Redesigning 3.5 D&D with Incarnum

[Empedocles]

Inspired largely by this.

The idea has been brought up many times: a world where adventures are fundamentally more powerful then the average person. Not by virtue of a higher base attack bonus, or better saves, but by universal access to a supernatural power source. For purposes of this thread, incarnum.

Each class can manipulate incarnum in various ways, keeping the basic idea behind it (a finite power source spread out as seen fit) but changing it from being mostly soulmelds to powers specific to that class. For example, at the most basic level, a rogue could invest incarnum in sneak attack for +1d6 or a fighter could invest it in his sword for an effective +1 weapon.

But that's really, really boring. In fact, all it does is give everyone a meaningless stat increase.

How it could be made more interesting with melee characters is something I'll be getting back to.

Spellcasters are more important for now, because they are fundamentally separate from the Incarnum system, which is more or less designed for skill monkeys (Incarnates)/gishes (Totemists and, uh, Soulborns...). Translating that into spellcasting is difficult.

The way I envision it, spellcasters would have several resources to invest essentia into, possibly determined by school. That's easy with a summoner (he invests it in his summoned creature) or a necromancer (he gets x skeletons) but gets a little bit more tricky with everyone else. Inevitably, the spellcaster gets toned down quite a bit, having a limited number of magical resources that he can power.

Thoughts? This is like the barest skeleton of an idea right now...

[DoomHat]

So how 'bout them Exalted eh?

There are plenty of spells in the core that can be re-fluffed into things a 'mundane' character could do.

Why just a +1 to specific thing? Why not give them access to self only Bull's Strength, Owl's Wisdom, and so on?
Edit: Or True Strike or Rage or True Seeing, or....

I've just posted a big list of neat/crazy things for a mundane fighter to be able to do, maybe you remove the drawbacks I built in and make them abilities fueled by this Incarnum stuff?

Look no further then anime for a thousand and one powers gained through the Charles Atlas School of human to superhuman training.

Swing your blade so hard the force flies off it and hits something 40ft away!

Shoulder tackle colossal creatures prone!

Hold your breath and suddenly people compulsively ignore you!

Jump hella high!

Craft might weapons with your bare hands!

Its not that hard...

[Xechon]

Hey, I have an idea! Wait for it... Stamina.

This can be used by mundanes and magicians (fatigue-based casting), and not using it has benefits. If you run out of stamina, you will be less effective until it is regained, as not only can you not pull of these feats of awesomeness, you are also temporarily slower and weaker, your mind foggy, etc.

And definitely take a look at Doomhat's fighter link if you haven't already, there are some very good ideas there, and a few very anime-style impossibilities you can use as special "mundane" maneuvers.