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View Full Version : Remaking the Soulborn [3.5] (WIP, PEACH)



Gideon Falcon
2011-03-18, 08:25 PM
Ah, yes. The humble Soulborn, often known as the worst class in Magic of Incarnum. I have seen only one or two fixes for it, and I think it's about time for a new one. I will need your help with this, as the class itself is only the first step. It's available Soulmelds also need work, both adding to it and improving some of the sub-par ones already on it.

Credit to Glimbur, Crusaderjim, and T. G. Oskar for inspiration.

So, without further ado:


THE SOULBORN
I do not simply wield a weapon. No, I wield the unstoppable might of Freedom, and this is the day that your vile tyranny comes to an end.
- Caldrey Sargil, CG Soulborn

Soulborns and Incarnates are two sides of the same coin. Incarnates are the embodiment of a single alignment ideal, whether it be Altruism, Anarchy, Order, or Evil. Incarnates channel the power of Paragons of that ideal, thus becoming ones themselves.

Soulborns, however, draw not only on their ancestors or on other's souls, but on the raw power of Justice, Freedom, Greed, or Slaughter. This power flows through their being, shaped through the incarnum of its previous champions to become an awe-inspiring force of might.

Thus, Soulborns embody their alignments impossibly moreso than the Incarnates, being paragons of what they stand for.

Abilities: Constitution and Charisma are the two most important abilities for the Soulborn, with their Strength score coming in third. They need to keep their bodies strong to hold on to their power, as their meldshaping depends on it, and their convictions are the most important things to them, determining their smiting and saves, as well as Soulmeld saving DC's. Strength is the staple for melee combatants, and it is no different for you.

Role: You are most definitely a melee attacker, going up to the front lines and destroying anything that stands in your way.

Background: You do not become a Soulborn. You are a Soulborn, and you always will be. Your entire life, you have always held to your alignment, whatever happened. It was only to be expected that you found that you could shape your convictions into a solid force.

Organization: Soulborns have no particular tendency towards joining large organizations or waging their crusades alone, although organizations are more common among lawful ones.

Alignment: Soulborns come in four types, each of which requires one of three alignments. This is detailed below. No Soulborn may be True Neutral.

Races: Souborns are found among every race, although the sturdier races find it easier to control their powers. Humans, with their natural vigor, have a particular tendency to produce Soulborns.

Religion: As a whole, there is not tendency towards any particular religions among each alignment of Soulborn, but they are not hesitant to follow deities who share their ideals.

Other Classes: You get along well with Paladins and Crusaders of similar alignments, but lawful Soulborns often clash with rogues, and Soulborns rarely get along with those that do not at least share their moral alignment (Good/Evil)

Adaptation: The class can also be exported into a Paladin fix by replacing the meldshaping of a Soulborn of Justice with casting, either from the Project Heretica Paladin or from Crusaderjim's fix, exchanging Channel Incarnum for Turn Undead, and replacing the Soulshards with a Special Mount.

Hit Die: d12

Starting Gold: As Paladin.

Starting Age: As Paladin.


Class Features

Class Skills: The Soulborn's class skills (if you don't know what the key modifiers for them all are, go read the SRD; I'm too lazy to type them all) are: Balance, Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Handle Animal, Heal, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (The Planes), Knowledge (Religion), Listen, Profession, Ride, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Spot, Swim.

Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Essentia|Soulmelds|Chakra Binds

1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+0|Aura, Smite Opposition 1 + Cha/day, Detect Opposition, Soulborn duty|0|1|0

2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+0|Incarnum Defense, Soulborn aptitude|1|1|0

3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+1|Bonus Feat, Channel Incarnum, Diehard|1|1|0

4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+1|Chakra Binds (Crown, Feet, Hands), Incarnum Healing|2|2|1

5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+1|Smite Opposition 2 + Cha/day, Expanded Knowledge, Improved Smite|2|2|1

6th|
+6/+1|
+5|
+2|
+2|Aura of Protection, Armor Mastery, Shield Ally|3|2|1

7th|
+7/+2|
+5|
+2|
+2|Bonus Feat, Share Incarnum Defense, Mettle|3|3|1

8th|
+8/+3|
+6|
+2|
+2|Improved Incarnum Defense|4|3|2

9th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+3|
+3|Aura of Menace, Divine Health|4|3|2

10th|
+10/+5|
+7|
+3|
+3|Smite Opposition 3 + Cha/day, Expanded Knowledge, Advanced Smite|5|3|2

11th|
+11/+6/+1|
+7|
+3|
+3|Chakra Binds (Arms, Brow, Shoulders), Charging Smite|6|4|2

12th|
+12/+7/+2|
+8|
+4|
+4|Improved Aura of Protection|6|4|2

13th|
+13/+8/+3|
+8|
+4|
+4|Improved Mettle, Bonus Feat|7|5|3

14th|
+14/+9/+4|
+9|
+4|
+4|Vigor of Zeal, Undying Resolve|7|5|3

15th|
+15/+10/+5|
+9|
+5|
+5|Smite Opposition 4 + Cha/day, Expanded Knowledge, Greater Smite|8|5|3

16th|
+16/+11/+6/+1|
+10|
+5|
+5|Chakra Binds (Throat, Waist), Timeless Body|8|6|3

17th|
+17/+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+5|
+5|Mantle of the Soul|9|6|4

18th|
+18/+3/+8/+3|
+11|
+6|
+6|Deathless Might, Bulwark of Incarnum|9|6|4

19th|
+19/+14/+9/+4|
+11|
+6|
+6|Legendary Heroism|10|7|4

20th|
+20/+15/+10/+5|
+12|
+6|
+6|Unstoppable Zeal, Chakra Bind (Heart), Smite Opposition 5 + Cha/day, Expanded Knowledge, Epic Smite|11|7|4[/table]

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Soulborns are proficient with all simple and all martial weapons, with all light, medium, and heavy armor, and with shields (but not tower shields).

Soulborn's Duty Each Soulborn is dedicated to an ideal, and each ideal requires certain alignments. The ideal chosen affects many class features. Once selected, it may never be changed.

Justice: LN, LG, or NG. Opposed by evil and chaos.
Tyranny: LN, LE, or NE. Opposed by good and chaos.
Freedom: NG, CG, or CN. Opposed by evil and law.
Slaughter: NE, CE, or CN. Opposed by good and law.

Meldshaping (Su)
At first level, you gain the ability to shape a single soulmeld from the Soulborn class list. Your Meldshaping level is equal to your class level. Your number of soulmelds increases as you gain levels, as shown above. Regardless of the above number, you may never have more soulmelds at one time than your Constitution score minus ten. Additionally, you gain essentia to invest in your soulmelds as shown above, and chakra binds as given in the third column. At 4th level, you may bind soulmelds to your Least Chakras (Crown, Feet, Hands), and you may bind to your Arms, Brow, and Shoulders at 11th level. At 16th level, you gain access to your Throat and Waist chakras, and you gain access to your Heart Chakra at 20th level. You never gain access to your Soul Chakra unless you take the Open Soul Chakra Epic feat.

You cannot shape soulmelds that have an alignment descriptor opposed to you, such as a Freedom Soulborn attempting to shape a necrocarnum soulmeld.

Any Soulmelds you shape that require save have their save DC's based on your Constitution modifier.

Aura (Ex)
You shed you alignment like a torch. You gain an aura of good, evil, law and/or chaos according to your alignment, with the strength of a cleric with a level equal to your Soulborn level plus your charisma modifier.

Designer Note:
Yes, that's right. You add your charisma modifier to the level of your aura. This means that you're more likely to overwhelm puny blackguards who try to find you. This is my humble attempt at making the aura actually mean something other than being slightly brighter to detect spells.

Smite Opposition (Su)
You can channel the might of your convictions in a powerful strike. Once per day plus once per day per point of charisma modifier, plus an additional time per day for every five levels, you may make a single melee attack against an opponent that has an alignment with an element opposing your duty, such as chaotic and good for a Tyranny Soulborn. This gains your charisma modifier as a bonus on the attack roll, and an extra 1d8 aligned damage per paladin level. When making a smite attack, your weapon is considered as having your alignment for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. If the attack misses, the smite attempt is wasted. You may also make a melee touch attack if you have a free hand as a standard action in order to deliver a smite, in which case it deals only the smite damage.
On a critical hit with a smite, you deal a further 1d10 damage per Soulborn level.
If you accidentally attack a creature that shares your alignment, you gain no bonus to the attack roll.

In addition, you gain one of the following additional effects to your smite. Saving throws against these effects are DC 10 + 1/2 your Soulborn level + your Charisma modifier. Creatures that oppose your duty take a -2 penalty to this save. Once you choose, you may not change it again.

Blinding Radiance: The opponent struck must make a fortitude save or become blinded for one round per Soulborn level, and dazzled for 1d4 rounds afterward. On a successful save, they are instead dazzled for the same duration. In addition, creatures that have sensitivity to light (such as vampires and drow) take an additional point of damage per die, regardless of the save result.

Felling Blow: The opponent struck must make a Reflex save or fall prone (flying creatures are instead checked after the movement) and become rattled for 1d4 rounds (see the sidebar). In addition, the opponent is pushed five feet away plus an additional five feet for every four Soulborn levels, regardless of the save result.

Unfocusing Blast: The opponent struck must make a fortitude save or be Stunned for one round, plus one round for every five Soulborn levels. This can affect creatures with no constitution scores, even though such creatures are normally immune to Stunning. If the save is successful, they are instead dazed for the same duration. Immunity to dazing still applies. In either situation, the creature is rattled for 1d4 rounds afterwards.

Terrifying Might: The opponent struck must make a will save or become frightened for 2d6 rounds. On a successful save, they are instead shaken for the same amount of time. If the creature is already shaken, they become frightened on a successful save or panicked on a failed save, and the smite deals an additional point of damage per die. If the creature is already frightened or panicked, they receive no save and the smite deals an additional 2 damage per die.

Reckless Ferocity: The smite deals half again as much damage, as if empowered. However, you take damage equal to the increase in damage.

Rattled and Stricken conditions:
Rattled: You are slightly shaken by the force of the attack, taking a -2 penalty to saves, attack rolls, skill checks, and ability checks.

Stricken: You are severely unbalanced by the sheer power of the attack, and are unable to take any actions that involve concentration, including attacks and quickened spells. You are restricted to a single move action each round.

Note on Smiting and Aligned Damage:
Aligned damage is a new term, and describes the kind of damage used by spells like Chaos Hammer. This deals full damage to those with an alignment opposite to the damage, such as an evil creature being affected by good damage. Creatures who are neutral on that axis, however, take half as much damage. Aligned damage overcomes damage reduction according to its alignment.

A Soulborn's Smite damage is considered aligned with both aspects of the Soulborn's alignment. For example, a level 2 Lawful Good Soulborn using his smite deals 2d6 extra damage to an evil creature or a chaotic creature, such as a slaad or a yugoloth, but 1d6 extra damage to lawful neutral, neutral, and neutral good creatures, such as if he were to smite an animal or an inevitable.

In addition, declaring an attack to be a smite is not an action, so it may be used as one attack in a full attack (but only one unless you use multiple smites in the round) or as an Attack of Opportunity. There is also no limit on the number of smites you may use in a round, so you may potentially make all your attacks in a full attack action smites.

Detect Opposition (Su)
You gain the Detect ability, as the spells corresponding to your alignment, at will as a supernatural ability with a caster level equal to your character level. For example, a CG Soulborn gains Detect Evil and Detect Law at will.

Incarnum Defense (Su)
Starting at 2nd level, you gain an immunity according to your Duty:

Justice: Immunity to Fear, as your conviction allows you to ignore its effects.
Freedom: Immunity to Compulsion, as your free spirit defies all who attempt to control it.
Tyranny: Immunity to Fatigue, as your work is never done.
Slaughter: Immunity to Paralysis, as you are the unstoppable tide of death.

In addition, you gain an aura based on this immunity. Allies within 10 feet of a Justice or Freedom Soulborn gain a +4 bonus on saves against the effects they gain immunity to, and enemies within 10 feet of a Tyranny or Slaughter Soulborn take a -2 penalty on saves against the Soulborn's immunity. These effects persist unless the Soulborn is unconscious or dead.

Soulborn Aptitude (Ex)
At 2nd level and onward, a Soulborn gains a bonus on intimidate checks and to one other skill based on his Duty equal to half his Soulborn level.

Justice: Sense motive. The law cannot be decieved.
Freedom: Diplomacy. Sometimes tyrants can be unseated with words alone.
Tyranny: Bluff. Manipulating others comes naturally to you.
Slaughter: Escape Artist. You have a habit of not staying incarcerated for long.

Channel Incarnum (Su)
Starting at 3rd level, you gain the ability to channel incarnum, as the Azurin Cleric ACF ability, as a cleric of your level minus 3.

Bonus Feat (Ex)
At 3rd level, and again at 8th end 13th, you may gain any one incarnum feat, or Shape Soulmeld, as a bonus feat.

Incarnum Healing (Su)
Beginning at 4th level, a Soulborn with a Charisma score of 12 or higher can heal wounds (his own or those of others) by touch. Each encounter he can heal a total number of hit points equal to his paladin level x his Charisma bonus. A Soulborn may choose to divide his healing among multiple recipients, and he doesn’t have to use it all at once. At 6th level and higher, whenever a Soulborn uses his lay on hands, it removes any diseases or poisons the target may be suffering from. The Soulborn must spend 5 points of his daily healing in order to rid any disease or poison from the target, as if he had cast remove disease or neutralize poison as the spells. Using Incarnum Healing is a standard action.

Alternatively, a Soulborn can use any or all of this healing power to deal damage to undead creatures. Using Incarnum healing in this way requires a successful melee touch attack and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. The Soulborn decides how many of his daily allotment of points to use as damage after successfully touching an undead creature.

Improved Smite
At 5th level, you may either select another effect from the original list that applies to your smite, or you may improve your existing effect as below.

Blinding Radiance, Improved: Your smite deals 2 extra points of damage per die to Undead, and an additional point of damage per die to light-sensitive creatures. In addition, creatures are permanently blinded on a failed save, or blinded for one round per two class levels on a successful save. The dazzling condition is unchanged. Creatures with blindsight, immunity to blindness, or similar abilities lose them for one round per two Paladin levels on a failed save.

Felling Blow, Improved: In addition to the effects on the main target, all enemies within 30 feet of the creature take half your smite damage and fall prone unless they succeed on a reflex save. Regardless of the save result, they are considered blown away.

Unfocusing Blast, Improved: On a failed save, the creature is paralyzed for the duration of the ability instead of being stunned. In addition, the target is stricken as well as rattled for 1d4 rounds afterwards.

Terrifying Might, Improved: Creatures of a CR equal to or less than half your level are automatically frightened, or panicked if they fail the save. In addition, normal immunities to fear offer no protection against this ability.

Reckless Ferocity, Improved: All enemies within 30 feet of the creature struck must succeed on a reflex save or take smite damage.

Expanded Knowledge (Ex)
At 5th level, and at every 5 levels afterward (10th, 15th, etc.), you may ad a single soulmeld from any class to your soulmeld list. You may now shape this soulmeld as if it were a normal Soulborn meld, using your full manifester level.

Vigilance (Ex) Beginning at 5th level, any enemy who begins their turn in your threatened space treats all squares you threaten as difficult terrain. Tumbling to avoid attacks of opportunity from the Soulborn increases the DC by your level.

Soulshards (Su)
Upon reaching 5th level, a paladin can call upon ancient souls for aid in the form of a soulshard. Using this ability is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. See below for detailed spirit descriptions and rules.

A Soulborn's Soulborn level determines which kinds of soulshard he can summon. He can summon the soulshard available at his current level as well as any that became available at lower levels.


{table=head]Soulborn Level|Soulshards available (Justice, Freedom)|Soulshards available (Tyranny, Slaughter)
5-10|Healing|Decay
11-15|Combat|Combat
16-19|Heroic|Villainnous
20+|Rising|Death[/table]

The following entries describe how each of the different soulshards function. Unless otherwise specified, all shards share some characteristics, as set out below.

* A soulshard occupies a 5-foot square on the battle map.
* When summoned, a it appears on the battlefield 30 feet in front of you. You can use a free action to have it move once per round. The soulshard has a land speed of 30 feet.
* All soulshards are insubstantial and transparent. Any creature can move through them normally, and they do not block line of sight or line of effect.
* It cannot attack or be attacked unless noted in the description. It is not undead and cannot be turned. It is subject to dispel magic, dismissal, or banishment as if it were a summoned creature, using your soulborn level as the caster level.
* If you lose line of sight to a soulshard, it disappears immediately.
* Each soulshard available to you can be summoned once per day.
* A soulshard remains for a number of round equal to your soulborn level, until it is dismissed, or until conditions in the soulshard's description are met.


Healing: This soulshard increases your ability to heal damage dealt to you or your allies. When summoned, it can heal an amount of damage equal to four times the amount you can heal using your Incarnum healing ability. To use its healing ability, you or an ally must begin or end your turn in the same square as the soulshard. That character can then use a standard action to transfer some or all of the hit points from the soulshard to herself. Once the soulshard uses all of its healing ability, it dissipates.

Decay: This soulshard makes a touch attack, using your base attack bonus and your charisma modifier to hit. If successful, it can deal damage from a pool equal to four times your incarnum healing pool. It may deal some or all of the damage, but no more than twice your Incarnum Healing pool at once. Once the pool is exhausted, the soulshard dissipates.

Combat: This soulshard enhances combat ability. Whenever an ally (including yourself) is adjacent to the combat soulshard or occupying its space, that character gains a +1 sacred (or profane) bonus on attacks and damage rolls for every 4 soulborn levels you possess. In addition, affected characters' weapons are treated as good-aligned (or evil-aligned) for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Heroic: This soulshard automatically occupies your space and does not leave until dismissed, dispelled, or the duration of the summoning ends. You gain an additional DR 10/-, which is applied before other forms of damage reduction. In addition, you can use your Incarnum healing as a free action once per round instead of as a standard action.

Rising: While you or any of your allies are adjacent to this soulshard, it grants fast healing 10 to those characters. If an affected character's hit points drop to 0 or fewer while within 30 feet of this spirit, it revives that character at the start of his next turn, allowing him to take his action as normal. The character heals an amount equal to twice your soulborn level, though if his hit points are still at -10 or below, he still dies. The soulshard can use its revive ability once per round.
A rising soulshard cannot revive creatures whose bodies have been destroyed, nor can it reverse the effects of bodily changes, or other effects that slay a character without dealing damage.

Death: When an enemy is within the soulshard's space, it takes 10 points of damage each round.

Aura of Protection (Su)
Starting at level 6, an enemy who attacks an ally within 30 feet of you takes damage equal to your charisma modifier plus half you class level. Each creature only takes this damage once per round. This is a supernatural ability.

Starting at 12th level, the damage also affects enemy spellcasters who cast spells that affect allies within your aura, forcing them to make a concentration check (DC 13 + paladin level + cha modifier) or have the spell fail.

Shield Ally (Ex/Su)
Beginning at 6th level, whenever damage is dealt to an ally within melee reach, you may transfer half of that damage to yourself.

At 12th level, this extends to all allies within 30 feet as a supernatural ability. You may also, once per round, transfer all the damage from a single source to yourself from a single ally.

Armor Mastery (Ex)
Starting at 6th level, you no longer take a penalty to speed from medium armor. At 9th level, this improves to cover heavy armor as well.

Share Incarnum Defense (Su)
Starting at 7th level, you may spend a channel incarnum use to grant the immunity gained through your Incarnum Defense class feature with a single ally that you touch for a number of rounds equal to 3 + your Constitution modifier.

Mettle (Ex) Beginning at 7th level, when you successfully save against an ability that allows a fortitude or will save for a lesser effect, you instead take no effect. This does not change the effect on a failed save.

Improved Incarnum Defense (Su)
Starting at 8th level, you gain an additional immunity based on your Duty. You grant bonuses or penalties to saves against this effect as with your original immunity, and can grant it through your Share Incarnum Defense feature as normal. In addition, your original immunities rise to tier II immunity.

Justice: Immunity to Compulsion, as justice is no respecter of persons.
Freedom: Immunity to Fatigue, as freedom never sleeps.
Tyranny: Immunity to Paralysis, as losing control of the body means losing control of the empire.
Slaughter: Immunity to Fear, as you are no longer capable of feeling the emotion through the haze of your bloodlust.

In addition, you add your Charisma bonus to all saving throws. This does not stack with similar abilities. You are also affected by a constant Magic Circle against Chaos/Evil/Good/Law versus alignments opposed to your Duty.

Tier II immunity: This kind of immunity negates effects that would normally bypass immunities. These are very rare, probably because I just made them up.

Aura of Menace (Su)
At 9th level and onward, you may expend a channel incarnum use as a swift action to gain an Aura of Menace. All creatures of an opposing alignment within 20 feet must make a will save (DC 10 + 1/2 class level + Con modifier) or take a -2 penalty to attacks, AC, and saves for 24 hours or until they successfully attack you. This affects any new opponents that enter the area for a number of rounds equal to 3 + your Con modifier, but those who have already successfully saved or broken this ability need not save against it for 24 hours.

Divine Health (Ex)
Beginning at 9th level, a Soulborn is immune to all diseases, whether mundane or magical.

Advanced Smite
At 10th level, the Soulborn can either gain a new basic smite effect, or raise a previous smite effect to the 'improved' level. In addition, the following smite effects are available to take:

Banishing Smite: Any extraplanar creature you smite is affected by a dismissal spell, at a caster level equal to your Soulborn level. There is no chance of sending them to the wrong plane. The save DC is still calculated as normal for a smite effect.

Divine Curse: Any creature of Opposing alignment you smite must make a will save or become cursed, as the Bestow Curse spell.

Charging Smite (Su)
Beginning at 11th level, your smite deals an additional 2 damage per die when used as part of a charge attack.

Improved Mettle (Ex)
At 13th level, you gain the Improved mettle ability. Whenever an ability allows a fortitude or will save for a lesser effect, you not only take no effect on a successful save, but you take only the lesser effect on a successful save.

Vigor of Zeal (Su)
At 14th level, you gain the ability to expend a channel incarnum use as a swift action to gain fast healing 2 for a number of rounds equal to 3 plus your Constitution modifier. This stacks with other forms of fast healing you may possess or gain.

Undying Resolve (Ex)
Starting at fourteenth level, you add your charisma score to the number of negative hit points you can sustain before dying. For example, a Soulborn with charisma 16 would not die until reaching -26 hit points.

In addition, you no longer automatically fail a save on a natural 1. If your save fails to meet the DC, you still fail the save.

Greater Smite
At 15th level, you may raise any existing smite effect (other than the ones available at 10th level) to the next level, whether Improved or Greater (see below), or you may take another basic or advanced smite effect.

Blinding Radiance, Greater: Any Undead creature you smite must make an additional fortitude save or be destroyed.

Felling Blow, Greater: Creatures in the burst take full smite damage on a failed reflex save, half on a successful save.

Unfocusing Blast, Greater: This ability is unaffected by normal immunities to stunning, dazing, and paralysis.

Terrifying Might, Greater: Any creature without even normal immunity to fear dies if they fail their will save. Panicked creatures take an additional -2 penalty on this save.

Reckless Ferocity, Greater: You may sacrifice additional hit points beyond the normal damage taken. If you do so, creatures still take half damage on a successful save, but improved evasion has no effect. The smite also deals an additional 2 points of damage per hit point sacrificed in this way.

Timeless Body (Ex)
At 16th level, your convictions transform you to the point that you no longer age. You still accrue bonuses from aging, but you do not gain any penalties that you have not already received. Those penalties that are already in place are not removed.

Mantle of the Soul (Su)
Beginning at 17th level, you gain the effect of a permanent Holy Aura, Cloak of Chaos, Unholy Aura, or Shield of Law effect, as per the spell, depending on your alignment. If you are eligible for more than one, you must choose one. This choice may not be changed.

Deathless Might (Su)
At 18th level, you may expend a channel incarnum use as an immediate action if you ever fail a save against a death effect or are reduced to -10 or fewer hit points. In return, you may act for a single round before dying. You may expend another attempt as a free action on your turn to renew the duration, and may continue to do so, delaying your death until you run out of channel incarnum uses.

Bulwark of Incarnum (Su)
At 18th level, your alignment further protects you from harm, giving you an additional immunity as shown below. The effect is channeled to those within 10 feet, as normal for your Incarnum Defense. You may use Share Incarnum Defense to share this with an ally touched as normal, but it costs two daily uses, or three uses to grant both this immunity and your initial Incarnum Defense Immunity.

Justice: Death and Negative Energy effects, as the Death Ward spell.
Freedom: Benefits of Freedom of Movement, as the spell.
Tyranny: Immunity to Ability damage, always get a save against Ability Drain, even if you otherwise wouldn't.
Slaughter: Immunity to Mind-affecting effects.

Legendary Heroism (Ex)
At 19th level, your conviction transcends mortality even further, granting you the Outsider (Native, Alignment) type, with the alignment subtypes to match yours. You gain DR 10/alignment, overcome by your opposing alignments.

Epic Smite
At 20th level, you may raise a basic smite to the next level, or gain an additional basic or advanced smite.

In addition, you gain Holy Smite, Unholy Blight, Chaos Hammer, and/or Order's Wrath, as appropriate for your Duty, at a caster level equal to your class level (The maximum dice cap is ignored), except it takes the form of a cylinder (20 ft. radius, 60 ft. high), and creatures who fail their saves are affected by Holy Word, Blasphemy, Word of Chaos, or Dictum, as appropriate, at the same caster level. Both effects are supernatural in nature. This is usable a number of times each day equal to your charisma modifier.

Unstoppable Zeal (Su)
At 20th level, you gain the final ability of your advancement. Your alignment courses through you like blood, but even more so. You gain Fast healing 5, as well as a +5 alignment bonus to your AC. In addition, your Aura from Incarnum Defense doubles in size to 20 feet.

Gideon Falcon
2011-03-23, 09:52 PM
... Am I a jinx on threads or something?

jiriku
2011-03-24, 10:45 AM
Very few people know how incarnum works or have any interest in the soulborn, thus a fix to the incarnum-based soulborn is playing to a very niche audience of homebrew-reviewers. You're not jinxed, you're just writing on a very esoteric subject. :smallsmile:

Assessment:

Needs more skill points.
Needs more class skills.
The per-encounter/daily smite pools are confusing, and I see that being a stumbling block for some prospective players.
The progression of riders on the daily smite is also unnecessarily complex, with the variable durations of the different riders making it even harder to understand. I'd recommend something more streamlined and elegant, such as a single pool of per-encounter smites with riders that all have the same duration, and a static duration that doesn't involve a die roll. For example, you might use a debuff duration of 1 round at 6th level, 2 rounds at 12th, and 3 rounds at 17th. Or perhaps make it one minute, with a save to negate allowed at the end of each of the opponent's turns.
I'm also not fond of "god-mode" attacks that defeat all applicable immunities; it dilutes the whole concept behind "immune". If you don't want your effect to be defeated by defenses against xyz descriptors, then don't assign xyz descriptors to your effect; create a unique set of penalties that don't have a descriptor instead. Or alternately, throw in a dispel magic rider so that you can legitimately defeat certain immunities by dispelling them.

Gideon Falcon
2011-03-28, 10:12 PM
Yeah, I suppose the encounter/daily thing is clunky. I'm just trying to include something that works like the original, daily smite, but that actually does something. The status effects and such are basically drawing inspiration from the idea of a smite that brings the pain of the innocent upon the unjust or the horror of Evil on the pure of heart, which would leave the affected very shaken. I'll see what I can do.

Glimbur
2011-03-28, 10:21 PM
I like it. I could see confusion arising from the encounter/daily smite split... consider pulling out the daily smites entirely and rolling the abilities in to the per encounter smites. It actually gives a soulmeld at level one, which is important to be an actual incarnum class. You don't specify the meldshaper level but making it equal to Soulborn level is fine. All it generally affects is how hard the meld is to dispel and how well it works against SR, but there's no reason to penalize the Soulborn with a half progression.

You are correct in that most Soulborn soulmelds are... uninspiring. I nudged that in my fix by giving them a class feature to grab soulmelds from other classes and also added a few more soulmelds for Soulborns.

Gideon Falcon
2011-03-28, 10:30 PM
Yeah, and it is your fix that I'm mostly drawing from. I myself think that an overhaul of a lot of the melds on their list may be needed, as well as a few additions. Now, as for the different durations, the issue is that being effectively stunned for the duration negates the effects of being dazed and nauseated. As for creating unique penalties, that's going to take a bit of work. With the skill list issues, I don't really know much else to add to the list.

Gideon Falcon
2011-04-04, 03:05 PM
Okay, I now have a soulmeld gaining mechanic, as well as an idea for a capstone that is unique to this class, rather than an altered version of the Incarnate capstone.

The idea is, how about the ability, like the Incarnate and Totemist capstones, is activated as a negligible action once per day for a short duration. During that time, all soulmelds and items are considered to be bound to at least one chakra, even if that would cause multiple binds to a single chakra. If an item or meld is already bound to a chakra, it gains the benefit of an additional chakra's bind, if any. How's that for an idea?

jiriku
2011-04-04, 07:45 PM
Sounds good. Addressing your earlier post, stacking stunned, dazed, and nauseated does NOT negate the lesser effects or render them useless. To the contrary, many, many, many opponents will be immune to one or two of those conditions, but not all three. Thus, inflicting all three at once is an effective "shotgun" technique for overwhelming the defenses of an opponent with many immunities.

Gideon Falcon
2011-04-04, 11:16 PM
Well, the reason I don't want the sickening and dazing conditions, at least, to be subject to immunities is because the force that's shaking them up isn't related to metabolism, and thus would still work on constructs and undead.

jiriku
2011-04-05, 01:03 AM
Perhaps you could go with something like "An affected creature may take no actions until after the end of its next turn, and takes a -2 penalty on any rolls it is forced to make during that time." Same benefit, bypasses immunities.

Gideon Falcon
2011-04-21, 05:37 PM
Okay, I've added a few new features, heavily inspired by T.G. Oskar's Paladin fix, as well as two new status effects. Any ideas for better names will be appreciated.

Also, I don't have the slightest idea what the Iaijutsu Focus skill does, so I just want to be clear on whether it would be a good idea to tack on to this guy's skill list?

Gideon Falcon
2011-06-08, 03:55 PM
I've updated the fix a bit, there's still some stuff to sort out and fill in, but I think it's taking shape quite nicely.

EDIT: Now mostly done, but if there are any smite abilities you want to put if for Epic Smite, don't be afraid to put them forward.