Sponson
2012-10-25, 03:21 PM
Reading up on the Incarnate Construct (in the books and everywhere online), there seems to be a disparity among people to how it actually works.
Well, 3 particular ways I see it interpreted.
Method 1 would require that you have the requisite ECL/LA to give up before you can take the template (since you can never go below zero, taking Incarnate Construct wouldn't net you any bonuses as you'd go from LA 0 to LA 0).
So for example if someone were to build a character, they would be required to start as an ECL 3 character, they could be a warforged with a +2 LA template (so long as those templates affect constructs) and one class level, they then could take the IC template and become an ECL 1 due to their LA becoming zero. So in this manner it would be treated very similarly as a LA-Buy Off, but relative to your party you're "behind", as Level Buy Off does.
Method 2 is that you can take the IC template at ECL 1, so you would be a Warforged with the Incarnate template, become non-construct, then take appropriate LA templates that work on non-constructs as well as having a single class level, becoming ECL 1 without ever needing to be ECL 3 in the first place. The interpretation is that the -2 is "floating", so that so long as you patch it back to LA 0 you're fine.
The "macaroni and cheese" interpretation. The example would allow you to create an IC Warforged Mineral Warrior Feral Spirit (or was it totem) Lion Barbarian for a Level 1 kick in the door.
Method 3 is a combination of Methods 1 and 2. You take the +2 LA template before applying the Incarnate Construct at character creation because you need the prerequisite number of LA to do so, then you take a class level so you're ECL 1, but simply applied the templates in a different order. In this case the +2 and -2 floats, so you wouldn't need to be ECL 3 in the first place.
I'm sorry if there are clear rules somewhere in the books, this whole mess is confusing and I tend to get lost trying to hunt down a specific paragraph among a vast collection of material. But which one of these is the correct way?
Well, 3 particular ways I see it interpreted.
Method 1 would require that you have the requisite ECL/LA to give up before you can take the template (since you can never go below zero, taking Incarnate Construct wouldn't net you any bonuses as you'd go from LA 0 to LA 0).
So for example if someone were to build a character, they would be required to start as an ECL 3 character, they could be a warforged with a +2 LA template (so long as those templates affect constructs) and one class level, they then could take the IC template and become an ECL 1 due to their LA becoming zero. So in this manner it would be treated very similarly as a LA-Buy Off, but relative to your party you're "behind", as Level Buy Off does.
Method 2 is that you can take the IC template at ECL 1, so you would be a Warforged with the Incarnate template, become non-construct, then take appropriate LA templates that work on non-constructs as well as having a single class level, becoming ECL 1 without ever needing to be ECL 3 in the first place. The interpretation is that the -2 is "floating", so that so long as you patch it back to LA 0 you're fine.
The "macaroni and cheese" interpretation. The example would allow you to create an IC Warforged Mineral Warrior Feral Spirit (or was it totem) Lion Barbarian for a Level 1 kick in the door.
Method 3 is a combination of Methods 1 and 2. You take the +2 LA template before applying the Incarnate Construct at character creation because you need the prerequisite number of LA to do so, then you take a class level so you're ECL 1, but simply applied the templates in a different order. In this case the +2 and -2 floats, so you wouldn't need to be ECL 3 in the first place.
I'm sorry if there are clear rules somewhere in the books, this whole mess is confusing and I tend to get lost trying to hunt down a specific paragraph among a vast collection of material. But which one of these is the correct way?