A Few Questions about a Skarn Totemist...

[Empedocles]

In an upcoming campaign, I'm planning on having a skarn totemist. I do have a few questions about incarnum though...

1) Is it possible to change your chakra binds throughout the day given time to do so?

2) Why is it so good for a totemist to have natural weapons? The handbook says this is so...but I can't really see a big advantage.

3) If I have a totem bind that gives me a natural attack, can I use it and my own natural spine attack in the same round?

4) How do natural attacks and multiple attacks, specifically with the skarn, work? That's not really an incarnum question but it's relevant to my build...:smallwink:

[Big Fau]

In an upcoming campaign, I'm planning on having a skarn totemist. I do have a few questions about incarnum though...

1) Is it possible to change your chakra binds throughout the day given time to do so?

A class feature of the Totemist is the ability to change what soulmeld is bound to your Totem Chakra, but it's a mid-level class feature. Otherwise no, not pre-Epic anyway.


2) Why is it so good for a totemist to have natural weapons? The handbook says this is so...but I can't really see a big advantage.

The class' Soulmelds are heavily focused on natural weaponry, but at 1st level you don't have the iconic Totem Chakra required to use most of them. Skarn, Warforged, Shifters, and Dragonblooded creatures all make good Totemists because of both stats and because they get access to natural weapons that make up for the first level.

If the game is starting at level 2 or higher, you don't specifically need a race that has a natural weapon, but it never hurts as long as that race is LA0.


3) If I have a totem bind that gives me a natural attack, can I use it and my own natural spine attack in the same round?

Yes, but the wording of the Skarn's natural Spine attack is wonky. The devs overestimated the ability, and decided to try and nerf it (although they failed).


4) How do natural attacks and multiple attacks, specifically with the skarn, work? That's not really an incarnum question but it's relevant to my build...:smallwink:

Natural attacks do not work with iterative attacks unless you have the Rapid Strike feat. It's an excellent feat, but the Totemist's BAB progression makes it impractical.

[Flickerdart]

4) How do natural attacks and multiple attacks, specifically with the skarn, work? That's not really an incarnum question but it's relevant to my build...:smallwink:
You either make your full natural attack routine, or your full iterative routine and then your full natural attack routine, treating all the natural attacks as secondary weapons. For that reason, some natural attackers invest in Unarmed Strikes to take advantage of iterative attacks without using up limbs.

[Empedocles]

You either make your full natural attack routine, or your full iterative routine and then your full natural attack routine, treating all the natural attacks as secondary weapons. For that reason, some natural attackers invest in Unarmed Strikes to take advantage of iterative attacks without using up limbs.

Do secondary attacks suffer a penalty? And can that be mitigated with any feats like multiattack? Sorry, I'm really iffy on the multiple weapon rules.

[Flickerdart]

Do secondary attacks suffer a penalty? And can that be mitigated with any feats like multiattack? Sorry, I'm really iffy on the multiple weapon rules.
Secondary natural attacks are made with a -5 penalty. Multiattack reduces this to -2, and Improved Multiattack to 0.

[Empedocles]

Alright, last question now. If i can make attacks with both my spines and, say, sphinx claws, what are the penalties? Does multiattack apply to them to?

[Flickerdart]

I'm not sure if the spines are designated as a primary or secondary weapon. If primary, then you can choose between them and the claws. Whichever one you choose becomes the primary weapon, and the other becomes the secondary. The primary weapon suffers no penalties regardless of how many attacks it has - you could have 9000 claw attacks and if they're your primary, none of them suffer a penalty. All secondary attacks will suffer the -5.

[Kuulvheysoon]

Fun trivia - you actually only get ONE spine attack. Weird, huh?

[Empedocles]

Fun trivia - you actually only get ONE spine attack. Weird, huh?

Oh wow...it says it straight up there too. Just never noticed it I guess.

Now, unrelated question...with a skarn totemist and girallon arms bound to your totem chakra would you get 1 spine attack and then 4 claw attacks from the girallon arms all at a -2 penalty (with the multiattack feat)?

[Flickerdart]

No, because the claws are primary attacks. If the spine is also a primary attack, then you can choose which one (claws or spine) is primary.