|
| Totemic Shamanism is part of the
Validus Familiaritas archetype. |
|
GM Notes
on Totemic Shamanism
|
| Totemic Shamanism (toe-TEM-ick SHAH-mah-NIS-um) is a type of
Divine Nature Magic that allows practitioners to manifest powers
appropriate to one or more animal Totems. |
| Casting Model |
| Totemic Shamanism is a form of "Familiarity
Casting", where in there is a set list of Magic abilities and a character
buys a Familiarity with each Magic ability they wish to be able to use. |
| TOTEM LORE |
| All Totemic Shaman have a Power
Skill called "Totem Lore", which is EGO Based. This Power Skill
is used to learn new Powers and also serves as a combination
Knowledge Skill and Professional Skill for Totemic Shamanism if
necessary. |
|
8- |
1 |
|
11- |
3 |
|
13- |
7 |
|
15- |
11 |
|
17- |
15 |
|
| The adjoining chart illustrates
relative skill levels by Totem Lore roll, and the cost for
each level. The associated titles don't have any actual literal
meaning; they are merely meant to be illustrative. |
|
|
Totem Lore: Power Skill (EGO based)
|
|
Real Cost: 3 points |
|
A Totemic Shaman can also opt to instead buy a separate Totem Lore
Power Skill per type of Totem, such as Wolf Lore (Power; EGO Based).
As a benefit for doing this, Totemic Shaman gain a flat +2
specialization bonus to Power Skill Rolls that only apply to a single
Totem.
|
|
This option might prove to be more economical to a Totemic Shaman that
only intends to use one or two types of Totems, but is generally
inefficient for practitioners that intend to have a broader mastery. |
| TOTEMS AND POWER
FAMILIARITIES |
| There are a number of
Totems provided in the
Totemic
Gifts document, and by default each Animal Totem contains four Gifts
chosen from a set list of Totemic Gifts (listed below). Some
Totemic Gifts are "Basic" and have no more than 15 Active Points, while
others are "Advanced" versions of Basic Gifts with up to 30 Active Points.
|
|
|
| Instead of paying the Real Cost of Totemic Gifts,
Totemic Shaman instead take 1 point Familiarities with the Gifts granted by various Totems.
This Familiarity allows them to use the relevant Gift as if it were a Power on their
Character Sheet.
|
| Familiarity with a Basic Power costs 1
point, and a Familiarity with an Advanced Power costs an additional 1 point. |
| THEMATIC RELEVANCE |
| Since the Totemic Shaman is only paying 1 point for such Powers,
this could quickly get out of hand if not controlled. Thus the list of Gifts available is
extremely restricted. A Totemic Shaman can only take Gifts specifically listed, which is to say that
they cannot just write up any given Power, pay a point for a Familiarity with it, and start using it.
Further, the Gifts are organized into specific Totems and are only available
where thematically
appropriate; thus the Dolphin Totem does not give access to the Gift of Flight
for example.
|
| ADVANCED GIFTS |
| Further, to buy an Advanced Totemic Gift a character must
already have the applicable Basic Totemic Gift from the same Totem.
Additionally, all of the Advanced Gifts are just
improved versions of their relevant Basic Gifts. Thus Advanced Tooth & Claw
is just a better version of Basic Tooth & Claw rather than a separate
ability. In effect, all of the Advanced Gifts render their Basic versions
obsolete; their effects do not stack. |
| AVAILABILITY |
| Some animals don't exist in some areas,
or perhaps at all in a given Campaign setting, and a GM is recommended
to only allow culturally/regionally appropriate Totems to characters. So
for example if the GM has determined that Foxes don't exist in their
setting they could either name a parallel creature to "proxy" the Fox
Totem, or simply disallow the Totem altogether. |
| In a similar vein, it's quite reasonable
for the GM to deny the Shark Totem to a Totemic Shaman from landlocked
nation that lies hundreds of miles from any Ocean, or the Lion Totem to
a Totemic Shaman from an icy northern land far from any prideland. In all
cases check with the GM ahead of time to determine what Totems are
available to a given Shaman. |
| TOTEM MASTERY |
| When a Totemic Shaman
has all of the Gifts of a particular Totem they can be said to have
a "full" Totem. Essentially, they have achieved
mastery of that particular Totem, which grants access to other abilities and
has some additional benefits as well. What constitutes a "full" Totem is
covered in detail under Totem Restrictions, but the benefits of mastery are: |
- Beast Speech: Totemic Shaman can speak with animals matching their
mastered Totems, for free.
- Beast Forms: Totemic Shaman can Multiform into animals matching
their mastered Totems, at normal cost.
- Animal Companions: Totemic Shaman can have Animal Companions of an
exceptional nature matching their mastered Totems, at normal cost.
|
| BEAST SPEECH |
|
Totemic Shaman are considered to have Beast Speech as the
Talent (Fantasy HERO) with all animals for which they have a full Totem at
no extra cost. |
| EXAMPLE: Ul-Nar
has mastered the Bear, Boar, Dear, Eagle,
Panther, Stag, Weasel, and Wolf Totems; he has Beast Speech with Bears,
Boars, Deer, Eagles, Panthers, Stags, Weasels, and Wolves for free. |
| BEAST FORMS |
| Totemic Shaman have special permission to purchase a Multiform construct
(at full normal cost) to allow them to have one or more forms of a point value up
to their own current points to change into any animal type for which they
have a full Totem. The GM might require further restrictions, such as
specific required Limitations, but the point cost of such an ability should
serve as a self-limiting factor. |
| EXAMPLE: Shal-Nam
has mastered the Bear, Boar, Hawk, Weasel,
and Wolf Totems; she is permitted to take a Multiform Power that allows her
to change form into a Bear, Boar, Hawk, Weasel, and / or Wolf with points
equal to or less than her own current point total. |
| ANIMAL COMPANIONS |
| Totemic Shaman may have Animal
Companions bought as Followers (at full normal cost) using entries from the
HERO System Bestiary (or some other source if the GM prefers), as any character might.
However for each full Totem they have special permission to add some
reasonable upgrades and even (with GM permission) mystical abilities to Animal Companions of that type. |
| Thus a Totemic Shaman with the full Wolf Totem might have one or more Wolf Companions that are "exceptional", perhaps larger and stronger, smarter, tougher, more lethal, or similarly
advantaged compared to other normal wolves.
And with the GM's permission, they might even have some minor mystical
enhancements. |
|
Also, a Totemic Shaman has special permission to take mystical abilities
pertaining to their Animal Companions for themselves (at normal Real Cost).
Some abilities that would be appropriate would be Mindlinks with their Animal Companions,
Clairsentience based distance-vision via the senses of their Animal
Companions, and similar appropriate effects. These abilities should not mimic the Totemic Gifts
or otherwise render them unnecessary.
|
| EXAMPLE: Val-Ar has mastered the
Wolf Totem and has several loyal Wolf companions of exceptional size,
intelligence, ferocity, and resistance to harm. Val-Ar also has the ability to communicate with
them mentally over vast distances, and to sense what they currently sense if
he wishes to (purchased as Powers). |
| SPECIAL
POWERS |
| For higher powered campaigns GM's might
allow a player to design thematically appropriate Power Constructs that
are more powerful or different from the common set of Totemic Shaman
Powers and pay the Real Cost for them directly. If allowed, these
abilities should each be appropriate to one of the Totems that
the player has all the Familiarities for. |
| The normal Real Cost for such Special
Powers is paid for by the Character, and these Special Powers have the
same SFX as a normal Totemic Shamanism Power. Because the Character must pay the
normal Real Cost, there is no Skill Roll or other obstacle required for
them to learn the new Special Power (unless the GM chooses to impose
one), and they do not need to take a Familiarity for the Power. |
| However Special Powers are still
restricted by the Totemic Shamanism Power design requirements (below); such
Powers exist outside the structure of the Totem Familiarity schema, but
not the mechanics of the Magic System. The only exception to this is that
such abilities may take RSR: Totem Lore if the player wishes (or the
GM insists). |
| The impact of the cost in Character
Points should be sufficient to keep this sort of expansiveness under
control in most cases, but GM's are recommended to monitor the practice
for potential abuse. |
| EXAMPLE: Val-Ar
has mastered the Wolf Totem but would like to also be able to make a
chilling Wolf's Howl that frightens foes. The GM might allow Val-Ar to have
the following Special Power |
|
Val-Ar's Chilling Wolf's Howl: +35 PRE; Offensive Use Only (-1),
Extra Time (Full Phase; -1/2), Incantations (Howl; -1/4), RSR: Totem Lore
(-1/2), Noisy (-1/4) |
|
Real Cost: 10 points |
| Restrictions |
| There are a number of
restrictions which apply to this type of Magic Use, as follows. |
| SET LIST OF SET POWERS |
| This type of Magic has a set list of
predefined Powers, called "Gifts". Further each Totem has specific Gifts
available to it, and the list is closed. |
| ACTIVE POINT LIMITS |
| Basic Gifts have a maximum of 15 Active
Points, and Advanced Gifts are between 16 to 30 Active Points. |
| MINIMUM LIMITATIONS |
| All Totemic Gifts must have Limitations totaling to -1
at a minimum, and must cost Endurance to activate or use. Totemic Gifts that
grant Characteristic bonuses must take No Figured
Characteristics. |
| TOTEM RESTRICTIONS |
| Totems have some specific Campaign Groundrules
that limit their use. |
| TOTEM COMPLETENESS |
| As mentioned above until a Totemic Shaman has all of the Totemic Gifts of a
particular Totem, they do not count as having a full Totem. For example the
Wolf Totem grants access to Basic Senses, Advanced Senses, Basic Tooth &
Claw, and Basic Running; a character that does not have Familiarities for
all four does not yet have the full Wolf Totem. |
| TOTEM DISTINCTNESS |
| Each Totem is distinct and all of the Gifts that are
granted by that Totem are particular to that Totem even if the same gift is
offered by other Totems. |
| For example, the Owl and the Raven Totems are almost
identical, differing in only one Totemic Gift. Thus if a Totemic Shaman had the full Owl Totem they
could not just take the Basic Trickery Gift of the Raven Totem and be
considered to have the full Raven Totem. The Shaman must also re-purchase
the three overlapping Totemic Gifts of the Raven Totem to have the full
Raven Totem. |
| This built in redundancy is intentional and helps to
offset the extremely low point cost of Totemic Gifts in general. |
| TOTEM SFX |
| Each Gift should have a SFX suitable
to the Totem that grants it. This is particularly important for characters
that have overlapping Gifts from multiple Totems. Thus a character that had
both the Tiger and the Eagle Totems might have Basic Tooth & Claw from both
of them. If the character uses the Tooth & Claw Gift of the Tiger Totem it
should have a different SFX from the Tooth & Claw Gift of the Eagle Totem,
even though the game mechanics are the same for both Gifts and they are in
fact redundant abilities. |
| SPECIAL EFFECTS (SFX) |
| Totemic Gifts have the SFX of Divine, Magic, Totemic
Shamanism, and whatever Totem a Gift originates from. These mandatory SFX
cannot be altered by any means, including Variable Special Effects. These
various SFX can be interacted with as normal; thus a Magic Users of
another System casting a Spell that Dispels Divine Magic could affect Totemic
Shamanism Gifts. Similarly, if such a caster had a "Detect Canines" Spell
they might detect a Shaman using a Wolf Totem Gift with a good PER check for
their Detect, while a "Detect Wolf Magic" Spell would easily detect a Shaman currently using a Wolf Totem Gift.
|
| Note: The Wolf Totem Gift of Advanced Senses is always Magic, always
Divine, always a Totemic Shamanism Gift, and always from the Wolf Totem. |
|
REQUIRED/FORBIDDEN MODIFIERS |
- No Gift may be on Charges
- No Conscious
Control and Independent may not be taken on any Gift
- All Gifts must either cost END by default or take the "Costs END"
Limitation
- Gifts may take Reduced END
- Gifts may take "Costs END Only to Activate" where
allowed by the rules normally
- All Costs END only to Activate Gifts must have a defined termination,
expressed either as a duration or a specific and reasonably common event
- Gifts may not be imbedded in a Focus, but may
require an item to be activated; use Restrainable instead of Focus in these cases
- Gifts must have at least -1 in Limitations
- No Gift can Require a Skill Roll to be activated
|
| COSTS ENDURANCE |
| The single greatest restriction on this Magic System is
that all Gifts must cost Endurance to activate. This
serves to restrict the frequency of Magic Use over a short term period, such
as combat scenes. It also prevents or discourages certain Power Constructs
from being used by Totemic Shaman due to mechanical conflicts or
inefficiency. |
|
ENDURANCE RESERVES |
| A Totemic Shaman explicitly may not
have Endurance Reserves for their Totemic Gifts. |
| SPECIALISTS |
| Totemic Shaman do not have a concept of "Specializing"
in a formal sense, but a Totemic Shaman that only has one
Totem could be said to be "Specialists". Thus a character that only had
the Wolf Totem, but concentrated on having an entire pack of wolves as
followers and a werewolf-like Multiform, could be called a "Wolf Shaman" fairly
accurately. |
| ARMOR |
| Practitioners of Totemic Shamanism can only
use their abilities while wearing no, cloth, leather, fur, or hide Armor.
However, they suffer no penalties at all to their Totemic Gifts if wearing
one of the listed types of armor (other than non-proficiency
penalties if applicable). |
|
Creating New Magic Items |
| Totemic Shaman are not able to create magic items in
general, however there are three types of items that they can make, as
described below. |
| TOTEM ARMOR |
| With the GM's permission a Totemic
Shaman can make a suit of leather, hide, or fur Totem Armor for themselves
from the pelt or hide of an animal that they have a full Totem for; such
Armor can
grant up to 10 PD / 10 ED. However this Totem Armor must be paid for
with Character Points, and must take the Limitations OIF (Armor; -1/2)
and Independent (-2). Totem Armor detects as being magical. |
| If the Totem Armor is taken from the Shaman, they lose the
points they have invested in it unless they can reacquire the Totem Armor. A Shaman does not have to have an Armor
Proficiency to wear Totem Armor of their own creation. |
| It takes appropriate raw materials, one
day per total DEF of the Totem Armor or (PD + ED) / 2 if PD and ED are
disproportionate), and a successful Totem Lore Skill Roll at -1 per 10
Active Points in the Armor Power. |
| The GM might also allow other
relatively minor defenses or thematically appropriate benefits to be
included in such items, such as LS: Intense Cold for Totem Armor made
from a Bear's hide, or LS: Extended Breathing for Totem Armor made from
a Dolphin's skin. |
| Totem Armor can be bought and sold as a
commodity. The recommended base cost of such items is ((Active Points *
Real Cost) * 5) in the standard denomination of the setting's currency
(typically gold or silver). Circumstances, market conditions, and use of
skills such as Trading influence this base cost in the normal fashion. |
| Some Totems are harder to reasonably
justify Totem Armor for than others (such as Bird Totems for instance),
but in general a GM should be lenient and allow some creativity; it is
Magic after all and further it does cost Character Points to make which
should serve as sufficient deterrent to abuse. However, a GM is within their rights to cap the max PD / ED of such
Totem Armor to something they think reasonable if they see fit to do so. |
| EXAMPLE: Uthira Rejal only
knows the Raven Totem, but would like to make Totem Armor for herself. A
GM might allow her to make Totem Armor in the form of a cloak with Raven
feathers stitched to it. |
|
Val-Ar's Wolf Pelt: Armor (10 PD / 5 ED); Hardened (+1/4) (27
Active Points); OIF (Wolf Pelt; -1/2), Independent (-2) |
|
Creation: 8 Days, -3 to Totemic Lore Skill |
|
Real Cost: 8 points |
|
Recommended Monetary Cost: 1080 xc |
| TOTEM POLE |
| With the GM's permission a Totemic
Shaman can craft a wooden pole with symbolic carvings representing each
Totem that Shaman knows. While the Totem Pole stands it works as an
Animal Friendship effect vs. animals of the types represented by the
pole's Totems for the purposes of keeping such animals calm and
non-aggressive while in its Area of Effect, or to just avoid the area all together. |
| All Totem Poles use the following
generic write-up, with the Totems actually represented simply annotated
without reducing the cost. As this write-up uses a (long-lasting)
Non-Recoverable Charge it counts as an Ephemeral Magic Item and thus
does not cost Character Points to create. |
| However it does take appropriate
materials, one Day per Totem, and a PS: Woodcarving (or equivalent)
Skill Roll at no penalty for the carving of the pole, in addition to
a Totem Lore Skill Rolls at -1 penalty for each Totem in the pole. A
Totemic Shaman can take more time to craft a Totem Pole if they like;
each doubling of time grants a cumulative +1 bonus to both the PS:
Woodcarving and Totem Lore Skill Rolls. |
| A Totemic Shaman usually craft Totem
Poles for their own residence, but they can create them elsewhere as
well if they wish and some sell them to generate income or otherwise
treat them as a commodity. In such a case the recommended base cost of
such items is (Active Points * Real Cost) in the standard denomination
of the setting's currency (typically gold or silver). Circumstances,
market conditions, and use of skills such as Trading influence this base
cost in the normal fashion. |
|
Totem Pole: Animal Friendship, 1 Continuing Charge lasting 1 Century (+0), UAA (+1), AOE
(32" Radius; +1 3/4) (75 Active Points); IAF Immobile (-1 1/2) |
|
Real Cost: 30 points |
|
Cost to Shaman: 0 points |
|
Recommended Monetary Cost: 2250 xc |
| TOTEM FETISH |
| With the GM's permission a Totemic
Shaman can craft a "fetish", which are simple objects of generally
primitive design and no real practical purpose. However a Totemic Shaman
can instill one of their Basic Gifts that they also have the Advanced
Gift for into such a Totem Fetish, which can then be used by others. |
| A Totemic Shaman can create a single
Totem Fetish per each Basic Gift that they have the corresponding
Advanced Gift for (from the same Totem). Thus a Bear Shaman that has
both Advanced Mightiness and Advanced Toughness could make two Totem
Fetishes, one for Basic Mightiness, and one for Basic Toughness. |
| All Totem Fetishes are Ephemeral Magic
Items with a finite number of Charges. Once a Totem Fetish has been
expended or destroyed a Totemic Shaman can once again make another one
for whichever Basic Gift was instilled into that Totem Fetish. |
| To make such a Totem Fetish requires
something to serve as the fetish, which should be thematically relevant
to the Totem of the Basic Gift being instilled in it; teeth, bits of
pelt, and claws are all typical fare. It takes six (6) Hours and
requires a Totem Lore Skill Roll at a -1 penalty to instill the Basic
Gift into the Totem Fetish. A Totemic Shaman can opt to make a Totem
Fetish in less time than this, taking a -1 to their roll for each step
down the Time Chart (decided upon prior to making the Skill Roll). |
| The Power Construct of a Totem Fetish
is handled by simply taking the write-up for the Basic Gift, dropping
all "initialization" Limitations from it such as Incantations, Gestures,
Concentration, Extra Time, etc, and finally adding one or more
Non-Recoverable Charges to the write-up; the Continuing Charge option is almost
always applicable as well. Charges used in this fashion may not become
an Advantage; the final value for the Charges modifier must be worth at
least -0. |
| Totemic Fetishes detect as magic items,
and are considered to be Ephemeral Magic Items as they use
Non-Recoverable Charges; thus they do not cost Character Points to make. |
| Some Totemic Shaman grant such Fetishes
as boons to friends, but some sell them to generate income or otherwise
treat them as a commodity. In such a case the recommended base cost of
such items is (Active Points * Real Cost) in the standard denomination
of the setting's currency (typically gold or silver). Circumstances,
market conditions, and use of skills such as Trading influence this base
cost in the normal fashion. |
|
Basic Flight Fetish: Flight 5", x4 Noncombat (15 Active Points); 12 Continuing Charges
lasting 1 Day each which Never Recover (-1/4); IAF (-1/2) |
|
Real Cost: 9 points |
|
Cost to Shaman: 0 points |
|
Recommended Monetary Cost: 135 xc |