Totemist Help

[LoyalPaladin]

Hello, Playgrounders!

I'm diving into the complicated end of the 3.5 system today and trying to create a character that takes 20 levels in totemist. I thought to myself "You know, I understand 3.5 pretty well. This should be a piece of cake!" Boy, was I wrong. So I'm bringing a fairly blank slate before you and hoping you all can help me build a high HP, decent DPR, grappler out of this class. I don't need to totally optimize the class to the point where I can attack 30 times/round and deal 400 damage on each attack (not that that is entirely possible...), but I'd like to do decent damage and be able to take a hit from some beefy monsters. From what I've gathered, Girallon Arms, Vitality Belt, and something involving a tail are important to accomplishing my goal.

I've been reading through Sinfire Titan's (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=2943.0) and Danzibr's (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?287304-danzibr-s-Totemist-Handbook) handbooks.

Character Creation:

32 Point Buy
3.5 Edition (No Pathfinder)
No Flaws
No Dragon Magazine
No Templates
15 Levels in Totemist
Race: Human


Unadjusted Ability Scores:

STR:14 (+4 VoP)
DEX:14 (+2 VoP)
CON:15 (+3 Natural Gain) (+6 VoP)
INT:14
WIS:12
CHA:10


Feats:

Racial: Sacred Vow
1st: Vow of Poverty
3rd: Improved Unarmed Strike
6th: Improved Grapple
9th: Double Chakra (Totem)
12th: Scorpion's Grasp
15th: Clever Wrestling
18th: Double Chakra (Arms)


Soulmelds:

Totem: Girallon Arms (Bound / Arms)
Totem: Heart of Fire (Bound / Waist)
Crown: Threefold Mask of the Chimera (Shaped / 0 Essentia)
Brow: Basilisk Mask (Shaped / 2 Essentia)
Throat: Behir Gorget (Shaped / 0 Essentia)
Shoulders: Totem Avatar (Shaped / 2 Essentia)
Arms: Girallon Arms (Bound / 4 Essentia)
Hands: Sphinx Claws (Bound / 0 Essentia)
Heart: N/A
Waist: Heart of Fire (Shaped / 4 Essentia)
Feet:



Level 1: (2/1/0)

Arms: Girallon Arms (Shaped / 1 Essentia)
Throat: Winter Mask (Shaped / 0 Essentia)


Level 2-3: (3/2/1)

Totem: Girallon Arms (Bound / Arms)
Brow: Basilisk Mask (Shaped / 1 Essentia)
Shoulders: Totem Avatar (Shaped / 0 Essentia)
Arms: Girallon Arms (Shaped / 1 Essentia)


Level 4-5: (4/3/1)

Totem: Girallon Arms (Bound / Arms)
Brow: Basilisk Mask (Shaped / 1 Essentia)
Shoulders: Totem Avatar (Shaped / 0 Essentia)
Arms: Girallon Arms (Shaped / 2 Essentia)
Hands: Blood Talons (Shaped / 0 Essentia)


Level 6: (4/4/2)

Totem: Girallon Arms (Bound / Arms)
Brow: Basilisk Mask (Shaped / 2 Essentia)
Shoulders: Totem Avatar (Shaped / 0 Essentia)
Arms: Girallon Arms (Shaped / 2 Essentia)
Hands: Sphinx Claws (Bound / 0 Essentia)


Level 7-8: (5/5/2)

Totem: Girallon Arms (Bound / Arms)
Brow: Basilisk Mask (Shaped / 2 Essentia)
Shoulders: Totem Avatar (Shaped / 0 Essentia)
Arms: Girallon Arms (Shaped / 3 Essentia)
Hands: Sphinx Claws (Bound / 0 Essentia)


Level 9: (5/6/2)

Totem: Girallon Arms (Bound / Arms)
Brow: Basilisk Mask (Shaped / 2 Essentia)
Shoulders: Totem Avatar (Shaped / 1 Essentia)
Arms: Girallon Arms (Shaped / 3 Essentia)
Hands: Sphinx Claws (Bound / 0 Essentia)
Waist: Heart of Fire (Shaped / 0 Essentia)


Level 10: (6/7/3)

Totem: Girallon Arms (Bound / Arms)
Totem: Heart of Fire (Bound / Waist)
Brow: Basilisk Mask (Shaped / 2 Essentia)
Shoulders: Totem Avatar (Shaped / 0 Essentia)
Throat: Behir Gorget (Shaped / 0 Essentia)
Arms: Girallon Arms (Shaped / 3 Essentia)
Hands: Sphinx Claws (Bound / 0 Essentia)
Waist: Heart of Fire (Shaped / 2 Essentia)


Level 11: (6/8/3)

Totem: Girallon Arms (Bound / Arms)
Totem: Heart of Fire (Bound / Waist)
Brow: Basilisk Mask (Shaped / 2 Essentia)
Shoulders: Totem Avatar (Shaped / 0 Essentia)
Throat: Behir Gorget (Shaped / 0 Essentia)
Arms: Girallon Arms (Shaped / 3 Essentia)
Hands: Sphinx Claws (Bound / 0 Essentia)
Waist: Heart of Fire (Shaped / 3 Essentia)


Level 12: (6/9/3)

Totem: Girallon Arms (Bound / Arms)
Totem: Heart of Fire (Bound / Waist)
Brow: Basilisk Mask (Shaped / 2 Essentia)
Shoulders: Totem Avatar (Shaped / 0 Essentia)
Throat: Behir Gorget (Shaped / 0 Essentia)
Arms: Girallon Arms (Shaped / 4 Essentia)
Hands: Sphinx Claws (Bound / 0 Essentia)
Waist: Heart of Fire (Shaped / 3 Essentia)


Level 13: (7/10/3)

Totem: Girallon Arms (Bound / Arms)
Totem: Heart of Fire (Bound / Waist)
Crown: Threefold Mask of the Chimera (Shaped / 0 Essentia)
Brow: Basilisk Mask (Shaped / 2 Essentia)
Shoulders: Totem Avatar (Shaped / 0 Essentia)
Throat: Behir Gorget (Shaped / 0 Essentia)
Arms: Girallon Arms (Shaped / 4 Essentia)
Hands: Sphinx Claws (Bound / 0 Essentia)
Waist: Heart of Fire (Bound / 4 Essentia)


Level 14: (7/11/4)

Totem: Girallon Arms (Bound / Arms)
Totem: Heart of Fire (Bound / Waist)
Crown: Threefold Mask of the Chimera (Shaped / 0 Essentia)
Brow: Basilisk Mask (Shaped / 2 Essentia)
Shoulders: Totem Avatar (Shaped / 1 Essentia)
Throat: Behir Gorget (Shaped / 0 Essentia)
Arms: Girallon Arms (Bound / 4 Essentia)
Hands: Sphinx Claws (Bound / 0 Essentia)
Waist: Heart of Fire (Shaped / 4 Essentia)


Level 15: (7/12/4)

Totem: Girallon Arms (Bound / Arms)
Totem: Heart of Fire (Bound / Waist)
Crown: Threefold Mask of the Chimera (Shaped / 0 Essentia)
Brow: Basilisk Mask (Shaped / 2 Essentia)
Shoulders: Totem Avatar (Shaped / 1 Essentia)
Throat: Behir Gorget (Shaped / 0 Essentia)
Arms: Girallon Arms (Bound / 5 Essentia)
Hands: Sphinx Claws (Bound / 0 Essentia)
Waist: Heart of Fire (Bound / 4 Essentia)


Level 16: (8/13/4)

Totem: Girallon Arms (Bound / Arms)
Totem: Heart of Fire (Bound / Waist)
Crown: Threefold Mask of the Chimera (Shaped / 0 Essentia)
Brow: Basilisk Mask (Shaped / 2 Essentia)
Shoulders: Totem Avatar (Shaped / 1 Essentia)
Throat: Behir Gorget (Bound / 0 Essentia)
Arms: Girallon Arms (Bound / 5 Essentia)
Heart: Blink Shirt (Shaped / 1 Essentia)
Hands: Sphinx Claws (Bound / 0 Essentia)
Waist: Heart of Fire (Shaped / 4 Essentia)


Level 17: (8/14/4)

Totem: Girallon Arms (Bound / Arms)
Totem: Heart of Fire (Bound / Waist)
Crown: Threefold Mask of the Chimera (Shaped / 0 Essentia)
Brow: Basilisk Mask (Shaped / 2 Essentia)
Shoulders: Totem Avatar (Shaped / 1 Essentia)
Throat: Behir Gorget (Bound / 0 Essentia)
Arms: Girallon Arms (Bound / 6 Essentia)
Heart: Blink Shirt (Shaped / 1 Essentia)
Hands: Sphinx Claws (Bound / 0 Essentia)
Waist: Heart of Fire (Shaped / 4 Essentia)


Level 18: (8/16/5)

Totem: Girallon Arms (Bound / Arms)
Totem: Heart of Fire (Bound / Waist)
Crown: Threefold Mask of the Chimera (Shaped / 0 Essentia)
Brow: Basilisk Mask (Shaped / 2 Essentia)
Shoulders: Totem Avatar (Shaped / 2 Essentia)
Throat: Behir Gorget (Shaped / 0 Essentia)
Arms: Girallon Arms (Bound / 6 Essentia)
Arms: Kraken Mantle (Bound / 0 Essentia)
Hands: Sphinx Claws (Bound / 0 Essentia)
Waist: Heart of Fire (Shaped / 6 Essentia)


Level 19: (9/18/5)

Totem: Girallon Arms (Bound / Arms)
Totem: Heart of Fire (Bound / Waist)
Crown: Threefold Mask of the Chimera (Shaped / 0 Essentia)
Brow: Basilisk Mask (Shaped / 2 Essentia)
Shoulders: Totem Avatar (Shaped / 2 Essentia)
Throat: Behir Gorget (Shaped / 0 Essentia)
Arms: Girallon Arms (Bound / 6 Essentia)
Arms: Kraken Mantle (Bound / 1 Essentia)
Heart: Blink Shirt (Shaped / 1 Essentia)
Hands: Sphinx Claws (Bound / 0 Essentia)
Waist: Heart of Fire (Shaped / 6 Essentia)


Level 20: (9/20/5)

Totem: Girallon Arms (Bound / Arms)
Totem: Heart of Fire (Bound / Waist)
Crown: Threefold Mask of the Chimera (Shaped / 0 Essentia)
Brow: Basilisk Mask (Shaped / 2 Essentia)
Shoulders: Totem Avatar (Shaped / 2 Essentia)
Throat: Behir Gorget (Shaped / 0 Essentia)
Arms: Girallon Arms (Bound / 6 Essentia)
Arms: Kraken Mantle (Bound / 3 Essentia)
Heart: Blink Shirt (Shaped / 1 Essentia)
Hands: Sphinx Claws (Bound / 0 Essentia)
Waist: Heart of Fire (Shaped / 6 Essentia)
Feet: Dread Carapace (Shaped / 0 Essentia)



Edit:
I've got to change the direction of this thread a bit. The point buy is going to be 32 and we'll only be making it to level 15. Azurin are banned, so I'm shooting for regular human.

[Eloel]

For starters, I'd drop 1 modifier form Dex and grab Con for that so you don't need items to shape all your soulmelds.

[thethird]

Okay, first let's use list of necessary magic items (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?187851-3-5-Lists-of-Necessary-Magic-Items) for reference of effects you want.

Flying; Consider a feathered wing graft, there are several ways to improve your land speed if you need the speed bost and the wing buffet (a potential +2 to attacks).

Mind Blank; the easiest is just getting a friendly caster to cast mindblank. You can also use a feat to get planar ward, and bind it to your throat, which protects from most things that mind blanks wants to protect while still allowing you to benefit from morale bonuses.

Stun; Incarnate avatar bound to soul would do that... if you had access to the soul chakra :smallamused: Necrocarnum vestment does grant it (bound to your heart) but it's otherwise not all that useful. Consider the wakeful mind graft, as it won't take a slot or a feat.

Daze; Incarnat... you can't bind to your soul, you cannot look like a sweet inevitable. There is no cheap easy way to be inmune to daze to you (unless you argue that azurin are human and can be dragonmarked).

Fear; Your planar ward wouldn't do inmunity to fear. If you've got an allied caster just get him to cast mindblank on you.

Trueseeing; Well there isn't really anything accessible to you.

Miss chance; I would go for the obi of the white lotus master pg. 138 in dragon compendium and a dragonfang ring. That way you have a permanent 20% miss chance that is not affected by trueseeing or anything. Alternatively shadow mantle + ring of the darkhidden is great. Actually feel free to do both.

Teleportation; Blink shirt works nicely if you need it regularly (you probably won't on a normal basis) I would shape blink shirt to heart, just in case. No need to bind it.

That said since you are going melee with girallon arms you might want to take double chakra (totem) as a feat so you can also bind lamia belt. Giving you six claw attacks with which you can rend (girallon arms to arms, they are in your totem too, is a great idea). You always bind sphinx claws to hand for pounce.

Also look into phase spider mask in dragon compendium pg. 141 it gives you a bite attack and is an access to etherealness at will.

[LoyalPaladin]

I've updated the OP. Some of the character requirements were changed and I'll be facing a lot of dragons. I'll also be the party's survivalist. So I need to be the wild man. Help appreciated!


Okay, first let's use list of necessary magic items (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?187851-3-5-Lists-of-Necessary-Magic-Items) for reference of effects you want.
This is helpful! I'm going to need to output decent damage without getting "cheesy cheatyface optimized", since this particular DM doesn't appreciate that.

[ComaVision]

Came in to see how you can do a Paladin-flavoured Totemist, leaving disappointed.

[Troacctid]

I'm not sure I like taking Vitality Belt with Shape Soulmeld. It gets a lot weaker at half meldshaper level.

[LoyalPaladin]

Came in to see how you can do a Paladin-flavoured Totemist, leaving disappointed.
It's a DragonLance game, so I'd be really screwed over if I played a Paladin. But that sounds awesome. Super nature paladin with Soulmelds... My gears are turning...


I'm not sure I like taking Vitality Belt with Shape Soulmeld. It gets a lot weaker at half meldshaper level.
I'm sort of new to MoI, so please forgive me. I thought that Soulborn was the only half-meldshaper. Vitality Belt is much worse this way...

[Troacctid]

Soulborn is the only half meldshaper level class (not counting Witchborn Binder), but any meld shaped off of Shape Soulmeld uses half your character level as your meldshaper level.

Is Mulhorandi Divine Minion on the table? Wild shape seems like it would be good for what you're trying to do

[LoyalPaladin]

Soulborn is the only half meldshaper level class (not counting Witchborn Binder), but any meld shaped off of Shape Soulmeld uses half your character level as your meldshaper level.
Oh. That sucks!


Is Mulhorandi Divine Minion on the table? Wild shape seems like it would be good for what you're trying to do
Nope. I should probably add "no templates"...

[Snowbluff]

The Manticore Belt would be a pretty good option for a ranged attack. It's very popular for getting a lot of attacks, and if you have a damage bonus it really stacks up.

You'll need to stack up some Str. That's a given.

Improved Grapple, size bonuses should help with the grappling. If you're insistent on medium size, Clever Wrestling would be nice. I like Scorpion's Grasp, if you can get your grappling bonus high enough to gran someone with one hand.

[Coidzor]

Silverbrow Humans qualify for Dragon Tail, IIRC as well as opening up draconic soulmelds.

If you're not polymorphing into another combat form(possibly with an Ally's help or an item like that amulet that gives wildshape) then Dragon Tail, Willing Deformity > Teeth, and Aberration Blood/Mourning Mutate > Inhuman Reach > Deepspawn may be of interest.

[LoyalPaladin]

The Manticore Belt would be a pretty good option for a ranged attack. It's very popular for getting a lot of attacks, and if you have a damage bonus it really stacks up.

You'll need to stack up some Str. That's a given.

Improved Grapple, size bonuses should help with the grappling. If you're insistent on medium size, Clever Wrestling would be nice. I like Scorpion's Grasp, if you can get your grappling bonus high enough to gran someone with one hand.
The 32 point buy hurts my ability to get a high Str and maintain a good Con.

Manticore belt takes away my ability to bind Heart of Fire, right?

I'll grab the grapple feats... I'm AFB, but does Scorpion's Grasp work with the claw attacks I get from Landshark Boots? I was going to bind Landshark Boots and Heart of Fire to my totem. Is that bad?


Silverbrow Humans qualify for Dragon Tail, IIRC as well as opening up draconic soulmelds.
I only have access to Elf, Human, Half-Ogre, and Dwarf.

[Snowbluff]

Manticore belt takes away my ability to bind Heart of Fire, right?

I'll grab the grapple feats... I'm AFB, but does Scorpion's Grasp work with the claw attacks I get from Landshark Boots? I was going to bind Landshark Boots and Heart of Fire to my totem. Is that bad?


You can always change your totembinds around to get stuff working. I'm confused as to why you would bind the landshark boots over the girallon arms on a grappler, though. Really hurting for that bigger standard attack? Then I guess you can combine it with the Scorpoin Grasp by hopping in place.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Have you looked at totem rager?

Also, why is azurin, of all things, banned? That's just weird.

[LoyalPaladin]

You can always change your totembinds around to get stuff working. I'm confused as to why you would bind the landshark boots over the girallon arms on a grappler, though. Really hurting for that bigger standard attack? Then I guess you can combine it with the Scorpoin Grasp by hopping in place.
I'm not really hurting for the standard attack. I get pounce from Sphinx's claws if I take them. But my 3/4 BAB and lack of iteratives would hurt me... wouldn't they?

How do people get those obscene bonuses to grapple?


Have you looked at totem rager?
I'll look into it.


Also, why is azurin, of all things, banned? That's just weird.
Azurin isn't banned on its own. There are just a select few allowed races because of the setting.

[Snowbluff]

I'm not really hurting for the standard attack. I get pounce from Sphinx's claws if I take them. But my 3/4 BAB and lack of iteratives would hurt me... wouldn't they?

How do people get those obscene bonuses to grapple?
Usually, size bonus + bonus Str from size.

LP, the strat to any bonus is:

1) Identify all bonus types.
2) Find sources that correlate to those types that give a bonus, making a checklist.

You have insight covered. See if you can find like a circumstance or competence bonus in the Magic Item Compendium.



Azurin isn't banned on its own. There are just a select few allowed races because of the setting.

but there humonz tho D:

[Telonius]

This might be the unusual situation where a single level of Monk could make your character more powerful. Since you're planning on taking both Improved Unarmed Strike and Improved Grapple anyway, one level of Monk would give you those two feats as bonuses. You'd be trading +1 capacity to your Totem Chakra and 1 essentia for two extra feats, a slightly better Will save, and a nicer list of class skills.

[LoyalPaladin]

Usually, size bonus + bonus Str from size.
I think Half-Ogre is the only thing that'll boost my size and I can't buy off LA. Not worth...


LP, the strat to any bonus is:

1) Identify all bonus types.
2) Find sources that correlate to those types that give a bonus, making a checklist.
I'll look into it.


You have insight covered. See if you can find like a circumstance or competence bonus in the Magic Item Compendium.
I will probably get to choose one magic item, but that's about it... the items are scarce and random in Dragonlance.


but there humonz tho D:
That definitely won't fly...


This might be the unusual situation where a single level of Monk could make your character more powerful. Since you're planning on taking both Improved Unarmed Strike and Improved Grapple anyway, one level of Monk would give you those two feats as bonuses. You'd be trading +1 capacity to your Totem Chakra and 1 essentia for two extra feats, a slightly better Will save, and a nicer list of class skills.
Whoa. Did not expect that.

Edit:
Okay. A little lost here. If I bind a soulmeld to my arms and totem, does it consume two binds? 4 binds make the build really tight. I updated my feats.

[Coidzor]

Oh, right, you want Multiattack. Probably.

Since you can't be a Minotaur for the Gore attack, you'll be wanting a horned helm from MIC(IIRC) and consider a fanged mask as well as another way to free up soulmelds for other purposes.

(Cloistered) Cleric 1 for Knowledge Domain trading into Knowledge Devotion would be one way to get a bonus to hit and damage to bring your attacks all up, but would require skill investment. If the Hunger domain is open, that would score you a bite, but clerics and domains are persnickety on Krynn.


This might be the unusual situation where a single level of Monk could make your character more powerful. Since you're planning on taking both Improved Unarmed Strike and Improved Grapple anyway, one level of Monk would give you those two feats as bonuses. You'd be trading +1 capacity to your Totem Chakra and 1 essentia for two extra feats, a slightly better Will save, and a nicer list of class skills.

Possibly saving 3 feats, depending on if he'd have wanted superior unarmed strike for higher dice on his unarmed strikes. Might be a way to get improved grapple and improved trip, too, with monk fighting styles and 2 levels of Monk.

[Snowbluff]

I'll look into it.


I will probably get to choose one magic item, but that's about it... the items are scarce and random in Dragonlance.

Whoa. Did not expect that. no items, huh? Monks not a bad idea. I was going to Suggest Sun School so you can blink with blink shirt to attack lol. Decisive Strike might be better though. Invisible fist from second level is good too.

I suggest VoP. If you can't get those bonuses otherwise, it'll do the most for your character. Pick up touch of golden ice.



That definitely won't fly... they are humans though. Humanoid (human). :p





Edit:
Okay. A little lost here. If I bind a soulmeld to my arms and totem, does it consume two binds? 4 binds make the build really tight. I updated my feats.
I think that's just one.

[LoyalPaladin]

no items, huh? Monks not a bad idea. I was going to Suggest Sun School so you can blink with blink shirt to attack lol. Decisive Strike might be better though. Invisible fist from second level is good too.
There are items, they're just really rare. I had like... 3... by the end of Dragonlance last time.


I suggest VoP. If you can't get those bonuses otherwise, it'll do the most for your character. Pick up touch of golden ice.
Is this another rare case where VoP is actually good?


I think that's just one.
Ahhh.

[torrasque666]

Ahhh.
You have to get to Totemist 11 before you can bind something to both your Totem and another Chakra though.

[Snowbluff]

VoP is good for Druids, when you have no items, and sometimes for incarnum users. You're two of those. :p

[LoyalPaladin]

You have to get to Totemist 11 before you can bind something to both your Totem and another Chakra though.
Right. So at level 11, I can bind something to my arms and totem, but it only consumes one bind? If it consumes two, I'm rethinking Double Chakra...


VoP is good for Druids, when you have no items, and sometimes for incarnum users. You're two of those. :p
Last time I played DragonLance I was the ranger and I had Moonglory. Coolest bow... But this time I'm going Natural Attack and grappling. I'll start at ECL 5 or 6, so I need to write a guide for myself. "Okay, LP. At 6th level you'll unbind X and bind X instead."

[Troacctid]

Edit:
Okay. A little lost here. If I bind a soulmeld to my arms and totem, does it consume two binds? 4 binds make the build really tight. I updated my feats.

It's one soulmeld, but two chakra binds. 4 binds is the number of chakra binds you can have, not the number of soulmelds you can have bound to chakras.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Totemist is one of the very few character classes that can pull off Vow of Poverty, along with psion, druid, and incarnate (along with very, very few others).

Do you have to be single-classed, or is that just a desire for this character? Because I find that base class meldshapers (incarnate and totemist, as that's all there is, and no, I have no idea what you're talking about; soulwhat?) work best as 1-2 level dips to enhance other classes, as focusing on meldshaping is supremely feat-intensive, to the point where you just can't get all the feats you'll want on one character.

If you can get yourself a psychoactive skin of proteus as your one "magic" item, along with other magic items that you make yourself (such as through the Ancestral Relic feat), then don't bother with VoP. Otherwise, you'll probably want VoP. (Yes, the skin is Just That Good™.)

[Snowbluff]

Right. So at level 11, I can bind something to my arms and totem, but it only consumes one bind? If it consumes two, I'm rethinking Double Chakra...


Last time I played DragonLance I was the ranger and I had Moonglory. Coolest bow... But this time I'm going Natural Attack and grappling. I'll start at ECL 5 or 6, so I need to write a guide for myself. "Okay, LP. At 6th level you'll unbind X and bind X instead."

Check your progression against the possible constitution gains from VoP. That's a good benefit, being able to determine exactly how many you can shape and bind ahead of time.

[LoyalPaladin]

It's one soulmeld, but two chakra binds. 4 binds is the number of chakra binds you can have, not the number of soulmelds you can have bound to chakras.
Hmm... so taking the "Double Bind" feat is both a feat tax and bind tax. Yikes. That hurts.


Do you have to be single-classed, or is that just a desire for this character? Because I find that base class meldshapers (incarnate and totemist, as that's all there is, and no, I have no idea what you're talking about; soulwhat?) work best as 1-2 level dips to enhance other classes, as focusing on meldshaping is supremely feat-intensive, to the point where you just can't get all the feats you'll want on one character.
I'll be the survivalist. So keeping with a class that gives me survival, spot, knowledge (nature), listen, etc is good. But I'd really like to be good at combat and tanky as well. I like the Totemist's ability to be tossed in jail, beaten, stripped of belongings (if he had any) and then promptly grappling the guard, beating him to death, and walking out of the jail.


If you can get yourself a psychoactive skin of proteus as your one "magic" item, along with other magic items that you make yourself (such as through the Ancestral Relic feat), then don't bother with VoP. Otherwise, you'll probably want VoP. (Yes, the skin is Just That Good™.)
I can guarantee that I won't get that skin. Psionics are a "no no" at this table. Hahaha.


Check your progression against the possible constitution gains from VoP. That's a good benefit, being able to determine exactly how many you can shape and bind ahead of time.
The benefits of VoP are just enough to even out my numbers. Nothing to write home about.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

How about VoP factotum 3/monk 1 or 2/totemist 2/incarnate 1 or 2/factotum the rest of the way? Focus on Int, Con, and Wis, in that order. Plenty of skills to choose from, with lots and LOTS of skill boosters to add to them. Of course, you won't be able to deal with traps or locked doors due to VoP, but that doesn't need to be a factotum's focus.