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<blockquote data-quote="Libertad" data-source="post: 8310659" data-attributes="member: 6750502"><p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/3CUcxJn.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p> <p style="text-align: center"><strong>Chapter 6, Part 2: the Mudang Class</strong></p><p></p><p>Also known as shamans, mudang are mortals whose souls bond with spirits. This decision is rarely made by the mortal, and as such most mudang ‘come into’ their powers rather than through study or training. The bonding process opens up the shaman to the spirit realms, making them better able to better draw upon their power. The spirit-bonding process is a very painful experience, and a lot of mudang are impacted by some form of trauma. But spirits rarely choose a mortal vessel without long consideration, and go out of their way to find those whose personality and goals align with their own.</p><p></p><p>As a 5th Edition class, mudang are sort of like warlocks albeit they aren’t entirely spontaneous casters and “prepare” their spells via convening with spirit types. They have a d8 Hit Die, are close to wizards in weapon and armor proficiency, are proficient in Wisdom and Charisma saves, and choose 2 skills from a list of knowledgeable/insightful options. At 1st level they have an unarmoured AC equal to 10 their Charisma modifier (but no Dexterity). They can use shields to add to this value, but they don’t start with shield proficiency by default. Also at first level they can cast spells with the ritual tag as rituals.</p><p></p><p>Mudang use Charisma as their spellcasting ability, and every long rest they can select a number of common and/or uncommon spirits to prepare. Said spirits are themed around particular elements and concepts, allowing the mudang to spontaneously cast their listed spells via Kutt* Slots. Like warlocks they have a maximum slot level of 5th, but there are greater spirits (Daeshin and Daegam) who can grant access to 6+ level spells at 11th and 17th levels respectively. A Daeshin can also be summoned to command Common Spirits, and Daegam can be summoned to Command Uncommon Spirits. Both choices can either grant the ability to multicast 3 common/uncommon spirit spells as part of the same action, or take command of up to 3 of said spirits who are treated as charmed towards the mudang and their allies.</p><p></p><p>*term for a spell cast through a spirit.</p><p></p><p>A mudang can prepare 2 types of Spirits at 1st level, and prepare more as they level up, all the way up to 9 spirits at 20th level. They have 2-12 spell slots to cast kutt from Common spirits (1st-2nd level spells) depending on their level, and starting at 5th they gain 2 Uncommon spirit kutt slots (3rd-5th level spells) which are tracked separately, and can gain up to 5 of those slots at 11th level. At 11th to 15th level they can summon a Daeshin 1-3 times per long rest for a spell and/or service, and at 17th and 19th level they can summon a Daegim 1-2 times. As Common and Uncommon spirits grant access to 3-4 spells each on average, mudang are akin to very versatile warlocks. They must draw upon tightly-themed magic, but as they gain levels they have a generous list of choices as to what spells they can cast from said themes.</p><p></p><p>At 2nd level the Mudang adds double their proficiency bonus on Insight and Persuasion checks when interacting with spirits. Also at this level they gain access to a subclass reflective of the initial spirit who bonded with their soul. They have one of the five elements to choose from as a subclass, and they can spend a kutt slot to gain a Momju’s* Blessing which grants a specific effect based on the element. If the Blessing matches their elemental affinity the mudang can cast it for as many slots as they have but non-affiliated choices are limited by long rests. At 3rd level they can pass this Blessing on to their allies once per short or long rest. The Blessings are Tang (gain temporary HP and more temp HP whenever an effect grants it), Būl (AC boost or minimum AC value), Mūl (restore HP and increase HP maximum), Gongi (increase speed), and Maheum (allow touched ally to “take 10-13” on a d20 roll). The values of said Blessings increase with level. At 18th level the mudang always benefits from their affiliated elemental blessing, and at 20th level they can use other affinities an infinite number of times on themselves and their allies.</p><p></p><p>*term for spirit.</p><p></p><p>Beyond the Blessings, Spiritual Affinities grant more abilities both initial and at later levels. Each one grants the choice of two themed cantrips (+2 more at higher levels) and a unique cantrip spell the mudang always has access to, among other options. Tang is all about the enduring bounty of the earth, granting proficiency in simple melee weapons, shields, a single set of artisan’s tools, and its unique cantrip allows the mudang to mold and shape conjured earth, gain temporary HP, and deal bonus bludgeoning damage equal to their remaining temporary HP. At 6th level they can create large and sustainable domes and pillars of earth, at 10th they gain advantage on all checks to avoid being forcefully moved and can treat themselves as 3,000 pounds heavier, and at 14th level they gain 5 temporary HP whenever they have 0 temporary HP.</p><p></p><p>Būl represents the beautiful yet deadly power of fire, and grants proficiency in light and medium armor as well as all simple weapons along with some martial ones. Its unique cantrip envelops the caster in a fiery aura that adds additional fire damage to their next weapon or fire-based damaging attacks and can also deal burn enemies as a reaction. At 6th level they grant a touched target advantage on attack rolls and end the frightened condition, at 10th they gain resistance to fire damage and automatically deal damage to creatures grappling and touching them, and can raise their body temperature to 100 degrees Celsius. No game stats for this last part, though. At 14th level they can create an even more powerful aura that gives similar boons of the prior class features to allies, but at higher values.</p><p></p><p>Mūl symbolifies water and is favored by healers and traders. Its unique cantrip summons magical waters to swirl around a target, which can alternately empower healing magic to heal more damage, deal cold damage, or move light unattended objects. At 6th level they can impose a debuff via a touch by soothing a target’s emotions, which in combat applies disadvantage on relevant actions and out of combat increases the target’s impression of the caster (hostile to neutral, neutral to charmed). At 10th level the caster can take the Disengage action as a bonus action, can treat occupied hostile squares as difficult terrain while doing so, and can lower their internal body temperature to 0 degrees Celsius. At 14th level they can create an aura of cold that creates difficult terrain, grants resistance to cold damage, and can choose alternatively to prevent targets from healing damage or healing damage to a target as a reaction.</p><p></p><p>Gongi is favored by travelers who go wherever the winds take them, and is also favored by exorcists due to said element’s association with transitioning beyond the mortal coil. Their unique cantrip summons up winds which allow for short-term flight and the Disengage action as well as imposing magical slashing damage on a reaction. At 6th level they can generate a 10 foot radius of updrafts which can make creatures and objects hover in the air. At 10th level they can take the Dash action as a bonus action, at 0 hit points they can still move while unconscious as their bonded spirit possesses them, and can choose to weigh only 1 pound and take reduced fall damage when in such a state. At 14th level they can spend a reaction to treat a 0 HP creature as conscious and hold off their need to make death saving throws. Damage taken in this state forces such a save rather than auto-failing it.</p><p></p><p>Maehum is strongly associated with divination, and its practitioners often adopt fatalist attitudes and have a fondness for the Dallaenuen mushrooms. Their unique cantrip chooses two creatures for its effects: whenever one either makes an opposed roll or damages the other, the caster can have the roll/damage increased or reduced by a small yet noticeable amount as a reaction on the part of the mudang. At 6th level they can blow magical smoke onto a nearby creature, suppressing one condition for 1 minute. And a wide variety to choose from, ranging from blind to charm to incapacitated to 1 level of exhaustion! At 10th level they can roll initiative twice and choose the better result, and can shapeshift to appear anywhere from an adolescent to an elder version of themselves. At 14th level the mudang can touch a creature, connecting the two souls via an immaterial red string. Neither can drop unconscious or roll death saving throws due to being at 0 HP unless both are, but any extra damage dealt to one of the affected parties carries over to the other. They also share the same results of death saving throws, where collectively reaching 3 successes or failures results in stabilization/death.</p><p></p><p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/XIqkXtA.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>Our section ends with 6 new mudang-related feats. One of them, Kutt Initiate, teaches the character a unique subclass spell and a single common spirit’s kutt spells cast at their lowest level. The rest of the feats key to one of the elemental Blessings, adding higher results as well as unique boons: Tang allows an ally to gain the AC bonus, Maheum forces a hostile opponent to replace a d20 roll with a 10-7, etc.</p><p></p><p>The Pathfinder version for the class is similar, although they have a good Fortitude and poor Reflex and Will saves, a notable departure from the 5e’s mind over matter. The conversions make some changes in places, like the class adding their Charisma bonus to their AC and a value from 0 to 5 based on level or the Tang subclass’ tool proficiency treating one Craft skill as a class skill. This may sound useless, but the Mudang is unique in that it doesn’t have Craft as a class skill.* The class casts in a similar manner, preparing particular spirits but casting spontaneously from the spirit’s spells.</p><p></p><p>*This is rather peculiar, as it’s industry standard for Craft to be a class skill for every class in official Pathfinder material. Same for Profession, with Barbarians being the odd class out in not getting it.</p><p></p><p>The OSR version is similar, although it is proficient in a shield right off the bat rather than getting it through a subclass, and its Prime Requisite is Charisma and either Dexterity (Būl) or Wisdom (other affinities). They attack as Magic-users but save and progress experience-wise as Clerics, and their method of spellcasting employs the similar “prepare spirits, cast your choice of spells through them” method which makes them rather spontaneous in their fields of expertise. They add their Charisma modifier as an AC bonus, which can be problematic as said score in OSR games doesn’t have a modifier by default but has modifiers for things such as NPC Reactions. Maybe that’s what was meant, but it’s not clear. Their elemental blessings are a bit lower-powered, such as Tang giving a flat +2 on saves vs spells and Gongi +10 feet to their movement rate.</p><p></p><p>There’s also something interesting that OSR Mudangs can do and the other systems can’t: When calling upon a Daeshin or Daegam spirit, they can capture a fragment of a Common or Uncommon spirit’s essence, adding them to the Mudang’s roster of bound spirits above and beyond the limitations of their class level. This still has the “GM’s Discretion” clause to it, indicating it’s not something that can be done regularly.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/TsjIs81.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p> <p style="text-align: center"><strong>Chapter 8: Spirit List</strong></p><p></p><p><strong>Note:</strong> For those curious, Chapter 7 was Equipment and Magic Items, covered in my previous post.</p><p></p><p>As much as I’d like to make a judgment now, we can’t really touch upon the Mudang’s true power without covering this section. The spirits are something akin to cleric deity domains. Spirits are grouped into the five elemental categories, and further split between Common and Uncommon. Every element has 5 Common and 6 Uncommon spirits, which cover a broad variety of phenomena but aren’t meant to be an end-all be-all exhaustive list. Each spirit has an alignment and 2-4 themed spells* which the mudang can call upon. Generally speaking, Common spirits’ spells are 1st and 2nd level, while the spells of Uncommon spirits range from 3rd to 5th.</p><p></p><p>*a spirit with 2 is rare, and most have 3 to 4.</p><p></p><p>Preferred Jesa is also listed, which is good for making negotiations with newly-encountered spirits and when the mudang wishes to call upon one they recently discovered. When mudang wish to ‘trade out’ their prepared spirits for new ones on a long rest, it is customary to offer jesa in making a good first impression.</p><p></p><p>The Tang (earth) spirits cover a wide range of non-evil alignments, and their spells tend to hew closely to the utility side of things, with some earth and plant/nature-themed spells. Their phenomena ranges from the already mentioned nature stuff to household ancestral spirits and protectors of gates and homes. Būl (fire) hew closely to Chaotic Neutral options, with only one being Lawful (Neutral). Their spells are more offensive, covering fire as well as more general destruction, and some light/vision-based offense and utility spells. Their phenomena ranges from various aspects of fire and heat, soldiers, and revealers of the unseen. Mūl (water) spirits are overwhelmingly good-aligned in line with their common personalities as empathetic healers. Their spells tend towards protection, healing, and buffs, as well as some water and cold-based magic. Their phenomena range from food, healing, seafaring, commerce, and all kinds of bodies of water. Gongi spirits are the most widespread, reflecting the ever-moving nature of air, and are closely associated as messengers between the mortal and spirit worlds. They are mostly Chaotic with 2 Lawful spirits, and their spells range from air, mobility and illusion-based spells, with a few outliers such as Hideous Laughter and Confusion. Their phenomena range from free-spiritedness, wind and storms, spirits of deceased shamans who communicate through dreams, jet streams, and guardians of the dead. Finally, Maheum (mind) spirits tend to be eccentric beings who are attracted to libraries, drug-users and brewers, and others who seek to alter their minds in various ways. Their alignment ranges are rather broad, and their spells heavily favor utility magic with a few mental buffs and debuffs. Their phenomena are diverse, ranging from judgment, social manipulation, departed souls, suffering, and purifiers of sacred grounds among other things.</p><p></p><p>There is mention of spirit Sightings as special sidebars in the sections of the four major regions of previous Chapters, in some cases giving a list of powers and spells for that particular spirit. The idea is that while traveling a Mudang PC can gain access to unique spirits in one region but typically cannot call upon their service when traveling elsewhere. Mudangguk has Chaotic Good Cheonmando Protector Spirits who have water and healing-related kutt spells; Noonnara has the stony and playful Chaotic Good Golybosü spirit, who has two water-themed and Dominate Beast as kutt spells; and Daewanguk has the Lawful Neutral forest spirit Poongchun who has divination and summoning-related kutt spells.</p><p></p><p><strong>Daeshin and Daegam Affinities</strong> are their own special cases. They cover phenomena and concepts which are wide-ranging and enduring over the course of time. Daeshin are much like Common and Uncommon spirits in that they are grouped by their elemental affinity, have alignments, and 3 kutt spells albeit ranging from 6th to 8th level. For example, Tang Daeshin can represent large topographic features, the beauty of nature, and protectors of city gates and palaces, while Maheum Daeshin cover exceptional knowledge of world-changing events to the reapers of dead souls.</p><p></p><p>Daegam are the most powerful known spirits. Unlike the previous kinds they are not grouped by element or have generic names: each one is a specific named individual holding dominion over a 9th level spell and a universal concept. There are ten of them, and their alignments are a bit skewed: 3 are Chaotic Evil, 2 are Lawful Neutral, 2 Chaotic Neutral, and 1 each remaining of Lawful Good, True Neutral, and Neutral Evil. I won’t cover them all, but some of the more interesting ones include Jaenan (incarnation of all anger, casts Storm of Vengeance), Yokgu (sum of all desires and dreams, casts Wish), Bari (the first shaman who is now a guide of the dead in the Underworld, casts Astral Projection), and Janggun (the patron of all warriors and whose visage is omnipresent in Haenamguk, casts Raise Army).</p><p></p><p>The Pathfinder equivalents more or less have the same standard, albeit with some swapped spells that don’t exist in 5e replacing one or more options. The OSR version dispenses with the spirit lists, instead giving us a very in-depth guide for <strong>Converting/Generating Mudang Spirits.</strong> This last one has a generous helping of charts and tables any OSR veteran has grown to know and love. The reason for this is that there’s a lot less spells to choose from in this system than in 5th Edition or Pathfinder, so for assigning spells there are guidelines for selecting and reskinning spells, along with slight alterations in line with the spirit’s element.</p><p></p><p><strong>Existing Class Comparisons & Thoughts So Far:</strong> The mudang class differs greatly depending on the system in question for terms of comparison. And given that it is outright replacing one of the core classes, comparing it to said class is inevitable.</p><p></p><p>For 5th Edition the mudang is a pseudo-Warlock but less overtly offensive barring the right subclass and spirit choices. Unlike the Cleric it doesn’t have great weapon/armor proficiency unless you take a certain subclass, which pushes it more into the squishy caster role. More than anything they are closest to wizards; they have a wide assortment of potential spells to draw upon, but in between long rests they are limited to some themed choices.</p><p></p><p>As for whether they are a satisfactory replacement for the cleric...the problem with a replacement class is that they’re not just competing with the core class, they’re also competing with every piece of new material made for said class. This is even more egregious in the case of Pathfinder, who over its decade-plus history has made so many spells, class archetypes, feats, and other things for the Cleric that the Mudang as a replacement cannot help but come up short. This isn’t as egregious with 5th Edition, although there’s still a notable amount of released material. In comparison to the OSR Cleric, it is likely on more even footing, perhaps stronger, on account of being more free-form for spells due to the pseudo-spontaneous casting method. But all 3 editions at 11+ level have a pretty sweet ability to multicast spells, which opens the class up to some pretty powerful combos.</p><p></p><p>And as to whether the mudang can feel new and unique...its pick and choose nature for various spirits feels more free-form than being stuck with one deity like the standard cleric. Alignments are still listed and some options are weighted such that certain elements have a moral bias, but much like in basic 5e the alignments and the role-play of petitioning spirits are more a guideline than hard-and-fast rules restrictions.</p><p></p><p>In short, the Mudang looks like a serviceable class with a lot of options that tie in well to the setting. Its greatest weakness is the competition with the Cleric’s multitude of options, and the possibility that some gaming groups would find it lacking when wanting to play a priest-type character in Jeosung.</p><p></p><p><strong>Join us next time as we complete this review with a Bestiary and Appendice!</strong></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Libertad, post: 8310659, member: 6750502"] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/3CUcxJn.png[/img] [b]Chapter 6, Part 2: the Mudang Class[/b][/center] Also known as shamans, mudang are mortals whose souls bond with spirits. This decision is rarely made by the mortal, and as such most mudang ‘come into’ their powers rather than through study or training. The bonding process opens up the shaman to the spirit realms, making them better able to better draw upon their power. The spirit-bonding process is a very painful experience, and a lot of mudang are impacted by some form of trauma. But spirits rarely choose a mortal vessel without long consideration, and go out of their way to find those whose personality and goals align with their own. As a 5th Edition class, mudang are sort of like warlocks albeit they aren’t entirely spontaneous casters and “prepare” their spells via convening with spirit types. They have a d8 Hit Die, are close to wizards in weapon and armor proficiency, are proficient in Wisdom and Charisma saves, and choose 2 skills from a list of knowledgeable/insightful options. At 1st level they have an unarmoured AC equal to 10 their Charisma modifier (but no Dexterity). They can use shields to add to this value, but they don’t start with shield proficiency by default. Also at first level they can cast spells with the ritual tag as rituals. Mudang use Charisma as their spellcasting ability, and every long rest they can select a number of common and/or uncommon spirits to prepare. Said spirits are themed around particular elements and concepts, allowing the mudang to spontaneously cast their listed spells via Kutt* Slots. Like warlocks they have a maximum slot level of 5th, but there are greater spirits (Daeshin and Daegam) who can grant access to 6+ level spells at 11th and 17th levels respectively. A Daeshin can also be summoned to command Common Spirits, and Daegam can be summoned to Command Uncommon Spirits. Both choices can either grant the ability to multicast 3 common/uncommon spirit spells as part of the same action, or take command of up to 3 of said spirits who are treated as charmed towards the mudang and their allies. *term for a spell cast through a spirit. A mudang can prepare 2 types of Spirits at 1st level, and prepare more as they level up, all the way up to 9 spirits at 20th level. They have 2-12 spell slots to cast kutt from Common spirits (1st-2nd level spells) depending on their level, and starting at 5th they gain 2 Uncommon spirit kutt slots (3rd-5th level spells) which are tracked separately, and can gain up to 5 of those slots at 11th level. At 11th to 15th level they can summon a Daeshin 1-3 times per long rest for a spell and/or service, and at 17th and 19th level they can summon a Daegim 1-2 times. As Common and Uncommon spirits grant access to 3-4 spells each on average, mudang are akin to very versatile warlocks. They must draw upon tightly-themed magic, but as they gain levels they have a generous list of choices as to what spells they can cast from said themes. At 2nd level the Mudang adds double their proficiency bonus on Insight and Persuasion checks when interacting with spirits. Also at this level they gain access to a subclass reflective of the initial spirit who bonded with their soul. They have one of the five elements to choose from as a subclass, and they can spend a kutt slot to gain a Momju’s* Blessing which grants a specific effect based on the element. If the Blessing matches their elemental affinity the mudang can cast it for as many slots as they have but non-affiliated choices are limited by long rests. At 3rd level they can pass this Blessing on to their allies once per short or long rest. The Blessings are Tang (gain temporary HP and more temp HP whenever an effect grants it), Būl (AC boost or minimum AC value), Mūl (restore HP and increase HP maximum), Gongi (increase speed), and Maheum (allow touched ally to “take 10-13” on a d20 roll). The values of said Blessings increase with level. At 18th level the mudang always benefits from their affiliated elemental blessing, and at 20th level they can use other affinities an infinite number of times on themselves and their allies. *term for spirit. Beyond the Blessings, Spiritual Affinities grant more abilities both initial and at later levels. Each one grants the choice of two themed cantrips (+2 more at higher levels) and a unique cantrip spell the mudang always has access to, among other options. Tang is all about the enduring bounty of the earth, granting proficiency in simple melee weapons, shields, a single set of artisan’s tools, and its unique cantrip allows the mudang to mold and shape conjured earth, gain temporary HP, and deal bonus bludgeoning damage equal to their remaining temporary HP. At 6th level they can create large and sustainable domes and pillars of earth, at 10th they gain advantage on all checks to avoid being forcefully moved and can treat themselves as 3,000 pounds heavier, and at 14th level they gain 5 temporary HP whenever they have 0 temporary HP. Būl represents the beautiful yet deadly power of fire, and grants proficiency in light and medium armor as well as all simple weapons along with some martial ones. Its unique cantrip envelops the caster in a fiery aura that adds additional fire damage to their next weapon or fire-based damaging attacks and can also deal burn enemies as a reaction. At 6th level they grant a touched target advantage on attack rolls and end the frightened condition, at 10th they gain resistance to fire damage and automatically deal damage to creatures grappling and touching them, and can raise their body temperature to 100 degrees Celsius. No game stats for this last part, though. At 14th level they can create an even more powerful aura that gives similar boons of the prior class features to allies, but at higher values. Mūl symbolifies water and is favored by healers and traders. Its unique cantrip summons magical waters to swirl around a target, which can alternately empower healing magic to heal more damage, deal cold damage, or move light unattended objects. At 6th level they can impose a debuff via a touch by soothing a target’s emotions, which in combat applies disadvantage on relevant actions and out of combat increases the target’s impression of the caster (hostile to neutral, neutral to charmed). At 10th level the caster can take the Disengage action as a bonus action, can treat occupied hostile squares as difficult terrain while doing so, and can lower their internal body temperature to 0 degrees Celsius. At 14th level they can create an aura of cold that creates difficult terrain, grants resistance to cold damage, and can choose alternatively to prevent targets from healing damage or healing damage to a target as a reaction. Gongi is favored by travelers who go wherever the winds take them, and is also favored by exorcists due to said element’s association with transitioning beyond the mortal coil. Their unique cantrip summons up winds which allow for short-term flight and the Disengage action as well as imposing magical slashing damage on a reaction. At 6th level they can generate a 10 foot radius of updrafts which can make creatures and objects hover in the air. At 10th level they can take the Dash action as a bonus action, at 0 hit points they can still move while unconscious as their bonded spirit possesses them, and can choose to weigh only 1 pound and take reduced fall damage when in such a state. At 14th level they can spend a reaction to treat a 0 HP creature as conscious and hold off their need to make death saving throws. Damage taken in this state forces such a save rather than auto-failing it. Maehum is strongly associated with divination, and its practitioners often adopt fatalist attitudes and have a fondness for the Dallaenuen mushrooms. Their unique cantrip chooses two creatures for its effects: whenever one either makes an opposed roll or damages the other, the caster can have the roll/damage increased or reduced by a small yet noticeable amount as a reaction on the part of the mudang. At 6th level they can blow magical smoke onto a nearby creature, suppressing one condition for 1 minute. And a wide variety to choose from, ranging from blind to charm to incapacitated to 1 level of exhaustion! At 10th level they can roll initiative twice and choose the better result, and can shapeshift to appear anywhere from an adolescent to an elder version of themselves. At 14th level the mudang can touch a creature, connecting the two souls via an immaterial red string. Neither can drop unconscious or roll death saving throws due to being at 0 HP unless both are, but any extra damage dealt to one of the affected parties carries over to the other. They also share the same results of death saving throws, where collectively reaching 3 successes or failures results in stabilization/death. [img]https://i.imgur.com/XIqkXtA.png[/img] Our section ends with 6 new mudang-related feats. One of them, Kutt Initiate, teaches the character a unique subclass spell and a single common spirit’s kutt spells cast at their lowest level. The rest of the feats key to one of the elemental Blessings, adding higher results as well as unique boons: Tang allows an ally to gain the AC bonus, Maheum forces a hostile opponent to replace a d20 roll with a 10-7, etc. The Pathfinder version for the class is similar, although they have a good Fortitude and poor Reflex and Will saves, a notable departure from the 5e’s mind over matter. The conversions make some changes in places, like the class adding their Charisma bonus to their AC and a value from 0 to 5 based on level or the Tang subclass’ tool proficiency treating one Craft skill as a class skill. This may sound useless, but the Mudang is unique in that it doesn’t have Craft as a class skill.* The class casts in a similar manner, preparing particular spirits but casting spontaneously from the spirit’s spells. *This is rather peculiar, as it’s industry standard for Craft to be a class skill for every class in official Pathfinder material. Same for Profession, with Barbarians being the odd class out in not getting it. The OSR version is similar, although it is proficient in a shield right off the bat rather than getting it through a subclass, and its Prime Requisite is Charisma and either Dexterity (Būl) or Wisdom (other affinities). They attack as Magic-users but save and progress experience-wise as Clerics, and their method of spellcasting employs the similar “prepare spirits, cast your choice of spells through them” method which makes them rather spontaneous in their fields of expertise. They add their Charisma modifier as an AC bonus, which can be problematic as said score in OSR games doesn’t have a modifier by default but has modifiers for things such as NPC Reactions. Maybe that’s what was meant, but it’s not clear. Their elemental blessings are a bit lower-powered, such as Tang giving a flat +2 on saves vs spells and Gongi +10 feet to their movement rate. There’s also something interesting that OSR Mudangs can do and the other systems can’t: When calling upon a Daeshin or Daegam spirit, they can capture a fragment of a Common or Uncommon spirit’s essence, adding them to the Mudang’s roster of bound spirits above and beyond the limitations of their class level. This still has the “GM’s Discretion” clause to it, indicating it’s not something that can be done regularly. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/TsjIs81.png[/img] [b]Chapter 8: Spirit List[/b][/center] [b]Note:[/b] For those curious, Chapter 7 was Equipment and Magic Items, covered in my previous post. As much as I’d like to make a judgment now, we can’t really touch upon the Mudang’s true power without covering this section. The spirits are something akin to cleric deity domains. Spirits are grouped into the five elemental categories, and further split between Common and Uncommon. Every element has 5 Common and 6 Uncommon spirits, which cover a broad variety of phenomena but aren’t meant to be an end-all be-all exhaustive list. Each spirit has an alignment and 2-4 themed spells* which the mudang can call upon. Generally speaking, Common spirits’ spells are 1st and 2nd level, while the spells of Uncommon spirits range from 3rd to 5th. *a spirit with 2 is rare, and most have 3 to 4. Preferred Jesa is also listed, which is good for making negotiations with newly-encountered spirits and when the mudang wishes to call upon one they recently discovered. When mudang wish to ‘trade out’ their prepared spirits for new ones on a long rest, it is customary to offer jesa in making a good first impression. The Tang (earth) spirits cover a wide range of non-evil alignments, and their spells tend to hew closely to the utility side of things, with some earth and plant/nature-themed spells. Their phenomena ranges from the already mentioned nature stuff to household ancestral spirits and protectors of gates and homes. Būl (fire) hew closely to Chaotic Neutral options, with only one being Lawful (Neutral). Their spells are more offensive, covering fire as well as more general destruction, and some light/vision-based offense and utility spells. Their phenomena ranges from various aspects of fire and heat, soldiers, and revealers of the unseen. Mūl (water) spirits are overwhelmingly good-aligned in line with their common personalities as empathetic healers. Their spells tend towards protection, healing, and buffs, as well as some water and cold-based magic. Their phenomena range from food, healing, seafaring, commerce, and all kinds of bodies of water. Gongi spirits are the most widespread, reflecting the ever-moving nature of air, and are closely associated as messengers between the mortal and spirit worlds. They are mostly Chaotic with 2 Lawful spirits, and their spells range from air, mobility and illusion-based spells, with a few outliers such as Hideous Laughter and Confusion. Their phenomena range from free-spiritedness, wind and storms, spirits of deceased shamans who communicate through dreams, jet streams, and guardians of the dead. Finally, Maheum (mind) spirits tend to be eccentric beings who are attracted to libraries, drug-users and brewers, and others who seek to alter their minds in various ways. Their alignment ranges are rather broad, and their spells heavily favor utility magic with a few mental buffs and debuffs. Their phenomena are diverse, ranging from judgment, social manipulation, departed souls, suffering, and purifiers of sacred grounds among other things. There is mention of spirit Sightings as special sidebars in the sections of the four major regions of previous Chapters, in some cases giving a list of powers and spells for that particular spirit. The idea is that while traveling a Mudang PC can gain access to unique spirits in one region but typically cannot call upon their service when traveling elsewhere. Mudangguk has Chaotic Good Cheonmando Protector Spirits who have water and healing-related kutt spells; Noonnara has the stony and playful Chaotic Good Golybosü spirit, who has two water-themed and Dominate Beast as kutt spells; and Daewanguk has the Lawful Neutral forest spirit Poongchun who has divination and summoning-related kutt spells. [b]Daeshin and Daegam Affinities[/b] are their own special cases. They cover phenomena and concepts which are wide-ranging and enduring over the course of time. Daeshin are much like Common and Uncommon spirits in that they are grouped by their elemental affinity, have alignments, and 3 kutt spells albeit ranging from 6th to 8th level. For example, Tang Daeshin can represent large topographic features, the beauty of nature, and protectors of city gates and palaces, while Maheum Daeshin cover exceptional knowledge of world-changing events to the reapers of dead souls. Daegam are the most powerful known spirits. Unlike the previous kinds they are not grouped by element or have generic names: each one is a specific named individual holding dominion over a 9th level spell and a universal concept. There are ten of them, and their alignments are a bit skewed: 3 are Chaotic Evil, 2 are Lawful Neutral, 2 Chaotic Neutral, and 1 each remaining of Lawful Good, True Neutral, and Neutral Evil. I won’t cover them all, but some of the more interesting ones include Jaenan (incarnation of all anger, casts Storm of Vengeance), Yokgu (sum of all desires and dreams, casts Wish), Bari (the first shaman who is now a guide of the dead in the Underworld, casts Astral Projection), and Janggun (the patron of all warriors and whose visage is omnipresent in Haenamguk, casts Raise Army). The Pathfinder equivalents more or less have the same standard, albeit with some swapped spells that don’t exist in 5e replacing one or more options. The OSR version dispenses with the spirit lists, instead giving us a very in-depth guide for [b]Converting/Generating Mudang Spirits.[/b] This last one has a generous helping of charts and tables any OSR veteran has grown to know and love. The reason for this is that there’s a lot less spells to choose from in this system than in 5th Edition or Pathfinder, so for assigning spells there are guidelines for selecting and reskinning spells, along with slight alterations in line with the spirit’s element. [b]Existing Class Comparisons & Thoughts So Far:[/b] The mudang class differs greatly depending on the system in question for terms of comparison. And given that it is outright replacing one of the core classes, comparing it to said class is inevitable. For 5th Edition the mudang is a pseudo-Warlock but less overtly offensive barring the right subclass and spirit choices. Unlike the Cleric it doesn’t have great weapon/armor proficiency unless you take a certain subclass, which pushes it more into the squishy caster role. More than anything they are closest to wizards; they have a wide assortment of potential spells to draw upon, but in between long rests they are limited to some themed choices. As for whether they are a satisfactory replacement for the cleric...the problem with a replacement class is that they’re not just competing with the core class, they’re also competing with every piece of new material made for said class. This is even more egregious in the case of Pathfinder, who over its decade-plus history has made so many spells, class archetypes, feats, and other things for the Cleric that the Mudang as a replacement cannot help but come up short. This isn’t as egregious with 5th Edition, although there’s still a notable amount of released material. In comparison to the OSR Cleric, it is likely on more even footing, perhaps stronger, on account of being more free-form for spells due to the pseudo-spontaneous casting method. But all 3 editions at 11+ level have a pretty sweet ability to multicast spells, which opens the class up to some pretty powerful combos. And as to whether the mudang can feel new and unique...its pick and choose nature for various spirits feels more free-form than being stuck with one deity like the standard cleric. Alignments are still listed and some options are weighted such that certain elements have a moral bias, but much like in basic 5e the alignments and the role-play of petitioning spirits are more a guideline than hard-and-fast rules restrictions. In short, the Mudang looks like a serviceable class with a lot of options that tie in well to the setting. Its greatest weakness is the competition with the Cleric’s multitude of options, and the possibility that some gaming groups would find it lacking when wanting to play a priest-type character in Jeosung. [b]Join us next time as we complete this review with a Bestiary and Appendice![/b] [/QUOTE]
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