Jongleur, an incarnum bard [3.5 base class]

[sirpercival]

Jongleur



"O for the gentleness of old Romance, the simple planning of a minstrel's song!"
– John Keats

A Jongleur is an adventuring musician, who masters the use of many instruments in order to create complex pieces by playing all of them at once.

Adventures: Jongleurs adventure because... well, it's what they do. A jongleur travels the world, looking for new vistas to explore, and new ears to fill with the glory of music. They are wanderlust incarnate.

Characteristics: As is required by the adventuring life, a Jongleur is a jack of all trades, able to adapt to a variety of situations through the judicious use of his soulmelds. He is primarily a skillful character, but with a few offensive (and several defensive) tricks to support him in combat.

Alignment: Any alignment can lead to the varied paths of the Jongleur. A lawful character would have the dedication and focus required to learn and play a dozen different instruments at the same time, while a chaotic character would enjoy the freedom and self-reliance one finds on the road.

Religion: Jongleurs pay the most obeisance to gods of music and revelry, but they also worship gods of travel and the road nearly as often.

Background: Those who become Jongleurs often come from poor, hardworking families. A Jongleur must have musical talent, which is often discovered by a traveling minstrel who takes the fledgling Jongleur under his wing as an apprentice. During his journey, the young troubadour discovers the primal music of the soul, and the rest is history.

Races: Jongleurs can come from charismatic races like aasimar, hardy races like gnomes, or quick races like halflings.

Other Classes: As a skillful and supportive character, a Jongleur fits in well with almost any other class, but (thanks to his Soul Music feature) especially other incarnum classes.

Role: A Jongleur is a skillful support character, useful in a large variety of situations thanks to his wide array of soulmelds.

Adaptation: How a DM might change your class to fit into their campaign or unique world setting.

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Jongleurs have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Charisma > Dexterity/Strength = Constitution > Intelligence = Wisdom.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d8.
Starting Age: As bard.
Starting Gold: As bard.

Class Skills
The Jongleur's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Points at First Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier

Jongleur

Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Special	Soulmelds	Essentia	Ch.Binds
1	+0	+0	+2	+2	Personal Orchestra, Soul Music (song of potency)	2	1	0
2	+1	+0	+3	+3	Chakra bind (least), Combat Troubador	3	2	1
3	+2	+1	+3	+3	Armored Rig	3	2	1
4	+3	+1	+4	+4	Chakra bind (least), Harmony and Melody	4	3	1
5	+3	+1	+4	+4	Improved Combat Troubador	4	3	1
6	+4	+2	+5	+5	Chakra bind (least)	4	4	2
7	+5	+2	+5	+5	Soul music (song of impetus)	5	5	2
8	+6/+1	+2	+6	+6	Chakra bind (lesser), Tempo Fugit	5	6	2
9	+6/+1	+3	+6	+6	Animate Performance	5	7	2
10	+7/+2	+3	+7	+7	Chakra bind (lesser), Harmony and Ecstasy	6	8	3
11	+8/+3	+3	+7	+7	Improved Armored Rig	6	9	3
12	+9/+4	+4	+8	+8	Chakra bind (lesser)	6	10	3
13	+9/+4	+4	+8	+8	Soul music (song of capacity)	7	11	3
14	+10/+5	+4	+9	+9	Chakra bind (greater)	7	12	4
15	+11/+6/+1	+5	+9	+9	Greater Combat Troubador	7	14	4
16	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+10	Chakra bind (greater), Harmony and Agony	8	15	4
17	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+10	Improved Tempo Fugit	8	17	4
18	+13/+8/+3	+6	+11	+11	Chakra bind (heart), Incarnate Performance	8	19	5
19	+14/+9/+4	+6	+11	+11	Greater Armored Rig, Soul Music (song of epiphany)	9	21	5
20	+15/+10/+5	+6	+12	+12	Chakra bind (soul), Polka Will Never Die	9	23	5

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Jongleur.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: A Jongleur is proficient with all simple weapons, as well as any weapons granted by her soulmelds.  Additionally, the Jongleur is proficient with medium and light armor.

Meldshaping: A jongleur's primary ability is shaping the soul of music into incarnum soulmelds, which are drawn from the jongleur soulmeld list (see below). You know and can shape any soulmeld from this list, and the DC for a saving throw against one of your soulmelds is 10 + number of points of essentia invested in the soulmeld + your Charisma modifier. Your meldshaper level is equal to your Jongleur level.

You can shape only a certain number of soulmelds per day. Your base daily allotment is given on the table above. The maximum number of soulmelds that you can have shaped simultaneously is equal to your Constitution score minus 10 or the number of soulmelds allowed for your level, whichever is lower. At 1st level, you can shape two soulmelds at a time (assuming you have a Constitution score of at least 12). As you advance in level, you can shape an increasing number of soulmelds.

At 1st level, you also gain access to your personal pool of essentia, representing the primal music which flows inside you, which can be invested into your soulmelds to increase their power. The size of your essentia pool is given on the table above. Your character level, determines the maximum quantity of essentia that you can invest in any single soulmeld, (as shown in Magic of Incarnum, Table 2–1: Essentia Capacity). Each round as a swift action, you can reallocate your essentia investments in your soulmelds (see Essentia, MoI page 50).

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

Chakra Binds: Beginning at 2nd 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, MoI 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 the table above). Beginning at 2nd level, and every even level afterwards, select one chakra to which to gain access.  You can bind soulmelds to any chakras you have accessible.  At 2nd, 4th, and 6th level, choose a least chakra (crown, feet, hands); at 8th, 10th, and 12th level, choose a lesser chakra (arms, brow, shoulders); at 14th and 16th level, choose a greater chakra (throat or waist); and at 18th and 20th level, you gain access to the Heart and Soul chakras, respectively.

Personal Orchestra (Ex): As a jongleur, you have learned to shape the primal music of the soul into melds which aid you in your adventures. Your soulmelds all take the form of instruments, and you can use them as appropriate. You may use an appropriate soulmeld as a masterwork instrument for any Perform skill, and the competence bonus granted by the instrument increases by +2 for each essentia invested in the soulmeld.

Soul Music (Su): Once per day per Jongleur level, you can use the music resonating in your soul to produce magical effects on those around you (usually including yourself, if desired). These abilities fall under the category of Soul Music, and are dependent on any of chanting, singing lyrical songs, singing melodies, whistling, playing an instrument, or playing an instrument in combination with some spoken or sung performance.

Starting a Soul Music effect is a standard action, and it requires a free action to maintain on each subsequent round. While using Soul Music, you cannot cast spells, activate magic items by spell completion (such as scrolls), spell trigger (such as wands), or command word. Just as for casting a spell with a verbal component, a deaf Jongleur has a 20% chance to fail when attempting to use Soul Music; if she fails, the attempt still counts against her daily limit.

Soul Music counts as Bardic Music for the purposes of meeting prerequisites, and uses of Soul Music may be spent in place of Bardic Music uses to activate abilities (other than Bardic Music abilities themselves).

(click to show/hide)

Song of Potency: At 1st level, you can sing the Song of Potency, using your Soul Music to increase the meldshaper level or save DC of soulmelds shape by your allies. Any ally within 30 feet who can hear you play receives 1 Tone Point, +1 for every 6 additional Jongleur levels you have, which last as long as they can hear you play and for 5 rounds after. Allies can allocate Tone Points as they see fit when first gaining the benefit of this ability; each Tone Point increases the meldshaper level of one of their shaped soulmelds by +2, or the save DC of one of their shaped soulmelds by +1, for as long as the ally gains the benefit of this ability.

Song of Impetus: Beginning at 7th level, you learn the Song of Impetus, which allows you to use your Soul Music to amplify the soul essence of your allies.  Any ally within 30 feet who can hear you play receives 1 temporary essentia per 6 Jongleur levels you have, which lasts as long as the ally can hear you play and for 5 rounds after. An affected ally can allocate these temporary essentia as a free action when it first receives them.

Song of Capacity: Starting at 13th level, you can sing the Song of Capacity, a use of Soul Music which broadens the minds and essences of your allies. Each ally within 30 feet of you who can hear you play chooses 1 soulmeld that they currently have shaped. The essentia capacity of that soulmeld increases by 1 for as long as the ally can hear you play, and for 5 rounds after.

Song of Epiphany: At 19th level, you learn the Song of Epiphany, which allows you to use your Soul Music to transfer knowledge of your instruments to your allies. When you activate this ability, choose one soulmeld you currently have shaped; every ally within 30 feet of you who can hear you play gains the benefit of having that soulmeld shaped (and can invest essentia in it, if they have any, as a free action when you activate the ability). This effect lasts for as long as the ally can hear you play, and for 5 rounds after. When the effect ends, any essentia your allies had invested in the soulmeld returns to their respective essentia pools.

Combat Troubador (Ex): Like Orpheus for Eurydice, you have discovered at 2nd level that you are willing to go to the ends of the earth and beyond for your goals. Trivialities such as damage and combat cannot stand in your way. Once per day per 2 Jongleur levels, as a full-round action you can grant yourself temporary hit points equal to your highest ranks in any Perform skill.

Armored Rig (Ex): Beginning at 3rd level, the instruments (i.e., soulmelds) that you hang all over your body grant you a semblance of protection from attacks. You gain an armor bonus equal to the number of soulmelds you have shaped at any given time, with an enhancement bonus equal to the highest amount of essentia you have invested in any soulmeld. The armor bonus granted by this class feature does not stack with the armor bonus granted by any other source.

Harmony and Melody (Su): The primal music of the soul flows through you, and reaches a new height at 4th level. Once per day, you can invest essentia into this class feature and choose a number of skills equal to the invested essentia; you may not select the same skill more than once, and you must have at least 1 rank in each chosen skill.  The next time you make a skill check with one of the chosen skills, you may substitute a Perform check for the normal skill roll if you choose; if you do so, return 1 essentia invested in this feat to your pool. Once essentia is invested in this ability, it remains invested until you activate this ability for one of the chosen skills, at which point the essentia returns to your essentia pool and that particular skill can no longer gain the benefit of this ability (until you shape your soulmelds again).

Improved Combat Troubador (Ex): When you achieve 5th level, your training for battle has made you considerably more versatile. When you gain this ability, choose Strength or Dexterity; you may use your Charisma modifier in place of the chosen ability modifier when making melee or ranged attacks, respectively, if doing so would be beneficial to you.

Tempo Fugit (Ex): By 8th level, you have learned to match your internal rhythms with the natural flow of combat. You may use your Charisma modifier in place of your Dexterity modifier when calculating your bonus to initiative checks, if doing so would be beneficial to you.

Animate Performance (Su): Beginning at 9th level, you can temporarily create a creature of pure music to assist you. When you activate your Soul Music ability, you may increase the activation time to a full-round action, choose a soulmeld you have shaped, and make a Perform check (for the relevant instrument) as part of the same action. If you do so, you call into being a shadowy duplicate of yourself, which performs the music.

The duplicate appears in a square adjacent to you, and combines the effects of the unseen servant and major image spells. Once it appears, the duplicate can move just as you would, on your initiative, without you needing to spend an action. It has hit points equal to the result of your Perform check, but loses 3hp per round until it is destroyed. The image ignores terrain effects, and moves like an unseen servant, making no noise in the process, though it makes normal motions while traveling. If you have a fly speed, the image appears to fly when not in contact with the ground; otherwise, it walks on open air.

Your animate performance looks like you, though it is clearly not real. It has no equipment, but gains the benefit of the chosen soulmeld; you lose the benefit of the soulmeld as long as the duplicate is in existence. The duplicate produces the Soul Music in your place, and can flank, though it cannot otherwise attack. You can dismiss the animated performance with a move action, regaining the use of the soulmeld; you also regain the soulmeld if the duplicate is destroyed.

Harmony and Agony (Su): You are one with the primal music at 10th level. Once per day, you can invest essentia into this class feature.  The next time you use an ability which forces a saving throw, as long as there is still essentia invested in this ability, as a free action you may return one invested essentia to your pool, and simultaneously increase the DC of the save by +2. Once essentia is invested in this ability, it remains invested until used. You cannot activate this ability more than once for any given saving throw.

Improved Armored Rig (Ex): Your instrument harness is so thickly layered with soulmelds by 11th level that it softens blows against you with extra vim. You gain damage reduction /– equal to the number of chakra binds you have at any given time; this stacks with all other sources of damage reduction.

Greater Combat Troubador (Ex): Upon reaching 15th level, you are a master of the music of battle. You may spend a move action to imbue an attack with the elegance of music. The next attack you make before the end of your next turn, if successful, is automatically a critical threat, and you may make a Perform check against a DC equal to your opponent's AC in place of an attack roll to confirm the critical hit.

Harmony and Ecstasy (Su): Your internalization of primordial harmonies has increased dramatically by 16th level. Once per day, you can invest essentia into this class feature.  The next time you make a saving throw, as long as there is still essentia invested in this ability, you may substitute a Perform check for the normal save roll if you choose. Once essentia is invested in this ability, it remains invested until you activate this ability for a save, at which point one invested essentia returns to your essentia pool.

Improved Tempo Fugit (Ex): When you achieve 17th level, your internal rhythms mimic the flow of events around you, even when you aren't fully aware of the fact. You always gain an action in a surprise round, even if you would normally have been surprised.

Incarnate Performance (Su): At 18th level, your animate performance becomes more real. As long as you have at least 1 essentia invested in the granted soulmeld, the duplicate gains a Strength score equal to one-half your own and can perform combat actions using phantom, non-magical versions of your gear, and make attacks of opportunity, though it cannot otherwise attack. Any items that lose contact with the duplicate dissipate immediately, and equipment that extends more than 5 feet from the duplicate (such as a length of rope) also disappears beyond that distance. In addition, the duplicate's hit points are equal to twice your Perform check result.

Greater Armored Rig (Ex): Beginning at 19th level, your harness is so thickly clustered with instruments that it protects your vulnerable points. You have a chance to negate critical hits and precision damage equal to 5% times the total amount of essentia you have invested in your soulmelds at any given time.

Polka Will Never Die (Ex): Upon reaching 20th level, you are sustained by music even beyond the bounds of life. Whenever you would die, as long as you have at least one essentia remaining in your pool or invested in your incarnum receptacles, you do not die. Instead, you lose one essentia from your essentia pool, or an incarnum receptacle of your choice, at the beginning of your turn in each round that you would be dead. When you have no more essentia remaining, you die as normal.

While you are sustained by your essentia, you may be targeted by spells which only affect dead creatures, such as raise dead or resurrection; alternatively, if you would have died due to hit point loss, your hit points can be raised above 0 by healing spells as normal.  In such a case, you cease to lose essentia from your pool, returning to your full functions (and hit points, if applicable), and regain 1 lost essentia into your pool per round at the beginning of your turn until you reach your normal maximum.

[sirpercival]

Soulmeld List

(click to show/hide)

• Crown
  • Bassanelli -- Gain a +1 bonus to attacks against each enemy based on the number of times you've hit that enemy
    
  • Gong -- Gain a +2 bonus on Intimidate checks
    
  • Mouth Harp -- Gain a +2 bonus on Bluff checks
    
  • Pan Flute -- Charm a creature while you play
    
• Feet
  • Archlute -- Gain Uncanny Dodge
    
  • Lur -- As a standard action, deal 1d6 sonic damage with a ranged touch attack
    
  • Serpent -- Gain a +2 bonus on Tumble checks
    
  • Tambourine -- Gain a +1 bonus on Reflex saves
    
• Hands
  • Dulcimer -- Gain a +2 bonus on Sleight of Hand checks
    
  • Fiddle -- Gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round by spending a swift action
    
  • Lyre -- Gain a +2 bonus on Diplomacy checks
    
  • Tambourine -- Gain a +1 bonus on Reflex saves
    
• Arms
  • Bassanelli -- Gain a +1 bonus to attacks against each enemy based on the number of times you've hit that enemy
    
  • Fiddle -- Gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round by spending a swift action
    
  • Gong -- Gain a +2 bonus on Intimidate checks
    
  • Nakir -- Gain a +2 bonus on initiative checks
    
• Brow
  • Bowed Clavier -- Increase your base speed by +10 feet
    
  • Comb -- Gain a +2 bonus on Disguise checks
    
  • Dulcimer -- Gain a +2 bonus on Sleight of Hand checks
    
  • Lur -- As a standard action, deal 1d6 sonic damage with a ranged touch attack
    
• Shoulders
  • Bass Drum -- Your attacks deal +1d4 sonic damage
    
  • Bladder Pipe -- Fight normally at -1 to -9 hp
    
  • Nakir -- Gain a +2 bonus on initiative checks
    
• Throat
  • Comb -- Gain a +4 bonus on Disguise checks
    
  • Cornet -- Gain a +2 bonus on saves vs fear and sleep effects
    
  • Hurdy Gurdy -- Gain a +1 bonus to save DCs for your supernatural abilities
    
  • Mouth Harp -- Gain a +2 bonus on Bluff checks
    
• Waist
  • Archlute -- Gain Uncanny Dodge
    
  • Bowed Clavier -- Increase your base speed by +10 feet
    
  • Serpent -- Gain a +2 bonus on Tumble checks
    
• Heart
  • Bladder Pipe -- Fight normally at -1 to -9 hp
    
  • Cornet -- Gain a +2 bonus on saves vs fear and sleep effects
    
  • Lyre -- Gain a +2 bonus on Diplomacy checks
    
• Soul
  • Bass Drum -- Your attacks deal +1d4 sonic damage
    
  • Hurdy Gurdy -- Gain a +1 bonus to save DCs for your supernatural abilities
    
  • Pan Flute -- Charm a creature while you play
    

Soulmeld Descriptions

(click to show/hide)

Archlute
Descriptors: None.
Classes: Jongleur.
Chakra: Feet or Waist.
Saving Throw: None.
This long-necked strummed instrument has 14 strings and a wide, pear-shaped body. The neck has two sets of pegs for tuning, indicating both high and low notes possible.

Just like an archlute strikes a balance between extremes, so too are you able to find a happy medium, keeping your feet at all times.  You gain the Uncanny Dodge ability of a barbarian of your meldshaper level.  Essentia: You gain a +2 insight bonus to Balance checks for every point of essentia invested in an archlute.

Chakra Bind (Feet)
While an archlute is bound to your feet chakra, you can move at full speed while balancing at no penalty.

Chakra Bind (Waist)
When you bind and archlute to your waist chakra, you gain a fly speed equal to your land speed.


Bassanelli
Descriptors: None.
Classes: Jongleur.
Chakra: Arms or Crown.
Saving Throw: None.
Incarnum forms into a long double-reed instrument of dark wood, with a curved neck and seven fingerholes.

The high, delicate tone of your bassanelli is the product of utmost precision on the your part, and you use that same precision in combat. Whenever you successfully attack an opponent, you gain a +1 insight bonus to future attacks against that opponent for a number of rounds equal to your meldshaper level, or until you attack a different creature, whichever comes first. Essentia: When you invest essentia in a bassanelli, each successive attack which successfully strikes the same opponent increases the bonus to future attacks by +1, to a maximum of +2 per invested essentia.

Chakra Bind (Arms)
When a bassanelli is bound to your arms chakra, you reduce any miss chance you suffer on attacks due to concealment by an amount equal to 5% per invested essentia (to a maximum of a 50% reduction). You also reduce any cover bonus to AC from which your opponents benefit (against your attacks only) by +1 per invested essentia.

Chakra Bind (Crown)
While a bassanelli is bound to your crown chakra, on your turn (before making any attacks), you may choose to subtract a number from all damage rolls and add the half that amount as a bonus to all attack rolls. The amount by which you reduce your damage roll may not exceed your base attack bonus, and the penalty on damage and bonus on attacks apply until your next turn.


Bass Drum
Descriptors: None.
Classes: Jongleur.
Chakra: Shoulders or Soul.
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (see text).
A very large drum forms out of incarnum, hanging solidly on your back.

Like the hefty bass drum, your every move will not be ignored. Each successful attack you make deals +1d4 sonic damage. Essentia: Every point of essentia invested in a bass drm increases the size of the bonus damage die by 1 (use the Increased Damage by Size table in the SRD for the progression).

Chakra Bind (Shoulders)
When you bind a bass drum to your shoulders chakra, your actions can create loud noises. As a free action, you may cause any movement or attack you make to possibly deafen your opponents. Any creature adjacent to you when this ability is activated must make a Fortitude save or be deafened for 1d6 rounds. However, whenever this ability is activated, you suffer a -6 penalty to Move Silently checks while performing the movement or attack.

Chakra Bind (Soul)
Binding a bass drum to your soul chakra causes sonic damage you deal to strike at your opponent's very soul. Whenever an attack you make would deal sonic damage, you may choose instead to have it deal 1 point of Wisdom drain per 4 sonic damage it would normally have dealt.


Bladder Pipe
Descriptors: None.
Classes: Jongleur.
Chakra: Heart or Shoulders.
Saving Throw: None.
Incarnum forms a rough skin bag with a long pipe at the end, which sounds a long, low drone.

A bladder pipe's mournful sounds fill you with resolve to keep fighting death.  While you have it shaped, you automatically stabilize when reduced below 0 hp, and you can act normally while between -1 and -9 hp. This ability does not prevent you from dying when reduced to -10 or fewer hp. Essentia: You gain a +1 insight bonus to saves vs negative energy and death effects for each essentia invested in a bladder pipe.

Chakra Bind (Heart)
If you bind a bladder pipe to your heart chakra, you may spend 30 minutes making a Perform check (DC 15) to magically construct buildings, mines, tunnels, ditches, or whatever. The effect produced in 30 minutes of playing is equal to the work of 50 humans laboring for one day per invested essentia. Each time after the first that you activate this ability within 24 hours, increase the DC of the perform check by 3.

Chakra Bind (Shoulders)
You gain a measure of resistance against critical hits and precision damage while a bladder pipe is bound to your shoulders chakra. You have a 10% chance, +10% per invested essentia (to a maximum of 100%), of negating critical hits and precision damage.


Bowed Clavier
Descriptors: None.
Classes: Jongleur.
Chakra: Brow or Waist.
Saving Throw: Will negates (see text)
You shape incarnum into a wooden box with keys on the outside, hiding strings and a waxed cylinder inside.

Life marches on in time to the rhythm of your bowed clavier's wheel.  While you have the soulmeld shaped, you gain a bonus to your base speed of +10 feet.  Essentia: For each essentia invested in a bowed clavier, increase the speed bonus by +5 feet.

Chakra Bind (Brow)
When a bowed clavier is bound to your brow chakra, you may spend a swift action at will to force another creature to march along with you. Choose one creature within 30 feet; the next time you move within 1 round, the target creature must make a Will save or move exactly the same trajectory (distance and direction, including changes of direction) that you move.  This movement does not cost your target an action, but it does provoke attacks of opportunity as normal.

Chakra Bind (Waist)
Binding a bowed clavier to your waist chakra grants you the freedom to move as you wish. You can spend a move action at will to gain the benefit of freedom of movement (as the spell) for 1 round.


Comb
Descriptors: None.
Classes: Jongleur.
Chakra: Brow or Throat.
Saving Throw: None.
You produce a small ivory comb from a swirl of incarnum.

Even a seemingly innocuous comb can hide surprising potential.  While you have the meld shaped, you gain a +4 insight bonus on Disguise checks. Essentia: Each essentia invested in a comb increases the bonus by +2.

Chakra Bind (Brow)
If you bind a comb to your brow chakra, you may use alter self as a spell-like ability at will, with a caster level equal to your meldshaper level.

Chakra Bind (Throat)
By binding a comb to your throat chakra, you are constantly protected as if by a nondetection spell that you cast on yourself, with a caster level equal to your meldshaper level.


Cornet
Descriptors: None.
Classes: Jongleur.
Chakra: Soul or Throat.
Saving Throw: None.
Incarnum coalesces into a three-keyed brass horn with a sweet, bright tone.

A cornet's piercing notes seem to banish fear and doubt. With this soulmeld shaped, you gain a +2 insight bonus on saves vs fear and sleep effects. Essentia: When you invest essentia in a cornet, increase the bonus by +1 for each invested essentia.

Chakra Bind (Soul)
Whenever you bind a cornet to your soul chakra, you gain fast healing equal to your ranks in Perform (brass instruments).

Chakra Bind (Throat)
If you bind a cornet to your throat chakra, you become immune to fear effects.


Dulcimer
Descriptors: None.
Classes: Jongleur.
Chakra: Brow or Hands.
Saving Throw: None.
A long, curved stringed instrument slowly forms.

When you shape a dulcimer, your fast and clever fingers seem to steal music from nowhere.  You gain a +2 bonus on Sleight of Hand checks. Essentia: For each essentia invested in a dulcimer, the bonus increases by +2.

Chakra Bind (Brow)
When bound to your brow chakra, a dulcimer allows you to charm objects into your pocket, enabling you to steal at a distance. You can make a Sleight of Hand check at a range of 30 feet, but the object to be manipulated cannot exceed 5 pounds in weight.

Chakra Bind (Hands)
Binding a dulcimer to your hands chakra grants you the benefit of the Improved Disarm feat, even if you don't meet the prerequisites.


Fiddle
Descriptors: None.
Classes: Jongleur.
Chakra: Arms or Hands.
Saving Throw: None.
You shape incarnum into a hardy, quick fiddle.

The frenzied speed of a master of the fiddle could outrace the devil himself.  As a swift action, you may grant yourself a +2 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round.  Essentia: Each essentia invested in a fiddle increases the bonus by +1.

Chakra Bind (Arms)
When you bind a fiddle to your arms chakra, you make attacks much more quickly. Whenever you make at least one attack in a round, you may make an additional attack at your highest base attack bonus.

Chakra Bind (Hands)
When bound to your hands chakra, a fiddle allows you to reallocate your essentia as an immediate action instead of a swift action.


Gong
Descriptors: None.
Classes: Jongleur.
Chakra: Arms or Crown.
Saving Throw: See text.
A large brass disk hangs from your rig, waiting for you to smite it.

When your gong sounds, your enemies tremble in fear.  You gain a +2 insight bonus on Intimidate checks.  Essentia: For each essentia invested in a gong, increase the bonus by +2.

Chakra Bind (Arms)
A gong, when bound to your arms chakra, allows you to demoralize with the Intimidate skill at a range of 30 feet. In addition, whenever you successfully demoralize an opponent, that creature remains shaken for 1d6 rounds.

Chakra Bind (Crown)
While bound to your crown chakra, a gong increases the duration of sound-based effects.  Any sound-based effect you create within 30 feet lasts twice as long before expiring.


Hurdy-Gurdy
Descriptors: None.
Classes: Jongleur.
Chakra: Soul or Throat.
Saving Throw: Will negates (see text).
Out of incarnum, you craft a strange amalgam of a string, keyboard, and wheel-cranked instrument.

With a hurdy-gurdy at your disposal, the drone of the instrument carries a subtle undertone, warping reality around you.  When you shape this soulmeld, choose one supernatural ability you have. You gain a +1 bonus to the DC of that ability.  Essentia: Every point of essentia invested in a hurdy-gurdy increases the bonus by +1.

Chakra Bind (Soul)
When you bind a hurdy-gurdy to your soul chakra, you benefit as if from the mind blank spell, with a caster level equal to your meldshaper level.

Chakra Bind (Throat)
By spending a full-round action while a hurdy-gurdy is bound to your throat chakra, you can produce a mind-altering performance. Choose one creature within 30 feet for every 4 ranks you have in Perform (string instruments or keyboards). Each target must make a Will save or have its memory of the current encounter erased, as per the modify memory spell.

Lur
Descriptors: None.
Classes: Jongleur.
Chakra: Brow or Feet.
Saving Throw: None.
You shape incarnum into a long, smoothly curved horn.

The deep, rich resonance of a lur can be felt for miles.  As a standard action, you can make a ranged touch attack against any creature within 90 feet with this soulmeld, which deals 1d6 sonic damage on a successful hit and has a critical multiplier of x3.  Essentia: For each point of essentia you invest in a lur, you deal 1d6 additional sonic damage on a successful hit.

Chakra Bind (Brow)
If you bind a lur to your brow chakra, you can send long-range messages with a thought. As a full-round action, you can contact a creature  as per the sending spell, but limited to a range of 1 mile + 1 mile per invested essentia  (this ability cannot make contact across planar boundaries).

Chakra Bind (Feet)
Whenever you bind a lur to your feet chakra, you gain tremorsense to a range of 30 feet + 10 feet per invested essentia.


Lyre
Descriptors: None.
Classes: Jongleur.
Chakra: Hands or Heart.
Saving Throw: None.
A golden harp-like instrument forms from delicate strands of incarnum

The dulcet tones of a lyre can melt the heart of Asmodeus himself.  You gain a +2 insight bonus to Diplomacy checks.  Essentia: Every point of essentia you invest in a lyre increases the bonus by +2.

Chakra Bind (Hands)
When bound to your hands chakra, a lyre charms projectiles away from you, causing any ranged attacks made against you to suffer a miss chance of 10% + 10% per invested essentia (to a maximum of 100%).

Chakra Bind (Heart)
By binding a lyre to your heart chakra, you can protect yourself from being drawn to the depths of the underworld… as long as you play.  Whenever you gain the benefit of your Soul Music, Bardic Music, Virtuoso Performance, or similar abilities, you gain the benefit of the delay death spell.


Mouth Harp
Descriptors: None.
Classes: Jongleur.
Chakra: Crown or Throat.
Saving Throw: None.
A small twist of metal coalesces out of ambient incarnum.

Shaping a mouth harp trains your tongue to be quick -- useful for things other than playing the instrument.  You gain a +2 insight bonus to Bluff checks. Essentia: Every point of essentia you invest in a mouth harp increases the bonus by +2.

Chakra Bind (Crown)
If you bind a mouth harp to your crown chakra, your quick words are more difficult for others to see through. Whenever you make a Bluff check, the target's Sense Motive modifier for Bluff circumstances is reduced by one step.

Chakra Bind (Throat)
When you bind a mouth harp to your throat chakra, you are quick in deed as well as in word. You can feint in combat as a swift action, and if you are successful, you treat your opponent as flat-footed until the beginning of your next turn.


Nakir
Descriptors: None.
Classes: Jongleur.
Chakra: Arms or Shoulders.
Saving Throw: Will negates (see text).
Incarnum stretches into a tight membrane around a wooden frame.

One strike upon a nakir multiplies into a frenzied rhythm of war.  You gain a +2 insight bonus to initiative checks.  Essentia: For each point of essentia you invest in a nakir, increase the bonus by +1.

Chakra Bind (Arms)
Binding a nakir to your arms chakra allows you to perform a coup de grace as a move action which does not provoke an attack of opportunity. In addition, you can perform a coup de grace against creatures which are immune to critical hits.

Chakra Bind (Shoulders)
When you bind a nakir to your shoulders chakra, you can spend a swift action to grant you or an ally within 30 feet the benefits of a barbarian's Rage ability (but not any higher tiers of rage) for a number of rounds equal to your meldshaper level. You cannot target a creature who is fatigued or exhausted with this ability, and a maximum of 1 creature + 1 additional creature per invested essentia can be affected by this ability at the same time.


Pan Flute
Descriptors: None.
Classes: Jongleur.
Chakra: Crown or Soul.
Saving Throw: Will negates or Reflex negates (see text).
You shape a set of hollow pipes, bound together with strands of incarnum.

The lively notes of a pan flute bring smiles to faces and set toes tapping… whether they want to or not. As a full-round action, you can produce a charm person effect against a target who can hear you (spell resistance and saves as normal), as long as the target has no more hit dice than you. Essentia: You increase the hit die limit of your charm person effect by 1 for each point of essentia invested in yourpan flute.

Chakra Bind (Crown)
While a pan flute is bound to your crown chakra, you can spend a full-round action to produce an entangle effect, as per the spell with a caster level equal to your meldshaper level.

Chakra Bind (Soul)
When you bind a pan flute to your soul chakra, you produce a dominate person effect instead of a charm person effect.


Serpent
Descriptors: None.
Classes: Jongleur.
Chakra: Feet or Waist.
Saving Throw: None.
Incarnum forms into a strangely twisted horn.

Though bizarrely convoluted, a serpent still boasts surprising force as an instrument.  You gain a +2 insight bonus to Tumble checks. Essentia: For each point of essentia invested in a serpent, increase the bonus by +2.

Chakra Bind (Feet)
A serpent, when bound to your feet chakra, reduces your encumbrance by one step (e.g., a heavy load to a medium load). In addition, you can tumble at full speed with no penalty.

Chakra Bind (Waist)
When you bind a serpent to your waist chakra, you can charge over an arbitrary trajectory instead of in a straight line, making as many turns as you like.


Tambourine
Descriptors: None.
Classes: Jongleur.
Chakra: Feet or Hands.
Saving Throw: None.
A ring of jingling steel disks forms in your hand.

Even at rest, a tambourine jingles faintly, never fully still. You gain a +1 insight bonus to Reflex saves.  Essentia: Each point of essentia invested in a tambourine increases the bonus by +1.

Chakra Bind (Feet)
While a tambourine is bound to your feet chakra, you can teleport 10 feet as a swift action at will. The new space must be within line of sight and line of effect.  You can't use the sash to move into a space occupied by another creature, nor can you teleport into a solid object; if you attempt to do so, the teleport fails and the action is wasted.  You can bring along objects weighing up to your maximum load, but you can't bring another creature with you.

Chakra Bind (Hands)
When you bind a tambourine to your hands chakra, you gain concealment.

[sirpercival]

Reserved for supporting material

[sirpercival]

Reserved in case.

Remaining instruments to make into soulmelds:

cetra
chalumeau
cittern
clavichord
crumhorn
dulcian
harmonica
harpsichord
lute
mandolin
musette
ocarina
organ [c.f. portative organ]
psalterium
rackett
rauschpfeife
ravanahatha
sackbut
sanj
shawm
theorbo
virginal
zink
zither
zurna

[awaken_D_M_golem]

I'm taking 19 levels of this, and not a stitch more ... 

[sirpercival]

I'm taking 19 levels of this, and not a stitch more ... 

  whyyyyyyyyy

[Garryl]

Level 12's BAB is missing a '+'.

Why the weird chakra access? In addition to picking one at a time instead of just getting all of a given tier, you also have just as delayed access to Lesser (1 level earlier), Greater (same level), and Heart (1 level later) chakras as a Totemist, yet you still get Soul access pre-Epic.

You're essentia-capped at levels 3 and 5. Either add more essentia receptacles, increase the capacity of existing ones, or slow down the essentia progression slightly at low levels. You've got a faster essentia progression than Totemists (more base essentia, ability to get temporary essentia), yet you have less capacity (no +1/+2 capacity booster).

Bass Drum is a bit too strong for a soulmeld. +1d4+1d4/essentia is noticeably more than the nearest equivalents. By comparison, Thunderstep Boots has the same damage bonus but only functions on charge attacks, Mauling Gauntlets gives +2+2/essentia as a morale bonus on unarmed strike damage with a Hand bind, Lightning Gauntlet's Hand bind gives +1d6+1d6/essentia but only to a single attack per round, Kruthik Claws's Totem bind gives +1d4/essentia but only with the two claws that it grants, and Evil Incarnate Avatar gives +2/essentia (nothing baseline) as an insight bonus on melee weapon damage only. The drum is doing 25% more than the always-on equivalents while applying to ranged attacks, too.

Hurdy-Gurdy has (and allows for) some rather ridiculous save DCs.

You have some bolding problems after Pan Flute's Soul bind.

Too many soulmelds have base effects that are just +2+2/essentia to a skill. You probably don't want these things to be even less powerful than Skill Focus.

[Arz]

Reduce Skill points and skill list, this is not a particularly educated class. Bards go to college and are criticized, jongleurs go to the street and are heckled.


Chakra Binds
Other than avoiding dead levels I can see no reason for not gaining access to all chakra of that level. Only thing it looks like is that you were trying to give the chakra bind feats and then thought them too potent.

Soul Music
Needs some common language on how the music is maintained. You actually have more soul music available than can be reasonably used by the class in day. So do something with that.

Song of Potentcy
Drop the tone point nonsense and just stick with an increasing bonus to meldshaper level. The DC increase overlaps with Song of Capacity, which handles this aspect admirably.

Song of Impetus
"when it first receives them" for perfect clarity.

Animate Performance
Why not Call this ghostly soloist? Or similar. Also the hp should be limited to ranks as a performance check could be excessive. Finally I see no duration on the ability. Sacrificing a soulmeld adds quite a bit of complexity and I think you need to detail if this affects essentia investment and chakra binds.

Polka Will Never Die
No, just no. Go with Undying Rythm

[sirpercival]

Level 12's BAB is missing a '+'.

Fixed.

Why the weird chakra access? In addition to picking one at a time instead of just getting all of a given tier, you also have just as delayed access to Lesser (1 level earlier), Greater (same level), and Heart (1 level later) chakras as a Totemist, yet you still get Soul access pre-Epic.

Wanted to do something different. I kind of like the smoother progression, personally.  It reduces your flexibility a little bit, but I dunno if that's a problem.

You're essentia-capped at levels 3 and 5. Either add more essentia receptacles, increase the capacity of existing ones, or slow down the essentia progression slightly at low levels. You've got a faster essentia progression than Totemists (more base essentia, ability to get temporary essentia), yet you have less capacity (no +1/+2 capacity booster).

Fixed.

Bass Drum is a bit too strong for a soulmeld. +1d4+1d4/essentia is noticeably more than the nearest equivalents. By comparison, Thunderstep Boots has the same damage bonus but only functions on charge attacks, Mauling Gauntlets gives +2+2/essentia as a morale bonus on unarmed strike damage with a Hand bind, Lightning Gauntlet's Hand bind gives +1d6+1d6/essentia but only to a single attack per round, Kruthik Claws's Totem bind gives +1d4/essentia but only with the two claws that it grants, and Evil Incarnate Avatar gives +2/essentia (nothing baseline) as an insight bonus on melee weapon damage only. The drum is doing 25% more than the always-on equivalents while applying to ranged attacks, too.

Hurdy-Gurdy has (and allows for) some rather ridiculous save DCs.

You have some bolding problems after Pan Flute's Soul bind.

Too many soulmelds have base effects that are just +2+2/essentia to a skill. You probably don't want these things to be even less powerful than Skill Focus.

Yeah, I need to redo a lot of the soulmelds. I kinda threw them together (with the help of Bozwevial) in time for the contest.

Reduce Skill points and skill list, this is not a particularly educated class. Bards go to college and are criticized, jongleurs go to the street and are heckled.

These skills are all things you would probably learn better on the street than in the classroom. You'll notice that they don't have any Knowledge skills, which are associated with education. (Though they should probably have similar Knowledges to a rogue... I'll probably add at least Know: Local.)

Chakra Binds
Other than avoiding dead levels I can see no reason for not gaining access to all chakra of that level. Only thing it looks like is that you were trying to give the chakra bind feats and then thought them too potent.

Those feats only give access to one chakra, by the way. But anyway, as I said to Garryl I was just trying something different, and I thought it was interesting to have a smoother progression.

Soul Music
Needs some common language on how the music is maintained. You actually have more soul music available than can be reasonably used by the class in day. So do something with that.

Hm. It's supposed to be maintained as bardic music is -- I'll put in some clarifying text. And bards have the same problem, don't they? Maybe I'll put in rules for multiple songs at the same time.

Song of Potentcy
Drop the tone point nonsense and just stick with an increasing bonus to meldshaper level. The DC increase overlaps with Song of Capacity, which handles this aspect admirably.

The problem with this is that ML rarely has any impact at all. And even with capacity boosters, soulmeld DCs are quite low.

Song of Impetus
"when it first receives them" for perfect clarity.

Fixed

Animate Performance
Why not Call this ghostly soloist? Or similar. Also the hp should be limited to ranks as a performance check could be excessive. Finally I see no duration on the ability. Sacrificing a soulmeld adds quite a bit of complexity and I think you need to detail if this affects essentia investment and chakra binds.

Ghostly soloist could work, though I personally like "Animate Performance" better. I wanted it to be a check instead of ranks because it's animating an actual performance, rather than your raw potential. Since that check determines only the hp of the duplicate (and therefore its duration), I don't think it's going to break anything.

And... the duplicate should lose 3hp per round.  Missed that, I'll fix it.

Polka Will Never Die
No, just no. Go with Undying Rythm

It's a reference to the Dresden Files character Waldo Butters.