SR4 Totem Thread, Totems that have been ignored/neglected/wtf? Options

[The Jake]

Scorpion totems and the Anasazi. Has anyone done a 4E conversion on them?

- J.

[Daddy's Litt...]

I think it is interesting that in the basic book Coyote is not included, but it is listed as an example in text-"You tell a coyote shaman he can't take a two hour lunch."

[Warlordtheft]

I think alot of the 4e mentor spirits (like coyote shaman) are bundled with similar totems (ala trickster covering Raven and Loki), which also covers other mentor spirits of different traditions.

[Bearclaw]

I loved the Racoon Shaman.

[paws2sky]

I did conversions for a bunch of the missing/neglected totems...
I'll see if I can find the notebook.

-paws

[GreyBrother]

Trickster is just another mask of the Coyote (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[kanislatrans]

"Coyote cannot be bound by numbers and rules for it is his nature to question the ways. He is the change incarnate and will shift like a shadow the second you think you understand him or his actions. He does things for his own reasons and sometimes for no reason. That is the way of Grandfather Coyote."- Tailchaser, Coyote Adept- (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

[Dr Funfrock]

Yeah, you don't exactly need to "convert" old totems per se. Just find a totem with stats that fit what you want, and rename it. I mean the book specifically includes examples of how to adapt existing totems to whatever fits your tradition.

[Glyph]

The original Coyote and Moon Maiden would be pointless in SR4, since they offered no bonuses or penalties. They were mainly there for people who wanted to play shamans without a lot of overly restrictive behavioral modifiers (since totems were mandatory for shamans in SR3).

[AllTheNothing]

I don't know if it existed but I would like to see a fox mentor spirit.

Something like
The fox is a cunning hunter and a survivor who preferes to outwitt the opposition rather than relying on direct confrontation; she's also a loner, charming but never ready to completely open hers heart to the other, and never completely trusting the other as well.

Bunuses:
+2 to Detection spells, +2 to Illusion spells
Penalities:
-1 to combat spells, -1 to spirit of the man

[Rasumichin]

I don't know if it existed but I would like to see a fox mentor spirit.

Something like
The fox is a cunning hunter and a survivor who preferes to outwitt the opposition rather than relying on direct confrontation; she's also a loner, charming but never ready to completely open hers heart to the other, and never completely trusting the other as well.

Bunuses:
+2 to Detection spells, +2 to Illusion spells
Penalities:
-1 to combat spells, -1 to spirit of the man

One of the penalties would be enough when you compare it to the other mentors.
I'd go for the combat spells personally.

Otherwise, sounds good, even though i'd tend towards making it a variation of the trickster archetype, as the mythical Reynard, Reinecke and Kitsune all come very close to this.

Damn, this would mean that fox and racoon are lumped together under one handle.
Maybe i'll try to come up with something that comes closer to the accident-prone version of racoon i have in mind.

[i101]

@AllTheNothing: I like your conversation of Fox.

Here we go with Coyote:

Coyote the Trickster is a uniquely North American totem. He is unpredictable and ever-changing; bold one minute, cowardly the next. Old Man Coyote can be a friend or a deceiver. He is intensely curious and fond of taking risks just for the fun of it. Coyote shamans are independent and refuse to be bound by anything then their word. They live their own rules, surviving on wit and charm.

Advantages:
+2 to Manipulation spells, +2 to one Influence Skill of his Choice.
Disadvantages:
Coyote Shamans have issues with authority. If the Coyote Shaman is given orders or instructions which do not match his own desires and intentions, he must make a Willpower + Charisma (3) Test or refuse the order, going with his own decision instead, regardless of the consequences.

Like GreyBrother said 'Trickster is just another mask of the Coyote', for that reason I gave him the same Disadvantages. Regarding the advantages I think that Manipulation spells and the Social boni fit Coyote the best.

[Hagga]

I very much miss the Fenrir and Gargoyle idols. They both gave opportunities for hilarious situations.

[AllTheNothing]

One of the penalties would be enough when you compare it to the other mentors.
I'd go for the combat spells personally.

Otherwise, sounds good, even though i'd tend towards making it a variation of the trickster archetype, as the mythical Reynard, Reinecke and Kitsune all come very close to this.

Damn, this would mean that fox and racoon are lumped together under one handle.
Maybe i'll try to come up with something that comes closer to the accident-prone version of racoon i have in mind.

I don't know.... the trickster has that prank habit that (in my opinion) doesn't fit quite right, also the dice bonus to Con tests is good but the fox is more about outwitting than conning (again my opinion), in nature foxes are opportunistic predators (well they will eat things like berries but they are mainly carnivores) so they have to have keen senses, so the dices bonus to detection spells, and being relatively small sized they have to use them to avoid to be preyed on by stronger predators (such as wolves), from this tendence to avoid direct confrontation comes the combat spell penality; the reason of the penality to the spirits of the man is the innate fear/hostility that foxes show toward humans, but you are right the combat spells penality alone will do (I have also recently learned that the fennec, the desert fox, even if unruly can be taken as a pet and is quite friendly toward humans).

[AllTheNothing]

I very much miss the Fenrir and Gargoyle idols. They both gave opportunities for hilarious situations.

Gargoyle?
Anyway isn't Fenrir the norse version of a toxic spirit of the wolf (also what a let down, the wolf spirit does nothing for adepts).

[GreyBrother]

Fenrir would be more the the Norse Version of Wolf, nothing Toxic there just much wilder.

[Hagga]

Mythic totems, not idols. Sorry.

Fenrir:
Fearless and aggressive, Fenrir can be quite murderous as well. He is vicious and ill-tempered and will hunt down any who offend him. Fenrir shamans are mean and ruthless individuals who have a disturbing tendency to treat others like their next meal. Fenrir shamans are overconfident and brutal, fearing almost nothing.
Environment: Forests
Advantages: +3 dice for combat spells, +1 die for forest spirits
Disadvantages: FEnrir shamans must make a Willpower ((IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif) Test to back down or flee from any confrontation. If wounded, a Fenrir Shaman goes berserk in the same manner as a Bear shaman.

Gargoyle:
A creature of living stone, Gargoyle is patient, able to remain motionless for hours, silently observing. He is a fierce fighter, willing to wait and watch for the ideal moment to strike and rend his prey. From his silent perch high above the city, Garogyle sees much and knowsd the value of knowledge. Gargoyle shamans prefer to carefully observe and gather information before making a move, planning their actions for maximum advantage. They refuse to act hastily and retreat if caught unaware, to plot their nexdt move.
Environment: Urban
Advantages: +1 die for detection and illusion spells, +2 dice for city spirits.
Disadvantages: -1 die for spirits of the waters. Gargoyle shamans must lve in either a skyscraper or castlelikestructure, which usually reqwuires a high or luxury lifestyle. Their homes always featuer some sort of accessible perch, walkway or balcony near the roof.

One of our players did a Pheonix shaman once, too. She played up the creative aspect really well.

[Rasumichin]

Mythic totems, not idols. Sorry.

Fenrir:
Fearless and aggressive, Fenrir can be quite murderous as well. He is vicious and ill-tempered and will hunt down any who offend him. Fenrir shamans are mean and ruthless individuals who have a disturbing tendency to treat others like their next meal. Fenrir shamans are overconfident and brutal, fearing almost nothing.
Environment: Forests
Advantages: +3 dice for combat spells, +1 die for forest spirits
Disadvantages: FEnrir shamans must make a Willpower ((IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif) Test to back down or flee from any confrontation. If wounded, a Fenrir Shaman goes berserk in the same manner as a Bear shaman.

Gargoyle:
A creature of living stone, Gargoyle is patient, able to remain motionless for hours, silently observing. He is a fierce fighter, willing to wait and watch for the ideal moment to strike and rend his prey. From his silent perch high above the city, Garogyle sees much and knowsd the value of knowledge. Gargoyle shamans prefer to carefully observe and gather information before making a move, planning their actions for maximum advantage. They refuse to act hastily and retreat if caught unaware, to plot their nexdt move.
Environment: Urban
Advantages: +1 die for detection and illusion spells, +2 dice for city spirits.
Disadvantages: -1 die for spirits of the waters. Gargoyle shamans must lve in either a skyscraper or castlelikestructure, which usually reqwuires a high or luxury lifestyle. Their homes always featuer some sort of accessible perch, walkway or balcony near the roof.

One of our players did a Pheonix shaman once, too. She played up the creative aspect really well.

SR4 mentors always give two +2 modifiers.
If you want to keep your homegrown mentors in line with existing ones, you may want to redistribute some of the modifiers.
As far as the forest spirits are concerned, there's no such thing in SR4 either.
You may want to go for Beast spirits.
Or probably either Beast or Plant spirits (player has to pick one).
Or Guardian?

[GreyBrother]

Actually, he just copypastaed the Magic in the Shadows descriptions of the Idols, i think.

[Hagga]

He typed it from MITS. He has a very old, dog eared copy. He does not find homebrew amusing. He does not count it as canon. He does type in third person.

[AllTheNothing]

He typed it from MITS. He has a very old, dog eared copy. He does not find homebrew amusing. He does not count it as canon. He does type in third person.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/question.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/eek.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Giulio Cesare's relative or something like that?