PDA

View Full Version : Help with Incarnum based Spellcasting



gabrion
2011-10-25, 09:17 PM
I've been wracking my brain over this for a while and thought I'd turn to the GitPG community for fresh perspectives.

I'm designing a new Incarnum base class. One feature of this class is that they will have access to some soulmelds that grant them the ability to cast spells. This is an example soulmeld containing the current mechanic I'm thinking of using.

Abjurant Shroud
Descriptor: None
Classes: Enigma
Path: Magus
Chakra: Hands, Crown, Brow, Waist, Throat, Heart
Saving Throw: As spell created by the soulmeld (DCs set by charisma modifier)

Fluff here.

Select any three abjuration spells of 1st level or lower (cantrips) from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. You can cast any combination of these spells a total of three times per day with a caster level equal to your enigma level.
Essentia: If the effect of a spell cast from this soulmeld is based on your caster level, your caster level is treated as 1 level higher per essentia invested (allowing you to exceed normal maximums based on caster level). If the effect of a spell cast from this soulmeld is a static bonus, the bonus is increase by 1 per point of invested essentia.

Chakra Bind (Hands)
In addition to the spells to which you have access for shaping this soulmeld, select any three abjuration spells of 2nd level or lower from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. You can cast any combination of these spells a total of three times per day with a caster level equal to your enigma level.

Chakra Bind (Crown)
In addition to the spells to which you have access for shaping this soulmeld, select any two abjuration spells of 3rd level and any three abjuration spells of 2nd level or lower from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. You can cast any combination of the 3rd level spells a total of three times per day and any combination of the 2nd level or lower spells a total of four times per day with a caster level equal to your enigma level.

Chakra Bind (Brow)
In addition to the spells to which you have access for shaping this soulmeld, select any two abjuration spells of 4th level and any three abjuration spells of 3rd level or lower from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. You can cast any combination of the 4th level spells a total of three times per day and any combination of the 3rd level or lower spells a total of four times per day with a caster level equal to your enigma level.

Chakra Bind (Waist)
In addition to the spells to which you have access for shaping this soulmeld, select any two abjuration spells of 5th level and any three abjuration spells of 4th level or lower from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. You can cast any combination of the 5th level spells a total of three times per day and any combination of the 4th level or lower spells a total of four times per day with a caster level equal to your enigma level.

Chakra Bind (Throat)
In addition to the spells to which you have access for shaping this soulmeld, select any two abjuration spells of 6th level and any three abjuration spells of 5th level or lower from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. You can cast any combination of the 6th level spells a total of three times per day and any combination of the 5th level or lower spells a total of four times per day with a caster level equal to your enigma level.

Chakra Bind (Heart)
In addition to the spells to which you have access for shaping this soulmeld, select any two abjuration spells of 7th level and any three abjuration spells of 6th level or lower from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. You can cast any combination of the 7th level spells a total of three times per day and any combination of the 6th level or lower spells a total of four times per day with a caster level equal to your enigma level.

--------

Other relevant info:

There would be a similar soulmeld for each school of magic.
The chakra binds open at a rate different than any of the classes in MoI, but at a rate that leaves this soulmeld behind the sorcerer's progression in terms of what level spells it has access to.
The class ends up being able to bind 5 soulmelds, for whatever that's worth.


My questions:

If anyone knows of a system or class that's already been designed using some mechanic to allow spellcasting through incarnum, can you please link it so that I might draw inspiration?
On its face, does this seem like a totally ass backwards way of going about this?
I'm particularly struggling with the essentia investment in these soulmelds. Granting additional casting based on essentia invested was one idea, but is convoluted because it messes up essentia reallocation and either ends up with infinite casting (if reallocating gives more uses each time) or eventually no use for essentia (if extra spells require essentia be "locked" until they've been used, but is free for reallocation after the extra spells have been used). Any ideas on what I could make the essentia effect for this type of soulmeld?


I know that certain feedback is not possible without knowing more about the other features of the class. For instance, I'm not asking anyone to evaluate the number of spells and the uses/day as their appropriateness depends on what other goodies the class gets. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thomar_of_Uointer
2011-10-25, 09:53 PM
Incarnum already duplicates some spell effects. However, it does few if any of them at full caster level (because soulmeld abilities are at-will.)

If I had to do it, I would make a separate soulmeld for each spell. One for summon monster (the soulspark pet one works well for this), one for scorching ray, one for shocking grasp (there are already direct-damage soulmelds), etc etc. Writing up fun scaling effects is easy.

Now, if you want a soulmeld that is limited to uses per day, you can certainly write them up. There are already several incarnum abilities that make a single point of essentia useless for 24 hours. You could work that mechanic into some of the soulmelds. This also works well with a few odd class abilities that let players swap soulmelds out on the fly.

Cieyrin
2011-10-25, 09:59 PM
Here's an example that may be of use to you in your endeavor: http://forum.faxcelestis.net/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=491

gabrion
2011-10-26, 09:58 AM
I probably should have added a bit more info. This base class will in some ways be similar to a Chameleon, choosing different "paths" that will allow them access to different soulmelds, which in turn allow them to fill different roles. The idea of the spellcasting soulmelds is to give them something close to the abilities of an actual spellcaster, but not the equivalent of a full sorc/wiz as they will have other abilities that make up for full casting.

@Thomar - Well I initially started making different soulmelds with different spell effects on each, but I ran into two problems. 1) I would have to make a ton of them and 2) this approach makes it extremely difficult for a class with 9 soulmelds and 5 chakra binds to replicate a caster in any meaningful way.

Now I could have created a list of such soulmelds that had limited effects, but were useable at will. However, I was worried about running into the "warlock dilemma," accepting that at will abilities in a resource management game need to be so underpowered compared to their limited use counterparts that they just end up sucking, or making them as powerful as those counterparts, which unbalances them compared to classes that only cast spells a limited number of times per day. Of course a sort of middle ground is taking the second approach but limiting them to using spells that aren't considered too powerful, but who wants at-will abilities if they are all mediocre at best?

@cieyrin - thanks for that link. I won't be replicating that system, but it certainly helped get the gears turning.

This is why I ended up creating soulmelds that allow the character to select spells