Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Shamans of Ukko/ Finnish Shamans, Part IV

Is your shaman ready for adventure? Illus: The Defense of the Sampo, Akseli Gallen-Kallela

Spells (Ukko)
Finnish Shamans have access to the following spells.

1st Level: Cure Light Wounds, Detect Evil, Detect Magic, Protection from Evil, Sanctuary, Animal CompanionD, Unseen Servant*

2nd Level: Augury, Bless, Delay Poison, Hold Person, Holy Chant, Snake Charm, Speak with Animal, Spiritual Weapon (held by a random type of spirit)

3rd Level: Cure Blindness, Cure Disease, Locate Object, Prayer, Remove Curse (reversible),

4th Level: Cure Serious Wounds, Divination, Exorcise, Neutralize Poison, Protection from Evil 10’ Radius,

5th Level: Atonement, Commune, Cure Critical Wounds, Plane Shift, Raise Dead (also requires a drop of honey), Commune with NatureD

6th Level: Animate Objects, Find the Path, Heal, Stone Tell

7th Level: Astral Projection, Restoration, Summon Spirit (as Summon Aerial Servant, but can summon any type of spirit for the shaman to then request aid from)


Spells of Place
Finnish shamans can also access additional spells depending on where they commune each day. As described in Part I, the process takes 1d6 turns, allowing the shaman to gain a special ability. It also grants him access to up to 1d3 bonus spells of levels he can cast that day, determined at random. Note that a shaman can thereby gain a different selection of spells from two different forests, different fields, different mountains, etc., reflecting the great variation in the animistic world of gods and spirits in which they live. Consequently, mountains grant the highest level spells since it is the dwelling place of Ukko, chief of the pantheon, where he reigns at a point so high in reality that those who visit there must kneel.

Communion can be redone during the same day if the shaman spends 1d6 turns making offerings, chanting, drumming, and/or achieving trance states at a different place, but no matter what, he still can only cast the same number of spells each day as a cleric of the same level.

Field
1st Level: Light, Remove Fear, Faerie FireD
2nd Level: Continual Light, Detect Invisible*, ESP*
3rd Level: Plant GrowthD, Clairvoyance*
4th Level: Dispel Evil, Hallucinatory Terrain*

Graveyard
1st Level: Light (reverse), Remove Fear (reverse), Spider Climb*
2nd Level: Feign Death, Darkness Globe*, Scare*
3rd Level: Remove Curse (reversible), Speak with Dead
4th Level: Sticks to Snakes, Ray of Enfeeblement*

Forest
1st Level: EntangleD, Pass without TraceD, ShillelaghD
2nd Level: BarkskinD, Find PlantD, Web*
3rd Level: SnareD, Tree ShapeD
4th Level: Speak with Plants, Polymorph Self* (terrestrial animal forms only)

Mountain
1st Level: Command, Divine WeatherD. Enlarge*
2nd Level: Animal Growth, Feather Fall*, Strength*
3rd Level: Call LightningD, Gust of Wind*
4th Level: Passwall* (through natural stone only), Polymorph Self* (avian animal forms only)
5th Level: Control WindsD, Interposing Hand*
6th Level: Stone Tell, Summon Aerial Servant
7th Level: Control Weather, Wind Walk

Sauna
1st Level: Purify Food and Drink, Resist Cold, Allure*
2nd Level: Resist Fire, Obscuring MistD, Heat MetalD
3rd Level: Hold AnimalD, Haste* (reverse), Sleep*
4th Level: Charm Person*, Confusion*

Water
1st Level: Create Water, Purify WaterD, Manipulate Fire* (actually reduces heat)
2nd Level: Reveal Charm, Warp WoodD, Magic Mouth*
3rd Level: Water BreathingD, Insect SwarmD
4th: Level: Insect Plague, Polymorph Self* (aquatic animal forms only)


Finnish Wizard-Warriors
Not only do their shamans practice magic, but Finnish wizard-warriors have been known to do so as well. In the tradition of Vainamoinen and Lemminkainen, they can:
- Wield any weapon, have a fighter’s hit die, and may don chainmail armor and shields or lighter.
- May commune, but only at one type of place (field, graveyard, forest, mountain, sauna, or water - determined at character creation) and can only cast 1 spell per day per level.
- Can otherwise cast spells and save like Finnish shamans do and can even benefit from communing at their type of place each day (see Finnish Shamanism in Part I).

For example, a Finnish Sauna wizard-warrior can commune at a sauna or similar place each day to gain either a +6 Charisma bonus when dealing with Finns (and similar types) or ignore temperature extremes for 2d6 turns. He also only works with Sauna spirits when it comes to healing, divine tests, and gaining extra spells.

Mve: 40’; AC 6; HD: 1+2; Attk: 1; Dmg: by weapon; SP: limited Finnish shaman abilities; Sve: C1; Mor: 9; Align: N



Next week: We find out about a tyrannical demon lord: Uncle Steel Dwarf!