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View Full Version : Soulborn rewrite. I really need some PEACH's on this one...



Xaotiq1
2013-08-28, 12:22 PM
This is the first iteration of my soulborn rewrite. I need to secure some permission from other folks before I put up the other ones. Yeah, I've got roughly four. :smallredface:

The fluff is more or less the same, so I didn't re-write that bit.

NOTE: The spoiler contains the 1st and 2nd version of my rewrite. If you comment on them, please PM me instead of posting in the thread itself.

SOULBORN

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Soulborn have the following game statistics.

Abilities: Con>Cha>Str>Dex/Int/Wis.

Alignment: LG, CG, LE, CE

Hit Die: d10

Starting Age: As bard.

Starting Gold: As fighter. (6d4)x10 (150gp)

Class Skills
The Soulborn's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str).

A lawful good soulborn adds Diplomacy to the soulborn class skills listed above. A chaotic good soulborn adds Gather
Information to the list. A lawful evil soulborn adds Bluff to the list, and a chaotic evil soulborn adds Intimidate to the list.

Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

CSoulborn
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Soulmelds|Essentia|Chakra Binds

1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+0|Aura, clear soul (Reflex saves), smite (1/encounter)|0|1|0

2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+0|Incarnum defense|0|2|0

3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+1|Ardent soul (critical confirmation)|0|2|0

4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+1|Perfect alignment (alignment subtypes)|1|3|0

5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+1|Bonus feat, smite (2/encounter)|1|3|0

6th|
+6/+1|
+5|
+2|
+2|Mettle|1|4|0

7th|
+7/+2|
+5|
+2|
+2|Cunning Soul (damage)|1|5|0

8th|
+8/+3|
+6|
+2|
+2|Chakra binds (crown, feet, hands)|2|5|1

9th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+3|
+3|Bonus feat, share bound soul melds|2|6|1

10th|
+10/+5|
+7|
+3|
+3|Smite (3/encounter), soulbound melds|2|6|1

11th|
+11/+6/+1|
+7|
+3|
+3|Skilled soul (opposed checks)|2|7|1

12th|
+12/+7/+2|
+8|
+4|
+4|Perfect alignment (native outsider)|3|8|1

13th|
+13/+8/+3|
+8|
+4|
+4|Bonus feat|3|8|1

14th|
+14/+9/+4|
+9|
+4|
+4|Chakra binds (arms, brow, shoulders)|3|9|2

15th|
+15/+10/+5|
+9|
+5|
+5|Masterful soul (attacks of opportunity), smite (3/encounter)|3|9|2

16th|
+16/+11/+6/+1|
+10|
+5|
+5||4|10|2

17th|
+17/+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+5|
+5|Bonus feat|4|11|2

18th|
+18/+13/+8/+3|
+11|
+6|
+6|Chakra binds (throat, waist)|4|11|3

19th|
+19/+14/+9/+4|
+11|
+6|
+6||4|12|3

20th|
+20/+15/+10/+5|
+12|
+6|
+6|Perfect alignment (final subtype), smite (4/encounter)|5|12|3[/table]

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the SOULBORN

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Soulborns are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with light, medium, and heavy armor, and with shields (except tower shields).

Aura (Ex): As a soulborn, you have a particularly powerful aura corresponding to your alignment (see the detect evil spell for details).

Smite (Su): Once per encounter, you may imbue your strikes with great power. This ability is activated as part of an attack action and lasts until the beginning of your next turn. You add you Cha modifier to your attack roll and your soulborn level to your damage roll.

If your targets alignment opposes one aspect of your own, you add 2x your soulborn level to the damage roll. If both components oppose yours, you deal 3x you soulborn level to the damage roll.

You gain an additional use of this ability per encounter at 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th levels.

Clear soul (Ex): You can enter a state of almost mystical awareness of the battlefield around you. As long as you are not flat-footed, you gain an insight bonus equal to your Cha modifier (max equals your soulborn level) plus the amount of essentia invested in this class feature to your reflex saves.

Incarnum Defense (Su): Your incarnum-fused soul dramatically affects your body and mind. At 2nd level, this manifests as a visible change in your appearance, as well as a particular immunity. The appearance and effects of this fusion depend on your alignment:


Lawful Good: Your eyes become orbs of solid gold in color, with no visible pupil or iris. You gain immunity to fear.


Chaotic Good: Your irises turn emerald green. You gain immunity to paralysis.


Lawful Evil: Your pupils display an unholy red hue. You gain immunity to exhaustion (effects that would cause exhaustion render you fatigued instead).


Chaotic Evil: Your eyes become solid orbs of shadowy blackness, with no visible pupil or iris. You gain immunity to any penalty, damage, or drain to your Strength.

Additionally, you may choose to bind your incarnum defense to a chakra that you can access.

{table=head]Chakra|Incarnum Defense Abilities Per Invested Essentia
Crown|+1 insight bonus on saving throws
Feet|+2 insight bonus to initiative checks
Hands|+1 insight bonus on attack rolls
Arms|+2 insight bonus to damage rolls
Brow|+1 insight bonus to Armor Class
Shoulders|Damage reduction 1/-
Throat|+5 hit points
Waist|Energy resistance 5 (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic)
[/table]

You can extend the effect of your incarnum defense (including the benefit from binding it ot a chakra) to all allies within a 25ft radius. For each point of essentia invested into this class feature, the radius expands by 5ft. This aura can be activated and dismissed as an immediate action; and can be used 1+Cha modifier times per day.

Ardent Soul (Ex): The sheer love of battle lends uncanny strength to your blows. Starting at 3rd level, you gain an insight bonus equal to your Cha modifier plus the amount of essentia invested in this class feature on rolls made to confirm critical hits.

Meldshaping: Beginning at 4th level, a soulborn gains a limited ability to shape soulmelds, which are drawn from the soulborn soulmeld list (page 56). You know and can shape any soulmeld from this list (but see Aligned Soulmelds, below).

The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a soulborn soulmeld is 10 + 1/2 your HD (min 1) + number of points of essentia invested in the soulmeld + your Constitution modifier. Your meldshaper level is equal to your soulborn level.

A soulborn can shape only a certain number of soulmelds per day. Your base daily allotment is given on Table: The Soulborn. The maximum number of soulmelds that you can have shaped simultaneously is equal to your Constitution score minus 10 or the number of soulmelds on the table, whichever is lower. At 4th level, you can shape one soulmeld at a time (assuming you have a Constitution score of at least 11). As you advance in level, you can shape an increasing number of soulmelds.

At 1st level, you gain access to your personal pool of essentia, which can be invested into your incarnum defense, incarnum feats, or soulmelds to increase their power. Your essentia pool’s size is shown on Table: The Soulborn. Your character level, as noted on Table:2-1 Essentia Capacity, determines the maximum quantity of essentia that you can invest in any single soulmeld. As a swift action, you can reallocate your essentia investments in your soulmelds every round (see Essentia, page 50).

A soulborn does not study or prepare soulmelds in advance, but must have a good night’s rest and must meditate for 1 hour to shape her soulmelds for the day (see Shaping Soulmelds, page 49).

Aligned Soulmelds: You cannot shape soulmelds with an alignment descriptor that does not match your own. For example, if you are a chaotic good soulborn, you cannot shape soulmelds with the lawful or evil descriptors.

Chakra Binds: Beginning at 8th level, you can bind your soulmelds to your chakras, granting you new powers based on the soulmeld and the chakra chosen. Binding a soulmeld to a chakra closes the body slot associated with that chakra (see Chakras, page 50), so that you cannot also benefit from a magic item worn on the body slot associated with that chakra.

The number of chakra binds that you can have active at any one time depends on your level (see the Chakra Binds column on Table: The Soulborn). At 8th level, you can bind soulmelds to your crown, feet, or hands chakras. At 14th level, you can bind soulmelds to your arms, brow, and shoulders chakras. At 18th level, you can bind soulmelds to your throat or waist chakras. You do not gain access to the heart and soul chakras by virtue of their class levels; but access can be obtained via the Open Heart and Open Soul chakra feats.

For more information on chakra binds, see page 51.

Perfect Alignment (Su): At 4th level, the soulborn gains the subtypes that correspond with your alignment components. They are affected as illustrated in the Monster Manual and/or SRD.

At 12th level, you become an outsider with the native subtype; and treated as an outsider rather than as a humanoid (or whatever the soulborn’s creature type was) for the purpose of spells and magical effects.

At 20th level, you gain a 4th subtype based on your alignment, and the abilities granted by it.


Lawful Good: You gain the archon subtype Which grants:

Darkvision out to 60 feet and low-light vision.
Aura of Menace (Su): A righteous aura surrounds you when you fight or get angry. Any hostile creature within a 20-foot radius of an archon must succeed on a Will save (DC= 10+1/2 HD + Cha modifier) to resist its effects. Those who fail take a -2 penalty on attacks, AC, and saves for 24 hours or until they successfully hit the soulborn. A creature that has resisted or broken the effect cannot be affected again by the same archon’s aura for 24 hours.
Immunity to electricity and petrification.
Magic Circle against Evil (Su): A magic circle against evil effect always surrounds an archon (caster level equals the soulborn's class level).
Teleport (Su): Archons can use greater teleport at will, as the spell (caster level 14th), except that the creature can transport only itself and up to 50 pounds of objects.
Tongues (Su): All archons can speak with any creature that has a language, as though using a tongues spell (caster level 14th). This ability is always active.


Chaotic Good: You gain the eladrin subtype which grants:

Darkvision out to 60 feet and low-light vision.
Immunity to electricity and petrification.
Resistance to cold 10 and fire 10.
Tongues (Su): All eladrins can speak with any creature that has a language, as though using a tongues spell (caster level 14th). This ability is always active.
Alternate Form (Su): The soulborn gains the ability to change into an incorporeal ball of eldritch colors as a standard action. In this form, the soulborn loses the ability to make melee attacks; but can produce light rays that ignore damage reduction. This is a ranged touch attack that has a range of 300ft and deals 2d12 damage on a successful hit.


Lawful Evil: You gain the devil subtype and gain the following abilities:

Immunity to fire and poison.
Resistance to acid 10 and cold 10.
See in Darkness (Su): You can see perfectly in darkness of any kind, even that created by a deeper darkness spell; and may make spot and search checks in such conditions.
Summon (Sp): Once per day, the soulborn can attempt to summon 2d10 lemures or 1d6 bearded devils, 2d4 bone devils with a 50% chance of success, or an ice devil with a 20% chance of success. This ability is the equivalent of a 4th-level spell.
Telepathy 100ft


Chaotic Evil: You gain the demon subtype which grants:

Immunity to electricity and poison.
Resistance to acid 10, cold 10, and fire 10.
Summon (Sp): Once per day, the soulborn can attempt to summon 1d4 vrocks, 1d4 hezrous, or one glabrezu with a 50% chance of success, or a nalfeshnee with a 20% chance of success. This ability is the equivalent of a 5th-level spell.
Telepathy 100ft
NOTE: I am aware that "Demon", "Devil", and "Eladrin" are not actually subtypes. This, in my mind anyway, streamlines them getting a set of traits. Be there a better way, let me know.

Bonus feat: At 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th levels, the soulborn gains a bonus feat that they meet the prerequisites for from the following list:

Acrobatic, Agile, Athletic, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Diehard, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Quick Draw, Run, or any incarnum feat.

Mettle (Ex): You can resist magical attacks with greater effectiveness than other warriors. Beginning at 6th level, by drawing on your boundless energy and dedication to your cause, you can shrug off effects that would hinder even the toughest warrior. If you succeed on a Fortitude or Will save against an attack that would normally produce a lesser effect on a successful save (such as a spell with a saving throw entry of Will half or Fortitude partial), you instead negate the effect. You do not gain the benefit of mettle when you are unconscious or sleeping.

Cunning Soul (Ex): Your instinct for seizing the moment gives you a significant advantage over foes unprepared for your attack. At 7th level, you gain an insight bonus equal to your Cha modifier plus the amount of essentia invested in this class feature on melee damage rolls against flat-footed or flanked opponents.

Skilled Soul (Ex): You anticipate your enemies’ ploys and tactics. At 11th level, you gain an insight bonus equal to your Cha modifier plus the amount of essentia invested in this class feature on any check made to oppose an enemy’s bull rush, disarm, feint, overrun, sunder, or trip attempt.

Masterful Soul (Ex): You notice the most subtle openings and cues offered by your opponents. At 15th level, you gain an insight bonus equal to your Cha modifier plus the amount of essentia invested in this class feature on melee attack rolls and melee damage rolls made whenever you make an attack of opportunity.


SOULBORN

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Soulborn have the following game statistics.

Abilities: Con>Cha>Str>Dex/Int/Wis.

Alignment: Any except "True Neutral"

Hit Die: d10

Starting Age: As bard.

Starting Gold: As fighter. (6d4)x10 (150gp)

Class Skills
The Soulborn's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int).

Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

CSOULBORN
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Soulmelds|Essentia|Chakra Binds

1st|+1|+2|+0|+0|Aura, detect opposition, skill focus|0|1|0

2nd|+2|+3|+0|+0|Incarnum defense|1|1|0

3rd|+3|+3|+1|+1|Essential weapon|1|1|0

4th|+4|+4|+1|+1|Essential meld (1)|2|2|0

5th|+5|+4|+1|+1|Perfect alignment (alignment subtypes)|2|2|0

6th|+6/+1|+5|+2|+2|Chakra binds (crown, feet, hands)|2|3|1

7th|+7/+2|+5|+2|+2|Essential armor|2|3|1

8th|+8/+3|+6|+2|+2|Mettle|2|4|2

9th|+9/+4|+6|+3|+3|Share incarnum defense (+1 use/day)|2|4|2

10th|10/+5|+7|+3|+3|Essential meld (2)|3|5|3

11th|+11/+6/+1|+7|+3|+3|Essential body|3|5|3

12th|+12/+7/+2|+8|+4|+4|Chakra binds (arms, brow, shoulders)|3|6|4

13th|+13/+8/+3|+8|+4|+4|Perfect alignment (native outsider)|3|6|4

14th|+14/+9/+4|+9|+4|+4||3|7|5

15th|+15/+10/+5|+9|+5|+5|Essential mind|3|8|5

16th|+16/+11/+6/+1|+10|+5|+5|Essential meld (3)|4|9|6

17th|+17/+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+5|Share incarnum defense (+1 use/day)|4|10|6

18th|+18/+13/+8/+3|+11|+6|+6|Chakra binds (throat, waist)|4|11|7

19th|+19/+14/+9/+4|+11|+6|+6||4|12|7

20th|+20/+15/+10/+5|+12|+6|+6|Essential soul|5|13|8[/table]

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the SOULBORN

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Soulborns are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with light and medium armor, and with all shields (except tower shields).

Aura (Ex): As a soulborn, you have a particularly powerful aura corresponding to your alignment (see the detect evil spell for details).

Detect Opposition (Sp): At will, you can attempt to detect the presence of creatures with alignment components opposite your own. This ability works like the detect evil spell, except that it detects the specific alignment opposed to your own.

Incarnum Defense (Su): Incarnum Defense (Su): Your incarnum-fused soul dramatically affects your body and mind. This manifests as a visible change in your appearance, as well as a particular immunity.


Lawful Good: You become immune to fear effects.


Neutral Good: You gain immumity to all magical and non-magical diseases.


Chaotic Good: You become immune to paralysis.


Lawful Neutral: You gain an immunity to non-lethal damage.


Chaotic Neutral: You gain an immunity to compulsion effects.


Lawful Evil: You become immune to effects that penalize, damage, or drain Constitution.


Neutral Evil: You gain immunity to effects that penalize, damage, or drain Charisma.


Chaotic Evil: You become immune to effects that penalize, damage, or drain Strength

Additionally, for each chakra to which you have a soulmeld, item, or class feature bound, you gain a benefit from the table below. For each point of essentia you have invested in the bound meld, etc, you gain another iteration of the listed effect.

{table=head]Chakra|Incarnum Defense Abilities
Crown|+1 insight bonus on saving throws
Feet|+2 insight bonus to initiative checks
Hands|+1 insight bonus on attack rolls
Arms|+2 insight bonus to damage rolls
Brow|+1 insight bonus to Armor Class
Shoulders|Damage reduction 1/-
Throat|+5 hit points
Waist|Fast healing 1[/table]

You can extend the effect of your incarnum defense (including the benefit from binding it ot a chakra) to all allies within a 25ft radius. For each point of essentia invested into this class feature, the radius expands by 5ft. This aura can be activated and dismissed as an immediate action; and can be used 1+Cha modifier times per day. At 9th and 17th levels, you gain an additional daily use of this option.

Meldshaping: Beginning at 2nd level, a soulborn gains the ability to shape soulmelds, which are drawn from the soulborn soulmeld list (page 56). You know and can shape any soulmeld from this list (but see Aligned Soulmelds, below).

The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a soulborn soulmeld is 10 + 1/2 your HD (min 1) + number of points of essentia invested in the soulmeld + your Constitution modifier. Your meldshaper level is equal to your soulborn level.

A soulborn can shape only a certain number of soulmelds per day. Your base daily allotment is given on Table: The Soulborn. The maximum number of soulmelds that you can have shaped simultaneously is equal to your Constitution score minus 10 or the number of soulmelds on the table, whichever is lower. At 2nd level, you can shape one soulmeld at a time (assuming you have a Constitution score of at least 11). As you advance in level, you can shape an increasing number of soulmelds.

At 1st level, you gain access to your personal pool of essentia, which can be invested into your incarnum defense, incarnum feats, or soulmelds to increase their power. Your essentia pool’s size is shown on Table: The Soulborn. Your character level, as noted on Table:2-1 Essentia Capacity, determines the maximum quantity of essentia that you can invest in any single soulmeld. As a swift action, you can reallocate your essentia investments in your soulmelds every round (see Essentia, page 50).

A soulborn does not study or prepare soulmelds in advance, but must have a good night’s rest and must meditate for 1 hour to shape her soulmelds for the day (see Shaping Soulmelds, page 49).

Aligned Soulmelds: You cannot shape soulmelds with an alignment descriptor that does not match your own. For example, if you are a chaotic good soulborn, you cannot shape soulmelds with the lawful or evil descriptors.

Chakra Binds: Beginning at 6th level, you can bind your soulmelds to your chakras, granting you new powers based on the soulmeld and the chakra chosen. Binding a soulmeld to a chakra closes the body slot associated with that chakra (see Chakras, page 50), so that you cannot also benefit from a magic item worn on the body slot associated with that chakra.

The number of chakra binds that you can have active at any one time depends on your level (see the Chakra Binds column on Table: The Soulborn). At 8th level, you can bind soulmelds to your crown, feet, or hands chakras. At 12th level, you can bind soulmelds to your arms, brow, and shoulders chakras. At 18th level, you can bind soulmelds to your throat or waist chakras. You never gain the ability to bind a soulmeld to your heart or soul chakras.

For more information on chakra binds, see page 51.

Esper Strike (Su): At 3rd level, you are able to channel incarnum into your weapons and make devastating strikes. As part of an attack action, you add your Cha modifier plus the amount of invested essentia to your attack roll and your soulborn level to your damage roll. This ability may be used once per encounter at 3rd level; and once again per encounter at 7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th levels.

In addition, you may bind this class feature to a chakra to which you gain access through your soulborn levels. Doing so adds the listed effect to your strike. Opponents may resist the effects of your strike provided they succeed on the listed saving throw (DC= 10 + 1/2 level + invested essentia + Con modifier)


Crown: Fort Save negates. When 1 essentia is invested; the target is stunned for one round.


When 3 essentia is invested, the target is dazed for 3 rounds.


When 5 essentia is invested, the target is confused for 5 rounds.


Feet: Will save negates. If at least 1 Essentia is invested, the target suffers -1 to attack rolls, AC, and Reflex saves until the end of your next turn.


If at least 3 essentia are invested, all of the target's move speeds are cut in half.


If at least 5 essentia are invested, the target is limited to one standard OR one move action (cannot take full-round actions) per round.


Hands: Fort save negates. When 1 point of essentia is invested; 1 item on target is affected by the shatter spell with a caster level equal to the soulborn's class level.


If at least 3 essentia is invested; the weight limit is doubled.


If 5 essentia is invested, the effect may destroy magic items and deals 5d6 sonic damage to the target and the item.


Arms: Reflex half. For every point of invested essentia, the soulborn's attack deals 1d8 energy damage (cold, electricity, or fire).


If 3 essentia is invested, all opoponents in the soulborn's reach are affected.


If 5 essentia are invested; the attack ignores energy resistance and deals half damage to creatures immune to that energy type.


Brow: Will save negates.When 1 essentia is invested; the target takes 1d4 Wis damage.


When 3 essentia is invested; the target is dealt 2d4 Wis damage and is stunned for 1 round.


When 5 essentia is invested, the target is dealt 4d4 Wis damage, and is nauseated for 1 round.


Shoulders: Reflex save negates. For every point of essentia invested, the target is moved 10ft away from you in any direction.


If 3 essentia is invested; the target is knocked prone and staggered for 1 round.


If 5 essentia is invested; Target is knocked prone and staggered for 1 round, and is dealt 2x your soulborn level damage.


Throat: Fortitude negates. With 1 essentia invested the target sickened for one round.

If 3 essentia are invested the target is Sickened and Immobilized for one round.


If 5 essentia are invested the target is Sickened, Paralyzed, and must hold its breath as if drowning for 1 round. This effect can be maintained each following round as a standard action.


Waist: Will half. For every point of essentia invested, the target is unable to cast spells, manifest powers, or use Ps, Sp, or Su abilities for 2 rounds.

Essential Meld: At 4th level, a soulborn is able to choose any 1 soulmeld from thier list. When shaped, that chosen soulmeld will always function as if it had the maximum amount of essentia invested. The soulborn gains another essential meld at 10th and 16th levels. Essential melds count against the maximum number of soulmelds the soulborn can shape for the day.

Perfectly Aligned (Su): A 5th level soulborn becomes an outsider with the native subtype. Meaning that they are forevermore treated as an outsider rather than whatever their creature type was) for the purpose of spells and magical effects. They can be raised, reincarnated, or resurrected just as other living creatures can be.

They also need to eat and sleep.

At 13th level, they gain the subtypes that correspond to their alignment components; meaning that their attacks overcome DR of an opposing alignment.

Esper Armor (Su): Soulborn are vanguards on the battlefield; and at 7th level, their manipulation of incarnum hardens them against the rigors of battle.

You gain an armor bonus to your armor class equal to your Con score -10. Unlike mundane armor, it entails no armor check penalty, ASF%, or speed reduction. As this is a force effect, incorporeal creatures cannot bypass it as normal armor.

Also, as this armor is made from soulstuff, half of this bonus applies to the soulborn's touch AC.

For every point of essentia you invest in your esper armor, you may add any armor enhancement or combination of enhancements equal to that number.

Mettle (Ex): You can resist magical attacks with greater effectiveness than other warriors. Beginning at 6th level, by drawing on your boundless energy and dedication to your cause, you can shrug off effects that would hinder even the toughest warrior. If you succeed on a Fortitude or Will save against an attack that would normally produce a lesser effect on a successful save (such as a spell with a saving throw entry of Will half or Fortitude partial), you instead negate the effect. You do not gain the benefit of mettle when you are unconscious or sleeping.

Esper Body (Su): An 11th level soulborn's connection to the planes strengthens their body versus certain material and elemental forces based on thier alignment:


Lawful Good: Immunity to electricity and petrification.


Neutral Good: Immunity to electricity and petrification. Resistance to cold 10 and sonic 10.


Chaotic Good: Immunity to electricity and petrification. Resistance to cold 10 and fire 10.


Lawful Neutral: Immunity to mind-influencing effects and energy drain. Resistance to Acid, Cold, and Fire 10


Chaotic Neutral: Resistance to acid 5, cold 5, electricity 5, and fire 5, and immunity to sonic damage.


Lawful Evil: Immunity to fire and poison. Resistance to acid 10 and cold 10.


Neutral Evil: Immunity to acid and poison. Resistance to cold 10, electricity 10, and fire 10.


Chaotic Evil: Immunity to electricity and poison. Resistance to acid 10, cold 10, and fire 10.

Esper Mind (Su): The soulborn that reaches 15th level experiences a fundemental shift in how they view the world and communicat in it. Based on your alignment, you gain the following:


Lawful Good: Tongues (Su): You can speak with any creature that has a language, as though using a tongues spell (caster level 14th). This ability is always active.


Neutral Good: Tongues (Su): You can speak with any creature that has a language, as though using a tongues spell (caster level 14th). This ability is always active.


Chaotic Good: Tongues (Su): You can speak with any creature that has a language, as though using a tongues spell (caster level 14th). This ability is always active.


Lawful Neutral: Ubiquitous Vision (Ex): Can see in all directions at once. +4 bonus to Search and Spot checks. Cannot be flanked.


Chaotic Neutral: Ubiquitous Vision (Ex): Can see in all directions at once. +4 bonus to Search and Spot checks. Cannot be flanked.


Lawful Evil: Telepathy.


Neutral Evil: Telepathy.


Chaotic Evil: Telepathy.

Esper Soul (Su): A 20th level soulborn has a fully realized connection to where their essentia originated. As such, they gain one of the following supernatural or spell-like abilities based on thier alignment as follows:


Lawful Good: Aura of Menace (Su): A righteous aura surrounds soulborn that fight or get angry. Any hostile creature within a 20-foot radius of the soulborn must succeed on a Will save to resist its effects. The save DC= 10 + 1/2 the soulborn's HD + Cha modifier + the number of soulmelds, feats, or class features bound to a chakra. Those who fail take a -2 penalty on attacks, AC, and saves for 24 hours or until they successfully hit the soulborn that generated the aura. A creature that has resisted or broken the effect cannot be affected again by the same soulborn’s aura for 24 hours.

[indent]Neutral Good: Protective Aura (Su): Against attacks made or effects created by evil creatures, this ability provides a +4 deflection bonus to AC and a +4 resistance bonus on saving throws to anyone within 20 feet of the soulborn. Otherwise, it functions as a magic circle against evil effect and a lesser globe of invulnerability, both with a radius of 20 feet (caster level equals angel’s HD). This aura can be dispelled, but the can create it again as a free action on its next turn.


Chaotic Good: The soulborn can take the form of an incorporeal globe of eldritch colors, 5 feet in diameter that can, as an attack action, make a ranged (300ft) touch attack that deals 2d12 damage and overcomes any damage reduction. The soulborn can shift between its original and globe forms as a standard action. In their original form, they cannot fly or use its light rays, but it can use its other abilities, make physical attacks, and cast spells. In globe form, it can fly (150ft, perfect) use its light rays, and use any spell-like or supernatural abilities, but it cannot cast spells or benefit from any soulmelds. The globe form is incorporeal, and the soulborn has no Strength score while in that form.

A soulborn remains in one form until it chooses to assume a new one. A change in form cannot be dispelled, nor does the soulborn revert to any particular form when killed. A true seeing spell or ability, however, reveals both forms simultaneously.


Lawful Neutral: Magic Circle against Chaos (Su): A magic circle against chaos effect always surrounds the soulborn (caster level equals the soulborn’s Hit Dice).


Chaotic Neutral: Summon Slaad (Sp): Twice per day the soulborn can attempt to summon 1–2 red slaadi or 1 blue slaad with a 60% chance of success, or 1 green slaad with a 40% chance of success. This ability is the equivalent of a 5th-level spell.


Lawful Evil: Summon Devil (Sp): Once per day the soulborn can attempt to summon 2d10 lemures or 1d6 bearded devils with a 50% chance of success, 1d6 barbed devils with a 35% chance of success, or a horned devil with a 20% chance of success. This ability is the equivalent of a 6th-level spell.


Neutral Evil: Summon Yugoloth (Sp): Once per day, the soulborn can attempt to summon 1d4 nycaloths, 1d6 mezzoloths, or an ultroloth with a 35% chanceof success.


Chaotic Evil: Summon Demon (Sp): Twice per day the soulborn can attempt to summon 1d4 vrocks, 1d4 hezrous, or one glabrezu with a 50% chance of success, or a nalfeshnee with a 20% chance of success. This ability is the equivalent of a 5th-level spell.


SOULBORN

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Soulborn have the following game statistics.

Abilities: Con>Cha>Str>Dex/Int/Wis.

Alignment: Any except "True Neutral" due to their strong connection to the outer planes.

Hit Die: d10

Starting Age: As bard.

Starting Gold: As fighter. (6d4)x10 (150gp)

Class Skills
The Soulborn's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int).

Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

CSOULBORN
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Soulmelds|Essentia|Chakra Binds
1st|+1|+2|+0|+0|Aura, esper strike|0|1|0

2nd|+2|+3|+0|+0|Incarnum defense|1|2|0

3rd|+3|+3|+1|+1|Bonus feat|1|3|0

4th|+4|+4|+1|+1|Chakra binds (crown, feet, hands)|2|4|1

5th|+5|+4|+1|+1|Esper armor|2|5|1

6th|+6/+1|+5|+2|+2|Essential meld (1)|2|6|1

7th|+7/+2|+5|+2|+2|Bonus feat|2|7|2

8th|+8/+3|+6|+2|+2|Mettle|2|8|2

9th|+9/+4|+6|+3|+3|Share incarnum defense (+1 use/day)|2|9|2

10th|10/+5|+7|+3|+3|Esper body|3|10|3

11th|+11/+6/+1|+7|+3|+3|Bonus feat|3|11|3

12th|+12/+7/+2|+8|+4|+4|Chakra binds (arms, brow, shoulders)|3|12|3

13th|+13/+8/+3|+8|+4|+4|Share incarnum defense (+1 use/day)|3|13|4

14th|+14/+9/+4|+9|+4|+4||3|14|4

15th|+15/+10/+5|+9|+5|+5|Esper mind|3|15|4

16th|+16/+11/+6/+1|+10|+5|+5|Essential meld (2)|4|16|5

17th|+17/+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+5|Share incarnum defense (+1 use/day)|4|17|5

18th|+18/+13/+8/+3|+11|+6|+6|Chakra binds (throat, waist)|4|18|5

19th|+19/+14/+9/+4|+11|+6|+6||4|19|6

20th|+20/+15/+10/+5|+12|+6|+6|Esper soul|5|20|6[/table]

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the SOULBORN

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Soulborns are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with light and medium armor, and with all shields (except tower shields).

Aura (Ex): As a soulborn, you have a particularly powerful aura corresponding to your alignment (see the detect evil spell for details).

Esper Strike (Su): At 1st level, you are able to channel incarnum into your weapons and make devastating strikes. As part of an attack action, you add your Cha modifier plus the amount of invested essentia to your attack roll and the invested essentia times your soulborn level to your damage roll. This ability may be used once per encounter at 1st level; and once again per encounter at 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th levels.

In addition, you may bind this class feature to a chakra to which you gain access through your soulborn levels. Doing so adds the listed effect to your strike. Opponents may resist the effects of your strike provided they succeed on the listed saving throw (DC= 10 + 1/2 soulborn level + invested essentia + Con modifier). Note: The arms bind does not allow a save.


Crown: The target struck must make a Fort save or be stunned for 1 round. Fort save negates.


If 2 essentia are invested, the target is instead dazed for 3 rounds.

If 4 essentia are invested, the target is confused for 5 rounds.


Feet: The target suffers a -1 penalty attack rolls, AC, and Reflex saves until the end of your next turn. Will save negates.


If 2 essentia are invested, all of the target's move speeds are reduced by 50% as well.

If 4 essentia are invested, the target is also limited to taking one standard OR move action (cannot take full-round action) on their next turn.


Hands: Your weapon's critical threat range increases by one step (19-20 becomes 18-20). This effect does not stack with the keen weapon enhancement nor the keen edge spell. It does stack with the Improved Critical feat.


If 2 essentia are invested, you gain an insight bonus equal to the invested essentia to confirm critical hits.

If 4 essentia are invested, you are able to score critical hits on creatures that are normally immune to them.


Arms: As a standard action, you can make an attack roll against 2 opponents no more than 5ft per invested essentia from both you and the other target. Resolve each attack separately.


If 2 essentia are invested, you get a +2 bonus to those attacks.

If 4 essentia are invested, you can make 2 attacks against each target.


Brow: The target is blinded for 1 round per meldshaper level. Fortitude negates.


If 2 essentia are invested, the target is also deafened for 1 round per meldshaper level.

If 4 essentia are invested, the target is also silenced as the spell for one round per meldshaper level.


Shoulders: For every point of essentia invested, the target is moved 10ft away from you in any direction. Reflex negates.


If 2 essentia are invested, the target is knocked prone and staggered for 1 round.

If 4 essentia are invested, the target is knocked prone and staggered for 1 round, and is dealt an additional 7d6 force damage.


Throat: The target is sickened for 1 round. Fortitude negates.


If 2 essentia are invested, the target is sickened and immobilized for 1 round.

If 4 essentia are invested, the target is Sickened, Paralyzed, and must hold its breath as if drowning for 1 round. This effect can be maintained each following round as a standard action.


Waist: The target takes 1 Con damage per invested essentia in addition to your esper strike damage. Fort Negates.


If 2 essentia are invested The target takes 1d3 Con damage per invested essentia in addition to your esper strike damage.

If 4 essentia are invested, the target suffers 1d10 permanent Con drain in addition to your esper strike damage.

Meldshaping: Beginning at 2nd level, a soulborn gains the ability to shape soulmelds, which are drawn from the soulborn soulmeld list (page 56). You know and can shape any soulmeld from this list (but see Aligned Soulmelds, below).

The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a soulborn soulmeld is 10 + 1/2 your HD (min 1) + number of points of essentia invested in the soulmeld + your Constitution modifier. Your meldshaper level is equal to your soulborn level.

A soulborn can shape only a certain number of soulmelds per day. Your base daily allotment is given on Table: The Soulborn. The maximum number of soulmelds that you can have shaped simultaneously is equal to your Constitution score minus 10 or the number of soulmelds on the table, whichever is lower. At 2nd level, you can shape one soulmeld at a time (assuming you have a Constitution score of at least 11). As you advance in level, you can shape an increasing number of soulmelds.

At 1st level, you gain access to your personal pool of essentia, which can be invested into your incarnum defense, incarnum feats, or soulmelds to increase their power. Your essentia pool’s size is shown on Table: The Soulborn. Your character level, as noted on Table:2-1 Essentia Capacity, determines the maximum quantity of essentia that you can invest in any single soulmeld. As a swift action, you can reallocate your essentia investments in your soulmelds every round (see Essentia, page 50).

A soulborn does not study or prepare soulmelds in advance, but must have a good night’s rest and must meditate for 1 hour to shape her soulmelds for the day (see Shaping Soulmelds, page 49).


Aligned Soulmelds: You cannot shape soulmelds with an alignment descriptor that does not match your own. For example, if you are a chaotic good soulborn, you cannot shape soulmelds with the lawful or evil descriptors.


Chakra Binds: Beginning at 4th level, you can bind your soulmelds/incarnum feats/class features to your chakras, granting you new powers based on the soulmeld and the chakra chosen. Binding a soulmeld to a chakra closes the body slot associated with that chakra (see Chakras, page 50), so that you cannot also benefit from a magic item worn on the body slot associated with that chakra.


The number of chakra binds that you can have active at any one time depends on your level (see the Chakra Binds column on Table: The Soulborn). At 4th level, you can bind soulmelds to your crown, feet, or hands chakras. At 12th level, you can bind soulmelds to your arms, brow, and shoulders chakras. At 18th level, you can bind soulmelds to your throat or waist chakras. A soulborn can access the heart chakra by taking sufficient levels in a base class or prestige class that grants it; or take the Open Heart Chakra feat.

For more information on chakra binds, see page 51.

Bonus Feats: At 3rd, 7th, and 11th levels, you gain a bonus feat that you the prerequisites for that have the or [fighter] tags, except weapon specialization.

[i]Eper Defense (Su): When a 5th level or higher soulborn binds a soulmeld, incarnum feat, or class feature to a chakra, they gain a benefit from the table below dependent upon that chakra. For each point of essentia invested into this class feature, the soulborn gets another iteration of the listed ability. At 8th, 10th, 16th, and 20th levels, you can benefit from an additional bound chakra.

{table=head]Chakra|Esper Defense Abilities (Per 1 essentia invested)
Crown| +5 hit points
Feet| +2 on initiative checks
Hands| +1 insight bonus to attack rolls
Arms| +1 insight bonus to damage rolls
Brow| +1 insight bonus to saving throws
Shoulders|Damage reduction 1/-
Throat| +1 insight bonus to AC
Waist| Fast healing 1[/table]

You can extend the effect of your incarnum defense to all allies within a 30ft radius. For each point of essentia invested into this class feature, the radius expands by 5ft. This aura can be activated and dismissed as an immediate action; and can be used Charisma modifier times per day. At 9th, 13th and 17th levels, you gain an additional daily use of this option.

Essential Meld: At 6th level, a soulborn is able to choose any 1 soulmeld from thier list. When shaped, that chosen soulmeld will always function as if it had the maximum amount of essentia invested. The soulborn gains another essential meld at 16th level. Essential melds count against the maximum number of soulmelds the soulborn can shape for the day.

Mettle (Ex): You can resist magical attacks with greater effectiveness than other warriors. Beginning at 8th level, by drawing on your boundless energy and dedication to your cause, you can shrug off effects that would hinder even the toughest warrior. If you succeed on a Fortitude or Will save against an attack that would normally produce a lesser effect on a successful save (such as a spell with a saving throw entry of Will half or Fortitude partial), you instead negate the effect. You do not gain the benefit of mettle when you are unconscious or sleeping.

Esper Body (Su): A 10th level soulborn's connection to the planes strengthens their body versus certain forces based on the chakra to which this feature is bound.

{table=head]Chakra|Effect
Crown| Immunity to sleep
Feet| Immunity to entangle or grapple effects
Hands| Immunity to fear
Arms| Immunity to exhaustion and fatigue
Brow| Immunity to mind-affecting effects
Shoulders| Immunity to Stunning
Throat| Immunity to poison
Waist|Immunity to ability damage/drain[/table]

Esper Mind (Su): The soulborn that reaches 15th level experiences a fundemental shift in how they view the world and communicate in it. From 15th level on, the soulborn gains Telepathy (Su) out to 100ft and can no longer be surprised or caught flat-footed.

Esper Soul (Su): A 20th level soulborn has a fully realized connection to where their essentia originated. Because of this, a 20th level soulborn counts any soulmeld or incarnum feat to be bound to thier soul chakra in addition to which ever chakra it is already bound.

The soulborn may also reallocate essentia, including essentia invested in incarnum feats, as a free action; even when it is not the soulborn's turn to act in a round.


Constructive criticism thanked for in advance!

unbeliever536
2013-08-28, 04:20 PM
If you're going to run so many class features off of essentia, you need to give more of it in the table. As it stands, a soulborn can have only three class features or soulmelds running at full strength at level 20. I would change the progression to at least one per level average.

Lawful Evil Incarnum Defense is pretty weak and Lawful Good isn't that much better; I would give LG immunity to [Mind-Affecting] stuff, and LE immunity to Con damage along the lines of the Str damage immunity you gave CE.

The Perfect Alignment ability for LE says that "Some devils can see perfectly in darkness of any kind". This should say "You," no? Also, how far can you see? 30 feet? 60 feet?

wayfare
2013-08-28, 04:52 PM
It is a good start!

I like how smite works in terms of alignment, and I like the idea of adding teh benefits that outsiders typically get to the class. In fact, i think that can be a much more integral part of what you are doing with the class -- maybe link the benefits granted to the highest chakra soulmeld you have bound.

The big issue is adhering to closely to the old soulborn progression -- "halfcasters" doesnt translate too well to incarnum. The souldborn already has a verly limited meld selection and will probably want to invest in the combat incarnum feats, so it makes sense to give them a better essentia progression.

Amnoriath
2013-08-28, 05:09 PM
This is the first iteration of my soulborn rewrite. I need to secure some permission from other folks before I put up the other ones. Yeah, I've got roughly four. :smallredface:

The fluff is more or less the same, so I didn't re-write that bit. Without further ado:


SOULBORN

GAME RULE INFORMATION
CLASS NAME's have the following game statistics.

Abilities: Con>Cha>Str>Dex/Int/Wis.

Alignment: LG, CG, LE, CE

Hit Die: d10

Starting Age: As bard.

Starting Gold: As fighter. (6d4)x10 (150gp)

Class Skills
The CLASS NAME's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str).

A lawful good soulborn adds Diplomacy to the soulborn class skills listed above. A chaotic good soulborn adds Gather
Information to the list. A lawful evil soulborn adds Bluff to the list, and a chaotic evil soulborn adds Intimidate to the list.

Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

CLASS NAME
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Soulmelds|Essentia|Chakra Binds

1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+0|Aura, clear soul (Reflex saves), smite (1/encounter)|0|1|0

2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+0|Incarnum defense|0|2|0

3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+1|Ardent soul (critical confirmation)|0|2|0

4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+1|Perfect alignment (alignment subtypes)|1|3|0

5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+1|Bonus feat, smite (2/encounter)|1|3|0

6th|
+6/+1|
+5|
+2|
+2|Mettle|1|4|0

7th|
+7/+2|
+5|
+2|
+2|Cunning Soul (damage)|1|5|0

8th|
+8/+3|
+6|
+2|
+2|Chakra binds (crown, feet, hands)|2|5|1

9th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+3|
+3|Bonus feat, share bound soul melds|2|6|1

10th|
+10/+5|
+7|
+3|
+3|Smite (3/encounter), soulbound melds|2|6|1

11th|
+11/+6/+1|
+7|
+3|
+3|Skilled soul (opposed checks)|2|7|1

12th|
+12/+7/+2|
+8|
+4|
+4|Perfect alignment (native outsider)|3|8|1

13th|
+13/+8/+3|
+8|
+4|
+4|Bonus feat|3|8|1

14th|
+14/+9/+4|
+9|
+4|
+4|Chakra binds (arms, brow, shoulders)|3|9|2

15th|
+15/+10/+5|
+9|
+5|
+5|Masterful soul (attacks of opportunity), smite (3/encounter)|3|9|2

16th|
+16/+11/+6/+1|
+10|
+5|
+5||4|10|2

17th|
+17/+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+5|
+5|Bonus feat|4|11|2

18th|
+18/+13/+8/+3|
+11|
+6|
+6|Chakra binds (throat, waist)|4|11|3

19th|
+19/+14/+9/+4|
+11|
+6|
+6||4|12|3

20th|
+20/+15/+10/+5|
+12|
+6|
+6|Perfect alignment (final subtype), smite (4/encounter)|5|12|3[/table]

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the SOULBORN

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Soulborns are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with light, medium, and heavy armor, and with shields (except tower shields).

Aura (Ex): As a soulborn, you have a particularly powerful aura corresponding to your alignment (see the detect evil spell for details).

Smite (Su): Once per encounter, you may imbue your strikes with great power. This ability is activated as part of an attack action and lasts until the beginning of your next turn. You add you Cha modifier to your attack roll and your soulborn level to your damage roll.

If your targets alignment opposes one aspect of your own, you add 2x your soulborn level to the damage roll. If both components oppose yours, you deal 3x you soulborn level to the damage roll.

You gain an additional use of this ability per encounter at 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th levels.

Clear soul (Ex): You can enter a state of almost mystical awareness of the battlefield around you. As long as you are not flat-footed, you gain an insight bonus equal to the amount of essentia invested in this class feature to your reflex saves.

Incarnum Defense (Su): Your incarnum-fused soul dramatically affects your body and mind. At 2nd level, this manifests as a visible change in your appearance, as well as a particular immunity. The appearance and effects of this fusion depend on your alignment:


Lawful Good: Your eyes become orbs of solid gold in color, with no visible pupil or iris. You gain immunity to fear.


Chaotic Good: Your irises turn emerald green. You gain immunity to paralysis.


Lawful Evil: Your pupils display an unholy red hue. You gain immunity to exhaustion (effects that would cause exhaustion render you fatigued instead).


Chaotic Evil: Your eyes become solid orbs of shadowy blackness, with no visible pupil or iris. You gain immunity to any penalty, damage, or drain to your Strength.

Additionally, you may choose to bind your incarnum defense to a chakra that you can access.

{table=head]Chakra|Incarnum Defense Abilities Per Invested Essentia
Crown|+1 insight bonus on saving throws
Feet|+2 insight bonus to initiative checks
Hands|+1 insight bonus on attack rolls
Arms|+2 insight bonus to damage rolls
Brow|+1 insight bonus to Armor Class
Shoulders|Damage reduction 1/-
Throat|+5 hit points
Waist|Energy resistance 5 (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic)
[/table]

You can extend the effect of your incarnum defense (including the benefit from binding it ot a chakra) to all allies within a 25ft radius. For each point of essentia invested into this class feature, the radius expands by 5ft. This aura can be activated and dismissed as an immediate action; and can be used 1+Cha modifier times per day.

Ardent Soul (Ex): The sheer love of battle lends uncanny strength to your blows. Starting at 3rd level, you gain an insight bonus equal to the amount of essentia invested in this class feature on rolls made to confirm critical hits.

Meldshaping: Beginning at 4th level, a soulborn gains a limited ability to shape soulmelds, which are drawn from the soulborn soulmeld list (page 56). You know and can shape any soulmeld from this list (but see Aligned Soulmelds, below).

The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a soulborn soulmeld is 10 + 1/2 your HD (min 1) + number of points of essentia invested in the soulmeld + your Constitution modifier. Your meldshaper level is equal to your soulborn level.

A soulborn can shape only a certain number of soulmelds per day. Your base daily allotment is given on Table: The Soulborn. The maximum number of soulmelds that you can have shaped simultaneously is equal to your Constitution score minus 10 or the number of soulmelds on the table, whichever is lower. At 4th level, you can shape one soulmeld at a time (assuming you have a Constitution score of at least 11). As you advance in level, you can shape an increasing number of soulmelds.

At 1st level, you gain access to your personal pool of essentia, which can be invested into your incarnum defense, incarnum feats, or soulmelds to increase their power. Your essentia pool’s size is shown on Table: The Soulborn. Your character level, as noted on Table:2-1 Essentia Capacity, determines the maximum quantity of essentia that you can invest in any single soulmeld. As a swift action, you can reallocate your essentia investments in your soulmelds every round (see Essentia, page 50).

A soulborn does not study or prepare soulmelds in advance, but must have a good night’s rest and must meditate for 1 hour to shape her soulmelds for the day (see Shaping Soulmelds, page 49).

Aligned Soulmelds: You cannot shape soulmelds with an alignment descriptor that does not match your own. For example, if you are a chaotic good soulborn, you cannot shape soulmelds with the lawful or evil descriptors.

Chakra Binds: Beginning at 8th level, you can bind your soulmelds to your chakras, granting you new powers based on the soulmeld and the chakra chosen. Binding a soulmeld to a chakra closes the body slot associated with that chakra (see Chakras, page 50), so that you cannot also benefit from a magic item worn on the body slot associated with that chakra.

The number of chakra binds that you can have active at any one time depends on your level (see the Chakra Binds column on Table: The Soulborn). At 8th level, you can bind soulmelds to your crown, feet, or hands chakras. At 14th level, you can bind soulmelds to your arms, brow, and shoulders chakras. At 18th level, you can bind soulmelds to your throat or waist chakras. You never gain the ability to bind a soulmeld to your heart or soul chakras.

For more information on chakra binds, see page 51.

Perfect Alignment (Su): At 4th level, the soulborn gains the subtypes that correspond with your alignment components. They are affected as illustrated in the Monster Mnaul and/or SRD.

At 12th level, you become an outsider with the native subtype; and treated as an outsider rather than as a humanoid (or whatever the soulborn’s creature type was) for the purpose of spells and magical effects.

At 20th level, you gain a 4th subtype based on your alignment, and the abilities granted by it.


Lawful Good: You gain the archon subtype Which grants:

Darkvision out to 60 feet and low-light vision.
Aura of Menace (Su): A righteous aura surrounds you when you fight or get angry. Any hostile creature within a 20-foot radius of an archon must succeed on a Will save (DC= 10+1/2 HD + Cha modifier) to resist its effects. Those who fail take a -2 penalty on attacks, AC, and saves for 24 hours or until they successfully hit the soulborn. A creature that has resisted or broken the effect cannot be affected again by the same archon’s aura for 24 hours.
Immunity to electricity and petrification.
Magic Circle against Evil (Su): A magic circle against evil effect always surrounds an archon (caster level equals the soulborn's class level).
Teleport (Su): Archons can use greater teleport at will, as the spell (caster level 14th), except that the creature can transport only itself and up to 50 pounds of objects.
Tongues (Su): All archons can speak with any creature that has a language, as though using a tongues spell (caster level 14th). This ability is always active.


Chaotic Good: You gain the eladrin subtype which grants:

Darkvision out to 60 feet and low-light vision.
Immunity to electricity and petrification.
Resistance to cold 10 and fire 10.
Tongues (Su): All eladrins can speak with any creature that has a language, as though using a tongues spell (caster level 14th). This ability is always active.
Alternate Form (Su): The soulborn gains the ability to change into an incorporeal ball of eldritch colors as a standard action. In this form, the soulborn loses the ability to make melee attacks; but can produce light rays that ignore damage reduction. This is a ranged touch attack that has a range of 300ft and deals 2d12 damage on a successful hit.


Lawful Evil: You gain the devil subtype and gain the following abilities:

Immunity to fire and poison.
Resistance to acid 10 and cold 10.
See in Darkness (Su): Some devils can see perfectly in darkness of any kind, even that created by a deeper darkness spell.
Summon (Sp): Once per day, the soulborn can attempt to summon 2d10 lemures or 1d6 bearded devils, 2d4 bone devils with a 50% chance of success, or an ice devil with a 20% chance of success. This ability is the equivalent of a 4th-level spell.
Telepathy 100ft


Chaotic Evil: You gain the demon subtype which grants:

Immunity to electricity and poison.
Resistance to acid 10, cold 10, and fire 10.
Summon (Sp): Once per day, the soulborn can attempt to summon 1d4 vrocks, 1d4 hezrous, or one glabrezu with a 50% chance of success, or a nalfeshnee with a 20% chance of success. This ability is the equivalent of a 5th-level spell.
Telepathy 100ft
NOTE: I am aware that "Demon", "Devil", and "Eladrin" are not actually subtypes. This, in my mind anyway, streamlines them getting a set of traits. Be there a better way, let me know.

Bonus feat: At 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th levels, the soulborn gains a bonus feat that they meet the prerequisites for from the following list:

Acrobatic, Agile, Athletic, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Diehard, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Quick Draw, Run, or any incarnum feat.

Mettle (Ex): You can resist magical attacks with greater effectiveness than other warriors. Beginning at 6th level, by drawing on your boundless energy and dedication to your cause, you can shrug off effects that would hinder even the toughest warrior. If you succeed on a Fortitude or Will save against an attack that would normally produce a lesser effect on a successful save (such as a spell with a saving throw entry of Will half or Fortitude partial), you instead negate the effect. You do not gain the benefit of mettle when you are unconscious or sleeping.

Cunning Soul (Ex): Your instinct for seizing the moment gives you a significant advantage over foes unprepared for your attack. At 7th level, you gain an insight bonus equal to the amount of essentia invested in this class feature on melee damage rolls against flat-footed or flanked opponents.

Skilled Soul (Ex): You anticipate your enemies’ ploys and tactics. At 11th level, you gain an insight bonus equal to the amount of essentia invested in this class feature on any check made to oppose an enemy’s bull rush, disarm, feint, overrun, sunder, or trip attempt.

Masterful Soul (Ex): You notice the most subtle openings and cues offered by your opponents. At 15th level, you gain an insight bonus equal to the amount of essentia invested in this class feature on melee attack rolls and melee damage rolls made whenever you make an attack of opportunity.

Constructive criticism thanked for in advance!
While I love the mechanics and options the Magic of Incarnum gave it didn't quite know what should have what flavor. While this isn't your issue the book should have never made 2 alignment centered classes, especially when the alignment that will be least likely played(evil) has a couple of the best soulmelds in the book. I am not saying you should make up a completely new theme but it shouldn't just be an incarnum Paladin, otherwise you can better just make substitution levels.
While 3.X smite wasn't ever well handled making it apply to all attacks against anyone that maybe slightly different than you is quite brutal and honestly a little boring. One of the issues the smite had as well as this is that rage in the beginning deals more damage on more attacks. A simple solution is to add charisma to damage and obviously count as alignment for bypassing DR. Also eliminate the all attacks a round in the beginning. The idea of smite never really lends to incentivise people to spam it against everyone. Smite ultimately should carry an effect as it is a form of judgement.
As Unbeliever said you have a lot of essentia based features with very little essentia. I do understand making it less than the Totemist but currently many of those features are not going to amount to much as the cap on base recepticles in a campaign would be 4.
I think you need to break out of your corner alignments to lend options and versatility to this class. Also going by a vague or static code given by a book is always to give issues to whether you need to atone or not. Try to think of abilities each for lawful, chaos, good, evil, and neutral respectively, making a list for each to choose but each comes with a conduct rule. This way a player could custom how their player functions and even if he breaks one of these rules he only has to worry about losing that one ability for a day and not the whole set of levels.

Amechra
2013-08-28, 05:36 PM
Don't mention the Heart and Soul chakras; as it is, the feature permanently bars them from gaining them from any source.

T.G. Oskar
2013-08-28, 06:02 PM
I believe the Fiendish Codex I & II specify the subtypes of demons and devils as "tanar'ri" and "baatezu", respectively (FC I page 28 has the Tanar'ri subtype and FC II page 107 has the Baatezu subtype). All tanar'ri share the traits you indicate on the Chaotic Evil Perfect Alignment description, and all baatezu share the traits on the Lawful Evil counterpart (though the See in Darkness ability doesn't specify "some demons", but ALL Baatezu). This is to distinguish most of the tanar'ri from the loumara demons and the obyrith demons (and the spawn of Lolth), and the baatezu devils from the abishai of Tiamat and the retriever, which is actually a construct. Likewise, the Eladrin are grouped as a subtype in the Book of Exalted Deeds, where the remaining eladrin (Coure, Firre, Tulani and Shiradi) are located. Thus, you'd have the Archon (LG), Eladrin (CG), Baatezu (LE) and Tanar'ri subtypes.

As for Smite: I'm from the school of making smite matter, but also that smite must be a sudden effect, and not an extended duration effect (that is a mark/seal, IMO). If you were to ascribe to the idea of making smites sudden and dangerous, merely making them usable per-encounter and increasing their damage if striking people of your alignment isn't enough. I leave it to you to solve exactly how, but I'd like to point you that you've made Incarnum Defense an essentia receptacle, so Smite could also be an essentia receptacle and, why not, a bound to chakra ability. Toy with it.

Also, as for bonus feats: please, please, PLEASE, give them the option to choose fighter bonus feats. Perhaps not Weapon Spec. and subsequent, but at least let them get Power Attack, or Combat Expertise. Most of the Incarnum feats require you to choose these early feats, so allowing for both options at once relaxes the progression of the character (in other words, you don't have to plan too much ahead to make a good Soulborn).

Also: the "(prefix) Soul" abilities feel a lot like the Warblade class features, but refluffed to become Essentia receptacles. You're giving the Soulborn far too many Essentia receptacles (class features, feats, soulmelds) and too little essentia, so try to revise that. You might also want to revise the bonus of some of the class features: an insight bonus to critical threat confirmation rolls is almost pointless (a good reason why nobody considers Power Critical a must-have feat), Skillful Soul makes for a decent defense against attacks but doesn't make you great at using them, and Masterful Soul...I'm ambivalent towards it. The bonus on attack rolls based off the amount of essentia is decent enough, but the bonus on damage rolls is piss-poor and not enough to justify spending essentia. +1 on attack rolls and +2 on damage rolls makes for a much more reasonable ability, one which gives a boost when you need it, and allows for shifting essentia when you don't focus on attacking (which is how a good meldshaper is played. Then again, I'd like for you to reconsider the "(prefix) Soul" abilities towards options that are fitting for a Soulborn: a bonus on Reflex saves isn't that great, but a bonus on Will saves? Completely fitting. A Indomitable Soul-esque ability (Cha to Will saves) with the added essentia receptacle trait makes for a superb ability, on the other hand. Consider that for the remaining abilities, though Masterful Soul is OK (aside from the boost to damage rolls and perhaps applying earlier on).

Xaotiq1
2013-08-30, 04:17 PM
MASSIVE REVISION! Though I think I may have gone too far. Feel free to let me know how I can do it better! Heiwa, so****e niwatori no gurisu!

unbeliever536
2013-08-30, 11:03 PM
First off, essentia investment caps out at 4, so those 5-essentia abilities on Esper Strike aren't going see any use. You're probably better off with a 2/4 essentia split, like the magic weapon property for incarnum (whatever that was called...). Esper Strike also needs to specify whether those DCs are based on character level, meldshaper level, class level...

Almost every ability you've written up gives much better bonuses to the chaotic and/or evil end of the alignment spectrum. For incarnum defense, immunity to ability damage is way better than anything non-evil soulborns get, and immunity to paralysis is better than immunity to disease or immunity to fear. Almost every fear effect is also mind-affecting, so CN is strictly better than LG. I would recommend paring back down to four different alignments for soulborns and picking four roughly equivalent conditions to grant immunity from. For example, you could go with sleep, stunning, fear, and exhaustion. Of those, sleep and exhaustion immunities would probably be the weakest, so you would need some way of shoring up the alignments you handed those to. Looking at later abilities, all of the ones that give the soulborn the power to summon allies are way more powerful than the other ones, especially given that they can summon creatures with summon powers, creating a multiplier effect. Also, NG's ability should not include a blanket lesser globe of invulnerability. Esper Body has the same problems: NG and CG are strictly better than LG. In general, try to provide parity between immunities/resistances as closely as you can.

Essential Meld is really nice, and does a lot to fix the essentia problems, as it basically doubles the amount of essentia the soulborn has.

Esper Mind is not necessarily (Su), since you made the LN/CN ability (Ex). If you're specifying by ability, you need to give Telepathy a tag. These abilities also don't feel very flavorful. Tongues is a common spell-like ability of angels, but why should (only) an evil soulborn become telepathic? Why should a LN/CN soulborn get allaround vision?

AmberVael
2013-08-31, 12:30 PM
Sorry, this post is a bit long and not very... focused. It is kind of a jumble of thoughts and critiques. Hopefully you'll get something out of it?

The first level really needs something. Nothing gained at level 1 really gives you many options or signature abilities compared to other classes. Aura doesn't really do anything, detect opposition is fairly passive and minor, and due to how specific it is, is honestly less useful than Paladin's detect evil. You get 1 essentia, but oddly you have nothing to use it with unless you spend a feat or something... my advice would be to give them their first soulmeld at level one. It's only half of what the other incarnum classes get, but it's something.

I think in your revision your table got messed up. I see Skill Focus, Essential Weapon listed on the table, but not in class abilities. Esper Strike doesn't show up on the table, while the Esper abilities are on the table as Essential rather than Esper. Also, you appear to have renamed Perfect Alignment to Perfectly Aligned. Mettle shows on the table at 8th level, but in class features is gained at 6th level.

Also... your soulborn has a really unusual chakra bind progression. It gets its first chakra binds far later than the other classes, but by level 10, its number of chakra binds is equal to theirs... and then by level 12, it has more binds than incarnate or totemist. At level 20, it has 3 more binds than either of the two major incarnum classes.
Given that it gets notably fewer ways to use these binds- and since it in fact cannot put all those binds to use by default, I think this might have been some kind of error or oversight on your part. At most, it should have five binds- I'd probably put it at 4. I'd also start granting binds a lot sooner- level 2 at the earliest, and level 4 at latest. Admittedly, you only want to start giving binds once you have a way to use them, but I think you can work something out.

Incarnum Defense troubles me, because the bonus abilities it gives from chakra binds are honestly as or more powerful than the abilities you can get from soulmelds, and therefore effectively doubles the output of essentia invested into bound melds.
I would suggest revising it to work more like Esper Strike- if you use a chakra bind on Incarnum Defense you can invest essentia into it, and get a bonus from it.

Esper Strike is complicated. It has some very potent effects, and frankly it might be good to simplify it a bit. Also, as has already been noted, investing up to 5 essentia is hard to do pre-epic, especially with class features. 4 is generally the maximum.

Essential meld is kind of weird. It's good to help make up for smaller essentia, but this implementation is potent enough that it effectively takes you from 13 essentia to 25 essentia. I'm not sure it is appropriate, especially as the class doesn't seem to have the same soulmeld focus as the other classes. Maybe you could have a feature grant virtual essentia to Esper Strike/Esper Armor/Incarnum Defense instead?


Let me go back to being more general here. I think trying to focus on each alignment specifically gets a bit too clunky, and there's a lot of confusing items in the class already. My suggestion is to try and streamline it as much as possible, and to work out some of the stranger kinks.

Among other things, I would suggest trying to work out a method of reducing the number of ability variations- rather than granting powers based on specific alignments, perhaps grant them based on each alignment component? That way you'd only have five components to work with.

And for Incarnum Defense and Esper Strike, my thought would be to revamp them in a similar manner. Rather than granting powers based on specific chakras, grant them based on the character's alignment. I like the idea of being able to bind them, but what I'd suggest is making an Esper chakra, similar to the Totem chakra, to which only those abilities can be bound. This would allow you to give binds an earlier progression and still have something to use them on. Maybe you could try and get the other Esper abilities to work with such a system too? (I could see making the Esper Body and Mind abilities contingent on a bind... perhaps they could be folded into Esper Armor, and when you bind Esper Armor, you get their benefits?)

Xaotiq1
2013-09-06, 04:03 PM
Yet another massive revision. Lemme know how I'm doin'!