I once wrote a pseudo-incarnum class for 5e, the Seeker of Forms. Pseudo, because it mainly takes thematic inspiration and much less mechanical inspiration (as I find incarnum way to minutia-bound to run well in 5e, as a matter of personal taste). But I never get to play-test those things, so it has languished for years.

But my players are likely to encounter the ability to take an off-schedule feat/ASI (as a quest boon) and I'd like to partially play-test some of the pieces. Or at least make them an option. So I figured I'd make a feat that gives you access to a couple Aetheric Forms (what I'm calling the individual pieces) and a small pool of essence points. Basically Martial Adept, but for this class. But my sense of balance kinda sucks, especially at the higher end of optimization. So I'd like some feedback. Is it relatively balanced with other strong feats? Are the options themselves reasonably non-broken? Are any of them must-takes? Traps?
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Initiate of Forms (Feat)
Choose two of the following forms. You can anchor one of them when you finish a long or short rest. Only one form can be anchored at a time. You also gain a pool of essence points equal to half your proficiency, rounded up. Expended points are restored when you finish a long rest.

Aetheric Forms

Aetheric Carapace (Chest)
While this form is anchored to your chest, the maximum dexterity bonus of medium armor increases by 1.
Invested Essence (1 point): You cast shield without providing components.

Aegis Bracers (Hands)
While this form is anchored to your hands and you take the Attack action while wielding a shield you can use a bonus action to attack with the shield. The shield counts as a finesse bludgeoning weapon with a 1d4 weapon die. You are proficient with this weapon.
Invested Essence (variable points): When you hit with the bonus action shield attack granted by this form you can invest one point to shove the target without needing an action. For every extra point you invest beyond the first you can increase either the maximum size of the affected creature by one category (per point) or alternatively increase the distance they are shoved by 5 feet.

Angelic Wings (Shoulders)
While this form is anchored to your shoulders, you gain a flight speed of 20 feet but must end your turn on the ground or fall. You also glow, shedding bright light for 10 feet and dim light for another 10 feet beyond that.
Invested Essence (variable points): as a reaction when you are hit with a ranged weapon attack you can deflect the missile. Roll a d8 for each point invested and reduce the damage taken by the total rolled.

Blessed Circlet (Head)
While this form is anchored to your head, you are under the effect of protection from evil and good except that only fiends and undead are affected.
Invested Essence: As an action, choose one undead or fiendish creature you can see within 60 feet per point of essence invested. Affected creatures must make a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you for one minute. Each target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns (at disadvantage if it can see you), ending the effect on a success. If you spend at least 3 points, creatures of CR 1/4 or lower are destroyed on a failed save.

Cat's Paw Slippers (Feet)
While this form is anchored to your feet, climbing no longer costs extra movement.
Invested Essence (1 point): When you fail a saving throw or ability check that would result in being pushed or knocked prone, you can use your reaction to reroll the failed saving throw or check and use the second roll.

Cloak of Living Shadow (Shoulders)
While this form is anchored to your shoulders, opponent’s Wisdom (Perception) checks to see you are made at disadvantage.
Invested Essence (1 point): As a bonus action on your turn, you can invest one essence point to attempt to hide if you are not in bright light. You do not need to have cover.

Crackling Belt (Waist)
While this form is anchored to your waist, you gain resistance to lightning damage.
Invested Essence (variable points): When you hit with a weapon attack, you can spend up to your proficiency bonus in essence—each point spent deals 1d4 thunder damage to all creatures except you within 5 feet.

Doppleganger's Vestments (Chest)
While this form is anchored to your chest, you can cast disguise self at will without needing components.
Invested Essence (2 points): As an action, you can invest 2 essence points to cast alter self. This requires concentration.

Fell Mask (Head)
While this form is anchored to your head, you are under the effect of protection from evil and good except that only fey and celestials are affected.
Invested Essence: As an action, choose one fey or celestial creature you can see within 60 feet per point of essence invested. Affected creatures must make a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you for one minute. Each target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns (at disadvantage if it can see you), ending the effect on a success. If you spend at least 3 points, creatures of CR 1/4 or lower are destroyed on a failed save.

Infiltrator's Gloves (Hands)
While this form is anchored to your hands, you have proficiency in Thieves’ tools and Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks. If you already have proficiency in Thieves' tools, you can double your proficiency bonus when using them.
Invested Essence (1 point): As a bonus action, you can invest an essence point to gain advantage on a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) or Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools) check.

Lich-Skin Sash (Waist)
While this form is anchored to your waist, you have resistance to necrotic damage.
Invested Essence (1 point): As a reaction when you are hit by an attack by a creature within 5 feet of you, you can invest a point of essence to force them to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save they cower in fear until the beginning of their next turn. While cowering, they cannot take reactions or legendary actions, their speed is zero, and their current turn (if any) ends immediately.

Light-step Boots (Feet)
While this form is anchored to your feet you leave no tracks regardless of the terrain and have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
Invested Essence (1 point): On your turn you can invest one essence point to take either the dash or dodge action as a bonus action.

Mage-bane Tabard (Chest)
While this form is anchored to your chest you can add your proficiency bonus to any Wisdom or Constitution saving throw you make against a spell or magical effect. If you could already add your proficiency bonus, add twice your proficiency instead.
Invested Essence (3 points): You can spend 3 points to cast counterspell or dispel magic without needing material or somatic components.

Mask of Eyes (Head)
While this form is anchored to your head, you gain Darkvision out to 60 feet if you did not already have it. While under the effects of this form you can see normally even in magical darkness.
Invested Essence (1 or 3 points): As a bonus action you gain blind-sight (1 point invested) or true sight (3 points invested) for one minute. The range on this extra sense is 60 feet. This effect requires concentration.

Mercy's Touch (Hands)
While this form is anchored to your hands, you gain a pool of energy with which you can heal another creature. This pool has a maximum capacity of 5 times your level. To use the pool, touch another creature and use your action to restore health to them from your pool. You cannot heal yourself with this form. This pool is reset to its maximum after a long rest. Replacing this form with another does not reset the pool of healing.
Invested Essence (variable points): For each point of essence invested, the pool regains hit points equal to your level, up to its maximum.

Mind-barrier Helm (Head)
While this form is anchored to your head, you have advantage on any saving throw to resist effects that would allow another character to dictate your movement or actions against your will.
Invested Essence (1 point): As a reaction when a creature you can see within 60 feet makes a saving throw against a loss-of-control effect, you can invest an essence point to allow the creature to make the roll at advantage. Intent: loss-of-control effects are those that deny actions (such as stuns, incapacitation, etc) or those that give control of your character to someone else, even partially (ie charm and domination).(

Soul-forged Ammunition (Hands)
While this form is anchored to your hands you can ignore the loading and ammunition properties of any ranged weapon you wield.
Invested Essence (variable points): When you hit with a ranged weapon attack, you can invest essence points up to your proficiency bonus to cause the arrow or bolt to bounce to another target within range. Each essence point increases the number of targets affected by the attack by one. All attacks use the original attack roll. The damage decreases by half on each bounce.

Soul-steel Pauldrons (Shoulders)
While this form is anchored to your shoulders, you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage inflicted by non-magical weapons.
Invested Essence (1 point): When an enemy scores a critical hit against you, you can use your reaction and invest an essence point to force the enemy to reroll the attack roll and take the second result.

Whirlwind Gauntlets (Hands)
While this form is anchored to your hands, you can draw any number of light melee weapons as part of the action used to attack with them and can add your modifier to the damage dealt when using Two-weapon Fighting.
Invested Essence (variable points): When you hit with a melee weapon attack, you can invest a number of essence points up to half your proficiency bonus (rounded up). The first point of essence invested increases the damage dealt by the attack by 2d4 and every point thereafter increases the damage by an additional 1d4 (up to 4d4 with 3 points invested).

Winged Sandals (Feet)
While this form is anchored to your feet, your movement speed increases by 10 feet and you ignore difficult terrain.
Invested Essence (variable points): Your jump distance increases by 10 feet for every essence point you invest and this additional jump distance only consumes half as much movement as normal (1 foot of movement for every 2 feet jumped). This effect lasts until the beginning of your next turn.

Wolf’s-hide Cloak
While this form is anchored to your shoulders you can add double your proficiency bonus to any Wisdom (Survival) check made to track creatures or prevent being lost.
Invested Essence (variable points): Once per turn when you hit with an attack with a light, finesse, or ranged weapon and you either have an ally within 5 feet of the target or you have advantage on the attack, you can invest a number of points up to your proficiency bonus. For every point you spend, you deal an additional d6 of damage with that attack.

Wrap of Flame
While this form is anchored to your waist, you have resistance to fire damage.
Invested Essence (2 points): As an action, you cast flame shield (red). This requires concentration.