Disclaimer
the vodou shaman is a mix between elements of the actual religion and pop culture voodoo with this in mind if you are offended I’m sorry. Just know this comes from a place of appreciation and interest with no malice.
The Vodou Shaman
A cloaked man sneaks through the night in worship of Bondye. He has many enemies and wants to make allies. He shuffles up the wall in through a window to the bedroom of those whom wronged him he spread a powder across their nose and as easy as that an ally is born, a walking slave to his bidding that will listen to his word till his death. The man possessed by the power of the powder stumbles and crashes through the hallway and down the stairs disturbing the other residence of the inn. When they go out to check, the hallway is filled with a miasma of fog obscuring the vision of any who looks through and a figure with a skeletal face cigar in his mouth staff in hand screaming obscenities at the top of his lungs. He takes a swig of his brew and stumbles down the stairs just the same. Once at the bottom he trips the possessed man and cracks his staff against his skull swiftly bringing him to the other side. The well dressed man disappears with the wind along with the body.
Fixation of the spirit
To a shaman capturing the fixation of a spirit is nothing short of a way of life. Most ways to fixate the spirits is through items of a ritual nature. These range from trinkets to rituals of alien and complicated nature. Once enraptured, the spirits will do things from lend power to making deals with the shaman to help their goals although these deals tend to come with unforeseen consequences. But to most shamans the ends justify the means in their eyes.
Creating a Vodou Shaman
When creating the shaman, consider why you are doing these ritualistic acts and who taught you the rituals you know. Was it spirits? Was it someone from your tribe? Are you doing this for money, revenge, or to save someone.
Vodou Shaman
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Nomad's Oddities |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | First Taste of the other side, Misunderstood Nature, Spiritual Fixation | 2 |
| 2nd | +2 | Expertise, Lady lucks Cross | 2 |
| 3rd | +2 | Lwa Understanding | 2 |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 2 |
| 5th | +3 | Uncanny Dodge | 3 |
| 6th | +3 | Expertise, Roads Traveled | 3 |
| 7th | +3 | Lwa Understanding | 3 |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 |
| 9th | +4 | Evasion | 3 |
| 10th | +4 | Always Packed, Roads Traveled | 4 |
| 11th | +4 | Lwa Understanding | 4 |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 |
| 13th | +5 | Reliable Talent, Lonesome Song | 4 |
| 14th | +5 | Life Lessons, Timeless Wanderer | 4 |
| 15th | +5 | Lwa Understanding | 5 |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 |
| 17th | +6 | Roads Traveled | 5 |
| 18th | +6 | Wisdom of the Lost | 5 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 |
| 20th | +6 | Dimension Traveler | 6 |
Consider the spirits of different regions, areas, and persuasions. How does this impact you? Does the volatility of the spirits inspire you or disappoint you? These are the questions you should be asking. How do you feel about the morals of the rituals being done? What is the feeling you get from your comrades as they experience first hand these rituals? Finally what is the end goal of your Vodou bouts.
Quick build
You can make a Shaman quickly by following these suggestions: First, make Wisdom your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity (Some Shamans who focus on social interaction make Charisma higher than Dexterity). Second, choose the Sage background.
Art Credit: Jeje
Class Features
As a Vodou Shaman you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per Vodou Shaman level Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per Shaman level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor Weapons: Simple Weapons Tools: One musical instrument, one artisan tool of your choice Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma Skills: Choose any three from Insight, Medicine, History, Religion, or Nature
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background: *(a) a dagger or (b) a simple weapon *(a) an explorer's pack or (b) a scholar's pack *A healer's kit and one musical instrument of your choice
First Taste of The Other Side
At 1st level you are filled with Spiritual power from cooperating and coexisting with the spirits. When one of your class features or Spiritual Fixations forces a creature to make a saving throw the DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier.
Misunderstood Nature
Also at 1st level you have intimate knowledge of the places of the world through the spirits. If you have lived in a region with certain terrain for more than a week you gain the following benefits:
- You are immune to non-magical difficult terrain
- You cannot become lost except by magical means
- When you make an Intelligence (Nature or Investigation) check you may add your Charisma modifier to the roll
- You may perform another activity while remaining alert to danger
- You have advantage on constitution saving throws when Consuming things that normally would not be beneficial or edible
- You can spend an hour foraging to find enough herbal remedies to create one charge for a healer’s kit
At higher levels: You may choose an additional Benefit to always be active at 6th level, and another at 10th level. When you reach 17th level you gain all the listed benefits.
Spiritual Fixations
At 1st level you have a small collection of Fixations to enrapture the spirits. Choose two options from the Fixations section at the end of this class. Rather than gaining a new Fixation you may improve one you already have. If you do so your Fixation’s effects may either be expanded or replaced by the improved version’s effects. The DM may allow you to create your own oddities rather than choosing from the list.
Art Credit: LPS DC
You gain one additional Fixation every five levels. These Fixations are similar to magical items but they are infused with the spirits. As such, they do not appear magical to a creature using detect magic. No creature other than you can utilize the effects of these trinkets unless your subclass says otherwise.
If you lose a Fixation or it is destroyed. You may perform a 10 minute ritual to create a new one.
Expertise
When you reach 2nd level you have spent an extremely long amount of time perfecting your rituals and memorizing your beliefs. Choose two skills or a tool and an artisan tool that you are proficient in. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any check you make using the chosen skills or tools.
At 6th level you may choose two additional skills or tools to gain this same benefit.
Lady lucks cross
Also at 2nd level you believe that leaving a mark in the name of someone you respect or admire will give you luck. For ten minutes as a ritual you find a gravestone of a person you know information about and draw crossmarks across the gravestone. Doing this will bless you 3 luck points. Whenever you make an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw, you can spend one luck point to roll an additional d20. You can choose to spend one of your luck points after you roll the die, but before the outcome is determined. You choose which of the d20s is used for the attack roll, ability check, or saving throw. You can also spend one luck point when an attack roll is made against you. Roll a d20 and then choose whether the attack uses the attacker's roll or yours. If more than one creature spends a luck point to influence the outcome of a roll, the points cancel each other out; no additional dice are rolled.
When you reach 13th level you may choose to use these points on other creatures.
Lwa Understanding
At 3rd level you have an idea, if only a slight one, of the only way you can convene with the spirits being a universal truth, even if you know each practice is different. Choose between the Understandings: Conduit, Barganer, Puppet master, Partygoer. Each subclass is detailed at the end of the class description and grants you features at 3rd, 7th, 11th, and 15th levels.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Extra attack
Beginning at 5th Level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the attack action on your turn.
Fast Movement
Starting at 5th Level, your speed increases by 10 feet while you aren't wearing any heavy armor.
Evasion
Beginning at 9th level you can nimbly dodge out of the way of dangerous effects. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.
Ritual goers tools
At 10th level you always want to be prepared for anything the spirits throw at you, any ritual component that is 5gp or less is covered. Additionally when you are affected by disadvantage of any fashion you gain advantage on Strength saving throws.
You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier and regain expended uses after you spend 5 days or more in downtime.
Slave to fate
When you reach 13th level you are able to break the fate handed to you, you gain are immune to the charm and fear status effects.
Life Lessons
Starting at 14th level you have gained knowledge of the world not through studies but through experience from all the spirits with their different walks of unlife. Any time you make a skill or tool check that would use your Intelligence modifier you may choose to use your Wisdom modifier instead.
The attachment to the dead
Also at 14th level The essence of spirits has been with you so long that it has infused with your being, if you are about to get knocked unconscious, if the damage type that drops you to zero is necrotic, radiant, or force instead of being knocked unconscious you gain 20 temporary hitpoints.
Wisdom of the Lost
Beginning at 18th level when something or someone dies around you, you gain their knowledge.
Bondye’s gate
At 20th level you will Contact Bondye directy, something that should not be possible, the spirits respond in resonance the DM chooses the nature of the intervention; the effect of any spell or Understanding spells would be appropriate. If Bondye intervenes, you can't use this feature again for 7 days. Otherwise, you can use it again after you finish a long rest..
Once you use this feature you cannot use it again for a year and a day.
Art Credit: Khoa Viet
Understanding
The following are the Shaman’s subclass options. Each of these are different understandings of how spirits work and spirits of all different kinds lean towards different understandings to relate to mortals.
Conduit
Spirits supporting the understanding of the Conduit use the body as a vessel making it stronger to enforce their will. Conduits understand the desperation of a spirit with no vessel and don't worry about starting off small.
Possession
At 3rd level the spirits take over your form, as an action a spirit takes over your body giving you temporary hitpoints equal to your Shaman level times two and a climbing speed equal to your movement.
You can use this feature twice. You regain these uses on short or long rest.
At higher levels: you gain immunity to the grapple status effect at level 6, restrain at level 7, and the negative effects of prone at level 11.
Possessed Dislocation
Also at 3rd level as a bonus action you can dislocate you joints making your attacks move at odd jaunt becoming hard to read. impose -2 to ac on a target creature within 10ft of you.
When you reach 10th level, the impose is subtracting ac by your charisma instead of a static number.
this feature can only be used whilst possession is active.
Touch of the Spirits
Beginning at 7th level unarmed strikes deal an additional 1d12 necrotic damage and normal weapons deal an extra 2d6 necrotic damage.
You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier and regain expended uses when you complete a long rest.
Erapturing Fog
At 11th level a fog floats around you when you are possessed, as a reaction fog flows from you in a 20ft radius obscuring you and any creature within the radius from sight. This lasts 1 minute. While the fog is around you gain blindsight.
Mounting the Horse
When you reach 15th level the rhythmic drumming that is used in the process of possession kicks in around you Lasting a minute. as an action choose target creatures of the amount equal to your wisdom modifier within range and force them to make wisdom saving throw. On success they take half damage and arent affected by any status effects. On failiure they take 6d8 Thunder damage and are deaf and blind for the duration.
Once you use this feature you must complete a short or long rest before you can use it again.
Bargainer
Spirits that are tricky and divisive turn toward the Understanding of the Bargainer. A shaman would form a Often volatile or unstable alliance with the spirits for massive amounts of power.
Uneasy alliance
When you choose this Understanding at 3rd level you are able to create agreement with even the most tricky costumers. you gain expertise on two charisma based skills i.e. Deception, Performance, Intimidation, or Persuasion.
Shake my Hand
Also when you hit 3rd level you can agree with the spirits on a Common Goal of Betrayal of you give anyone a handshake you can lock them into a binding contract the creature can ask for a minor wish (not the wish spell) meaning they can ask for money, power, or social status but these wishes come at a cost. a week after since the Contract is sealed Negative effects normally in the opposite nature of the wish will start to happen. this is modulated by the DM.
some suggestions could be that power gives you a magic item but a week after the magic item does the exact opposite effect. i.e. if you get a gauntlet that does extra damage after a week it will deal damage to the wielder. another would be if they pick money a week later the money that is in their hands is identified as being owned by a rich local who now wants them dead.
this feature can only be used on one creature at a time until the bad effects kick in and any creature that makes a deal cannot make the same deal again. Also this feature can only be used once per long rest.
Angered Spirits
Beginning at 7th level you have gained the attention of all kinds of spirits including the rage born ones. whilst in a battle any time a creature is adjacent to you they are attacked by an invisible force. both you and a adjacent creature have to make dexterity saving throws at the start of your turn. On success nothing happens. On failure any creature takes 1d10 force damage and is forcefully moved away from the player. (this damage does not break concentration)
Cursed existence
At 11th level you are able channel the curses shot at you from angry beings and ricochet them back at who opposes you. as a bonus action you can impose disadvantage on saving throws of a creature you can see within a 120ft radius.
this feature can be used a number equal to your wisdom modifier. you regain this feature on a short or long rest.
Papa Legba
When you reach 15th level you speak with Papa Legba in your dreams and he can either hold the gates of the afterlife closed or open them for all. During a 10 minute ritual you pour any alcoholic beverage all over the faces of the party and draw a chalk circle. expending both items. when this ritual is done if any creature affected by the ritual has their hitpoints lowered to zero it instead is 1 and the effects of the possession feature in the other subclass activates upon them.
This feature Expends a diamond, any alcoholic beverage, and a piece of chalk.
Art Credit: Kader Defali
Puppet Master
The Puppet Master is the most traditional of the Understandings focusing spirits on the Fixations or making them more efficient.
Guiding Hand
When you choose this Destination at 3rd level you begin to attract many suitors. As an action you may choose a creature within 60 feet of you that can see you. That creature must make a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by you for 1 hour. If you or your companions are fighting the creature it has advantage on this saving throw.
While charmed, the creature attempts to win your favor and attention. Performing minor favors such as buying you drinks. It takes your suggestions as favorably as possible but is not inclined to do anything that it perceives as obviously stupid or dangerous unless it has a reckless personality. If it takes any damage it can repeat its saving throw.
Once you successfully use this feature, you may not use it again until you complete a long rest.
Gripping Control
Beginning at 7th level your Fixations charm effects are unlimited Time and can only be removed through magic.
Extended Control
At 11th level any Fixation that only has a certain amount of uses has those uses doubled.
Determinism
When you reach 15th level your Views to challenge the status quo become reality. as an action you can curse Any creature that believes a fate to be true will have the opposite happen to them for a week. (this is very DM determined). for Example if a Vampire had this ability used on them if they believe they will burn in the sun for a week the sun wont burn them.
This feature can be used once per long rest. you cant use this feature for 7 days after use.
Art Credit: Rodrigo Ramos
Once you use this feature you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.
Partygoer
The Partygoer is the most Common for spirits that want to have fun, something both the living and the spirits can relate to making this the class with the least strife between the spirits
Unmagic Gift
When you choose this Understanding at 3rd level you can Give your fellowman Fixations. If you spend 1 hour talking to a friendly creature you may present it with one of your Shaman’s Fixations as a gift. While it is on that creature’s possession it functions just as it would for you. You may choose to destroy an item you gave as a gift at any time. Spells and other technicalities from other classes simply don't interact with Fixations. In other words, spells don't work on it unless its from an enemy the DM is commanding. Also Action surge does not work with the item
Additionally, your maximum number of Shaman's Fixations is increased by 2.
Party Time
Also at 3rd level as an action you Blast music kicking the liveliness up a notch. all creatures within a 40ft radius must make a Charisma Saving throw. On success the target creature isn't affected by the Restrained status effect nor the feature. On failure the creature is restrained and has to roll 1d6 psychic damage.
this feature can be used a number of times equal to your charisma modifier. you regain this feature on a short or long rest.
Anonymity in the Crowd
Beginning at 7th level when your have at least three others around you, you become intangible when taking the dodge action or when your prone. Making all attacks against you at disadvantage.
Stories Beyond the Grave
At 11th level you have the uncanny ability to listen to the Dead's stories and turn them into great party talk. After that time you must roll a Charisma (Performance) check. The DM determines the DC for the validity of the story. If you succeed the story is real until disproved to anyone who heard it.
Once you use this feature you cannot use it again for one week.
Light Grave Of the Baron
When you reach 15th level you are able open a portal to the other side. as an action you can kick any adjacent target creature into the ground. the creature must succeed a Dexterity saving throw. On success nothing happens. On failure the Creature is kicked into their respective afterlife. this feature works effectively the same as the spell Banishment.
Once you use this feature you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.
Art Credit: Daniel RESPAUD
fixations
Spiritual fixations are the tools the average shaman uses to make the dead tremble and bend to their will. As these tend to make spirits do things against their free nature. all our life we spend being controlled by outside forces such as money and our bodies but the dead aren't bound by the same rules.
Vodou Dolls
A voodoo doll is a tool that normally function on Humanoids and Goblinoids. Voodoo dolls can be made by using a doll and a body part in a ritual like hair or a sentimental item.
once the Fixation is created the Creature will be charmed for 24 hours.
If the Fixation is destroyed the Charm ends or the magic is dispelled.
Description
when the creature is charmed you can move the limbs of the doll to move their limbs including controlling where they walk and what they do.
Upgrade One
At 6th level You can now use the Voodoo doll to speak through the charmed creature under the Voodoo dolls Influence. you will have their voice and you can see through their eyes.
Upgrade Two
At 9th Level You can now use the Voodoo doll to Damage the Charmed Creature under the influence of the Doll can now be Damaged when the doll is damaged. The type of damage changes depending on what is dealt to the Doll. Finishing kills cannot be done to the Charmed Creature.
Upgrade Three
At 12th Level You can now use the Voodoo doll to Kill Charmed Creature Under the Influence of the Doll (A pin through the Heart has a equivalent effect to Powerword:Kill on the Charmed Creature Under the Influence of the Doll)
Upgrade Four
At 15th Level You can now use the Voodoo doll to Cast Magic through the Charmed Creature Under the Influence of the Doll.
Art Credit: Jason Frieling
Hallucinogenic Cigar
A Cigar is less of a Tool and more of a Ritual Component. The Cigar is filled with Hallucinogens making Spirits have an easier time affecting the world.
Any Set of Herbs Can be used in a ritual to make the Cigar.
Description
The Cigar Can be Smoked to temporarily Increase Passive Perception by 2 and Active perception can be rolled at advantage.
as an action this can be blown into the face of any creature within 10ft of you forcing the creature to take a Constitution Saving Throw. On Success Nothing Happens. On Failure the target creature hallucinates Disrupting all Senses and Inflicting "Failure status".
Upgrade One
The Cigar Can be Smoked as a 10 minute ritual to temporarily Increase Passive Perception by 2 and Active perception can be rolled at advantage and the haste effect is applied.
At 6th level The Failure Status also Inflicts Blindness and Deafness.
Upgrade Two
The Cigar Can be Smoked as a 10 minute ritual to temporarily Increase Passive Perception by 2 and Active perception can be rolled at advantage and the haste effect is applied and causes a illusion of any size and quality.
At 9th level The Failure Status also Inflicts Paralysis.
Upgrade Three
The Cigar Can be Smoked as a 10 minute ritual to temporarily Increase Passive Perception by 2 and Active perception can be rolled at advantage and the haste effect is applied and causes a illusion of any size and quality and the creature is forced to roll a d20 on a 5 or below roll from the table of hallucinogenic effect table below.
At 12th level The Failure Status also Unconscious (Outside of Combat).
Upgrade Four
The Cigar Can be Smoked as a 10 minute ritual to temporarily Increase Passive Perception by 2 and Active perception can be rolled at advantage and the haste effect is applied and causes a illusion of any size and quality and the creature is forced to roll a d20 on a 5 or below roll from the table of hallucinogenic effect table below. finally if you smoke the Cigar you are launched into the Deep Ethereal.
At 15th level The Failure Status also Sends the target creature to the Ethereal Plane For 24 Hours.
Art Credit: Chen Guan Yu
Ritual Chalk
Chalk is one of the main Components used in Rituals and this type of chalk takes a ritual that takes 10 minutes to create only costing a bonemarrow and a mud clump.
Description
The chalk can write on any surface no matter its structure writing words can imprint magic onto the surface and combo said magic.
Runes
as an action you can write the following words corresponding the effect. writing for longer will give you larger effects. the corresponding time lengths to effects are 10 minutes, 1 hour, 4 hours, 8 hours, or 12 hours.
Store
writing this will let you store items into the rune written. if a item stored in the rune and the rune is destroyed the item inside is destroyed as well.
Fire
writing this will let you place pure fire in the object. Destroying or touching the rune causes an explosion in a 10ft radius of the rune dealing 1d8 fire damage.
Wind
writing this will let you place pure wind in the object. Destroying or touching the rune causes a blast in a 10ft radius of the rune causing 10ft of forced movement away from the rune.
Water
writing this will let you place pure water in the object. Destroying or touching the rune causes a flood in a 30ft radius making the area difficult terrain.
Earth
writing this will let you place pure earth in the object. Destroying or touching the rune causes a pillar of earth to rise a 10ft radius upward 20ft.
Upgrade One
At 6th level the range of the runes increase
Fire
20ft explosion Radius
Wind
20ft radius
Water
60ft flood
Earth
20ft Radius
Upgrade Two
at 9th level Changing the rune shapes can now change the shape properties of the effects. Also the Store rune can now store spells of you and other friendly creatures.
Art Credit: Rodrigo Castro
Upgrade Three
at 12th level Combining the Given runes together. Causing new Combination runes.
Ice(Water&Wind)
writing this will let you place pure earth in the object. Destroying or touching the rune causes a pillar of earth to rise a 20ft radius upward 40ft and dealing 1d8 cold damage.
Smoke(Fire&Wind)
writing this will let you place pure smoke in the object. Destroying or touching the rune causes a blast in a 30ft radius of the rune dealing 1d8 fire damage and the area is heavily obscured.
Dust(Earth&Wind)
writing this will let you place pure dust in the object. Destroying or touching the rune causes a cloud in a 60ft radius of the rune. any creature that ends their turn within the radius is blinded.
steam(Water&Fire)
writing this will let you place pure steam in the object. Destroying or touching the rune causes a blast in a 30ft radius of the rune dealing 1d8 fire damage. Also causing 30ft of forced movement away from the rune.
magma(Earth&Fire)
writing this will let you place pure Magma in the object. Destroying or touching the rune causes a flood in a 60ft radius making the area difficult terrain and any creature that ends their turns in the radius is delt 1d6 fire damage.
Mud(Water&earth)
writing this will let you place pure mud in the object. Destroying or touching the rune causes a Mudslide in a 60ft radius making the area difficult terrain and giving any creature within the radius disadvantage against Dexterity saving throws.
Upgrade Four
at 15th level making circle on the ground can either mimic a upcast version of the effects of Protection From Evil and Good, Dimension door, or Phantasmal killer.
this upgrade can only be used once per long rest
Art Credit: Flugelchen
