,
Pick Pocket, and Tumble. Also, Swim checks suffer a -1 penalty for every 5
pounds of armor and equipment carried.
Spells: A shaman casts divine spells according to Table 2—3: The
Shaman. A shaman may prepare and cast any spell on the shaman spell list (see
Chapter 7: Magic and Spells), provided he can cast spells of that level.
(Alignment restrictions mean that casting some spells may have unpleasant
consequences.) The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a shaman's spell
is 10 + the spell's level + the shaman's Wisdom modifier.
Shamans do not acquire their spells
from books or scrolls, nor prepare them through study. Instead, they meditate
or pray for their spells, receiving them as gifts from the many spirits (nature
spirits, animal spirits, ancestor spirits, and others) with whom the shaman
deals. Each shaman must choose a time at which he must spend an hour each day
in quiet conversation with the spirits to regain his daily allotment of spells
(typically, this hour is at dawn or noon for good shamans and at dusk or midnight
for evil ones). Time spent resting has no effect on whether a shaman can
prepare spells.
In addition to his standard spells,
a shaman gets one domain spell of each spell level, starting at 1st. When a
shaman prepares a domain spell, it must come from one of his two domains (see
below for details).
Spirits, Domains, and Domain Spells: Choose two domains for your shaman. Each domain represents
an individual spirit with which you have a special relationship—a spirit of the
dead (usually one of your ancestors), an animal spirit, or a nature spirit.
Each spirit gives you access to a domain spell at each spell level, from 1st on
up, as well as a granted power. Your shaman gets the granted powers of both
domains you select. With access to two domain spells at a given spell level, a
shaman prepares one or the other each day. If a domain spell is not on the
Shaman Spells list, a shaman can only prepare it in his domain slot. Domain
spells and granted powers are given in Shaman Domains (see Chapter 7).
When a shaman reaches 11th level, he
can choose a third domain, and gains access to the spells and granted power of
this domain. Each day, he can prepare two domain spells of certain spell
levels, as shown on Table 2—3.
Spontaneous Casting: Good shamans can channel stored spell energy into healing
spells that they haven't prepared ahead of time. The shaman can
"lose" a prepared spell in order to cast any cure spell of the
same level or lower (a cure spell is any spell with "cure" in
its name). For example, a good shaman who has prepared bless (a
1st-level spell) may lose bless in order to cast cure light wounds (also
a 1st-level spell). Good shamans can cast cure spells in this way
because they are especially proficient at wielding positive energy.
An evil shaman, on the other hand,
can't convert prepared spells to cure spells but can convert them to inflict
spells (an inflict spell is one with "inflict" in the title).
Such shamans are especially proficient at wielding negative energy.
A neutral shaman can convert spells
either to cure spells or to inflict spells (player's choice),
depending on whether the shaman is more proficient at wielding positive or
negative energy. Once the player makes this choice, it cannot be reversed. This
choice also determines whether the neutral shaman turns or rebukes undead (see
below).
A shaman can't use spontaneous
casting to convert domain spells into cure or inflict spells.
These spells arise from the particular powers of the shaman's chosen spirits,
not divine energy in general.
Chaotic, Evil, Good, and Lawful
Spells: A shaman can't cast spells of an
alignment opposed to his own. A good shaman cannot cast evil spells, and vice
versa. Spells associated with the alignments of chaos, evil, good, and law are
identified as such on the "School, Subschool and Descriptors" line of
the spell description.
Ancestral
Communion (Ex): In addition to spells, the
ancestral speaker may pray to his ancestors for advice or knowledge. At 1st
level, the ancestral speaker may request a bonus on any one specific skill,
once per day. The ancestors grant him temporary knowledge of that skill, bestowing
a competence bonus equal to the ancestral speaker's Charisma modifier plus his
class level. It does not matter if the speaker already possesses any ranks in
this skill or not; the ancestral speaker can use the skill even if he is
untrained in its use or cannot normally use it. The bonus lasts for a number of
rounds equal to 1 plus the ancestral speaker's Charisma bonus. At 5th level and
every 5 levels thereafter, the ancestral speaker may use this power an
additional time per day.
At 9th level, the ancestral speaker
may choose to use the ancestors' advice, rather than seeking their aid with
skills. Instead of a skill bonus, he may choose to ask them questions, as per
the commune spell cast by a cleric of his level. He may do this only
once per day; any other uses of ancestral communion during that day must be
requests for help with a skill.
Animal Companion: A 1st-level shaman may begin play with an animal companion.
This animal is one that the shaman has befriended with the spell animal
friendship. It can have up to 2 Hit Dice. (While the shaman is 1st level, this
particular animal is loyal enough to stay with him, even though an adventuring
shaman usually can only maintain animal friends whose Hit Dice total up to his
level.) Alternatively, the shaman may have more than one animal companion
provided the animals' total Hit Dice don't exceed 2. The shaman can also cast animal
friendship in play (see the spell description in the Player's Handbook).
Holy
Prescence (Ex): The ancestral speaker is considered
to be his own holy symbol, as he is descended from the beings on whom he calls.
Thus, he need not carry any such symbol, and can cast spells with the Divine
Focus component without one.
Spirit Sight: A shaman of 2nd level and above can see ethereal creatures
(including spirits) as easily as he sees material creatures and objects. The
shaman can easily distinguish between ethereal creatures and material ones,
because ethereal creatures appear translucent and indistinct.
Turn or Rebuke Undead: When a shaman reaches 3rd level, he gains the supernatural
ability to turn or rebuke undead. He may use this ability a number of times per
day equal to three plus his Charisma modifier. He turns undead as a cleric of
two levels lower would. Neutral shamans must choose to either turn or rebuke
undead (see Spontaneous Casting above).
Extra Turning: As a feat, a shaman may take Extra Turning. This feat
allows the shaman to turn undead four more times per day than normal. A shaman
can take this feat multiple times, gaining four extra daily turning attempts
each time.
Bonus Feat: At 4th level and every four levels thereafter, a shaman
gains a bonus martial arts feat. The shaman must choose these feats from the
following list: Defensive Throw, Deflect Arrows (Grappling Block), Dodge,
Expertise (Karmic Strike, Improved Trip, Defensive Strike, Superior Expertise),
Great Throw, Improved Grapple (Choke Hold, Earth's Embrace), Stunning Fist
(Falling Star Strike, Freezing the Lifeblood, Unbalancing Strike, Pain Touch).
Death
Talker (Ex): Due to his long association with
the departed, the 4th-level ancestral speaker gains a +2 bonus to all
Diplomacy, Bluff, Intimidate, and Sense Motive checks against undead. At 8th
level and every 4 levels thereafter, this bonus increase by +2.
Spirits' Favor: A shaman of 5th level or higher applies his Charisma
modifier (if positive) as a bonus on all saving throws.
Improved
Ressurection (Ex): The ancestors on whom the speaker
calls well know the pathways between life and death, and they can smooth over
the transition for anyone making the crossing at their speaker's behest. Anyone
raised or ressurected by an ancestral speaker still loses a level, but only a
portion of the normal XP. Under most conditions, level loss drops the victim to
the halfway point of the old level; someone raised by an ancestral speaker
drops to the three-quarter mark. For example, a 9th-level character who is
raised would normally drop to 32,000 XP. (A character needs 28,000 for 8th
level and 36,000 for 9th, so half the difference is 4,000).) If that character
was raised by a speaker, however, he would drop only to 34,000 XP.
