Totems (aka Mentor Spirits under the Unified Theory of magic) are a way of seeing the use of magic that guide and effect the ability of a magician that follows them.
The first ones to emerge were the Animal totems that guided early shamans. Nature totems are more often associated with druids but are also followed by shamans.
Less well known are the Idols (which are more akin to the various gods from polytheistic religions), Loa (the guiding concepts behind voodoo), and Paths (followed by the elves of Tír na nÓg).
Under the Unified Theories of magic, those that follow mentor spirits has become more diverse as shamans have learned to practice magic without necessarily requiring such a guide, and hermetics have learned how to follow them if desired.
Totem list[]
The following list of the more notable totems is sortable. (A ✓ indicates the core rulebook.)
| Totem/Mentor | Type | SR4 | SR3 | SR2 / SR1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antelope (use Horse) | Animal | — | — | Cyberpirates |
| Badger | Animal | — | MitS | — |
| Bat | Animal | — | MitS | Cyberpirates |
| Bear | Animal | ✓ | ✓ | ✓/ ✓ |
| Boar | Animal | — | MitS | Tír na nÓg |
| Buffalo | Animal | — | ✓ | — |
| Bull | Animal | SM | MitS | Tír na nÓg |
| Cat | Animal | ✓ | ✓ | ✓/ — |
| Cheetah | Animal | — | MitS | Cyberpirates |
| Cobra | Animal | — | MitS | Cyberpirates |
| Coyote | Animal | — | ✓ | ✓/ ✓ |
| Crab | Animal | — | MitS | — |
| Crocodile | Animal | SM | MitS | Cyberpirates |
| Crow (use Raven) | Animal | — | — | Cyberpirates |
| Deer (use Horse) | Animal | — | — | Cyberpirates |
| Dingo (use Jackal) | Animal | — | T:AL | — |
| Dog | Animal | ✓ | ✓ | ✓/ ✓ |
| Dolphin | Animal | — | ✓ | — |
| Dove | Animal | — | MitS | Cyberpirates |
| Eagle | Animal | ✓ | ✓ | ✓/ ✓ |
| Elk | Animal | — | MitS | — |
| Falcon (use Eagle) | Animal | — | — | Cyberpirates |
| Fish | Animal | — | MitS | — |
| Fox | Animal | — | MitS | — |
| Gator | Animal | — | ✓ | ✓/ — |
| Gecko | Animal | — | MitS | Paradise Lost |
| Goose | Animal | — | MitS | Corp. Security & P. Lost |
| Horse | Animal | SM | MitS | Tír na nÓg |
| Hyena | Animal | — | MitS | Cyberpirates |
| Iguana | Animal | — | — | Aztlan |
| Jackal | Animal | — | MitS | Cyberpirates |
| Jaguar | Animal | — | MitS | Aztlan |
| Kangaroo | Animal | — | T:AL | — |
| Koala | Animal | — | T:AL | — |
| Leopard | Animal | — | MitS | Cyberpirates |
| Lion | Animal | SM | ✓ | ✓/ — |
| Lizard | Animal | — | MitS | — |
| Monkey | Animal | — | MitS | — |
| Mouse | Animal | — | ✓ | Cyberpirates |
| Otter | Animal | — | MitS | — |
| Owl | Animal | SM | ✓ | ✓/ — |
| Parrot | Animal | — | MitS | Cyberpirates |
| Platypus | Animal | — | T:AL | — |
| Polecat | Animal | — | MitS | — |
| Prairie Dog | Animal | — | MitS | Awakenings |
| Puma | Animal | — | MitS | Aztlan |
| Python | Animal | — | MitS | Cyberpirates |
| Raccoon | Animal | — | ✓ | ✓/ ✓ |
| Rat | Animal | ✓ | ✓ | ✓/ ✓ |
| Raven | Animal | ✓ | ✓ | ✓/ ✓ |
| Scorpion | Animal | — | MitS | — |
| Shark | Animal | ✓ | ✓ | ✓/ — |
| Snake | Animal | ✓ | ✓ | ✓/ ✓ |
| Spider | Animal | SM | MitS | Bug City |
| Stag | Animal | — | MitS | Tír na nÓg |
| Turtle | Animal | — | MitS | Paradise Lost |
| Whale | Animal | — | MitS | Paradise Lost |
| Wildcat | Animal | — | — | Grimoire |
| Wolf | Animal | ✓ | ✓ | ✓/ ✓ |
| Wombat (use Badger) | Animal | — | T:AL | — |
| Moon | Nature | — | MitS | Grimoire |
| Mountain | Nature | ✓ | MitS | — |
| Oak | Nature | SM | MitS | Grimoire |
| Sea | Nature | ✓ | MitS | Grimoire |
| Stream | Nature | — | MitS | — |
| Sun | Nature | SM | MitS | Grimoire |
| Wind | Nature | — | MitS | — |
| Dragon | Mythic | SM | YotC | — |
| Fenrir | Mythic | — | MitS | — |
| Gargoyle | Mythic | — | MitS | Awakenings |
| Griffin | Mythic | SM | MitS | Awakenings |
| Leviathon | Mythic | — | MitS | Awakenings |
| Pegasus | Mythic | — | MitS | Awakenings |
| Phoenix | Mythic | SM | MitS | Awakenings |
| Plumed Serpent | Mythic | — | MitS | Aztlan |
| Thunderbird | Mythic | ✓ | MitS | — |
| Unicorn | Mythic | — | MitS | Awakenings |
| Wyrm / Serpent | Mythic | — | MitS | Grimoire / Tír na nÓg |
| Adversary | Idol | SM | MitS | — |
| Artificer / Creator | Idol | SM | MitS | Germany |
| Bacchus | Idol | — | MitS | — |
| Dark Goddess | Idol | SM | — | — |
| Dark King | Idol | ✓ | MitS | — |
| Dragonslayer | Idol | ✓ | MitS | Germany |
| Fire-Bringer | Idol | ✓ | MitS | Awakenings |
| Great Mother | Idol | SM | MitS | Germany |
| Horned Man/God | Idol | SM | MitS | Germany |
| Lover | Idol | — | MitS | — |
| Moon Maiden | Idol | ✓ | MitS | Germany |
| Sea King | Idol | — | MitS | — |
| Seductress | Idol | ✓ | MitS | — |
| Siren | Idol | — | MitS | — |
| Sky Father | Idol | SM | MitS | — |
| Trickster | Idol | ✓ | MitS | — |
| Wild Huntsman | Idol | — | MitS | Germany |
| Wise Warrior | Idol | ✓ | MitS | — |
| Agwe | Loa | — | MitS | Awakenings |
| Azaca | Loa | — | MitS | Awakenings |
| Damballah | Loa | — | MitS | Awakenings |
| Erzulie | Loa | — | MitS | Awakenings |
| Ghede | Loa | — | MitS | Awakenings |
| Legba | Loa | — | MitS | Awakenings |
| Loco & Ayizan | Loa | — | — | Awakenings |
| Obatala | Loa | — | MitS | — |
| Ogoun | Loa | — | MitS | Awakenings |
| Shango | Loa | — | MitS | — |
| Warrior | Path | — | MitS | Tír na nÓg |
| Steward | Path | — | MitS | Tír na nÓg |
| Bard | Path | — | MitS | Tír na nÓg |
| Druid | Path | — | MitS | Tír na nÓg |
| Rígh (Kings) | Path | — | MitS | Tír na nÓg |
Neo-Paganism[]
As mentioned before, a number of polytheistic religions have found a resurgence under neo-paganism. The unified theory of magic includes correlations to notable Mentor Spirits.
| Pagan Idol | Pantheon | Suggested Mentor Spirits |
|---|---|---|
| Quetzalcóatl | Aztec | Plumed Serpent or Snake |
| Huitzilopochtli | Aztec | Thunderbird |
| Tlaloc | Aztec | Crocodile |
| Tlazolteotl | Aztec | Seductress |
| Xipe Totec | Aztec | Dark Goddess (male) |
| Dagda | Celtic | Wise Warrior or Bull |
| Belenos/Balor/Beli† | Celtic | Sky Father or Wise Warrior |
| Cernunnos/Herne | Celtic | Horned Man, Wild Huntsman† or Dragonslayer† |
| Don/Danu† | Celtic | Great Mother (primeval), Lover, Sea King (female) |
| Epona | Celtic | Horse |
| Goibhniu | Celtic | Artificer |
| Lugh/Lugus/Lleu | Celtic | Fire-bringer, Sun, Sky King† Wise Warrior† or Dragonslayer† |
| Morrigan | Celtic | Dark Goddess, Wolf, or Raven |
| Nodens/Nuada/Nudd† | Celtic | Dark King |
| Jade Emperor | Chinese | Dark King |
| Dragon Kings | Chinese | Dragon |
| Huang Di | Chinese | Wise Warrior |
| Lei Gong | Chinese | Thunderbird |
| Matsu/Tin Hau | Chinese | Sea |
| Nuwa | Chinese | Great Mother |
| Phoenix Empress | Chinese | Phoenix |
| Ti-Tsang Wang | Chinese | Owl |
| Zeus/Jupiter | Classical | Sky Father, Wise Warrior† or Bacchus† |
| Aphrodite/Venus | Classical | Seductress, Lover† or Siren† |
| Apollo | Classical | Sun, Sky Father† Wild Huntsman (without the nature focus)† |
| Ares/Mars | Classical | Wolf or Wise Warrior† |
| Artemis/Diana | Classical | Bear, Moon Malden† or Wild Huntsman (female)† |
| Athena/Minerva | Classical | Wise Warrior or Sky Father (female)† |
| Demeter/Ceres† | Classical | Great Mother |
| Dionysus/Bacchus | Classical | Horned Man or Bacchus† |
| Hades/Pluto | Classical | Dark King |
| Hephaestus/Vulcan | Classical | Artificer or Firebringer† |
| Hera/Juno† | Classical | Great Mother or Siren |
| Heracles/Hercules† | Classical | Dragonslayer |
| Hestia/Vesta† | Classical | Firebringer |
| Pan/Faunus† | Classical | Horned Man |
| Poseidon/Neptune | Classical | Sea or Sea King† |
| Prometheus† | Classical | Firebringer |
| Cronus/Saturn† | Classical | Adversary |
| St. George/St. MichaelMitS | Christian | Dragonslayer |
| Ra | Egyptian | Sun or Phoenix |
| Bast | Egyptian | Cat |
| Horus | Egyptian | Eagle |
| Isis | Egyptian | Moon Maiden |
| Osiris | Egyptian | Dark King |
| Sekhmet | Egyptian | Lion |
| Set | Egyptian | Wolf |
| Sobek | Egyptian | Crocodile |
| Thoth | Egyptian | Artificer |
| Lilith | Hebrew | Dark Goddess |
| Brahma | Hindu | Artificer |
| Devi | Hindu | Great Mother |
| Durga | Hindu | Lion |
| Ganesha | Hindu | Dark King (less grim) |
| Hanuman | Hindu | Dragonslayer |
| Kali | Hindu | Dark Goddess or Wild Huntsman (female)MitS |
| Krishna | Hindu | Wise Warrior |
| Shiva | Hindu | Dark Goddess (male) |
| Vishnu | Hindu | Sun or Sky FatherMitS |
| Amaterasu | Japanese | Fire-bringer, Phoenix, or Sun |
| Hachiman | Japanese | Wise Warrior |
| Izanagi | Japanese | Dark King |
| Izanami | Japanese | Dark Goddess |
| Maneki-neko | Japanese | Cat |
| Susanoo | Japanese | Sea or Shark |
| Tsukuyomi | Japanese | Moon Maiden (male) |
| Ishtar | Mesopotamian | Dark Goddess |
| Odin/Wotan | Norse | Sky Father, Artificer† Dark King† Wise Warrior† or Wild Huntsman† |
| Fenrir† | Norse | Fenrir (toxic) |
| Freya | Norse | Great Mother or Lover† |
| Heimdall† | Norse | Wise Warrior |
| Hel/Hela† | Norse | Dark King (female) |
| Loki | Norse | Raven, Trickster, Adversary† or Coyote (description only)† |
| Njord† | Norse | Sea King, Great Mother (male) |
| Norns, the | Norse | Spider |
| Thor | Norse | Dragonslayer, Thunderbird, or Wise Warrior† |
| Tyr | Norse | Wise Warrior |
| Weiland | Norse | Artificer |
| Agwe | Voodoo | Sea |
| Damballa | Voodoo | Snake |
| Erzulie | Voodoo | Seductress |
| Ghede | Voodoo | Dark King |
| Legba | Voodoo | Owl |
| Obatala | Voodoo | Eagle |
| Ogoun | Voodoo | Wise Warrior |
| Shango | Voodoo | Sky Father or Thunderbird |
| Goddess/Diana/The Mother† | Wiccan | Great Mother or Moon Maiden |
| God/Horned Man/Pan† | Wiccan | Horned Man or Wild Huntsman |
Sources[]
- Shadowrun First Edition (p. 75–77, SRII p. 119–123)
- The Grimoire: 15th Edition, 2053 (p. 28–29) introduces druids
- Tír na nÓg (p. 134–139, 148–149) expands druids, introduces paths
- Germany Sourcebook (p. 149–150) introduces Idol totems
- Paradise Lost (p. 78) adds more animal totems
- Bug City (p. 135–144) adds the Spider totem
- Corporate Security Handbook (p. 104) adds a Goose totem
- Aztlan (p. 174–175) adds more animal totems, and Plumed Serpent
- Awakenings: New Magic in 2057 (p. 105–109, 120–123, 151–155) introduces voodoo, adds more totems (mythic, animal & Idol); also relists all previously published totems.
- Cyberpirates! (p. 152–154) adds more animal totems
- Shadowrun: 3rd Ed. (p. 162–166)
- Magic in the ShadowsMagic in the Shadows (p. 20–26, 152–160) revises/simplifies paths & voodoo, lists some early god/mentor/idol equivalences
- Year of the Comet (p. 145–146) adds Dragon
- Target: Awakened Lands (p. 105–106) adds more animal totems
- State of the Art: 2064 (p. 123) compiles pagan pantheons as such
- Shadowrun: 4th Ed. (SR4 p. 192–194, SR4A p. 200–202)
- Street Magic (p. 180–183) revises almost everything, leaves out some totems