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Glimbur
2009-06-18, 09:13 PM
I scream, you scream, we all scream for Incarnum. But Totemists don't have a whole lot of options. They're also really easy to homebrew for; just look at Magical Beasts and take their powers in a somewhat balanced manner. Here you go.

A couple of design notes: I have decided that the standard way saves from soulmelds scale is terrible. 10+Con+Essentia invested seems ok... at first level, where you might be swinging a DC 14 or 15 ability at will. But it doesn't scale well at all. 10th level, assuming it's full and in your totem, the DC is 19ish. So I changed it to scale with 10+half meldshaper level+essentia invested. 10 plus half level plus Con seemed to be too easy to shoot into the stratosphere, which is bad for an at will ability.

Also, I'm aiming to increase the average power of Totemists a little, but not too much.
Spinneret of the Aranea
Descriptors: Nope
Classes: Totemist
Chakra: Hands, Heart, (Totem)
Saving Throw: None
Shaping the various bits of a magic spider gives you spider powers. Go figure.

The Spinneret of the Aranea gives a +2 Insight Bonus to Climb and Move Silently.

Essentia: Each point increases the bonus to Climb and Move Silently by 2.

Chakra Bind(Hands)
Scary hairs come out of your hands.
You gain the effect of Spider Climb.

Chakra Bind(Heart)
The aranea is a magic spider, not just a spider. You grow its magical capacitor out of your backside.
Choose three spells a sorcerer of half your meldshaper level could know. You may cast these spells once per five minutes with a separate cool-down for each spell as a Spell Like Ability. Pay XP and gold costs normally. The save, if applicable, is 10+Half Meldshaper Level+Essentia invested.

Chakra Bind(Totem)
You grow one of those gross spider silk making things out of your back. How it gets past your armour is your business.
You gain the ability to shoot a web at foes 10' away, plus 5' per essentia invested. If you succeed on a ranged touch attack to hit, the foe is Entangled, as the condition. The web has 6 hp plus twice the essentia invested, and has hardness equal to invested essentia. The target cannot hit the web with a weapon more unwieldy than a light weapon, but its allies may attack the web normally. It may also escape with an Escape Artist or Strength Check of DC 10+essentia+half meldshaper level.


Shock Lizard Crest
Descriptors: Electricity
Classes: Totemist
Chakra: Crown, (Totem)
Saving Throw: None
You grow an adorable lizard crest out of your head.
You gain Electricity Resistance 5.

Essentia:
Each point of essentia increases your resistance by 3.

Chakra Bind (Crown)
You got shark in my lizard! You got lizard in my shark! In any case, the crest grows larger and much more sensitive.
You gain the ability to sense living things and others that use electrical impulses within 10', plus 5' per essentia invested. This works like Blindsense except with a smaller subset of critters affected.

Chakra Bind (Totem)
Are those spines sticking out of the crest supposed to crackle like that?
Every natural attack you make does 1d4 electrical damage. You choose if it is lethal or nonlethal. You may also use a touch attack to deliver this electricity. Each point of essentia increases the damage by 1d4.

Spider Eater Mantle(fix name)
Descriptors: None
Classes: Totemist
Chakra: Shoulders, Heart, (Totem)
Saving Throw: Fort DC 10+Half Meldshaper+Essentia
You get two limp black wings out of your back.
Gain a +2 circumstance bonus on saves against poison.

Essentia: Each point increases the bonus versus poison by 1.

Chakra Bind (Shoulders)
The wings firm up and grow improbably large.
Gain a Fly speed of 10' plus 10' per essentia invested at Fair maneuverability. If you have at least 3 essentia in the meld increase maneuverability to Good.

Chakra Bind(Heart)
You grow extra eyes on your face as you take into yourself the wiliness and magic of the Spider Eater.
Gain Freedom of Movement, as the spell.

Chakra Bind (Totem)
You grow a stinger out of your back. It's pretty scary, I guess, and dripping with poisons and stuff.
You gain a natural attack, a stinger. If used as a primary attack, it does 1d6+Str. If used as a secondary, it does 1d6+half Str. In either case, it also delivers a poison. This poison's initial effect is 1d6 points of Dex damage, with no secondary. The save is 10+half meldshaper level+essentia invested. Invested essentia also gives you an enhancement bonus to hit with the tail equal to invested essentia.


Stirge Mask
Descriptors: None
Classes: Totemist
Chakra: Soul (Totem)
Saving Throw: None
The buzzing of insects surrounds you. Your eyes seem somehow larger and more keen.
You gain Low Light vision. If you already had Low Light vision, too bad.

Essentia:
You gain a Deflection bonus to AC equal to invested Essentia.

Chakra Bind(Soul)
The swarm surrounding you grows more dense.
You gain some concealment. Every attack against you suffers a 10% miss chance, increasing by 5% per invested essentia to a maximum of 50%.

Chakra Bind(Totem)
Your nose is a nose no longer, but instead a proboscis.
You gain a natural Gore attack. It does 1d4+Str damage if used as a primary attack, 1d4+half Strength if used as a secondary. It also does 1d4 Con damage as you suck some blood out of your target. You may do no more than 4+twice invested essentia in Con damage per five minutes, as your magical blood stomach needs time to empty. Invested essentia also gives you a bonus to hit equal to invested essentia.

Glimbur
2009-06-18, 11:32 PM
Here's some MM II beasties, I still have a few to consider.

Chaos Roc's Call
Descriptors: Possible on breath weapon, [Chaotic]
Classes: Totemist
Chakra: Throat (Totem)
Save: 10+Essentia+1/2 Meldshaper Level
You bind shimmering feathers of all colors about your throat, bringing Chaos closer to you.
You gain a +2 insight bonus to Spot Checks.

Essentia Effect:
You may take a luck bonus equal to invested essentia on any d20 roll up to half your meldshaper levels per encounter, as a free action. For example, a 6th level Totemist with 2 essentia in this soulmeld may take a +2 on a reflex save he makes, a +2 on an attack, and a +2 on a spot check in one encounter. This ability only works in hazardous, chaotic situations like combat or a shipwreck or something.

Chakra Bind(Throat)
Your mouth turns into a multicolored beak.
You gain a breath weapon similar to a Prismatic Spray, usable with a 1d4 round cool-down. It sprays out in a cone 10' long plus 5' per essentia. For each creature caught in the cone, roll a d6. A one does fire damage, a two does acid damage, a three does electrical damage. In any case the damage is 2d6 plus 2d6 per essentia. Any of these effects offer a Reflex save for half. A four does Con damage, a five does Dex damage, a six does Wisdom damage. Any of these effects do 1d4 plus 1d4 per essentia. The Con or Dex damage effects offer a Fort save for half, the Wis damage offers a Will save for half. All of these saves are DC 10+half meldshaper level+essentia invested.

Chakra Bind(Totem)
The claws of the great bird sprout out of your feet.
You gain two talon attacks. Each does 1d6+Strength if used as a primary attack, 1d6+half strength if used as a secondary attack. Each talon gains the amount of essentia invested as an enhancement bonus to hit and damage.

Cloud Ray Shoes
Descriptors: None
Classes: Totemist
Chakra: Feet (Totem)
Saving Throw: None
Your feet turn more leathery, and more blue.
You gain a +4 Competence bonus to Hide.

Essentia Effect:
Each point of essentia gives Damage Resistance against missile weapons only equal to invested essentia.

Chakra Bind (Feet)
The gray leather effect spreads up your legs and grows some lifting pouches of gas.
You gain the ability to use Levitate on yourself at will.

Chakra Bind (Totem)
Your entire lower half becomes more grey and blue and leathery. A stinger grows from your backside.
You gain a stinger attack. It does 1d8 damage, plus strength bonus or half strength bonus depending if it is used as a primary or secondary attack. Invested essentia provides an enhancement bonus to hit and damage equal to invested essentia.

Nethersight Mastiff's Hunt
Descriptors: None
Classes: Totemist
Chakra: Arms (Totem)
Saving Throw: None
Your arms grow black, shaggy dog fur.
You gain the ability to sense Ethereal creatures in a manner similar to Detect Magic. You use a move action to detect Ethereal beings in a 20' cone. This effect lasts for half of your meldshaper level, in rounds.

Essentia Effect: The cone becomes 10' larger for each point of essentia invested.

Chakra Bind(Arms)
The fur on your arms shimmers with an Ethereal tint.
All your natural attacks gain the Ghost Touch property. They can also reach the Ethereal Plane. In addition, if you successfully grapple an Ethereal creature, you may make a grapple check to pull it onto the Material Plane. This is similar to pinning the creature in that you have to do it after starting the grapple. Essentia invested gives you a bonus on grapple checks versus Ethereal creatures and creatures you just pulled in from the Ethereal plane.

Chakra Bind(Totem)
You suddenly grow a dog muzzle! What's going on?
You gain a bite attack which does 1d8 damage plus strength bonus, or if used as a secondary attack 1d8 plus half strength bonus. Essentia invested adds an equal enhancement to attack and damage with the bite attack.
This one has a pretty unique effect, might be too good for an Arm chakra bind. Could move it to waist or throat in that case; throat makes a little more sense by the affinities but not too much.

PairO'Dice Lost
2009-06-19, 08:23 AM
They all look good (particularly the flavor text), except that the names for the Chaos Roc and Nethersight Mastiff seem a bit off, since they don't follow the usual item-of-clothing naming scheme. Might I suggest Chaos Roc Necklace and Nethersight Mastiff Coat?

Also, a suggestion for another meld: a Choker Choker. :smallbiggrin:

zagan
2009-06-19, 08:26 AM
I really love those (Bookmark thay way I can beg my Dm to allow them next time I make a totemist)

Great work man, I hope to see more.

Glimbur
2009-06-19, 05:01 PM
They all look good (particularly the flavor text), except that the names for the Chaos Roc and Nethersight Mastiff seem a bit off, since they don't follow the usual item-of-clothing naming scheme. Might I suggest Chaos Roc Necklace and Nethersight Mastiff Coat?

Also, a suggestion for another meld: a Choker Choker. :smallbiggrin:

I intentionally didn't name them after clothing mostly because I decided I was bored with all these Mantles and Bracers and Chokers and stuff.

Choker Choker would be tricky to balance; extra standard actions are quite nice. I didn't look at them earlier because they're technically Aberrations, but that's not a big deal. I suppose you could use the mechanics of the Threefold Mask so the extra actions hurt to take...

Djinn_in_Tonic
2009-06-19, 05:09 PM
I intentionally didn't name them after clothing mostly because I decided I was bored with all these Mantles and Bracers and Chokers and stuff.

Choker Choker would be tricky to balance; extra standard actions are quite nice. I didn't look at them earlier because they're technically Aberrations, but that's not a big deal. I suppose you could use the mechanics of the Threefold Mask so the extra actions hurt to take...

True...but an extra standard action per encounter won't exactly disrupt the balance by that much. Look at the Factotum. Judging from that, you could probably get away with up to 2-4 extra standard actions per encounter, limited to 1/round.

I can't say I know Incarnum well, but would there be an investing progression that could max out the extra actions at between 2 and 4?

Glimbur
2009-06-19, 05:33 PM
Choker Choker
Descriptors: None
Classes: Totemist
Chakra: Throat (Totem)
Saving Throw: None
Your throat becomes speckled with brown spots.
You gain a +2 insight bonus to initiative checks.

Essentia Bonus: Each point of essentia increases the bonus to your initiative check by one.

Chakra Bind (Throat)
The speed and dexterity of the Choker suffuse your entire body.
You gain a pool of bonus standard actions you can take in an encounter. You may use only one bonus action per regular turn. You have one extra action for binding this soulmeld, and another action for every two essentia you have in this soulmeld. Keep track of actions used, not actions left, so you may not refresh the pool by moving essentia out of the meld and back in.

Chakra Bind (Totem)
Suddenly tentacles!
You gain two tentacle natural attacks. They do 1d6+strength bonus each if used as your primary attacks, and 1d6+half strength bonus if used as secondary attacks. Each point of essentia adds an enhancement bonus of +1 to hit and damage with the tentacles.

At the level you get the throat bind (14), this is capacity 3. 5 if you bind it to your totem, which you can bind two different things to. If you took a useful feat, the capacity is up to 6. That's 4 extra standard actions a combat.

At level 20, assuming all sorts of stuff besides the capstone, you can get 5 extra standard actions. If you use your capstone ability, that's 10 bonus actions at level 20.

If a wizard blows two feats, he can remove his ability to wear magic necklaces to get extra standard action an encounter. Useful, but not totally crazy I hope.

zagan
2009-06-20, 10:28 AM
I like this one but the formulation seem a little akward to me but I admit that I'm not sure on how to do it better.

Perhaps something like that:

You can take one more standard action per round a number of time per encounter equal to 1+ 1 per 2 essentia invest in this soulmeld.
If for any reason the number of essentia invest in this soulmeld should change you lose the abilitie to invest essentia in it until the next encounter.

In any case good work, i hope to see more.

PairO'Dice Lost
2009-06-20, 03:29 PM
Chakra Bind (Totem)
Suddenly tentacles!
You gain two tentacle natural attacks. They do 1d6+strength bonus each if used as your primary attacks, and 1d6+half strength bonus if used as secondary attacks. Each point of essentia adds an enhancement bonus of +1 to hit and damage with the tentacles.

You might want to add that anyone you grapple can't speak, but that's a minor issue.


At the level you get the throat bind (14), this is capacity 3. 5 if you bind it to your totem, which you can bind two different things to. If you took a useful feat, the capacity is up to 6. That's 4 extra standard actions a combat.

At level 20, assuming all sorts of stuff besides the capstone, you can get 5 extra standard actions. If you use your capstone ability, that's 10 bonus actions at level 20.

If a wizard blows two feats, he can remove his ability to wear magic necklaces to get extra standard action an encounter. Useful, but not totally crazy I hope.

You could make the cost cumulative if you wanted--2 essentia grants one standard action, 2+3 essentia for two, 2+3+4 for three, etc. That would mean the 18 essentia with your capstone would only get you 5 actions instead of 10, and it progresses more slowly.

Glimbur
2009-06-21, 12:01 AM
I'm not finding a lot of interesting things in other monster manuals, here's MMIII and MMIV.
Avalancher's Avalanche Aura
Descriptors: Earth
Classes: Totemist
Chakra: Throat, Shoulder (Totem)
Saving Throw: Ref for half
You form some of the random chaos of the avalanche and its shepherd the Avalancher.
You gain a +2 insight bonus to balance and climb checks
Essentia Effect: Each point of essentia in this soulmeld increases the bonus to balance and climb by one.

Chakra Bind (Throat)
You strengthen your connection to falling rocks, and cough up some gravel.
You gain a breath weapon that does bludgeoning damage with a cool down of 1d4 rounds. You spray rocks in a 10' cone plus 5' per essentia. The damage dealt to each creature is 2d6 plus 2d6 per essentia invested. The DC of the Reflex save is 10+Half Meldshaper Level+Essentia Invested.

Chakra Bind (Shoulder)
You pull the resilience and durability of the Avalancher about yourself like a cloak.
You take half damage from bludgeoning and impact (falling, constriction, the non-acid part of being Swallowed Whole).

Chakra Bind (Totem)
Rocks rise up around you and hover as though waiting to be directed in an avalanche.
You gain a trample attack. As a full round action, you can move up to twice your movement and may move through the squares of any creature your size or smaller. Any creature whose space you move through takes 1d8 bludgeoning damage plus 1.5 times your strength bonus (assuming you are medium size, scale damage up or down as usual if this is not the case). Each creature you trample may make a reflex save for half damage or take an Attack of Opportunity against you at -4 due to the speed of your movement and the rocks deflecting attacks. Others you move past but not over may also take AoO's at the same penalty to hit. You may deal trample damage to any given creature only once per round no matter how many times you cross its space.

Each point of Essentia in the meld increases your trample damage by 1 and increases the penalty to hit you as you trample by 1. Each three points you put into the meld also let you trample one size category larger of creature.

Bluespawn Aura
Descriptors: Electrical
Classes: Totemist
Chakra: Shoulder, Waist (Totem)
Saving Throw: Ref for half
Special: Must have dragonblood subtype to shape
You pinch off some of Tiamat's power flowing to her dragonspawn to shield yourself.
You gain electrical resistance 5.
Essentia Effect: Each point of essentia increases your electrical resistance by 3.

Chakra Bind (Shoulder)
You wreathe yourself in crackling electricity.
Every enemy that hits you in melee without a reach weapon takes 1d6 electrical damage. Each point of essentia increases the damage dealt by 1d6. Creatures in a grapple with you take damage as though they had hit you each round they are in a grapple.

Chakra Bind (Waist)
You run electricity around yourself in a barely contained thunderbolt.
As a standard action you may fill the squares adjacent to you with electricity. Each creature in one of those squares takes 1d6 plus 1d6 per essentia invested of electrical damage, Reflex save DC 10+half meldshaper level+essentia for half.

Chakra Bind (Totem)
The power of Tiamat flows into your eyes, giving you eye lasers.
You can shoot lasers out of your eyes as a standard action. Lasers are a ranged touch attack. They do 1d6 electricity damage per invested essentia and have a range of 30' plus 10' per invested essentia.

zagan
2009-06-21, 03:42 AM
Both look good but the Avalancher's Avalanche Gland is missing the totem chakra bind.

Glimbur
2009-06-21, 03:59 AM
Added claws. Everyone gets claws.

Any better idea than Avalanche Gland? I mostly named it that as a joke.

zagan
2009-06-21, 04:30 AM
Claw get boring after a time, how about natural armor bonus Avalancher have +8 it fit.
As for name I propose Avalancher Hide.

PairO'Dice Lost
2009-06-21, 12:27 PM
For the Bluespawn Aura, I'd change the totem bind to something besides claws, since as zagan said tons of melds grant claws. You might as well stick with the lightning theme and give a lightning breath weapon or something along those lines (changing the shape or making other adjustments to differentiate it from the behir gorget, of course).

Glimbur
2009-06-22, 08:33 PM
Look at the other Totem binds. Those that aren't attacks can be counted on one hand. Bluespawn could be a pew-pew lighting laser; all the other breath weapons are Throat binds, not Totem binds. So make it a ranged touch attack like the Frost Helm or Ythrak Mask. Make it 1d6 per essentia with a range of... 30' plus 10' per essentia.

Sereg
2009-06-23, 03:30 AM
You may or may not want to give bluespawn aura the draconic descriptor. It depends on whether or not you consider the dragonblood subtype is close enough to the dragon type.

PairO'Dice Lost
2009-06-23, 08:20 AM
Look at the other Totem binds. Those that aren't attacks can be counted on one hand.

Exactly the issue. :smallwink: Just because the normal soulmelds' totem benefits are "Woohoo! Claws...or a bite...again...." doesn't mean you have to stick with the pattern--particularly since the ones that give attacks are known for their attacks, whereas dragons...aren't.

Hmm...if you really want an attack, make it something dragonspawn-ish. Maybe a set of wings that lets you make a wing attack with reach?


Bluespawn could be a pew-pew lighting laser; all the other breath weapons are Throat binds, not Totem binds. So make it a ranged touch attack like the Frost Helm or Ythrak Mask. Make it 1d6 per essentia with a range of... 30' plus 10' per essentia.

Or something like that. It doesn't have to be a breath weapon per se, just some sort of projectile thingy.

Glimbur
2009-06-24, 11:38 PM
Added eye lasers. The wormtail belt and the Totem Avatar give natural armor without being bound, so I'd like something cooler for the Avalancher totem bind. Cause Avalanche? A little niche, I admit.

PairO'Dice Lost
2009-06-25, 08:00 AM
Cause Avalanche?

Sounds like an interesting ability; are you thinking of any particular mechanics, or would it basically be some variation on earthquake?

zagan
2009-06-25, 10:31 AM
How about a gaining the trample special abilitie and for every 2 essentia invest in it you are consider one size larger for the purpose of what creature you can trample ?

Glimbur
2009-07-11, 07:02 PM
The Avalancher's Avalanche Aura now gives a trample attack similar to the Shedu Crown but better. A 20th level Totemist using the capstone ability, a feat, and a magic item to increase capacity can fit 16 essentia, letting a medium human trample someone 5 size categories larger. This lets our totemist trample a Colossal+ creature. Rule of Cool says I can't change this to reduce it. Without the capstone you're only trampling Huge critters.