How to: Shugenja Spellcasting

How to: Shugenja Spellcasting

Shugenja is a divine spellcaster class introduced in Oriental Adventures for D&D 3.0 and slightly updated in Complete Divine for D&D 3.5. How to represent them in the Sorcery framework? Probably not very difficult.

First of all, shugenjas have a limited college access. They must select three out of the following five colleges: Air, Earth, Fire, Water, Void (represented by the Knowledge college). This applies Limited Colleges, Shugenja, -20% to the Sorcerous Empowerment advantage.

Wait a second. Divine spellcasters? Their description says that they "attuning themselves to the primal energies around them and focusing such energy through their bodies to produce magical effects." That does not seem divine at all! Should we use the Elemental, -10% power modifier? It seems so, but Void does not fit at all. And there's nothing about attunement there at all. Let's think - this attunement sounds like Pact, -10% that forces the shugenja to take Disciplines of Faith (Monasticism or Mysticism) [-10]. Should the shugenja neglect this, his power fails him the first time he calls upon it under stress (+0%). To restore it, he must take 1d days to reattune himself (+0%). Until he does, he feels ill due to being out of tune with the elements; the GM should choose one of these afflictions from Irritating Conditions (p. B428): Coughing/Sneezing, Drowsy, Nauseated, or Pain. Seems familiar? Of course, that's literally the Chi, -10% power modifier! But for the sake of flavor, let's say that the powers are imparted by elemental deities or archomentals even without the shugenja's knowing, so the power will still be classified as Divine.

Thus, Sorcerous Empowerment has its Magical, -10% power modifier replaced with Shugenja, -10% that is described above. This does not change the cost. Abilities imparted by Buff spells should have a Shugenja, +0% power modifier - they do not depend on the subject's elemental attunement.

In addition, the description says that the shugenja use ofudas with their spells written on them as a divine focus. This applies Requires ofuda, -10% to all spells.

Finally, Sorcerous Empowerment (Shugenja) costs 16 points for level 1 + 8 points/additional level.