Incarnum and Wildshape/Shapeshifting druids Question

[Wrathamon]

How does incarnum work with the druid's Wildshape or PHBII alternative shapeshift ability?

I have levels of totemist and I have no idea if my melds work or not when in predator form?

any incarnum experts out there?

thx

 

[Sithobi1]

Why wouldn't they work? You still have arms, do you not?

 

[Wrathamon]

because magic items meld into your new form and become useless... and the descriptions of soulmelds/chakra binds are magic item-like.

My DM said they would meld into my new form and become useless based on the new wildshape errata and how shapeshifting is described in PHBII.

Of course if he wishes to rule this way I will be fine with it one way or another but I was curious what others thought.

 

[IanB]

The new shapeshifting variant does seem to be written specifically to prevent all magic items from working in the various alternate forms. If soulmelds/chakra are essentially filling the role of magic items, I would say they should probably be treated as magic items for this purpose.

 

[Wrathamon]

anyone else want to chime in?

 

[Elemental]

My instinct would be to say that soulmelds and essentia work normally, but the functions of any chakra binds are suppressed while shapeshifting. They only emulate a magic item when bound, so that feature gets suppressed while in a state that forbids magic items.

 

[Wrathamon]

interesting take... that was my first thought when I read it and concidered the combination.

I wonder what Wotc CSR or the Sage would say.

Anyone have the email addy handy?

 

[NilesB]

They work fine unless maybe you take a form that doesn't have the magic item slot they are associated with, then I don't know. Most animals and elementals have the same magic item slots as humanoids.

 

[Sithobi1]

Since you can remove an item, Wildshape, then put it back on at full effect, I'd say there's no problem at all.

 

[RigaMortus2]

Since you can remove an item, Wildshape, then put it back on at full effect, I'd say there's no problem at all.

Except you can't "remove" a soulmeld in the same way you can remove an actual (material) item.