How to make Incarnum Blade half way decent?

[SangoProduction]

Or make an entirely different class that utilizes "blademeld". The largest problem I see with it is it's just flat numbers rather than literally anything else. Like, not even scaling - the way to make completely mundane things like bonuses seem useful.

Obviously, keeping the basic blademeld of the class - it's a central theme. Probably add something that's a bit more useful, like "invest Incarnum to ignore the first (invested incarnum+ Incarnum Blade) Hardness or DR which you otherwise wouldn't penetrate/ignore."

Maybe let it have some soul-shaping progression. Perhaps 3/5 to 4/5.

At third level (so it isn't just an easy dip for an extra chakra slot), give it something like "Emulate Chakra" which does the following:
You may now bind Soulmelds to your blademeld as though it were a Chakra slot that you could use via Blademeld Chakra Bind, though only one at a time. (For example, you'd have: crown, feet, hands, arms, brow, shoulders, throat, and waist available at 3 level, unlocking heart emulation at 4th, and soul at 5th.)
If you emulate a Chakra like this, you lose the normal benefit of Blademeld. This also doesn't grant you access to soulmelds or chakras you don't already have access to. You may change or unbind the Emulated Chakra by using Rebind Blademeld, but to bind a different soulmeld requires the normal method for your Soul Shaping class.

*Also, maybe have some of the existing soulmelds have a unique benefit if bound to Blademeld (instead of emulating another chakra).*

And the blademeld chakra thingies simply must be reworked.

Perhaps, for example Feet would have something along the signs of "If you used a single move action during your turn, and it was to move within reach of an enemy, you may make a full attack."
With invested incarnum points giving +15 movespeed per 2 incarnum? (Pretty sure there's another couple of soulmelds which give +5 speed per incarnum as a rider effect, aka the investment is for a different scaling effect. Since this has 1 such effect, it should be stronger in that single thing, I think.)

And perhaps Shoulders would get some sort of flying effect (because wings is what I think of with shoulders, but idk how it fits with the "blade"meld part), with speed/maneuverability scaling to incarnum investment?

[Troacctid]

The basic structure of the class isn't too bad. The problem is that the abilities it gives you are sucky. I would revamp the benefits you get from the blademeld so that they're properly in line with the opportunity cost of taking the prestige class.

Here's my initial thoughts.



Blademeld location
Old benefit
New benefit


Shaped
Weapon becomes more durable and counts as magic for bypassing DR.
Weapon becomes more durable (as before) and becomes a magic weapon with a +1 enhancement bonus, or if it's already magic, its existing enhancement bonus increases by 1.


Crown
+4 insight bonus against being disarmed, +4 insight bonus on Sense Motive checks to oppose feints, and enemies flanking you do not gain an attack bonus.
As before, and additionally, you gain a +1 insight bonus on attack rolls, and you are always considered proficient with your blademeld weapon.


Feet
+2 insight bonus on initiative checks, and you may make attacks of opportunity with the blademeld weapon even while flat-footed.
As before, plus a +4 insight bonus on Balance, Jump, and Tumble checks, and you are always considered to have a running start when jumping. Once every 1d4 rounds, you may move up to your speed as a swift action.


Hands
+1 insight bonus on damage rolls with the blademeld weapon.
+4 insight bonus on damage rolls with the blademeld weapon.


Arms
+4 insight bonus on critical confirmation rolls with the blademeld weapon.
+4 insight bonus on critical confirmation rolls with the blademeld weapon, as before, and your blademeld weapon gains the Keen and Thundering properties, or the Impact and Thundering properties if it's a bludgeoning weapon.


Brow
Reroll miss chances due to concealment, similar to Blind-Fight.
As before, except you also gain blindsense out to 10 feet per Incarnum Blade level, and if you already have Blind-Fight, it stacks, letting you reroll twice.


Shoulders
25% chance to negate a critical hit.
20% miss chance, as a minor cloak of displacement. Resistance 10 against fire, cold, electricity, and acid.


Throat
At-will battle cry that renders all enemies within 60 feet shaken (Will DC 10 + class level + Con negates) as a standard action.
As before, except as a swift action.


Waist
+10 insight bonus to stability, and retain Dex bonus to AC even while flat-footed.
As before, and you also gain a +4 insight bonus to your Strength score.


Heart
Gain hit points equal to twice your character level.
You gain a +4 insight bonus to your Constitution score. You are immune to poison and disease, and you cannot be fatigued, exhausted, sickened, nauseated, or stunned.


Soul
Blademeld weapon gains an alignment for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction and deals 1d6 extra damage to creatures opposed to that alignment.
Blademeld weapon bypasses all damage reduction and hardness, and any creature dealt damage by the blademeld weapon must make a Will save (DC 15 + Con) or be dazed for 1 round.



Additionally, I'd make Rebind Blademeld usable as a move action, and I'd add an essentia progression, increasing your essentia pool by 1 point at each even-numbered level.

[SangoProduction]

Not bad. Definitely better.