Totemist Help

[GutterFace]

So i was looking into making a totemist for a quick pick up game a friend is running. starts at level 1. he's making a "wild campaign". Totemists, Druids, Babrbarians, shamen...etc.

so its a simple game of no Prc, or multi if it can be helped.

so i read through MoI and im still a bit hazy on how soulmelds and such work, and how they work for me.

help me build a totemist! i need skills and feats to invest in! i want to keep my race Human. we'll probably play for several weeks off and on so lets say ill end up about level 5-7.

rolled/bought:
6
Str: 16
Dex: 13
Con: 16
Int: 10
wis: 10
cha: 11

[Essence_of_War]

So you're starting at level 1?

What sort of sourcebooks are allowed, and are you married to the race being human? Could you be, say, a silverbrow human, or an azurin for example?

[GutterFace]

pretty much any source book i should be able to use. and yes i think any Human subtype i can use as well. i will have to pre-submit the character in total for review before we play so lets go wild!

[Essence_of_War]

So at level 1, totemists are in sort of a tough spot since they can't bind any soulmelds to their totem chakra to gain natural attacks, and their built in weapon proficiencies leave much to be desired.

You have lots of good race choices.

Warforged and Skarn are pretty sweet because they each boost important stats and give natural attacks that you can use before you can unlock your totem chakra.

Any race that boosts str/con + the dragonborn template is an excellent choice because you get boosts to important stats and unlock draconic soulmelds (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20060912a&page=4) which can give you weapons at level 1 and have interesting abilities later too.

Azurin/Silverbrow Human/Human are perennial strong choices also. I don't like dragonborn'ing if I go this route because you lose the feat/essentia/skill pts/spell.

Do any of those options sound appealing?

Edit:
Additional, mandatory reading (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=2943)

[GutterFace]

very appealing!

so exactly what is the Totemist role. damage, support...etc?

[Essence_of_War]

Primary damage dealers with some skill monkey possibilities depending on the soulmelds selected and whether or not you take a 2 level incarnate dip.

At least that's what they're best at. With the flexibility of soulmelds, you can be a ranged striker, melee monster, grappler, or even do crowd-control and save-or-die/sucks. Moreover, you can switch freely between these every day.

[Waker]

Ok, I'll give you the rundown on how Incarnum works. These are the general rules, as always there are exceptions to these rules.
First off is the idea of melds. The simplest way to think of a meld is an all-day buff that is tied to a certain part of your body. While a meld is tied to a certain part of your body, it does not prevent you from wearing an item on that part of your body. Melds are prepared in the morning, last all day and cannot be changed during the course of a day.
The second idea you need to grasp is the idea of essentia. Essentia is a form of energy that you can invest in melds and certain feats. For each point of essentia invested in a meld, you gain an increasing result, detailed in the description of each meld. You can reinvest any amount of essentia into any amount of melds as a swift action. Essentia is not normally expended and thus you end the day with as many essentia points as you started with. The last note on essentia is Essentia Capacity, which is the maximum amount of essentia you can invest in a single meld, the table is located on pg 19.
The last thing you need to know about Incarnum is the idea of Chakra. There are 10 standard Chakra points and the Totem Chakra. The 10 standard points are Crown, Brow, Hands, Feet, Arm, Soul, Waist, Heart, Shoulders and Throat. Binding a meld to a chakra grants an increased benefit detailed in the description of the meld. Now there are two important notes about chakra binds that you need to remember. The first is that you gain the both the standard benefits of a meld in addition to the effects of the chakra bind. The second is that when you have a meld bound to a chakra, you cannot wear a magical item associated with that body slot, this replaces the above rule saying that you can wear a meld with a magic item.

I believe that is everything you need to know about Incarnum if you have any other questions about it, just ask.
Also the roles most popular with Totemists are fulfilling the roles of damage dealing and skillmonlkeying.

[Essence_of_War]

Let me also direct you to Incarnum and YOU: A Reference Guide (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=215723).

Very handy.

[GutterFace]

thanks everyone for your help! amazing!

[Psyren]

Mongrelfolk have Human subtype and make fantastic Totemists. +4 Con, 0 LA and a laundry list of racials in exchange for negatives to two dump stats. Flavor synergy is great too.

The cool thing about them (besides being total melee monsters) is that they can skillmonkey well and fight from range well too with Manticore Belt. Shape Soulmeld for the Incarnate's Acid Spit is a great way to get through level 1 until you have some natural attacks.

The main thing you will need to watch out for is protecting your head. Your will saves are weak, and getting dominated/possessed means you will tear through your party in no time. Definitely dropping a feat into Cerulean Will or shaping some of the Incarnate's toys like the Crystal Helm, Planar Ward or Spellward Shirt can keep you safe.

[Waker]

Aside from the Incarnum races, I think Shifter makes an excellent Totemist. Depending on your choice of a shifter trait, you can get access to a natural weapon pretty easily while potentially leaving a meld slot free, not to mention the ability score bonus.
Of all the melds to grab off the Incarnate list, I'd say that Crystal Helm is the best. Bonus to a low save, deflection bonus to AC and when you can bind it to the chakra, force effects to melee. You could rip a ghost apart with your bear claws (spelling intentional).

[GutterFace]

this should be a ton of fun!

[danzibr]

I would like to suggest the cheesy combo of Arctic Dragonborn Mongrelfolk.

In all seriousness I second Warforged and have a thorough yet incomplete build I can give you when I'm at my computer.

[Essence_of_War]

Here's a sample build for a Dragonborn Orc Totemist.


Str: 16->20
Dex: 13 ->11
Con: 16->18
Int: 10->8
wis: 10->8
cha: 11->9

Dragonborn Orc. If you're sure you'll get to 6th, pick the flight aspect. If not, heart or mind will probably be more benecifial.

Feats:
1 - Expanded Soulmeld Capacity
flaw - Endurance
flaw - Steadfast Determination
3 - Multiattack
6 - Bonus Essentia

If you don't get flaws, consider cutting Endurance+Steadfast+Multiattack for Cerulean Will or Shape Soulmeld: Crystal Helm.

At 1st level, you get 2 soulmelds. Use one of them for Dragon Claws or Dragon Tail, this is your combat meld (see the draconic soulmelds link above). For the other, pick something like Blink Shirt (general utility!) or a soulmeld that boosts a few useful skills.

Some goodies:
Worg Pelt or Kruthik Claws make you stealthy.
Hunter's Circlet is good if you're the de facto wilderness guide.
Shadow Mantle boosts listen which is notably a class skill!

At 2nd level you get your totem bind. I'd pick Sphinx Claws and bind it to my totem chakra. Your full attacks will be scary!

If you get Multiattack at 3rd, start binding the girallon arms to your totem and make 4 attacks. At 6th you can also bind the sphinx claws to your hands to get pseudo-pounce.