Shape Soulmeld + Bonus Essentia

[Chilingsworth]

Hey all!

I'm just checking a little thing to make sure I understand it correctly:

I'm considering chosing as my third and sixth level feats Shape Soulmeld (Theft Gloves) and Bonus Essentia, respectively.

Two questions: One, do I get the 2 bonus essentia (rather than 1) for being able to shape soulmelds from my shape soulmeld feat (also, can I pump both of those points into my soulmeld for a total of +6 to the checks it gives?)

Two, Can I use this soulmeld and a conventional magic glove-slot item at the same time? (Specifically, a disable device competence bonus magic item.) I know the soulmeld gives an insight bonus, which should stack with the competence bonus from the regular gloves, but does the soulmeld tie up my hands slot? If so, then I'll just have to pay the 50% extra to put it in a different slot, I guess.

Anyway, as usual, Thanks!

EDIT: The character is a Rogue 2/Warblade 8. Sorry I didn't give this useful information previously.

[MeeposFire]

1) You are capable of shaping soulmelds so yes you get the 2 essentia.

2) Depends on what level you are. Without any feats or items you cannot put two essentia into a soulmeld until 6th level. So when you pick up bonus essentia you can put both points iinto your gloves.

3) As long as you do not bind the theft gloves to your hand chakra (which requires another feat in open least chakra) you can still wear a magic pair of gloves.

[Keld Denar]

Essentia is capped by character level. So, it depends. Assuming this is that 10th level rogue/warblade I helped you with, then your essentia cap is 2. Thus, having more than 2 essentia at that level is pointless.

Bonus Essentia should give you 2 essentia. It doesn't care where you get the ability to shape from, as long as you can shape. The feat gives you that ability, and thus should allow it. I could see an interpretation where you have to have the ability before you take Bonus Essentia, and if so, you'd have to take Shape Soulmeld before Bonus Essentia. If not, then either way works.

And no, soulmelds only occupy magic item slots when you bind them to a Chakra. Since you aren't doing this, then you won't have any problem. The only restriction on shaping melds is that you can't shape two melds to the same body slot. Thus, as long as you don't plan on shaping any other melds, or shaping any other hand melds, you shouldn't have any problems.

[Chilingsworth]

Yeah, Keld this is the same character.
I decided to take shape soulmeld and bonus essentia to fill in the open feat slots at 3rd and 6th level. Since bonus essentia requires minimum level 6, I have to take them in that order, anyway.

Well, thanks for the help again guys!

[Keld Denar]

Good luck with that character! Drop me a PM some time and lemme know how effective he ended up being. I put a bit of work into crafting that, and its kinda like watching your baby leave the nest to fly for the first time!

[Chilingsworth]

Good luck with that character! Drop me a PM some time and lemme know how effective he ended up being. I put a bit of work into crafting that, and its kinda like watching your baby leave the nest to fly for the first time!

I'll definately let you know. I won't be able to use it exactly as you built it, though. The amount of gold I've sunk into trapmonkey skills makes some of the gear unafordable, and I needed to drop some of the strength for intelligence for skills and trapmonkey skill mods. Still, the feat and manuver lists will be basically intact.

I hope you don't mind, but I listed his father's name as Keld. :smallsmile:

Fullname: Ackbar (It's a Trap!) Satalqa-Uhbula (roughly Arabic for "will find traps") al Keld al Harran al Thune (father's name, clan name, tribe name)

[Chilingsworth]

Just to be clear: I will be able to put the 2 essentia I get from the bonus essentia feat into the Theft Gloves soulmeld I get from the shape soulmeld feat, even though I have no levels in a meldshaper class? I'm asking because I don't see anything in the feat that explicitly gives me the ability to actually use the essentia without meldshaper levels.
I'll have an effective meldshaper level of 5th for the purposes of my Theft Gloves meld, will be able to put 2 essentia into it and thus have a +6 bonus to the relavent skill checks it boosts, is this correct?

If it is, please point me to the page in Magic of Incarnum that says so, so I can help my dm if he has any questions about it. This will be the first time anyone in my group has used anything from MoI. My dm is interested in exploring it, but he may not understand it any better than I do.

[MeeposFire]

On page 19 under essentia capacity it says that table 2-1 (essentia capacity) in magic of incarnum is based on character level not class level. So you are fine. As long as you are a level 6 character you can put 2 points of essentia into your soulmelds if you have essentia. Remember that you use this same table for incarnum feats and stuff of that sort so it is a character not class level table.