Editing RuneQuest 2.5 Magic (section)

== Shamans ==
Shamans are strange in RQ III. Well, I suppose shamans are strange in general....

Really, a shaman is just someone who has accessed their spiritual side, the fetch, and is able to make conscious use of it. Many shamans worship the various minor spirit cults around, and can worship many of them. Others are both shaman and priest dedicated to a specific god. For example, the priestesses of Kygor Litor are typically a full priestess and a full shaman.

I let the fetch start with a rolled POW rather than having to build it. Then I let it improve at a 5% chance of POW gain on it's own. It's a bit of a mixture with RQ 2. I found RQ 3 PC shamans to be impossible to really create in play as they start out too vulnerable. 

Otherwise, mechanics are pretty much RQ3. No skill caps though and Ceremony is the only magic skill now. You'll need to find a shaman to be a mentor to help you make the transition at some point.

You can know up to your INT worth of spells. The fetch can know up to it's INT worth of spells. You can easily forget them and learn new ones. Additionally, the fetch can capture and hold other spirits to be used at any point. You can also enter the spirit world yourself and leave the fetch to protect your physical body. The fetch adds its POW to yours for defensive purposes against hostile magic and other spirits. You don't add it for offensive magic. However, you and the fetch can each cast spells, so you can cast two per round pretty easily.

*Both your and your fetch can cast spells independently.
*You can cast spells that your fetch knows and it can cast spells that you know, so long as you're in communication (generally will be).
*You can go find a spell spirit and learn a new spell.
*You can bind Intellect Spirits to remember spells for you if you run out of Intelligence to hold them.
*You can bind Passion Spirits (Fear, Pain, Madness, etc.) to throw at people offensively.
*You can bind Magic Spirits to cast spells they know for you.
*You can bind Power Spirits to use their magic points to power your own spells.
*You can see into the spirit plane and see the magical aura of everything and everyone around you. You'll be the only character who can gauge how powerful people around you are.
*You can actively engage spirits around you. Non-shamans cannot do that. The best they can do is defend themselves and run away.