Warpsoul [base] & soulmelds

[bhu]

i must make something for this...

the only question is what

[SolEiji]

i must make something for this...

the only question is what

A lovecraft kitten?  Ia ia, kutethulhu fluffthagin.

[bhu]

Mythos inspired soulmelds based of the old ones maybe?

[Ziegander]

Mythos inspired soulmelds based of the old ones maybe?

Yes.

[sirpercival]

OK, that is such an awesome idea I wish I'd thought of it.

[bhu]

Im doing a lil iffy on my first round of the soulborn remake.  Lemme get some more experience with incarnum and ill give something a shot.

[sirpercival]

XEVU

   
"Your soul is... strange.  Its taste is unfamiliar to me."

Xevu are strange, warped creatures who draw sustenance from incarnum.  They are humanoid in shape, standing slightly taller than humans, and significantly thinner.  Their skin is coppery and ridged, and their overlarge eyes are entirely black with no irises or sclera.

XEVU RACIAL TRAITS

• +2 Con, +2 Wis, -4 Cha: Due to their strange metabolism, xevu are quite hardy, and their connection to the substrate of incarnum that permeates the world makes them extremely aware of their surroundings.  However, their alien mentality causes difficulties relating to or understanding other creatures, and the feeling is mutual.
  
• Medium: As Medium creatures, xevu have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  
• Aberration (Incarnum): As aberrations with the incarnum subtype, xevu are not subject to spells or effects that affect humanoids only, such as charm person or dominate person. 
  
• Xevu base speed is 30 feet.
• Xevu (unlike most aberrations) do not have darkvision.
• Unlike most aberrations, xevu do not eat or drink, though they do breathe and sleep.
• Essentia Pool: A xevu's essentia pool is permanently increased by 1.  If she doesn't have an essentia pool, this trait grants her one with a single point of essentia.
  
• Aberrant Incarnum (Ex): A xevu's [Aberrant] feats count as [Incarnum] feats for abilities which depend on the number of [Incarnum] feats she has.
  
• Incarnum Dependency (Ex): Xevu's bodies rely on incarnum for sustenance.  When a xevu is born, its sire shapes a soulmeld (chosen from the list below) which the infant xevu bonds to, and has shaped at all times (with a meldshaper level equal to the xevu's Hit Dice).  The xevu may not bind its bonded soulmeld to a chakra or invest essentia in it unless the xevu has at least one level in a meldshaping class which has that soulmeld on its class soulmeld list.  If and when the xevu does take levels in such a meldshaping class, it must always use one of daily soulmelds to shape its bonded soulmeld, though it may decide to bind the soulmeld to a chakra or not, as normal.
  
  If at any time a xevu does not have its bonded soulmeld shaped, or if the bonded soulmeld is suppressed, the xevu begins to starve and takes 1d4 points of nonlethal damage per hour.  This nonlethal damage may not be recovered until the bonded soulmeld is shaped again, not even through the use of magical healing.  The DC for a spell or effect to unshape or suppress a xevu's bonded soulmeld is increased by +2.
  
  
  (click to show/hide)

  Aboleth Gills (Warpsoul)
  Acrobat Boots (Incarnate)
  Beast Tamer Circlet (Totemist)
  Behir Gorget (Totemist)
  Brass Mane (Totemist)
  Ettercap Claws (Warpsoul)
  Filch Gloves (Warpsoul)
  Gibbering Mask (Warpsoul)
  Girallon Arms (Totemist)
  Great Raptor Mask (Totemist)
  Grell Robe (Warpsoul)
  Hunter's Circlet (Soulborn, Totemist)
  Keeneye Lenses (Incarnate)
  Manticore Belt (Totemist)
  Mauling Gauntlets (Incarnate)
  Phasm Shirt (Warpsoul)
  Shadow Mantle (Totemist)
  Silvertongue Mask (Incarnate, Soulborn)
  Sphinx Claws (Totemist)
  Theft Gloves (Incarnate)
  Truthseeker Goggles (Incarnate)
  Unicorn Horn (Totemist)
  Worg Pelt (Totemist)
  
• Automatic Language: Common, Xevu. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic). Incarnum contains soul energy from all sorts of creatures, exposing xevu to many different linguistic experiences.
  
• Favored Class: Warpsoul.

STARTING AGE
 Adulthood: 45
 Barbarian, Rogue, Sorcerer: +3d6
 Bard, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger: +5d6
 Cleric, Druid, Monk, Wizard: +7d6

AGING EFFECTS
 Middle Age: 150 years
 Old: 225 years
 Venerable: 300 years
 Maximum Age: +3d% years

HEIGHT AND WEIGHT
 Base Height: Male 5'3", Female 5'2"
 Height Modifier: +2d10
 Base Weight: Male 100 lbs, Female 90 lbs
 Weight Modifier: x(1d6)

XEVU CHARACTERS
 Xevu are almost always meldshapers, due to their physiology.
 Adventuring Race: Xevu adventure to learn more about the creatures whose soul-energy they have tasted.
 Character Development: Most Xevu are Warpsouls, as they identify much more easily with alien creatures than a particular alignment or with magical beasts.
 Character Names: Xevu names are nearly unpronounceable by members of other races, being mostly clicks and odd whooshing sounds.  As such, xevu are often given nicknames by their allies.

ROLEPLAYING A XEVU
 Xevu are strange and rarely understand idioms, jokes, etc. made by members of more normal races.  They have little to no empathy for other creatures, and often make strange comments about the souls of those around them.

MORE FLUFF TO BE FILLED IN BELOW

 Personality: A xevu might have a strange sense of humor.
 Behaviors: Typical behaviors for a member of this race..
 Language:Notes on this races language..

RACE SOCIETY
 Description of this races society, culture, and civilization.
 Alignment : What alignment is common to members of this race and why.
 Lands : Where do they normally live.
 Settlements : Where do they normally live when not in their homelands.
 Beliefs :Typical religious beliefs.
 Relations: How do they relate to other races.

RACE ADVENTURES

• Give at least three examples of an adventure for or involving a member of this race

[Garryl]

Incarnum Dependency (Ex): A xevu's body relies on incarnum for sustenance.  If at any time a xevu does not have a soulmeld shaped for at least 24 hours, the xevu begins to starve, becoming fatigued (as per starvation) and taking 1d6 points of lethal wasting damage per day.  Most xevu NPCs take Shape Soulmeld as their 1st-level feat to avoid starving.

...

STARTING AGE
 Adulthood: 45
 Barbarian, Rogue, Sorcerer: +3d6
 Bard, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger: +5d6
 Cleric, Druid, Monk, Wizard: +7d6

All Xevu die a few days after birth, decades before taking their first class level and thus even having the option to take Shape Soulmeld.

[sirpercival]

Oh.  Hm.  How to fix?  Maybe make the dependency only apply to adult Xevu?

[veekie]

Have the babies born with a single shaped meld that they cannot unshape or change in any way.

[sirpercival]

Have the babies born with a single shaped meld that they cannot unshape or change in any way.

Hmm... how about for Incarnum Dependency, I just make them pick a soulmeld from a list that they always have shaped; they can't bind it to a chakra or invest essentia into it unless they take a level in a meldshaping class (even if they do, they must always have that meld shaped), and if it ever gets unshaped they take damage much more quickly?

The list would essentially be melds with +2 to certain skills, to replace any racial skill boni.

Is this +0 LA still?

[sirpercival]

I tried the new-look Incarnum Dependency and I think it works pretty nicely.  It actually gives a benefit to non-meldshapers instead of meldshapers...

I also made Aberrant Incarnum only work for counting Aberrant as Incarnum, and not the other way around... because there's a feat here that does that.

So, what do you think?  Is it LA +0?

[Garryl]

Are there any feats that care about the number of Incarnum feats you have? I know there's one that looks at your essentia pool.

Edit: For Xevu, just remove the essentia pool bonus and replace the "bonded soulmeld" thing with Shape Soulmeld as a bonus feat.

Also, a Xevu without soulmelds can't shape more soulmelds because he keeps getting interrupted by nonlethal damage when he tries to shape them. Turn that damn starvation thing back to how it was before (per day, not per round).

Odd that you say Xevu have no empathy when they have a Wisdom bonus, the ability for Sense Motive.
Not a huge issue, but I am concerned about the lopsided stats (especially since Charisma controls soulmeld save DCs). Maybe remove the Con bonus and reduce the Cha penalty to -2?

[sirpercival]

Are there any feats that care about the number of Incarnum feats you have? I know there's one that looks at your essentia pool.

I know Incarnum-fortified body does.  There may be others...

Edit: For Xevu, just remove the essentia pool bonus and replace the "bonded soulmeld" thing with Shape Soulmeld as a bonus feat.

Every incarnum race gives out 1 bonus essentia, just like every psionic race gets bonus pps.  It's basically the only reason to play an incarnum race, in fact.  And I liked the Incarnum Dependency thing because it's a drawback, though not a huge one, to make up for the other boni.

Also, a Xevu without soulmelds can't shape more soulmelds because he keeps getting interrupted by nonlethal damage when he tries to shape them. Turn that damn starvation thing back to how it was before (per day, not per round).

I can change it back to per day, though that effectively removes the penalty. Maybe change it to per hour?

Odd that you say Xevu have no empathy when they have a Wisdom bonus, the ability for Sense Motive.

Yeah, that might be poor wording there.  I'll fix it.

Not a huge issue, but I am concerned about the lopsided stats (especially since Charisma controls soulmeld save DCs). Maybe remove the Con bonus and reduce the Cha penalty to -2?

Actually, soulmeld DCs are either Wisdom (incarnate) or Constitution (totemist, soulborn, warpsoul).  Given that, how big of an issue is it?

[Garryl]

Really? I thought the DCs used Cha for Incarnate. Thanks for the correction.

[Garryl]

Ahah! I thought the Warpsoul table looked off. The base Fort and Ref saves increase to +2 at level 5 instead of level 6, and they stay 1 level ahead of the normal progression until the end (+7 at level 20).

[sirpercival]

Ahah! I thought the Warpsoul table looked off. The base Fort and Ref saves increase to +2 at level 5 instead of level 6, and they stay 1 level ahead of the normal progression until the end (+7 at level 20).

Good catch, thanks!!