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Shamanic aptitudes

As a reminder, in addition to what is indicated in the lore and other rule systems (RuneQuest, HeroWars, HeroQuest...)

These aptitudes belong to the Spirit rune.

They do not form a universal progression. Depending on culture, Tradition, and teaching, a shaman may have access to some of them and not others. Above all, they represent spiritual actions unavailable to ordinary Animists, not additional degrees of the Heroic Worldview.

  • Spirit combat (whether facing a disembodied spirit in the spirit or middle world, or attacking an adversary by targeting their spirit rather than physically)
  • Spirit dance (to escape a hostile spirit in the spirit world)
  • Spirit knowledge (you may specify a particular type of spirits, for example those of your Tradition or your Spirit Society)
  • Negotiating with a spirit (we know how much spirits try to exploit every nuance of a pact with the shaman to turn it to their advantage...)
  • Spirit travel (to move faster or less dangerously in the spirit world; here too, you may specify which region)
  • Teaching spirit magic (learning to craft a charm; transmitting a shamanic ability - this is only possible with characters who have the Spirit rune; not to be confused with crafting a charm to give to someone)
  • Second sight (seeing spirits in the middle world, seeing another shaman's fetch)
  • Possessing a body (control is more or less complete depending on the degree of success)
  • Exorcism (driving a spirit from a body it has possessed)
  • Healing diseases (driving out disease spirits; a specialized version of the previous ability)
  • Concealing the fetch's presence (to avoid being identified as a shaman by another shaman)

The following two abilities are particularly powerful but add some value to the status of a shaman. Acquiring them should involve an adventure in itself.

  • Self-resurrection. This magical ability draws on another ability of the character, whichever it may be: it is a part of their being that will be sacrificed to earn the right to live again. A success allows the shaman's spirit to leave the path leading to the World of the Dead and re-enter their body, in a state of health that depends on the degree of success. In all cases, the sacrificed ability is completely lost.
  • Supernatural reach. Once per adventure, the shaman can mobilize their fetch to become "twice as much" as the "normal" human they are, for the time it takes to accomplish a given task. They then enter heroic mode. As soon as the task is accomplished, whether it ends in success or failure, the shaman collapses, exhausted, and remains unconscious for several hours, then for the rest of the adventure, they are in weakened mode.