Iroquois Shaman Template

115 Points (35 points left for customization)

A mage from one of the Iroquois tribes of the Haudenosaunee Protectorate, adept in controlling the natural world – working spells to aid the hunters and warriors of the tribe, or to safeguard and increase the tribe’s crops – who has for his own (often spiritual) reasons decided to venture beyond the tribe’s lands.

Attributes: ST: 10 ⁰; DX 10 ⁰; IQ 13 ⁶⁰; HT 9 [-10].

Secondary Characteristics: As generated ⁰.

Advantages: Ritual Magery 1 ¹⁵; Higher Purpose (Tribal Magic) ⁷ and a total of 30 points chosen from Additional Magery levels [10/level]; one or two more levels of Higher Purpose [7/14]; increased Will [5/level]; Allies [varies]; Acute Sense [2/level]; Autotrance ¹; Charisma [5/level]; Talent – Cunning Folk (Horror p19) [10/level]; Empathy or Sensitive [15 or 5]; Danger Sense ¹⁵; High Pain Threshold ¹⁰; Intuition ¹⁵; Luck ¹⁵; Reputation [variable]; Talent -Smooth Operator [15/level]; Social Chameleon ⁵ and Voice ¹⁰.

Disadvantages: Language (Iroquois): Spoken (native) /Written (none) [-3]; Social Stigma (Second-class Citizen, Iroquois) [-5] and a total of total of – 20 points chosen from Addiction [varies]; Compulsive Behavior [varies]; Delusions [Varies]; Disciplines of Faith [varies]; Distinctive Features [-1/level]; Duty [varies]; Dwarfism [-15]; Fanaticism [-15]; Hunchback [-10 or – 15]; Loner or Intolerance (Total) [-5* or – 10]; Low TL -1 [-5]; Odious Personal Habit (No social graces, or other) [-5, -10, or -15]; Selfish [-5*]; Sense of Duty [varies] and Vow [varies]. Another 12 points in other Disadvantages or from the list above and 5 Quirks.

Primary Skills: Ritual Magic (VH) IQ ⁴-13; Religious Ritual (Iroquois) (H) IQ ⁴- 13; two Path Skills both (VH) IQ ⁴-13 and a total of 10 points in any of Acting (IQ/A); Artist (any) (IQ/H); First Aid/TL (IQ/E); Pharmacy/TL (Herbal) (IQ/H); Literature (IQ/H); Meditation (IQ/H) and Occultism (IQ/A).

Secondary Skills: A total of 12 points in any of Area Knowledge (any) (IQ/E); Artist (Body Art) (IQ/A); Dancing (DX/A); Diagnosis/TL (IQ/H); Diplomacy (IQ/H); Intimidation (Will/A); Mimicry (any) (IQ/H); Musical Instrument (any) (IQ/H); Naturalist (IQ/H); Politics (IQ/A); Singing (HT/E); Sleight of Hand (DX/H); Ventriloquism (IQ/H) and Weather Sense (IQ/A).

Background Skills: 8 points spread among any of Axe/Mace (DX/A); Brawling (DX/E); Bow (DX/E) Camouflage (E/IQ); Guns (Musket) (DX/E); Guns (Rifle) (DX/E); Knife (DX/E); Thrown Weapon (Axe/Mace) (DX/A); Stealth (DX/A); Survival (Woodland) (Per/A) and Tracking (Per/A).

Notes

*Multiplied for self-control number; see p. B120.

A shaman’s magery uses Ritual Magic as its primary skill, rather than Thaumatology.

Higher Purpose (Tribal Magic) is a Broad Tradition per Pyramid 3/66 page 16 and encompasses spells that are obviously useful for tribal rituals and for hunters, gatherers and subsistence agriculture – and specifically not self defense or attack spells. The GM’s decision is final on whether a spell fits the tradition.

Customization Notes: The most important choice with the Shaman is ‘where to focus?’ He has many options here, and can represent many different types of medicine-men, from healers to manipulators of fate.

Path Talents are those found in Pyramid 3-66 The Laws of Magic page 18-20 (A Talent for the Arts). They each feature two Path skills and three related skills. In addition to the five listed skills, each Talent adds its level to Ritual Magic, but only when the two Path skills or the concept of the Talent is involved; this bonus does raise Ritual Magic for the purpose of limiting the two Paths’ skill levels. Further, the Talents do not grant a reaction bonus – instead, they add to the caster’s effective Magery level for the purpose of limiting the two Path skill levels. A character may have only a single Path Talent, with a maximum level of four.

Bear
5 points/level
Treating injuries, blessing warrior and their weapons, the bridge between magic and the physical world.
Skills: Armoury (Melee), First Aid, Naturalist, Path of Body, Path of Matter.

Crow
5 points/level
All things change, and though magic, the shaman can be the witness to the change or it’s agent.
Skills: Camouflage, Fast-Talk, Mimicry, Path of Chance, Path of Crossroads

Dreamer
5 points/level
The world of dreams reveals the magic in the world of man
Skills: Dreaming, Fortune Telling, Meditation, Path of Magic, Path of Mind

False-Face
5 points/level
Healing the great sicknesses of body and soul, the most venerated of all shaman societies.
Skills: Body Language, Esoteric Medicine, Herb Lore, Path of Body, Path of Spirit

Little Water
5 points/level
Soothing fevers, purging infection and bringing new life into the tribe.
Skills: First Aid, Naturalist, Path of Body, Path of Matter, Pharmacy (Herbal)

Moth
5 points/level
The bridge between the land of the living and the land of the dead, the guide to lost souls.
Skills: Exorcism, Meditation, Musical Instrument, Path of Spirit, Path of the Undead,

Snake
5 points/level
Healing and Delivering lingering poisons, keeper of old secrets
Skills: Esoteric Medicine, Occultism, Path of Body, Path of Mind, Poison.

Thunderer
5 points/level
Bringer of light and fire, slayer of savage monsters.
Skills: Intimidation, Occultism, Path of Chance, Path of Energy, Tracking