The Incarnum Warlock, The Tormentor of Souls

[Sravoff]

I've got a race of fiendish gnolls who use the warlock class, but with avariation. The manipulate the souls of the dead/living/ and unborn to work their magic.

They were origanally taught by their lich Incarnate/Necrocarnate. He learned to manipulate souls and became an incarnate, and he taught his brethren how to use it to use the warlock class. He guarded his incarnate secrets viciously, and was the only incarnate in the world. I'm using the Magic of Incarnum book, but all use of souls is through necrocarnum. Thus, it is evil and not available for PC's. I'm still trying to figure out how to let the lich craft his phylactery with his meldshaping levels, but I'll prolly just gloss that over.

The lich has been removed from the game world for now, but the gnolls are coming back. With the hopes of bring back their leader. I've already deemed their abilities look like tormented souls, as fluff. They sling screaming souls around with Eldritch blast, they are borne aloft by screaming souls in the shape of wings, ect...

However, would any one suggest any mechanical changes to make them more soul orinted?

I'm also looking to build them a prestige class, based around using the dead to augment their powers.

I so far haven't been able to think of any additional powers want these guys, so I'm going to leave them as Warlocks for now, with the altered fluff. thanks for the input!

Thanks!
-Sravoff

 

[Storyteller01]

Can't say as I can. I'm not too familiar with the warlock abilities. Like the story though...

 

[Pyrex]

I wouldn't go so far as to create a whole PrC from them, but you could certainly create a few new Invocations (possibly using soulmelds and/or vile spells from BoVD as inspiration)

 

[Sravoff]

Thats a good idea Pyrex, thanks!

Thanks Storyteller01 XD

 

[Nifft]

From what I've seen, they're an excellent match.

But I really need to read up on Incarnum before I can comment on specifics...

-- N

 

[Wavestone]

Funny, I had a similar thought recently.. (re incarnum/warlock PrC) It never got anywhere, but I can mention the bare bones of my idea.. Dont have my books with me, so bear that in mind.. might not be 100% correct.

basically, theurge-like granting increases in invocations/eldritch blast + soulmelds/essentia per each class level

Prerequisites: something on the order of eldritch blast 2d6, crown/hands/feet chakra bind? Aiming for a target of Warlock3/Meldshaper3.

HD 1d6, Saves: Good Fort, Will; Poor Reflex

2 skillpoints per level. skills: some amalgam of the warlock/incarnate list?

class abilities:

*perhaps a chakra bind or two over the levels. Fewer than you'd get as a full incarnate, for instance.

* "Essentia Blast" : You can spend an essentia to boost your eldritch blast damage by 1d6. This essentia is locked away for the day, until next morning - like most incarnum feats.

* "Eldritch Meld augmentation" : You can channel one of your blast essence invocations (sickening blast and that ilk) through a weapon-like soulmeld (incarnate weapon, girallon claws, and the like - anything that is an attack). The essence invocation takes effect and modifies the meld attack - adding conditions to the target, changing the entire damage to fire/cold in case of hellrime/brimstone blast, etc. You can only use this ability a certain number of times per day! (Ideas: cha mod times/day, or class level/2 times/day.)


I like for combo classes to have ablilities that play off the class abilities of the base classes in question, in both directions. Here we can boost EBlast with essentia, and a soulmeld with an invocation.

this is just a thought.. you're welcome to comment/run ahead with the idea!


edit- added HD/saves/skills

 

[D.Shaffer]

Bah. Dont have my Incarnum book on hand, but dont forget the Incarnum based Warlock invocations when looking at play balance. Having them be a prerequisite might not be a bad idea either.

 

[Sravoff]

Wavestone, that class looks liek ti would be awesome, but the gnolls don't shape soulmelds. They use incarnum for their warlock abilities, so it wouldn't really allow meldshaping. I was thinking something along the lines of a small incarnum pool, that could be pumped into warlock abilities. Though, I have yet to come up with anything. So its looking liek they'll stay your basic soul tormenting warlocks for now.

Though I did give the gnolls some were dog goblins, so I was thinking about building off of that. Make the goblins like animal companions or something... hhm...