[3.5, Incarnum] Totemist of the city (WIP)

[Flickerdart]

Politan

Totemists command the essence of the savage beasts and supernatural creatures, but their abilities are just as raw and uncouth. Those who keep an open mind understand that the civilized races possess their own kind of power. They choose the path of the Politan, and bring the resourcefulness and persistence of civilization to bear against its enemies.

A politan takes levels as normal for a totemist, except for the following changes:

Meldshaping: A politan shapes melds from a different list than a totemist (see below).
Hit die: d6
Weapon and armour proficiencies: Politans gain proficiency with light and medium armour, and simple and martial weapons.
Saves: A politan has good Will and Reflex saves, and a poor Fortitude save.
Skill Points: 6+INT (x4 at first level)
Skills: Remove the following skills from the totemist class skill list: Handle Animal, Knowledge (nature), Survival. Add the following skills to the list: Gather Information, Sense Motive, Knowledge (local), Diplomacy, Bluff, Disguise, Tumble, Speak Language.
Literate: Politans do not suffer from illiteracy.
Polyglot: A politan can speak the language of any race whose meld he has shaped. If the meld is bound to a chakra, he can read and write in that language as well. This ability replaces wild empathy and is gained at 1st level.
Favored Enemy: As the ranger ability of the same name, except the politan may only choose from the list of humanoids. This ability is gained at level 3, and every five levels thereafter (8th, 13th, 18th), and replaces totem's protection.
Special: The politan can take the Favored Environment class feature variant, but he must choose one of the following environments: Underground, Settlement (Small), Settlement (Medium), Settlement (Large), Plains, Hills. Small settlements are thorp, hamlet and village. Medium settlements are small town, large town and small city, and large settlements are large city and metropolis.
Totem chakra bind(+1 to DC): This is gained at 6th level and replaces totem chakra bind (+1 to meldshaper level).

Politan Soulmelds

Crown
Aasimar Crown: Gain darkvision
Kobold Scales: +2 natural armor

Feet
Goblin Greaves: +4 on Ride and Move Silently

Hands
Dwarven Belt: +2 on saves vs spells and poison
Kobold Scales: +2 natural armor

Arms
Gnomish Cloak: +2 to feints and saves against illusions

Brow
Elfin Goggles: +4 to Spot and Listen
Tiefling Horns: +4 to Hide and Bluff

Shoulders
Gnomish Cloak: +2 to feints and saves against illusions

Throat
Halfling Luck Charm: +1 on surprise attacks

Waist
Dwarven Belt: +2 on saves vs spells and poison
Goblin Greaves: +4 to Ride and Move Silently
Tiefling Horns: +4 to Hide and Bluff

Heart
Halfling Luck Charm: +1 to attack and damage on surprise attacks


Aasimar Crown

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Descriptors: Good, Light
Chakra: Crown (totem)

Your eyes turn a brilliant golden hue and your hair loses some of its colour, taking on the shape and hue reminiscent of a lavish crown of sliver.

Your aasimar crown grants you darkvision to 30 feet.
Essentia: For each point of essentia invested in the soulmeld, you gain an additional 30 feet of darkvision.

Chakra Bind (Crown)
Your aasimar crown settles on your head and becomes tangible, and your face takes on compassionate but stern features.

You gain resistance 5 to either acid, cold or electricity (choose which when you bind the soulmeld). This resistance increases by 2 for every point of essentia invested in the soulmeld.

Chakra Bind (Totem)
Your eyes shine with a supernatural brilliance that banishes the darkness.

As a swift action, you can bathe your surroundings in brilliant light until the end of your next turn. Your eyes shed bright light in a 30ft radius plus 10 feet per invested essentia, and dim light for 30 feet beyond that. Evil creatures within this range must make a Fortitude save or be dazzled for the duration of the effect. This light counts as natural for all purposes.

Changeling Skin

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Descriptors: None
Chakra: Crown or brow (totem)

Dwarf Belt

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Descriptors: None
Chakra: Waist or hands (totem)

A wide and heavy belt of incarnum surrounds your waist and your face grows a thick beard.

Your dwarf belt grants you a +2 bonus on saves against magical effects and poison.
Essentia: Your save bonus increases by +1 for every point of essentia invested in this soulmeld.

Chakra Bind (Hands)
A masterwork dwarven urgosh or waraxe (your choice) forged of pure incarnum appears in your hand. You are proficient in its use. You gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls against orcs and goblinoids for every point of essentia invested in this soulmeld.

Chakra Bind (Waist)
A dancing heavy shield made of incarnum hovers beside you. You are proficient in its use. The shield grants an additional +4 dodge bonus against giants. The shield gains a +1 enhancement bonus for every point of essentia invested in this soulmeld.
You gain a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist a trip or bull rush attempt, but only if you are standing on solid ground.

Chakra Bind (Totem)
Your beard becomes pitch black in colour, your skin darkens and your body becomes stockier and thicker.
You become immune to poisons and paralysis. You gain the ability grow one size category as a swift action. This effect lasts until the end of your next turn. While you are enlarged, you cannot move from your square. Enemies you deal damage to on attacks of opportunity must make a reflex save (DC equal to 5+the damage dealt) or be required to end their move.

Elfin Goggles

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Descriptors: None
Chakra: Brow (totem)

Your ears extend and become pointed, and your eyes become paler. You feel a sense of smugness.
Your elfin goggles grant you a +4 bonus on listen and spot checks.
Essentia: Your bonus on listen and spot checks increases by +2 for every point of essentia invested into this soulmeld.

Chakra Bind (Brow)
You gain low-light vision and a +4 bonus to search checks, which increases by 2 for every point of essentia invested into this soulmeld. You are entitled to all search checks as if you were actively looking for the object in question. Additionally, your attacks made with a bow, rapier or longsword deal extra damage equal to your Dexterity modifier or the amount of essentia invested into this soulmeld, whichever is lower.

Chakra Bind (Totem)
Your movements become graceful and nimble, and your features become gaunt and pale. Your eyes become a deep blue colour.
You gain spell resistance (11+4 for every point of essentia invested into this soulmeld). You gain an immunity to sleep and a +2 bonus to saves against enchantment spells and effects, which increases by 1 for every point of essentia invested into this soulmeld.

Gnomish Cloak

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Descriptors: None
Chakra: Shoulders or arms (totem)

A small cloak of incarnum hangs from your shoulders.
Your gnomish cloak provides a +2 bonus on feint checks and a +2 bonus on saving throws against illusions.
Essentia: The feint bonus increases by +2 for every point of essentia invested into this soulmeld. The save bonus increases by +1 for every point of essentia invested into this soulmeld.

Chakra Bind (Arms)
Your cloak becomes light and flowing, and clings to your arm.

You gain a +1 shield bonus to AC, +1 per essentia invested in this soulmeld, and can make disarm attacks with your gnomish cloak. You gain a bonus on the disarm check equal to 4+twice the essentia invested in this soulmeld.

Chakra Bind (Totem)
Your cloak fuses into your body as your eyes widen, your ears become more prominent, and magnificent facial hair appears on your rounded face.

Alchemical items you use that deal damage to targets deal an extra 1d6 points of damage, +1d6 per point of essentia invested in this soulmeld. Splash damage is unaffected.

Chakra Bind (Shoulders)
Your cloak lengthens and drapes around your body, making it difficult to pin down.

You benefit from a continuous nondetection effect, with a caster level equal to your meldshaper level.

Goblin Greaves

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Descriptors: None
Chakra: Feet or waist (totem)

The skin under your boots becomes rust-coloured and clammy, your legs bend, and your eyes turn a shade of red.
Your goblin greaves provide a +4 bonus on Ride and Move Silently checks.
Essentia: The skill bonuses increase by +2 for every point of essentia invested into this soulmeld.

Chakra Bind (Feet)
Your feet become thick, rough and heavy, easily latching onto the body of a mount.

The Ride penalty for riding an unsuitable creature no longer applies to you.

Chakra Bind (Waist)
The discoloration in your feet creeps upwards, and your weight seems to disappear.

You are now able to use a creature of your size as a mount. The creature must be able to support your weight as a light load in order to be ridden.

Chakra Bind (Totem)
Your entire body takes on a rusty hue, and you start to feel very small.

When using the Ride skill to cover, you may make attacks as normal. If you choose not to make any attacks in a round (including attacks of opportunity), you gain total cover for that round instead.

Halfling Luck Charm

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Descriptors: None
Chakra: Throat or heart (totem)

A small charm of blue incarnum forms around your neck.
You gain a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls as long as no other enemy has acted in the combat.
Essentia: The bonuses to attack and damage increase by +1 for every point of essentia invested into this soulmeld.

Chakra Bind (Heart)
Your charm sinks underneath your clothing, taking the light around you with it.

You gain Hide in Plain Sight, as the Shadowdancer ability of the same name.

Chakra Bind (Totem)
Your charm loses its glow and seems to lose itself in the folds of your clothing, but your eyes take on its blue glow.

Once per round, you may substitute a Tumble check for your AC against an opponent that is larger than you. You cannot use this ability if you are denied your Dexterity bonus to AC against the attacker.

Chakra Bind (Throat)
Your charm hangs loose on your neck, making you feel smaller and your enemies large and clumsy.

You gain the benefit of a constant freedom of movement effect.

Human Vestments

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Descriptors: None
Chakra: Shoulders or heart (totem)

Kobold Scales

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Descriptors: None
Chakra: Crown and hands (totem)

Your skin becomes dry and hardens, and a pattern like the scales of a lizard emerges on it. Your fingernails and teeth become sharper and curve.
Your kobold scales grant you a +2 bonus to your natural armour.
Essentia: The natural armour bonus increases by +1 for every point of essentia invested into this soulmeld.

Chakra Bind (Crown)
Your scales become more prominent, protruding as an elongated snout. When you speak, you tend to yip slightly.

You gain the Trapfinding ability and a bonus to Disable Device checks equal to the amount of essentia invested into this soulmeld.

Chakra Bind (Hands)
The skin on your hands becomes rough, allowing you to better grip held objects.

If you are wielding a one-handed weapon made for a size category one smaller than your own, treat it as a light weapon. If you are wielding a two-handed weapon made for a size category one smaller than your own, treat it as a one-handed weapon.

Chakra Bind (Totem)
Your body seems to grow smaller as your posture stoops.

You gain the slight build ability. You are treated as one size smaller whenever doing so would be advantageous to you.

Merfolk Tail

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Descriptors: None
Chakra: Feet or waist (totem)

Mongrelfolk's Maw

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Descriptors: None
Chakra: Crown (totem)

Tiefling Horns

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Descriptors: Darkness
Chakra: Brow and waist (totem)

The skin on your face turns reddish as if burnt by the sun and your eyes glow like hot coals. Two subtle bumps crop up on your forehead.
Your tiefling horns provide you with a +4 bonus to Hide and Bluff.
Essentia: The skill bonuses improve by +2 for every point of essentia invested into this soulmeld.

Chakra Bind (Brow)
Your bumps mature into two wicked sharp horns, thin and slightly curved like a gazelle's.

You gain a gore attack as a primary natural attack. This attack deals 1d4 points of piercing damage plus your Strength bonus. This attack's critical range is 19-20 when used on a charge.

Chakra Bind (Waist)
A sinister tail, like that of a rat, unfurls from your belt. It flicks angrily from side to side.

You gain a prehensile tail that can hold a light weapon or manipulate objects. If the tail is holding a weapon, you can make a single attack with it on a full attack, and this attack does not benefit from your Strength bonus or penalty.

Chakra Bind (Totem)
Your eyes glow even brighter, and a thin cloud of black smog follows your movements.

As a swift action, you can designate one adjacent square, plus one more square per point of essentia invested into this soulmeld. These squares are filled with a dark fog that acts as the darkness spell, except you ignore the concealment it grants when you attack an enemy. This effect lasts until the end of your next turn.

Visage of the Orc

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Descriptors: None
Chakra: Feet or waist (totem)

[zagan]

That seem like an awesome variant, great idea I'll be following this.
The only problem I can see is that you gain the favored enemy class feature 4 times, while it replace totem protection which is gained only once.
i'm eagerly awaiting the soulmeld detail, it sound very promising. Any plan for more ? (the four genasi, elan, Illuminian and raptoran could be interesting. the eberon race could be nice too. A few LA 1 race could be great also like the half-giant and other psionic race)
Also one or two of the original totemist soulmeld could still work, like the Riding Bracers perhaps the Hunter circlet and beast tamer circlet too.

[Flickerdart]

The Politan has less combat capability than the Totemist - few races it can mimic have natural attacks. Favored Enemy is intended to help with that somewhat.

You probably won't see any of the half-races, but Elan is definitely on the menu. I'll do a Warforged one as well at some point, but right now these are the priority races.

[IcarusWings]

And here I was, clicking on the thread hoping for a totemist who could shape a skyscraper with automated turrets around himself...

This is still pretty cool though

[Veyr]

I really like this.