incarnum multiclassing problem

[Mage keeper]

I have : if my character is a incarnate 17/ totemist3 how this is going to affect mi meldshaping?
I know that the two classes stack only for the size of the essentia pool, but if I use a soulmeld like threefold mask of the chimera that both the classes has can i bound the soulmeld to the totem chakra but with the essentia invested as a 17 level incarnate?

[Fouredged Sword]

Ok, meldshaping is weird because there is a lot to track and they all depend of different things. Here is a breakdown to the best of my ability.

Meld list - You have one list of known melds you share across all classes. If you have a meld known granted by a class it can be used in any shaped slot granted by any class.

Shaped melds cap - This is additive between the two classes. Simply sum the two values and make a single pool

Bind cap - Same as shaped cap.

Maximum Essence Invested - This actually has nothing to do with your class level. This is purely determined by your CHARACTER LEVEL, IE your HD. There are some class features and feats that allow you to expand this and those should be read carefully to determine. Expanded Soulmeld Capacity (Ex) is an untyped bonus to maximum essence invested and applies to all soulmelds regardless of class. The totem bind class feature is also an untyped bonus. They stack for a total of +3 at incarnate 15 / totemist 2.

If you are an incarnate 17/ totemist 3

You can shape any soul meld from ether the incarnate or totemist meld list into any meld slot accessible to you and bind them to any bind you have unlocked in ether class. You may shape a bind melds to the sum total of the values granted by your classes. All your soulmelds get +2 to maximum essence due to the Incarnate Expanded Soulmeld Capacity class feature. Any meld bound to your totem get an additional +1 to it's capacity. Your base maximum essence (before the bonuses) is that of a 20th HD character (assuming not other class levels or RHD).

Hope this helps

[Rijan_Sai]

I hate to say it, but this is almost entirely incorrect... :smallfrown:


Ok, meldshaping is weird because there is a lot to track and they all depend of different things. Here is a breakdown to the best of my ability.

Meld list - You have one list of known melds you share across all classes. If you have a meld known granted by a class it can be used in any shaped slot granted by any class.
Alright, here we go...
First, you have access to the entire list of soulmelds available to a given class at that class's first level! Incarnate 1 can use any meld on the Incarnate list, and Totemist 1 can use any meld on the Totemist list. But only melds from their own lists. So far, easy enough!


Shaped melds cap - This is additive between the two classes. Simply sum the two values and make a single pool.

Bind cap - Same as shaped cap.
Here's where things get tricky...
Each class tracks their own melds separately. In the example character, you could shape/bind Incarnate melds as a 17th level Incarnate, but only a 3rd level Totemist.
In other words, you could shape up to 8 melds on the Incarnate list, and could bind up to 4 of them to any chakra up to heart. Meanwhile, your Totemist levels would allow for up to 3 more melds from the Totemist list, but you could only bind one of those to the totem chakra.


Maximum Essence Invested - This actually has nothing to do with your class level. This is purely determined by your CHARACTER LEVEL, IE your HD. There are some class features and feats that allow you to expand this and those should be read carefully to determine. Expanded Soulmeld Capacity (Ex) is an untyped bonus to maximum essence invested and applies to all soulmelds regardless of class. The totem bind class feature is also an untyped bonus. They stack for a total of +3 at incarnate 15 / totemist 2.
This part is, IIRC completely correct, except that the Expanded soulmeld capacity +1/2 and Totem chakra bind (+1 capacity) only applies to each class individually. So all of your Incarnate melds have a +2 capacity, while the one bound to the totem chakra has a +1 capacity.


If you are an incarnate 17/ totemist 3

You can shape any soul meld from ether the incarnate or totemist meld list into any meld slot accessible to you and bind them to any bind you have unlocked in ether class. You may shape a bind melds to the sum total of the values granted by your classes. All your soulmelds get +2 to maximum essence due to the Incarnate Expanded Soulmeld Capacity class feature. Any meld bound to your totem get an additional +1 to it's capacity. Your base maximum essence (before the bonuses) is that of a 20th HD character (assuming not other class levels or RHD).

Hope this helps

Honestly, if incarnum classes played this nicely together, I'm fairly sure you would see it suggested much more often, even despite the editing problems with the book!

Edit: Oh! And to answer your specific question about Threefold Mask of the Chimera, well, that one is Totemis only, so let's go with Lammasu Mantle, the only one in the book that is Incarnate, Totemist: again, you would have to decide if you had is shaped as an Incarnate or a Totemist. That would also tell you whether you could bind it to your arms or shoulders (Incarnate) or your totem (Totemist). Either way, it would have a base essential capacity of 4 for 20HD, with the possibility of an extra 1 (totem bind) or 2 (Incarnate shaped/bound).

Basically, think of the way you track melds per class in much the same way you would spells for a multi-class Wizard/Sorcerer. It's a little easier that way...

[MisterKaws]

I'll just leave this here:


Multiclass Meldshapers
Even if you have levels in more than one meldshaping class, you have a single essentia pool consisting of all the essentia you have acquired from your class levels and other sources. Your meldshaping abilities remain completely separate. Though your character level determines your soulmeld capacity (see Table 2–1: Essentia Capacity, above), class abilities that improve your soulmeld capacity apply only to soulmelds you shape from that class’s soulmeld list. Similarly, your chakra binds are limited by class—if your incarnate levels allow you to bind soulmelds to your crown chakra but your totemist levels allow you to bind soulmelds only to your totem chakra, you cannot bind totemist soulmelds to your crown chakra.
For example, if you are a 6th-level incarnate/6th-level totemist, you have a total essentia pool of 10 (6 from your incarnate levels and 4 from your totemist levels). You can shape four incarnate soulmelds and four totemist soulmelds, assuming you have at least an 18 Constitution. You can bind two of your incarnate soulmelds to crown, feet, or hands chakras. You can bind two of your totemist soulmelds to your totem, crown, feet, or hands chakras. You cannot bind two soulmelds to the same chakra. You can freely distribute your 10 points of essentia among your eight total soulmelds.
As a 12th-level character, your base soulmeld capacity is 3 points of essentia. Your incarnate soulmelds have a capacity of 4 points, and any totemist soulmeld you bind to your totem chakra also has a capacity of 4 points.