Unbound [Incarnum Base Class]

[Cannotthink]

"The only way one grows standing still is complacent. There is power in change."

While others who dwell in the arts incarnum are willing to shape souls idly, you take a far more active approach. For you, there is as much power in formation as there is in release.

Abilities: Like many incarnum users, your constitution is a high priority. Not only will it increase the number of soulmelds you can shape at a time, it makes them more potent and you will gain more hitpoints to stick in the front lines. Strength will also be a great boon for competing in melee.

Races: Unbound tend to arise in nomadic cultures more commonly than those with stable settlements. They also tend to come from backgrounds of that of explorers, artists, and tinkerers. The unbound's style is often effected by their background. A hafling unbound will prefer to be quick and slippery to make fast ambushes. A gnome unbound may prefer to pick up abilities that could be released in brilliant displays.

Level	Ability	Soulmelds	Essentia	Binds
1	Essentia Spike	1	1	0
2	Soul Guidance	1	1	0
3	Rapid Reshaping	2	1	0
4	Unbound Life	2	2	0
5		3	2	0
6	Chakra Binds (Crown)	3	3	1
7	Unbound Spirit	3	3	1
8	Chakra Binds (Feet, Hands)	4	4	1
9	Rapid Reshaping (+1)	4	5	1
10	Bonds of the Free	4	5	2
11	Chakra Binds (Arms)	4	6	2
12	Unbound Body	5	7	2
13	Chakra Binds (Brow, Shoulders)	5	7	2
14	Rapid Reshaping (+2)	5	8	3
15		5	9	3
16	Chakra Binds (Throat)	6	10	3
17		6	11	3
18	Rapid Reshaping (+3)	6	12	4
19	Chakra Binds (Waist)	6	13	4
20	Soul Suppression	7	15	4

Full Bab
Hit Die: d8
Good Fort save
Poor Reflex and Will Saves

Skill Points: 2+Int Modifier (x4 at first level): Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Handle Animal, Heal, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (arcana), Profession, Ride, Spellcraft, Swim.

Weapon and armor proficiencies: All simple and martial weapons; light, medium, and heavy armor; all shields (except tower shields)

Meldshaping: Your meldshaper level equal to your unbound class level. Your save DC for soulmelds is equal to 10+the number of points of essentia invested into the soulmeld+your constitution modifier. You can have a number of soulmelds shaped at one time equal to your constitution score minus 10 or the value indicated on the table, whichever is lower. You draw soulmelds from the unbound soulmeld list.

Essentia Spike (Su): As a swift action, you may uninvest any amount of essentia from a single soulmeld you have shaped and return that essentia to your essentia pool. This infuses one weapon currently in your posession with the power of incarnum for one round. This adds 1d6 damage to your damage rolls for each point of essentia uninvested. If the soulmeld was bound to a chakra, you also gain a +1 enhancement bonus to your attack rolls with that weapon for each point of essentia as well.

Soul Guidance (Su): By releasing latent energies bound into soulmelds, you gain swift and valuable insight into your actions. Once per round after making any d20 roll, you may unshape a single soulmeld bound to you to reroll it. If any essentia was invested into the soulmeld, you gain an insight bonus on the roll equal to the number of points of essentia invested in that soulmeld.

Rapid Reshaping (Su): Once per day, you can invest essentia into this class feature. You may, at anytime, remove a point of essentia from this feature and return it to your essentia pool. Doing so requires a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. Rapid Reshaping allows you to reshape one soulmeld that has been unshaped within the previous minute. If you have a chakra bind availible, you may bind the reshaped soulmeld at this time. Once the amount of essentia invested in this feature is chosen, it cannot be altered except by its own effect and remains invested for 24 hours.
   At level 9, level 14, and again at level 18, the essentia capacity of this feature increases by 1.

Chakra Binds: Beginning at sixth level, you gain the ability to bind soulmelds to your chakras. You gain access to new chakra slots to bind soulmelds to as indicated on the table.

Unbound Life (Su): Whenever one of your soulmelds becomes unshaped, you gain a number of temporary hit points equal to twice the amount of uninvested essentia in your essentia pool for one minute

Unbound Spirit (Su): Whenever one of your soulmelds become unshaped, you gain a morale bonus on damage rolls equal to the amount of uninvested essentia in your essentia pool for one round.

Bonds of the Free (Su): Once per day, you can invest essentia into this class feature. As a standard action, you may remove a point of essentia from this class feature and return it to your essentia pool to choose to temporarily bind a soulmeld to any chakra (even if that chakra is normally not availible). This temporary chakra bind lasts a number of minutes equal to half your meldshaper level+ your CON modifier. The soulmeld unshapes at the end of the duration. This chakra bind does not count against the total number of binds you may have at one time. You can only bind a specific soulmeld this way once each day, even if you manage to reshape it. Once the amount of essentia invested in this feature is chosen, it cannot be altered except by its own effect and remains invested for 24 hours.

Unbound Body (Su): Whenever one of your soulmelds becomes unshaped, you immediately gain an additional action based on the amount of uninvested essentia in your essentia pool.
1 to 7 points - additional move action
8 to 14 points- additional move or standard action
15+ points- additional move and standard action

Soul Suppression (Su): At 20th level, an unbound is able to relieve another of the ability to manipulate the latent energies of the universe. As an immediate action, an unbound may unshape a single soulmeld to prevent a target within 100ft from using any spells, powers, spell-like, psi-like, or supernatural abilities for a number of rounds equal to the amount of essentia invested in the unshaped soulmeld unless the succeed on a will save. The will save DC is equal to 10+the amount of essentia in the unshaped soulmeld+your con modifier.

[Cannotthink]

Unbound Soulmelds
Crown
   Crystal Helm
   Halo of the Chosen
   Soulspark Familiar
Feet
   Cerulean Sandals
   Lion Paw
   Shifty Slippers
   Thunderstep Boots
Hands
   Bloodwar Gauntlets
   Lucky Dice
   Mauling Gauntlet
   Monk Gloves
   Sighting Gloves
Arm
   Armguards of Disruption
   Barbarian’s Bracers
   Bloodwar Gauntlets
   Bluesteel Bracers
   Healing Arms
   Mauling Gauntlet
Brow
   Disenchanter Mask
   Eyes of Persus
   Sapphire Spyglass
   Silvertongue Mask
   Soulspark Familiar
Shoulder
   Displacer Mantle
   Rogue Cape
   Troll Shroud
   Wind Cloak
Throat
   Billowing Brooch
   Silvertongue Mask
   Soulspark Familiar
Waist
   Vitality Belt
Heart
   Troll Shroud
Soul
   Vestment of Rebirth



New Soul Melds

(click to show/hide)

Barbarian’s Bracers

(click to show/hide)

Descriptors: None
Classes: Unbound
Chakra: Arms
Saving Throw: None

Your arms becomes wreathed in the pure, restrained might, power and ferocity of the barbarian kings. This provides you with the strength required to perform seemingly inhuman feats of physical prowess. You gain a +1 insight bonus on Strength and Constitution based ability checks and skill checks.
   Essentia: Every point of essentia invested in this soulmeld increases the insight bonus granted to checks by +1.
   Chakra Bind (Arms)
As a standard action, you can release the might of the Barbarian Bracers. Doing so unshapes the soulmeld. This provides a +2 enhancement bonus to strength and constitution for a  number of rounds equal to 3 + the meldshaper’s new constitution score. The bonus provided increases by +2 for each point of essentia invested.

Billowing Brooch

(click to show/hide)

Descriptors: None
Classes:   Incarnate, Unbound
Chakra: Throat
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial.

You have a breath weapon that is usable every 1d4 rounds.  As a standard action, you can breath a cone of sight obstructing smoke with a length equal to 5ft per two meldshaper levels. This cloud lasts for one round. Clear vision within the cloud is limited to 10ft. Creatures 11ft-20ft away have concealment. At over 20ft, creatures have total concealment.
   Essentia: Each point of essentia invested into this soulmeld increases the cone length by 10ft and the cloud duration by one round.
   Chakra Bind (Throat)
   As a standard action, you can unshape this soulmeld in an explosive blast of choking smoke. Doing so produces a spread the size of the breath weapon’s length and lasts the same number of rounds. Creatures still have obstructed vision. In addition, any creature within the cloud must make a fortitude save each round or become stunned by choking and gagging on the intense smoke that round. Creatures are merely nauseated on a successful save. You are immune to this effect.

Eyes of Persus

(click to show/hide)

Descriptors: None
Classes: Incarnate, Soulborn, Unbound
Chakra: Brow
Saving Throw: None

Your eyes are coated in a sheen that grants a +4 insight bonus to spot checks and on saves to resist gaze attacks.
   Essentia: The bonus granted by this soulmeld increases by +1 for each point of essentia invested in it.
   Chakra Bind (Brow)
You are immune to gaze attacks. You cannot be blinded or dazzled.

Halo of the Chosen

(click to show/hide)

Descriptors: Good, Lawful, Evil, Chaotic
Classes: Soulborn, Unbound
Chakra: Crown
Saving Throw: None

You gain a +1 insight bonus to AC against attacks made by creatures that have an alignment that opposes at least one non-neutral component of your own alignment
   Essentia: The insight bonus increases by +1 for each point of essentia invested into this soulmeld.
   Chakra Bind (Crown)
You gain the ability to make a smite attack. Whenever you make a melee attack, you may declare it to be a smite attack. You gain a bonus on the attack roll equal to the amount of essentia you invested and deals an extra amount of damage equal to your meldshaper level. A smite attack of this sort can only be performed on a creature that you gained an  AC bonus against through this soulmeld. An attempt against a creature that does not satisfy that quality is wasted without effect. This may be done a number of times per day equal to one quarter your meldshaper level. When you spend your last use of this ability, the soulmeld unshapes.

Healing Arms

(click to show/hide)

Descriptors: None
Classes: Incarnate, Soulborn, Unbound
Chakra: Arms
Saving Throw: Will Half, see text

You gain a +4 insight bonus to Heal checks.
   Essentia: As long as you have essentia invested into this soulmeld, you may make heal checks to quickly heal an ally. Doing so takes one minute. The DC of the check equals 10 + the target's current hit points. A successful check heals a number of hitpoints equal to half the amount you beat the check by.
   If there are two or more points of essentia invested in this soulmeld, divide the target's hit points by the amount of essentia invested in this soulmeld.
   Chakra Bind (Arms)
   You gain the ability to channel positive energies in a burst of healing. As a standard action you can touch an ally and make a heal check. The soulmeld then unshapes and ally is then restored hit points equal to the result of the heal check times the number of points of essentia invested in this soulmeld and is then effected as if a restoration spell was cast on them.

Lion Paw

(click to show/hide)

Descriptors: None
Classes: Unbound
Chakra: Feet
Saving Throw: None

You do not take the -2 penalty to AC normally incurred on a charge attack.
   Essentia: Each point of essentia invested into this soulmeld provides a +1 bonus to damage rolls made during charge attacks.
   Chakra Bind (Feet)
   You may make a full attack on a charge against a flat-footed opponent.

Monk Gloves

(click to show/hide)

Descriptors: None
Classes: Soulborn, Unbound
Chakra: Hands
Saving Throw: Fortitude Negates

Your hands are wrapped in etherial cloth imbued with the strength of martial masters. Your unarmed strike does not provoke attacks of opportunity and you may choose it to deal either lethal or non-lethal damage without penalty.
   Essentia: Your unarmed strike deals damage as a monk at a level equal to three times the essentia invested into this soulmeld. One point invested deals 1d6 damage, two points deal 1d8 damage, three points deal 1d10, etc.
   Chakra Bind (Hands)
You gain an effect similar to the stunning fist feat. The granted ability and the feat are exactly the same except as noted here. The saving throw is calculated as normal for a soulmeld. When all uses are spent, the soulmeld unshapes.

Rogue Cape

(click to show/hide)

Descriptors: None
Classes: Unbound
Chakra: Shoulders
Saving Throw: None

A ghostly cape drapes off your shoulders that seems to sway and waive in the calmest of air. You can almost feel the edges of the cape.

Effect: You gain the uncanny dodge ability.
   Essentia: You gain the improved uncanny dodge ability as long as you have a point of essentia invested in this soulmeld. Each additional point of essentia after the first increases the rogue level necessary to sneak attack you.
   Chakra Bind (Shoulders)
   You may unshape this soulmeld as a free action to avoid potentially deadly damage. This ability is the same as a rogue’s Defensive Roll feature. You gain a bonus to the reflex save of this ability equal to twice the number of points of essentia invested into this soulmeld.

Sapphire Spyglass

(click to show/hide)

Descriptors: None
Classes: Unbound
Chakra: Brow
Saving Throw: None

A faint blue disk appears hovering over one of your eyes. It appears to telescope out as you focus your eyes on an object of interest.

You may make a single search or spot check each round as a free action.
   Essentia: each point of essentia invested into this soulmeld provides a +2 insight bonus to search and spot checks.
   Chakra Bind (Brow)
   You are under the effect of a continuous see invisibility effect. You may choose to unshape this soulmeld as a standard action to gain the effect of a true seeing spell for a number of rounds equal to your meldshaper level.

Shifty Slippers

(click to show/hide)

Descriptors: None
Classes: Unbound
Chakra: Feet
Saving Throw: None

Once per round, you may make a single 5ft step even if you moved already that turn. (Including your normal 5ft step)
Essentia: Whenever you run or charge, you may make a number of 90 degree turns equal to the points of essentia invested into this soulmeld.
Chakra Bind (Feet)
For a total time per day of 1 round per meldshaper level you possess, you can act normally regardless of  effects that impede movement as if you were affected by the spell freedom of movement. This effect occurs automatically as soon as it applies, lasts until it runs out or is no longer needed, and can operate multiple times per day (up to the total daily limit of rounds). Once all rounds have been used up, this soulmeld unshapes.

Troll Shroud

(click to show/hide)

Descriptors: None
Classes: Unbound
Chakra: Shoulders, Soul
Saving Throw: None

You are treated as being one size larger when checking to see if an ability would affect you (such as swallow whole) or when considering bonuses to resist abilities based on size (such as trip or grapple attempts)
   Essentia: You gain a natural armr bonus to AC equal to the number of points of essentia invested into this soulmeld.
   Chakra Bind (Shoulders)
   For a number of rounds per day equal to one half your meldshaper level, you gain Regeneration equal to the number of points of essentia invested into this soulmeld. Fire and Acid deal damage normally. Activating and dismissing this ability is a free action done during your turn. When the number of rounds are all used, this soulmeld unshapes.
   Chakra Bind (Heart)
   You can’t be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.

Vestments of Rebirth

(click to show/hide)

Descriptors: None
Classes: Incarnate, Unbound
Chakra: Soul
Saving Throw: None

When disabled, you do not risk damage by performing strenuous activity. You do not lose life by performing standard actions while disabled. You may still only perform a single move or standard action while disabled.
   Essentia: When dying, increase the chance to become stable by 5% for each point of essentia invested into this soulmeld.
   Chakra Bind (Soul)
Standing over a body, you allow the energies of this soulmeld guide the dead back to the realm of the living. You may spend 10 minutes to create an effect similar to the raise dead spell, except you use your meldshaper level instead of a spell caster level and there are no material components. At the end of the ten minutes, your soulmeld unshapes and  the deceased is returned to life.

[Cannotthink]

Alignment: Due to the unbound's nature, they tend to shy away from lawfulness in favor of the freedom of chaos. Good unbound tend to shape soulmelds that will allow them to stand between the enemy and those they care about. Evil unbound prefer to muster the power to flay their enemy to free their soul from their body.

Religion: Unbound are often not very religious. They'd rather be on the move than spend time in a temple. Unbound are more than willing to accept that their soul may wander the cosmos for a chance encounter with another incarnum shaper's will. Those that are religious will worship dieties that embody travel, change, and freedom; often they'll worship many dieties at the same time.
Other Classes: Unbound are happy to be around most adventurers simply because they are always on the move. They will tend to dispise those bound by a code of conduct or the law of an organization.

Combat: Like most aspects of an unbound's life, as in combat, they like to be flexible but face things head on. They will make it their job to get in they way of an enemy and make their life miserable. Essentia Spike allows the unbound to smite the enemy with bursts of damage while Soul Guidance ensures that there will be a second chance to connect a strike or make a critical save. Other Unbound abilities provide a burst of potential after unshaping soulmelds.
The Unbound's meld selection provides options for mobility, enhanced damage, greater defensive capabilities, or the ability to disable enemies. Some soulmelds provide a boost to the Unbound's ability to help his allies out of combat, but is willing to sacrifice them to bolster his fighting skill in a pinch.

Advancement: Unbound almost always realize their power through experimentation. Often, begining after realizing they can feel the faint incarnum flow all around them and began trying to channel it. Then, they learned they felt the strongest while souls were on the move through their own body and spirit. Beyond that, few gain a formal education on how to work their power. Instead, they usually end up self taught and providing their skills to any job that will push them to the limit and beyond.
Due to this, unbound end up as militia members, guards, crusaders, sellswords, bounty hunters or gladiators. They seek to rise through the ranks quickly and make a name that will spread far and wide.
To this end, unbound will seek out any way to bolster their ability to fight. Common feat choices of unbound include Power Attack, Cobalt Charge, Improved Initiative, or simply Bonus Essentia. An unbound will likely become very specialized in one style of combat.

[Cannotthink]

A fourth to be sure. I'll keep on making this thing look better, but feel free to comment on things as they exist.

[Garryl]

I was skeptical at first about how an incarnum class built on the idea of not using incarnum would play out. You have pleasantly subverted my expectations by creating a class that instead of asking you to not use incarnum, is instead built on the idea of getting power from the momentary act of stopping using it. I'm not exactly sure how it will work in practice, but it certainly looks feasible. The actual rate at which you get melds, essentia, and binds feels a little on the slow side, but that might just be me. In any case, you've got an interesting concept going on here.

[linklord231]

Is the swift action for Essentia Spike meant to be the same swift action that you would normally use to re-allocate your essentia, or can you only do one per round? 

[Cannotthink]

Essentia Spike is a separate action from re-assigning essentia, so it would be once per round.

[linklord231]

Essentia Spike is a separate action from re-assigning essentia, so it would be once per round.

So that would mean you can only Essentia Spike once every other round... 
Turn one, pull essentia from something to fuel Spike.  Turn two, re-assign essentia (so that you can pull it next turn).  Repeat. 

[Cannotthink]

So that would mean you can only Essentia Spike once every other round... 
Turn one, pull essentia from something to fuel Spike.  Turn two, re-assign essentia (so that you can pull it next turn).  Repeat.

More or less. If there are more than one soulmeld with essentia, you can draw from one each turn until they're empty, then repeat.

Also, fun fact: RAW, you cannot normally un-invest essentia from soulmelds. You can either go from "nothing" to "soulmeld" or from "soulmeld" to "soulmeld". No "soulmeld" into "nothing". Weird.

As a swift action on your turn, you can invest essentia into any number of soulmelds that you have shaped. It remains invested in those soulmelds until you reallocate your essentia investment on a later turn.

I was skeptical at first about how an incarnum class built on the idea of not using incarnum would play out. You have pleasantly subverted my expectations by creating a class that instead of asking you to not use incarnum, is instead built on the idea of getting power from the momentary act of stopping using it. I'm not exactly sure how it will work in practice, but it certainly looks feasible. The actual rate at which you get melds, essentia, and binds feels a little on the slow side, but that might just be me. In any case, you've got an interesting concept going on here.

I'm glad I could assault your expectations in such a manner. I have played with the class a bit already, albeit only a couple sessions. Playing the class is a bit of work, such that you are almost always shunting essentia around. Essentia Spike turned out to be a very satisfying effect. Sadly, I didn't get to play past levels 2 or 3 so I can't really say much about the binds, essentia, and meld gain rate in practice. They were set up to be halfway between a soulborn and a totemist; something like an incarnum duskblade.

However, I will have the chance to play the class in a campaign a friend is running. The thing is starting at level 3 and lasting until about level 12, maybe. I should be able to get a better feel for how the class actually runs.

[Arz]

Skills: Needs knowledge(the planes), and bluff/heal has no justification for being there.

Chakra binds: I can't see any reason why this class shouldn't have access to heart and soul. Neither of which are linked to an extra bind in incarnate/totemist.

Essentia spike: This ability has no duration. Set for 1 round or a single attack. Drop the bit about enhancement bonus. That can easily be picked up as a soulmeld. See Soulsmite Gauntlets from MIC 136. Uninvesting essentia as a free action has precedent. Alternately, uninvesting as part of the swift for switching essentia could work in a less clean manner.

Rapid reshaping: Just exchange this for the incarnates rapid meldshaping. Create an incarnum feat for this class feature if you think this needs more uses.

Bonds of the free: Go with a set uses per day (1-3) as this is very potent. Lose the bind to unavailable chakra, could be used for totem binds. Could be replaced with:

Rebind Chakra (Su): As an unbound you have learned to loose and weft the chakra binds of soulmelds. You may bind a soulmeld to all chakra locations available to it as a move action. Doing so does not use a chakra bind or interfere with previously bound soulmelds. The chosen soulmeld remains bound for 3 + Constitution rounds and then unshapes under the strain.


Soul suppression: Nice capstone. Totally inappropriate for the class though. Why not something like corporeal unbinding or unbound disjunction?

Lion Paw: bonus should be insight.

I think the entire soulmeld list needs to be reworked. The only appropriate melds for this class should have bind effects that start off with "As a _ action, you can unshape this soulmeld to..." That will feed into your un-theme. So Eyes of Perseus and Lion Paw are right out. Halo of the Chosen, Monk Gloves, Shifty Slippers, Troll Shroud are sketchy. Toss out all the MoI soulmelds except Bloodwar gauntlets. A good naming theme would have pheonix, snakes, birds, and other icons of rebirth and sacrifice. Could also see using artifacts as they are nigh indestructible. "...you unshape Vecna's hand to..."


Not really sure if closely linking class abilities to soulmelds fits the theme. So I created one to test my mental waters. Remains murky.


Pact Skin
Descriptors: None.
Classes: Unbound.
Chakra: Soul.
Saving Throw: Varies.
   Incarnum forms the sign of a chosen vestige.

When Unbound Pact is shaped, you gain the slippery mind ability. Essentia: You gain a +1 insight bonus to saves against mind-affecting abilities for each essentia invested in Unbound Pact.

Chakra Bind (Soul): When the Unbound Pact is bound to the soul chakra, you choose one vestige whose special requirement you meet as a binder of half your meldshaper level. As a standard action you can unshape this soulmeld to activate one of its powers. For the next 5 rounds you must act under its influence, then this soulmeld automatically rebinds itself.

Berserker Blood
Descriptors: Chaotic.
Classes: Unbound.
Chakra: Arms or Heart.
Saving Throw: Varies.
   Incarnum forms a mad light in your eye and is exhaled in heavy breaths.

When Berserker Blood is shaped, you gain the DR 1/-. Essentia: DR increases by one for each essentia invested in Berserker Blood.

Chakra Bind (Arms): When Bersker Blood is bound to the arms chakra, it automatically unshapes if you drop a foe. When it first unshapes you perform a free charge attack out to a distance of 10' per essentia invested and gain an insight bonus to attack and damage per essentia invested. Any other abilities of this soulmeld are retained while unshaped.

Chakra Bind (Heart): When Berserker Blood is bound to the heart chakra, it automatically unshapes if your hp drop below 5 * meldhsaper level. You gain an insight bonus to Strength and Saves equal to essentia invested while unshaped. Any other abilities of this soulmeld are retained while unshaped. When hp rise above 5 * meldshaper level it automatically reshapes.

Thieves Guilder
Descriptors: Chaotic.
Classes: Unbound.
Chakra: Arms or Shoulders.
Saving Throw: Varies.
   Incarnum forms into the sapphire coin infamous to those who cant.

When Thieves Guilder is shaped, you gain the trapfinding ability. Essentia: You gain a +2 insight bonus per essentia invested inThieves Guilder to Disable Device, Open Lock, and Sleight of Hand checks, which you can make untrained.

Chakra Bind (Arms): When Thieves Guilder is bound to the arms chakra, it automatically unshapes if you are attacked while not flat-footed. You deal an extra d6 insight bonus to damage per essentia invested while Thieves Guilder is unshaped against that foe. Any other abilities of this soulmeld are retained while unshaped.

Chakra Bind (Shoulder): When Thieves Guilder is bound to the shoulders chakra, it automatically unshapes if you make a save against a spell that targets you. You suffer no effect from the spell and may take an immediate action while the Thieves Guilder is unshaped to recast that spell if its spell level is half your meldshaper level. Any other abilities of this soulmeld are retained while unshaped.