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Skjaldbakka
2007-07-12, 03:22 PM
Campaign specific notes first: this is an Incarnate sub-class for a modern fantasy game set in Tokyo that I will be running this fall (I may even run an online side-game of it, but not until after I finish my current games).

The Incarnum Researcher

As Incarnate, with the following changes:

Alignment: True Nuetral
A scientist must be objective. If an incarnum researcher becomes any alignment other than nuetral, he loses access to any soulmelds he has gained through Incarnum Research (see below). If an Incarnum researcher becomes any alignment compatible with the Incarnate base class, he reverts to that base-class.

An Incarnum Researcher loses access to all alignment based class features of the incarnate, including the ability to shape soulmelds with any alignment descriptor. He instead gains the incarnum research ability.

Incarnum Research:
At 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level, an Incarnum Researcher may choose a soulmeld from the totemist or soulborn class list, and add it to his list of available soulmelds. In order to do so, he must have had access to either a specimen of the creature the soulmeld is based on, or a meldshaper with that soulmeld for (30 minus intelligence score) days (minimum 8 hours).


Is the incarnum research ability to strong? to weak? to often? not often enough?

carmanut
2007-07-19, 11:50 PM
First of all, is it a d20 Modern game, or just a modern-themed D&D game? That clears up the whole 20 lvl class thing for me.

Second, (and this is linked to the first) how common are the monsters for the whole learning Totemist abilities? The class could be underpowered if monsters are rare as hell...I mean how often do you go out and find a Tarrasque to learn Dread Carapace from? And it's not even a crazy powerful soulmeld since they're all supposed to be accessible from 1st lvl.

I assume from your wording ("As Incarnate...") that abilities like "Expanded soulmeld capacity", "Rapid Meldshaping" and such are progressed as normal. "Incarnum Radiance" is out. The class loses access to all soulmelds with alignment descriptors, which comes to 15 (I wasn't sure how Soulspark Familiars work with that, so I counted em). Not too painful.

I'd say it works well based on my assumptions (Modern themed D&D game with an Incarnate variant, much like those presented in PHBII, Dragon Magic, etc). If it's a class for a d20 Modern game, you and I need to have a serious talk :P

Have a good game with him.