Multiclass incarnum characters?

[Grod_The_Giant]

Say I'm a Totemist 5 (and thus have access to totem, crown, feet, and hand binds). At the next level-up, I take one level of Incarnate. What does that get me?

As far as I can tell, I'll be able to shape any of the melds on the Incarnate list, and invest 2 essence (because character level 6) in any of them, but I won't be able to bind any of them, because chakra binds are limited by class. Correct?

And if that's the case... is there any reason you wouldn't dip into the other class, just to have access to all those boosts?

[Piggy Knowles]

Say I'm a Totemist 5 (and thus have access to totem, crown, feet, and hand binds). At the next level-up, I take one level of Incarnate. What does that get me?

As far as I can tell, I'll be able to shape any of the melds on the Incarnate list, and invest 2 essence (because character level 6) in any of them, but I won't be able to bind any of them, because chakra binds are limited by class. Correct?

And if that's the case... is there any reason you wouldn't dip into the other class, just to have access to all those boosts?

Correct - the chakra binds and soulmeld slots you get from your class levels are specific to a particular meldshaping class, but your essentia is basically one big pool that you can use for either class, and the amount of essentia you can invest has to do with your character level rather than class level, so that will remain high.

Note that the Necrocarnate prestige class stacks with any existing meldshaping class you've got, and gives you chakra binds that will work with anything. Lots of people focus on Necrocarnate as an essentia-harvester, but really, it's the closest thing to a true dual-progression prestige class Incarnum has got. Totemist 2/Incarnate 5/Necrocarnate 13 has a meldshaper level of 15 for totemist melds and 18 for incarnate melds, can use up to the soul chakra bind and the various extra soulmeld slots for either, etc.

Alternatively, while it won't give you more chakra binds or soulmeld slots, bloodline levels will stack with both classes for meldshaper level, as well as some minor class-based abilities such as wild empathy. Doesn't seem like a big deal, but if you want to use melds that rely on meldshaper level, and you are playing in a game where XP is a river and you can buy your bloodline levels early, it's an easy way to get a pretty high meldshaper level in both classes fairly early on.

[Turion]

If you take one level of incarnate:

You gain an aura like a cleric
You can use Detect <opposite alignment> as an sla
Your essentia pool increases by one. This can be invested in any shaped soulmeld, incarnate or totemist
You gain access to the incarnate soulmeld list. You make shape two incarnate soulmelds each day, to a maximum number of soulmelds equal to your con score -10. You may not bind any incarnate soulmelds to a chakra.
Standard bab, hp, save increases
Automatic membership in the blue man group

As noted, since you've hit 6th level, your essentia capacity goes up by one.
It is actually a pretty good dip. I actually think Inc 2 is a bit better, since it gives you a bind, but that's just me. Note that it will still only let you bind to the crown chakra, though.
You can take the "open x chakra" feats to unlock more incarnate binds as well. It's arguable whether they give you an extra bind or whether you have to use your existing binds per day for it, though.
Also, double chakra is definitely your friend if you try this. The hands/arms and feet chakras have some really useful stuff for incarnates, but are typically taken up by landshark boots or girallon arms on a totemist.

Ack, ninjas. This phone is very slow to type on.