Shaman

In Massively multiplayer online role-playing games, a Shaman is a Class that is generally portrayed as using spirit-based magical abilities that involve healing and enhancing the combat abilities of fellow players, and damaging and diminishing the combat abilities of enemies. A Shaman generally wears mid-level or chain-mail armor, and wields spears and/or clubs.

Age of Conan

 * Overview
 * In Age of Conan, the Bear Shaman is one of the three Priest archetypes, and like other healing classes, it also comes with good offensive abilities - in the case of the Bear Shaman, this is based on melee and melee enhancement.


 * Races
 * Only a Cimmerian may learn the ways of the Bear Shaman.


 * Equipment
 * The Shaman wears "medium" armor (versus light, heavy or cloth) and wields two-handed blunt (and ranged) weapons, but may not use shields.

d20 Systems

 * Overview
 * The d20 System is an open source role playing game system. As such, various sources have created versions of Shaman and Shaman-like classes:

A Shaman class was specified in "The Shaman's Handbook" in 2002.

A Shaman class was specified in "The Hamlet of Thumble" in 2003.

A Shaman class was specified in "The Shaman" prior to March, 2006.

A Bone Shaman class was specified in "The Lost Classes Codex" in 2006.

The Fairy Witch and Were-Shaman classes, as well as The Hexmaster, Spirit Warrior and Witch Doctor prestige classes, were specified in "The Enduring: Witches and Shamans" in 2007.

Dungeons & Dragons
In the various versions of the Dungeons & Dragons games, there have been several versions of Shaman character classes.


 * AD&D supplements included the following:
 * Shaman - introduced with the "Shaman" supplement (TSR 9507) in 1995


 * AD&D2 rulebooks eventually included the Shaman class. Details are provided in the following sourcebooks: Faith and Avatars, Shaman, and The Complete Barbarian’s Handbook.


 * D&D3 rulebooks included the following Shaman classes:
 * Shaman - introduced in Gazetteer 12 "Golden Khan of Ethengar" (TSR 9246) in 1989.
 * Shaman - revised for Shadow Elves in Gazetteer 13 "The Shadow Elves" (TSR 9287) in 1990.
 * Shamani - priests of the Atruaghin race, introduced in Gazetteer 14 "Atruaghin Clans (TSR 9306).


 * D&D3.5 rulebooks included the following Shaman classes:
 * Dragon Shaman - introduced in the Player's Handbook II. Open to all races, the Dragon Shaman is primarily a physical combatant who gains dragon-like powers from the particular type (color) of dragon he aligns with and develops an affinity for. This character may employ medium armor, and gains aura-type abilities and some spell-like abilities.
 * Shaman - introduced in the Oriental Adventures sourcebook.
 * Spirit Shaman - introduced in the Complete Divine sourcebook.


 * D&D4 is expected to include a Shaman class.

EverQuest
Main Article: Shaman (EQ)


 * Overview
 * In EverQuest, the Shaman class - Like the Druid and Cleric classes - is of the Priest or Healer archetype. Like the Druid, the Shaman has many secondary utility abilities at the cost of not healing as well as the Cleric. These abilities include "debuffing" (diminishing) the offense of an opponent by slowing or decreasing its attack rate, attack rating and spell resistance, as well as "buffing" (enhancing) allies by speeding up or increasing their attack rate, attack rating and spell resistance. The EverQuest Shaman would be considered neither "good" nor "evil" in overall lore.


 * Races
 * The Shaman class is only available to those races which are tribal, or closer to nature than to technology. Originally restricted to Barbarians, Ogres and Trolls, players were given the option of playing additional Shaman-capable races in the following expansions: Iksar (lizard people) with "Ruins of Kunark"; Vah Shir (cat people) with "Shadows of Luclin"; and Froglocks (frog people) with "Legacy of Ykesha".


 * Equipment
 * The Shaman wears chain-mail or scale-mail, primarily wields blunt or piercing weapons, and may use shields.

EverQuest II

 * Overview
 * In EverQuest II, Shaman actually describes two Priest classes - Mystics and Defilers. Mystic wards, abilities and spells are more defensively oriented, and their lore is generaly good (vs evil). Defiler wards, abilities and spells are more offensively oriented, and their lore is generally evil (vs good).


 * Races
 * EverQuest II does not limit classes to certain races, so any of the 19 races can become a Shaman.


 * Equipment
 * Both Mystics and Defilers wear chain-mail or scale-mail, wield blunt or piercing weapons, and may use small shields.

Vanguard: Saga of Heroes

 * Overview
 * in Vanguard, the Shaman is of the Priest or Healer archetype, chooses one of three patron spirits: Tuurgin the Bear grants abilities based on physical strength and robustness; Rakurr the Wolf grants abilities based on stealth and speed; Hayatet the Phoenix grants abilities based on mana (magic) and fire. This choice determines which spells and abilities will be available as the character advances, as well as which statistics will be considered most important.


 * Races
 * Shaman may be Goblin, Lesser Giant, Mordebi (a Human variety), Orc, Varanjar (a Human variety), Varanthari (a Human variety), Vulmane (wolf people) or Wood Elf.


 * Equipment
 * The Shaman wears "medium" armor (versus light or heavy), wield blunt or piercing weapons, and may use shields.

World of Warcraft

 * Shaman

Other Games
Other Video games that use the Shaman character class include:


 * Ars Magica
 * Dream of Mirror
 * Fire Emblem
 * RIFT
 * Runequest
 * Shadowrun
 * Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning