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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next 5e incarnum [PEACH]



Ixidor92
2017-08-17, 10:00 PM
So over a month ago, me and my brother ended up commenting on the idea of incarnum that was explored in 3.5 and how it could actually probably work in 5e if done properly. Fast forward to a month later and we're now here. Our end goal was to take the two most popular races from that book (skarn and rilkan) as well as the two most workable classes from that book (incarnate and totemist) and transfer them to 5e. The end results are below in google docs.

This is my first time posting homebrew online, so I'm looking for honest feedback on what looks fun, bland, overpowered, underpowered, or just not interesting.

Races of Incarnum: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0rM-296KupAWjhYTzRLZEV1U3M
Incarnate class: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0rM-296KupAeWt3ZUFVRUZidms
Brief overview of soulmelds: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0rM-296KupAR01pcnlWaFV2cWM
In depth soulmeld description: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0rM-296KupAWEpVRlUzcTA4N1U

If you don't want to read through all the material above (and I don't blame you) here's the cliff notes with regards to the additions, assuming you don't know anything about incarnum from 3.5:
-The skarn race: a race of beings who seek perfection of mind and body. They have additional combat options due to spines that grow along their arms and legs.
-The rilkan race: A race diametrically opposed to the skarn. Great at social skills and love living life to the fullest.
-Incarnate: a class that is designed with the idea of taking the energy of souls and shaping them into powerful equipment called "soulmelds" You have access to a number of soulmelds based on your level, and can shape a portion of them. You can change which soulmelds you have shaped during a short rest.
-Starting at 5th level, you gain access to a resource called "Essentia" which can be invested into a soulmeld to improve its power. You may use a bonus action to change what soulmelds have essentia invested in them.
-Each soulmeld takes up a "chakra" a particular location on the body, and each location usually has particular powers associated with it. The six locations are the hands, feet, crown (face and head), body (torso and waist), mantle (throat and shoulders), and the heart (more soul-oriented or equipment focused soulmelds). Two soulmelds cannot share the same chakra.
-Soulmelds grant many different benefits, similar to spells. For example, you could use the lightning gauntlets to add electricity damage to your melee attacks, wear the diadem of purelight upon your head to light the darkness and attack undead, or you could shapethe larcenist's gloves to make yourself better at pickpocketing.

If you have read the magic of inarnum book, here is a cliff-notes version of the changes that were made:
-Skarn now gain a bonus to intelligence while Rilkan gain a bonus to charisma in addition to their previous physical bonuses
-There is only a single incarnate class, with the two subclasses of Avatar and Totemist filling the roles of the old incarnate and totemist respectively
-There are only 6 chakras to hold soulmelds now: Crown, Mantle, body, hands, feet, and heart.
-Incarnates now do not gain essentia until level 5, and only get a very small pool of essentia. However, soulmelds can only have 1 essentia invested in them until 10th level, when they can have 2 essentia invested into them. A character can only have one soulmeld with 2 essentia in it until 16th level, and the power of soulmelds at that level is balanced according to this. It takes a bonus action to change invested essentia. Investing essentia into a soulmeld vastly improves its potential. So less essentia, but more effects from investing
-Binding a soulmeld to a chakra no longer gives an additional effect. In essence, when you shape a soulmeld you bind it to that chakra, so that another soulmeld cannot share it.
-Incarnates now have to choose what soulmelds they know from the full list. They do not have access to the entirety of soulmelds available to their class
-Soulmelds can now be reshaped during a short rest, rather than needing to wait until the next day
-Avatars (old incarnates) now choose an ideal upon choosing that path. The four ideals are honor, order, freedom, and power. These translate roughly to good, law, chaos, and evil, but you may choose any ideal regardless of your alignment
-Avatars gain an additional soulmeld to shape upon their heart chakra, emphasizing the use of things such as incarnum weapon
-Totemists no longer have a totem chakra. Instead, they gain physical benefits depending on what chakras have soulmelds shaped on them. As an example: if you have a soulmeld shaped on your hands chakra, you gain a pair of claws.
-Broad soulmeld changes: Soulmelds now have three distinct stages of power: base(no essentia), invested(1 essentia), and awakened(2 essentia). The base level ability usually gives an option for combat or proficiency in a skill. Some soulmelds are restricted by subclass, but about a dozen or so out of the 28 made are available to both. Soulmelds tend to give additional uses for skills, additional abilities, or more powerful versions of previous abilities when invested or awakened.

I would appreciate any feedback you guys can offer

Ixidor92
2017-08-18, 11:02 AM
EDIT: I have now added a cliff-notes version of changes for those interested. Also... my apologies as this was broken, there are now actual links to the google docs.