Magic of Incarnum... Is this book for good-based PCs?

[RigaMortus2]

From the description on the Wizard page:

This supplement introduces a magical substance called incarnum into the D&D game. With this book, the players characters can meld incarnum—the power of souls living, dead, and unborn—into magical items and even their own bodies, granting them special attacks, defenses, and other abilities (much as magic items and spells do). Incarnum can be shaped and reshaped into new forms, giving characters tremendous versatility in the dungeon and on any battlefield.

This book also features new classes, prestige classes, feats, and other options for characters wishing to explore the secrets of incarnum, as well as rules and advice for including incarnum in a D&D campaign.

Ahhh, isn't messing with people's souls an EVIL thing?

 

[thompgc]

It is Magic of Incarnum (the title of your post is off)

I don't have the book yet, but I don't think it is messing with peoples souls.
I don't think it drains people souls - more like some sort of energy created by people that can be tapped into.

 

[Pyrex]

As I understand it, it's not necessarily about manipulation of souls; but rather manipulation of the energy souls are made of.

Incarnum == The Force

 

[RigaMortus2]

As I understand it, it's not necessarily about manipulation of souls; but rather manipulation of the energy souls are made of.

Incarnum == The Force

Well when you explain it that way, it sounds much more cooler...

 

[Anax]

Dammit. Now I'm thinking I might have to pick up MoI. Not because "the force" wasn't immediately obvious when I heard of it, but because trying to think up ways to describe incarnum that aren't either super cheesy or "the force" is taking up at least 10% of my idle brainpower right now.

 

[FireLance]

The book also talks about drawing on aspects of particular souls, e.g. knowledge, combat skill, reflexes, etc. so it's not simply manipulating the energy that souls are made of. The way I see it is this: you're the soul of someone who used to be a great paladin, or the pre-incarnate soul of someone who is going to become one. You're hanging around in the afterlife (or the beforelife) feeling a little bored because you don't really have anything to do. Then, you sense that someone wants to enhance his ability to smite evil (he intends to take the Sapphire Smite feat, for example), and if you loan him a bit of your soul energy, he's going to be able to do so. Would you do that? Willingly? There you go.

 

[Caliban]

Don't forget the Necrocarnates, who trap the souls of the dead and torture them for their soul energy.