• Empaths and their minions have an increased regeneration rate.
• Empaths and their minions receive a bonus to their authority.
• Empaths and their minions suffer a penalty to their energy.

Empaths are an excellent choice for those who wish to be an Shaman/Leader.  The bonus to authority makes their leader skills more potent.  Having an increased regeneration rate and a penalty to energy neagtively affects thier ability to use the Heal Ability to the greatest extent.  In my opinion an increased regeneration rate and a penalty to Energy cancel themselves out in terms of how much health you actually regenerate.  You would certainly NOT pick an Empath if you were a Shaman/Magical.  Due to the energy penalty, I would not recommend an Empath for a pure role Shaman

Cauterizer

• Cauterizers get a bonus to the use of the heal ability
• Cauterizers gain a bonus to their energy.
• Cauterizers and their minions have a penalty applied to their defense.

Cauterizers with thier bonus to Heal and bonus to Energy make very good Shaman of all types.  Because of thier defensive penalty,  I would not recommend a race that has a natural penalty to Agility, such as Gryphons.  The defense penalty can be easily offset by either the Natural Armor skill (or just plain old armor if you aren't a Chimera) and by the Shaman's other defensive skills.  In actuality it may actually help you to have a defense penalty while fighting Uglies so that you get hit more, and thus have to use Heal more often...which is of course the lifeblood of Shaman.

Hierophant

• Hierophants can purchase the sacrifice ability for half of the usual cost in karma.
• The grunts of hierophants have a bonus to their maximum hit points.
• Hierophants suffer a penalty to their authority.
• The grunts of Hierophants suffer a penalty to their morale.

Hierophants are great if you want to purchase the Sacrifice ability.  Any time you can get an ability you know you'll eventually want for half off, I fully recommend doing it.  Hierophants are in my opinion not entirely great to be as a  Shaman unless you want Sacrifice.  The penalty to Authority decreases the maximum effectiveness of your spells in exchange for stronger grunts.  This to me does not seem like a fair trade.  Perhaps it would be good for Shaman/Builders, but I do not see the effectiveness of this subrole if you are NOT planning to get Sacrifice.

Saw Bones

• Saw-bones take reduced damage from slashing, piercing, and crushing damage.
• Saw-bones have a penalty applied to the use of the heal ability

Saw Bones are fairly unique in that they have no truely serious penalties to being them.  The penalty applied to the Heal ability, from what I've seen affects the success of your healing.  So for example, a Saw Bones might need 300 ranks in Heal to get a success of 0, where other Shaman might only need 220 ranks in heal to get a success of 0.  Heal hit point amounts don't seem to be affected much.  The reduced damage is also a very nice benefit to the Saw Bones.

Now we will take a look at the Caste Specific subroles:

Leech (Undead)

• Leeches are very good at using the heal ability on undead.
• Leeches are not very good at using the heal ability on humanoids.
• Leeches and their minions are resistant to disease, poison, and acid damage

Leeches are great to use in a pure Undead Clan.  The bonus to heal on Undead is very nice.  The penalty to healing Humanoids is certainly noticable but not necessarily a problem once Heal has enough ranks in it.  Having a natural resistance to both Crud and Poison is an excellent thing to have, especially if you have Cure.  A good subrole to have if you do not wish to have a subrole with any attribute penalties

Witch Doctor (Humanoid)

• Witch Doctors are very good at using the heal ability on humanoids.
• Witch Doctors are not very good at using the heal ability on chimera.

Witch Doctors are great to use in pure Humanoid clans.  Like the Leech, the bonus to Humanoids is nice while the penalty to heal Chimera is noticeable.  A good pick if you do not wish to have a subrole with any attribute penalties.

Wound Licker (Chimera)

• Wound Lickers are very good at using the heal ability on chimera.
• Wound Lickers are not very good at using the heal ability on undead.

Wound Lickers are great to use in pure Chimeran clans.  Like the Leech and the Witch Doctor, the penalty is noticable while the bonus is nice.  Again, a good pick if you do not wish to have a subrole with any attribute penalties.

Now that you know the advantages of the different subroles, its time to see what kind of Shaman you want to be. Lets take a look at you should be a Dual Roled or Pure Roled Shaman.