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Burley
2008-12-05, 02:31 PM
I just got Magic of Incarnum, and I really like it. I like the thought of having "magic items" instead of spells, and will probably look for a chance to play one someday.

Question, though: All classes get the ability to shape a soulmeld before they are able to bind it to a chakra. What is the point of a soulmeld if you can't bind it?
I read the part about the soulmeld being more powerful when you bind it, but, under the individual soulmelds, there isn't anything about bound-or-not power.

Show me what I'm missing. I do have the book on hand, for once.

Fax Celestis
2008-12-05, 02:37 PM
Okay, each soulmeld has a description: it says what it looks like and what it does while unbound. Then it'll say, underneath, "Chakra Bind (Hands)" or whatever. It does the basic effect plus the bound effect while bound.

Eldariel
2008-12-05, 02:38 PM
The normal Soulmeld abilities listed are what you get when you don't bind it to anything. Underneath, it's listed if it has special abilities when bound to other chakras.

EDIT: Faxdad.

Fax Celestis
2008-12-05, 02:44 PM
In fact, here's a better example, using a soulmeld from this article (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20060217a).


Charming Veil
Descriptor: None
Classes: Incarnate, soulborn
Chakra: Brow
Saving Throw: None

You create a wispy veil that sparkles in the slightest breeze, but seems to vanish in stillness. When you manifest a charm or compulsion power, tendrils of incarnum writhe and sparkle, enhancing the effects.

You can pull energy into your charm and compulsion powers, reinforcing the power with the power of incarnum. While worn, you gain a +1 insight bonus on the save DCs of your charm and compulsion powers and psi-like abilities.

Essentia: For every point of essentia you invest into your charming veil, you increase the save DC by +1.

Chakra Bind (Brow)

A dim silver glow emanates from your eyes. A brief flash, visible only to you, scans across your field of vision and periodically outlines creatures and objects while continually heightening your awareness.

When your charming veil is bound to your brow chakra, you can read thoughts as per the power once per round at will. You also gain an insight bonus on Sense Motive checks equal to the number of points of essentia invested in the veil to detect others under a charm or compulsion effect. You also gain this insight bonus on saving throws to resist charm and compulsion effects targeting you.

You get the underlined effect only when you have the meld shaped but not bound. You get the bolded effect and the underlined effect when it is bound to your brow chakra.

Darrin
2008-12-05, 02:52 PM
Question, though: All classes get the ability to shape a soulmeld before they are able to bind it to a chakra. What is the point of a soulmeld if you can't bind it?


All soulmelds have a basic ability that works regardless of whether you bind it or not.

For example, shaping Sphynx Claws gives you a +1 competence bonus on all strength checks, including skill checks based on strength, bull rush, etc.

You can invest essentia into the soulmeld (bound or unbound), usually to increase the benefit of the basic effect. For each essentia invested in Sphynx Claws, increase the strength bonus by +1.

If you bind the Sphynx Claws to your hands chakra, you get the Pounce ability with natural weapons. You still get any bonus from the basic effect, and sometimes the invested essentia also enhances the bound ability.

A lot of the basic soulmelds can be useful to non-Incarnate characters by taking the Shape Soulmeld feat. The most common is probably Strongheart Vest, which reduces ability damage by 1 point or more. A lot of Hellfire Warlock builds use this to ignore the -1 Con damage from using their Hellfire abilities (which by RAW is still legal, although I think the Sage recently poo-poo'd this loophole).

Taking two levels of Chameleon also gives you access to Shape Soulmeld for the day, which can be used to shape up to 10 soulmelds that last until they are unshaped or dispelled. I made a list of some of the more useful ones in the Haberdash thread:


1) Crown (hat): Threefold Mask of the Chimera. While shaped, you can't be flanked. The nice thing here is unlike Improved Uncanny Dodge, there's no exception for high-level rogues.

2) Feet (boots): Thunderstep Boots. If you charge and hit with an attack, adds 1d4 sonic damage (no save). For each point of essentia invested, add +1d4 damage. Best for charger builds, otherwise consider Airsept Sandals (fly 10' but must end movement on solid ground) or Acrobat Boots (+2 to balance, escape artist, jump, tumble).

3) Hands (gloves): Lucky Dice. As a swift action, add +1 luck bonus to: attack/damage, saves, or skill/attribute checks. A bit of an oddity here, but you also roll 2d6, and if it comes up 7, the +1 bonus applies to all three options.

4) Arms (bracers): Bloodwar Gauntlets. +1 morale bonus on attacks. If you can pump essentia into it, each point gives you +1 morale bonus on damage. Kinda nickle-and-dime stuff here, but some other options: Bluesteel Bracers (+2 Init), Girallon Arms (+2 grapple), or Mauling Gauntlets (+2 Str checks).

5) Brow (goggles): Mage's Spectacles. +4 insight bonus to decipher script, spellcraft, and... wait for it... wait for it... use magic device. If your factotum has them already maxed out, try Planar Chasuble for <energy> resistance 10, based on your alignment.

6) Shoulders (cloak): Adamant Poultrons. Light fortification, 25% chance to ignore crits. If you're going all-sneaky-type, Kruthik Claws, +4 competence bonus on hide and move silently.

7) Throat (necklace): Planar Ward. Blocks mental control effects, such as magic jar, enchantment (charm) or enchantment (compulsion). It's not quite as perfect as the various protection from <blank> spells, but useful. Another option would be the Necrocarnum Mantle, for immunity to disease.

8) Waist (belt): Strongheart Vest. You've probably heard about this one from a Hellfire Warlock build, but even without Hellfire Blast it's just darned useful. Reduces any ability damage you take by 1 point. If you don't want to go that completely cheesy: Flame Cincture (fire resist 10), Necrocarnum Vest (cold resist 5), or Wormtail Belt (+2 natural armor).

Now, the Heart and Soul chakras are normally only available to high-level Incarnates, which is the only class that can *bind* soulmelds to these two chakras. However, nothing in the book says you can't shape a soulmeld on those locations. So we can add:

9) Heart (vest): Blink Shirt. Teleport 10' (as dimension door) as a standard action. You can't take any other actions until your next turn (including immediate, I think), but a good "get out of grapple free" card. You can also pump up the range by investing essentia, +10' per point. If that doesn't impress you, you can put the Strongheart Vest here.

10) Soul (robe/armor): For such a rare chakra, most of the basic soulmelds are pretty "meh". For someone smacking around things with exotic weapons, I gues I'd recommend Incarnate Avatar. However, unlike most soulmelds, you *have* to invest essentia into it to get any basic ability, and the benefit depends on your alignment: Chaotic = +1 insight bonus on ranged attacks per essentia, Evil = +2 insight bonus on damage per essentia, Good = +1 insight bonus to AC per essentia, and Lawful = +1 insight bonus to attack per essentia. If you don't want to bother with essentia, then stick the Planar Chasuble here, or try the Necrocarnum Shroud: +1 profane bonus to attack/damage for 1 round whenever any creature adjacent to you takes damage.

Fax Celestis
2008-12-05, 02:54 PM
Also do note that the Open X Chakra feats, per the designers, are intended to allow nonmelding characters the ability to bind a soulmeld they've shaped through the Shape Soulmeld feat.

Burley
2008-12-05, 03:13 PM
Okay. I guess I just need to slow down when I read this book. I was starting to get giddy and think up cool character concepts... Bad Burley, Bad.

Any other tips I could use? Good (not broken, since I'm the DM) combinations? How do the three classes stack with each other?

Also, I'm doing a "weapons of legacy" knock-off sorta thing with my group, and one of my players has a non-weapon "weapon of legacy". I'm thinking about allowing certain soulmelds (and chakra binds?) if the player sacrifices a spell-known when she shapes the soulmeld. Any suggestions or cautions for this idea?

Blackfang108
2008-12-05, 03:39 PM
Any other tips I could use? Good (not broken, since I'm the DM) combinations? How do the three classes stack with each other?

Well, Incarnate and Soulborn don't, due to mutually exclusive alignment restrictions.

Incarnate: NG, LN, CN, NE
Soulborn: LG, CG, LE, CE

Soulborn is generally regarded to be the weakest class overall, while I believe Totemist is considered the strongest. (could be wrong, might be Incarnate.)

remember, you can only have one bind per slot, and I think the slot cannot contain a magic item.

Fax Celestis
2008-12-05, 03:42 PM
Also, I'm doing a "weapons of legacy" knock-off sorta thing with my group, and one of my players has a non-weapon "weapon of legacy". I'm thinking about allowing certain soulmelds (and chakra binds?) if the player sacrifices a spell-known when she shapes the soulmeld. Any suggestions or cautions for this idea?

Well, what you could do is look at the Incandescent Champion or the Soulblade (I think that's what it's called--it's the PrC in the back that lets you bind your weapon to chakras), and work from there, but towards a more casterly bent.

Blackfang108
2008-12-05, 04:44 PM
Well, what you could do is look at the Incandescent Champion or the Soulblade (I think that's what it's called--it's the PrC in the back that lets you bind your weapon to chakras), and work from there, but towards a more casterly bent.

"Incarnum Blade" is the name you're looking for, I think. I can't remember how IC works.

Methinks you've been playing too much Soulcalibur, Fax. /Kidding.

Yeah, it's a pretty nifty PrC, with fairly easy prereqs, and would probably fit what you're trying to do.