Question on Shamans in HeroQuest

[dunlaing]

Does anyone know how they've changed Shamans in HeroQuest?

For the detailed tradition in the Imperial Lunar Handbook, awakening one's fetch is the Secret of that tradition (and thus unavailable to normal starting characters). Do any of you know if that will be the standard for all traditions in HeroQuest? Or is this one just an anomaly?

[Nick Brooke]

I quote Mark Galeotti, from http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hw-rules/message/15224:

Actually, there's a misapprehension here. You can have a starting
character as a shaman. The Secret is awakening someone's fetch so
that they become a shaman, it is not the only way you awaken your
own fetch. So, your shaman starting character will have had his or
her fetch awoken by one of these specialists (most traditions only
have one or two fetch-awakening practices).

Cheers, Nick

[Mark Galeotti]

I should add that there have been some last minute changes to how fetches are awakend (in short, you have to join the fetch-awakening practice to awaken your fetch), but this will be nice and clear in HQ. It will be made clear that although 'normally' characters wouldn't start out as a shaman, this is an option available to players and narrators.  

(And, FWIW, I'd certainly allow it in games I run)

All the best

Mark

[Ian Cooper]

I should add that there have been some last minute changes to how fetches are awakend (in short, you have to join the fetch-awakening practice to awaken your fetch), but this will be nice and clear in HQ. It will be made clear that although 'normally' characters wouldn't start out as a shaman, this is an option available to players and narrators.  

In the last draft I saw

Character creation gives you a pool of 20 points to improve abilties (defined by list or narrative method). You can spend some of those points on increasing your religious commitment level. It costs three points to start as a devotee/ shaman etc.