Deep Shaman (Shaman Archetype)
(art by LuigiL on DeviantArt)
The power of the ocean is not one to be trifled with, and shamans in particular are well-aware of the power of water and its spirits. However, the traditional spirits of waves tend to grant powers more useful for those that dwell on land primarily, such as the ability to breathe underwater. While this is useful for such surface-dwellers, it is not so much for the aquatic races.
Deep shamans, as they are known, instead ask for a modified version of the pact with the waves, gaining abilities that more suit their aquatic nature. Additionally, many of their abilities that are not replaced are instead enhanced underwater.
These are the shamans that call upon the power of deep water, where the light does not touch. Indeed, many also revere the goddess Besmara, honoring her former aspect as a spirit of the sea, before her worship transformed her into the goddess of piracy and sea monsters.
While technically terrestrial shamans can make similar pacts, they have more difficulty, since their spirit-granted powers no longer grant them the ability to survive or swim at speed in the depths, requiring they use traditional magic to supplement those losses of abilities.
Naturally, their focus on the depths means that these shamans universally form a bond with a spirit of the waves. What’s more, they also must take an aquatic animal as their spirit familiar, which does mean they need special considerations when carrying the creature on land, such as an aquarium ball.
Many of the hexes these shamans use are modified by their connection to the depths, such as weakening the strength of those harmed by the chill, and entangling foes in water with their damaging water hexes. Additionally, the crashing wave hex, which normally enhances water spells, also applies to their spirit powers and hexes that utilize water.
They also gain two new hexes, which replace the hexes that hide them in mist or let them peer through murky water. Instead, they gain the power to control the buoyancy of themselves and others, letting them swim with ease and making others rise or sink at their whim. The other hex lets them regain the ability to breath and swim underwater since they do not get it naturally, but it also lets them resist water pressure much more easily as well.
Other shamans of the waves can push foes away with a touch, blasting them forcefully with water. For a deep shaman, however, the injuries are much more severe than the nonlethal blast, and much more forceful. What’s more, instead of quenching flame with their weapons, they use water to increase the mass and force of their weapon, striking harder.
Meanwhile, their mastery of water no longer automatically gives them swimming speed and the ability to breathe underwater. However, they do gain the ability to sense vibrations in the water, and their blast of freezing cold water becomes stronger and farther-reaching while in the water.
Rather than turn into an elemental, these shamans instead turn into a brine dragon, the epitome of elemental water in dragon form, a form they can maintain for hours, or indefinitely if they remain below the surface of the water.
This is one of the more fun ways that an archetype modifies another character option choice, as it makes the waves spirit, which one would think would be very useful for an aquatic character, into something that does not provide redundant or useless abilities to such sea-dwelling characters. It even has an option so that landbound races can still use it. As for its utility, it provides much the same as the standard waves spirit, but makes them much more potent in their preferred turf. As a final note, I recommend also supplementing this archetype with the aquarium ball item from Familiar Folio, as well as the expanded underwater rules from Aquatic Adventures, the same book this archetype comes from.
It would be erroneous to assume that these shamans are of a higher rank or class than other shamans of the wave. It is merely that they express their powers in different ways. However, the spirits of water that they bond with might have different personalities compared to others, perhaps being less relatable or knowable compared to those that see the sun, assuming there is any difference at all.
The frozen seas of the world of Akkus are patrolled by all sorts of deadly arctic predators, including the insectile ursikkas. However, beneath its surface lies aquatic folk of various races that rarely ever venture above the ice except to hunt. These cultures are often led or advised by mystics and shamans with a particularly impressive command of the water around them.
Perhaps derived from a wealthy sailor or pirate captain, the shabti Tuvi’tib has always been fascinated by the sea, and had an affinity for its depths and the creatures that live there. However, even being an otherworldly facsimile, they still need air. To that end, they sought out a spirit of the water to bond with.
Seeking answers about a curious artifact, the party must brave the depths to find a powerful merfolk shaman who might have the answers they are looking for. However, the shaman is in self-imposed exile, and may react violently to the intrusion.