(Part 1 having been the Warpriest thing several years ago.)

This marks the introduction of Shaman Paths. Consider it the equivalent of an Open Beta -- a set of abilities is basically complete but is likely to see tweaking and fixing as players get a hold of them and do clever or unclever things with them.

Today 12 Paths are being released. The original too-ambitious design was for 20, and you will probably start to see more of the "missing" (or as Arvam likes to say, DLC) 8 paths trickle in over time.

At this time, Paths are set by your empowering immortal much like paladin virtues. Shamans who are part of active religions (that is, have "real gods") can get up to two Paths; shamans who belong to self-created or godless religions such as Greenways should expect one. More in either case is theoretically possible but should be expected to be rare.

Your god will have a limited subset of all Paths that they may choose for you. So, for example, even if you're an orderly good Daevryn shaman you won't get the Path of Archon's Choir. In the original design for Paths the idea was that the shaman could choose from the list of Paths offered by their god; this may or may not be something I tackle at a later date depending on a number of factors including my impression of the current version in play. Indefinitely, your god picks.

All shamans, including already-existing shaman characters, experience the following changes from their previous skillset:

- Earthquake and Tsunami are no longer on the shaman supplication list; they are more in theme with one of the 8 incomplete Paths.

- Along similar lines, Rot in the form you're used to is much more in theme of one of the incomplete Paths. Shamans who are not of that Path (that is, all of you right now) still have the Rot supplication, but its "best" result is essentially more damage and a very long Wasting Disease. It does not deal damage over time or drain more CON over time.

- Shamans of the Path of Revelation retain full-power Locate Object; shamans of other paths will find their ability diminished from previous. That is to say, the maximum level of objects they can locate is a bit lower.

Not currently appearing (yet?): the concept of Path Conduits, affects you would permanently have for having a path (like Forgiving Cruor or Unbound Spirit). These also may appear later without warning.

And here are our initial twelve paths. Helpfiles are currently in progress and probably will trickle in over the next few days as my time permits:

PATH OF ANARCHY

Some shamans are gifted with the power of randomness and chaos. These priests afflict their
enemies and the battlefield in ways that may surprise even them.

Regardless of their deity, only chaotic shamans can walk the Path of Anarchy.

Level Ability
22 Sicken
27 Chromatic Fire
33 Disorient
40 Ethos Protection
45 Havoc


PATH OF THE ARCHON'S CHOIR

Some shamans are favored by the archons of the heavens. These priests possess benevolent gifts
beyond those of most shamans, as well as abilities that punish the wicked and unreliable.

Regardless of their deity, only non-chaotic good shamans can walk the Path of the Archon's

Choir.

Level Ability
21 Charity of the Archons
25 Holy Justice
33 Emblaze
37 Sermon of Censure
43 Majesty


PATH OF THE BREAKER

Some shamans seek to demoralize the enemies of their faith and are gifted with the
power to cause doubt and break wills.

Level Ability
22 Questioning Thoughts
29 Fearful Mind
32 Devalue Life
39 Harrowing Visage
44 Forbidden Thoughts


PATH OF DIVINE ANGER

Some shamans embody the divine anger of their god and make of that holy rage a weapon,
raining inescapable wrath down upon their god's enemies.

Level Ability
21 Shield of Retributive Rage
27 Amplified Affliction
32 Instrument of Judgment
36 All Seeing Eye
47 Unerring Smite


PATH OF DEMONSPAWN

Some shamans are favored by the demons of the Abyss. They can mimic some of the abilities
of such demons, and possess other destructive talents.

Regardless of their deity, only non-orderly evil shamans can walk the Path of Demonspawn.

Level Ability
21 Challegha Aspect
23 Mors Gravis Aspect
27 Demonic Summons
31 Harmentia Aspect
38 Abyssal Flame
39 Morosa Aspect
45 Acid Spray


PATH OF HELL'S PACT

Some shamans are favored by the devils of the Hells. By calling upon the power of sin
they triumph over their enemies.

Regardless of their deity, only non-chaotic evil shamans can walk the Path of Demonspawn.

Level Ability
21 Covetousness
27 Heresy
33 Gluttony
34 Hellfire
40 Betrayal
45 Aspect of the Devil


PATH OF LIFE'S CHAMPION

Embodying the forces of life, shamans of this Path bear a special enmity for the
creatures of the undead and their dark masters.

Regardless of their deity, only good shamans can walk the Path of Life's Champion.

Level Ability
23 Lifebind
31 Searing Ward
32 Soul Citadel
37 Vivimantic Aura
47 Luminous Assault


PATH OF PAIN
Some shamans are gifted with the ability to afflict the enemies of their faith with great suffering. These priests are also gifted with exceptional abilities to embrace or ignore their own pain as they see fit.

Level Ability

21 Dolorous Coil
28 Anguish
33 Spasms
38 Embrace Pain
38 Reject Pain
43 Wrack


PATH OF REVELATION

Gifted with divine precognition and foretelling, shamans of this path foretell the
doom of their enemies.

Level Ability
21 Sanctimonious Sight
30 Dire Omens
33 Oracle
39 Miraculous Foresight
48 Seal Fate


PATH OF SERAPH'S WING

Some shamans are favored by the angels of Elysium. These holy soldiers in the war
against evil call forth the power of angels and even angels themselves.

Regardless of their deity, only non-orderly good shamans can walk the Path of Seraph's Wing.

Level Ability
21 Soldier of the Light
28 Shadowbane
34 Celestial Choir
37 Aspect of the Angel
45 Elysian Shower


PATH OF VENGEANCE

Embodying divine justice and retribution, shamans of this Path possess the power
to exact fair punishment on those who have wronged them.

Regardless of their deity, only orderly shamans can walk the Path of Vengeance.

Level Ability
21 Tooth for a Tooth
27 Bulwark of Faith
32 Rally the Fallen
40 Ethos Protection
45 Eye for an Eye


PATH OF VENOMS

Poison is a tool in every shaman's arsenal, but those who walk the Path of Venoms
have a mastery of toxins well beyond that of others. They both fear poison less
than most and make more irresistable use of venom against others.

Level Ability
21 Cataplexy
28 Miasma
32 Noxious Cloud
37 Avatar of Venom
45 Malice

Work continues on this with code being checked in to fix and adjust the new stuff just about every day this week.

Just like virtues, of course, they all fit a certain type of genre. They each are potent and each offers different utilities and approaches. The same as shapeshifters(part of the reason i play so many, each is different. EVEN if you get two same top-tier forms you have different variety of abilities in the lesser to utilize).

So i ask understanding that your two will likely not be my two. But I am curious. On the same idea, if you were a shapechanger what two foci would you pick for yourself?

a couple of these read as though they'd fit neutral align shamans pretty well. is that on the horizon?

There has been discussion but it is not something I am currently planning on opening up.

Though I'd prefer if you could choose the 1st path yourself, instead your deity (sort of your primary path; it'd be somewhat disappointing not to receive the path you had in mind when creating the character)... Other than that, it's great to have more variety in shamans, so this is a welcome change. Well done!

As per my giant post... what you have today is not what was originally envisioned as the Path selection mechanism. It is the mechanism that let me make something available now instead of at some unknown future date. It is not guaranteed to be the final such mechanism.

Thanks for all of the effort.

Oh, and ignore the butthurt that pops up from time to time. It's just venting because I full-looted them again.

The helpfile editor is spacing things crazy right now so I'm going to just start putting them in here.

Edit: Figured out a work-around, helpfiles will proceed through normal channels.

Well, if not finished exactly, playable. The addition of paths and whatnot will make for nice little surprises to drop on us.

I'm curious about something - you've said that Shamans gaining empowerment from a specific, named immortal will get two paths. Will this be like legacies, where every shaman WILL get two paths? Or will it be more like paladins, most of whom will get two virtues if they play a reasonably non-#### character, but the timing of when/if they get virtues is left entirely up to the empowering imm?