Incarnum on the Side

[Elric VIII]

So, I will be running a high-power (at least is has been advertised as such for weeks) campaign in a few months. However, I am about 90% sure that at least one person in my group will absolutely have to play a Half-Elf Monk or a Vampire Truenamer or something not quite as exaggerated as those.

I had the idea of allowing the players of lower-powered builds to gain the soulmelding and chakra-binding abilities (but not other class abilities) of an incarnum class of their choice (refluffed however they would like, since I'm just looking to power-boost). I figure that they could say it's a result of intense martial training, being raised by wolves, divine intervention, etc.

Does this seem like something that would give non-magic classes enough versatility to be useful?

The fact that they are Con-based means that this does not increase MAD, but are there any pitfalls of which I should be wary?

[Big Fau]

The only really dangerous things are Midnight Metamagic and Midnight Augmentation. The rest of the book is either balanced (Incarnate and Totemist) or underpowered (Soulborn, easily half of the PrCs).

[Keld Denar]

This is actually a cool idea. It gives some real options. The strongest options I can see coming out of this is things like Blink Shirt for unlimited short range teleport, Phase Cloak for "What is 'wall' Precious?", and Fellmist Robe for "arrows mean nothing to me". Outside of that, Incarnum gives some real, useful options for itemless flight and pounce and mobility/utility.

I'm assuming you are still gonna enforce body slot restrictions on chakra binds?

[Fax Celestis]

Phase Cloak has the ethereal aggro problem, which makes it unattractive to most players despite its badassery.

Honestly, I don't see why the monk didn't get a chakra-focused rebuild anyway. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38156)

[Coidzor]

I had the idea of allowing the players of lower-powered builds to gain the soulmelding and chakra-binding abilities (but not other class abilities) of an incarnum class of their choice (refluffed however they would like, since I'm just looking to power-boost). I figure that they could say it's a result of intense martial training, being raised by wolves, divine intervention, etc.

Does this seem like something that would give non-magic classes enough versatility to be useful?

Well, it's basically a demi-gestalting of whatever they're playing with the best part of a T3 class (barring the horrible choice of soulbornan npc class), so my gut reaction without any real higher level of thought would be that, yeah, it'll help their versatility fairly significantly, depending upon what their other class is of course.

I mean, Factotum, yeah, gets some nice stuff but they're already pretty darn versatile, Rogues on the other hand, would love the extra attacks from some totemist soulmelds, the renewable flanking buddy that is the Necrocarnum Zombie, (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20050907a&page=6) the way essentia and soulmelds can buff skills to allow for more flexibility in skill point allocation, or maybe even some of the ways the Incarnate melds could help them get SA active.

[Elric VIII]

I'm assuming you are still gonna enforce body slot restrictions on chakra binds?

This was one thing I had given thought about altering slightly. Basically, giving Incarnate (I doubt anyone would take Soulborn) a single slotless meld, similar to the Totem. Other than that the binding restrictions seem like they should be kept in place. It's like GMW, having a class feature replace something normally acquired through money. I'm hoping that keeping the body slots encourages people to get creative with their equipment.

I just hope that no one decides to randomly play a meldshaper.

[Analytica]

I just hope that no one decides to randomly play a meldshaper.

If they do, let them pseudo-gestalt Binder. :smallbiggrin: