Goblin Shamans

"Maddened by dank mould and mushrooms, a Goblin Shaman hurls debilitating spells into the enemy's ranks with chaotic abandon."

—The nefarious Goblin Shamans.^[3]

A Goblin Shaman is a shaman who uses the powers of magic to aid his people among the tribes of the Goblins. A Goblin Shaman's spells are weedy and irritating, but dangerous -- just like the Goblins themselves. Like all Greenskin spellcasters, a Goblin Shaman's powers grow in intensity as more of his kind gather together, for he draws upon the innate gestalt magical energies generated by the Waaagh!.

Role[]

While Orc Shamans tend to be seen as trance-addled buffoons, Goblin Shamans are cagey and cunning, if no less odd. They often use their magics to barter for tribal influence. Many Goblin Shamans work their way into a top position, either advising the warboss or even taking the command role themselves.^[2a]

Any Greenskin that opposes a Goblin Shaman is apt to suffer nasty rashes, a mysterious beetle infestation, or some other wicked malady. In battle, Goblin Shamans turn their spiteful spells toward slaying, or at least annoying, the foe. These spells are more subtle than their larger kin's, but no less effective. When an enemy fails to charge because they have doubled up with itchy hives, or the weapons of the Greenskins seem to dart unerringly for weak spots in a foe's armour, it is often due to the magics of a Goblin Shaman.^[2a]

Just as Goblins are widely varied, so too are their shamans. Shamans exemplify the Goblin tribe to which they belong. For instance, the shamans of many tribes of Wolf Riders are a feral lot, draped in skins and laden with wolf skulls. Like their comrades, these shamans are bent, wind-gnarled and bow-legged from their life crossing the plains on wolfback.^[2a] Likewise, shamans of the Wolf Lands will lead their tribes in the moon-howling ritual. Shamans of the Red Cloud tribe ritually use their magics to turn themselves at least half-red depending on the cycle of the moon. Then there are bandage-covered Dust-Goblins from the deserts of Araby, shrewd fortune-teller mystics of the nomadic Goblin trader tribes, and more.^[2a]

Regardless of what tribe a Goblin Shaman comes from, he will be greedy and ready to use all the magics at his disposal to advance his own situation. Goblin Shamans are a spiteful lot and even Black Orcs won't cross them lightly.^[2a]

Forest Goblin Shamans[]

The shamans of the Forest Goblins are the centre of the cult of the Spider-God. Forest Goblin Shamans encourage small poisonous spiders to nest upon their bodies, often living in convenient crannies behind the ears, between the toes, or even in a shaman's mouth. As a result of the spider's poisonous bites, Forest Goblin Shamans have swollen and purple tongues, but they claim the toxins allow them to communicate with their multi-legged deity.^[2a]

It is true that Forest Goblin Shamans can approach the ferocious Arachnarok Spiders without being attacked, and some shamans even ride to battle atop such enormous beasts.^[2a]

Night Goblin Shamans[]

Night Goblin shamans wear the easily recognised hoods of their kind and are know for being particularly crazed due to eating vast quantities of hallucinogenic mushrooms. They are especially knowledgeable about fungus and only Night Goblin Shamans know the full rituals for growing, picking and preparing the deadly madcap mushrooms that can turn a Night Goblin into a ball-wielding Fanatic.^[2a]

It is said that Night Goblin Shamans who eat too many mushrooms will eventually turn into a giant "shamanshroom," a magic-saturated fungal shoot. It is a damp, dull life as a mushroom, but it will probably get worse. As such shamanshrooms are highly coveted by other magic-users, getting turned into one is almost surely a one-way ticket to being eaten alive.^[2a]