Good Soumelds?

[Salbazier]

I'm looking over at the incarnum again. Another alternate system I never do much with but skim over it.

I found myself an incarnum classes handbook, but does anyone have souldmelds selection guide/advice ? (BTW, as the title says I'm looking for useful Good soulmeld)

[Darrin]

I'm looking over at the incarnum again. Another alternate system I never do much with but skim over it.

I found myself an incarnum classes handbook, but does anyone have souldmelds selection guide/advice ? (BTW, as the title says I'm looking for useful Good soulmeld)

Can you be more specific about what you're trying to accomplish, or what sort of build you have in mind? There's lots of awesomesauce in that book, but if you tell us you're working on a frontline fighter, a sneaky ambusher, or a utility healer/buffer, then we can give you more specific recommendations.

[Salbazier]

Right now I'm mainly looking for frontline melee build advice. But, I'll appreciate advice on another types as well (enriching my knowledge for future reference)

[kestrel404]

Are you planning on taking an incarnum class? Advancing that class? Having plenty of essentia?

There are several that are very good choices if you've got the essentia to keep them topped off, and that suck if you don't. There are also several that work just fine with no essentia (assuming you've got something else going for you and you've just dipped an incarnum class or taken the shape soulmeld feat).

[Salbazier]

Yes to above. Good aligned Incarnate. Sorry for being unclear

[kestrel404]

Personally, I think that the Incarnum classes work best as either a dip or the other side of a dual-progression class (such as the Sapphire Hierarch for Divine/Incarnum or the Soul Manifester for Psionic/Incarnum) - you get almost as much utility out of your incarnum abilities but there are just so few soulmelds available that you need a source of versatility as well.

If you go with the Soul Manifester (from the WotC online content), most of the soulmelds in that same article are very nice.

A few reminders - you cannot use magic items (or even mundane gear) in slots that have soulelds bound. But if the soulmeld is not bound, then there's no reason at all not to have a magic item there. If you want to go VoP (Incarnum classes are one of the few ways to make that a serious option), it's worth dipping totemist 2 just to get the 3 extra soulmelds so you can shape them in every body slot. Being able to mix and match incarnate and totemist soulmelds is also very handy.

Some good incarnum tricks:
Unlimited healing - If you can get Fast Healing or Regeneration (ring of regen, various templates, several different spells/wands) Lifebond Vestment provides lots of healing. Bound to the heart chakra, it provides unlimited healing. This also works if you can dip the Crusader class or else take the Crusader-only stance that heals 2hp per attack that hits, giving a semblance of fast healing. Otherwise, since you're a Con based class anyway, you should still have enough HP that you can share with your friends.

Crown:
Crystal Helm is very nice for an AC booster until you can afford a decent magic item to provide a deflection bonus. Now worth binding unless you find yourself fighting a lot of incorporeal foes.
On the other hand the Diadem of Purelight is great when bound (negating concealment is awesome), but it makes you something of a target since you've got a giant beacon on your head you can't turn off. Best used underground and when you're not trying to be stealthy.
Feet:
Impulse boots are the single best foot soulmeld for incarnate, at least in combat. The others may provide a bit more mobility but none of them are as useful. Binding them is usually a good idea as well, barring some of the really handy magic items (like boots of haste or translocation anklets). Out of a fight, the others offer some mobility options but nothing spectacular.
Hands:
Your hand slot depends on what you want to do that day. Really, all of the hand soulmelds are good in different situations. The best 'all around' soulmeld is probably the lucky dice, while the best combat soulmeld may well be the lightning gauntlets (barring specialisation or a good magic weapon).
Arms:
Several good options here. The Incarnate weapon is the most obvious choice for combat (remeber if you've got it bound, you can charge the 'stunning' effect well in advance of using it), but you can also have Bloodwar Gauntlets shaped here if you've already got a magic weapon (they're probably not worth binding). But for out of combat healing, the best by far is the Lifebond Vestment (See above). For non-combat options, all of the others have their uses.
Brow:
Mages Spectacles combined with a few ranks of UMD are outstanding. Planar Chausible is also dead useful. The others are somewhat situational.
Shoulders:
The choice here will determine your overall combat style. If you're going to be drawing a lot of unfriendly attention and you've got a low AC, then Flame Cloak is the way to go. If you're already fairly well defended and going into melee, adding Adamant Pauldrons is a good idea. But if you've got a non-melee build, the best option here by far is the Wind Cloak.
Throat:
If you can cast spells, Arcane Focus (there's a Psi focus if you're a soul manifester). Otherwise, Planar Ward is a pretty obvious choice. Dissolving Spittle, Apparition Ward and Silver Tongue are also situationally useful.
Waist:
Strongheart Vest is easily the best soulmeld here, although at higher levels the Vitality Belt is really nice if you're getting into a lot of vanilla fights (i.e. lots of HP damage attacks).
Heart:
There are several very nice options here. Each of them are worth considdering. Once you've considdered, do yourself a favor and spend a feat (or dip totemist) for Shape Soulmeld (Blink Shirt).
Soul:
Incarnate Avatar for melee or Fellmist Robe for ranged. That simple, really.

Hope that helps.

[Keld Denar]

A few reminders - you cannot use magic items (or even mundane gear) in slots that have soulelds bound. But if the soulmeld is not bound, then there's no reason at all not to have a magic item there.

Not quite. Only Chakra binds lock out the magic item slots. Just shaping a soulmeld won't affect magic items worn.

OP: Incarnate Weapon is a pretty awesome meld. The chance to stun on a hit is always fun.

[AnswersQuestion]

Not quite. Only Chakra binds lock out the magic item slots. Just shaping a soulmeld won't affect magic items worn.

OP: Incarnate Weapon is a pretty awesome meld. The chance to stun on a hit is always fun.

You and kestrel404 said exactly the same thing.

[Foryn Gilnith]

You and kestrel404 said exactly the same thing.

kestrel404 said you can't wear mundane gear in slots that have soulmelds bound. That's ridiculous. It is clearly possible to wear a hat over your Diadem of Purelight, to wear a cloak over your Displacer Mantle, or even wear another belt if your Wormtail Belt is dissatisfactory.

[Zaq]

Feet:
Impulse boots are the single best foot soulmeld for incarnate, at least in combat. The others may provide a bit more mobility but none of them are as useful. Binding them is usually a good idea as well, barring some of the really handy magic items (like boots of haste or translocation anklets). Out of a fight, the others offer some mobility options but nothing spectacular.


One caveat about the Impulse Boots: regrettably, the soulmeld references pg. 50 of the PHB, and the Evasion listed there specifies that it only works in light or no armor. Since Incarnates wear medium armor by default, this can sometimes be an issue. If you plan on binding the Impulse Boots a lot (they work just fine unbound, of course), consider investing in some light armor.

[Keld Denar]

You and kestrel404 said exactly the same thing.

Not quite. There is a difference between shaping a meld, and binding a chakra. Since he said binding a meld, he could have ment either, which is confusing. I was simply clarifying that there is a difference between shaping a meld and binding a chakra.

[AnswersQuestion]

Not quite. There is a difference between shaping a meld, and binding a chakra. Since he said binding a meld, he could have ment either, which is confusing. I was simply clarifying that there is a difference between shaping a meld and binding a chakra.

You don't "bind a chakra". You "bind a meld to a chakra". Either way of using melds puts them on chakras, and they can also be bound or not.

[kestrel404]

kestrel404 said you can't wear mundane gear in slots that have soulmelds bound. That's ridiculous. It is clearly possible to wear a hat over your Diadem of Purelight, to wear a cloak over your Displacer Mantle, or even wear another belt if your Wormtail Belt is dissatisfactory.

OK, sure, it's physically possible to wear two hats. It just looks really silly.


Not quite. There is a difference between shaping a meld, and binding a chakra. Since he said binding a meld, he could have ment either, which is confusing. I was simply clarifying that there is a difference between shaping a meld and binding a chakra.

The terminology is mildly confusing, and I admit I'm not very exacting in my turn of phrase. But when speaking of Incarnum (and ignoring the Binder class from ToM, or the Rope Use skill), there is only one way to Bind anything so I figured that was fairly clear by itself.

[Godskook]

Not quite. There is a difference between shaping a meld, and binding a chakra. Since he said binding a meld, he could have ment either, which is confusing. I was simply clarifying that there is a difference between shaping a meld and binding a chakra.

When you have soulmeld "in-use", but not using up a chakra bind, it is said to be "shaped". When you have one "in the chakra", using up a chakra bind, it is said that "the soulmeld is bound". Kestrel's wording is correct.

[true_shinken]

OK, sure, it's physically possible to wear two hats. It just looks really silly.
It's not exactly 'two hats', just 'two items on the head slot'.
Heck, pirates used to wear bandanas under their hats all the time. And pirates are awesome!
It's also like, say, wearing a shirt and a vest.

[randomhero00]

Do soul melds work with vow of poverty?....that'd be an awesome build for a druid...

[tyckspoon]

Do soul melds work with vow of poverty?....that'd be an awesome build for a druid.

Yes, they do. Although it's kinda hard to put together a druid/meldshaper combo, as there isn't a combo class that does wildshape+shaping.

[randomhero00]

Yes, they do. Although it's kinda hard to put together a druid/meldshaper combo, as there isn't a combo class that does wildshape+shaping.

I was thinking for gestalt games.

[Salbazier]

Thanks you for the advice :smallsmile: At low levels, when i have only 1-2 souldmelds what is best to shape? Bluesteel Bracer/Astral Vambrace/Crystal helm?

[kestrel404]

Yes, they do. Although it's kinda hard to put together a druid/meldshaper combo, as there isn't a combo class that does wildshape+shaping.

A two level dip in Chameleon makes you an awesome Meldshaper. The Shape Soulmeld feat allows you to shape any soulemeld - and soulmelds do not unshape unless you choose to unshape them (or you get hit by some incarnum-specific powers or spells). So that variable feat lets you shape a full set of soulmelds (assuming you've got the Con score for it). Then, spend a few feats on Open Chakra and maybe Bonus Essentia (though choosing Soulmelds that don't need essentia is a really good idea for this trick) and you've got yourself a powerful meldshaper without having to spend levels on it.



Thanks you for the advice :smallsmile: At low levels, when i have only 1-2 souldmelds what is best to shape? Bluesteel Bracer/Astral Vambrace/Crystal helm?

Incarnum Weapon - Having yourself a +1 sword at 1st level makes up for the lack of BAB.
Crystal helm is a good idea, but I'd go for Bloodwar Guantlets for the damage boost.

[Psyren]

I was thinking for gestalt games.

Incarnum rocks in gestalt indeed.

Outside gestalt, Ardents and Incarnates play quite well together (particularly with the Soul Manifester.)

[Zaq]

Thanks you for the advice :smallsmile: At low levels, when i have only 1-2 souldmelds what is best to shape? Bluesteel Bracer/Astral Vambrace/Crystal helm?

Astral Vambraces provide considerable DR at the very lowest levels. Later, it's easy enough to punch through DR/magic, but at level 1 or 2? They're solid gold.

Other than that, it depends on what you want. If you like being flashy, a level 1 Incarnate with at least one bonus essentia from his or her race can do 3d6 on a touch attack all day long (Dissolving Spittle or Lightning Gauntlets do 1d6 + 1d6/ess, the feat Expanded Soulmeld Capacity can let you increase your essentia cap in a single soulmeld to 2, and you've got 1 essentia from your race and 1 from your class). Doing this in an unoptimized party tends to lead to accusations of incarnum being overpowered, though, so be wary. Otherwise, let's see. Mantle of Flame provides stellar defense before everything is immune to fire (you probably don't need both it and the Astral Vambraces unless you have a really good way of getting enemies to pay attention to you). Incarnate Weapon isn't a bad choice, but I find it to be underwhelming at level 1. Utility melds are a lot of fun in the right campaign (the Silvertongue Mask can make you the party face or close to it, the Riding Bracers are fun if you have access to animals, the Truthseeker Goggles are widely useful, and so on), but choose them wisely. My general rule is that one meld goes to offense, one goes to defense, and the rest go to mobility or utility as the day demands.

[Lans]

Cerulean Sandles is my favorite foot bind as it gives water walking, a speed increase and allows you to Dimension Door to get out of Forcecage, grapples, and Solid Fog.

Necrocarnum Circlet can get you a tough undead minion at level 2.

Mantle of Flame can let you kill things by letting them hit you.

Air step sandles are nice if there is good terrain features to take advantage of.

Beast Tamer Circlet for Speak with Animals

Diadem of Pure-light helps negate miss chances

Soul spark familiar is animal companion good early on.

Soul Speaker circlet is almost as good as Tongues