Help with an Incarnum/Psionics Gish

[Yorae]

I was hoping for a little help with a build I'm working on -- largely with which powers to choose using the Substitute Power ACF for Ardent (swap/add powers to mantles), but also with anything else that people happen to think would be a positive change.

Things worth noting:

The level of Soulknife is not optional - due to certain circumstances, I need at least one level of soulknife. I'm using the considerably improved Pathfinder version.

I am able to make my mind blade a weapon of legacy (some nice flavor cooked up to go with this)

I'm using the "+1 manifester level" to grant Ardent manifesting progression as well as enhanced mind blade progression.

DM has ruled that the bonus damage to power attack from Cobalt Power gets multiplied by Leap Attack

I'm considering Midnight Augmentation + Bestow Power + Torc of Power Preservation (or another such combo) to gain +1 PP/round, allowing him the ability to "meditate" for a few minutes and restore his power points. If not this, then I'm sure there are other cool uses of Midnight Augmentation.

His BAB kind of sucks, capping out at only +13 at level 20, but I was planning on trying to make up for this by investing in the options a traditional power attacker wouldn't have - Incarnate Avatar (law variant) to boost my attack rolls, the unique Cobalt Power/Leap Attack interaction (whether RAW or not, that's how its being played - to my advantage) to boost damage and Enhanced Mind Blade to boost both, while still maintaining 9th level powers and a high manifester level.

I'm looking to mostly use his powers and soulmelds to supplement his melee abilities.


My current thoughts are shifting things around such that he gets Linked Power a bit earlier, possibly moving Midnight Augmentation later, because I'm thinking that the action economy benefit from having linked power would be sorely missed at lower levels. I'm also looking for some advice on which powers to swap into my three mantles with the awesome ardent alternate class feature.

I may come back a bit later and change this messy text into a somewhat less messy image of my character progression table -- if desired, I can also post the progression for the legacy weapon I'm founding with this guy.

Less busy, text version:

Azurin
1 Pathfinder Soulknife 1 - Azure Talent
-----------------------------Azurin: Psycarnum Infusion
-----------------------------Flaw 1 (Vulnerable): Cobalt Power
-----------------------------Flaw 2 (Shaky): Improved Essentia Capacity
-----------------------------Bonus: Hidden Talent
-----------------------------Bonus: Power Attack
2 Incarnate 1
3 Ardent 1 - Assume Mantles (Freedom + Conflict)
--------------Practiced Manifester (Ardent)
--------------Conflict Mantle: Weapon Focus (Mind Blade)
4 Incarnate 2
5 Ardent 2 - Assume Mantle (Destruction)
---------------Destruction Mantle: Improved Sunder (while focused, qualifies me for Combat Brute)
6 Soul Manifester 1 - Psionic Meditation
7 Soul Manifester 2 - Bonus: Least Legacy (new legacy I am founding)
8 Soul Manifester 3
9 Soul Manifester 4 - Midnight Augmentation
10 Soul Manifester 5
11 Legacy Champion 1
12 Legacy Champion 2 - Leap Attack
----------------------------Bonus: Lesser Legacy
13 Legacy Champion 3
14 Legacy Champion 4 - Quicken Legacy (Mirror Image)
15 Legacy Champion 5 - Combat Brute
16 Legacy Champion 6
17 Legacy Champion 7 - Bonus: Greater Legacy
18 Legacy Champion 8 - Linked Power
----------------------------Quicken Legacy (Heal Self)
19 - Legacy Champion 9
20 - Legacy Champion 10


Current Character Build
http://i51.tinypic.com/iwm4qe.png

I was allowed some small liberties/flavor additions here -- The weapon is balanced for a 'real' total enhancement bonus of +8, but two of those instead turned two points of attack penalty into "Spiritual Resonance." The same was done with two of the points of save penalties, taking resistance abilities to counteract the penalties and condensing them into the new ability. Oh, and lesser/metapsionic can be traded out for lesser/metamagic instead - that isn't normally an option. That's mostly to make the weapon useful if anyone wants to use it again and to promote magic/psionics transparency.

Founded Legacy: Anima
http://i55.tinypic.com/do08rp.png

Edit: Goofed on the race -- he's Azurin, not Human.

[Person_Man]

General feedback:

I assume you're going to use the custom Weapon of Legacy rules in the back of said book. The ones that WotC creates for you are almost entirely garbage. If so, be sure to avoid Legacy abilities which have Save DC's, as they tend to suck.
By multiclassing in this way you're giving up 2 points of essentia capacity, a lot of essentia, and any soulmeld that depends on your meldshaper level, like Necrocarnum Shroud and Vitality Belt. You may wish to use Totemist instead, which depends less heavily on essentia and meldshaper level and more on chakra binds (which can be opened with psionic powers).
What will Legacy Champion be progressing? Soul Manifester is only 10 levels long.
I know that you've stated that using at least one level of Soulknife is mandatory. But you may wish to look at my homebrew War Soul (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=156441) for future use, which is a Soulknife + Soulborn combination. I think it captures the spirit of what you're looking for quite well, but in a much more streamlined and balanced package. (It'll be getting a few minor edits soon, as I recently play tested it).

[Yorae]

General feedback:
I assume you're going to use the custom Weapon of Legacy rules in the back of said book. The ones that WotC creates for you are almost entirely garbage. If so, be sure to avoid Legacy abilities which have Save DC's, as they tend to suck.



Indeed I did - I'll post the actual item here in a bit, when I get the chance.
I didn't take any abilities with save DCs -- I used lesser metapsionic, metapsionic, lesser quicken power, mirror image, and heal self. I also gave it resistance a couple times and plenty of weapon enhancement.


By multiclassing in this way you're giving up 2 points of essentia capacity, a lot of essentia, and any soulmeld that depends on your meldshaper level, like Necrocarnum Shroud and Vitality Belt. You may wish to use Totemist instead, which depends less heavily on essentia and meldshaper level and more on chakra binds (which can be opened with psionic powers).

Open Chakra, Psionic looked extremely promising, though I did find it a little underwhelming with Incarnate -- I've been warding off Totemist because I don't like the "becoming a beast" / natural attacks stuff for this guy and also because I'm afraid to give up Incarnate Avatar -- I don't want all my attacks to whiff, with my smaller BAB.


What will Legacy Champion be progressing? Soul Manifester is only 10 levels long.

I've seen several folks around here say that Legacy Champion is primarily useful for advancing PrCs beyond their normal cap of levels -- granted in this case you only get the "at each level" ability, but that's all we want here. Same goes for Uncanny Trickster, iirc. If this doesn't work per RAW, then for the purposes of this, assume it does.


I know that you've stated that using at least one level of Soulknife is mandatory. But you may wish to look at my homebrew War Soul (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=156441) for future use, which is a Soulknife + Soulborn combination. I think it captures the spirit of what you're looking for quite well, but in a much more streamlined and balanced package. (It'll be getting a few minor edits soon, as I recently play tested it).
[/LIST]
Your homebrew is totally awesome and I love the flavor and the way it fixes up both the Soulknife and the awfulness that was Soulborn. However, I'd like to use WotC/PF material.

Edit: Updated original post with somewhat more whole character progression, as well as his legacy weapon (why do I constantly think of the Weatherlight when I say that...).

Edit: Looked over the Totemist again, just to be sure -- unfortunately, the soulmelds just don't seem too great for him.
I also realized that I didn't adjust for the additional point of essential from Midnight Augmentation -- the total at 20 should be 20.

[Essence_of_War]

The freedom mantle is pretty baller as is, I'd probably leave it be.

From the Conflict Mantle, you'll have no problem increasing your damage, so I'd consider trying to swap offensive prescience for offensive precognition. Similarly, you have some overlap between Dimension Hop and Dimension Slide. I'd try to swap the latter off of the conflict mantle for something else. Maybe an energy power? Energy Missile perhaps?

From Destruction, both Dissolving Touch and Dissipating Touch seem pretty awful. Doubly so since you have a built in weapon from your soulknife levels. I really like Crystal Shard, you could try to swap Dissipating Touch for that. Concussion Blast and Crystal Storm both seem thematically appropriate and FAR better than Dissolving Touch.

Thematically, conflict and destruction have some overlap so you could probably make an argument for Energy Missile on the Destruction list or Crystal Storm on the Conflict list.

Have you considered Combat Brute? I noticed that Destruction gives you imp. sunder as long as you're psi focused. It's an excellent leap attack follow up!

Edit: I see a major niche of Conflict to be buffing and enhancing one's abilities in said conflict. The usual suspects of Inertial Armor, Shield, and Vigor could fit the bill as well.

[Yorae]

The freedom mantle is pretty baller as is, I'd probably leave it be.

From the Conflict Mantle, you'll have no problem increasing your damage, so I'd consider trying to swap offensive prescience for offensive precognition. Similarly, you have some overlap between Dimension Hop and Dimension Slide. I'd try to swap the latter off of the conflict mantle for something else. Maybe an energy power? Energy Missile perhaps?

From Destruction, both Dissolving Touch and Dissipating Touch seem pretty awful. Doubly so since you have a built in weapon from your soulknife levels. I really like Crystal Shard, you could try to swap Dissipating Touch for that. Concussion Blast and Crystal Storm both seem thematically appropriate and FAR better than Dissolving Touch.

Thematically, conflict and destruction have some overlap so you could probably make an argument for Energy Missile on the Destruction list or Crystal Storm on the Conflict list.

Have you considered Combat Brute? I noticed that Destruction gives you imp. sunder as long as you're psi focused. It's an excellent leap attack follow up!

Edit: I see a major niche of Conflict to be buffing and enhancing one's abilities in said conflict. The usual suspects of Inertial Armor, Shield, and Vigor could fit the bill as well.

Combat Brute is already listed in the build, for that exact reason. =)

I'm probably nabbing Inertial Armor as my Hidden Talent from Soulknife, but I was thinking along the same lines for conflict -- it's a pity that offensive prescience is an insight bonus, so it doesn't stack with incarnate avatar, but hey, all the more reason to get precog instead (nevermind, forgot that this won't stack with Bluesteel Bracers, which also provide an insight bonus to damage). Was considering swapping out Dissolving Touch --> Strength of my Enemy on Destruction and Dimension Slide (Hop/Hustle are better) --> Damp Power in Conflict.

(Edit: Oops, got precog and prescience backwards.)

Swapping in a nuke power or two like Energy Missile is probably not a bad idea, just to have that option, especially since my manifester level remains competitive. I'm especially looking for powers that I can combine with melee that would fit those mantles too.

Maybe add in Mighty Spring in freedom to help out with Leap Attack?

Edit:

Looking a little more, Death Urge sounds like a fun option for Destruction - not especially synergistic, but... c'mon, its Death Urge.

Maybe Anticipatory Strike and Perfect Riposte in Conflict... Temporal Acceleration in Freedom might be nice as well.


Are there any powers that provide a bonus to to-hit that is not an insight bonus? I've found Spirit of War, which is competence (and not until 8th level), but that's all I've found.

[Essence_of_War]

Offhand, for the to-hit, I don't think so.

As far as damaging powers go, the general thinking is that you should have something to deal energy damage, physical damage, F/R/W, touch ac, area, ability score, hp, SR NO.

A good handful to have:
Energy Missile does energy, F/R save, area, hp.
Crystal Shard hits physical, touch, hp, SR NO.
Ego Whip hits W save, ability score.

Just having those 3 gives you A TON of options should melee seem suboptimal for whatever reason. Although death urge, being a W save-or-die, would fit fine into that group also to help you cover all of the obvious bases.

Temporal Acceleration is fine as long as you have something to do (buffs or BC stuff) during your accelerated rounds. Anticipatory Strike is great, but you should be careful. If you combine with Detect Hostile Intent, for example, you go first forever (DMs might not be amused). Are you planning to shape your extra hp soulmeld? Usually that is a mandatory sink for incarnates, but if you're planning on using Vigor, that might free up those essentia in combat to other, more directly useful things.

Edit:
I would very carefully ask my DM about the PP recharge trick. I know my DM would hit that hard with the banhammer.

[Yorae]

Yeah, the PP recharge trick is great if I can get it, but if I can't, then it was just gravy anyway, no big deal and I can pick something else to use Midnight Augmentation on, other than Bestow Power. I wasn't planning on cheesing out with Detect Hostile Intent either. =p

I was going to shape Vitality Belt, but now that you mention it... freeing up that soulmeld/essentia for something else and using vigor is probably a better idea - the duration isn't as great, but still. I'll have to review the soulmelds I had planned on using.

How about this for a typical setup for this guy at 20?

TODO: Replace Vitality Belt. Maybe unbind Pauldrons of Health (effect isn't that great), put 4 essentia in it for +4 fort and shape a different meld with a good bind effect instead. Astral Vambraces would be nice, but I'm already using Bluesteel Bracers... hmm...

Any suggestions for changing soulmelds?

Bluesteel Bracers – 4 essentia
Pauldrons of Health (bound) – 0 essentia (immune to disease/sick/nausea)
Incarnate Avatar - 4 essentia
Theft Gloves (Bound) - 0 essentia (reallocate when not in battle)
Impulse Boots (Bound) - 4 essentia
Vitality Belt – 4 essentia
Crystal Helm (Bound) - 4 essentia

Cobalt Power - Use Psycarnum Infusion
Midnight Augmentation - Use Psycarnum Infusion

For:
+2 initiative
+4 weapon damage
+4 melee to-hit
+4 to reflex saves
+4 deflect AC
+60 HP
Evasion
Uncanny Dodge
Melee attacks are force effects
Immunity to Disease / Sicken / Nausea

Expend Psionic Focus --> +5 Power Attack damage
Expend Psionic Focus --> Pre-chosen power costs 5 PP less to augment