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Shaman Class by Pattycakeee

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Contender and runner up for best 2016 homebrew class of Reddit's /r/UnearthedArcana/


When a creature dies, it is not always the case that their spirit is able to move on. Instead some linger. Often these spirits track down those who can perceive them so that they might find peace or carry out vengeful actions. Shamans are individuals either blessed or cursed to be capable of perceiving those entities and harnessing their power. This perception most often comes in the form of visions, dreams and whispers from the spirits themselves.

Wisdom is a common trait found in shamans. Boasting in some cases multiple lifetimes of experiences, they are often sought out as advisers or spiritual guides. It is for this reason that shamans make excellent additions to adventuring parties, bringing with them not only their own skills, but the mass of skills that can be offered by the spirits themselves.

Mechanically speaking, the shaman is a Wisdom based caster that focuses on using a special type of companion, a spirit animal. The shaman class is best suited as a supporting class by using temporary hit points, spells, and their spirit animal. Through this however they have the option of taking a more offensive route.


This has been a project of mine for a while now, and has undergone countless playtests in a variety of different one shots and campaigns from dozens of players. Whilst no homebrew is perfect, this current iteration is what I'm most happy to present to you all! Updates will continue as required to maintain balance with the class and to make the best experience for anyone using it!

The cover artwork, by David Revoy, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.

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Discussions (6)
Customer avatar
Brad A October 17, 2018 3:58 am UTC
PURCHASER
Wicked class, dude! Definitely love the flavour and range it has. Any chance we'll see an update to include Xanathar's Guide spells as well?
Customer avatar
kevin U May 23, 2017 5:26 am UTC
PURCHASER
awesome job with this .. this is really well made. The 2 shaman classes -- separate items .. really make for good choices -- a Wis based vs a Cha based .. with really thought out details. Shamans are also a favorite class of mine .. especially with wild elves, humanoids n giants, n primitive human settlements .. this class is very well done ..

the ideas behind ancestors, balance, life n death, journey work, ritual item creation, rituals, clan/tribal communications, herbal medicines, poisons, etc .. all are good areas to be looked at for a shaman, which makes this class a fairly complex class and really shines when well done.
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Patrick M May 26, 2017 10:34 pm UTC
CREATOR
Thanks so much man! I'm looking to add another archetype over the upcoming university holidays, something with hexing and cursing (Witch doctor style). Out of curiosity which archetype do you prefer as a player?
Customer avatar
Troy R April 26, 2017 11:42 am UTC
PURCHASER
This was my favorite class in older editions of D&D. It was also my first ever character. I have actually used your document with two separate characters in 5e: one is an Ainu-inspired prophetess and spirit walker while the other is a voodoo witch doctor. One experience was rather fun because the DM really worked with me to make up for some of the inherent weaknesses of the class, while the other experience was really unenjoyable because the DM was very strict in the interpretation of what this class should be. His interpretation was that the class is mostly supposed to be a utility caster despite its spell selections. His ruling was basically that Journey of Wrath was unviable, and that the Shaman had a very specific niche role in the party. He also targeted and killed the spirit animal first session, so maybe that speaks a little to his style. I would disagree with his belief and instead assert that Shamans should have a lot more versatility like druids or clerics. I was hoping to work with you if at all...See more
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Customer avatar
Patrick M May 06, 2017 1:03 pm UTC
CREATOR
Hey, thanks for the reply! I'm glad you had an enjoyable experience with the class and sorry to hear the other GM was rather strict. I've always held the belief if you're going to outlaw or restrict a homebrew class, just dont allow it in the first place. Sorry my reply is late, I've been swamped with uni work this semester. I have this on my radar and some changes in mind already to update the class to a new edition with some more refined features. I'll send an e-mail and would love to hear your ideas and findings on a more detailed level!
Customer avatar
Jeffery I March 20, 2017 3:54 am UTC
PURCHASER
Great job with this. I do have one question though. Under the "Spirit Animal" section it says the following: "When you summon the spirit animal select from the list of spirit boons below." However, in the next section titled "Spirit Boons" it says: "When you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the spirit boons your spirit animal has and replace it with another." So I guess my question is, do you select boons when you summon the spirit, or only when you gain levels in the class?

Customer avatar
Richard B February 25, 2017 1:59 am UTC
PURCHASER
This looks like a really fun class to try out. I love how much the class encourages roleplaying. One thing I did find though was that in the class overview chart, the level 17 feature is named "Ambassador of Spirits" but in the details was listed as Timeless Body.
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Customer avatar
Patrick M March 01, 2017 11:58 pm UTC
CREATOR
Well spotted! I'll edit that name change at the next update of the class. Thanks for the kind words!
Customer avatar
Paul G February 01, 2017 4:24 am UTC
PURCHASER
I love this. I've been trying to balance out the shaman forever. Awesome, only thing I would "argue" in favor for would be mage hand as a cantrip. That one poor spirit who wants to help out but can only manifest a hand.
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Customer avatar
Patrick M February 01, 2017 5:07 am UTC
CREATOR
Thanks for the comment! I originally had the mage hand in the list and I'll be adding it in for the next update again! Do you have any experience playing the class yet? I'd love some feedback from that front if you had any!
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Paul G February 05, 2017 4:36 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Played shaman in four and am currently playing your build in a game... I've noticed a lack of the more elemental spells and effects offered by the elemental evil book have you looked into that.
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Customer avatar
Patrick M February 08, 2017 2:31 am UTC
CREATOR
I actually haven't included any third party spells beyond the PHB. In the next update I'll make a section for additional spells that can be added that come from the EE book!
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File Last Updated:
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This title was added to our catalog on January 29, 2017.