Shaman

Subclass of: Cleric

The Shaman subclass for Clerics offers a distinct departure from traditional cleric subclasses. Instead of aligning with a specific deity, Shamans hold reverence for ancestral spirits or the ethereal energy that pervades the world. These spirits become cherished companions, granting the Shaman the ability to perceive them when others cannot. Shamans can summon powerful spirit totems that serve as invaluable allies, each with unique personalities and extraordinary abilities. They gain domain spells such as heroism, speak with dead, and legend lore, reflecting their deep connection to the spirit realm. With features like Protective Spirits, Ancestral Guidance, and Consult Ancestors, Shamans possess the ability to alter the course of fate and seek guidance from their ancestral spirits. At higher levels, they become ambassadors to the spirit realm, resisting necrotic and radiant damage, seeing into the ethereal plane, and even gaining the ability to ethereally travel. The Shaman subclass offers a profound and spiritually attuned alternative to traditional cleric subclasses.

Rather than pledging allegiance to a specific deity, you hold deep reverence for the spirits of your ancestors or the ethereal energy that permeates the world. These spirits become your cherished companions, and you possess the extraordinary ability to perceive them even when others cannot. As a Shaman, you often hold esteemed positions within tribes, but some choose to embark on solitary journeys or find acceptance within other communities.

Your profound connection to the spirit realm grants you the power to manifest a physical embodiment of a spirit totem, which serves as an invaluable ally in your endeavors. Whenever the need arises, you can beseech other spirits for assistance, each possessing distinct personalities and extraordinary abilities.

Domain Spells

You gain domain spells at the cleric levels listed in the Ancestor Domain Spells table. See the Divine Domain class feature for how domain spells work.

Ancestor Domain Spells

1st heroism, unseen servant
3rd augury, see invisibility
5th speak with dead, spirit guardians
7th banishment, death ward
9th legend lore, hellish rebuke

Ancestral Teachings

The spirits teach you both how to reach out to them for guidance and to sift truth from falsehood. You learn the guidance cantrip.  You also gain proficiency in the Insight Skill

Summon Totem

Starting at first level, the shaman has the ability to summon totems from the spirit realm.  As an action, you can summon one of the following totems to one five foot spot you can see withing 30 feet: Air, Earth, Fire, Water, Spirit.  The totem lasts for 1 minute.  You may only have one totem out at a time.  You may summon a totem 2 times per short rest.  The totems have the following properties:

Air Totem: Any creature within 5 feet of the totem treats the area as difficult terrain.  As a bonus action, you can cause a blast of razor like wind to strike out at a creature within 30 feet of the totem.  You make a ranged spell attack.  On a hit, the creature takes 1d8 slashing damage.  At 10th level, this damage increases to 2d8.  At 16th level, the damage increases to 3d8.

Earth Totem: Any creature within 10 feet of the totem has disadvantage on strength and dexterity ability checks and saving throws.  As a bonus action, you can cause a tendril of earth to reach out and strike a creature within 10 feet of the totem as a melee spell attack.  If the attack hits, the creature takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage and is restrained until the start of your next turn.  At level 10, the creature also takes 2d6 bludgeoning damage, and at 17 the creature takes 3d6 bludgeoning damage. 

Fire Totem: Any creature entering into or starting their turn within 5 feet of the totem takes fire damage equal to your wisdom modifier.  As a bonus action, a ray of fire springs out from the totem.  You make a ranged spell attack against a single creature within 30 feet.  If the attack hits, the target takes 1d8 fire damage and is set on fire.  If the creature ends its turn on fire, it takes fire damage equal to your wisdom modifier.  It is an action to put out the flames.  The initial damage increases to 2d8 at 10th level, and 3d8 at 16th level.

Spirit Totem: Allies within 10 feet of the Spirit Totem add your charisma modifier (minimum of 1) to saving throws and death saves.  As a bonus action, one creature within 10 feet of the totem heals for your wisdom modifier in healing.  At level 10, this increases 1d4 plus your wisdom modifier.  At level 16, it increases to 2d4 plus your wisdom modifier.

Water Totem: Creatures ending their turn within 5 feet of the totem must make a strength save or be pushed 10  feet on a successful save, they are pushed 5 feet.  As a bonus action, you increase the radius to 10 feet and any creature failing the strength save takes 1d8 bludgeoning damage.  This damage increases to 2d8 at level 10, and 3d8 at level 16.

Channel Divinity: Ancestral Guidance

Starting at 2nd level, you can use your channel divinity to grant you assistance.  When you make an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can use your Channel Divinity to gain a +5 bonus to the roll. You make this choice after you see the roll, but before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails.

Protective Spirits

At 6th level, you gain the ability to affect fortunes of others in combat. As a reaction when you or an ally that you can see within 30 feet of you suffers a critical hit, you can turn that attack into a normal hit. Any effects triggered by a critical hit are canceled.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Consult Ancestors

At 10th level, you gain the ability to consult with your ancestral spirits. When you do so, you cast the Augury or Clairvoyance spell, without using a spell slot or material components. Rather than creating a spherical sensor, this use of Clairvoyance invisibly summons one of your ancestral spirits to the chosen location.

After you cast either spell in this way, you can’t use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.

Spirit Realm Ambassador

Beginning at 17th level, you resist necrotic and radiant damage. You can see into the ethereal plane.  You always function as if you had the sanctuary spell active, however it only affects undead. If your actions end the sanctuary effect, it is reinstated at the end of a short rest. Finally, you can use the Etherealness  spell once per long rest.