Which Soulmeld to Shape? (Archivist Advice!)

[IslandDog]

Hey all,
I'm playing an archivist, starting at level 1. I've taken Academic Priest for my level 1 feat. I'm playing a human, and I'm not sure what to take as my bonus feat.
I think I'm going to go with Shape Soulmeld, but I can't pick which soulmeld to shape.
So far it's between:

Mage's Spectacles: a +4 insight bonus on Decipher Script, Spellcraft, and Use Magic Device checks. With a point of essentia, these raise to +6 each.

OR

Blink Shirt: teleport 10 feet at will, +10 feet with a point of essentia.

My issue with Mage's Spectacles is that as an archivist, I have read magic at will, limiting the use of decipher script. I have 18 intelligence, so I'll have a good spellcraft check anyways. And UMD? As an archivist, I can't see myself using it too much. Any divine scroll I have I'll just use read magic on and add it to my prayerbook, and then if I want I can use the free Scribe Scroll feat to remake the scroll as a spell I know, negating the need for UMD. I guess I'd need it for divine scrolls?

My issue with Blink Shirt is that at third level I'll take Craft Wonderous Item, making the Anklets of Translocation (which have a similar effect 2 times a day) only 700gp. I also can't take actions after teleporting.

So which should I take?

Thanks in advance!

[Ssalarn]

Both options seem like you'll quickly outgrow them. Blink Shirt probably has an edge in usefulness over the Mage's Spectacles, but the fact that it nixes your action is a bit rough. Maybe Airstep Sandals for limited flight would be better?

Alternatively, you could check out some of the new soulmelds/veils from Dreamscarred Press' update of the system. It's for Pathfinder but a lot of the stuff backports pretty easily.

[NoACWarrior]

Blink shirt is a pretty good option - but isn't as useful as things like lucky dice since the opportunity to use the blink shirt is few and far between. Sure, you don't have to climb up a slope or be relegated to a 5 ft crawl when prone, but how often does that occur. The major strength of blink shirts DD is that it can be used all day long, and is a supernatural standard action. This means that if you get into a bind where you can't use spells - being grappled what not, but could still use a standard action mentally you can DD out of the situation. Freedom of movement is much better for that though, but with blink shirt you can invalidate BFC with a standard action while DMs won't get pissy that FoM is too powerful.

[IslandDog]

Both options seem like you'll quickly outgrow them. Blink Shirt probably has an edge in usefulness over the Mage's Spectacles, but the fact that it nixes your action is a bit rough. Maybe Airstep Sandals for limited flight would be better?

Alternatively, you could check out some of the new soulmelds/veils from Dreamscarred Press' update of the system. It's for Pathfinder but a lot of the stuff backports pretty easily.

Hmm, I'm not sure the DM would allow those but thanks for the advice! Is Airstep Sandals really better? I view Blink Step as a get out of jail (literally) free card, and a vertical climber. Airstep would be just the climber, no? Is 20 feet flight so much better?

Blink shirt is a pretty good option - but isn't as useful as things like lucky dice since the opportunity to use the blink shirt is few and far between. Sure, you don't have to climb up a slope or be relegated to a 5 ft crawl when prone, but how often does that occur. The major strength of blink shirts DD is that it can be used all day long, and is a supernatural standard action. This means that if you get into a bind where you can't use spells - being grappled what not, but could still use a standard action mentally you can DD out of the situation. Freedom of movement is much better for that though, but with blink shirt you can invalidate BFC with a standard action while DMs won't get pissy that FoM is too powerful.

Hmm, so maybe I'll go with that. I've also been thinking of taking Touch of Healing (although its possible I can only take that at level 3. Not so sure?).

[Waker]

Blink Shirt is one of the better options. Even if the distance is short, the ability to teleport at-will is tremendously useful.

[Chronos]

The other thing that Blink Shirt means is that there is no longer any such thing as a locked door, and wall spells lose almost all of their meaning. It's a very useful ability to have... though you're right that it's largely redundant with anklets of translocation (which are only 2/day, but how often would you use it anyway?).

Is there a soulmeld which boosts Knowledge checks? That might be a better choice.

[Zweisteine]

If your DM allows feat retraining, And the adventures aren't usually straight kick-in-the-door dungeon crawls, I would recommend being an Azurin, and taking the Blink Shirt, or Airstep Sandals. One lets you keep our action, but has less cool utility use.
With retraining, you can change that later on, and retraining has much better fluff with Shape Soulmeld than most retraining.
Azurin gets you that nice extra point of Essentia as well.

If you don't plan on being too optimized, py might just want to take a dip in Incarnate or Totemist later on.

I'll stick in an edit after I go check MoI.

EDITS:
At low levels, Soulspark Familiar is amazing. It's basically a mini-fighter that you can revive every day, and, if you have Essentia, can heal for free between combats.
As for the Mage's Spectacles, I'd say that, while they are very useful, especially at lower levels, some of the thee possible benefits of the feat are greater.

[NoACWarrior]

There's lucky dice which gives you a +1 with a chance to get +1 on everything.

[Rubik]

My favorite soulmeld of all is the phase cloak, but only at the point where I can bind it to my shoulders (ie, earlier with a psion than with any other character in the game).

[Zweisteine]

If you aren't allowed to retrain feats normally, see if you an convince your DM to letter re-choose the Soulmeld, which is the same in the end. Compare it to a fighter retraining weapon focus to another weapon: it's basically retraining an existing skill at the expense of the old specialization.

If retraining still isn't allowed, and this is going beyond the first handful of levels, the Mage's Spectacles are your best option.

[IslandDog]

The other thing that Blink Shirt means is that there is no longer any such thing as a locked door, and wall spells lose almost all of their meaning. It's a very useful ability to have... though you're right that it's largely redundant with anklets of translocation (which are only 2/day, but how often would you use it anyway?).

Is there a soulmeld which boosts Knowledge checks? That might be a better choice.

Wouldn't I need line of sight?
There is a soulmeld that boosts UMD and two knowledge checks by 6 each! Unfortunately I'd need toe dragon subtype. I could pick silverbrow human, but I think in the long run it would be fewer skills points?

There's lucky dice which gives you a +1 with a chance to get +1 on everything.

Whoa, those look good. Maybe I'll get the blink shirt until level 3 when I pick up the anklets, and then switch to lucky dice?

If you aren't allowed to retrain feats normally, see if you an convince your DM to letter re-choose the Soulmeld, which is the same in the end. Compare it to a fighter retraining weapon focus to another weapon: it's basically retraining an existing skill at the expense of the old specialization.

If retraining still isn't allowed, and this is going beyond the first handful of levels, the Mage's Spectacles are your best option.

I'll see what his rules are, though I'm leaning towards blink shirt now. Thanks!

[Big Fau]

There's lucky dice which gives you a +1 with a chance to get +1 on everything.

That is not worth a feat slot. At all.

The Blink Shirt can be improved via the Soul Boon spell (an option for Archivists due to being on the Cleric spell list) or by a Helm of Essentia (MiC). Suddenly you're teleporting 50ft instead of 10ft.

Wouldn't I need line of sight?
There is a soulmeld that boosts UMD and two knowledge checks by 6 each! Unfortunately I'd need toe dragon subtype. I could pick silverbrow human, but I think in the long run it would be fewer skills points?

The 1 skill point/level barely matters to an Archivist since you can use spells instead of skills. Silverbrow also gives you Featherfall as an SLA, which is kinda neat.

[IslandDog]

That is not worth a feat slot. At all.

The Blink Shirt can be improved via the Soul Boon spell (an option for Archivists due to being on the Cleric spell list) or by a Helm of Essentia (MiC). Suddenly you're teleporting 50ft instead of 10ft.

Ah! Good to know! I'll try to pick those up eventually.

The 1 skill point/level barely matters to an Archivist since you can use spells instead of skills. Silverbrow also gives you Featherfall as an SLA, which is kinda neat.

But the archivist uses knowledge skills. If the knowledge skills I'm getting a bonus to from the soulmeld add up to 18, wouldn't it be wiser to simply take the human and get 24 extra skill points (over time, of course)?.

EDIT: a question mark :p

[NoACWarrior]

Wouldn't I need line of sight?
There is a soulmeld that boosts UMD and two knowledge checks by 6 each! Unfortunately I'd need toe dragon subtype. I could pick silverbrow human, but I think in the long run it would be fewer skills points?



Whoa, those look good. Maybe I'll get the blink shirt until level 3 when I pick up the anklets, and then switch to lucky dice?



I'll see what his rules are, though I'm leaning towards blink shirt now. Thanks!

You don't need line of sight for blink shirt. It acts just like DD. Forgot to mention at lucky dice only apply to yourself until you can bind them to a chakra (not likely) and that its only attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, or ability checks, so its somewhat a lot less powerful than what I mistakenly lead you to believe.

[IslandDog]

You don't need line of sight for blink shirt. It acts just like DD. Forgot to mention at lucky dice only apply to yourself until you can bind them to a chakra (not likely) and that its only attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, or ability checks, so its somewhat a lot less powerful than what I mistakenly lead you to believe.

Cool, good to know. DM would definitely get pissed at abuse of that though :p.