PLAYING A SHAMAN
“Indians,” as Westerners call Native
Americans, have known about the spirits for
thousands of years. The most knowledgeable
of all are “medicine” men or women, or
collectively, “shamans.”
In the modern era, the spirits rarely
answered the shamans’ calls. After the
Reckoning began in 1863, they suddenly
seemed a lot more talkative—and willing
to lend their supernatural abilities to
“the People.”
With their aid, several tribes were able to
carve out and hold territories for themselves,
resisting the inevitable encroachment of
Europeans.
Nature spirits are generally ambivalent
about human affairs, but they do seem
somewhat rattled and upset about the power
their evil counterparts have gained in the last
couple of decades. Perhaps this is why they
seem more willing to help those who call
upon them, though they still require proper
sacrifice and ritual for their attention.
This is the shaman’s responsibility, to
contact the spirit world on behalf of his chief
and tribe and ask for guidance and aid.
Most are spiritual leaders and healers for
their people, though some are war leaders
as well. Some shamans are feared, but all
are respected. All must set an example for
their people and live a life that pleases the
spirits that grant their powers. Shaman
characters who don’t uphold these beliefs
find the spirits rarely listen to their pleas,
and a shaman ignored by the spirits isn’t a
shaman for long.
NATURE SPIRITS
Nature spirits watch over and nurture their
particular charge. A river spirit protects the
river, buffalo spirits guide the herd, and so
on. Their sacrifice, and that of the physical
flora and fauna they provide for humanity’s
needs, is sacred to Indians. Meat and clothing
come from the animals they represent. Tools
come from rocks and trees. Water and
conveyances from rivers and streams. Breath
from the air. These aren’t just resources to
the nature spirits, they are wonders—given
freely to the humans through the great and
terrible sacrifice of their creation’s death or
destruction.
The spirits have no affection for massproduced
items that have no connection to
nature or a human soul. They’re repulsed by
machines that destroy or pollute the earth.
They’re appalled by steam-powered trains
and wagons that crush the land beneath them,
large mines operated by scores of men who
sell the earth’s riches for products made by
others, and most of all, the cancer that runs
through the earth’s very veins—ghost rock.
This is why many shamans follow the “Old
Ways.” They respect and pay homage to the
natural gifts and sacrifices the spirits grant
humanity. Much like hucksters channel
magical energy through manitous,
shamans channel it through nature spirits.
This is no gamble, however. It’s a process of
bargaining and submission on the shaman’s
part to convince powerful beings to dispense
some of their magical life essence.
Shamans who follow the Old Ways can’t
use “modern” technology but gain other
blessings from the spirits (see the Old Ways
Oath on page 16). Those who embrace new
ways still commune and bargain with nature
spirits, but they don’t rule out all technology.
Many embrace rapid travel, guns, and all
sorts of mass-produced items from clothing
to medicines. They don’t receive the blessing
bestowed by the nature spirits, but gain the
benefit of integrating modern devices into
their tribes’ lives as well as their own.
The Old Ways are particularly strong in the
Sioux Nations, where technology is already
handicapped thanks to a “Great Summoning”
(see page 112) that occurred in 1881.
TRAPPINGS
Shamans constantly perform various rituals
while they rest or pray. This opens the
conduits to the spirit realm and allows them
to activate powers later without beginning
the appeal anew. Chanting is a large part of
a shaman’s powers, but no arcane energy is
visible. If a shaman is silenced somehow, he
subtracts 2 from his Faith rolls.
SHAMAN EDGES
FETISH
REQUIREMENTS: Novice, Arcane Background
(Shaman), Faith d8+
Fetishes are devices that help a shaman
focus when he must contact the spirit world.
It might be a stick figure that represents a
favored animal, an icon of nature, or a rattle
that helps draw the attention of the distant
nature spirits.
A shaman with a fetish gets one free reroll
when she makes a Faith roll. Should a fetish
be lost or destroyed, the shaman may create
a replacement with a one-hour ritual.
SPIRIT'S FAVOR
REQUIREMENTS: Seasoned, Arcane Background
(Shaman), Faith d8+
The shaman has gained the favor of a
particular spirit and the singular power it
grants her.
Choose one of the shaman’s powers each
time this Edge is taken. The shaman may cast
that power as an action without incurring a
Multi-Action penalty, allowing her to invoke
protection, for example, then make an attack,
pray for another blessing, or perform some
other action.
The shaman may only claim this benefit
once per turn, even if she takes Spirit’s Favor
more than once.
