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View Full Version : Magic of Incarnum question. (3.5.)



Tempest Fennac
2009-09-15, 04:11 AM
What bonuses does investing Essentia in the Threefold Mask of the Chimera provide and if you use all 3 Bites as a full attack, can you use other attacks as secondary attacks? Also, do all of the bites have the same attack bonus when used in the same round? The book doesn't seem to mention these details.

Darrin
2009-09-15, 06:24 AM
What bonuses does investing Essentia in the Threefold Mask of the Chimera provide and if you use all 3 Bites as a full attack, can you use other attacks as secondary attacks? Also, do all of the bites have the same attack bonus when used in the same round? The book doesn't seem to mention these details.

Investing essentia into the Threefold Mask of the Chimera just gives you a +1 competence bonus on Spot and Search checks (which stinks, as most soulmelds give insight bonuses rather than the much more common competence bonuses). Unless you've bound it to your Crown or Soul Chakra, that's all it does. Investing essentia while bound to the Totem Chakra doesn't do anything extra, you get just the basic +1 on Spot/Search checks. If you're looking for a way to buff your natural attacks with essentia, there are some other soulmelds that do that (try Totem Avatar, Dread Carapace, or Azure Wild Shape).

According to the text, you can attack with one head as a standard action with your full Strength modifier. You can attack with all three heads as a full-round action, and the text doesn't specify that any of those are secondary attacks, so you get all three at your highest BAB with your full Strength bonus. The final option is you can add one (but only one) head as a secondary attack if you're making a full-attack with some other weapon (-5 penalty and half your Strength bonus).

Note that the damage values given assume your meldshaper is medium-sized. As per the note on MoI p. 54, you may have to adjust the damage values up or down for a meldshaper that is larger or smaller than medium size.

Tempest Fennac
2009-09-15, 07:08 AM
Thanks (I was thinking on using that Soulmeld from 2nd level onwards but I think I'll probably go with Landshark Boots instead, even if I will have to stop using a shield until I can afford one which levitates).

Person_Man
2009-09-15, 08:55 AM
What Darrin said.

WotC has been very inconsistent when it comes to natural attacks. In most cases, if you have a natural attack you can use it as a secondary attack as part of a full attack at -5, in addition to your primary attack routine. (As long as you're not holding something in a clawed hand, which prevents you from using that claw). You can reduce it to -2 if you can qualify for and take the Multiattack feat, or -0 if you can then take the Improved Multiattack feat (Draconomicon, Savage Species).

However, its important to note that the controlling factor over whether or not you can use a natural attack as a secondary attack in addition to your normal attack routine is the wording of its source, and not any consistent or logical rule. A Lizardfolk has 2 claws and a bite. A Werebear has 2 claws and a bite. But a Lizardfolk using a sword only gets a secondary bite attack when it uses a weapon, whereas the Werebear gets the bite, a claw, and the weapon. I know that it makes no sense. That's just the way its written.

Tempest Fennac
2009-09-15, 09:13 AM
For a race with no natural weapons, which Soulmeld do you think grants the best weapon for dealing damage quickly if you don't want to bother with things like grappling or tripping, Person_Man?

Sinfire Titan
2009-09-15, 09:39 AM
For a race with no natural weapons, which Soulmeld do you think grants the best weapon for dealing damage quickly if you don't want to bother with things like grappling or tripping, Person_Man?

Either Manticore Belt or Girallon Arms. Manticore Belt if your Dex is higher than your Str, Girallon Arms if it is the other way around.

Alternatively, using Metabreath feats and soulmelds like the Winter Mask (ones that grant a breath weapon with a 1d4 recharge time, not the ones like the Behir Gorget), you can play like a mini-DFA. That route has decent damage and battlefield control.

The third option is to use the Basilisk soulmeld that gives you an at will Gaze attack that Petrifies them if they fail their Fort save. With the right optimization (Dragonborn Mongrelfolk+Ability Focus+Expanded Soulmeld Capacity) and an Admanatine weapon (or something that can hurt stone), you effectively kill someone as a Full Round action.

Tempest Fennac
2009-09-15, 09:50 AM
Thanks for the advice. How good are the Landshark Boots for offence? I thought they looked more effective then the Girallon Arms.

Fax Celestis
2009-09-15, 10:00 AM
Thanks for the advice. How good are the Landshark Boots for offence? I thought they looked more effective then the Girallon Arms.

If you're playing a totemist, Landshark Boots are alright. I'd personally much rather go with Girallon Arms and Urskan Greaves combined, though. Bind Girallon Arms to your hands, shape Urskan Greaves, drop all essentia into the greaves, and charge. At low levels, it's a fistful o' d4s. At higher, you add Sphinx Claws bound to your arms and gain pounce, so you get a fistful o' fistful o' d4s.

Sinfire Titan
2009-09-15, 10:07 AM
Thanks for the advice. How good are the Landshark Boots for offence? I thought they looked more effective then the Girallon Arms.

Depends. If you are aiming for Totemist 20 (and the Totem Embodiment is really effing tempting), Landshark Boots at the lower levels, Girallon Arms when you can afford to bind Sphinx Claws, as Fax said.

If you are going Totem Rager, Girallon Arms hands down (sorry).

The main issue is the full attack action. Once you've resolved the Landshark Boots pounce ability, you can't use it again without moving away/using something like Sudden Leap to get jump height. With Girallon Arms, you trade the ability to pounce now for a Full Attack action at the lower levels. If you are in a party of 5 or more, Landshark Boots is more than enough to get you through the combat each day. If you are in a small group (3 people or less), use Girallon Arms. The former is a best-case scenario, as there will be a massive action advantage that can free up your charge action. The former is best when you have to cover the Melee role all by yourself.






BTW, always shape the Rage Claws. One of my players found out the hard way that the Diehard effect they grant is just too valuable for a low-level Totemist to pass up.

Tempest Fennac
2009-09-15, 10:11 AM
I don't honestly like the look of the Greves that much to be honest (the Feet Bind ability isn't available until level 8 and I'm starting the character at level 1).

I'm not planning on multi-classing and I wanted a couple of other Soulmelds more so I can't afford to take those Claws for the Die Hard effect.

Sinfire Titan
2009-09-15, 10:21 AM
I don't honestly like the look of the Greves that much to be honest (the Feet Bind ability isn't available until level 8 and I'm starting the character at level 1).

I'm not planning on multi-classing and I wanted a couple of other Soulmelds more so I can't afford to take those Claws for the Die Hard effect.


...Then I pray your enemies do not focus on you. Those claws are a life saver at the low levels (seriously, I soloed a CR 11 White Dragon with an ECL 6 Totemist thanks to those claws saving my ass, along with a few other factors, but the claws were the biggest one).

Fax Celestis
2009-09-15, 10:27 AM
Maybe drop a feat on Shape Soulmeld (Thunderstep Boots)? Still not available to bind until ECL 8, but you get the d4 effect as the base power, and a save-or-stun effect as the bind power (and stunning is awesome).