Nah. Though Wulf agrees, I agree with Jane's point, and I think Mark G is on the ball... though mayhaps hasn't had a go at munchkining an Animist.
I recently had to make a Newtling animist character to join a high "level" group (or should I say high"W" whats the correct HW phrase?), but as a starting character. I had to really munchinise my 100 words to get the most out of it... but I still spent all my time in the healers tent.
> From: "Mark Galeotti <mark_at_...>"
> animist character can have integrated one spirit (for unlimited use
> talent magic) for every 2 fetishes given up in chargen (HW p213), so
> we could be talking 2 unlimited-use magics + 1 one-use vs 3 u-u-
> magics. An imbalance, sure, but not so severe. And talents can then
> be increased at a rate of 1HP/pt instead of the 3HP affinities cost.
>
> (a) The 100 word approach allows you to completely reshape the base
> template. One initiate might have his 3 affinities and little more,
> an animist might use some of those words and start off with an array
> of fetishes and talents.
Including magics not normally available... I took "Resist Arts", and a couple of passion spirits... they are REALLY GOOD. Say take Hate Uz^2, Hate Tail-Eater^2... then I get an Auto 4 augment n all tail-eating Uz (lets face it, they all do it!), and a ^2 aug vs some Solar and Lunar types.
> (b) It's not about raw power.
> the game works just as well at this power level, and we can still have a
blast.
I play an New Initiate level game, where we had to buy our first Affinity, and couple only gain new ones by questing or on the H.H. Day rituals.
> (c) An Animist can potentially be a lot more flexible -An Orlanth-
> Worshipping Theist will never be able to do Ernalda like magic wheras
> a Kolat Shaman can still capture Earth Spirits, and even bring them
> into his own tradition...
Or "Trollish", "Healing", or "Hell" magic, or "travel sprit realm", or "return from death". Animists always stuck me as the least hard done by of the magic users. Sorserers tend to suck eggs. Give me six months and my animist character will wipe the floor with any other PC, because he is versatile, quick to aquire and master new magic and has more friends outside our hero-band (The Mudbrothers no-less). His abilities are an unknown
> (d) a Spirit can be a source of AP's as well as an Augment, so
> allthough it can be used less often, it can be more powerful when
> actually used...
Oooo yah, and lets not forget the Fetch. Fighting spirits for a shaman becomes soo easy that with only on shaman the PC group will pretty quickly end up with a truck load of fetishes. Shamans can unbalance a game more quickly that anyone esle if not watched and controlled very quickly... um... say, that fetich requires a Pheonix feather and Gon Ortas Toe-jam to finish off. Spirits are choosy about where they will stay, and when they will reurn. If you wish to inprove your tradition knowledge my young apprentice, you must travel to the leaping place and enter the endless falls on the spirit realm to convers with the Skyfall. Damn!
I like animists. Shaman Newtz Rule. Shaman Uz Eatzem.
Pete
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