OSR Shamans

PencilBoy99 · March 18, 2015, 10:03:06 AM

"Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff" podcast had a great bit about changing the Cleric class so that it was more like authentic polytheism (e.g., summoning spirits, interacting w/ the spirit world, taking psychotropic drugs to achieve visions). Is there any OSR/Hack or something out there that has mechanics and fluff for this explicitly?

Also, is there any OSR/Hack or something that has mechanics for a more medieval-style faith powered monotheistic cleric (witch hunter) sort of thing? Where the "cleric" has only a handful of abilities but they are of the Witch Hunter sort.

Turanil · March 18, 2015, 01:26:16 PM

My own OSR game makes priest classes different. It might fit your bill, or not. Just download the free PDF to see if it suits your needs. Link below:

The Butcher · March 18, 2015, 02:24:55 PM

Quote from: PencilBoy99;820822"Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff" podcast had a great bit about changing the Cleric class so that it was more like authentic polytheism (e.g., summoning spirits, interacting w/ the spirit world, taking psychotropic drugs to achieve visions). Is there any OSR/Hack or something out there that has mechanics and fluff for this explicitly?

The Druid class wont cut it for you? ACKS reskins the Druid as a Shaman, and AS&SH has a Shaman class distinct from the Druid.

AD&D 2e's Al-Qadim campaign setting had the Sha'ir class that gained spells from petiotioning genies. Substitute genies for animistic spirits for a workable Shaman (or fiends, for an interesting old school take on the Warlock).

Ronin · March 18, 2015, 06:32:40 PM

Sabres and Witchery sounds like what your looking for. The hunter class is witchhunter that can turn undead and fights. The magus, is a magic user/cleric (Not a warrior) that can cast spells, and turn undead. I think the game could be played or easily hacked into what your looking for.

Sabres and Witchery

talysman · March 18, 2015, 07:17:50 PM

Quote from: PencilBoy99;820822"Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff" podcast had a great bit about changing the Cleric class so that it was more like authentic polytheism (e.g., summoning spirits, interacting w/ the spirit world, taking psychotropic drugs to achieve visions). Is there any OSR/Hack or something out there that has mechanics and fluff for this explicitly?

Clerics Without Spells is specifically about making clerical power focused on commanding spirits using the Turn Undead mechanic. That's all clerics, but works great for shamans, too. I re-used the mechanic for a couple other classes based around telling something to do what you want: beast-masters, bards, mesmerists, conjurors.

I submitted it to Fight On! as "Miracles Gone Wild!" but I don't remember if it made it into an issue. Here is the write-up for that version.

QuoteAlso, is there any OSR/Hack or something that has mechanics for a more medieval-style faith powered monotheistic cleric (witch hunter) sort of thing? Where the "cleric" has only a handful of abilities but they are of the Witch Hunter sort.

Here's one from the B/X Blackrazor blog.

Simon W · March 19, 2015, 03:16:25 AM

Quote from: Ronin;820893Sabres and Witchery sounds like what your looking for. The hunter class is witchhunter that can turn undead and fights. The magus, is a magic user/cleric (Not a warrior) that can cast spells, and turn undead. I think the game could be played or easily hacked into what your looking for.

Sabres and Witchery

I was going to suggest this!

PencilBoy99 · March 19, 2015, 11:38:15 AM

Thanks!

Kyussopeth · March 19, 2015, 06:11:49 PM

Quote from: Turanil;820844My own OSR game makes priest classes different. It might fit your bill, or not. Just download the free PDF to see if it suits your needs. Link below:

I really like Turanil's take on clerics/priests.

RPGPundit · March 21, 2015, 01:43:39 AM

Quote from: Kyussopeth;821044I really like Turanil's take on clerics/priests.

As do I! Had I seen it earlier, it would likely have changed how I handled Clerics in my Albion campaign.

Kyussopeth · March 21, 2015, 03:48:45 AM

Quote from: RPGPundit;821212As do I! Had I seen it earlier, it would likely have changed how I handled Clerics in my Albion campaign.

As of now it's my favorite all time version of clerics in D&D. If I was running a homebrew D&D campaign right now I would want it to conform to Turanil's way of doing things. In general his take on magic has the benefits of OSR familiarity & the exact changes I was always too lazy to make.

RPGPundit · March 22, 2015, 05:56:18 AM

Quote from: Kyussopeth;821217As of now it's my favorite all time version of clerics in D&D. If I was running a homebrew D&D campaign right now I would want it to conform to Turanil's way of doing things. In general his take on magic has the benefits of OSR familiarity & the exact changes I was always too lazy to make.

It's a big part of the genius of FH&W. It actually applies some of the "we use everything" concepts of the OSR in ways other rule-sets, even other pretty radical rule-sets don't do. It's written the way people actually run OSR games (i.e., assuming you're not necessarily going to stick to one system, or one theme, or one style).

PencilBoy99 · March 22, 2015, 09:46:03 AM

Yea, in general Fantastic Heroes and Witchery is an amazing book. I just got it.