Idrian Totems
Totems are symbolic representations of an ideal. They have meaning, sometimes only to a few and sometimes to a whole nation. Countries, states, even cities have their symbolic animal, flower, bird and even color. Cultures throughout history have come up with esoteric meanings and properties for creatures, objects, places, whatever sparked the imagination. A spring gains a reputation for healing properties and suddenly it’s a mystical source of healing.
Our imaginations invest objects of our fascination with characteristics we desire. Bear is seen by many tribal traditions as a force of healing and protection. The Willow tree is linked with life and death, love, protection and peace. Many cultures revere their ancestors and look to them for guidance. Rose quartz is thought to have healing properties. All of these are sources for totems and minor spirits in this system.
Animal Spirits[edit]
Bear[edit]
Strong and steadfast but also gentle and merciful, Bear is one of the mightiest spirits and a fierce warrior, although a bit lethargic.
- Gift: Once per day gain the benefits of a Bull’s Strength spell.
- Taboo: People of the bear gain some their totems lethargy;-2 to Initiative, cannot take Improved Initiative Feat.
- Favors:
0-level: Resistance 1st-level: Cure Light Wound 2nd-level: Bear’s Endurance 3rd-level: Rage 4th-level: Restoration 5th-level: Righteous Might 6th-level: Mass Bear’s Endurance 7th-level: Animal Shape (Bear only) 8th-level: Summon Monster VIII (Celestial Dire Bear) 9th-level: Mass Heal
Buffalo[edit]
The Buffalo is the sacred animal of the creator himself and a central symbol of many tribes.
- Gift: The character gains +2 to all social rolls towards those who believe in the Old Ways.
- Taboo: The character must never kill anyone, even in anger. There are better ways to resolve conflicts than warfare.
- Favors:
0-level: Virtue 1st-level: Consecrate 2nd-level: Bull’s Strength 3rd-level: Magic Vestment 4th-level: Divine Power 5th-level: Hallow 6th-level: Banishment 7th-level: Holy Word (cannot kill) 8th-level: Holy Aura 9th-level: Antipathy/Sympathy
Crow[edit]
This spirit is a respected advisor on matters of the past, present and future. He is a guide in darkness and void and he changes form to suit his need.
- Gift: Blind-fighting feat for free
- Taboo: Crow requires that his friends meditate in the dark 1 hour each night. Only in this way may they have the wisdom to accept his guidance.
- Favors:
0-level: Guidance 1st-level: Remove Fear 2nd-level: Augury 3rd-level: Deeper Darkness 4th-level: Polymorph Self 5th-level: Scrying 6th-level: Legend Lore 7th-level: Vision 8th-level: Discern Location 9th-level: Shapechange
Coyote[edit]
Coyote is a trickster, smart and fast, although quite mad. He runs laughing into danger, sure to meet his destiny.
- Gift: +2 to Reflex saves
- Taboo: Steal something every day.
- Favors:
0-level: Ghost Sound 1st-level: Expeditious Retreat 2nd-level: Hideous Laughter 3rd-level: Glibness 4th-level: Confusion 5th-level: Atonement 6th-level: Mislead 7th-level: Insanity 8th-level: Irresistible Dance 9th-level: Foresight
Snake[edit]
Snake is the bearer of wisdom and speaker to the spirit world. It is said that a snake of stars stretches across the heavens.
- Gift: Once per day the character may reroll any Wisdom based check, or save.
- Taboo: Always perform ritual honoring the spirits upon waking (taking at least 30 min.).
- Favors:
0-level: Detect Poison 1st-level: Detect Spirits 2nd-level: Augury 3rd-level: Magic Circle Against Spirits 4th-level: Neutralize Poison 5th-level: True Seeing 6th-level: Eyebite 7th-level: Vision 8th-level: Moment of Prescience 9th-level: Etheralness
Spider[edit]
The spirit of spiders understands the intricate weavings of fate, respects wisdom and creativity, and penetrates easily the patterns of illusions.
- Gift: +2 save vs mind-affecting effects, +2 to disbelieve figments.
- Taboo: Never destroy a finely-crafted object or kill any spiders.
- Favors:
0-level: Mending 1st-level: Message 2nd-level: Detect Thoughts 3rd-level: Clairaudience/Clairvoyance 4th-level: Minor Creation 5th-level: Major Creation 6th-level: True Seeing 7th-level: Forcecage 8th-level: Maze 9th-level: Time Stop
Vulture[edit]
Vulture is the bearer of death. He guides the souls of the dying into the spirit world and may even retrieve those souls to the land of the living. Vulture despises the Undead, for no one but him shall command the fallen.
- Gift: Diehard feat for free.
- Taboo: The character may never act to save the life of someone that is not of his tribe.
- Favors:
0-level: Disrupt Undead 1st-level: Cause Fear 2nd-level: Gentle Repose 3rd-level: Speak with Dead 4th-level: Death Ward 5th-level: Journey of Soul Retrieval 6th-level: Undeath to Death 7th-level: Control Undead 8th-level: Trap the Soul 9th-level: Soulbind
Wolf[edit]
Courageous, steadfast and clever, Wolf is a strong social spirit, guiding and protecting his friends, outwitting his enemies, and moving quickly and unseen through the changes of the world.
- Gift: +2 competence bonus to Move Silently, Hide in Shadows and Sense Motive rolls
- Taboo: Cannot put any ranks in Disguise or Bluff, or take Skill Focus for either of these skills.
- Favors:
0-level: Resistance 1st-level: Detect Snares and Pits 2nd-level: Snare 3rd-level: Displacement 4th-level: Freedom of Movement 5th-level: Dream 6th-level: Summon Nature’s Ally VI 7th-level: Animal Shapes 8th-level: Holy Aura 9th-level: Call the Hunt (Summon Monster IX)
Ancestral Spirits[edit]
Cheok, Hero of the Last Stand at Twostone Pass[edit]
This Ancestral Hero is legendary among his people for the bravery he showed in the final battle at Twostone Pass. If not for his stalwart courage, the enemy would have gotten through and ravaged the countryside.
- Gift: Immune to Fear effects.
- Taboo: Never surrender.
- Favors:
0-level: Virtue 1st-level: Magic Weapon 2nd-level: Bull’s Strength 3rd-level: Magic Vestment 4th-level: Divine Power 5th-level: Righteous Might 6th-level: Stoneskin 7th-level: Repulsion 8th-level: Holy Aura 9th-level: Summon Monster IX (actually summons Cheok)
Grandfather (founder of the clan)[edit]
Grandfather was known for his wisdom and generosity. He was a true leader of men, and sired many children on his several wives.
- Gift: Knowledge (History) is a class skill and +2 to all Diplomacy rolls.
- Taboo: Must ensure the continuation of the tribe by marrying and having children.
- Favors:
0-level: Create Water 1st-level: Command 2nd-level: Calm Emotions 3rd-level: Create Food and Water 4th-level: Discern Lies 5th-level: Greater Command 6th-level: Heroes’ Feast 7th-level: Power Word: Stun 8th-level: Command Plants 9th-level: Dominate Monster
Merciful Mother[edit]
This woman roamed the lands freely back in ancient times, helping all she could. Her healing touch saved countless lives. Her compassion knew no limits. (The Merciful Mother is actually the Idrian perception of the goddess Dhunia. A shaman with Merciful Mother as his or her totem counts as a Cleric of Dhunia for all intends and purposes)
- Gift: Cast healing spells at +1 caster level
- Taboo: Never harm a living creature (note that undead, constructs and many outsiders are not included in this definition).
- Favors:
0-level: Cure Minor Wounds 1st-level: Cure Light Wounds 2nd-level: Cure Moderate Wounds 3rd-level: Cure Serious Wounds 4th-level: Cure Critical Wounds 5th-level: Healing Circle 6th-level: Heal 7th-level: Regenerate 8th-level: Mass Heal 9th-level: True Resurrection
Wendigo[edit]
Wendigo is the embodiments of gluttony, greed, and excess: never satisfied after killing and consuming one person, it is constantly searching for new victims (Wendigo is an embodiment of the Devourer)
- Gift: Those with wendigo as a totem can gain a measure of power from their victims. If the character feeds on a humanoid of equal HD or greater he gains either +1 bonus hit points per HD of the victim or can restore an equal number hit points lost by wounds. Bonus hit points last for one hour per class level or until depleted. Wounds healed through cannibalism are permanently healed. This ability can only be used once per day and can only be used on victims killed within minutes of eating the grisly meal. This is a full round action and provokes an attack of opportunity. Bonus hit points will not stack with bonus hit points gained from any other source.
- Taboo: All things eaten by a follower of wendigo have to be raw. All types of cooked food are strictly taboo.
- Favors:
0-level: Touch of Fatigue 1st-level: Deathwatch 2nd-level: Death Knell 3rd-level: Vampiric Touch 4th-level: Fear 5th-level: Death Ward 6th-level: Symbol of Fear 7th-level: Waves of Exhaustion 8th-level: Create Greater Undead (creates cannibal spirit, see below) 9th-level:Wail of the Banshee
Nature Spirits[edit]
North Wind[edit]
He blows cold down out of the north, freezing all in his path. He is indomitable, merciless and unstoppable.
- Gift: Rebuke/Command Air Elementals as a cleric. May use this ability 3 times per day plus Cha modifier.
- Taboo: Those who link themselves with the North Wind become severe and unyielding in their dealings with others. This imposes a penalty of –2 on all Cha-based skills except Intimidate.
- Favors:
0-level: Ray of Frost 1st-level: Endure Elements 2nd-level: Shatter 3rd-level: Sleet Storm 4th-level: Ice Storm 5th-level: Control Winds 6th-level: Cone of Cold 7th-level: Control Weather 8th-level: Whirlwind 9th-level: Elemental Swarm
Sacred Valley[edit]
The Valley has been sacred to your people for time out of mind. It holds the spirits of your ancestors, and was the birthplace of your people. The spirit of the valley protects it from incursion, and sometimes lends her strength to you.
- Gift: +2 Wilderness Lore and Intuit Direction (the character always knows the way to the Valley and can use that as a compass)
- Taboo: Must protect the valley from any sort of destruction, no matter how minor (logging, campfires, humanoid incursions, disease, etc.).
- Favors:
0-level: Cure Minor Wounds 1st-level: Entangle 2nd-level: Tree Shape 3rd-level: Meld Into Stone 4th-level: Reincarnate 5th-level: Commune with Nature 6th-level: Transport Via Plants 7th-level: Creeping Doom 8th-level: Repel Metal or Stone 9th-level: Shambler
Thunderbird[edit]
Proud and forceful, the thunderbird commands storm and lightning.
- Gift: +2 to Intimidation and Spellcraft
- Taboo: Always speak in a loud and clear voice, never whisper.
- Favors:
0-level: Ghost Sound 1st-level: Shocking Grasp 2nd-level: Sound Burst 3rd-level: Call Lightning 4th-level: Shout 5th-level: Control Winds 6th-level: Chain Lightning 7th-level: Control Weather 8th-level: Greater Shout 9th-level: Storm of Vengeance
