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Everyman
2010-04-01, 11:49 AM
Every once in a while I get the urge to break out a dusty supplement and play a campaign based off it. After I finish my current campaign (maybe months away), I wanted to try out Incarnum. I've actually played a little bit with the system (and had a blast as a totemist), and realize that the Soulborns...just...don't measure up.

I know my group, and someone is going to want to play the soulborn (probably one of the chaotic ones). However, everytime I build one and run it through a playtesting scenario, it ends up lagging or suffering from its lack of class features. I want to fix it.

Now, I hate redesigning an entire class. If I add or remove features, its to help give each class a sense of purpose and specialization. Right now, my proposed fixes are fairly simple ones.
1) Full meldshaper level progression
2) Bonus Incarnum Feats: Gained at 1st, 3rd, 7th and every four levels thereafter (total of three additional feats overall). It adds some additional options to the class, as well as a few extra points of essentia.
3) Saving Throw Bonus: At 4th level, soulborns add their Charisma to their saving throws (like a paladin). The decision to add it at 4th is just to fill a dead level, really.
4) Enhanced Incarnum Investment (Su): Starting at 6th level, soulborns treat any incarnum feat they can invest essentia in as if they have allocated 1 additional essential than they actually have. This extra essential does not count against the maximum essentia they can normally invest. For example, if a 6th level soulborn has invested 1 essentia in Sapphire Smite, he treats the feat as if he had invested 2 essential. Likewise, a soulborn can choose not to invest any essentia at all in a feat, but still treat it as if there was 1 essentia invested.

What do you guys think? I know they still get a poor progression on soulmelds and binds, but that isn't the goal of my fix. Instead, I'm trying to define them more by their choice in incarnum feats and their ability to shrug off harm.

Also, what kind of fixes do you use (if any) with this class?

Sinfire Titan
2010-04-01, 11:52 AM
There's two fixes on Brilliant Gameologists and one by Person_Man here, all three of which are very good.

Don't have any links though.

Glimbur
2010-04-01, 11:56 AM
Somebody on these boards has done a fix. So have I. The link to my fix is in my sig, but I don't know where the other one is. I haven't actually play-tested my fix... it's kind of a lot of numbers thrown together at the moment.

The main concern I have with the Soulborn is that it doesn't feel very Incarnum at low levels. Full meldshaper progression is necessary, there's no need to make them fail against SR or if someone tries to suppress their soulmelds; which are the only things meldshaper level really affects. Adding more bonus feats like you do should increase their "blue" feel, but I worry that your players might run out of useful feats to take. Cha to saves is useful, and you've buried it so people would dip Paladin or something instead of this. The Enhanced Incarnum Investment is not an idea I had considered, but I like it. It makes the feats more useful, and your selection more important.

tl;dr Looks workable, other ideas exist.

edit: I thought it was Person_Man who did the more famous fix, but I wasn't sure. Here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=119121) it is.

Person_Man
2010-04-01, 11:59 AM
Here's mine (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=119121). Basically I just speed up the Meldshaping somewhat and gave it a bunch of Smite related stuff. The ones at Brilliant Gameologist are good as well, but I'm blocked at work. Sinfire also has some really excellent Incarnum guides, if you're looking for advice on the subject in general.

Sinfire Titan
2010-04-01, 11:59 AM
there's no need to make them fail against SR or if someone tries to suppress their soulmelds


Ah, forgot to mention this too. Soulborns have the most soulmelds that affect other creatures, thus they have the most effects that allow SR. Yeah, anyone who doesn't negate their 1/2 ML nerf is overlooking a major weakness of the class.

Starbuck_II
2010-04-01, 12:19 PM
My Fix:
I say Combine Divine Mind (from Complete Psionics) with Soulborn = balanced.

Basically, they get Divine Aura's. Plus, full meldshaper level.

Lapak
2010-04-01, 01:10 PM
I haven't used it myself, but Xallace put together a class that's an attempt to fix the problems with the Soulborn AND the Soulknife by folding them into one class (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=100035) that I thought was very interesting.

Everyman
2010-04-02, 09:05 AM
Excellent! Feedback!

Sinfire: I agree that full meldshaper levels are a must for this class. In fact, it was the very first change I made to it.

Person_Man: I really like your class, PM. Its a bit more change that I feel is necessary for my group, but the design is very elegant. I think I might let my group decide betwen my own fixes and yours.

Interestingly, if your Soulborn choose nothing but Incarnum feats as they levelled, they'd have almost as much essentia as an Incarnate.

Lapak: Thanks for the link. I'm not sure if I want to substitute the original class with such a different composite class (even though it looks like it'd be a blast to play). However, I'll keep it mind.

So, any other feedback overall?