The Shaman Expanded
The Shaman is a Wisdom-based spellcaster that channels
the power of primal spirits to devastating effect. Provided here are a multitude of additional Shaman options:
Shamanistic Feats. The Feats included here allow you to further customize your Shaman and allow other characters to wield a portion of their primal spiritual power!
Additional Spiritualities. Included below are four more Spiritualities for a Shaman to choose from at 3rd level: the Elementalist, Far Seer, Spirit Guide, and Wyrmbound.
Additional Greater Totems. Finally, included here are additional Greater Spirit Totems for your Shaman to choose from: the Dark Star, Fissure, Inferno, Sea, and Storm.
Additional Totems. Bind a multitude of additional primal spirits and channel their power as you walk the world.
Shamanistic Feats
The Feats here allow all characters to share in the abilities
of the Shaman. If your game uses the optional rule for Feats, they can be taken in place of an Ability Score Improvement.
Spiritual Awakening
You have spent many quiet hours honing your spirit to better control your physical body. You gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- You gain the benefits of one Sacred Focus from those available to the Shaman Class at 1st level. If you already benefit from a Sacred Focus, you cannot select it again.
Totemic Spirit
You have formed a connection with one of the minor spirits bound to the natural world. You gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- You gain the benefits of a Totem of your choice from those available to the Shaman class. If it has any prerequisites, you must meet them in order to learn that Totem.
Wise One
You find ways to learn from every experience in life, always growing in wisdom. You gain the benefits on the table below that correspond to your current Wisdom modifier and lower. Should your Wisdom modifier increase, the benefits that you gain from this Feat also increase with your modifier.
| Modifier | Benefit |
|---|---|
| +1 | You gain proficiency with one musical instrument of your choice. |
| +2 | You can make Wisdom (Persuasion) checks in place of Charisma (Persuasion) checks. |
| +3 | You gain proficiency in either Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, or Perception. |
| +4 | You have advantage on saving throws to end the charmed and frightened conditions. |
| +5 | When you are forced to make a Charisma or Intelligence saving throw, you can choose to make a Wisdom saving throw instead. |
Additional Spiritualities
The following additional Spiritualities can be made available to the Shaman along with those included in the base class: Elementalist, Far Seer, Spirit Guide, and Wyrmbound.
Elementalist
Some Shamans gain their abilities while living near places of raw elemental power: active volcanoes, amongst the sands of blazing deserts, atop frigid mountain peaks, or on the stormy coasts of the ocean. Known as Elementalists, these Shamans learn to draw out the most destructive spirits of nature and wield them to devastating effect against their foes.
Whether they master a single element or learn to wield
the powers of air, earth, flame, and water, Elementalists are among the most powerful channelers of the four elements.
Elemental Mastery
3rd-level Elementalist feature
The primordial spirits of nature have taught you the secrets of elemental mastery. Choose one of the following elements to master: Air, Earth, Fire, or Water. This choice grants you both an affinity with, and resistance to, the type of damage associated with that element, as shown on the table below:
| Element | Air | Earth | Fire | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damage | thunder | bludgeoning | fire | cold |
In addition, your mastery over the elements can empower the spirits of your Totemic Assault. When you use Totemic Assault, you can empower it with one of the elements that you have mastered, granting it the corresponding benefits:
Air. Your Totemic Assault deals thunder damage in place
of necrotic damage, and on a failed save, a Large or smaller creature is moved 5 feet in a direction of your choice.
Earth. Your Totemic Assault deals magical bludgeoning damage in place of necrotic damage, and on a failed save, a Large or smaller creature is knocked prone in its space.
Fire. Your Totemic Assault deals fire damage in place of necrotic damage, and the damage dice you roll for Totemic Assault become d12s (instead of the normal d8s).
Water. Your Totemic Assault deals cold damage in place
of necrotic damage, and when you use Totemic Assault you can target two creatures that are within 5 feet of each other.
Elementalist Spells
3rd-level Elementalist feature
You gain the Spirituality Spells from the tables below that correspond to any of the four elements you have mastered. When you gain a level in this class, you can replace one spell from this feature with another spell of the same level from any spell list that deals only the damage type of its element.
Alternatively, you can replace the spell with another spell
of a similar elemental theme at the discretion of your DM.
Greater Mastery
6th-level Elementalist feature
The power you draw from the elemental spirits has grown. You gain one of the following benefits of your choice:
- You master another element of your choice, gaining
all of the associated benefits from previous features.
You cannot master an element more than once. - You can cast one Elementalist Spell at the level of your Primal Magic spell slots, without expending a spell slot. Once you do so, you must finish a long rest before you
can cast an Elementalist spell in this way again.
Also, when you use a Shaman spell or feature that deals the damage of an element you have mastered, you add your Wisdom modifier to the damage if you don't do so already.
| Shaman Level | Air Spells | Earth Spells | Fire Spells | Water Spells |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd | thunderwave, shatter |
earth tremor XGE earthen grasp XGE |
burning hands flaming sphere |
ice knife XGE snowball swarm XGE |
| 5th | lightning bolt | erupting earth XGE | fireball | tidal wave XGE |
| 7th | storm sphere XGE | stone shape | wall of fire | ice storm |
| 9th | control winds XGE | wall of stone | immolation XGE | cone of cold |
Primal Conduit
10th-level Elementalist feature
Your power rivals native spirits of the four elemental planes. You gain one of the following benefits of your choice:
- You master another element of your choice, gaining
all of the associated benefits from previous features.
You cannot master an element more than once. - You can cast one Elementalist Spell at the level of your Primal Magic spell slots, without expending a spell slot. Once you do so, you must finish a long rest before you can cast an Elementalist spell in this way again. If you chose this feature previously you can cast two spells in this way.
Additionally, whenever you cast a Shaman spell of 1st-level or higher that deals the damage type of any element you have mastered, you gain temporary hit points equal to the level of the spell slot you expended + your Wisdom modifier.
Elemental Ascension
14th-level Elementalist feature
You wield the raw elemental power of the most destructive aspects of nature. You gain one of the following benefits:
- You master another element of your choice, gaining
all of the associated benefits from previous features.
You cannot master an element more than once. - Choose an element that you have mastered, and you learn the corresponding investiture spell from Xanathar's Guide to Everything: Air (wind), Earth (stone), Fire (flame), Water (ice). The spell counts as a Shaman spell for you, but does not count against your number of Spells Known. Once per long rest, you can cast it without expending a spell slot.
- If you have mastered only one element, you gain all the benefits of the Greater Totem Spirit of the element: Air (Storm), Earth (Fissure), Fire (Inferno), or Water (Sea).
This Greater Totem Spirit doesn't count against the
total number of Greater Totem Spirits you can
have bound at one time.
Far Seer
Many Shamans initially discover their connection to the spirit world when they perform rituals to divine the future. Should these amateur spiritualists pursue this connection they learn to channel spirits as a Far Seer, a Shaman who can glimpse both past and future, and use spiritual power to alter fate.
Far Seer Spells
3rd-level Far Seer feature
When you gain a level in this class, you can replace one spell from this feature with either a divination spell or a spell with the ritual tag, of the same level from any class spell list.
| Shaman Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | augury, detect thoughts |
| 5th | clairvoyance, tongues |
| 7th | arcane eye, divination |
| 9th | contact other plane, scrying |
Spirits of Fate
3rd-level Far Seer feature
You have learned to bind minor spirits of Fate and unleash them to influence the world around you in minor ways. Each time you finish a short or long rest, roll two d4s and record the numbers you rolled. When you or a creature you can see within 60 feet makes an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw, you can use your reaction to apply one of these Fate rolls to the triggering roll, adding or subtracting it from the result. You can use this reaction after you know the result of the roll, but before you know if the roll succeeds or fails.
Each of your Fate rolls can be used only once. When you
finish a short or long rest, you lose any unused Fate rolls.
At certain levels in this class, the dice you roll for these
Fate rolls increase in size: at 6th level (d6s), at 10th
level (d8s), and finally at 14th level (d12s).
Totemic Ritualist
3rd-level Far Seer feature
You can draw on the power within your Totems to enhance your ritual magic. When you cast the ritual version of a spell, you can use a Totem in place of the material components of that spell. When you do, the ritual version of that spell only takes 1 additional minute to cast instead of 10 minutes.
Also, when you cast a divination spell and use a Totem as your spellcasting focus, it can replace material components with a gold value so long as they are not consumed.
Ascended Awareness
6th-level Far Seer feature
The spirits of Fate constantly whisper their secrets to you. You cannot be surprised while you are conscious, and you gain a bonus to your initiative rolls equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of +1), so long as you are conscious.
Certain Fate
10th-level Far Seer feature
The future is fickle and constantly changing, but once you glimpse something, it nearly always comes to pass. When you use your reaction to add a Fate die to a roll and it does not
change the outcome of that roll, the die is not expended.
Tip the Scales
14th-level Far Seer feature
You can effect Fate in ways that rival the greatest spirits of the multiverse, if only for a moment. When a creature you can see within 60 feet finishes its turn, you can use your
reaction to expend one of your Fate dice, and force that
creature to repeat its turn exactly as it did before.
Anything the creature did on that turn is undone,
and it must repeat its turn exactly, taking the same exact
course of action, but any dice rolled on that turn are
rolled again, and all creatures must use the new results.
Spirit Guide
Unlike most Shamans who bind themselves to many spirits,
those who become Spirit Guides form a bond with a single
powerful spirit known as a Geist. These unique spirits can
grow in power alongside the Shaman they are bound to,
and can even wield the power of other spirits with Totems.
Spirit Guide Spells
3rd-level Spirit Guide feature
When you gain a level in this class, you can replace one spell from this feature with an abjuration or divination spell of the same level from either the Cleric or Shaman spell list.
| Shaman Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | spiritual weapon, warding bond |
| 5th | blink, spirit guardians |
| 7th | death ward, guardian of faith |
| 9th | arcane hand, wall of light XGE |
Totemic Bond
3rd-level Spirit Guide feature
You have bound your soul with a unique spirit known as a Geist. You determine its spectral appearance, but the choice has no effect on its game statistics. Your Geist is friendly to you and your allies, and it obeys your commands. It uses the Geist stat block on the following page, its abilities use your Totemic Save DC, and it uses your proficiency bonus (PB).
In combat, the Geist acts during your turn. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but it only takes the Dodge action unless you use a bonus action to command it to take one of the actions listed in its stat block, or another action.
At the end of a long rest, you can choose for any Totems you know to be bound to your Geist in place of you. You lose any benefits from those Totems and the Geist gains them.
If your Geist is reduced to 0 hit points it is banished back to the Outer Planes. As an action, you can expend a Primal Magic spell slot to conjure the Geist in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of you, restoring it to its full hit points.
At the end of each long rest the Geist is restored to full hit points, and reappears next to you if it had been banished.
Geist, Ghosts, and Ghouls
Unlike other undead specters, Geist aren't hostile to mortal creatures. These rare spirits are often the form taken by former Shamans and Spirit Guides in the afterlife. Who was your Geist in its mortal life?
Geist
Medium Undead, Unaligned
- Armor Class 13 + PB (natural armor)
- Hit Points 5 + five times your Shaman level
- Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 6 (-2) 14 (+2) 11 (+0) 8 (-1) 16 (+3) 13 (+1)
- Senses passive Perception 13 +PB
- Languages understands the languages you speak,
but the Geist cannot speak itself.
Conduit. When you cast a Shaman spell, you can choose for it to originate from you or the Geist.
Ghastly Glide. Though the Geist has a fly speed, it
can only fly a maximum of 10 feet above a surface.Totemic Bond. You add your PB to any ability check
or saving throw the Geist makes.Actions
Spectral Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 +PB to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8 +3 necrotic damage. On hit, the target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your Totemic save DC or be frightened of the Geist until the end of its next turn.
Spectral Empowerment
6th-level Spirit Guide feature
You can infuse your Geist with spiritual power. As an action, you can expend a Primal Magic spell slot to empower it. For 1 minute, the Geist gains resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonsilvered attacks, and can move through creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain.
If the Geist ends its turn inside a creature or object, it is instantly shunted to the nearest unoccupied space and takes 1d10 force damage for every 5 feet it was forced to travel.
Soul Bond
10th-level Spirit Guide feature
The bond between kindred soul and spirit empowers your resolve. When a creature you can see hits you with an attack, and the Geist is within 30 feet of you, you can use a reaction to instantly switch places with the Geist, causing it to become the target of the triggering attack in your place.
The Geist can also use this same reaction when it is hit by an attack to instantly switch places with you.
Ghastly Strikes
14th-level Spirit Guide feature
The spiritual bond between you and the Geist has reached
its full potential. Whenever you command the Geist to use its Spectral Touch, it can use its Spectral Touch action twice.
Also, the Geist permanently gains the benefits of Spectral Empowerment, and you can expend a Primal Magic spell slot
to gain the benefits of Spectral Empowerment yourself.
Wyrmbound
Unknown to many mortals, some of the most powerful spirits of the multiverse are those of dragons who have passed on.
In their desire to affect the material plane, for good or ill, these draconic spirits attach themselves to mortals open to the spiritual, transforming them into Wyrmbound Shamans.
Wyrmbound Spells
3rd-level Wyrmbound feature
When you gain a level in this class, you can replace one spell from this feature with an evocation or transmutation spell of the same level from either the Shaman or Sorcerer spell list.
| Shaman Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 2rd | dragon's breath XGE, suggestion |
| 5th | fear, fly |
| 7th | dominate beast, polymorph |
| 9th | geas, summon draconic spirit FTD |
Draconic Form
3rd-level Wyrmbound feature
You draw on draconic power to transform for a short time.
As a bonus action, you can transform into a Spirit Dragon.
While transformed, you use the Spirit Dragon stat block.
It uses your Totemic save DC and proficiency bonus (PB) in several places. You determine the appearance of your Spirit Dragon form, but this has no effect on its abilities. For the duration of your transformation, the following rules apply:
- You use the Spirit Dragon's Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution, but retain your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma and your skill and saving throw proficiencies.
- You assume the Spirit Dragon's hit points. When you revert to your normal form, you return to the number of hit points you had before you transformed. If the Spirit Dragon drops to 0 hit points, you revert to your normal form, and any excess damage carries over to you.
- You can't cast spells, and your ability to take actions is limited to the capabilities of your Spirit Dragon form. Transforming doesn't break your concentration on spells or prevent you from taking actions that are part of a spell.
- You retain the benefit of features from your class, race, or other source and can use them if the Spirit Dragon is capable of doing so, including your Totems and Totemic Assault. However, you cannot use any of your special senses unless the Spirit Dragon also has that sense.
- Any equipment you are wearing or carrying merges into your Spirit Dragon form. Equipment that merges with the Spirit Dragon form has no effect while transformed.
Your transformation lasts for 1 minute, and it ends early
if you use a bonus action to revert to your normal form.
Once you transform you must finish a short or long rest before you can do so again. When you have no uses left, you can expend a Primal Magic spell slot to transform again.
Totemic Conduit
3rd-level Wyrmbound feature
The draconic spirit bound to your soul grants you ambient power. You can speak, read, and write Draconic. Whenever you make a Charisma check to interact with dragons, you
gain a bonus to your roll equal to your Wisdom modifier.
Spirit Dragon
Medium Dragon, Unaligned
- Armor Class 13 + PB (natural armor)
- Hit Points 10 + five times your Shaman level.
- Speed 10 ft., fly 30 ft.
STR DEX CON 8 (-1) 18 (+4) 12 (+1)
- Damage Resistances necrotic, poison
- Damage Vulnerabilities radiant
- Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 60 ft.
- Languages understands the languages you speak,
but the Spirit Dragon can only speak Draconic
Serpentine Body. When the Spirit Dragon makes an ability check or saving throw that uses Dexterity, it can add your Wisdom modifier to the result.
Actions
Spectral Slash. Melee Weapon Attack: your Shaman spell attack modifier to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d4 +4 +PB slashing + 1d4 necrotic damage.
Spirit Breath. The Spirit Dragon can expend a Primal Magic spell slot to exhale pure spiritual energy in a 30 ft. cone, forcing creatures in that area to make a Dexterity saving throw. They take necrotic damage equal to twice the damage of your Totemic Assault on a failed save, and half as much on a success.
Savage Strikes
6th-level Wyrmbound feature
The ferocity of your draconic spirit has grown. When you are in Spirit Dragon form and you take the Spectral Slash action, you can make two Spectral Slash attacks. Also, your attacks in Spirit Dragon form also count as magical for overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Serpentine Speed
10th-level Wyrmbound feature
Your movements are enhanced by the power of your draconic spirit. You can take the Dash action as a bonus action on your turn, and when you do so, all opportunity attacks against you have disadvantage until the end of your current turn.
Moreover, when you transform into your Spirit Dragon form, you can choose to become Large in size, causing your Spirit Dragon form to double in length, much like a snake.
Ascended Conduit
14th-level Wyrmbound feature
Your physical form can handle the full might of your draconic spirit. When you are in Spirit Dragon form you retain your ability to cast spells as if you were in your normal form.
In addition, Your Spirit Dragon's Spirit Breath no longer requires you to expend a Primal Magic spell slot in order to use it. Instead, once you use it, you roll a d6 at the start of each of your turns. On a roll of 5 or 6, you regain the use of the Spirit Dragon's Spirit Breath ability.
Greater Totems
Below is a list of additional Greater Spirit Totems available to Shamans to choose from starting when they reach 11th level. See the Shaman Class for the rules of Greater Spirit Totems.
Greater Spirit of the Dark Star
Spirits of Dark Stars are called from outer realms beyond the known planes. They grant Shamans strange aberrant powers.
| Shaman Level | Spell |
|---|---|
| 11th | soul cage XGE |
| 13th | prismatic spray |
| 15th | maddening darkness XGE |
| 17th | psychic scream XGE |
Greater Spirit of the Fissure
Spirits of Fissure are conjured from the realms on the Plane of Earth. They lend Shamans the unyielding power of stone.
| Shaman Level | Spell |
|---|---|
| 11th | bones of the earth XGE |
| 13th | symbol |
| 15th | earthquake |
| 17th | invulnerability XGE |
Greater Spirit of the Inferno
Spirits of the Inferno are summoned from the great Plane of Fire. They grant Shamans overwhelming destructive power.
| Shaman Level | Spell |
|---|---|
| 11th | investiture of flame XGE |
| 13th | fire storm |
| 15th | incendiary cloud |
| 17th | meteor swarm |
Greater Spirit of the Sea
Spirits of the Sea are called up from the depths of the Plane of Water. They bestow Shamans with frigid ethereal magics.
| Shaman Level | Spell |
|---|---|
| 11th | freezing sphere |
| 13th | etherealness |
| 15th | tsunami |
| 17th | invulnerability |
Greater Spirit of the Storm
Spirits of the Storm are drawn from the great tempests of the Plane of Air. They lend Shamans the wild magic of storms.
| Shaman Level | Spell |
|---|---|
| 11th | chain lightning |
| 13th | whirlwind |
| 15th | control weather |
| 17th | storm of vengeance |
Totems
Below is the list of Totems available to Shamans to learn. If a Totem has a prerequisite, like a Shaman level, you can learn that Totem at the same time that you meet its prerequisites.
Totem of the Autumn Wind
You bind a minor spirit of death that comes with the changing of the seasons. When you hit a creature with an attack, you can force it to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, it can't regain hit points until the start of your next turn.
Totem of Drought
Prerequisite: 5th level Shaman
You bind a minor spirit of elemental flame. When you cast a Shaman spell that deals either acid, cold, lighting, or poison damage, you can choose for it to deal fire damage instead.
Totem of Venom
Prerequisite: 5th level Shaman
You bind a minor spirit of elemental sickness. When you cast a Shaman spell that deals either acid, cold, fire, or lighting damage, you can choose for it to deal poison damage instead.
Totem of Corrosion
Prerequisite: 7th level Shaman
You bind a minor spirit of elemental decay. When you cast a Shaman spell that deals either cold, fire, lighting, or poison damage, you can choose for it to deal acid damage instead.
Totem of Frost
Prerequisite: 7th level Shaman
You bind a minor spirit of elemental frost. When you cast a Shaman spell that deals either acid, fire, lighting, or poison damage, you can choose for it to deal cold damage instead.
Totem of Tempests
Prerequisite: 7th level Shaman
You bind a minor spirit of elemental storms. When you cast
a Shaman spell that deals acid, cold, fire, or poison damage, you can choose for it to deal lightning damage instead.
Totem of Midnight
Prerequisite: 9th level Shaman
You bind a sinister spirit which you can call to you. You can cast summon shadowspawn at the level of your Primal Magic slots, without expending a spell slot or material components.
Once you cast summon shadowspawn this way, you must finish a long rest before you can cast it in this way again.
Shamanistic Binding
Where does the great spiritual power wielded by your Shaman come from? When playing a Shaman, talk to your DM about the rituals you perform to bind your spirits. Do you conjure them in the dead of night? Or do you seek them out and ask for aid?
The Shaman
Expanded
A multitude of additional options for the Shaman Class for 5e! Channel wondrous spiritual power with new Feats, Totems, Greater Totem Spirits, and four Spiritualities: Elementalist, Far Seer, Spirit Guide, and Wyrmbound!
Version 5.6.1
Created by /u/laserllama
Artist Credits:
Covers - Chris Rallis - Dragon Whisperer
Page 1 - Dominik Mayer - Nature's Embrace
Page 2 - Noah Bradley - Volcanic Vision
Page 3 - Chris Rahn - Jadzi, Oracle of Arcavios
Page 4 - Lie Setiawan - Prowling Geistcatcher
Page 5 - Brian Valeze - Giestpack Alpha
Page 6 - Randy Vargas - Old Gnawbone
Page 7 - Campbell White - Devouring Tentacles
Page 8 - Sam Burley - Dreamroot Cascade
