In the highly magical worlds of the AD&D® game universe, the
ability to manipulate magic often determines the winner in a
conflict. Thus, the various AD&D game books contain more
information on spell-casters than on any other type of character.
Yet, since only humans and demi-humans are allowed to be player
characters, very little information has been given in regards to a
third set of spell-casters: the humanoids.

All the information pertaining to humanoid spell-casters can be
found in a few brief paragraphs in the Dungeon Masters Guide and
DEITIES & DEMIGODS.
    <DMG: Tribal spell casters>
    <DDG: Non-human deities>

While this information is excellent for setting up
the bare statistics of a humanoid spell-caster, it does not go far
toward helping the DM run such an unusual NPC. This article
begins with tips on creating, preparing, and playing humanoid
spell-casters, then addresses how these beings gain and keep their
powers. New lists of spells <new shaman spell list, new witch doctor spell list> are given to bring the DMG lists up to
date with Unearthed Arcana, and level limits are suggested for new
humanoids given in the FIEND FOLIO® tome and  Monster Manual II.
Finally, there is a section devoted to specific religious practices
performed by each individual humanoid race and how these
practices can be used by the DM to help flesh out humanoid
spell-casters.

Purposes and problems
The humanoid spell-caster represents
the means employed by a humanoid deity
to promote the deity?s religion, unite the
humanoid?s tribe, and give the tribe
defenses against its magic-wielding human
and demi-human foes. Humanoid spellcasters
are not meant to be capable of
sustained magical combat, but serve
instead as buffers between the humanrelated
races and the humanoids. Thus,
their abilities tend to concentrate on protective
and miscellaneous magic rather
than on battle magic.

The DMG suggests that humanoid spellcasters
are rare, but there is no reason
given for this lack of competent masters
among the humanoid races. A careful
look, however, reveals two excellent reasons
for a lack of spell-casters among
humanoids. The first is the warrior tendency
of these races. The second is (bluntly
put) the stupidity of the humanoids.

From the puniness of the ½-HD kobolds
to-the terrible might of the 14-HD fog
giants, humanoids are characterized by
violence. Of over 24 humanoid races, less
than a half dozen are good or neutrally
aligned; the rest are downright evil. These
masses of wicked creatures live by raiding
their neighbors. Their energies are thus
spent in preparing for and conducting
wars. Little time is left for anything else.
Young humanoids grow up learning how
to wage war; those young that cannot
keep up with the physical regimen of such
a life quickly die, leaving ranks upon ranks
of hardened warriors. This is hardly an
auspicious beginning for a young spellcaster!

In the larger humanoid bands, however,
especially those that are settled and enjoy
some measure of security, there occasionally
arises a youngster who can survive
the physical rigors of humanoid life and is
not satisfied with them. This individual is
too weak to seek physical power but
wants some means of gaining an advantage
over his peers. If this individual is
very lucky, he could become spell-caster.

Now a new factor works against these
few: the stupidity of the humanoid races.
On the whole, humanoids tend to be a
dim-witted and barbaric lot. Those born
with unusual intelligence or wisdom learn
to use their spell-casting abilities ruthlessly
or are killed by jealous rivals. Added to
this is the fact that other humanoid bands
are often jealous of any tribe with a spellcaster.
Thus, unusually gifted humanoids
face a dismal future, and most of these do
not survive their apprenticeships or the
more dangerous process of self-teaching.

This simple reasoning demonstrates why
the DMG suggests that humanoid spellcasters
are so rare that they should be
placed by the DM. Unfortunately, there
are no guidelines to follow in this process.
To a beginning DM, taking great care in
placing humanoid spell-casters might
mean including only one or two witch
doctors or shamans per group of human
oids. To aid the beginning DM and give the
experienced DM a hand in determining
the frequency of such NPCs, the following
guidelines are offered.

Assuming that shamans are more common
than witch doctors (since witch doctors
are the more powerful of the two),
there is a 5% chance for a shaman to
appear per 25% of the maximum strength
of a humanoid band. For example, the
number of gnolls usually encountered is
20-200. If there are 50 gnolls (25% of the
possible maximum), there is a 5% chance
for a shaman to be present. In a group
smaller than 50 gnolls, there is no chance
for a shaman to be present; a band of that
size could not protect its shaman well
enough and would quickly lose its spellcaster.
This applies to all humanoid bands:
No spell-casters are ever encountered in a
group smaller than one-quarter of its
maximum size, as given in the AD&D
game rules. This principle works in 25%
increments ? that is, in a group of 99
gnolls, there is still only a 5% chance for a
shaman to be present, but at 100 gnolls,
the chance jumps to 10%. This serves to
keep the chance of a shaman appearing to
a minimum and increases the scarcity of
spell-casters.

Shamans are a silver-piece-a-dozen,
however, when compared to witch doctors.
These more powerful humanoids
have mastered two forms of magic, something
that only the rarest of even demihuman
or human spell-casters accomplish.
The chance of meeting a witch doctor is
also based on 25% increments, but the
probability of meeting a witch doctor is
only 1% per increment. This means that a
huge pack of 400 kobolds is only 4% likely
to have a witch doctor in its midst.

Don?t use this system for humanoids
who run in very small bands (e.g., giants),
or there will be too many such spellcasters.
When the maximum normal size
of a humanoid group is 20 or less, the
chance of a shaman appearing in the
group is a flat 5%; for a witch doctor,
there is a 1% chance. Of course, if the
group is unusually large (i.e., 20 stone
giants), the DM might wish to double or
even triple this chance. As with lesser
humanoids, groups of giants must have
enough members to support a spell-caster,
since the spell-caster is too busy with
arcane arts to hunt or otherwise support
basic survival functions. Thus, giant spellcasters
appear only with groups which
have half or more of the maximum normal
group size for that type of giant.

No humanoid tribe has both a shaman
and a witch doctor, and the shaman is
always checked for first. The system given
above reflects the small numbers of
humanoid spell-casters (especially witch
doctors); it should keep humanoid spellcasters
uncommon enough to retain the
excitement of their use.

Creating the spell-caster
When the dice or the DM have determined
that a humanoid spell-caster exists
in a group of humanoids, the DM must
take pains to create a well-balanced NPC.
The guides given in the official rules are
vague in assigning levels to these rare
creatures, and leave room for creating
NPCs with too little or too much power.

A humanoid spell-caster should be
assigned levels based on the strength of
his band, using the maximum normal
group size divided by the maximum level
of spell use possible for that race, rounding
fractions up. The following examples
help illustrate how to assign levels to
humanoid spell-casters.

Example one: Ogres appear in groups of
up to 20 individuals, and ogre shamans
can rise to 3rd level in experience. Thus,
for every seven ogres, the shaman will
have one level of experience.

Example two: Hobgoblin witch doctors
can rise to 7th level as clerics and 4th level
as magic-users. The maximum ?Number
Appearing? for hobgoblins is 200. For
every 30 hobgoblins, the witch doctor will
have one level of clerical experience; for
every 50 hobgoblins, the witch doctor will
have one level of magic-user experience.
In a group of 170 hobgoblins, then, the
witch doctor will be a 6th-level cleric and
a 4th-level magic-user.

Note that, by the suggestions given earlier,
no 1st-level ogre shaman could ever be
met, since no spell-casters can appear in
groups, of less than one-half the maximum
normal group size for humanoids which
run in bands of 20 or less. By the same
token, no hobgoblin witch doctor could
ever be met as a 1st-level cleric, since
there must be at least 50 hobgoblins (25%
maximum ?Number Appearing?) for there
to be any chance of a spell-caster in the
group in the first place. Low-level spellcasters
can be added by the DM as
apprentices (5% chance of 1st-level cleric
per tribe with higher-level shaman, and
1% chance of low-level witch doctor per
tribe with the same) or as solitary spellcasters
(give each tribe without a spellcaster
a flat 5% chance to have a 1st-level
cleric and a 1% chance to have a low-level
witch doctor), or the DM may dispense
with them entirely in favor of slightly
higher-level humanoid spell-casters.

Once the spell-caster?s levels have been
assigned, he is ready to receive his spells.
No humanoid shaman has access to every
spell for every level of spell use he is capable
of employing. A humanoid shaman is
limited to knowing two spells per spell
level (out of the lists given later in this
article) and must choose his daily spells
from them by praying for them, as does a
human or demi-human cleric. No spell
books are kept of these spells, though the
shaman can use clerical scroll spells (if he
can read). This limited knowledge is a
function of being primarily self-taught and
serves to vary the spells available to each
shaman. The DM can roll for spells randomly
or assign them.

Shamans gain knowledge of two new
spells per level, either from the prior level
lists or from the next highest list, if the
shaman just gained a new level of spell use
(a shaman just gaining 3rd level would
learn two second-level spells). These new
spells are taught to the shaman by a more
experienced shaman or more often by a
servant of the shaman?s deity. The shaman
must meditate and pray to ?charge? the
spells he desires for the day, drawing from
those spells known to the shaman. The
rest of the spells in the shaman?s mind are
spells which he knows but for which he
has insufficient power to use (so they
cannot be cast by the shaman that day).
Shamans do not gain bonus spells for high
wisdom, as is explained later, but have
normal chances of spell failure.

Witch doctors gain their clerical spells as
do shamans, but they have the added
responsibility of maintaining spell books
for their magic-user spells. A witch doctor
starts with three random first-level spells
for his spell book and is given one new
spell per level earned. The new spell is of
the highest level of magic usable by the
witch doctor. Witch doctors must check
newly acquired spells for understanding,
as must any magic-user (a very important
point if a PC?s spell book falls into a witch
doctor?s hands). The lists given later in this
article are for those spells which are commonly
handed down from witch doctor to
witch doctor.

It is recommended that each witch doctor
be given one or two spells from outside
these lists to give each witch doctor
an individual flair. Consider an infamous
kobold witch doctor with a charm person
spell or a feared hobgoblin witch doctor
with magic missile. Such NPCs will be
widely known and will add excitement as
characters get a chance to test themselves
against them. Witch doctors have only one
set of spell books; these are considered to
be traveling spell books for all intents and
purposes, for the witch doctors haven't
the time, money, nor skill to make better
(see Unearthed Arcana, pages 79-80).

A quick glance at the magic-user spell
lists given later reflects a basic problem
for the witch doctor?s spell books, in that
the witch doctor has no way to read or
write new spells. If the DM decides to stay
with this ruling, as given by the lack of
these spells in the official lists, it is certain
that the witch doctor?s spell book will be
nothing more than a collection of loose
pages taken from many sources. This spell
collection is very sloppy and certainly
cannot have magical protections set upon
it. In addition, the collection is worth only
half experience-point and monetary values
for a PC who captures it. If the DM wishes
the humanoid spell-caster to have true
spell books, along with the power to read
and write more spells, he must award the
witch doctor read magic and write in
addition to the witch doctor?s other starting
spells. This will make the witch doctor
far more versatile and powerful.

The humanoid spell-caster is an important
part of his tribe and should be protected
as such by the tribe. Such persons
are often surrounded by guards equal in
ability and in number to those who guard
the subchieftain. In addition, the spellcaster
stays near the war leader, combining
his many bodyguards with magic to
create a potent defense. War leaders are
certain to defend their tribal spell-casters,
for those shamans or witch doctors are
the only defense against magic their tribe
may have. A final wise defense for the
spell-caster is placing guard animals near
him. Most humanoids employ guard animals,
and these animals are often tougher
than the races for whom they work. Imagine
a low-level party running into several
giant weasels, a dozen bodyguards, a war
leader or two, and a kobold witch doctor
all at the same time! In small groups of
powerful humanoids (such as giants),
there are no chieftains, bodyguards, and
such. Nonetheless, all members of the
band fight to protect their spell-caster.

Use of magical items
Once the spell-caster's protection is
provided, all that remains is the consideration
of magical items to be assigned.

Perhaps the greatest power held by a
tribal spell-caster is the ability to employ
magical items. With a little help from a
wand of fire, a goblin witch doctor is a
frightful foe indeed.  A staff of command would 
certainly make a hobgoblin shaman more terrible to meet. 
Even cursed magical items become
deadly when in the hands of a clever
humanoid spell-caster -- a necklace of 
strangulation is a fine gift for a hated
subchieftain and a scarab of death is an
excellent missile weapon against unarmored
foes (provided the thrower has
heavy gauntlets). While the average
humanoid would not even realize that
such items were magical, the tribal spellcaster
is very alert for them. These NPCs
may employ any magical item of general
use or of use by the appropriate magicusing
classes (e.g., clerics and magic-users).
In addition, shamans (due to their combat
orientation) may employ magical items
usually reserved for fighters. This gives
the humanoid spell-caster a greater range
of items to use and allows an innovative
DM the chance to create highly individualistic
NPCs of this sort.

This is not to say that every kobold
witch doctor has a staff of power. The
chance for a humanoid spell-caster to own
magical items is given on page 196 of the
DMG, treating the NPC as a spell-caster of <all of this data has been integrated into the MONSTER MANUAL entries>
the appropriate class and level. It is important
to note that the witch doctor rolls on
two tables (clerical and magic-user), and
will probably have half a dozen small
magical items as a result. If this seems too
liberal, remember that only the more
powerful humanoid bands have spellcasters
at all, and that such bands do a lot
of raiding. The spell-caster will be certain
to examine new treasures closely for a
chance to increase his power, and will
thus collect as many items as possible.

The DM can also choose to assign magical
items, realizing that one or two potions
and a scroll should be nearly standard
equipment for a humanoid spell-caster.
Luckier ones might have a magical ring or
wand. Whichever method is used, keep in
mind that the PCs might capture this magical
equipment during the course of the
adventure. As a result, these items should
not be enough in quantity or quality to
make the victorious party too powerful
and thereby damage the campaign.

Playing the spell-caster
The shaman is a tribal cleric. He has the
functions of any cleric ? that is, to revitalize
and protect himself and the war leader.
Because the deities served by such NPCs
are usually evil, the shaman carries more
offensive and defensive spells than curative
spells. As a result, cause light wounds
is often a favorite spell, as are dispel magic,
chant, etc. Cures are often saved for
use after a battle by the shaman or perhaps
the war leader. The shaman?s deity
believes in strength and does not expect
such magic to be wasted among common
members of the tribe. Indeed, the shaman
very rarely uses magic to directly aid common
humanoids, although he is certain
to point out how powerful the magical
aid is to himself and to the war leader. For
those shamans serving neutral or good
deities, a more balanced spell selection is
possible as dictated by the situation. Such
shamans are more likely to share their
powers and use them to benefit other
members of their bands.



The humanoid deities have little to do
with the undead and grant their worshipers
no power with the thinking
undead (ghouls and greater undead). A
glance at the spell lists in the DMG shows
that animate dead is not on the original
spell lists -- humanoid shamans are content
to let human clerics dabble with their
own dead, while the humanoids concentrate
on spells of war. However, shamans
of evil alignment can command weak
undead into their service as can any evil
cleric (?weak? being defined as skeletons
and zombies). Neutral and good shamans
can turn these lesser undead but cannot
command them. These shamans have no
power over the thinking processes of the
undead.

Shamans are fully expected to fight and
are given extra power (hit points) to aid
and support their battle conquests, as
noted in the "Nonhumans' Deities" section
of DEITIES & DEMIGODS. Shamans are not
restricted to blunt weapons but are limited
to weapons used by that humanoid
type. Fire-giant shamans use great swords;
kobold shamans use short swords, axes,
spears, or spiked clubs; and so forth.
Shamans are expected to show bravery
and bloodlust, and are expected to melee
frequently. They may thus wear any sort
of armor without penalty and may use the
best armor and weapons available to their
tribes.

As noted earlier, shamans do not gain
additional spells for high wisdom scores.
This is due to the fact that all humanoid
deities value strength over magical prowess.
These deities grant spells only to
prove the might of the gods in the first
place, and they will not allow any shaman
to become dependent solely upon magic to
defeat foes. Consequently, these deities
grant only a bare minimum number of
spells to their shamans.

Witch doctors live by the same rules as
shamans insofar as their clerical spells are
concerned. However, witch doctors are
not allowed to wear armor or use any
weapons other than the standard magicuser
weapons. Because witch doctors are
magic-oriented, they are not expected to
battle. This magic-orientation also means
that witch doctors cannot serve the standard
humanoid deities (who consider them
weaklings). Most witch doctors worship
the most powerful demons and devils to
buy their powers; the rest follow evil
human or demi-human deities. This tends
to alienate the humanoid deities, however,
angering them and making them hostile
toward the tribes with witch doctors. The
witch doctor is forced to compensate by
presenting a powerful image and casting
many spells in frequent displays of power.
Witch doctors invariably have impressive
abodes filled with all sorts of grisly
remains and unusual items.

This need for sheer power has several
effects on witch doctors. First, they will
instantly seize and hoard all suspected
magical items brought into the tribe.
Along this line, all witch doctors are very
eager for an identify spell and will go to
any length to get it. Second, witch doctors
use their spells and magical items freely,
for it is imperative to maintain their tribe?s
confidence in their power. Tribes with
witch doctors put up with trouble even
from their own race, due to friction with
the humanoid deities; because of this,
tribal members want constant proof that
their witch doctor is worth the trouble.
Finally, witch doctors of maximum level
(both as clerics and magic-users) are
almost always the tribal leaders. At this
point, they gain no more spell abilities and
they need an advantage to stay in power.
Their takeover at this point can be overtly
physical (such as blowing the former
leaders to bits) or subtle (such as casting
charms on the leaders). In the former
case, the witch doctor must have a great
amount of power or the other members of
the tribe will desert. The latter option
opens a wide vista to the DM, who could,
for example, set PCs warring against war
leaders while the clever witch doctor
stands back and watches all his foes
destroy one another.

Witch doctors serving neutral or good
deities are probably not excessively greedy
or violent, although they are certainly
secretive. They, too, are protective of their
power and will go to great lengths to
preserve it (usually through trickery and
deception). Such witch doctors are not
under nearly as much pressure as their
evil counterparts and only rarely lead
their tribes.

Table 1
Clerical Spells

1st level	2nd level	3rd level	4th level
Ceremony ***	Aid*	Cure blindness	Cloak of fear*
Cure light wounds	Augury	Cure disease	Divination
Detect evil	Chant	Dispel magic	Exorcise
Detect magic	Detect chamr	Flame walk*	Neutralize poison
Endure heat/cold*	Detect life	Locate object	Spell immunity*
Invisibility to undead*	Messenger*	Magic vestment*	Tongues
Light	Resist fire	Prayer	-
Portent*	Snake charm	Remove curse	-
Protection from evil	Speak with animals	Remove paralysis*	-
Resist cold	(Un)holy symbol*	Water walk*	-

* These spells are taken from Unearthed Arcana.
** Ceremonies usable by humanoid spell-casters include coming of age, burial, dedication, and consecrate item.

As a final note, no humanoid spell-caster
ever builds or lives in a temple of any sort
except for instances involving short periods
of time (a few months at most). All
humanoids are wanderers, as is evidenced
by their low chances of being found in
their lairs, and their deities prefer for
them to live by hunting and raiding. A
temple means responsibilities which preclude
a spell-caster from going on raids
and impressing the tribe with the might of
the deity. Furthermore, such an easy life
would make the spell-caster lazy and
might even encourage weakness. The
deities of the humanoids simply do not
allow this sorry state to come about. Even
among tribes that are settled, the worship
area is plain and simply adorned so that
the spell-caster need not waste time tending
it. Among the spell-casters of neutral
and good deities, this still holds true, for
these groups wander as much as their evil
cousins.

New spell lists
The spell lists given on page 40 of the
DMG need to be updated with spells from
Unearthed Arcana. The spell lists provided
in Table 1 and Table 2 herein add the new spells
to the old lists. Spells from Unearthed
Arcana have been carefully selected to
follow the same lines as those given in the
DMG -- that is, they contain primarily
defensive and miscellaneous spells. The
DM may alter these lists as he sees fit,
keeping in mind that too many combat
spells will certainly destroy the purpose of
such an NPC. Spells taken from Unearthed
Arcana are denoted by asterisks. Witch
doctors can use cantrips but do not have
any unless the DM specifically decides to
assign them in each individual case. As a
result, these spells are not included in
Table 1 and Table 2. Note also that humanoid
spell-casters can use the reversed forms of
any spell that is reversible.

New humanoid spell-casters
With the addition of 2 new monster
books to the AD&D game, the list of
humanoids that can become spell-casters
needs to be updated. Table 3 provides a list
of some of these new races and the levels
they may achieve as spell-casters. Races
whose spell-casting classes are described
in the books are not repeated in Table 3,
nor are those races which have spell-like
powers (for these cannot also use spells
unless such is stated in their descriptions).
The DM is free to modify the information
given in Table 3 as necessary, perhaps
adding such races as the qullan and others
(such races were excluded primarily
because they appear in numbers too small
to support a spell-caster). Among giants,
small groups are fine because giants are
powerful enough to be able to allow one
of their number to study and meditate
instead of hunt. Among the comparatively
weaker races, however, survival is too
time-consuming to afford any member the
luxury of not helping in the basic chores
of survival. If this situation is different in a
given campaign, the material presented
herein and in the DMG should help a DM
assign spell abilities to humanoid races.

Note that the upper level limits of 7th
level for a shaman and 4th level for the
magic-user abilities of a witch doctor are
rules of steel which should never be bent.
The humanoid mind is too coarse (even in
such exceptional individuals as treated
herein) to rise beyond these limits. If a
higher-level spell-caster is needed, use an
evil human or demi-human spell-caster.

Deity/shaman relations
So far, this article has given guidelines to
help the DM with humanoid spell-casters.
This section is devoted to the relationships
between specific humanoid deities and
their shamans, addressing interesting
practices and special powers that deities
grant their shamans. These are helpful in
adding detail to humanoid spell-casters,
and thus create more unusual individual
NPCs. Appendix 3 in the DEITIES & DEMIGODS
tome (Clerical Quick-Reference Charts) <all of this data has been integrated iinto the individual entries in the DDG>
gives good background for these practices
and is useful in conjunction with what
follows. The relationships detailed here
are with primary deities only; relationships
with lesser deities are up to the DM
to detail.

Bugbears
Hruggek is an exacting deity who
demands that his shamans make sacrifices
of at least two levels or hit dice of foe per
level of the shaman, per month. Shamans
who fail to meet this quota receive no
spells for the following month. Shamans
who exceed the minimum have a 1%
chance per five additional levels or hit dice
sacrificed of being granted one additional
spell of the highest level usable by the
shaman, for use over the next month. This
spell is a gift that is usable only once. If
the shaman fails to use the spell by the
following month, the spell is taken back
(though a replacement may be given as a
result of abundant sacrifices). The shaman
may choose his own bonus spell.

When gaining levels, these shamans
must sacrifice the levels or hit dice of foes
for each level the shaman possesses and
10 more for the level to be gained. Failure
to make proper sacrifices earns instant
death for the shaman, as Hruggek strikes
him down. Exceeding this minimum by 20
or more levels or hit dice gives a 5%
chance of the shaman earning one additional
hit point (added to the roll for that
level).

This system of reward for greater sacrifices
urges bugbear shamans to conduct
mass sacrifices and has earned them a
grisly reputation among the weaker races
favored as sacrifices.

Ettins
Although ettins and hill giants both
worship Grolantor, ettin practices differ
greatly from those of their weaker kin.
Ettins pay the deity homage not as a deity,
but as an extremely powerful ettin.
Because of this attitude, and the fact that
Grolantor is the least intelligent humanoid
deity, the god does not grant spells to ettin
shamans (remember that first- and secondlevel
spells are based on the faith of the
shaman, with no help from the deity).
Ettin shamans do not sacrifice to Grolantor
and receive no special benefits from
their deity.

Giants, fire
Surtur demands nothing in the way of
sacrifice from his shamans, but he has one
rule which can never be broken: His shamans
must never be defeated in personal
combat. Those who are lose all clerical
abilities and are marked by the deity so
that other fire giants drive the outcast
away. This mark is a flaming sword on the
face of the outcast, the tip on the former
shaman?s chin and the pommel on his
forehead. The mark is silver, in contrast to
the giant?s black skin, and can be seen
even if covered or hidden. Even death
does not remove this dishonor.

When Surtur?s shamans reach 7th level,
they are granted the power to summon
one 8-HD fire elemental once per month.
The summoning takes one melee round,
and the elemental appears in 1-4 rounds,
staying for six turns or until it is destroyed.
The elemental acts independently
of the shaman, who need not concentrate
on controlling it. This power is a bonus
ability and does not take the place of any
of the shaman?s spells.

Giants, frost
Thrym is a demanding deity who follows
the same code of battle as Surtur, with one
twist: The frost-giant shaman who loses a
battle dies on the spot. While Thrym
demands no regular sacrifices, he requires
that one human from every group of
humans battled by the shaman?s band be
taken unhurt and frozen alive. Failure to
do this results in the shaman being stripped
of all power and being forevermore a
standard frost giant.

Frost-giant shamans are subjected to
rigorous tests for every level they attempt
to gain. While tests vary, all involve combat
against foes at least equal to the frost
giant in hit dice and power (four ogres
would be a good test). In addition, these
shamans must sacrifice 5,000 gp in gems
to Thrym for each level they have and
10,000 gp more for the level to be gained,
each time they are eligible to gain a level.

As if this were not enough, any frost
giant may challenge the shaman to a battle
to the death at any time. The winner
either keeps or receives the powers of the
shaman. Thus, if a 5th-level frost-giant
shaman were defeated by a standard frost
giant, the winner would walk away with
the loser?s extra hit points and the spell
abilities of a 5th-level shaman.

In return for this risky life, the frostgiant
shaman is granted two powers. Upon
reaching 5th level, the shaman may create
a wall of ice once per week as a 10th-level
magic-user using the spell. At 7th level, the
shaman may summon an 8-HD ice elemental
from the plane of para-elemental Ice
once per month. This ability works exactly
like that of the fire-giant shamans (see
previous section). Both of these powers
are bonus abilities which are in addition
to, not in place of, the shaman?s full complement
of spells.

Table 2
Magic-User Spells

1st level	2nd level
Affect normal fires	Audible glamer
Alarm*	Deeppockets*
Dancing lights	Detect invisibility
Identify	In visibility
Melt*	Know alignment* <?>
Mount*	Levitate
Push	Magic mouth* <?>
Run*	Preserve*
Shield	Snare
Ventriloquism	Vocalize*

* These spells are taken from Unearthed Arcana.

Table 3
New Humanoid Spell-Caster Level Limits

Race	Shaman (clerical levels)	Witch doctor  (magic-user levels)
Aarakocra	7	-
Bullywug	5	2
Dakon	3	-
Flind	5	4
Giant*	-	2
Grimlock	5	4
Ogrillon	-	-
Taer	3	-
Troll, giant	3	-
Vegepygmy	5	2
Xvart	5	4

* This includes fog, fomorian, mountain, and verbeeg giants.
A dash indicates that the race cannot employ magic-user spells and thus cannot have witch doctors.

Giants, hill
Hill giants worship Grolantor as a deity
(unlike ettins, as noted earlier). Perhaps
this is why hill giants may advance in
levels so far beyond ettins. Hill-giant shamans
are not required to make sacrifices
to Grolantor, but most shamans like to
sacrifice enemies and small valuables to
the deity anyway. Grolantor occasionally
rewards diligent shamans with a special
magical club which provides a +4 to hit
and damage against dwarves. This weapon
works only in the hands of a hill-giant
shaman and is useless to all others. There
is a 5% chance for a hill-giant shaman of
any level to own such a club.

Giants, stone
The shamans of Skoraeus Stonebones
are allowed to live as they choose and are
not required to make sacrifices or
undergo trials to gain levels. Due to their
closeness to the earth, however, these
shamans are restricted from certain spells
and are given access to spells which no
other shamans may use. The forbidden
spells have to do with elements other than
earth; these include resist fire, flame walk,
and water walk. In return, the following
spells are added to the lists available to the
stone giant shamans: stone shape (thirdlevel
druidic spell) is added to the list of
third-level spell choices; spike stones (fifthlevel
druidic spell) is added to the list of
fourth-level spells; and wall of stone (fifthlevel
magic-user spell) is added to the list
of fourth-level spells.

Occasionally a stone-giant shaman is
extremely devout to Skoraeus, sacrificing
everything he owns to the deity and keeping
not so much as a single copper piece
or lowly potion. Skoraeus may grant such
a shaman the power to cast an earthquake
spell once per month as an added ability
when the shaman reaches 7th level. The
power takes one turn to activate and
affects an area 60? in diameter; otherwise,
it conforms in all other ways to the
seventh-level clerical spell of the same
name. There is a 5% chance for any 7thlevel
stone-giant shaman encountered to
have this power.

Gnolls
The shamans of Yeenoghu have, without
a doubt, the harshest deity in the humanoid
pantheon. To maintain their power,
gnoll shamans must sacrifice four levels or
hit dice worth of enemies at each monthly
ceremony in a trial by combat. The sacrifices
are permitted natural weapons or a
dagger, while the shaman is restricted to
his flail and no magic (although a magical
flail is permissible). If an intended sacrifice
kills the shaman, the person or creature is
free to leave.

When gaining levels, a gnoll shaman
must scourge himself for 5 hp damage for
each of his levels and 6 hp damage for the
level he wishes to attain. Those shamans
who cannot withstand the punishment for
a new level are frozen at the level where
they can stand the pain. For example, a
shaman desiring to reach 4th level must
have at least 21 hp or that shaman is stuck
at 3rd level. This test ensures that only the
toughest gnolls rise to power. It is assumed
in this case that a gnoll shaman who
scourges himself to zero hit points does
not die but simply falls unconscious; a
strike with a whip does 1 hp damage.

In return for these tests, the shamans
receive the power to automatically command
up to two ghouls per level, drawing
these creatures into the shaman?s service.
Many gnoll shamans do away with gnoll
bodyguards in favor of these loyal pets
instead. Gnoll shamans need not roll dice
to wrest control of ghouls from clerics of
other deities; their deity?s relationship
with ghouls automatically empowers them
to control these creatures. Gnoll shamans
are also allowed to choose negative plane
protection as a third-level spell.

Goblins and hobgoblins
Goblin and hobgoblin shamans both
worship Maglubiyet in his giant goblin
form. The deity treats both races in the
same manner. At each monthly ceremony,
these shamans must sacrifice the living
hearts of two levels or hit dice worth of
foes per level of the shaman. It is vital to
note that these foes must possess souls
(spirits of animal life energy will not do);
the Mighty One accepts nothing less. Failure
to give proper sacrifices causes the
shaman?s spells and extra hit points to flee
him in the next battle, never to return.
[Humans, dwarves, gnomes, halflings, and
half-elves are assumed to have souls; elves,
half-orcs, and other beings do not.]

To gain levels, the shaman must sacrifice
the still-beating heart of a human warrior
of a level equal to or greater than that
which the shaman hopes to gain. The
sacrifice must have been personally
defeated in combat by the shaman or by
use of the shaman?s magic.

Maglubiyet?s shamans may not use healing
spells. This includes any spell with
cure as part of its title, and includes neutralize
poison as well. Goblin and hobgoblin
shamans are free to use the reverses of
these spells, as well as a few combat spells
which Maglubiyet approves of: command,
spiritual hammer, and sticks to snakes. In
addition, those shamans who survive to
5th level are granted immunity to fear ?
even fear of a magical sort. It is said that
the Mighty One absolutely refuses to see
his shamans flee from fights.

Kobolds
Kobold shamans gain more from their
position than any other humanoid shamans,
for the extra hit points they receive
put them far beyond their peers in survivability.
As a result, Kurtulmak puts his
shamans through rigorous tests.

Kurtulmak?s shamans must personally
slay the leader or subleader of all groups
of foes that the shaman?s band attacks.
Shamans may use magic as well as weapons
to accomplish this. For whatever reason,
one failure permanently freezes a
shaman at his current level. Two failures
permanently strip a kobold shaman of all
powers and extra hit points.

Kobold shamans must sacrifice gnomes
to gain levels, the gnomes possessing as
many levels between them as the shaman,
plus one level for the level which the
shaman is trying to gain. To gain final
power (5th level), individual shamans must
personally hunt down and capture the
gnomes to be sacrificed. Any means to this
end, including magical items, spells, and
poisons, are acceptable, but the shaman
must do the capturing alone and unaided
by others. Failure or cheating at this
endeavor permanently strips a kobold
shaman of all power.

Upon attaining 5th level, kobold shamans
are granted a unique ability: the
power to find traps (as per the secondlevel
clerical spell of that name). This
ability is permanent and is granted as a
natural extension of the race?s love of
traps and ambushes. For this reason, a
high-ranking kobold shaman is often
found in the front of his band when entering
new territory. This ability works constantly
without concentration, and it is in
addition to the shaman?s regular spell load.

Lizard men
The worshipers of Semuanya are found
only among civilized groups of lizard men,
as the barbaric lizard men do not follow
the gods code of neutrality. Shamans of
the deity are not tested, although they are
required to sacrifice 10% of all hunting
trophies taken by the tribe. Civilized lizard
men do not consider humans and demihumans
to be hunting trophies, and generally
either let them go or hold them for
ransom.

Semuanya?s shamans strive for the emotionless
reptilian ideal and are granted
immunity from spells which play on the
emotions (such as fear-related attacks,
symbols of hopelessness or discord, and
confusion spells). Furthermore, these
shamans may attempt to dispel the effects
of any emotion-influencing attack by
touching the afflicted creature. The target
then receives another saving throw versus
the effect at +4 on the roll. Lizard-man
shamans may use this power once per
melee round any number of times per day.
As with powers bestowed upon other
shamans by their deities, this calming
ability is a bonus.

Locathah and mermen
Shamans of the locathah and merman
races worship the same form of Eadro and
are treated equally by the deity. Locathah
shamans are limited to lower levels than
mermen simply because they tend to be
more coldly logical than mermen and have
difficulty placing faith in an unseen deity.
Shamans of these races are ignored by
their deity for the greater part and need
make no sacrifices. Shamans gain levels
automatically and need pass no tests
except to have faith.

Eadro?s shamans are forbidden the use
of spells which involve fire, even spells
which provide protection from that element.
For compensation, locathah and
merman shamans are allowed to choose
precipitation and cloudburst spells to use
against fire-wielding surface foes. In addition,
certain outstanding shamans of maximum
level (about 5% of the total) are
given an enchanted conch shell by Eadro.
This shell summons an 8-HD water elemental
when blown. The elemental arrives
the next round and stays for up to one
hour or until destroyed. It will battle on its
own, requiring no concentration from the
shaman. Such shells are usable only by
maximum-level shamans of Eadro and are
not even magical in the hands of other
beings.

Ogres and trolls
Ogre and troll. shamans worship Vaprak
every time they kill something, and thus
are not required to make formal sacrifices.
When gaining a level, shamans of Vaprak
must seek out and slay a creature of their
own size and power (rival members of
their own tribe will do). This combat must
be done without the aid of magic and by
using only natural body weaponry. Shamans
who break these rules immediately
lose all spells and extra hit points. In many
cases, these shamans are slain by their
own tribes.

There is a 2% chance in any battle that
Vaprak grants berserk fury to one of his
shamans, as noted on page 96 in DEITIES & DEMIGODS. The deity grants no other favors
to its shamans. Shamans of Vaprak are
forbidden the use of any healing and
curative spells, though the reverse applications
are encouraged.

Orcs
The relationship between orcish sha-
mans and their minor deities is covered in
the Best of DRAGON® Magazine Anthology,
volume III, in "The gods of the orcs." The
only deity whose shamans are not
described is Gruumsh; the shamans discussed
here belong to that deity.

Orcish shamans in the service of Gruumsh
are highly favored by that deity in his effort
to outdo other deities, but the price for
office is high. These shamans are allowed to
keep only half their loot, sacrificing the rest
to the deity. In addition, these shamans must
make monthly blood sacrifices to Gruumsh,
these being five levels or hit dice worth of
creatures (animals are acceptable) per level
of the shaman. Failure to meet this quota
strips the shaman of one level per incident.
If the shaman reaches zero level through
such failure, he is used as a sacrifice by
other shamans during the next ceremony.
Levels lost due to failure can be regained by
further conquest.

Orcish shamans of Gruumsh can never
lose a personal battle upon pain of instant
death from above. If the shaman?s tribe
loses a battle, the shaman loses a level as
noted earlier.

To gain a level, an orcish shaman must
first battle any other orc who wants his
position in a combat to the death. The
winner of this fight either leaves with
levels intact or has earned the right to
begin training as a 1st-level shaman. Once
challengers are dealt with, the shaman
must then slay in combat a creature with
levels or hit dice equal to his own. These
battles come one after the other in one
long ceremony, and the use of spells and
magical items (other than acceptable magical
weapons, or those types used by most
orcs) is forbidden.

Gruumsh?s shamans are not allowed to
use curative spells of any sort on others,
restricting such cures to themselves. The
reverse applications are highly encouraged.
As compensation for these rigors,
Gruumsh grants two favors to his shamans.
First, when hit points are rolled,
two hit points are added to each level?s
roll. This extra favor from the deity gives
orcish shamans of Gruumsh a large advantage
in battle and encourages them to
melee. Second, Gruumsh?s shamans are
extensively trained with weapons; allowing
them to fight as full-fledged fighters of
equal level. They have thus earned a reputation
as fierce foes and are feared by
most other humanoid races. Finally, certain
shamans of Gruumsh are so outstanding
in their destructive tendencies that the
deity rewards each of them with a magical
iron spear. In the hands of an orcish shaman,
this weapon acts as a spear +4
(hand-held, not thrown); this weapon is
nonmagical to all other creatures. If an elf
touches such a weapon, he or she receives
5-10 hp burn damage with no saving
throw, and must drop the weapon. There
is a 5% chance for any maximum-level
shaman of Gruumsh to own such a spear.
These weapons are not granted to lower level
shamans.

Sahuagin
Sahuagin shamans follow a savage code
which results in small numbers of shamans
among the race. These shamans are
allowed no bodyguards and must protect
themselves during battles. Furthermore,
they are expected to be in the forefront of
all attacks made by their tribe, fighting
next to the war leaders. Sahuagin shamans
can move up in rank only by slaying their
immediate superior and thus must be
ready to fight to retain their own positions.
Battles for rank are fought with
tooth and claw only; no weapons or magic
are allowed.

In addition, sahuagin shamans must
sacrifice foes worth three levels or hit dice
per level of the shaman per month. Since
ceremonies are irregular, shamans may
save their quotas until a ceremony is performed.
However, failure to sacrifice the
proper amount of foes at this time will see
the shaman fed to the sacred sharks
instead.

Within a sahuagin tribe, 75% of the
shamans are of the four-armed variety. To
these shamans, Sekolah grants the ability
to cast spells with one pair of arms and
conduct melee with the other pair. This
may continue as long as the shaman is not
hit. As soon as the shaman is damaged,
spell-casting ability is lost-until the shaman
can pull out of melee and regain concentration.
This ability also allows these special
shamans the ability to hurl or fire
missiles and cast spells simultaneously.

At 5th level, four-armed sahuagin shamans
are put through a tortuous ceremony
which deadens their nerves, making
the shamans virtually resistant to pain.
Shamans of this level may melee and cast
spells even after hit, as a result of this
ceremony and the will of Sekolah. No
other abilities come from this ceremony.
Symbols of pain do not affect them.

2-armed sahuagin shamans gain no
special benefits and generally do not live
long. They perform minor functions and
act as cannon fodder for the more important
four-armed shamans.

Troglodytes
Shamans of Laogzed have a relatively
easy life, for their deity generally ignores
them. They make one sacrifice per year,
involving the burning of humans with
total levels equal to the shaman?s levels.
This quota is not difficult to meet; failure
merely strips all clerical abilities until such
time as the quota is met.

To gain levels, a troglodyte shaman sacrifices
all of its earthly belongings, often
tossing in a bonus human or two for good
measure. Larger sacrifices are not rewarded,
but withholding some item or items
earns the shaman a painful death as soon
as Laogzed catches the offender (which 
occurs within a few months, usually). 

Shamans of Laogzed may not use fire
spells (that is, resist fire and flame walk),
but they may learn cloudburst and create
water if they so desire.

Witch doctors and deities
As, noted earlier, witch doctors are alienated
from their humanoid deities by their
desire to use magic more than brute force.
Because of this, witch doctors are forced
to worship all sorts of demons, devils,
daemons, and various evil human and
demi-human deities for their powers.
There is no way to give specific examples
of deity interactions for witch doctors,
since there are so many different sorts of
worshiped beings, but there are a few
common rules which apply to all.

1. Any entity which a witch doctor worships
is extremely powerful, for when
such an entity supports a humanoid witch
doctor it is directly snubbing the humanoid
deities. Therefore, the entity must be a
Prince or Lord among demons, an Arch-
Devil among devils, a Greater daemon, or
a deity of at least Lesser God status. For
neutral shamans, the greater Hierarch
Modrons occasionally support worshipers
on the Prime Material plane, and there are
a few solars venturous enough to sponsor
the rare, good-aligned witch doctors.
These entities take a great deal of interest
in their witch doctors, since they have few
worshipers on the Prime Material plane.
As a result, they tend to grant more
powers to their witch doctors in order to
increase their power on that plane. These
entities grant spells freely and often let
unworthy sacrifices get by, as long as the
witch doctor is actively furthering the
patron?s ends. Beings like these are liberal
with gifts and spells outside the lists. Many
allow their witch doctors to affect the
undead, depending upon the entity?s realm
of influence and alignment. In addition,
these beings tend to give out minor magical
items to deserving witch doctors much
more frequently than humanoid deities
reward their shamans.

Finally, witch doctors may call upon
divine aid from their deities, whereas a
shaman would never dare admit weakness
in this manner. If a witch doctor is in a
situation where he will die, his pleas for
aid have a 1% chance per clerical level of
being answered. An answer to these pleas
usually involves the worshiped being
sending servants to aid the witch doctor,
although the patron occasionally simply
teleports the shaman to safety. The patron
never risks itself by appearing to aid its
witch doctor, regardless of the witch doctor
?s level and power. A false alarm when
praying for divine aid earns an immediate
and gruesome death for the witch doctor,
so most witch doctors are careful to be
certain that death is at hand before trying
this final option.

Final notes
Humanoid spell-casters are an exciting
opponent for any party to face, for they
add an element of unpredictability and
freshness to familiar foes. Even a mid-level
party can be hard-pressed by a shaman or
witch doctor with unusual spells and
magical items, and lower-level parties may
find these NPCs to be much more challenging
than random hack-and-slash encounters.
The addition of a few spells from
Unearthed Arcana and from outside the
lists <shaman, witch doctor> as given in the DMG 
should give pause to those players who have the DMG memorized,
and will add new twists to those
campaigns where the DM has already
made use of humanoid spell-casters. The
DM can have plotting spell-casters weave
intricate plots for clever PCs to unravel
and can center entire adventures around
famous humanoid spell-casters. With a
great understanding of the motivations
and desires of the humanoid spell-caster,
the DM will be able to create many wellconceived,
interesting NPCs of this sort to
use and remember.

[Other articles that may be of use to
DMs in developing shamans and witch
doctors include: "The half-orc point of
view" and "The gods of the orcs," from the
Best of DRAGON Magazine Anthology, Vol.
III; "The humanoids," from the Best of
DRAGON Magazine Anthology, Vol. V; and
"The Citadel by the Sea," in DRAGON issue
#78.]