Animist (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

This is a work in progress.

Master of the spirit world, the shaman follows a different divine tradition than the cleric or the druid. Her world is filled with powerful, living spirits, some helpful and some malign. By bargaining with these spirits, the shaman gains power over the natural world and mighty divine magic with which to aid her comrades or smite her enemies.

Table: The Shaman

Class Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells per Day									Spells Known
						1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Detect spirits, shaman taboo, spirit guide, spirit channel	2									4	2
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Placate spirit	3									5	2
3rd	+2	+1	+1	+3	Blessing of the spirits	4									5	3
4th	+3	+1	+1	+4	Ghost body	5	3								6	3	1
5th	+3	+1	+1	+4	Exorcism	6	5								6	4	2
6th	+4	+2	+2	+5	Warding of the spirits	6	5	3							7	4	2	1
7th	+5	+2	+2	+5	Seal spirit	6	6	4							7	5	3	2
8th	+6/+1	+2	+2	+6	See the unseen	6	6	5	3						8	5	3	2	1
9th	+6/+1	+3	+3	+6	Spirit quest	6	6	6	4						8	5	4	3	2
10th	+7/+2	+3	+3	+7	Ghost warrior	6	6	6	5	3					9	5	4	3	2	1
11th	+8/+3	+3	+3	+7	Banish spirit	6	6	6	6	4					9	5	5	4	3	2
12th	+9/+4	+4	+4	+8	Greater blessing of the spirits	6	6	6	6	5	3				9	5	5	4	3	2	1
13th	+9/+4	+4	+4	+8	Guide concentration	6	6	6	6	6	4				9	5	5	4	4	3	2
14th	+10/+5	+4	+4	+9	Spirit journey	6	6	6	6	6	5	3			9	5	5	4	4	3	2	1
15th	+11/+6/+1	+5	+5	+9	Guide walk	6	6	6	6	6	6	4			9	5	5	4	4	4	3	2
16th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+5	+10	Weaken spirits	6	6	6	6	6	6	5	3		9	5	5	4	4	4	3	2	1
17th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+5	+10	Spirit destination	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	4		9	5	5	4	4	4	4	3	2
18th	+13/+8/+3	+6	+6	+11	Spirit loyalty	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	5	3	9	5	5	4	4	4	4	3	2	1
19th	+14/+9/+4	+6	+6	+11	Ghost general	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	4	9	5	5	4	4	4	4	4	3	2
20th	+15/+10/+5	+6	+6	+12	Spirit audience	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	5	9	5	5	4	4	4	4	4	3	3

Class Description

Adventures: Shamans exist to mediate between the human world and the spirit world and make sure that humans (and dwarves, elves, orcs, and all other humanoid races, of course) respect the spirits as is only right and proper. Shamans adventure to advance the causes of whichever spirits they favor. Those who venerate helpful spirits seek to assist people deserving of the spirits' protection. Those who revere dark and vengeful spirits promote the chaos and suffering in which their patrons delight. Through their actions, shamans prove the power of their patron spirits and earn prestige and status in the spirit world.

Characteristics: Shamans cast divine spells much the same way druids do, though they get their spells from powerful spirits of nature. Their spells, like the druid's, are oriented toward nature and animals. In addition to spells, shamans gain an increasing array of spirit powers as they advance in level.

Alignment: Shamans, in keeping with the indifference of the spirits, tend toward some measure of dispassion. Unlike druids, they are more tribal than solitary, and involve themselves in the affairs of their fellows. Most spirit shamans are neural on at least one alignment axis, but it is not uncommon to find a shaman who has become so caught up in the affairs of the living that she has lost her distance from human concerns.

Religion: A shaman reveres the essence of religion more than the practice. She gains her magical powers from the spirits that inhabit all things, living and dead, animate and inanimate. She combines ancestral worship with animal and nature worship. The typical shaman, like a druid, pursues a mystic spirituality of transcendent union with nature rather than devoting herself to a divine entity. Still, some shamans give honor to deities of nature or elemental forces.

Background: Most shamans are taught by older shamans. When a tribe's shaman feels that the time is right, she chooses a potential successor from among the young folk of the tribe. Taking the youth into her own home, she spends years teaching her student the ways of both the natural world and the spirit realm. A few shamans are picked by the spirits directly; their spirit guide seeks them out and opens their eyes to the wonders of the spirit world.

Races: Halflings, humans, and half-orcs are the races that more commonly give rise to the tribal cultures in which shamans flourish. While some groups of barbaric dwarves, elves, or gnomes favor a shamanic tradition, these communities are uncommon at best. Shamans are common among uncivilized humanoids like orcs, goblins, and lizard folk.

Other Classes: Shamans perceive a world that no other class truly understands. As such, they feel it is their duty to advise their comrades and protect them from the wrath of the spirits. Shamans respect druids and get along well with them, but they feel that clerics do not pay sufficient respect to the spirit world, and often form long and bitter rivalries with clerics they meet.

Role: The shaman is only a mediocre melee combatant, but she can hurl spell after spell in a combat situation. No other character matches her ability to study a situation and customize her spell selection for offense, defense, or special purposes. Like the druid, she can serve as a party's healer, but she is best in settings where she does not need to devote many of her spell choices to healing and can maximize spell choices that provide offense for the party and aid her companions in battle.

Age: Shamans have an informal education, and use the middle age bracket for starting age.

Game Rule Information

Shamans have the following games statistics.

Class Skills

The shaman’s class skills (and the key ability for each Skill) are Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Abilities

Wisdom determines how powerful a spell a shaman can cast and how many spells she can cast per day and how hard those spells are to resist (see Spells, below). Many of the Shaman’s abilities key off Charisma, and good physical attributes are always useful.

Alignment

Any.

Hit Dice

d8

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the shaman.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

A shaman is proficient with the blowgun, club, dagger, dart, hand axe, javelin, longspear, quarterstaff, shonbow, shortspear, sling, spear, throwing axe, and with light armor and with shields (except tower shields). These are the weapons commonly used by the tribal societies in which shamans are found.

Many shamans are restricted against wearing iron armor or using iron weapons, see taboo below.

Spells

A shaman casts divine spells from the druid spell list. She can cast any spell she has retrieved, much like a bard or sorcerer can cast any spell she knows without preparing it ahead of time.

To retrieve or cast a spell, a shaman must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the spell level (Wisdom 10 for 0-level spells, Wisdom 11 for 1st-level spells, and so on). The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a shaman's spell is 10 + the spell level + the shaman's Wisdom modifier.

Like other spellcasters, a shaman can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Shaman. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Wisdom score.

Like a sorcerer, a shaman knows only a small number of spells. However, each day a shaman may change the spells she knows. When a shaman meditates to regain her daily allotment of spells (see below), she sends forth her spirit guide to bargain with the spirits and retrieve knowledge of the specific druid spells she will be able to use that day. She can cast any spell she has retrieved at any time, assuming she has not yet used up her spells per day for that spell level. For example, a 3rd-level shaman can retrieve three 0-level, two 1st-level, and one 2nd-level druid spells. She can cast 0-level spells five limes, 1st-level spells four times, and her 2nd-level spell two times in the course of the day. She might end up using the same 0-level spell five times, or one 0-level spell two times and another 0-level spell three times, or any combination that adds up to five uses of any of her 0-level spells.

Each shaman must choose a time of day when she must spend 1 hour in quiet meditation to regain her daily allotment of spells and bargain with the spirits for the specific spells she knows on that day.

Orisons

Shamans learn a number of orisons, or 0-level spells, as noted on Table: The Shaman under “Spells Known.” These spells are cast like any other spell, but they do not consume any slots and may be used again.

Metamagic

If a shaman knows any metamagic feats, she applies them to her spells when she retrieves them for the day. For example, a shaman might choose to retrieve an empowered flame strike by using a 6th-level spell retrieved slot. Any time she uses flame strike during the ensuing day, she must use a 6th-level spell slot to cast it, and it is always empowered. A shaman could use a 4th-level spell slot and a 6th-level spell slot to retrieve flame strike and empowered flame strike if she wanted to have both spells available to her in a day. A shaman cannot choose to alter her spells with metamagic feats on the fly, as other spontaneous casters do. Shamans using metamagic feats do not have an increased casting time as sorcerers do.

Chaotic, Evil, Good, and Lawful Spells

A shaman can’t cast spells of an alignment opposed to her deity’s (if she has one). A shaman that lacks a patron can use such spells, but they will affect her alignment over time, just as other aligned actions do. Spells associated with particular alignments are indicated by the chaos, evil, good, and law descriptors in their spell descriptions.

Shaman Taboos

Each shaman has a taboo, an act that is prohibited and disrupts their link to the spirit world. A shaman who breaks her taboo is unable to cast shaman spells or use any of her supernatural or spell-like class abilities while doing so and for 24 hours thereafter. Select one taboo from this list.

1. Taboo of Metal: Metal is the manifestation of man’s dominion over nature and at odds with the natural order of the spirits. The shaman may not wear metal armor (all armor except cloth, leather and hide) or use metal weapons. Among the weapons shamans are proficient with, these work normally when not made of metal: blowgun, club, dart, javelin, and quarterstaff. Wooden weapons and armor affected by the ironwood spell are allowed. The shaman is allowed to wear coins and adornments made of soft precious metals, like copper, silver, gold, and platinum. This is the most common taboo.
2. Taboo of Death: Ill health is a barrier to the spirit world, one the shaman dares not come near. Touching or healing a wound or infection breaks this taboo, as does touching a newly dead body. The shaman can safely use the Heal skill and spells on himself and on spirits. Others can be healed, but doing so breaks the taboo after the healing spell or ability has been used. The shaman can deal freely with undead. This taboo is from shinto and common in Japan-inspired settings.
3. Taboo of Tribe: The shaman cannot talk to outsiders without losing power. He can never use Charisma-based skills, speak to, or otherwise communicate with those not in his tribal group, tough listening to them is allowed. Adopted members of the tribe can be communicated with. Adventuring shamans can communicate with their fellow party members, but not with strangers. The shaman can communicate with spirits of all kinds without breaking this taboo. This taboo is common in isolated communities.
4. Taboo of Sex: The shaman must not touch, heal, or communicate with members of one gender, as in Taboo of tribe and taboo of death, above. This taboo also extends to spirits of this gender. Spirits the shaman summons or calls are never of the forbidden gender. Fighting against members of the forbidden gender is allowed. This taboo is common in religious sects, as well as in Buddhist, middle-eastern and India-inspired cultures.

Spirit Guide

All shamans have a spirit guide, a personification of the spirit world. In some sense a spirit shaman and her guide are one being, both knowing and seeing and experiencing the same things. Unlike a familiar, a spirit guide is not a separalte enltty from the shaman. She is the only one who can perceive or interact with her guide. It exists only inside her own mind and soul.

Spirit Guide	Characteristics
Badger	Orderliness, tenacity
Bear	Strength, endurance
Buffalo	Abundance, good fortune
Cougar	Balance, leadership
Coyote	Humor, trickiness
Crane	Balance, majesty
Crow	Intelligence, resourcefulness
Eagle	Perception, illumination
Elk	Pride, power, majesty
Fox	Cleverness, discretion
Hawk	Awareness, truth
Lizard	Elusiveness
Otter	Joy, laughter
Owl	Wisdom, night
Rabbit	Conquering fear, safety
Raccoon	Curiosity
Scorpion	Defense, self-protection
Snake	Power, life force, potency
Spider	Interconnectedness, industry
Turtle	Love, protection
Vulture	Vigilance, death
Wolf	Loyalty, interdependence

The exact form of the spirit guide is chosen by the spirit shaman at 1:st level, usually for the qualities it represents, as shown above. The exact form of a spirit guide is purely personal preference, and confers no special advantages or disadvantages. Rare shamans have completely different spirit guides; manifestations of elementals, places, ancestors or other spiritual entities.

Spirit Channel (Su)

A shaman can release a wave of energy by channeling the power of the spirit world. This energy can be used to cause or heal damage to spirits, as decided when the power is used. This is similar to the cleric ability channel energy, but there is no positive or negative spirit energy; the shaman hurts or heals spirits on his own whim.

Spirit channel causes a burst that affects all spirits in a 30-foot radius centered on the shaman. The damage dealt is 1d6, plus 1d6 points of damage for every two shaman levels beyond 1st (2d6 at 3rd, 3d6 at 5th, and so on). When causing damage, the shaman can choose to cause normal or subdual damage. This is spiritual damage and not subject to damage reduction or miss chance due to incorporaleness. Creatures that take damage from channeled energy receive a Will save to halve the damage. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the shaman's level + the shaman's Charisma modifier. Creatures healed by spirit channel cannot exceed their maximum hit point total—all excess healing is lost. A shaman can choose to spirit channel by touch instead of in an area. In this case, the channeling requires a touch attack, but there is no saving throw allowed. Only a single spirit can be touched in this way with each use of the ability.

A shaman may spirit channel a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier. This is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. A shaman can choose whether or not to include herself in this effect.

This ability works with channeling feats. Channeling feats that specifically mention undead or living creatures as options instead work against spirits. A shaman cannot use channeling as a touch attack with channeling feats.

Detect Spirits (Sp)

The shaman perceives nearby spirits. At will, the shaman can use detect spirits as a spell-like ability. It functions just like detect undead, except it detects spirits. A shaman can, as a move action, concentrate on a single item or individual within 60 feet and determine if it is a spirit or has been in contact with spirits, learning the strength of its aura as if having studied it for 3 rounds. While focusing on one individual or object, the shaman does not detect spirits in any other object or individual within range.

Placate Spirit (Su)

The shaman has devoted his life to the spirits, and knows how to plead and cajole with them. The shaman can communicate with any type of spirit that understands a language. Add half the shaman’s level to any Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Perform, or Sense Motive checks against spirits.

Blessing of the Spirits (Sp)

A shaman can perform a special rite to gain protection from spirits. The shaman goes into a meditative state. Performing the rite requires 10 minutes; the shaman can only ward herself with this ability and cannot perform the rite for anyone else. The blessing functions just like protection from evil, except it protects against spirits rather than evil and lasts until dispelled or negated. If this ability is dispelled, the shaman can recreate it simply by taking 10 minutes to do so.

Ghost Body (Su)

The shaman’s natural attacks benefit from the ghost touch special ability.

Exorcism (Su)

As a full-round action, a shaman can force a possessing creature or spirit out of the body or object it inhabits (for example, a ghost with the malevolence ability). To exorcise a possessing creature, she makes a roll of d20 + class level + Charisma modifier against a DC of 10 + the possessing creature’s HD + it's Charisma modifier. If her result equals or exceeds the DC, she succeeds in forcing the possessor out, and the body or object is left unharmed. A spirit so exorcised cannot attempt to possess a victim for 24 hours.

Warding of the Spirits (Sp)

A shaman can perform a special rite once per day to ward herself and her companions against hostile spirits. Performing the rite requires 1 minute. The warding lasts for 10 minutes per level and otherwise functions like magic circle against evil, except that it protects against spirits.

Seal Spirit (Sp)

The shaman can attempt to seal a spirit once per day at level seven, plus one time per day for every 4 additional shaman levels. This works like the binding spell, with a save DC of 10 + half the shaman’s level + shaman’s Charisma modifier. It can only affect spirits. A shaman or shugenja with this ability can aid another's binding attempt and adds one-third their level to user’s level for the purpose of the ability. As long as any shaman or shugenja holds a ceremony at the binding spot or object before the current binding ends, the effect is extended automatically, but the duration is now based on the renewing shaman’s level. Often, a shrine is built at the spot of an important binding, and shamans, shugenja, and passers-by alike perform services there to placate the spirit and renew the binding.

See the Unseen (Su)

The shaman can see invisible for one round as a move action. This can be kept up continously by continuing to spend move actions on it each round.

Spirit Quest (Sp)

A shaman knows how to vanish bodily into the spirit world once per day at 9th level, plus one additional time per day per 5 levels. This ability functions like the spell plane shift but takes 10 minutes to activate.

Ghost Warrior (Su)

The shaman confers the ghost touch quality to any weapon or armor she holds or wears for as long as she touches it. She may use her normal Armor Class (not her touch AC) against any touch attack delivered by an incorporeal creature.

Banish Spirit (sp)

The shaman can use banishment once per day at level 11, and an additional time per day for every four additional shaman levels. This only works against extraplanar creatures.

Greater Blessing of the Spirits (Su)

Blessing of the Spirits now becomes a supernatural ability that is constantly active. The blessing functions just like protection from evil.

Guide Concentration (Su)

As a free action, a shaman can assign her spirit guide the task of concentrating on a spell or spell-like ability that is maintained through concentration. The shaman can act normally while her spirit guide concentrates on the spell. A spirit guide can concentrate on only one spell at a time. If necessary to maintain the spell, the spirit guide makes concentration checks for the shaman, using the shaman's normal concentration modifier. A spirit guide does not have to make concentration checks for circumstances such as the shaman taking damage. The spirit itself is not present for anyone to interrupt or otherwise interact with.

Spirit Journey (Sp)

The shaman learns how to travel trough the borders of the spirit world. This ability functions like the spell shadow walk. A shaman can use this ability once per day.

Guide Walk

When the shaman is incapacitated, slept, held, unconscious or otherwise helpless after having failed a Will saving throw, the spirit guide takes over control of the body. The shaman is not considered helpless, and may perform one move action each round.

Weaken Spirits (Sp)

The shaman can choose to strip spirits of their defenses instead of damaging them with her spirit channel ability. When a spirit is weakened, it loses its spell resistance and any damage reduction overcome by magic weapons, silver or cold iron weapons, and aligned weapons (but not damage reduction overcome by adamantine weapons, specific types of damage, or not overcome by anything). In addition, an incorporeal spirit loses its immunity to non-magical attack, its 50% chance to ignore damage from corporeal sources, and its ability to move into or through objects. A weakened spirit takes a -5 modifier on any save or spell resistance check against any shaman’s spells and abilities. To weaken spirits, a shaman uses her spirit channel ability but chooses to do less damage in exchange for weakening the spirits for a short time. For each 1d6 of spirit channel damage the shaman forgoes, the affected spirits are weakened for 1 round. For example, a 15th-level shaman chastising two dread wraiths deals 8d6 points of damage to each dread wraith, but she could choose to deal 5d6 points of damage to each wraith and weaken them for 3 rounds. Spirits that make their Will save against the spirit channel damage are unaffected by the weakening effect (but still take half the damage, after subtracting for damage lost due to this ability).

Spirit Destination (Sp)

When using plane shift, the shaman now arrives within one to six miles of her final destination.

Spirit Loyalty (Su)

A shaman can lean on her spirit companion, using its support to keep control of her own mind. If a shaman is affected by an enchantment spell or effect and fails her saving throw, she can attempt it again 1 round later at the same DC. She only gets this one extra chance to succeed on her saving throw.

Ghost General (Su)

As a standard action, the shaman can confer the ghost touch special ability to any weapon or armor worn by her allies within 30 ft. when she uses this ability. This can be used at will and lasts one minute per level of the shaman.

Spirit Audience (Sp)

As gate, but it can only be used to travel; you cannot use it to call extraplanar creatures and it does not grant you any control. You can still create the gate next to a named extraplanar being in order to travel to its location, and creatures on the other side can voluntarily come to your side. Spirit Audience has a duration of 1 minute/level and is dismissible. It is a 10 minute ritual that can be used once per day.

Notes:

Spirit magic is magic learned from and empowered by spirits, little gods that exist everywhere, mystic energies that can be communed with to work magic. A spirit magician learns to see and commune with spirits and to use their gifts. This is based on a belief called animism and is inherently divine magic, but can be combined with other magic traditions. On its own, it is sometimes called primal magic. Spirit magicians and occult casters share an interest in spirits, but occultists focus on spirits of the dead while spirit magicians commune mostly with spirits of nature.

A series of articles will present three classes grounded in animism, the animist, shugenja, and wu-jen. These classes share a similar animistic view of the world, and are collectively called spirit magicians. Each class uses spirit magic differently, but they all gain power from spirits to work magic. Spirit magicians are no meek clerics who offer worship. A spirit can be bribed and persuaded by offers of service and loyalty, but it can also be coerced or defeated in combat to bind it into service.

Animism

Animism is the belief that inside all things are spirits, and these spirits can be befriended, cajoled, or browbeat into cooperation. This belief is common in tribal cultures that live close to nature. Often looked down upon in the west, animism has been suppressed by monotheistic religions but often survives in splinter groups or mixed into the practice of other faiths. Asian cultures tend to be more accepting of faith in spirits, allowing animism to develop more specialized forms, such as that of the shugenja and wu-jen. Druidism can be seen as a variant of animism. The most well-known animist religion today is Shinto, but Taoism and Vodou also has significant animist elements. Feel free to use spirit magic in any campaign, animism exists in innumerable forms all over the world.

Spirit Magic

Spirit magic is magic empowered by the spirits and spirit magicians live on the border between the world of folk and the many worlds of the spirits. Those who use spirit magic are here collectively called spirit magicians. Most spirit magicians live in two societies at once, the society of folk and the society of spirits. They help and protect their allies in both groups, counting on their assistance in return. When the threat of planar incursion looms, most spirit magicians are staunch defenders of planar boundaries. Good spirit magicians help folk and spirits live together. Their traditional duties are both to facilitate contact with spirits and to delineate a border between the mystical and the mundane. While rarely lawful the way civilized people see things, they help maintain the world order by guarding the border between the domains of folk, the dead, nature, and monsters. Some spirit magicians side entirely with one side, exploiting spirits for benefit of folk or the other way around, while a few are renegades who use both folk and spirits strictly for their own benefit. Powerful spirit magicians explore the planes to find power, wisdom, and solutions to problems. They often bring others along as guards, assistants, or to provide them with spiritual education.

Most of the spirits spirit magicians interact with are imperceptible to everyone else. Spirit magicians see spirits where others find only dead matter or impersonal magical energies. Wizards and clerics often claim these spirits do not exist, as they cannot be observed. This is laughable to spirit magicians, who see their powers as proof of the power of spirits. This creates some bad will between spirit magicians and followers of more structured traditions of magic.

What is a Spirit?

Spirits come in four forms; objects, mundane creatures, youkai, and immaterial spirits. Objects are dormant spirits. They take no action until awakened by magic. Spells like animate object can turn an object into a youkai. Mundane Creatures are spirits that have taken a living, physical form, but that have very little inherent magic. This includes all animals and humanoids. Mundane creatures can awaken their spirit natures to work magic, but unless they change their very nature they are not youkai. Youkai are spirits that can interact with mundane creatures, such as ghosts, as well as spirits that have materialized or taken possession of a mundane object or creature to become a magical creature. Most monsters are youkai. Immaterial Spirits are spells and supernatural abilities. Spirit magic is the work of immaterial spirits allied to or bound by a magician. Youkai and some mundane creatures can manipulate immaterial spirits, and the immaterial spirits in turn can manipulate all other kinds of spirits.

Note that there are no clear lines between these classifications, and combinations are common. A magic item is an object tied to an immaterial spirit. A summoned creature is an immaterial spirit that has taken the form of a youkai. Spellcasters are usually a mundane creatures, but can cajole immaterial spirits to work for them.

Spirit magicians regard most monsters as spirits, and may have abilities gives them power over a wide range of supernatural creatures. To avoid confusion, these rules call creatures imbued with spirit powers youkai, which is Japanese for monster. To a spirit magician an earth elemental is an awakened earth spirit—a youkai—while a rock is an earth spirit at rest—an object. They are both the same, just that one is active and awake while the other is dormant. This confounds and annoys those who try to rationally classify what is supernatural and what is mundane. Nevertheless, for rules purposes, we need to know exactly what a youkai is, as many of the animists' and shugenja's abilities only work on youkai. For purposes of the these abilities, youkai includes all of the following creatures:

• All aberrations
• Constructs except the clockwork and robot subtypes
• All dragons
• All fey
• All magical beasts
• All monstrous humanoids
• Humanoids of the giant or shapechanger subtypes
• All outsiders
• All creatures of the Plant type (not normal plants)
• All undead
• Creatures created by spells, such as animate object.
• Creatures summoned by spells, such as summon nature's ally.
• Creatures in astral, ethereal, or incorporeal form, or who are possessing another creature or object, such as by the magic jar spell.

Spirit magicians see elementals and fey as youkai of nature and undead as youkai of the dead. Magical beasts, constructs, plants, giants, monstrous humanoids, and aberrations are either youkai-possessed or youkai bound in corporeal form. Most spirit magicians consider youkai to be unruly but lovable rascals. While youkai have a definite place in the world order, their place is in the wilds, on other planes, and in shrines—not roaming wild in the lands of folk. Youkai that cause trouble are often bound and enshrined, placated by treating them as little gods.

Enshrined Youkai

In cultures where animists and shugenja are common, it is normal practice to enshrine youkai. This practice is also known as binding or sealing the youkai, and is done using the Bind Youkai ability. Coercion is acceptable, and it is common practice to defeat a hostile youkai in combat in order to bind it. A youkai bound by this ability is automatically stabilized and heals damage normally while bound.

Being enshrined is restful and comfortable to the youkai, and those with knowledge of animists are generally willing to bargain about being enshrined under the right conditions. If the conditions made in a negotiated binding are broken, the youkai is freed. As long as binding is used again before the current binding ends, the effect is automatically extended for the duration of the new binding.

An enshrined youkai is not hidden away. Rather it is made into the focal point of a shrine or temple, venerated, and thus kept placated. Whole religious orders can be dedicated to keeping a powerful youkai sealed. Shugenja seek out such shrines because they can learn spells from them, but shrine guardians usually demand some kind of service or offering from a strange shugenja before they let them into the presence of the youkai. A normal cost is the same as that for casting a spell of the level the youkai can teach.

Summoning Youkai

Spirit magicians are often good summoners because of their close tie to the spirits. A summoned creature is an immaterial spirit that takes on a physical form and is always considered a youkai, even if the summoned creature is an animal. To reflect the the close ties to the spirits, the Summon Quick Ally feat allows druids and other spirit magicians to summon creatures more quickly.

Summon Quick Ally (General)

Table: Quick Allies

Type	Prerequisite
Animal	Wild Empathy
Fey	Resist nature's lure
Humanoid	A thousand faces
Magical Beast	Beast shape III
Outsider	Elemental body III
Plant	Woodland stride
Vermin	Wild empathy usable with vermin

Prerequisite: Ability to cast summon nature's ally, animist class feature or a another class feature, see table.

Benefit: Choose one creature type from Table: Quick Allies that you fulfill the prerequisite for. When you cast a summon nature's ally spell to summon a creature of this type, the casting time of the spell becomes 1 standard action. This does not work on creatures that have a template.

Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Each time, select a different type of creature.

See Also

• Animist
• Shugenja
• Wu-Jen