Animist Shaman

Shaman, wise man, witch doctor, vident, seeker. You are the bridge and the nexus between this world and the spirit world. You are the spirirtual leader of your community, but you don't reside in high temples and don't rely on the complex hierarchy of a formal religion. Maybe you grow up in a place where no such thing as a temple is present, or maybe you don't trust on them.

Shamans are in touch with nature, and believe that anything has an inner spirit, and your job is to commune with them.

They don't usually reside in big cities, where the spirits are weaker, and more often belong to tribal and primitive societies, or otherwise isolated communities. They are masters of practices that involves reach altered states of consciousness in order to encounter and interact with the spirit world and channel these transcendental energies into this world.

Skill Proficiencies

Arcana and choose between Religion or Insight

Tool Proficiencies

Herbalism Kit, Poisoner's Kit (drugs)

Languages

Spiritual communication

Equipment

Ceremonial garments, a set of exotic travelling clothes, a personal trinket of your faith (such as a feather of an exotic bird or griffon, a sigil, or a small doll with needles), 5 sticks of incense, an herbalism kit and a pouch containing 5gp valued exotic currency

Customization

Every Shaman has an own perspective of how to interact with the spirit world, and his role on society. This role could be given by his culture or being an individual development of his role.

1. Counselor of the tribe

2. Teacher (you teach your people about the spirits and comunity lore)

3. Mystic (you seek enlightment for you and/or your people through trance or drugs)

4. Witch Doctor (you fight evil spirits and soul corruption)

5. Druid's apprentice

6. Weirdo (you always were the "very special" person who can talk with invisible people)

7. Seer/ Vident

8. Spirit's servant

Feature

Commune with Spirits

You always can "see" what other people are unable to see. This is mostly useless in many situations, as you can see little through the veil of the material world, only the weaker spirits that doesn't hide in the Astral Plane, but you can identify strong spiritually charged places, or spiritualy dead zones.

You can spend (at least) one hour trying to commune with the spirits of this place, reaching a trance through a long ritual that often includes dancing, chanting, or taking psicodelic drugs. Once you enter in the trance, you are immobile, and the surrounding spirits can talk with you. This is not a simple task, as the alien nature of the spirits is hard to comprehend, but you can ask questions and expect simple, if not cryptic, answers. You cannot force the spirits to give true answers, but your DM can tell you if the spirits are hostile or friendly towards you, and an approximation of their naturre (fey, fiendish, astral, celestial or other).

Suggested Characteristics

The Shamans are usually from far away places, and hold suspicious thinking about big religious structures. They usually were very important figures in their land, but in big cities they feel a bit disconected, lost, or utterly alien.

Personality Trait

1. I'm a mysterious, exotic, and wise counselor

2. I don't believe in civilization. They corrupt the spirit world, and I'm here to fight it.

3. I'm a charming, cheerful fellow, very optimistic about the worlds

4. I'm the voice of reason here. My vast experience give me knowledge about... well EVERYTHING.

5. I'm a responsible guy. It's my duty to protect my people, and the people of the world from the dangers of the supernatural

6. I'm a ... bit crazy. I see what no one else sees, and I usually lose touch with reality.

7. I'm at odds with my powers. I still have to learn a lot about them to fully control them.

8. I usually tend to be pompous, boastful and have a Messiah complex. But this is because I'm the Chosen One.

Ideal

1. ResponsibilityI have a responsability to the world and the spirits (Lawful)

2. Natural Order I have to fight the supernatural that endangers the world (Any).

3. Enlightment I search the spiritual fullfilment through my shaman's path (neutral)

4. Community I must guide and protect my community (Good)

5. Power I search power through supernatural means. (Evil)

6. Emotion I believe that emotion is the path of the enlightment, and reason is an anathema to me (Chaotic)

7. Mystical I think that the spirits are the true path, and have precedence over anything else (any)

8. Balance Everything has his place in the world, and nothing has precedence over nothing. (neutral)

Bond

1. My town, clan, or tribe is the most important thing in my life, even when they are far from me.

2. I suffer awful visions of a coming disaster and will do anything to prevent it.

3. It's my duty to enlight the people of the world about the ways of true spirituality

4. I have a duty to my spiritual guide (supernatural or mundane)

5. I have to avenge my people from the foes that destroy/ enslave/ corrupt them.

6. My duty is to the spirits, and the spirits only.

Flaw

1. I'm drug addict. I cannot relax if I don't have my dose.

2. My experience with the supernatural was traumatical. I lose touch with reality way to often. I cannot tell with certainty what's real and what's not.

3. I'm an awkward and utterly strange person.

4. I'm a coward when violence sprung around me.

5. I'm bossy and obnoxious, and people around me tends to be irritated by my behaviour

6. I am dogmatic in my thoughts and philosophy.

7. I'm very suspicious and slow to trust of foreigners to my culture.

8. I'm afraid of cities and big buildings. When I'm in such places, I tend to behave paranoid.

Read more: http://www.enworld.org/forum/5ebackgrounds/showentry.php?e=48&catid=1#ixzz3eyalUcD4