Wilderness Shamans, Where do they fit in the shadows? Options

[Phasma Felis]

Do shamans following wilderness totems often show up as PCs in Shadowrun games, and if so, how are they justified, given that most campaigns are primarily urban? I have trouble seeing a wilderness shaman immersing themselves in urban culture to the degree necessary to get involved in shadowrunning work. Obviously, they have plenty of utility as NPCs or one-shot guest PCs on wilderness visits, or as long-term PCs in nonstandard campaigns--just for example, I can easily see a Lion shaman as part of a merc group specializing in jungle ops. But do they ever come up in "normal" play?

[252]

Currently I have a Horse Druid(Basicly a Shaman), and this guy is wilderness. However he hates urban and a lot of polution. Though he doesn't whine about it. He knows that horse needs him to do things for the betterment of the world. So he has to go and deal with big cities fine. Just make sure he can get out into the wilderness every once and a while. I'm having a harder time in game trying to persaude the players from constantly getting into a nother run.

These guys don't take time to do a thing on the side. I have a bunch of problems with their mechanics. Some of them have a problem with how many books that I myself read on Shadowrun. I find they to be completely crappy with most of their facts about Shadowrun(I don't like one of them has read through the SRIII book yet, besides the GM. The GM is good though, me and him have a serious collection.)

[Siege]

Totems are not exclusively bound by geographic location so it's not impossible to find Lion (for example) in the deep, urban hell of New York.

Shark could show up in the middle of Arizona. The shaman would probably move closer to water post haste, given the new massive water influence on his life.

If the shaman wanted to fully utilize the world open to him, I suppose.

-Siege

[TinkerGnome]

When you say Wilderness shaman, do you mean "a shaman following a wilderness totem" or "a shaman utilizing the nature spirit summoning bonuses found in MitS for giving up the ability to summon urban spirits"? The former are not uncommon, the later are.

[Phasma Felis]

[FlakJacket]

We've had them in the past. Basically lived out in the Salish-Shidhe countryside and commuted in to Seattle when there was a job on. Hell, even had one PC that commuted in by bullet-train from Vancouver. :)

[TinkerGnome]

[RangerJoe]

Depending on precisely what you think has happened to the area West Seattle, you may find that many nature totem followers can get the fix they need in what is left of Olympic national park. I will be playing a follower of Mountain in an upcoming game which I believe will be set in Seattle. It is my hope that he can retreat to the craggy wilderness to commune every now and then. Otherwise, he'll just move back to Cheyenne.

I agree with Siege that some "nature" totems may still manifest in urban areas. A mountain shaman could find some peace atop an urban tower. He should be unsuprised, though, when he feels "out of his element" when summoning city spirits.

[RangerJoe]

Also, don't forget the joys of astral projection. Nature shamans tend to feel "more at home" in areas favored by their totems. They can easily visit most of these places for at least a few hours, by projecting there.

Face: I hear New England is lovely this time of year.
Lobster Shaman: Especially on the astral!

[Kagetenshi]

As a Bostonian who has spent large amounts of time in Maine, the thought of a Lobster shaman is either horribly, horribly amusing or horribly, horribly disturbing.
More likely both.

~J

[Siege]

With a side of lemon.

-Siege

[Sphynx]

Don't forget also, there's so much more to SR than just Corp. Pick up the latest books like Threats, SOTA, and YotC. More happens outside the city than inside these days. ;)

Sphynx

[Siege]

Corps seem to have this absurd fondness for locating ultra-secret research facilities in the middle of nowhere.

-Siege