[D&D 3.5] Incarnum without a Con Score?

[theonesin]

For complicated and stupid reasons, my Totemist 2/Incarnate 3 died and became a ghost(yes, the one that adds 5 level adjustment).

I'm still new to Incarnum, and I know they've fairly Con-based. The sudden lack of a Con score makes me wonder if my class features even work anymore.

Help?

[mattie_p]

You need the undead meldshaper feat. Sub wis for con for the number of soulmelds and for the dc.

[theonesin]

You need the undead meldshaper feat. Sub wis for con for the number of soulmelds and for the dc.

Is that feat just to help me, or will I actually need it to not lose class features?

[Vaz]

1 Ask if you can use the Template class. I'D provide a link but im on a phone so its a little difficult.

2. There is the Undead Meldshaper feat. Ask if you can get it as part of your Undeadness. It should be included within the rules as standard IMHO.

[Fizban]

The template class link is here (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040117a). It's pretty powerful so I'd only recommend allowing it in situations where your player has unintentionally become a ghost, which would be now.

I'm pretty sure Undead Meldshaper is required in order to shape soulmends as an undead. The number of melds you can shape is based on your con, and if you don't have any con you can't shape any soulmelds without the feat (similar to how you don't have any carrying capacity without a strength score or any skill points without intelligence). And there's probably an FAQ or sidebar or something that spells it out somewhere. Hey, be glad you didn't get turned into a robot: there's no Robot Meldshaper feat at all.

If your DM is nice he should let you retrain something into Undead Meldshaper immediately since he's the one who sprung the ghost stuff on you out of nowhere. If not then you might want to actually avoid the template class, since you'll need the ghost abilities immediately to survive until you can take the feat and regain the reason for your existence. . . though with LA+5 the campaign would have to run for a lot longer in order to get enough xp to offset that and make it to a level where you can get a feat.

[Psyren]

Is that feat just to help me, or will I actually need it to not lose class features?

You need it - without a Con score your maximum number of shapeable soulmelds will always be zero and thus there will be no point to pursuing Incarnum.

[Turion]

Do note that even with Undead Meldshaper, you only qualify for a grand total of about 4 incarnum feats, as the rest all require a CON score. I'd suggest talking to your DM about allowing these to key off WIS instead, if the change is going to be long-term.

[theonesin]

I guess Undead Meldshaper MIGHT help, though my Wisdom score is a 9(so -1 mod). And I lose access to one feat I took(Expanded Soulmeld Capacity), and at least another that I planned to take at level 6(Bonus Essentia).

I think I'm just going to roll up a new character. I already felt too annoyed when trying to figure out all the things a ghost got, and this just makes it not worth it. Screws over my concept too much.

Thanks for the clarification though guys.

[Arundel]

If the story won't make you too angry, how does one get a LA+5 template forced upon them?

[danzibr]

Wisdom score is a 9
This will not be enough to shape any soulmelds. You can only shape your Con-10 (IIRC) soulmelds nomrally, and I'm assuming Undead Meldshaper doesn't lift that requirement.

[theonesin]

If the story won't make you too angry, how does one get a LA+5 template forced upon them?

The DM didn't let us know(except for maybe the one player who wasn't there that session) that dead people don't immediately go to the afterlife in this world. Instead, they linger as ghosts.

We also had our Dwarf Dragonfire Adept inflicted with lycanthropy...

I honestly don't think the DM knew what they were doing when they brought these up. >.>

[Fouredged Sword]

Break curse and true resurection seems to be the best way to fix both the lycanthrpy and ghostliness.

They are expensive, but you can get rid of the templates for good.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

If the story won't make you too angry, how does one get a LA+5 template forced upon them?

When it shuts down all of your class abilities and gives you very little in exchange.

Meldshapers run off of Con score. When you go undead, all your meldshaping goes away until you get the Undead Meldshaper feat, which then keys off of Wisdom. But his Wisdom is only 9, so all his class abilities are still permanently shut down.

In effect, the GM has secretly replaced his class with Commoner. The ghost template isn't going to help that out any.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Does your DM happen to own a copy of ghostwalk? If you're -that- kind of ghost, you still have a con score; as those ghosts are outsiders, not undead.

If not, then you're screwed. Either find a way to come back to life ASAP or roll up a new character.