The Solitary Shaman (SB)

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: Every raindrop lives its life, falling through the sky, born of a cloud and killed as it strikes the ground, and the things that it sees and hears it will remember, and it will sing to you if you listen hard enough. And as the wind whistles through the branches it tells of the places it has been and what it has felt there; and as the leaves rustle the tree talks with the wind and tells you its story, too. Stay with me, then, and I will teach you how to hear. It will not take so very long to learn, a few years perhaps; no more than the fall between clouds seems for the raindrop.
: —Mariella, solitary shaman.
The Solitary is the most benign of the three shaman classes. Rarely concerned with politics or personal gain, they are recluses, hermits who live apart from society and usually lack the will or means to threaten anyone.
Requirements: Solitary shamans must have a minimum Constitution of 10 and a minimum Wisdom of 14.
Role: Most solitary shamans lead simple, self-sufficient lives and avoid contact with others. They have no use for riches or luxuries, or power. A few solitaries are known to locals as hermits worthy of respect ("wise-men" or "wisewomen"), and the rustics sometimes go to them with their problems—to have a dream interpreted, an illness cured, and so on. Some, '•-. through choice or circumstance, play a more active role. A threat to their wilderness habitat or to the spirits within it may lead to their abandoning their cozy existence. The advance of a group of ores or other violent creatures into the area, the presence of a malign wizard or the erection of an evil temple pose obvious threats to any solitary living nearby.
Restrictions: Elves, half-elves, halflings, and humans may become solitary shamans. All solitary shamans must be at least partly neutral in alignment, as most members of this characters of this class are true neutral. They may not use any weapons other than those suitable for hunting, or those that serve practical functions in everyday life, such as staves, daggers, knives and hand-axes. They may use only furs and leathers as armor, and may not learn to use shields.
Special Benefits: Through long meditations, solitary shamans develop an affinity with the natural world (both physical and spiritual). This affinity manifests as an acute awareness of that environment, which, at 1st level, grants a solitary shaman the Survival nonweapon proficiency without expending one of the character's available slots.
Regardless of level, solitary shamans can open themselves up to any spirit in the immediate area. Even apprentice solitaries must learn to do this before gaining any other spells or powers, as it is by this means that they negotiate with spirits to gain their spells. The shaman simply sits in a quiet spot for Id6 turns: then, any spirit in the area which wishes to speak with him enters into a telepathic dialogue. The exchange is imperceptible to even the most attentive observer, and may be considered a more placid equivalent of the tribal shaman's ritual of contact.
Further, as solitary shamans gain levels, they receive a number of additional special abilities. These, and the levels at which they are gained, are as follows (these abilities remain with the shaman once gained; they are cumulative):
3rd level: The shaman can tell how healthy any plant or animal is. He or she does this by sensing the strength of its spirit and determining its physical health from its appearance. To use this ability the shaman must concentrate on the target for one round. The target must be visible and within 10 yards, and the shaman must make a successful Intelligence check.
5th level: The shaman becomes immediately aware of the overall health of all plants and animals within 5 yards, without having to concentrate or make any other special effort. DMs may still require Intelligence checks to discern the health of specific plants or animals.
7th level: With a successful Wisdom check, the character can sense the general level of spiritual activity around him or her on the prime material plane. He or she can estimate roughly how many spirits are present within 20 yards and can distinguish between nature spirits—like telling tree spirits from air spirits, and whether or not the spirit present are even nature spirits.
9th level: The shaman has such an affinity with the natural world that it protects and respects him. Animals are universally friendly to him— even the most timid are unafraid, even the fiercest are harmless. The shaman may pass without trace through any natural area without leaving tracks or scent nor making any sound, and may automatically hide in natural cover as if possessing a 65% Hide in Shadows ability.
11th level: The shaman's connection with the spirit world is now so strong that he can pinpoint the location and nature of any spirit within 40 yards of him.
Special Disadvantages: As the solitary shaman's affinity for the spirit world grows, and he moves closer to and better understands the natural world, he becomes more detached from normal mortal affairs. Just as the benefits are gained as the character advances in levels, so are disadvantages. Their nature and the levels they're gained at are as follows:
2nd level: The shaman receives a -2 penalty on all rolls to identify and interpret manmade or urban sounds, including recognizing the voices of individual beings.
4th level: The character is easily disorientated in crowded, noisy areas, and busy urban environments, such as marketplaces, become terrifying to the shaman. If a successful Wisdom check isn't made, the character is at -3 to all attack and damage rolls, and -4 to all proficiency checks. The shaman is always startled by loud noises and automatically loses Initiative for that round. Animal noises and other natural sounds present no problems, but mechanical, magical and human sounds are both inexplicable and confusing.
6th level: The shaman, having grown accustomed to the straightforward discourses of nature, is not familiar with the inflections of verbal speech or the meanings of facial expressions. For example, the shaman cannot perceive subtle irony or gentle cynicism, nor read a person's mood from the face or body movements, although obvious sarcasm and expressions (laughing and crying, for examples) and bestial behavior is readily understood.
8th level: The shaman entirely loses one of his or her five senses (taste, smell, sight, hearing or touch). For NPCs, the sense lost is determined randomly, but players may chose for themselves. This sense cannot be restored by any magic less than a wish spell.
10th level: The shaman, though at home with beasts and plants and spirits, is unable to socialize with other humanoids. In any interaction with other mortals the shaman's Charisma is considered to be half of its actual score.
12th level: The shaman's physical senses fail as his or her spiritual awareness increases. He or she must now apply a -2 modifier (or -20% if percentile) to all dice rolls pertaining to the senses (hearing, seeing, touch, taste or smell).
Class Background: There have always been people who despise the trappings of civilized society and yearn for a simpler (if harder) life. From their ranks come a scattering of people who can perceive more of the natural world than normal folk.
These are the solitary shamans, people who hone their senses through practice and contemplation, so that they come to see the spirits and other hidden things around them. Usually this requires the aid of a tutor (a solitary of 3rd level or above), but some exceptional individuals have gained these skills unaided, or have even been born with them.
Once a solitary shaman has gained his 1st level powers, he usually leaves his tutor to find a secluded spot to settle down.
Roleplaying: Rarely coming into contact with other people, most solitaries are introverted and quiet. Relishing the beauty of nature, they have no interest in art or craftsmanship. They live quiet, gentle lives, and rarely want anything more: what little they have, they explain, they appreciate to its fullest, while normal people fail to appreciate the greater things that they have.
This quiet, reflective life fosters a great sensitivity in them, while their harsh and often impoverished lives prevent them from becoming sentimental. Indeed, while solitary shamans are famed for their ability to understand and empathize with the natural world, they are not as passionate as other folk, and rarely display any strong emotion.
Solitaries rarely understand or show an interest in politics or the dogmas of religions often seem absurd and petty to them. Of course, some solitaries were brought up with strong political or religious views before they retired to the wilderness, and may carry these prejudices with them throughout their lives. But most are tolerant and naive, narrowly concerned with the health of their wilderness homes and the spirits who dwell there, and disinterested in wider issues.
Followers and Strongholds: Solitary shamans gain neither followers nor strongholds, and have no interest in either.