Heart of Nature

Ring: Water

Mastery: 1

Range: 20'

Area: One target animal

Duration: One Month

Raises: Duration (1 month)

Calling on the Water Kami, you align the Water of man and animal, bonding them together. If you cast this spell on an animal governed by a skill (Horsemanship for horses), You gain a +1k1 on such rolls. You also gain this on check to tyame the animal if it isn't tamed yet.

You may only have one animal bonded to you like this at one time. If you cast it on another animal, the previous casting will be dispelled.

Permanent duration is always problematic. With the spell that transfers spell effects, a rank 2 shugenja can make that the entire Unicorn clan is bonded to an animal.

Adjusted. and added the ability to extend it with raises.

As much as I like pet classes (and with that kind of duration that's what you're turning your shugenja into) it doesn't really work. There is an entire disappointing school that covers this, the matsu beastmaster, and at rank one can command it's compassion beast less effectively than this one spell can. And no, "but it's s spell" is no excuse for that. At best, BEST I'd allow it to treat any animal as tame for a few rounds but you'd still have to use command animal to give it orders.

Come to think of it, isn't they'd already an animal related spell like this at rank one that is less effective/ useful than this is? At work so I can't check right now

As much as I like pet classes (and with that kind of duration that's what you're turning your shugenja into) it doesn't really work. There is an entire disappointing school that covers this, the matsu beastmaster, and at rank one can command it's compassion beast less effectively than this one spell can. And no, "but it's s spell" is no excuse for that. At best, BEST I'd allow it to treat any animal as tame for a few rounds but you'd still have to use command animal to give it orders.

Come to think of it, isn't they'd already an animal related spell like this at rank one that is less effective/ useful than this is? At work so I can't check right now

I knew they were one but I didn't checked back with my first answer, now I checked, it's the air spell Nature's touch which basically has no reason to exist if this spell is around. Talking to animals also moved to being an air thing instead of a water thing in 4th edition. As such, this spell requires quite a few changes to be balanced with 4th edition.

I have reviewed the other spells regarding animals, and made further changes to this spell. is that more satisfactory?

There is the 1st level Air spell to communicate with an animal, and there is a 2nd level Earth spell to tame an animal.