Incarnum interest level?

[MerricB]

I got my first view of play of the book on Friday in my Mark of Heroes campaign. A 4th level totemist is nasty: his attack was 2 claws +5 (1d6+2 plus 3d4 acid). HP 35, AC 18; Cleave; Power Attack.

Further investigation of the Incarnate shows how effective they can be.

Incarnate 1: Dissolving Spittle: +1 ranged touch (3d6 acid, 30 foot range)

LN Incarnate 20: BAB +10, but a +5 melee attack bonus (from Incarnum Radiance) and a +7 insight bonus (from Incarnate Avatar) gives them effective attack bonus of +22. They lose two iterative attacks, but gain bonus damage from Bluesteel Bracers (+7 insight). Lightning Gauntlets mean the first attack deals +8d6 electricity damage.

NG Incarnate 20: Dissolving Spittle is the attack of choice. By this stage it deals 8d6 acid (or 9d6 acid) plus the same again the next round. NG Incarnates also have massive AC.

CN Incarnate 20: BAB +10, but a +7 insight to ranged attack bonus from Incarnate Avatar. +8 insight to ranged attack damage from Sighting Gauntlets, and the effect of Precise Shot.

Mantle of Flame for all Incarnates: when struck by a melee weapon, the attacker takes fire damage. Probably in the range 1d6-3d6 (1st) to 8d6 (20th). Oh, and can inflict this damage to all adjacent creatures as a standard action.

Incarnates, depending on the melds they shape, can gain significant bonuses (up to +18 or +20 insight by level 20) in the following skills: Balance, Bluff, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Disable Device, Escape Artist, Gather Information, Handle Animal, Jump, Open Lock, Profession (sailor), Ride, Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Spellcraft, Spot, Swim, Tumble, Use Magic Device, Use Rope.

Totemist have fewer skill bonuses, and mostly of a competence type (which doesn't stack with most magic items): Bluff, Climb, Handle Animal, Heal, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Ride, Search, Spellcraft, Surivival, Swim.

Cheers!

 

[Wraith Form]

Does it seem like there is "Incarnum buzz" out there?

Yeah, it's a contact high, dude. I rolled the book up into a big fat doobie and whoa, good stuff!

Seriously though, meh.

 

[Dragonhelm]

Anyone know if there's any character sheets for Incarnum characters?

 

[MerricB]

Anyone know if there's any character sheets for Incarnum characters?

Apart from the ones in the book, we're waiting for them to be posted on the Wizards website.

CHeers!

 

[NiTessine]

After an initial reaction of "meh", my curiosity was piqued by something someone said in our chatroom. I can no longer remember who it was and what he said, but it inspired me to pick up the book.

I like it. It works. The fluff is a bit dull and I've never been too keen on new races, but the base classes are interesting, the mechanics work and there's a lot of meat there. Many things I can use.

I'm now planning to drop gnomish totemists on my players and closely watch their reactions. Playing with new stuff without their knowledge is fun. Listening to their theories about what the hell it was that just dissolved the elf and half a barbarian is even more fun.

I don't think they actually ever need to find out what the stuff is that their enemies are using. This just might work best with a veil of secrecy kept over the whole thing. It just forces me to type up a lot of stuff in my adventure notes so I don't need to bring the book to the table...

 

[JoeGKushner]

Thanks for these notes. Especially nice on the totemists. The acid bit is a nice touch and helps make up for the weak base damage.

At your upper builds, do you find magic items limited or effecting overall power level or do you assume the dual charka feat in play?

I got my first view of play of the book on Friday in my Mark of Heroes campaign. A 4th level totemist is nasty: his attack was 2 claws +5 (1d6+2 plus 3d4 acid). HP 35, AC 18; Cleave; Power Attack.

Further investigation of the Incarnate shows how effective they can be.

Incarnate 1: Dissolving Spittle: +1 ranged touch (3d6 acid, 30 foot range)

LN Incarnate 20: BAB +10, but a +5 melee attack bonus (from Incarnum Radiance) and a +7 insight bonus (from Incarnate Avatar) gives them effective attack bonus of +22. They lose two iterative attacks, but gain bonus damage from Bluesteel Bracers (+7 insight). Lightning Gauntlets mean the first attack deals +8d6 electricity damage.

NG Incarnate 20: Dissolving Spittle is the attack of choice. By this stage it deals 8d6 acid (or 9d6 acid) plus the same again the next round. NG Incarnates also have massive AC.

CN Incarnate 20: BAB +10, but a +7 insight to ranged attack bonus from Incarnate Avatar. +8 insight to ranged attack damage from Sighting Gauntlets, and the effect of Precise Shot.

Mantle of Flame for all Incarnates: when struck by a melee weapon, the attacker takes fire damage. Probably in the range 1d6-3d6 (1st) to 8d6 (20th). Oh, and can inflict this damage to all adjacent creatures as a standard action.

Incarnates, depending on the melds they shape, can gain significant bonuses (up to +18 or +20 insight by level 20) in the following skills: Balance, Bluff, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Disable Device, Escape Artist, Gather Information, Handle Animal, Jump, Open Lock, Profession (sailor), Ride, Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Spellcraft, Spot, Swim, Tumble, Use Magic Device, Use Rope.

Totemist have fewer skill bonuses, and mostly of a competence type (which doesn't stack with most magic items): Bluff, Climb, Handle Animal, Heal, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Ride, Search, Spellcraft, Surivival, Swim.

Cheers!

 

[Imruphel]

Incarnum and Weapons of Legacy were the first two WotC D&D core-ish books that I have not purchased since the days of 2E...!

 

[Jdvn1]

My concern is that it's too much.

Not that it's a big system or flash or anything (which I hear it's not), just that it's another system. I have magic and psionics already and was happy with the balance of it all--now another system? It seems like a bit much.

 

[MerricB]

Thanks for these notes. Especially nice on the totemists. The acid bit is a nice touch and helps make up for the weak base damage.

At your upper builds, do you find magic items limited or effecting overall power level or do you assume the dual charka feat in play?

In general, there's at least one dual chakra feat, a few expanded soulmeld feats, and a double chakra feat (for the LN melee build). For the most part, I haven't been creating "full" builds, rather seeing what the character can do.

One of my big peeves about 3.5e comes with the Incarnate: its two main attributes are Con and Wisdom. The enhancers for those are *both* in the throat/amulet slot. That's poor design. (I'm moving more towards allowing the Belt of Magnificence from the MHb in my games...) I'm also looking more to Jon Tweet's system.

Cheers!

 

[JoeGKushner]

When reading Magic of Eberron, the whole idea of a psiforged by taking a feat made me think that something similiar could be done for a warforged... a blue suffused soul forged whose creation in a place of high incarnum gives it a point of essentia at character creation with some other minor benefits.