(ENG) D&D 3.5 Ed. - Magic of Incarnum - Flip eBook Pages 1-50 (2024)

CREDITS Visit our website at www.wizards.com/dnd DESIGNERS JAMES WYATT, FRANK BRUNNER, STEPHEN SCHUBERT ADDITIONAL DESIGN RICHARD BAKER DEVELOPMENT TEAM ANDY COLLINS, DAVID NOONAN, ROB WATKINS EDITORS MICHELE CARTER, RAY VALLESE, PENNY WILLIAMS EDITING MANAGER KIM MOHAN DESIGN MANAGER CHRISTOPHER PERKINS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER JESSE DECKER DIRECTOR OF RPG R&D BILL SLAVICSEK PRODUCTION MANAGERS JOSH FISCHER, RANDALL CREWS SENIOR ART DIRECTOR RPG R&D STACY LONGSTREET COVER ARTIST HENRY HIGGINBOTHAM COVER PHOTOGRAPHY N. ERIC HEATH INTERIOR ARTISTS WAYNE ENGLAND, CARL FRANK, DAVID GRIFFITH, ERIC POLAK, MARK POOLE, WAYNE REYNOLDS, RON SPENCER, ANNE STOKES, CHRIS TREVAS, FRANZ VOHWINKEL GRAPHIC DESIGNER DEE BARNETT ART DIRECTOR STACY LONGSTREET CARTOGRAPHER MIKE SCHLEY GRAPHIC PRODUCTION SPECIALIST ERIN DORRIES IMAGE TECHNICIAN TRAVIS ADAMS Some information in this book is taken from or derived from these products: Bastion of Broken Souls by Bruce R. Cordell; Planar Handbook by Bruce R. Cordell and Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel; Manual of the Planes by Jeff Grubb, Bruce R. Cordell, and David Noonan; Monster Manual II by Ed Bonny, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, Skip Williams, and Steve Winter; Fiend Folio by Eric Cagle, Jesse Decker, James Jacobs, Erik Mona, Matthew Sernett, Chris Thomasson, and James Wyatt; Miniatures Handbook by Michael Donais, Skaff Elias, Rob Heinsoo, and Jonathan Tweet; and Frostburn by Wolfgang Baur, James Jacobs, and George Strayton. Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and the new DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison. This product uses updated material from the v.3.5 revision. This WIZARDS OF THE COAST™ game product contains no Open Game Content. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without written permission. To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 System License, please visit www.wizards.com/d20. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, DUNGEON MASTER, d20, d20 System, WIZARDS OF THE COAST, Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, Monster Manual, Magic of Incarnum, all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc., in the U.S.A. and other countries. All Wizards characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Distributed to the hobby, toy, and comic trade in the United States and Canada by regional distributors. Distributed in the United States to the book trade by Holtzbrinck Publishing. Distributed in Canada to the book trade by Fenn Ltd. Distributed worldwide by Wizards of the Coast, Inc., and regional distributors. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events is purely coincidental. Printed in the USA. ©2005 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. 620-88579720-001-EN 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ISBN-10: 0-7869-3701-7 First Printing: September 2005 ISBN-13: 978-0-7869-3701-1 U.S., CANADA, ASIA, PACIFIC, & LATIN AMERICA Wizards of the Coast, Inc. P.O. Box 707 Renton WA 98057-0707 +1-800-324-6496 EUROPEAN HEADQUARTERS Hasbro UK Ltd Caswell Way Newport, Gwent NP9 0YH GREAT BRITAIN Please keep this address for your records 620_88579_Chp1.indd 2 20_88579_Chp1.indd 2 7/12/05 8:54:13 AM /12/05 8:54:13 AM

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Chapter 1: Races . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Azurins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Dusklings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Rilkans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Skarns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Age, Height, and Weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Common Races and Incarnum . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Chapter 2: Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Incarnate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Soulborn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Totemist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Chapter 3: Character Options . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 Feats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Racial Substitution Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Chapter 4: Soulmelds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Shaping Soulmelds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Putting It All Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Incarnum and Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Meld Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Descriptors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Chakra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Saving Throw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Descriptive Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Other Meld Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Soulmelds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Acrobat Boots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Adamant Pauldrons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Airstep Sandals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Ankheg Breastplate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Apparition Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Arcane Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Armguards of Disruption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 Basilisk Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 Beast Tamer Circlet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 Behir Gorget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Blink Shirt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Bloodtalons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Bloodwar Gauntlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Bluesteel Bracers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Brass Mane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Cerulean Sandals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Crystal Helm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Diadem of Purelight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Disenchanter Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Displacer Mantle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Dissolving Spittle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Dread Carapace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Enigma Helm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Fearsome Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 Fellmist Robe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 Flame Cincture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 Frost Helm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Girallon Arms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Gloves of the Poisoned Soul . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Gorgon Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Great Raptor Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Heart of Fire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Hunter’s Circlet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 Illusion Veil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 Impulse Boots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 Incarnate Avatar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 Incarnate Weapon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Keeneye Lenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 Kraken Mantle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 Krenshar Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 Kruthik Claws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Lamia Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Lammasu Mantle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Landshark Boots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75 Lifebond Vestments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76 Lightning Gauntlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76 Lucky Dice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 Mage’s Spectacles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 Manticore Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 Mantle of Flame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 Mauling Gauntlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 Necrocarnum Circlet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 Necrocarnum Mantle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Necrocarnum Shroud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Necrocarnum Touch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80 Necrocarnum Vestments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80 Necrocarnum Weapon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Pauldrons of Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Pegasus Cloak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Phase Cloak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 Phoenix Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 Planar Chasuble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 Planar Ward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 Rageclaws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 Riding Bracers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84 Sailor’s Bracers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84 Shadow Mantle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85 Shedu Crown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85 Sighting Gloves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86 Silvertongue Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86 Soulspark Familiar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86 Soulspeaker Circlet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 Spellward Shirt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 Sphinx Claws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88 Strongheart Vest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88 Theft Gloves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 Therapeutic Mantle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 Threefold Mask of the Chimera . . . . . . . . .89 Thunderstep Boots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90 Totem Avatar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90 Truthseeker Goggles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Unicorn Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Urskan Greaves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 Vitality Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 Wind Cloak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 Winter Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 Worg Pelt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 Wormtail Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94 Yrthak Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94 Chapter 5: Magic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 Assassin Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 Bard Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 Blackguard Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96 Cleric Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96 Incarnum Domain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96 Druid Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96 Hexblade Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 Paladin Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 Ranger Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 Sorcerer/Wizard Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 Warlock Invocations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 Psion/Wilder Powers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 Psion Discipline Powers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 Psychic Warrior Powers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 New Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 Incarnum Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 New Invocations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 New Psionic Powers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Magic Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Investing Essentia in Magic Items . . . . 108 Binding Items to Chakras . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Soulbound Armor or Shield . . . . . . . . . . . .110 Soulbound Weapon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 Ring of Essentia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Ring of Soulbound Protection . . . . . . . . 112 Amulet of Incarnum Shielding . . . . . . . 112 Cloak of Soulbound Resistance . . . . . . . 112 Essentia Jewel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 Glove of Incarnum Theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114 Incarnum Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114 Soulvoid Orb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114 Chapter 6: Prestige Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Incandescent Champion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Incarnum Blade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 Ironsoul Forgemaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 Necrocarnate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 Sapphire Hierarch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 Soulcaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142 Pearl of Incarnum Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147 Spinemeld Warrior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147 Location: The Mishtoran in Nor . . . . . . 152 Totem Rager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 Umbral Disciple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 Witchborn Binder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162 Chapter 7: Monsters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 The Incarnum Subtype . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169 Body Shape and Chakras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169 Azurin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 Dissolution Ooze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 Dragon, Incarnum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 Duskling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175 Giant, Totem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178 Incarnum Golem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 Incarnum Wraith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 Lost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 Midnight Construct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 Necrocarnum Zombie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 Rilkan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 Skarn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 Souleater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 Soulfused Construct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195 Soulspark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197 Chapter 8: Incarnum Campaigns . . . . . . . . 199 Campaign Arcs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 Opening the Wellspring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 The Secret Keepers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 The Last Mishtai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 Incarnum Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 Incarnum Terrain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 The Bastion of Souls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207 The Pentifex Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 Appendix: Epic-Level Meldshapers . . . . . . 212 Appendix: The Essentia Tracker . . . . . . . . . 214 Character Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217 Essentia Tracker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221 620_88579_Chp1.indd 3 20_88579_Chp1.indd 3 7/12/05 8:54:18 AM /12/05 8:54:18 AM

Introduction Lidda emerged from the bushes, startling Ragnara. “Well?” Tordek demanded in a loud whisper. “What did you see?” Lidda pulled some briars from her cloak as she considered her answer. Impatient, Tordek drummed his fi ngers on his waraxe as Ragnara leaned closer to hear. “Well,” the halfl ing said, “it looks a bit like the asylum decided to relocate. Only there’s no walls or doors and no healers. Just a bunch of crazies wandering around the ruins.” “Crazies?” Tordek spluttered. “Are they armed?” Ragnara asked. “I didn’t see weapons, but I did see two of them fi ghting each other—tooth and nail, you might say.” Lidda smiled sardonically, but her voice dropped to a whisper as she heard a rustle in the nearby woods. “Shh! Someone’s out there!” “Hold your fi re, strangers,” came a voice from the brush, stern and quiet. “I offer aid against the enemies you have chosen.” A moment later, a man strode into the clearing—a man such as the three companions had never before seen. He was clad in full plate formed of a metal none of them could name. It was rich gold in hue, and the greatsword he carried over his shoulder was the same color. It was his eyes, however, that caught their attention, glowing with a faint blue light in the gathering dark. “Who are you, man?” Tordek demanded. “And what do you propose to do about those lunatics?” “I am Arstor, pentifex monolith and guardian of the ancient temple that lies yonder.” The man gestured in the direction of the ruins Lidda had scouted. “Those that infest the temple are not lunatics; they are the lost.” “The lost?” Ragnara’s voice betrayed her keen interest. “Their spirits have been corrupted by stray wisps of incarnum that bonded with powerful emotions of hatred, anger, or despair. They are now wholly given over to those destructive passions, and must be exterminated before their corruption spreads.” “Incarnum?” Tordek interrupted. “What in the Nine Hells is incarnum?” This book came about as an attempt to do something brandnew, something the vast multiverse of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS had never seen before. We set out to create an entirely original idea—not just interesting twists on existing mechanics and familiar themes, but a whole new system to add new landscapes and horizons into an existing D&D game. Like the Expanded Psionics Handbook, this book presents a new system that is similar to magic but different, a novel way of looking at characters who deal with the supernatural. The heart of this system is the substance called incarnum. Chapter 4: Soulmelds presents the full rules system for the use of incarnum; this introduction is intended to introduce the core concepts used throughout the book. INCARNUM Incarnum is an amorphous magical substance made up of the soul energies of all sentient creatures—living, dead, and, it is theorized, those even not yet born. In its pure form, incarnum resembles a radiant mist, deep blue in color. Those trained or gifted in manipulating incarnum can shape it into physical objects (called soulmelds) or simply use it to imbue themselves with power. Shaping incarnum has no ill effect on the soul energy used. Incarnum is not consumed when it is manipulated by a meldshaper or other character—it is merely “borrowed” from the nigh-infinite supply in the multiverse. That said, the wielders of incarnum recognize that the substance is more than mere magic. It is, very literally, the essence of all creatures. Talented wielders of incarnum learn to harness specific qualities of incarnum (and by extension, properties of the souls tapped for this power), including particular alignments, insights, experiences, and the like. In fact, most wielders of incarnum have strong moral and ethical outlooks inextricably linked to their use of the substance. SOULMELDS A soulmeld is a semipermanent magical effect crafted from raw incarnum. Soulmelds are “worn” much like magic items. Once shaped (a daily process much like prepping spells), a soulmeld lasts as long as its creator wants it to. The characters who make use of the options in this book— new classes, prestige classes, feats, and other options—gain the ability to shape incarnum into magical objects called soulmelds. Characters who can shape soulmelds are called meldshapers. A soulmeld somewhat resembles a magic item or a spell effect in physical form. It is the physical embodiment of incarnum, linked to the meldshaper’s body and worn almost like a physical item. Shaping incarnum into soulmelds requires time and effort, much like a wizard preparing spells. Unlike spells, though, soulmelds generally last until the meldshaper decides to unshape them, withdrawing the incarnum for future use. ESSENTIA Essentia is a character’s personal store of incarnum. Most characters can’t access this pool of energy, though certain classes and feats open up this potential. Essentia can be invested into soulmelds in order to enhance their effects. Essentia can be reinvested each round to augment soulmeld and other effects as the meldshaper wishes. Essentia is the substance of a character’s personal soul energy. Everybody has it, but only some characters learn to manipulate it to enhance magical effects. Meldshapers, for instance, can invest it into soulmelds to make them more powerful. Every soulmeld can be enhanced by investing essentia into it, in much the same way as spells improve with higher caster levels. Unlike caster level, a soulmeld’s invested essentia is not a fi xed number; it can shift up or down as the meldshaper desires. The more powerful the character, the more essentia he can invest into his soulmelds and thus the more powerful they can become. In addition to its use in soulmelds, essentia can sometimes be invested into feats, class features, and other abilities. Chapter 3: Character Options presents a new type of feat, the incarnum feat, which grants abilities that scale up with INTRODUCTION 4 620_88579_Chp1.indd 4 20_88579_Chp1.indd 4 7/12/05 8:54:20 AM /12/05 8:54:20 AM

5 INTRODUCTION invested essentia. Chapter 5: Magic introduces spells and magic items that have similar scaling effects. Any character, regardless of whether he can shape soulmelds, can gain access to his personal pool of essentia by the selection of the proper feat or other option. CHAKRAS Chakras are the body’s ten centers of power: crown, feet, hands, arms, brow, shoulders, throat, waist, heart, and soul. Similar to and closely linked with ten of the magic item spaces on the body described in the Dungeon Master’s Guide, the ten chakras represent locations on the body where a meldshaper can place a soulmeld. Meldshapers have access to all their chakras for the purpose of shaping soulmelds to occupy them. CHAKRA BINDS A soulmeld can be bound to a chakra in order to gain a secondary (and often more potent) effect from it. Doing so cuts off the corresponding body slot from magic item use—binding a soulmeld to your feet chakra means you can’t wear magic boots, for example. A skilled meldshaper can bind some of his soulmelds to chakras to gain new powers from those soulmelds. When a meldshaper binds a meld to a chakra, it becomes supernaturally tied or affi xed to that body location. As a side effect of the chakra bind, the meldshaper loses the ability to benefi t from a magic item occupying the body slot associated with that chakra. A meldshaper can shape soulmelds to occupy any of his chakras even at 1st level. However, the chakras are defi ned by a relative level of power or diffi culty for the purposes of binding soulmelds to them. As a meldshaper increases in level, he learns to bind soulmelds fi rst to his least chakras (crown, feet, and hands), then lesser (arms, brow, and shoulders), then greater (throat and waist), and eventually to his heart and soul chakras. A meldshaper can only bind soulmelds to a limited number of his chakras, but that number increases as he gains levels. Each soulmeld description indicates which chakra or chakras it can be bound to, and the effects of binding it to each chakra. In general, binding a soulmeld to a chakra produces an effect similar to that granted by a magic item worn on the corresponding body slot. For example, binding a soulmeld to the throat chakra often grants the meldshaper abilities related to protection or discernment, just as a magic amulet or scarab usually does. Other thematic ties link the powers of soulmelds to their chakra Arstor, a Pentifex Monolith (see page 209) Illus. by W. Reynolds pqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqrs pqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqrs SWIFT AND IMMEDIATE ACTIONS Some of the rules and features described in Magic of Incarnum use two new action types: the swift action and the immediate action. A description of how each works follows. Swift Action: A swift action consumes a very small amount of time, but represents a larger expenditure of effort and energy than a free action. You can perform one swift action per turn without affecting your ability to perform other actions. In that regard, a swift action is like a free action. However, you can perform only a single swift action per turn, regardless of what other actions you take. You can take a swift action any time you would normally be allowed to take a free action. Casting a quickened spell is a swift action (instead of a free action, as stated in the Quicken Spell feat description in the Player’s Handbook). In addition, casting any spell with a casting time of 1 swift action (such as divest essentia) is a swift action. Casting a spell with a casting time of 1 swift action does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Immediate Action: Much like a swift action, an immediate action consumes a very small amount of time, but represents a larger expenditure of effort and energy than a free action. However, unlike a swift action, an immediate action can be performed at any time—even if it’s not your turn. Casting feather fall is an immediate action (instead of a free action, as stated in the spell description in the Player’s Handbook), since the spell can be cast at any time. Using an immediate action on your turn is the same as using a swift action, and counts as your swift action for that turn. You cannot use another immediate action or a swift action until after your next turn if you have used an immediate action when it is not currently your turn. You also cannot use an immediate action if you are currently flat-footed. 620_88579_Chp1.indd 5 20_88579_Chp1.indd 5 7/12/05 8:54:22 AM /12/05 8:54:22 AM

6INTRODUCTION binds. A soulmeld bound to the throat chakra might also grant the meldshaper a breath weapon or some ability related to speech, since these abilities are symbolically connected to the throat. See the Behind the Curtain sidebar entitled Body Slot Affinities on page 288 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide for more about the abilities granted by magic items that occupy different body slots. CAMPAIGN AND CHARACTER OPTIONS Central to the concept behind this book is the idea that you can use as much or as little of it as you want to in your game. Through the chapters of this book, we’ve introduced incarnum-touched variations and options for every aspect of a character and a campaign. A player who is very excited about incarnum might choose a new race from Chapter 1, one of the meldshaping standard classes from Chapter 2, and feats from the new feats presented in Chapter 3. His character can shape soulmelds drawn from Chapter 4 and wield magic items from Chapter 5. When he’s ready, he might adopt a prestige class from Chapter 6. For such a player, this book can almost replace the Player’s Handbook—in much the same way that the Expanded Psionics Handbook can for a psionic character. Others might prefer to simply dabble in incarnum. A player can choose a race and a class from the Player’s Handbook, then choose feats from Chapter 3 to open up incarnum-related options. If he has a spellcaster or psionic character, abundant options await in Chapter 5. He can make extensive use of the items in Chapter 5, even if he can’t unlock all the potential of those items. Several of the prestige classes in Chapter 6 are available to characters with little previous exposure to incarnum, so they open up additional opportunities. A player who wants his character to dabble in incarnum can use this book as an additional resource at the table, without having incarnum dominate the character’s capabilities. If playing such a character appeals to you, consider the following feats and prestige classes from this book, based on your character’s class: Barbarian: Cobalt Charge, Cobalt Critical, Cobalt Power, Cobalt Rage; totem rager. Bard: Incarnum Spellshaping, Midnight Metamagic, Soultouched Spellcasting; soulcaster. Cleric: Azure Turning, Divine Soultouch, Incarnum Spellshaping, Midnight Metamagic, Sapphire Smite, Soultouched Spellcasting; sapphire hierarch. Druid: Azure Wild Shape, Incarnum Spellshaping, Midnight Metamagic, Share Soulmeld, Soultouched Spellcasting. Fighter: Cobalt Charge, Cobalt Critical, Cobalt Expertise, Cobalt Power, Cobalt Precision; incandescent champion, incarnum blade. Monk: Azure Touch, Azure Toughness, Sapphire Fist; incandescent champion, umbral disciple. Paladin: Azure Touch, Azure Turning, Cobalt Charge, Divine Soultouch, Incarnum Spellshaping, Midnight Metamagic, Sapphire Smite, Share Soulmeld, Soultouched Spellcasting; incandescent champion, incarnum blade. Ranger: Cobalt Precision, Incarnum Spellshaping, Midnight Dodge, Midnight Metamagic, Soultouched Spellcasting; incarnum blade, umbral disciple. Rogue: Azure Enmity, Cobalt Expertise, Indigo Strike, Midnight Dodge; umbral disciple. Sorcerer or Wizard: Incarnum Spellshaping, Midnight Metamagic, Share Soulmeld, Soultouched Spellcasting; soulcaster. Psionic Character: Azure Talent, Midnight Augmentation, Psycarnum Blade, Psycarnum Crystal, Psycarnum Infusion; incarnum blade. Any Character: Azure Toughness, Bonus Essentia, Cerulean Fortitude, Cerulean Refl exes, Cerulean Will, Healing Soul, Incarnum-Fortifi ed Body, Open Greater Chakra, Open Least Chakra, Open Lesser Chakra, Sapphire Sprint, Shape Soulmeld, Soulsight. A campaign might introduce incarnum in tiny fragments: a single villain with a meldshaping class from Chapter 2, an encounter with members of a new race from Chapter 1 or monsters from Chapter 7, or a strange item from Chapter 5 that holds the promise of more abilities than it immediately reveals—if a character can learn to access his essentia pool. The player characters might explore an ancient ruin strangely laden with incarnum-related items and opponents, and learn new capabilities themselves as they progress through the ruins and uncover their secrets. Like Tordek, Lidda, and Ragnara in the vignette at the start of this introduction, the PCs in your campaign might stumble upon a horde of lost infesting a dolmen circle and turn to the dolmen’s sole defender (an NPC or even a new PC) for aid against these unfamiliar foes. Chapter 8: Incarnum Campaigns includes a wealth of options and advice about incorporating incarnum into an ongoing or all-new campaign. Whatever options you choose, you’ll fi nd Magic of Incarnum injecting a unique flavor and never-before-seen effects into your campaign. Whether you’re as new to the game as incarnates and azurins or you’ve been playing since psionics made their fi rst appearance, we trust that the arrival of incarnum will spark your imagination and give new life to your campaigns and adventures to come. 620_88579_Chp1.indd 6 20_88579_Chp1.indd 6 7/12/05 8:54:25 AM /12/05 8:54:25 AM

7 Illus. by D. Griffi th Illus. by D. Griffi th ncarnum is a part of every living creature. On an individual level, incarnum changes those who use it. On a grander scale, it has altered or created entire races whose substance is infused with incarnum. Four of these races are detailed in this chapter. (Additional incarnuminfl uenced creatures appear in Chapter 7.) Azurins are born of human parents, created when incarnum bonds with preincarnate (those not yet born) souls who are born as human infants. Dusklings are wild extraplanar fey whose bond with incarnum exists on a more primal level than perhaps any other creature. Rilkans and skarns are twin offshoots of a common ancestor race, the mishtai, but two siblings were never more different than these races. The rilkans are rakish, freethinking scoundrels, while the skarns are fi erce warriors dedicated to a philosophical ideal of physical perfection. Your character’s race determines some of his or her qualities. Table 1–1: Racial Ability Adjustments, on the following page, shows ability score adjustments, favored class, and starting languages for each of the new races described in this chapter. AZURINS “I am human, and so much more.” —Thiera Donassik, azurin soulborn Azurins are incarnum-touched beings born to human parents. Every so often, the energies of incarnum bond with a pure soul as it becomes instilled in a human form. Perhaps incarnum seeped into the place where the soul emerged, or the soul passed through an incarnum-rich area of the planes on its way to the mortal realm. Whatever the cause, the result is an azurin child, a child who is not entirely human. The incarnum-infused spirit of an azurin ties itself closely to the physical form, but the intensity of the bonded energies causes rapid physical aging and maturation. An azurin’s shorter lifespan creates a tendency to undertake risky endeavors and embrace ideals passionately. Azurins do not always create other azurins when they reproduce. Two azurin parents have a much greater chance of conceiving an azurin child, but the child might also be human. As a result, azurins tend to be solitary, living their lives within human civilizations. Azurins have never been born to non human parents. AZURIN RACIAL TRAITS Azurins resemble their human parents in most respects, including the familial similarity that any human child would share with his or her parents. The one exception to this is their eyes: the sclera (whites) of azurin eyes have a sky-blue sheen. Azurins are otherwise as varied in appearance as humans. • Medium: As Medium creatures, azurins have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. • Azurin base land speed is 30 feet. Rilkan scales ilkan scales Skarn spikes karn spikes Duskling uskling 620_88579_Chp1.indd 7 20_88579_Chp1.indd 7 7/12/05 8:54:27 AM /12/05 8:54:27 AM

8CHAPTER 1 RACES • Humanoid (Human): Azurins are of human descent and are affected by spells and the like as if they were purely human. • Humanoid (Incarnum): Azurins are humanoids with the incarnum subtype (see page 169). • 1 extra feat at 1st level, a human trait that azurins inherit from their parents. • Essentia Pool: An azurin’s essentia pool is permanently increased by 1. If he doesn’t have an essentia pool, this trait grants him one with a single point of essentia. • Automatic Language: Common. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic). • Favored Class: Soulborn. AZURIN SOCIETY Azurins live on the periphery of human society, occasionally joining radical or extremist groups that share their outlook on life. Multiple azurins in the same group might segregate themselves from humans who shun them for their dissimilarities. Alignment: Azurins are never neutral, instead favoring extreme alignments. Azurins are as likely to be lawful good as they are chaotic good, lawful evil, or chaotic evil. More so than most other mortal races, azurins strive to embody their alignment. Lands: As part of human culture, azurins live in all types of lands. They can be found among nomadic desert peoples or in the midst of a city’s aristocracy. Even if cast out from a society, azurins still thrive on interaction and can usually be found near a human settlement. Settlements: Azurins rarely create settlements of their own, but when they do, they fi nd a secluded place near larger human towns or cities. These colonies might house upward of one hundred azurins. Settlements range from ornate monasteries on high mountaintops, to temporary camps in the middle of dark forests, to fortifi ed cave complexes in the hills overlooking popular trade routes. Power Groups: Azurins follow the laws and customs of the lands in which they reside, but most are too zealous in their beliefs to seek rulership over those lands. Instead, azurins are often involved in groups that follow their alignment extremes, from monastic orders to death cults. Such organizations operate along the fringes of human culture. Beliefs: Azurins worship deities that embody their alignments. Numerous azurins choose careers as priests or paladins, using their profession as a platform for espousing their extremist viewpoints. They can also choose more secular philosophies instead of religious dogma, but underlying Female azurin Male azurin Table 1–1: Racial Ability Adjustments Race Ability Adjustments Favored Class Automatic Languages Azurin — Soulborn Common Duskling +2 Constitution, –2 Intelligence Totemist Common, Sylvan Rilkan +2 Dexterity, –2 Strength Incarnate Common Skarn +2 Strength, –2 Dexterity Incarnate Common Illus. by M. Poole 620_88579_Chp1.indd 8 20_88579_Chp1.indd 8 7/12/05 8:54:29 AM /12/05 8:54:29 AM

9CHAPTER 1 RACES either belief is the fundamental certitude of law versus chaos and good versus evil. Relations: Azurins get along best with those who similarly embrace their passion for life. Humans, half-orcs, and halflings are the likeliest friends and companions of an azurin. They typically don’t understand the eternal patience of the elves, preferring to act immediately rather than engage in unending debate, and they don’t live long enough to forge strong bonds with dwarves. Azurins disdain gnomes for their playful attitude, which they see as a waste of precious time. Because of the common bond of incarnum, azurins accept the other incarnum-wielding races, including dusklings, skarns, and rilkans. AZURIN CHARACTERS Azurin characters follow the core tenets of extreme alignments. Classes with alignment requirements, such as paladin, monk, or barbarian, are common choices. Azurins excel at the soulborn class and other melding classes due to their familiarity with incarnum. Adventuring Azurins: Azurins strive to become examples of their alignment, an objective that pushes them out of mainstream society and into groups of like-minded individuals. These groups rally around the cause and might function as adventuring companies as they work to further their philosophies. Azurins who do not associate with an organization or group devoted to a singular cause might position themselves as solitary paragons embodying their chosen virtues. Such azurins might join with a typical adventuring party. As long as the party’s goals are in accordance with the tenets of an azurin’s alignment, the azurin is a loyal ally and companion. Azurins recognize that it takes strong individuals to achieve change in the world. Indeed, their rapid aging causes azurins to quickly realize that there is more to life than fishing, farming, or other mundane tasks. Their souls call them to become adventurers; an azurin who does not heed this call would be looked down on by others of his race, for no affront is greater than knowing you have a purpose and neglecting to fulfi ll it. Character Development: An azurin’s bonus feat at 1st level allows him to quickly specialize in a set of feats, and he can choose from the full range of options. Bonus essentia makes the various incarnum feats even more attractive to an azurin than they are to other characters. Character Names: Azurin names are usually the names given to them by their human parents, with a fi rst name derived from a relative or historical personage and a family surname. As human descendants, azurins have names as diverse as the human cultures they are born into. Some even have names drawn from other races. As they progress through life, azurins become known more for their deeds and less for their family. Thus, Arun Cooperson might later become known as Arun, the Liberator of Geoff. ROLEPLAYING AN AZURIN Azurins are closely tied to their alignment, but that doesn’t mean they are constrained by it. They fi nd a cause that they can uphold and focus their energies toward furthering it. It could be a short-term goal that relates to the adventure at hand, or it could be a long-term effort that forms the basis for a campaign. Personality: Azurins are passionate, even a little brazen and foolhardy. They act before thinking through a situation, a byproduct of their inexperience in the world. Even as they age, they remain impatient, since their early successes merely reinforce their behavior. Roleplaying Application: You do or say what fi rst comes to mind, although you usually have enough restraint to avoid actions that might needlessly endanger yourself or your comrades. You make no effort to hide your convictions from your comrades; you try to convert opponents to your way of thinking, even while striking them with your sword. You can’t abide waiting around, since life is much too short to do nothing, especially for you. Behavior: Azurins pace nervously if forced to wait; action is always better than inaction. Even while sleeping, azurins toss and turn. Once engaged in activity, azurins are almost single-minded in their purpose, almost to the point of ignoring peripheral activity. Among less tolerant human societies, azurins veil their eyes to appear less conspicuous, even though the goggles or veils they wear might draw even more attention. Azurins consider it a measure of respect to meet another’s gaze, which some fi nd troubling when an azurin continues to stare uncomfortably at a speaker while engaged in conversation. Roleplaying Application: You rarely wait for an enemy to come to you, and only seldom do you ready an action that is triggered by another’s action. You always try to act during any combat round; even if your weapons aren’t effective, you might aid another or otherwise provide a target. Acting is better than not acting, and delaying isn’t part of your vocabulary. Language: Azurins don’t waste words on those who don’t want to listen, but anyone who expresses interest in an azurin’s beliefs or history had best be prepared for a long soliloquy. When engaged in menial or boring tasks, an azurin might spontaneously extol the virtues and limitations of law, chaos, good, or evil. Azurins speak Common in whatever regional dialect from which they hail. Roleplaying Application: Be abrupt with those who don’t seem to share your views. Provide tidbits of alignment-related expressions throughout your dialogue, both to enlighten comrades and to taunt opponents. AZURIN ADVENTURES An adventure surrounding an azurin might involve uncovering the mystery of the azurin’s supernatural origin, resolving problems between an azurin and his human community, or dealing with an azurin villain. • A human couple has an azurin child whom they believe to be possessed or otherwise corrupted. The PCs are asked to help investigate the truth about this strange child. • When people in a remote village begin to die, they quickly blame the young azurin cooper, whom they have merely tolerated up until now. The PCs are called on to find the real villain. • A lawful evil azurin soulborn takes over a town and begins experiments intended to ensure that every child born in the town is an azurin. 620_88579_Chp1.indd 9 20_88579_Chp1.indd 9 7/12/05 8:54:31 AM /12/05 8:54:31 AM

10CHAPTER 1 RACES DUSKLINGS “Use incarnum? I am incarnum.” —Chevaril, duskling ranger Dusklings are small but savage fey native to the Outer Planes. They boast of an innate connection to incarnum that no other race possesses—as a dryad is one with her tree, they claim, the duskling race is one with incarnum. DUSKLING RACIAL TRAITS Dusklings stand about as tall as elves, though they are far more robust. They average about 5 feet tall and about 120 pounds. Their skin is steely blue-gray and their hair ranges from light blue to darker shades of blue, gray, and black. Their eyes are deep blue, emerald green, or purple. They have a wild, feral look about them—their hair grows long and unkempt, and their faces are long and somewhat vulpine. The men grow long, full beards. • +2 Constitution, –2 Intelligence: The duskling race’s innate connection to incarnum grants them extraordinary health. Dusklings disdain strict education and learning, though no one is certain whether this is a cause or result of their slightly diminished reasoning capacity. • Duskling base speed is 30 feet. However, a duskling can invest essentia to improve this speed. For every point of essentia invested in this racial trait, the duskling’s speed improves by 5 feet. (See Essentia, page 50, for information about investing essentia.) This enhancement bonus only applies when the duskling is wearing light or no armor and carrying no more than a light load. • Fey (Extraplanar): As fey, dusklings are immune to effects that specifi cally target humanoids, such as the charm person spell. As natives of an Outer Plane, dusklings have the extraplanar subtype while they are on the Material Plane (or any other plane besides the dusklings’ home plane). This makes them vulnerable to certain effects that might force them back to their home plane. See the Duskling Planar Heritage sidebar for more details. • Fey (Incarnum): Dusklings are fey with the incarnum subtype (see page 169). • Low-Light Vision: Dusklings can see twice as far as humans in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions. • Essentia Pool: A duskling’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. • Automatic Languages: Common and Sylvan. Bonus Languages: Elf, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, and Halfl ing. • Favored Class: Totemist. DUSKLING SOCIETY Dusklings are tribal fey who dwell throughout the planes. They travel in small bands but carefully keep track of their family relations even to distant cousins. Alignment: Dusklings hold alignments without strong extremes. Most dusklings are neutral (or within one step of neutral). They have a slight tendency toward good over evil, but their defi ning cultural characteristic involves avoiding extremes of morals and ethics. Lands: Dusklings are nomads—not because they follow herds on seasonal migrations, but simply because they seem incapable of settling in a fi xed location. They favor thick forests in warm climes, but wander through plains, hills, and mountains on their endless travels. They avoid civilized or heavily populated regions, but trade with frontier settlements established by other races. Settlements: Dusklings set up camps for a week or perhaps a month at a time, very rarely as long as a season, before moving on to a new location. These camps might include tents built from whatever materials are at hand, but just as often the dusklings sleep and conduct their daily business in the open air. Power Groups: Dusklings (even lawful ones) resist strong authority. Their society is based around clan groups of ten to fi fty individuals who share family ties, with the oldest living ancestor governing each group. When that elder dies, the clan splits and each fragment is led by one of the former leader’s children. The authority of a clan elder is far from absolute. Every duskling with a grandchild sits on a council of elders whose purpose is to advise the ruling elder. In practice, this council can overrule the ruling elder’s decisions in some clans but not in others. Beliefs: Dusklings are not a particularly religious race. They feel a close connection with the power of nature and produce more druids than clerics. Relations: Dusklings get along well with almost any other race, though specifi c relations vary based on the duskling’s alignment. They dislike anyone who is rigid, authoritarian, or dogmatic, a description that includes most skarns, many dwarves, and a fair number of humans as well. DUSKLING CHARACTERS Dusklings prove themselves as fast, fi erce characters whose speed lets them keep out of sight—or at least out of reach. Ranger and rogue are obvious class choices. Of the melding classes, totemists are the most common, though incarnates are also present; both classes exemplify the ideals the race holds dear. Adventuring Dusklings: Dusklings value family ties enormously; a duskling without family feels cut off from everything she holds dear. Such dusklings—whether orphaned or exiled—often take up a life of adventuring. The close camaraderie of an adventuring party can serve as an acceptable substitute for family ties, and a duskling who adopts her adventuring companions as a surrogate family is the most loyal ally her fellow adventurers could hope for. Other dusklings manifest the racial tendency toward wanderlust in an extreme fashion and fi nd even the loose bonds of family and clan too restrictive. These dusklings become adventuresome loners, or perhaps fi nd company with similarly independent souls. These adventurers are motivated by nothing more than the need to be on the move and free from any kind of ties, and they view even their adventuring companions as temporary allies rather than lifelong friends. As a race, dusklings are ambivalent about adventurers. On the one hand, their folklore is full of heroes who, cut off from family, perform heroic deeds and come to fi nd a new family (usually a long-lost group of duskling relatives, in contrast to the reality of adventuring life). Dusklings truly admire these heroes of legend and hold at least a grudging respect for present-day adventurers whose stories mimic theirs to some extent. On the other hand, most dusklings are so terrifi ed at 620_88579_Chp1.indd 10 20_88579_Chp1.indd 10 7/12/05 8:54:33 AM /12/05 8:54:33 AM

11CHAPTER 1 RACES the very thought of losing their families that they can feel little but pity for adventurers who fi nd themselves cut off from even the minimal social structure the race possesses. Character Development: Dusklings use feats to take advantage of their speed and high hit points. Incarnum feats not only give them another place to invest their essentia, but more essentia as well. Since a duskling’s Intelligence is likely low, she should decide early on whether or not skill use is important. If it isn’t, she can focus on classes with few skill points, staying competent in only one or two skills. Otherwise, she should focus on high-skill-point classes, trusting to the sheer number of skill points per level to disguise this shortcoming. Character Names: Duskling names are similar to those of elves—mellifl uous and polysyllabic. Duskling parents name their children, choosing names that refl ect some signifi cant event around their birth. Dusklings are more proud of their family names than their given names, frequently using their family names when dealing with other races. Like elf family names, duskling family names are combinations of Sylvan words, though dusklings are less likely than elves to use Common translations of their names among other races. Male Names: Avandar, Chevaril, Estevial, Farandal, Horathiel, Javarral, Manarro, Photastial, Quarranal, Rhomian, Starronal. Female Names: Athalia, Brellia, Darandia, Geveryn, Ialannah, Kavanyn, Levesha, Maneryn, Phyannah, Shavallah, Thyrnyn. Family Names: Avarmathan, Briendarkan, Devishamarral, Fierabrazalan, Heloshartha, Lysseldevar, Merricanath, Oshavalari, Rhiannivar, Shellivathan, Touranisha. ROLEPLAYING A DUSKLING Dusklings can seem paradoxical: they hate restrictions but value family ties, reject authority but hold fi erce loyalties. The Male duskling Female duskling pqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqrs pqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqrs DUSKLING PLANAR HERITAGE Dusklings are fey that hail from the Outer Planes. Exactly which Outer Plane a particular duskling is native to depends on the cosmology your campaign uses. In general, dusklings come from planes friendly to fey and wildlife. In a campaign world using the planar cosmology detailed in the Dungeon Master’s Guide, dusklings are native to the Wilderness of the Beastlands, the Olympian Glades of Arborea, and the Heroic Domains of Ysgard. In the FORGOTTEN REALMS campaign setting, dusklings are typically native to Arvandor or the House of Nature. In the EBERRON campaign setting, dusklings hail from Thelanis, the Faerie Court. The player of a duskling PC should, with his DM’s approval, select a home plane as part of character creation. Once chosen, this plane cannot be changed later. Illus. by M. Poole 620_88579_Chp1.indd 11 20_88579_Chp1.indd 11 7/12/05 8:54:35 AM /12/05 8:54:35 AM

12CHAPTER 1 RACES key to roleplaying a duskling is to acknowledge only those ties and obligations that the duskling chooses to accept. They rebel against anyone who tries to make them follow and obey, but if a duskling swears to follow and defend a companion, she will give up her life to fulfi ll that oath if need be. Personality: Dusklings are best described as wild. They feel emotion fi ercely, and rarely hide their feelings—they like to make sure their loved ones feel loved and their enemies know the depth of their hatred. They dislike confi nement, whether it is physical, emotional, or legal, and have a hard time staying in one place for long. Roleplaying Application: Unless a situation demands tact, make it clear what you are thinking and feeling. In situations where being too forthright could jeopardize your mission, it’s easiest to stay out of the conversation entirely—stand away on guard or just staring out the window. Your adventuring companions, at least, should never hold any doubt about what you think of them. Fight with feral intensity—you could even punctuate your attack rolls with growls or insults directed at your opponents. Should you fi nd yourself captive, pace your cell or jangle your chains. Stand up to bullies and tyrants and don’t take orders from anyone unless you’ve promised to. Behavior: Dusklings are either moving or still. They move quickly and purposefully from one place to another, and stand very still when they reach where they want to go. The exception is when they feel confi ned—trapped dusklings pace and fi dget in stark contrast to their usual stillness. Dusklings are more comfortable with their feet than most other races are. Dusklings do not consider it rude to prop their feet up on chairs or tables, while others hide their feet away. They enjoy going barefoot when it is practical. Duskling lovers exchange anklets as tokens of their love and massage each other’s feet as an expression of affection. Roleplaying Application: To the extent that it’s possible and practical, avoid heavy armor and items that encumber you—make the most of your speed. Don’t wander, even in combat. Move to where you want to be and stay there as long as possible. Language: Dusklings use few words but spit them out in a rapid-fi re stream. They are not reluctant to offer opinions and contribute to debates, but speak their piece succinctly and then quietly allow others to speak theirs. Though they speak Sylvan, they make use of idioms that other Sylvan speakers do not necessarily understand and that sound even stranger when translated literally into Common. Favorite duskling idioms include “Let’s cut these chains” (let’s start moving, let’s get out of here), “I turned it blue” (I changed my mind), and “You smelted him” (you hurt him badly, you mortally wounded him). Roleplaying Application: Speak quickly and succinctly. Pepper your speech with unfamiliar idioms and aphorisms. DUSKLING ADVENTURES Adventures involving dusklings might include an entire family facing some external threat, rescuing dusklings who are in captivity, or a confl ict caused by humans (or some other race) settling wild territory frequented by dusklings. • Members of a PC duskling’s family have been captured by goblins or orcs and are being held as slaves. The PC drafts her adventuring companions to help her free them. • A group of araneas have built a nest in the heart of a forest inhabited by dusklings and are preying on the fey. The dusklings seek help combating the araneas. • A human village experiences rapid growth and begins clearing much of the surrounding forest for farmland. The dusklings who inhabit the forest begin attacking the human loggers. The humans seek protection from these attacks, while the dusklings want their territory preserved. RILKANS “What’s the point of incarnum if you’re not going to have a little fun with it?” —Tarrenta Willet, rilkan bard Rilkans are rakish entrepreneurs and daredevils of fortune. They believe in drinking deep from the cup of life. Like skarns, they are descended from the enigmatic mishtai, displaying their heritage in the bands of semireptilian scales grace rilkan forearms and necks. For the rilkans, the skarn and mishtai goal of “perfection of form” is a false idol. They believe that perfection is to be found in the journey, not the destination, and they seek to relish every moment that they are alive. According to the skarns, it was this heterodoxy that thwarted the mishtai’s efforts toward perfection, and the skarns have resented the rilkans for it ever since. In keeping with their reverence for gold and song, rilkans count numerous bards, merchants, and rogues among their number. RILKAN RACIAL TRAITS Rilkans can pass for humans if they cover their pebbly, corundum-hard scales. These scales range in color from turquoise to sapphire to ruby. In males, the scales are a single solid color; in females, they are patterned and polychromatic. Rilkan men are dashing and handsome, while rilkan women dress to accentuate their femininity. • +2 Dexterity, –2 Strength: Rilkans are naturally lithe and graceful but also physically weak. • Medium: As Medium creatures, rilkans have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. • Rilkan base land speed is 30 feet. • Humanoid (Reptilian): Rilkans are humanoids with the reptilian subtype. • Racial Knowledge: The rilkan race is linked through the power of incarnum to the accumulated knowledge of their entire people. This manifests in two ways. First, all Knowledge checks are treated as trained skill checks for rilkans, regardless of whether they actually have ranks in the skill. Even without formal instruction, a rilkan naturally absorbs learning from the accumulated knowledge of her people. Second, rilkans gain a competence bonus on all Knowledge checks and bardic knowledge checks. This bonus is +1, but increases by an additional +1 for every two soulmelds currently shaped by the rilkan, since each soulmeld contains a small portion of the collected souls of the rilkan race. • +2 racial bonus on Bluff and Diplomacy checks: Rilkans are talented at saying the right word at the right time. • Racial Aid: Because of the incarnum bond that knits together all rilkans, at any time that a rilkan succeeds in 620_88579_Chp1.indd 12 20_88579_Chp1.indd 12 7/12/05 8:54:38 AM /12/05 8:54:38 AM

13CHAPTER 1 RACES using the aid another action to assist another rilkan, she adds +3 to the ally’s roll, rather than +2. • Automatic Language: Common. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic). Rilkans enjoy learning a wide range of languages, as befi ts their nature. • Favored Class: Incarnate. RILKAN SOCIETY Rilkans happily integrate into most other societies. Gregarious by nature, rilkans do not form isolated, all-rilkan enclaves. Their adventurous spirits often lead them to travel, but they are equally likely to settle down in a community that strikes them as especially charming. Alignment: Rilkans tend toward the chaotic, since they have a strong individualistic streak. Chaotic neutral is the most likely alignment for any given rilkan. Lands: Rilkan lands are beautiful. Whether they choose ragged escarpments high in snowbound mountains, a tropical bay, or a glittering city with marvels of artifi ce on every corner, rilkans believe in the value of the moment. None ever suffer themselves to live in an environment that they do not cherish. Settlements: Rilkans are content to live in the settlements of other creatures. They enjoy elven tree villages, human cities, and even dwarven delves. Halfl ing burrow communities refer to the enlarged rooms in their taverns and town halls as “rilkan rooms.” As a result of their natural talents for diplomacy and peacemaking, rilkans rise to places of prominence in whatever society they choose. In settlements where rilkans are the majority, other races are welcomed with open arms. This extends even to bugbears, orcs, gnolls, and other “monstrous” races, as long as they keep the peace. In one famous rilkan city, the head of the Sewer Workers Guild is an intelligent gelatinous cube. Power Groups: Rilkan culture venerates merchants and bards. The rilkan knowledge pool awakens them to a sense of history that few other cultures share, and bardic tales of the heroes of yore fascinate them. Rilkans also believe in the power of trade as a means to enjoying the best that life has to offer. A common rilkan saying is, “Gold is the root of all good.” In rilkan-majority communities, the most powerful organizations include trading guilds, adventuring companies, and bardic colleges. Rilkan governments, which limit their activities to little other than the courts and the city watch, take a distant fourth place. Beliefs: The rilkan ethos teaches members of the race to seek out and experience the best that life has to offer. It does not embrace utter hedonism, instead placing emphasis on heroic struggle, grand passion, and epic strife. Religion plays a major part in rilkan society. Deities of wealth, beauty, and love are popular among rilkans—in the core pantheon, they favor Olidammara above all others. In contrast to the stories of other races, the heroes of rilkan epics are also traders, usurers, and oligarchs who generated great wealth for themselves, their families, and their employees. It is rare to fi nd a villainous merchant in rilkan art. Relations: While skarns look down on rilkans as secondplace fi nishers, at best, in the race to the mishtai’s goal of Male rilkan Female rilkan Illus. by M. Poole 620_88579_Chp1.indd 13 20_88579_Chp1.indd 13 7/12/05 8:54:40 AM /12/05 8:54:40 AM

14CHAPTER 1 RACES “perfection of form,” rilkans shake their heads and wonder why the skarns are still running that race. Rilkans harbor ill will toward the skarns because, according to legend, the skarns once formed half of a racial link similar to the Knowledge pool (this one supposedly consisted of war and combat skills). Rilkans blame the skarns for sundering this irreplaceable link after the skarns grew dissatisfi ed with the rilkans’ progress toward “perfection.” With races other than their fellow mishtai descendants, rilkans get along famously. RILKAN CHARACTERS Rilkans want to gamble at a tavern, head a guild, and gallop off to adventure for the sake of true love. Bard, rogue, and ranger are excellent class choices because their high skill points complement rilkan racial bonuses. Rilkans also take enthusiastically to the incarnate and soulborn meldshaping classes. Adventuring Rilkans: More than perhaps any other culture, rilkans believe in the fundamental drama of life. Every day should have meaning, every night should bring passion. The path of the adventurer is replete with drama and thus highly respected in rilkan society. Unlike in other societies where a mother might scold her child for dreaming of swordplay, a rilkan family might actively seek out a noted duelist to tutor the young lad. In an adventuring party, rilkans take the roles of leaders and spokespeople. Thanks to the racial aid ability, rilkans form particularly effective adventuring parties if there are two or more of their race present. Wise rilkans take care to observe fragile psyches in their company; more than one successful band of adventurers has broken up over jealousies, unrequited feelings, or broken hearts, all of which sometimes follow a dashing rilkan. In addition to spell and sword, rilkans believe in the adventure of trade. Tense negotiations for land rights in a bulette-infested valley, the intrigue of contracts and forgeries, selling arms to the svirfneblin and delivering them past the drow’s blockade: all these (and the pile of gold glistering at the end of every good deal) are the reasons rilkans approach business with the same passion, joy, and intensity that some reserve for religion or war. Character Development: Rilkans use feats and skills to take advantage of their Dexterity and racial skill bonuses. With their high Dexterity, they should be able to function without heavy armor. Charisma boosts every fourth level can help a rilkan act as a natural “mouth” or “face” for the party. The Leadership feat also allows a rilkan to take advantage of high Charisma. With a cohort and recruits, it also gives her a head start on founding the guild or business that is the true mark of a successful rilkan. Character Names: Rilkan names are varied. Rilkan parents living in elf, dwarf, or human communities often adopt the naming conventions of their hosts. Equally often, because rilkans have a strong individualistic streak, rilkan parents attempt to fi nd names that are not duplicated elsewhere. Male Names: Aldwyn, Dallyster, Gorashedd, Hashlok, Mentriphiste, Merrik, Orl, Toskeyp, Tristan, Vao-rinh, Westlay. Female Names: Alicine, Amaranthe, Bansebre, Cestrane, Karazele, Malisharme, Tarrenta, Tavneris, Tika, Tula, Ysati, Zaka. Family Names: Arbuthian, Cerventa, Corundar, Gloranver, Harkedde, Klane, Lycriskan, Orbrandir, Shimboris, Themisint, Willet, Wotte. ROLEPLAYING A RILKAN When roleplaying rilkans, remember that they wish to experience all that life has to offer. If someone offers a drink and there is no reason to suspect it is poison, drink; if a stranger is traveling the road at night, invite him to sit at the campfi re and share his story. Rilkans pride themselves on their style and individuality. Whatever they are doing, they make sure to look good doing it. As always, remember that culture is a choice, not an automatic function of race; there are rilkans who choose to be as dour as dwarves, and dwarves who adopt the “live life to its fullest” approach of the rilkans. Personality: Rilkans are calculated risk takers. They adore emotion, and they fi nd something heroic in both transports Tarrenta Willet, a rilkan bard of joy and descents of misery. The rilkans are consummate Illus. by M. Poole 620_88579_Chp1.indd 14 20_88579_Chp1.indd 14 7/12/05 8:54:42 AM /12/05 8:54:42 AM

15CHAPTER 1 RACES seducers and seductresses. They enjoy business and creating wealth, both for the satisfaction of accomplishment and the style and pleasures that those riches afford them. Roleplaying Application: If the party is facing a risky situation and there is a reasonable chance of survival, you should be the fi rst to volunteer. You believe in being a Hero with a capital H, and heroes don’t wait for a cohort to try the rope bridge fi rst. When you meet someone who you fi nd attractive, make sure that he or she knows you are eligible (or, if you are spoken for, be fl attering but honest). You should have “lines” prepared to use when approaching potential paramours. Above all, develop your own personal sense of style. Perhaps you always end a fi ght by dropping the plume from your hat onto your fallen opponent, or perhaps you are known for sinking a gold piece in every hundredth bottle of ale at the tavern you own. Behavior: Rilkans are at ease almost wherever they go. The only haunts likely to spook a rilkan are cemeteries or places with a large undead presence; the utter lack of hope in such places is anathema to them. Roleplaying Application: In cities, pay keen attention to the business climate. Never miss an opportunity to invest in a sure thing. Use your travels as an adventurer to learn where goods are in supply and where they are in demand. In combat, name your maneuvers, issue witty soliloquies, and add swashbuckling fl air to every strike. Language: Rilkans love to talk. In a culture of bards, rogues, and traders, language is a specialty. Rilkan poetry is exquisite, and even nonbards memorize a number of their favorite passages. Rilkans delight in attaching belittling epithets to their nemeses and promulgating the use of these epithets across the land. Roleplaying Application: When you encounter a recurring villain, make sure that you have an insulting nickname ready for him. Spread that nickname far and wide in the courts, trading houses, and taverns of the region, so that your enemy hears laughter whenever he introduces himself. RILKAN ADVENTURES Rilkan adventures can involve escapades of classic heroism such as rescuing a damsel in distress, but they can also enjoy scenarios such as investigating a forged business contract or recovering a shipping coster’s cargo from the bottom of a frigid bay. • A skarn sage claims that he has traced the failure of the mishtai to one particular rilkan bloodline. To test his theory, skarn raiders kidnap all known female members of the bloodline. A PC rilkan must rescue the distaff side of his family before they are subjected to hideous experiments. • A long-lost wartime contract surfaces, and a six-fingered halfling is making claims of ownership against a PC rilkan’s business. Is the contract real or a nefarious forgery? If forged, was it for simple profi t or a more insidious purpose? • An early winter storm sank the Ocean Dove to the bottom of the city’s deepwater harbor. Unfortunately, the Dove was carrying a cargo of caskets bound for ritual burial at sea. Now, the undead grow restless under the waves. They will surface soon unless the PCs—who might own a share of the Dove—dive to the fl oor of the bay and end the threat. SKARNS “Nothing’s perfect. But a skarn is close.” —Ogava Basa, skarn incarnate Skarn are strong, sophisticated warriors of intellect. Like the rilkans, they are descended from the vanished mishtai progenitor race, which long ago infused all mishtai with incarnum in an attempt to achieve “perfection of form.” Skarn appear human except for the fi ve or six vertically aligned reptilian spines that project from the anterior of each forearm, posterior of each calf, and the upper back. Skarn society is insular and demands both mental and physical achievement. They are a proud race—some would say arrogant—and they boast soulborns, paladins, rangers, and fi ghters of other “hybrid” classes that exemplify perfection of both mind and body. SKARN RACIAL TRAITS Skarns are about as tall as humans, but they are much more solidly built. They average 6 feet tall and 210 pounds. They appear human save for their most salient feature, their spines. These spines grow to six to twelve inches in length and range from turquoise and aquamarine in females to navy and sapphire in males. The spines are not retractable, but they can be held fl ush against the skin with little effort. At social occasions, the spines are layered with chiffon or gold chains. Spine jewelry and grooming are as important to a skarn as beard braiding and knotting are to a dwarf. • +2 Strength, –2 Dexterity: The hulking skarns are extraordinarily strong, but tend to be slow. • Medium: As Medium creatures, skarns have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. • Skarn base land speed is 30 feet. • Humanoid (Reptilian): Skarns are humanoids with the reptilian subtype. • Natural Weapon (Spines): A skarn can make one attack with his arm spines each round, either with his primary hand or with his off-hand (taking the normal penalties for fi ghting with an off-hand weapon). This attack deals 1d6 points of piercing damage; if it is used as an off-hand weapon, the skarn may add only one-half his Strength bonus to the damage roll. A skarn can’t attack with his spines and a weapon wielded by the same arm in the same round. If a skarn makes a spine attack with an arm carrying a shield, he loses the shield’s bonus to AC until the start of his next turn. If the skarn has a soulmeld bound to his arms chakra, his spine attacks are treated as lawful-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. See Chakra Binds, page 51, for details. • +2 racial bonus on Intimidate and Climb checks: Skarns learn quickly how to use their spines to create a display of ferocity. These same spines aid skarns when they climb. • Automatic Language: Common. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Elf, Celestial, Abyssal, and Infernal. Because skarns consider themselves slightly improved over the average mortal race, they learn the languages of those they consider to be their approximate equals. • Favored Class: Incarnate. 620_88579_Chp1.indd 15 20_88579_Chp1.indd 15 7/12/05 8:54:44 AM /12/05 8:54:44 AM

16CHAPTER 1 RACES SKARN SOCIETY Skarns prefer hierarchical societies with clearly defi ned social classes. They prefer cities to farms, planning to spontaneity, and cotillions to revels. Alignment: Skarns are usually lawful. They count an equal number of adherents to the ethos of good and evil among their race, but chaotic skarns are rare. Chaotic skarns are nevertheless tolerated and even welcomed into skarn society, since they are still skarns as opposed to members of some lesser race. Such free-spirited skarns cannot stand to remain with their fellows, however, where they are typically treated as amusing black sheep rather than serious iconoclasts. Lands: Skarns prefer artifi ce to the vagaries of the natural, favoring large cities over undeveloped locales. Potential sites for skarn cities include defensible positions on bluffs overlooking river junctions, deepwater ports, or fertile land reclaimed from the sea through a complicated dyke system. Settlements: Skarns prize architecture dearly. It is their fi rst and most loved art, and their cities refl ect this passion. A skarn city is a celebration of styles, a harmony of building and landscape fl owing from one city gate to its opposite. In general, skarns prefer powerfully built, tall buildings with skyway arches and caryatid buttresses. These buildings can rise to ten or more stories. A skarn city always includes several huge amphitheaters and public squares for speeches, elections, and spine-fi ghting rituals. Power Groups: Governments in skarn cities vary from oligarchies to feudal monarchies to representative senates, but they all share three characteristics: they are strict, active, and powerful. Unlike in some towns, where council members might be puppets to the thieves’ guild or the local temple, the skarns’ penchant for social order guarantees that the lawfully invested government remains the uncontested supreme authority in the city. Outside of the government, skarn aristocrats and decorated military officials wield considerable influence. Beliefs: The skarns believe that they have almost attained “perfection of form” without any help from the deities—only from incarnum. Hence, skarns honor incarnum before any god. This is not to say, though, that skarn are irreligious. Temples to Wee Jas in particular are common in skarn communities. Relations: Skarns do not get along well with others. They hold that the other races are generally inferior to the races of the mishtai. It is not that skarns dislike the other races; they simply consider the other races misguided for not believing that “perfection of form” is achievable. The one exception to this indifference is the rilkan race. Skarns blame the rilkans for ruining the mishtai’s racial experiment. The story goes that the mishtai were close to forming the perfect body coupled with the perfect mind when a faction within the mishtai meldshapers arose, advocating the pursuit of goals other than physical and mental perfection. These libertines, who gave rise to the rilkan race, fomented such social upheaval that the intense focus demanded by the great goal could not be maintained, and thus the mishtai fell short of their aspiration. SKARN CHARACTERS Skarns are strong, noble characters whose sense of purpose is as overt and sharp as the spines on their forearms. They immerse themselves in all kinds of fi ghts, from sword melees with necrocarnum zombies (see page 186) to verbal repartee with rilkans and other inferior races. Skarns expect lesser folk to be awed in their magnifi cent presence. Incarnate, soulborn, paladin, ranger, and even monk are traditional class choices. Adventuring Skarns: Skarns adventure to advance their social standing. Their sophisticated warrior culture places great value on proof of mettle. When a soulborn skarn returns to his Ward Perfect’s headquarters with the tusks of the orc chieftain that had been raiding nearby farms, he is guaranteed to rise in the esteem of both the Perfect and his peers. Other skarns might develop a chaotic bent and fi nd life in the stratifi ed city too restrictive. Neutral or chaotic skarns are happy to join a band of adventurers, fi nding solace in what is often the fi rst community they have known that does not conform to the rigid rules of skarn society. Still other skarns adventure as part of the skarns’ great racial quest: to fi nd what became of the progenitor race and to complete its work. Most other races, especially the rilkans, scoff at the idea that the skarns will ever achieve the venerated concept of “perfection of form.” But the skarns believe perfection is possible, and many have taken up their swords and ventured in search of their forebears, their purposes, and their fate. Character Development: To play to a skarn character’s strengths, literally play to his Strength. Take feats that exploit his natural Strength bonus: Power Attack and Cleave are traditional favorites, but don’t forget Improved Grapple, Improved Bull Rush, and Improved Trip. His Dexterity is likely not high, so look to acquire heavy armor and wade into melee. A shield can boost armor class, but a skarn might consider wielding a two-handed weapon, which allows him to take further advantage of his Strength bonus. Character Names: Skarn names refl ect the race’s urbane belligerence. Given names are often polysyllabic while family names are generally monosyllabic. The goal of parents in selecting a child’s name is to fi nd one that implies both sophistication and strength. Refl ecting the race’s social awareness, titles often precede or follow a skarn’s name. The high value that the skarn place on art extends to poetry, and skarns are frequently named after heroes from ancient epics. Male Names: Alekk, Ikkilis, Imre, Morgalle, Mydrinn, Ogava, Rotenh, Stergan, Teruska, Trakkisin, Vinnik, Vorlance. Female Names: Aci, Adra, Arethe, Chariss, Dyssilka, Mish lyrren, Myrivist, Ormykka, Shallimtan, Shyvrandil, Theliram. Family Names: Arsh, Bas, Dal, Drott, Mak, Mish, Mys, Rus, Tark, Thon, Thull, Wylle. Common Titles: Esh (marks a petty aristocrat), Kourin (crafter), Leshvar (merchant), Uthman (laborer), Kavval (servant). ROLEPLAYING A SKARN While it might be tempting to roleplay a skarn as contemptuous of all other races, most skarns avoid such behavior. True, they view themselves as the rightful successors to the mishtai’s quest for “perfection of form.” But they are painfully aware that they are not perfect yet (for which they blame the rilkans), and their main attitude toward other races is one of indifference. The truth is that the skarn people don’t think about the other races much at all, preferring to focus on developing their own minds, bodies, and art. In any case, they consider exceptionally rude or insulting behavior—their own or anyone else’s—to be in very poor taste. 620_88579_Chp1.indd 16 20_88579_Chp1.indd 16 7/12/05 8:54:46 AM /12/05 8:54:46 AM

17CHAPTER 1 RACES Personality: Skarns are well-mannered fighters and aristocrats with fi erce but tightly controlled passions. Open display of strong emotion is frowned upon at skarn courts, where a veneer of civility is considered the hallmark of urbanity. Skarns have diverse interests and are very much at ease in a one-on-one discussion. As soon as a third person is introduced, a skarn becomes conscious of the tacit social hierarchy and modifi es his behavior accordingly. Roleplaying Application: Always observe the rules of etiquette. Do not sink to the level of the boor by responding in kind; a gauntlet challenge is preferable to a shouting match. Your adventuring companions should be able to count on you for courageous intensity in battle and a sharp, rational mind outside of combat. You might not be your adventuring companion’s closest friend, but you strive to be the most dependable. Behavior: Skarn children spend equal time playing with wooden swords and testing each other at games of mental acuity. The twin ideals of mental and physical perfection carry over into adulthood. A skarn aristocrat seeks to support these goals through philanthropy; a skarn adventurer seeks to exemplify them directly. Roleplaying Application: If given time to explore a city, spend the morning with the combat mannequins at the Ward Marshal’s sparring hall and the afternoon with the nobility and philosophy books in the seminary library. Skarns pursue multiclass and “hybrid” class careers, since they value both mental and physical development. Language: Skarns never forget to include a title when addressing a peer or noble. Their speech at social functions is always proper and might strike others as contrived or overly courteous. Roleplaying Application: Upon meeting someone, always fi nd out the proper way to address the person, including an appropriate title. In an argument, try to play the role of “the voice of reason,” speaking calmly but fi rmly. SKARN ADVENTURES A skarn metropolis is a breeding ground for intrigue and adventure. Specific plots might revolve around court politics, a quest to discover secrets of the lost mishtai, or a military campaign. • The king’s Undersecretary for Mercenary Affairs is drafting strange new writs that allow the immigration of countless armed northerners. In fact, the “new” undersecretary is an impostor put in place by an enemy nation, and the new writs are cover to allow a foreign army into the land before usurping the throne. • A map appears purporting to show the location of “Thessaris Kremnati,” one of the last mishtai enclaves. Whoever fi nds it might discover what happened to the progenitor race. • The king is sending division after division to the border. When the player’s division takes up its position, however, he fi nds that the enemy is an unknown force that strikes only at dawn and dusk, leaving its victims lacerated from neck to stomach. Male skarn Female skarn Illus. by M. Poole 620_88579_Chp1.indd 17 20_88579_Chp1.indd 17 7/12/05 8:54:47 AM /12/05 8:54:47 AM

18CHAPTER 1 RACES AGE, HEIGHT, AND WEIGHT The details of your character’s age, gender, height, weight, and appearance are up to you. However, if you prefer some rough guidelines in determining these details, refer to the tables below. CHARACTER AGE Your character’s age is determined by your choice of race and class, as summed up on Table 1–2: Random Starting Ages. Table 1–2: Random Starting Ages Simple Moderate Complex Race Adulthood Classes1 Classes2 Classes3 Azurin 14 years +1d4 +1d6 +2d4 Duskling 75 years +3d6 +4d6 +5d6 Rilkan 14 years +1d4 +1d6 +2d6 Skarn 21 years +1d4 +2d6 +4d6 1 Barbarian, rogue, and sorcerer. 2 Bard, fighter, paladin, ranger, and soulborn. 3 Cleric, druid, incarnate, monk, totemist, and wizard. As your character ages, her physical ability scores change as described in the Player’s Handbook. Table 1–3: Aging Effects Middle Maximum Race Age1 Old2 Venerable3 Age Azurin 28 42 56 +2d10 Duskling 125 188 250 +3d% Rilkan 40 60 80 +1d10 Skarn 50 75 100 +2d10 1 –1 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha 2 –2 to Str, Dex, and Con; +2 to Int, Wis, and Cha 3 –3 to Str, Dex, and Con; +3 to Int, Wis, and Cha HEIGHT AND WEIGHT Choose your character’s height and weight from the ranges mentioned in the racial description, or roll randomly on Table 1–4: Random Height and Weight. The information given here supplements the information in Chapter 6 of the Player’s Handbook. Table 1–4: Random Height and Weight Base Height Base Weight Race Height Modifi er Weight Modifi er Azurin (male) 4´ 10˝ +2d10 120 lb. × (2d4) lb. Azurin (female) 4´ 5˝ +2d10 85 lb. × (2d4) lb. Duskling (male) 4´ 6˝ +2d4 100 lb. × 2d4 lb. Duskling (female) 4´ 4˝ +2d4 90 lb. × 2d4 lb. Rilkan (male) 5´ 0˝ +2d8 120 lb. × (1d8) lb. Rilkan (female) 4´ 8˝ +2d8 95 lb. × (1d8) lb. Skarn (male) 5´ 5˝ +2d10 150 lb. × (2d8) lb. Skarn (female) 5´ 3˝ +2d10 130 lb. × (2d8) lb. COMMON RACES AND INCARNUM The new races described in this chapter are by no means the only ones that work with incarnum on a regular basis. Dwarves, elves, humans, and all the other races described in the Player’s Handbook have traditions of using incarnum and their own approaches to meldshaping. Humans strive to master the use of incarnum in the same way that they attempt to master any tool that can bring them power. Human incarnates are more often evil than good, and human soulborns likewise lean toward the evil alignments. That said, some of the noblest and purest incarnates and soulborns of good alignments are human, and humans are the backbone of nearly every organization dedicated to the use of incarnum. Humans become totemists as well, especially in primitive or remote societies. Dwarves typically adopt a concrete and practical approach to incarnum embodied in the ironsoul forgemaster prestige class (see page 126). They think of incarnum as a material to be forged into weapons—almost as a rare alloy that makes particularly fine blades. Dwarf incarnates (particularly lawful ones) are more common than arcane spellcasters, though not as common as clerics, while dwarf soulborns rival their paladins in numbers. Dwarf soulborns have powerful links to the souls of their ancestors, refl ected in the dwarf soulborn racial substitution levels presented on page 44. Elves delight in incarnum as they do in all magic, and particularly because it is a magic of life and living things. Some wood and wild elves become totemists, while good incarnates are common among high elves. Elf incarnates particularly delight in combining meldshaping and spellcasting, making elves fine candidates for the soulcaster prestige class. Elf soulborns cultivate a strong sense of community, as though they were constantly surrounded by a great cloud of the souls of their people—an attitude reflected in the elf soulborn racial substitution levels presented on page 45. Gnomes do not have strong meldshaping traditions. Most gnome incarnates are devotees of Garl Glittergold who dedicate themselves to the protection of their communities against their traditional allies—an attitude that is refl ected in the gnome incarnate racial substitution levels on page 45. A few wild communities of gnomes choose totemists as spiritual and temporal leaders. Half-elves are similar to humans in their approach to incarnum, producing more incarnates (frequently chaotic incarnates) than soulborns or totemists. They have no unique traditions represented by racial substitution levels, but fl oat between elf and human practitioners of meldshaping, crafting their own traditions as they go. Half-orcs put their brawn to use as soulborns or, less often, manifest their chaotic inclinations as incarnates. Like halfelves, they fl oat from mentor to mentor, picking and choosing the techniques and traditions that suit them best. Halfl ings who wield incarnum are generally totemists, drawn more to the concrete world of beasts than the abstracts of alignments and causes. Even so, halfl ing totemists tend to be outsiders even in their own communities, living in some degree of solitude but emerging when their people are threatened. The halfl ing totemist racial substitution levels on page 46 refl ect this philosophy. The use of incarnum is also practiced among the savage humanoids, though not as commonly as other forms of magic. Incarnates (of evil alignment) are found among kobolds and orcs, while soulborns become the champions of lizardfolk, gnoll, and hobgoblin communities. Totemists sometimes serve as spiritual or war leaders for savage communities. 620_88579_Chp1.indd 18 20_88579_Chp1.indd 18 7/12/05 8:54:50 AM /12/05 8:54:50 AM

19 Illus. by D. Griffi th Illus. by D. Griffi th haracters of any class can learn to use incarnum through feats, racial substitution levels, spells, and possibly other means. The true masters of incarnum, however, are those who advance in one of the new classes presented in this chapter. By taking levels in these classes, characters learn the art of meldshaping, harness their essentia to invest into soulmelds or other powers, bind soulmelds to their chakras, and gain a variety of other capabilities from their use of incarnum. THE CLASSES The three meldshaping classes, in the order they are presented in this chapter, are as follows: Incarnate: A powerful meldshaper who embodies the precepts of good, evil, chaos, or law. Soulborn: A meldshaper and a martial character who wields incarnum in the cause of one of the four extreme alignments. Totemist: A meldshaper who wields the energy of the souls of nature, revering magical beasts as totem creatures and mimicking their powers. THE ESSENTIA POOL Incarnum-wielding characters, whether meldshapers or merely those with special abilities that harness incarnum, depend on their personal incarnum, called essentia, to power their abilities. A character’s store of personal incarnum is his essentia pool. Essentia is primarily derived from class levels of meldshaping classes, but can also be gained from other sources. Essentia stacks, even if gained from multiple sources such as class levels, racial traits, or feats. A 6th-level duskling incarnate with the Bonus Essentia feat has 9 points of essentia (1 for his race, 6 for his class, and 2 for the feat) in his essentia pool. Essentia Capacity However large your essentia pool is, you can only invest a certain amount of essentia into any one soulmeld, feat, class feature, magic item, or other incarnum receptacle. Your character level determines this essentia capacity, as shown on the table below. Table 2–1: Essentia Capacity Character Level Essentia Capacity 1st–5th 1 6th–11th 2 12th–17th 3 18th–20th 4 Incarnates and totemists both have class features that expand this capacity for all or certain soulmelds. See the class descriptions later in this chapter. Certain feats, prestige classes, and magic items can increase a meldshaper’s capacity as well. 620_88579_Chp2.indd 19 20_88579_Chp2.indd 19 7/12/05 8:58:56 AM /12/05 8:58:56 AM

20CHAPTER 2 CLASSES Multiclass Meldshapers Even if you have levels in more than one meldshaping class, you have a single essentia pool consisting of all the essentia you have acquired from your class levels and other sources. Your meldshaping abilities remain completely separate. Though your character level determines your soulmeld capacity (see Table 2–1: Essentia Capacity, above), class abilities that improve your soulmeld capacity apply only to soulmelds you shape from that class’s soulmeld list. Similarly, your chakra binds are limited by class—if your incarnate levels allow you to bind soulmelds to your crown chakra but your totemist levels allow you to bind soulmelds only to your totem chakra, you cannot bind totemist soulmelds to your crown chakra. For example, if you are a 6th-level incarnate/6th-level totemist, you have a total essentia pool of 10 (6 from your incarnate levels and 4 from your totemist levels). You can shape four incarnate soulmelds and four totemist soulmelds, assuming you have at least an 18 Constitution. You can bind two of your incarnate soulmelds to crown, feet, or hands chakras. You can bind two of your totemist soulmelds to your totem, crown, feet, or hands chakras. You cannot bind two soulmelds to the same chakra. You can freely distribute your 10 points of essentia among your eight total soulmelds. As a 12th-level character, your base soulmeld capacity is 3 points of essentia. Your incarnate soulmelds have a capacity of 4 points, and any totemist soulmeld you bind to your totem chakra also has a capacity of 4 points. ABILITIES AND MELDSHAPERS The ability (or abilities) that your soulmelds depend on—your key ability score(s) as a meldshaper—is related to the meldshaping class in which you have levels. The incarnate’s meldshaping is based on Wisdom and Constitution. The soulborn and totemist both base their meldshaping purely on Constitution. For all meldshaping characters, your Constitution score determines the maximum number of soulmelds you can have shaped at any one time (up to a limit indicated by your class and level). Your maximum number of simultaneously shaped soulmelds is equal to your Constitution score –10, or the number indicated in your class table, whichever is less. For example, a 4th-level incarnate with a Constitution score of at least 14 can have up to four soulmelds shaped simultaneously. If his Constitution were only 13, he could have only three soulmelds shaped simultaneously (even though Table 2–2: The Incarnate lists his number of soulmelds as four). If his Constitution were 15, he could still only have four soulmelds shaped (since this is the maximum allowed to a 4th-level incarnate). INCARNATE “Good and evil, law and chaos—they are as real as fi re and steel, and I am proof of that.” —Ogava Basa, skarn law incarnate Incarnum is a tool you can use to manipulate the physical manifestations of moral and ethical forces and wield them in righteous pursuit of an ideal. Whether you are holy and righteous or corrupt and evil, you literally come to embody one cause or alignment, adding the distilled essence of good, evil, law, or chaos into your soulmelds. MAKING AN INCARNATE As an incarnate, you can expect to serve both a melee role and a supporting role by aiding other characters with your aligned aura and your soulmelds. In certain situations you are as strong a fi ghter as a paladin, though you suffer more when out of your element. Abilities: Constitution is perhaps your most important ability score, since it determines the maximum number of soulmelds you can shape at one time (as well as the duration of your incarnum radiance). If your soulmeld selection focuses on melee combat, a high Strength score is important; if you use your soulmelds directly against foes, a high Wisdom score increases the save DCs against those abilities. Races: Races inclined to alignment extremes make the best incarnates. The heirs of the mishtai—rilkans and skarns—are by far the most common incarnates, producing mostly chaotic and lawful incarnates, respectively. Dusk lings become chaotic (or occasionally evil) incarnates. Dwarves produce lawful incarnates, while elf incarnates embody their good nature. Half-orcs might grow to be chaotic incarnates. Among humans, evil incarnates are more common than good. The planetouched races produce a great number of incarnates. The most common savage humanoid incarnates are evil kobolds and evil orcs. Alignment: Incarnates hold to one alignment extreme. As an incarnate, you must choose one alignment component: good, evil, law, or chaos. This alignment component defines you and serves as your guiding principle. For incarnates, though, this is more than just belief, because incarnates channel souls that contain the very essence of this alignment component. Because their devotion to one ideal is so great, an incarnate can only pick one extreme alignment component (good, evil, law, or chaos) and must be neutral in regards to the other alignment component. This means that the only possible alignments for incarnates are neutral good, neutral evil, lawful neutral, or chaotic neutral. Starting Gold: 5d4×10 (125 gp). Starting Age: As cleric. CLASS FEATURES You embody the alignment ideal that you hold most dear (good, evil, law, or chaos): not only its principles and tenets, but also its underlying nature. Incarnates of different alignments have different methods of fi ghting and different strengths in combat—good incarnates emphasize protection and resistance, while chaotic incarnates use speed to best their foes. Lawful incarnates favor skill and accuracy in melee combat, while evil incarnates strive to do the most damage possible to their foes. These principles carry through your abilities, including the physical changes you undergo as you meld more and more incarnum to your soul. Weapon and Armor Profi ciency: You are profi cient with all simple weapons, light armor, medium armor, and shields (except tower shields). 620_88579_Chp2.indd 20 20_88579_Chp2.indd 20 7/12/05 8:59:00 AM /12/05 8:59:00 AM

21CHAPTER 2 CLASSES Meldshaping: An incarnate’s primary ability is shaping incarnum soulmelds, which are drawn from the incarnate soulmeld list (page 54). You know and can shape any soulmeld from this list (but see Aligned Soulmelds, below). The Diffi culty Class for a saving throw against an incarnate soulmeld is 10 + number of points of essentia invested in the soulmeld + your Wisdom modifi er. Your meldshaper level is equal to your incarnate level. An incarnate can shape only a certain number of soulmelds per day. Your base daily allotment is given on Table 2–2: The Incarnate. 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, which can be invested into your soulmelds to increase their power. Your essentia pool’s size is shown on Table 2–2: The Incarnate. Your character level, as noted on Table 2–1: Essentia Capacity, determines the maximum quantity of essentia that you can invest in any single soulmeld. As a swift action, you can reallocate your essentia investments in your soulmelds every round (see Essentia, page 50). An incarnate does not study or prepare soulmelds in advance, but must have a good night’s rest and must meditate for 1 hour to shape his soulmelds for the day (see Shaping Soulmelds, page 49). Aligned Soulmelds: You cannot shape soulmelds with an alignment descriptor that does not match your own. For example, if you are a good incarnate, you cannot shape soulmelds with the chaotic, lawful, or evil descriptors. 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 , page 50), so that you cannot also benefi t 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 Table 2–2: The Incarnate). At 2nd level, you can bind a soulmeld to your crown chakra. Beginning at 4th level, you can bind soulmelds to your feet or hands chakras. At 9th level, you can bind soulmelds to your arms, brow, or shoulders chakras. At 14th level, you can bind soulmelds to your throat or waist chakras. At 16th level, you can bind a soulmeld to your heart chakra, and at 19th level you can bind a soulmeld to your soul chakra. For more information on chakra binds, see page 51. Aura (Ex): You have a particularly powerful aura corresponding to your alignment (see the detect evil spell). The power of your aura is equal to your incarnate level, just like the aura of a cleric. Similarly, your soulmelds always radiate good, evil, law, or chaos (according to your alignment) as though they were aligned magic items with a caster level equal to your class level. Detect Opposition (Sp): At will, you can attempt to detect the presence of creatures whose alignment is opposite your own. This ability works like the detect evil spell, except that it detects the specifi c alignment opposed to your own. For example, a good incarnate can detect evil, while a chaotic incarnate can detect law. Expanded Soulmeld Capacity (Ex): Incarnates are specially gifted in their ability to invest essentia into soulmelds. Table 2–2: The Incarnate Hit Die: d6 Base Attack Fort Ref Will — —–— Meldshaping ——–— Level Bonus Save Save Save Special Soulmelds Essentia Chakra Binds 1st +0 +2 +0 +2 Aura, detect opposition 2 1 0 2nd +1 +3 +0 +3 Chakra bind (crown) 3 2 1 3rd +1 +3 +1 +3 Expanded soulmeld capacity +1, 3 3 1 incarnum radiance 1/day 4th +2 +4 +1 +4 Chakra binds (feet, hands) 4 4 1 5th +2 +4 +1 +4 Rapid meldshaping 1/day 4 5 1 6th +3 +5 +2 +5 4 6 2 7th +3 +5 +2 +5 Share incarnum radiance 5 7 2 8th +4 +6 +2 +6 Incarnum radiance 2/day 5 8 2 9th +4 +6 +3 +6 Chakra binds (arms, brow, shoulders) 5 9 2 10th +5 +7 +3 +7 6 10 3 11th +5 +7 +3 +7 Rapid meldshaping 2/day 6 11 3 12th +6/+1 +8 +4 +8 6 12 3 13th +6/+1 +8 +4 +8 Incarnum radiance 3/day 7 13 3 14th +7/+2 +9 +4 +9 Chakra binds (throat, waist) 7 14 4 15th +7/+2 +9 +5 +9 Expanded soulmeld capacity +2 7 16 4 16th +8/+3 +10 +5 +10 Chakra bind (heart) 8 18 4 17th +8+3 +10 +5 +10 Rapid meldshaping 3/day, 8 20 4 share incarnum radiance (no fatigue) 18th +9/+4 +11 +6 +11 Incarnum radiance 4/day 8 22 5 19th +9/+4 +11 +6 +11 Chakra bind (soul) 9 24 5 20th +10/+5 +12 +6 +12 Perfect meldshaper, true incarnation 9 26 5 Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level): Concentration, Craft, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (religion), Knowledge (the planes), Profession, Spellcraft. 620_88579_Chp2.indd 21 20_88579_Chp2.indd 21 7/12/05 8:59:02 AM /12/05 8:59:02 AM

22CHAPTER 2 CLASSES At 3rd level and again at 15th level, the essentia capacity of your soulmelds increases by 1, superseding the number on Table 2–1. This only applies to soulmelds, not to feats, class features, or other abilities that allow essentia investment. Incarnum Radiance (Su): As an incarnate, you fuse incarnum with your very soul. You can tap into your incarnum-fused soul to activate a visible radiant aura of power, granting you an increase in a particular area of prowess. You can activate this ability as a free action once per day at 3rd level, twice per day at 8th level, and one additional time per day for every fi ve levels gained thereafter (3/day at 13th level and 4/day at 18th). This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + your Constitution modifi er (minimum 1 round). Good: Your body shines with silvery light. You gain a +1 bonus to AC; this bonus improves by 1 for every five levels gained (+2 at 5th level, +3 at 10th, +4 at 15th, and +5 at 20th level). Evil: An ash-gray aura surrounds you. You gain a +2 bonus on melee damage rolls; this bonus improves by 2 for every fi ve levels gained (+4 at 5th level, +6 at 10th, +8 at 15th, and +10 at 20th level). Lawful: You glow with a blood-red corona. You gain a +1 bonus on melee attack rolls; this bonus improves by 1 for every fi ve levels gained (+2 at 5th level, +3 at 10th, +4 at 15th, and +5 at 20th level). Chaotic: A faint green nimbus surrounds your body. You gain a 10-foot increase to your base land speed. This is considered a bonus. This increase improves by 10 feet for every fi ve levels gained (+20 at 5th level, +30 at 10th, +40 at 15th, and +50 at 20th level). Rapid Meldshaping (Su): As your ability to channel incarnum into soulmelds increases, you learn to shape a small number of soulmelds instantly. Starting at 5th level, once per day you can unshape one of your existing soulmelds and immediately shape another soulmeld. This process requires a full-round action and provokes attacks of opportunity. The soulmeld that you shape cannot be bound to a chakra, even if the soulmeld that you unshape was bound to a chakra. You can use this ability twice per day at 11th level and three times per day at 17th. Share Incarnum Radiance (Su): As you gain control over your powers of incarnum, you learn to share the effect of your incarnum radiance with nearby allies who share at least some of your morals or ethics. Beginning at 7th level, when you activate your incarnum radiance (see above) you can choose for its benefi t to also affect all allies within 30 feet of you. Any ally who moves more than 30 feet from you loses the benefi t until he returns within range. If you share your incarnum radiance with allies in this fashion, you become fatigued at the end of the power’s duration (this fatigue fades in 10 minutes). You must make this choice at the time the radiance is activated. Allies who do not share your alignment cause cannot gain the benefi t of your incarnum radiance. For example, a good incarnate’s incarnum radiance benefi t cannot be shared with allies who are not good. Beginning at 17th level, sharing your incarnum radiance with allies does not fatigue you. Perfect Meldshaper (Su): At 20th level, you gain the ability to fl ood your body with incarnum for a brief period of time. As a free action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity, you can increase the amount of essentia invested in each of the incarnate soulmelds that you currently have shaped to the maximum essentia capacity of that soulmeld. This total will be greater than the amount of essentia normally available to you. This ability lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifi er. During this duration, you can’t reallocate essentia from your incarnate soulmelds. You can use this ability once per day. True Incarnation (Su): When you reach 20th level, the process of merging incarnum with your fl esh is complete, and you are transformed into a new type of creature. You gain the outsider type, as well as the alignment subtype corresponding to your incarnate cause. Both your natural and weapon attacks are henceforth treated as having the alignment of that subtype for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Ex-Incarnates If you change alignment, you lose most of your class abilities, unless your new alignment is compatible with the incarnate class. If it is not, you lose your aura, detect opposition, incarnate radiance, and meldshaping abilities. You may not progress any further in levels as an incarnate. You regain all your abilities and advancement potential if you return to your previous alignment and receive an atonement spell. If your alignment shift still qualifi es you for the class—a fall from neutral good to neutral evil, for example—you retain your incarnate levels and your class features change to match your new alignment. PLAYING AN INCARNATE As an incarnate, alignment is all-important to you. The most compelling reasons to adventure spring directly from it. Good incarnates adventure to fi ght evil, to protect innocents from harm, to hunt fugitives, or to right an injustice. Chaotic incarnates are drawn to oppose tyranny, champion freedom, and fi ght against the restrictions of law. Evil incarnates actively seek to spread destruction, seize whatever they can reach and keep, and slaughter those who are weaker than they. Lawful incarnates seek to expand their power within established frameworks, spreading the wisdom and order inherent to law. Religion: A great many incarnates devote themselves to deities they consider exemplars of their alignment. Good incarnates gravitate to Pelor, evil to Nerull, lawful to St. Cuthbert, and chaotic to Olidammara. Nonhuman incarnates sometimes follow their racial deities as well. Other incarnates believe that alignment is a higher power than any deity and revere their alignment above all else. Such incarnates are friendly toward followers of deities who share their alignment, but only as long as they continue to uphold the precepts of the alignment. Other Classes: Incarnates are often on very good terms with clerics of the same alignment and cooperate with them extensively. Lawful and good incarnates also frequently work with paladins. In general, you are happy to work with any character who shares your alignment, and tolerate characters whose alignment is close to yours. Lawful and chaotic incarnates fi nd it diffi cult, if not impossible to work together, even if their motives are both genuinely benign, which is not always the case. 620_88579_Chp2.indd 22 20_88579_Chp2.indd 22 7/12/05 8:59:04 AM /12/05 8:59:04 AM

23CHAPTER 2 CLASSES Combat: How you engage in combat is almost directly a function of your alignment. Your soulmelds and your incarnum radiance ability emphasize certain approaches to combat that vary by your alignment. If you’re good, you’ll have a better Armor Class to stand up to melee attacks; if you’re chaotic, you’ll have more mobility to move in and out of melee range. If you’re lawful, you’ll hit more often in melee, and if you’re evil, you’ll deal more damage with each hit. Your incarnum radiance means that your allies can benefi t if they’re the same alignment as you are and share a similar approach to combat. You can’t always pick your adventuring companions, but you have concrete rewards to offer allies who adopt your alignment. Advancement: Most incarnates were strongly inclined toward a specifi c alignment before their fi rst encounter with incarnum. You might have had a fi erce sense of justice and good as a child, perhaps even considered the call of a paladin until you discovered that incarnum could transform good into a tangible force that you could hold in your hands. You might have discovered incarnum by accidental experimentation, or another incarnate might have trained you. Perhaps you were admitted into an order of incarnates, or learned under the tutelage of a lone hermit, one of only a handful of incarnates in the world. Your meldshaping ability offers myriad opportunities for customizing your particular abilities, since so many soulmelds are available to you and each one can significantly shape your capabilities. Your alignment determines which soulmelds are available; you cannot shape a soulmeld with an alignment descriptor opposed to your own. These soulmelds encourage your combat abilities in a certain direction dependant on your alignment, so you should try to select feats that complement that combat style. If you’re good, Combat Expertise fits your combat idiom. If you’re chaotic, Dodge and related feats fit well. For the evil incarnate, Power Attack is a natural choice, while lawful incarnates favor Weapon Focus and other feats that grant a bonus on attack rolls. SKARN INCARNATE STARTING PACKAGE Armor: Scale mail (+4 AC, armor check penalty –4, speed 20 ft., 30 lb.). Heavy wooden shield (+2 AC, armor check penalty –2, 10 lb.). Weapons: Morningstar (1d8, crit ×2, 6 lb., one-handed, bludgeoning and piercing). Light crossbow (1d8, crit ×2, range inc. 80 ft., 4 lb., piercing). Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 2 + Int modifi er. Armor Check Skill Ranks Ability Penalty Spellcraft 4 Int — Knowledge (the planes) 4 Int — Knowledge (religion) 4 Int — Intimidate (cc) 2 Cha — Climb (cc) 2 Str –6 Listen (cc) 2 Wis — Spot (cc) 2 Wis — Feat: If Strength is 13 or higher, Power Attack; if Strength is 12 or lower, Improved Initiative. Gear: Backpack with waterskin, one day’s trail rations, bedroll, sack, fl int and steel. 3 torches. Case with 10 crossbow bolts. Gold: 1d8 gp. INCARNATES IN THE WORLD “He’s the most rigid, infl exible person I’ve ever known. I’m all in favor of law, but sometimes you need to temper it with mercy. Not so for Ogava Basa.” —Alhandra, human paladin Incarnates fi ll a wide variety of roles in the world, but are united by one common theme: whatever causes they adopt, they exemplify the principles of their alignment. In their actions and their capabilities, they add another concrete dimension to alignment in the D&D world. Stergan, a skarn incarnate Illus. by M. Poole 620_88579_Chp2.indd 23 20_88579_Chp2.indd 23 7/12/05 8:59:05 AM /12/05 8:59:05 AM

24CHAPTER 2 CLASSES Daily Life: The kinds of activities that appeal to incarnates depend largely on their alignment. Good incarnates spend their time helping others in large or small ways, while evil incarnates are interested in helping themselves—and hurting others along the way. Lawful incarnates work to promote order and gravitate toward ordered cities in lawful societies, while chaotic incarnates promote freedom and even anarchy, preferring small communities or even solitary lifestyles. Notables: Incarnates of each alignment have particular exemplars and heroes they hold up as the ideals of their kind. Revered by evil incarnates and reviled by good ones (as well as a signifi cant number of law and chaos incarnates), Murthien the Soul-Render is a legendary fi gure of evil, known for storming the Bastion of Unborn Souls at the head of a legion of necrocarnum zombies in an attempt to steal the energy of preincarnate souls for his own wicked ends. Some accounts relate that Murthien began his career as a good incarnate, but in a spectacular fall became an evil incarnate whose wickedness was unmatched. Davi the Trickster is a near-mythological chaos incarnate who fi gures prominently in rilkan romances. Phanallashtam the Lawbringer, a law incarnate of ancient times, is commonly recognized as the author of one of the fi rst and most important early legal codes. N!doka the North Star is a good incarnate of more recent memory, whose fame as a champion of good and a fi erce opponent of evil has spread far from her remote homeland. It is possible that incarnum is a relatively new discovery in your campaign world. In that case, these notable incarnates might be modern figures, or their stories might originate on another plane or world where incarnum is more common. Organizations: The size and importance of incarnate organizations depends largely on the role incarnum itself plays in your campaign. If the use of incarnum is a recent development, there might not yet be any organizations in place to support those few individuals who experiment with its capabilities. Even if incarnum has been around for a long time, it might be a tradition passed from mentor to pupil in a small but unbroken line from the ancient past. If incarnates do gather into organizations in your campaign, their nature—as with all things involving incarnates— depends on their alignment. Few, if any, organizations exist that draw their membership from all four alignments of incarnate. Rather, incarnates of each alignment group with others who share their outlook, avoiding or actively opposing incarnates of other alignments. Law incarnates are the most likely to form associations. Even if their overall numbers are few in the world, scattered law incarnates fi nd ways to join forces to contribute to the advancement of law and order. Both evil and chaos incarnates are more likely to work independently, while good incarnates lie between these two extremes. More often than they form organizations of their own, incarnates join other organizations that share their alignment and overall goals. Incarnates affi liate themselves with churches that share their alignment; some join knightly orders, arcane colleges, and even guilds of thieves or assassins in order to advance their causes. NPC Reactions People who have strong feelings about alignment have strong feelings about incarnates—being friendly or helpful toward incarnates who share their alignment and unfriendly or hostile to those who oppose it. This category includes clerics and other devoutly religious followers of deities with nonneutral alignments, paladins and blackguards, soulborns, and members of races and other creatures with well-defi ned alignment tendencies. The majority of humans and halfl ings, at least, tend toward neutral alignments largely by virtue of simply not feeling strongly enough about alignment to take sides. These people are indifferent toward incarnates as well—although some have unfriendly feelings toward anyone who champions an alignment extreme. INCARNATE LORE Characters with Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (the planes) can research incarnates to learn more about them. Bardic knowledge reveals the same information. DC 10: Incarnates embody the principles of the four alignments—chaos, evil, good, and law. They draw magical power from a mysterious soul-energy called incarnum. DC 15: Incarnates take this soul-energy and shape it into objects almost like magic items. Their strengths and powers depend on their alignment: chaos incarnates move quickly and use ranged attacks, lawful ones hit hard in melee. Evil incarnates will rip you to shreds, while good ones focus on protection. DC 20: Incarnates shape incarnum into soulmelds. Though the soulmelds themselves are relatively stable and long lasting, incarnates can quickly shift power among their different soulmelds. Their soulmelds grow more powerful when bound to the power centers of the body, which they call chakras. DC 30: Information about notable incarnates, drawn from the section above. INCARNATES IN THE GAME The incarnate class is the backbone of the new rules system presented in Magic of Incarnum. Chapter 8: Incarnum Campaigns presents extensive advice about how to work incarnum into an ongoing or new campaign, and that advice applies directly to the incarnate class. A player with an incarnate character will be happiest if the other members of the party have a similar alignment, if he has ample opportunity to use his soulmelds and incarnum radiance, and if he at least occasionally encounters NPC opponents and monsters that wield incarnum or use incarnum-related magic items. In other words, while it is certainly possible for a player to make and play an incarnate while no one else at the gaming table even owns a copy of this book, the most satisfying play experience comes from a campaign where incarnum makes a more extensive appearance. Adaptation: It could be possible to create a variant meldshaping class based on the incarnate but without the incarnate’s rigid focus on alignment. By deleting alignment-focused abilities (aura, detect opposition) and removing restrictions on shaping soulmelds that do not match the character’s alignment, then replacing the incarnate radiance ability with a different class feature, you would create a more generalized meldshaper. 620_88579_Chp2.indd 24 20_88579_Chp2.indd 24 7/12/05 8:59:08 AM /12/05 8:59:08 AM

25CHAPTER 2 CLASSES Encounters: An encounter with an NPC incarnate, friend or foe, could be an adventuring party’s fi rst brush with the magic of incarnum. If this is the case, the DM should be sure to play up the strange and mysterious nature of the power this character wields. Describe the character’s soulmelds carefully, choosing evocative adjectives based on the tone you want to set for the encounter—they might seem “ghostly,” “radiant,” or “ethereal,” for example, depending on whether you want the incarnate to seem sinister, exalted, or mysterious. SOULBORN “I am strong. Incarnum makes me stronger.” —Thiera Donassik, azurin soulborn As a soulborn, you use incarnum to enhance your natural combat ability. You can also share the power of incarnum with your allies, making you a valuable member of any adventuring group. You have the ability to shape soulmelds, though you have less meldshaping power than an incarnate or totemist. MAKING A SOULBORN As a soulborn, you serve an adventuring party as a strong melee combatant. Your soulmelds and related abilities serve to enhance your performance in battle without distracting you from striking at an opponent just about every round of combat. Abilities: Soulborns rely heavily on Strength and Constitution because of their usefulness in combat. Constitution is also crucial for the soulborn’s meldshaping ability. Charisma contributes to the soulborn’s smite opposition class feature. Races: Any race that traditionally emphasizes combat and physical prowess could include soulborns, including dwarves, half-orcs, and especially humans. Of the new races presented in this book, azurins are drawn most strongly to the life of the soulborn, and some rilkans also fi nd themselves suited for the class. Among savage humanoids that have any knowledge of incarnum, soulborns are far more common than other soulmeld classes. Such groups are known to include tribes of lizardfolk, gnolls, and hobgoblins. Alignment: Soulborns are polarized in their alignments, hewing to strong convictions of morality and ethics. As such, they can only be lawful good, chaotic good, lawful evil, or chaotic evil. Starting Gold: 6d4×10 (150 gp). Starting Age: As paladin. CLASS FEATURES The soulborn combines strong combat abilities with a limited ability to manipulate incarnum. She can also enhance her allies’ prowess, making her a good battlefi eld leader. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Soulborns are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with light, medium, and heavy armor, and with shields (except tower shields). Aura (Ex): As a soulborn, you have a particularly powerful aura corresponding to your alignment (see the detect evil spell for details). Smite Opposition (Su): Once per day you can channel the power of your incarnum-fueled convictions to attempt to smite a foe with a melee attack. You add your Charisma bonus (if any) to your attack roll and deal 1 extra point of damage per soulborn level. These bonuses apply only against creatures whose alignment opposes at least one component Table 2–3: The Soulborn Hit Die: d10 Base Attack Fort Ref Will — —–— Meldshaping ——–— Level Bonus Save Save Save Special Soulmelds Essentia Chakra Binds 1st +1 +2 +0 +0 Aura, smite opposition 1/day 0 0 0 2nd +2 +3 +0 +0 Incarnum defense 0 0 0 3rd +3 +3 +1 +1 Bonus feat 0 0 0 4th +4 +4 +1 +1 1 0 0 5th +5 +4 +1 +1 Smite opposition 2/day 1 0 0 6th +6/+1 +5 +2 +2 1 1 0 7th +7/+2 +5 +2 +2 Bonus feat 1 1 0 8th +8/+3 +6 +2 +2 Chakra binds (crown, feet, hands) 2 2 1 9th +9/+4 +6 +3 +3 Share incarnum defense 1/day 2 2 1 10th +10/+5 +7 +3 +3 Smite opposition 3/day 2 3 1 11th +11/+6/+1 +7 +3 +3 Bonus feat 2 3 1 12th +12/+7/+2 +8 +4 +4 3 4 1 13th +13/+8/+3 +8 +4 +4 Share incarnum defense 2/day 3 4 1 14th +14/+9/+4 +9 +4 +4 Chakra binds (arms, brow, shoulders) 3 5 2 15th +15/+10/+5 +9 +5 +5 Smite opposition 4/day 3 5 2 16th +16/+11/+6/+1 +10 +5 +5 4 6 2 17th +17/+12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +5 Share incarnum defense 3/day 4 7 2 18th +18/+13/+8/+3 +11 +6 +6 Chakra binds (throat, waist) 4 8 3 19th +19/+14/+9/+4 +11 +6 +6 Timeless body 4 9 3 20th +20/+15/+10/+5 +12 +6 +6 Smite opposition 5/day 5 10 3 Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level): Climb, Concentration, Craft, Handle Animal, Heal, Jump, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (the planes), Profession, Ride, Spellcraft, Swim. A lawful good soulborn adds Diplomacy to the soulborn class skills listed above. A chaotic good soulborn adds Gather Information to the list. A lawful evil soulborn adds Bluff to the list, and a chaotic evil soulborn adds Intimidate to the list. 620_88579_Chp2.indd 25 20_88579_Chp2.indd 25 7/12/05 8:59:09 AM /12/05 8:59:09 AM

26CHAPTER 2 CLASSES of yours—a lawful good soulborn smites chaotic and evil foes (any creature whose alignment includes either chaos or evil), while a chaotic good soulborn smites lawful and evil foes. If you accidentally smite a creature of the wrong alignment, the smite has no effect, but the ability is still used up for that day. At 5th level and every fi ve levels thereafter, you can smite opposition one additional time per day to a maximum of fi ve times per day at 20th level. Incarnum Defense (Su): Your incarnum-fused soul dramatically affects your body and mind. At 2nd level, this manifests as a visible change in your appearance, as well as a particular immunity. The appearance and effects of this fusion depend on your alignment: Lawful Good: Your eyes become orbs of solid gold in color, with no visible pupil or iris. You gain immunity to fear. Chaotic Good: Your irises turn emerald green. You gain immunity to paralysis. Lawful Evil: Your pupils display an unholy red hue. You gain immunity to exhaustion (effects that would cause exhaustion render you fatigued instead). Chaotic Evil: Your eyes become solid orbs of shadowy blackness, with no visible pupil or iris. You gain immunity to any penalty, damage, or drain to your Strength. Bonus Feat: At 3rd, 7th, and 11th levels, you gain a bonus incarnum feat (see Chapter 3) for which you meet the prerequisites. Meldshaping: Beginning at 4th level, a soulborn gains a limited ability to shape soulmelds, which are drawn from the soulborn soulmeld list (page 56). You know and can shape any soulmeld from this list (but see Aligned Soulmelds, below). The Diffi culty Class for a saving throw against a soulborn soulmeld is 10 + number of points of essentia invested in the soulmeld + your Constitution modifi er. Your meldshaper level is equal to one-half your soulborn level. A soulborn can shape only a certain number of soulmelds per day. Your base daily allotment is given on Table 2–3: The Soulborn. The maximum number of soulmelds that you can have shaped simultaneously is equal to your Constitution score minus 10 or the number of soulmelds on the table, whichever is lower. At 4th level, you can shape one soulmeld at a time (assuming you have a Constitution score of at least 11). As you advance in level, you can shape an increasing number of soulmelds. At 6th level, you gain access to your personal pool of essentia, which can be invested into your soulmelds to increase their power. Your essentia pool’s size is shown on Table 2–3: The Soulborn. Your character level, as noted on Table 2–1: Essentia Capacity, determines the maximum quantity of essentia that you can invest in any single soulmeld. As a swift action, you can reallocate your essentia investments in your soulmelds every round (see Essentia, page 50). A soulborn does not study or prepare soulmelds in advance, but must have a good night’s rest and must meditate for 1 hour to shape her soulmelds for the day (see Shaping Soulmelds, page 49). Aligned Soulmelds: You cannot shape soulmelds with an alignment descriptor that does not match your own. For example, if you are a chaotic good soulborn, you cannot shape soulmelds with the lawful or evil descriptors. Chakra Binds: Beginning at 8th 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, page 50), so that you cannot also benefi t 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 Table 2–3: The Soulborn). At 8th level, you can bind soulmelds to your crown, feet, or hands chakras. At 14th level, you can bind soulmelds to your arms, brow, and shoulders chakras. At 18th level, you can bind soulmelds to your throat or waist chakras. You never gain the ability to bind a soulmeld to your heart or soul chakras. For more information on chakra binds, see page 51. Share Incarnum Defense (Su): Starting at 9th level, once per day you can share your incarnum defense ability with a single ally, providing that character with the same immunity that you enjoy. This requires you to touch the ally to be affected (a standard action). No component of the Zenya, an azurin soulborn Illus. by M. Poole 620_88579_Chp2.indd 26 20_88579_Chp2.indd 26 7/12/05 8:59:11 AM /12/05 8:59:11 AM

27CHAPTER 2 CLASSES ally’s alignment may be opposed to yours; for example, a lawful good soulborn can affect creatures of lawful good, neutral good, lawful neutral, or neutral alignment, but cannot share the incarnum defense with a chaotic or evil ally. The effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + your Charisma modifi er. You can use this ability one additional time per day for every four levels gained above 9th (2/day at 13th level and 3/day at 17th). You can never use this ability on more than one ally at a time; sharing your incarnum defense with a second ally automatically ends the effect on the fi rst. Timeless Body (Ex): Upon attaining 19th level, the presence of incarnum within your body becomes so prevalent that your aging process changes dramatically. You no longer take penalties to your ability scores and cannot be magically aged. Any such penalties that you have already taken, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, penalties continue to apply, and you still die of old age when your time is up. Ex-Soulborns If you change alignment, you lose most of your class abilities unless your new alignment is compatible with the soulborn class. If it is not, you lose your aura, smite opposition, incarnum defense, and meldshaping abilities. You may not progress any further in levels as a soulborn. You regain all your abilities and advancement potential if you return to your previous alignment and receive an atonement spell. If your alignment shift still qualifi es you for the class—a change from lawful evil to lawful good, for example—you retain your soulborn levels and your class features change to match your new alignment. PLAYING A SOULBORN Soulborns view adventures from a military perspective and refer to them as “missions” or “assaults.” An adventure is a combat exercise, an opportunity to put your prowess to the test against new foes. You might have a variety of reasons to adventure, whether the mercenary craving for gold or a desire to protect a community from marauders. Religion: Soulborns are drawn to the same deities as fi ghters: Heironeous, Kord, Hextor, or Erythnul. Although St. Cuthbert is popular among fi ghters, he is less favored by soulborns because of his lawful neutral alignment. Many soulborns have no religious ties at all, viewing their power as something from outside the realm of divine control. Other Classes: Soulborns particularly enjoy the company of other martial characters, particularly fi ghters and barbarians. Most soulborns are concerned enough with strategy that they seek out companions whose strengths complement their own—they appreciate the contributions that characters of other classes make to the success of an adventuring party. They can work well with similarly aligned incarnates, though heated debates as to the particular ethics or morality of a situation can come about between incarnum-wielding characters of similar but not necessarily identical alignments. Combat: A soulborn’s place is at the front of the party, wading into melee combat with your enemies. You are most at home when engaging foes of the opposite alignment, allowing you to bring your smiting ability to bear. At 4th level, when you start shaping soulmelds, you suddenly have a wider variety of options before you—but all these options fundamentally serve to improve what you’re already good at, which is combat. Meldshaping is just one more weapon in your arsenal for you to wield against your enemies. You might like to wade into combat girded with armguards of disruption, or use thunderstep boots to bolster your attacks. You might instead use your soulmelds for personal defense, shaping a fl ame cincture and impulse boots. Every aspect of combat is receptive to improvement, so choosing your soulmelds is really a question of resource management: How can you best use the few soulmelds you can shape to maximize your strengths and minimize your weaknesses? You can use soulmelds such as fearsome mask and hunter’s circlet to improve skills that are already strong, or lucky dice and a crystal helm to bolster weaker saving throws. Advancement: Most soulborns come from military backgrounds. You might have been a soldier who stumbled upon incarnum by accident and uncovered its secrets by trial and error. You might be a noble warrior whose skill at arms earned you indoctrination into a royal order of soulborns, where a superior offi cer trained you in the use of incarnum. Perhaps you undertook a great quest to learn the ways of a soulborn from a mysterious master in some remote region. However you came to this class, you pursue it with single-minded devotion, spending most of your free time in studying the ways that incarnum can shape the world to your advantage in combat. Though your meldshaping ability is a secondary feature, your choice of soulmelds each day has a signifi cant impact on your character’s capabilities. As a combat-oriented character, select feats that enhance your preferred style of battle, such as Power Attack or Dodge. General combat feats such as Weapon Focus and Improved Critical are also appropriate for your character. Picking up a couple of incarnum feats can improve your meldshaping ability, your combat prowess, or both. AZURIN SOULBORN STARTING PACKAGE Armor: Scale mail (+4 AC, armor check penalty –4, speed 20 ft., 30 lb.). Heavy wooden shield (+2 AC, armor check penalty –2, 10 lb.). Weapons: Longsword (1d8, crit 19–20/×2, 4 lb., onehanded, slashing). Shortbow (1d6, crit ×3, range inc. 60 ft., 2 lb., piercing). Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 2 + Int modifi er. Armor Check Skill Ranks Ability Penalty Spellcraft 4 Int — Knowledge (the planes) 4 Int — Diplomacy (if LG) 4 Cha — Gather Information (if CG) 4 Cha — Bluff (if LE) 4 Cha — Intimidate (if CE) 4 Cha — Climb 4 Str –6 Jump 4 Str –6 Ride 4 Dex — Swim 4 Str –12 Listen (cc) 2 Wis — 620_88579_Chp2.indd 27 20_88579_Chp2.indd 27 7/12/05 8:59:13 AM /12/05 8:59:13 AM

28CHAPTER 2 CLASSES Feat: Weapon Focus (longsword). Bonus Feat: Improved Initiative. Gear: Backpack with waterskin, one day’s trail rations, bedroll, sack, fl int and steel. Hooded lantern, three pints of oil. Quiver with 20 arrows. Gold: 6d4 gp. SOULBORNS IN THE WORLD “When it comes to smiting evil, Thiera and I understand each other. But when she starts talking about her chakra binds, I just smile and nod.” —Alhandra, human paladin Soulborns seem to exist to do battle, like eternal crusaders against the alignment forces that oppose their own. If incarnates exemplify the principles of their alignments, soulborns hammer principles of two alignments together and hone them into a keen-edged blade—then use that blade to smite the opposing alignments. Soulborns are the paladins and blackguards of the incarnum world, stripped of religious trappings and whittled down to the combat essentials. Daily Life: Many soulborns, even those of chaotic alignment, live the rigidly disciplined lives of soldiers, honing their martial skills through regular practice and moderation in all things. Others rely on innate strength and the practice of regular action in combat, spending the intervals between battles in drinking and debauchery. Notables: Odravan the Red is a legendary soulborn, a war hero who began his career as a mercenary soldier, rose to command his company, then took command of a military battalion and rose to rule a large kingdom. Soulborns of all alignments point to Odravan as an example of what can be attained through dedication to the martial way of life. In contemporary times, the well-known soulborns include Ghereff vin Callar, who held the walled city of Mordant against the hordes of the Lich Lord Angkath, and Lidyae the Occluded, who gained notoriety as a driving force behind those undead hordes. Organizations: Soulborns do not form their own society, but naturally gravitate toward other organizations that welcome characters with their martial skills and inclinations. Such groups include the churches of deities of war (Heironeous, Hextor, Erythnul, and, to a lesser extent, Kord), as well as mercenary companies, military units, knightly orders, and even gladiatorial schools. NPC Reactions Depending on one’s perspective, a soulborn is either a heroic defender of one’s community or a threat—actual or potential—to that community. A soulborn defending a city is a hero to the people of that city. A soulborn leading an army to the gates of that city is quite the opposite. A mercenary soulborn between campaigns could be either—or just another annoying drunk at the local tavern. In general, NPCs greet soulborns with indifferent reactions unless they have reason to feel differently. As with incarnates, people who feel strongly about their own alignment greet soulborns of a similar alignment with warmer reactions and those of an opposed alignment more coldly. SOULBORN LORE Characters with Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (the planes) can research soulborns to learn more about them. DC 10: Soulborns are a bit like paladins, but they’re not all lawful good. And instead of divine magic, they draw magical power from a mysterious soul-energy called incarnum. DC 15: Soulborns use this soul-energy to hone their skills in combat. It gives them some protection, lets them smite their foes, and turns their eyes strange colors. Some of them can also shape incarnum into objects almost like magic items. DC 20: Soulborns are dedicated to alignment extremes— lawful good, chaotic good, lawful evil, or chaotic evil—and they can smite creatures of opposing alignment. At higher levels, they can shape incarnum into soulmelds, which grow more powerful when bound to the power centers of the body. They also learn to share their protective powers with their allies. DC 30: Information about notable soulborns, drawn from the section above. SOULBORNS IN THE GAME If you use incarnum in your campaign, soulborns are an important part of the system—though not as central as incarnates. It is certainly possible to revise the history of your campaign world so that important paladins and blackguards have actually always been soulborns, but it is equally possible to stipulate that soulborns are a new arrival in the world. Chapter 8: Incarnum Campaigns offers more concrete suggestions for incorporating all things relating to incarnum into an ongoing campaign. In some ways, soulborns are trickier to manage in a campaign than incarnates. A player with an incarnate character will always feel like he’s using the new system presented in this book—he brings plenty of his own incarnum to the table. A player with a soulborn character could feel like he might as well have played a paladin or even a fi ghter, particularly at lower levels, unless the rest of the campaign has plenty of incarnum-wielding NPCs, monsters, and other elements involved. Adaptation: Soulborns could be recast as amoral soldiers of incarnum, wielding their powers in the service of whatever martial cause claims their allegiance. In this model, the class’s smite opposition feature would become a simple smite ability, similar to the granted power of the Destruction cleric domain; soulborns might literally become simply champions of destruction. They need not be evil, but they would certainly have a more sinister cast to them than the current class does, which might require some fundamental changes to the nature of incarnum as presented in this book. Encounters: It is best to introduce NPC soulborns after an adventuring party has already had a brush with at least one incarnate—incarnates are stronger examples of the variety of powerful capabilities that incarnum makes possible. On the other hand, the PCs might encounter one or more soulborns who are simply agents of a powerful incarnate, giving them a slight taste of incarnum’s powers before unleashing the more powerful soulmelds of the incarnate. 620_88579_Chp2.indd 28 20_88579_Chp2.indd 28 7/12/05 8:59:15 AM /12/05 8:59:15 AM

29CHAPTER 2 CLASSES TOTEMIST “Power walks the earth in many forms, but it is the great beast lords that are most willing to share their power with us.” —Quarranal Rhiannavar, duskling totemist A mask representing a basilisk, a mantle of the displacer beast, boots of the landshark—these are the hallmarks of the totemist. You channel the soul energy of magical beasts to make your soulmelds and claim them as your totems to acquire a share in their power. Making a Totemist As a totemist, you have close ties to nature similar to those of a druid or ranger, but your power is drawn from incarnum rather than divine magic. Your soulmelds primarily serve to give you new capabilities in combat, mostly new melee attack forms. Several soulmelds increase your defenses and a few improve your ranged attacks, but in general you belong in the front lines of combat, slashing your opponents with displacer beast tentacles before teleporting away like a blink dog. Abilities: Like all meldshapers, your Constitution score determines how many soulmelds you can have shaped at once; it also sets the saving throw DC for your soulmelds that allow saves. A high Constitution score also increases your hit points, which is important in combat. Since you are likely to engage in melee frequently, a high Strength score is important to improve your attacks, while a high Dexterity increases your Armor Class. Races: Within all races, the groups most likely to produce totemists are those with relatively close ties to nature, who live by hunting and gathering or slash-and-burn farming rather than extensive agriculture. Dusklings are often totemists. Wood and wild elves also have a strong totemist tradition, and some groups of humans produce totemists as well. Only the wildest groups of halfl ings and gnomes include totemists, and this class is virtually unknown among dwarves. Half-orcs and members of the savage humanoid races are occasionally totemists as well. Alignment: Totemists can be of any alignment. Many gravitate toward neutrality like the magical beasts they revere, while others adopt more extreme alignments—the lawful good of blink dogs and lammasus, the chaotic good of pegasi and unicorns, the lawful evil of displacer beasts, or the chaotic evil of chimeras and lamias. Starting Gold: 2d4×10 gp (50 gp). Starting Age: As druid. Class Features Like the incarnate, your primary class ability is meldshaping. You have your own distinct soulmeld list, however, and the ability to bind soulmelds to a unique chakra—your totem chakra. You gain special abilities related to your totem chakra, particularly the ability to quickly switch which soulmeld is bound to it. Weapon and Armor Profi ciency: You are profi cient with all simple weapons, with light armor, and with shields (except tower shields). Meldshaping: A totemist’s primary ability is shaping incarnum soulmelds, which are drawn from the totemist soulmeld list (page 58). You know and can shape any soulmeld from this list. Unlike the aligned forces of an incarnate’s melds, your soulmelds channel the bestial spirits of nature. The Diffi culty Class for a saving throw against a totemist soulmeld is 10 + number of points of essentia invested in the soulmeld + your Constitution modifi er. Your meldshaper level is equal to your totemist level. A totemist can shape only a certain number of soulmelds per day. Your base daily allotment is given on Table 2–4: Table 2–4: The Totemist Hit Die: d8 Base Attack Fort Ref Will — —–— Meldshaping ——–— Level Bonus Save Save Save Special Soulmelds Essentia Chakra Binds 1st +0 +2 +2 +0 Wild empathy, illiteracy 2 1 0 2nd +1 +3 +3 +0 Totem chakra bind (+1 capacity) 3 2 1 3rd +2 +3 +3 +1 Totem’s protection 3 2 1 4th +3 +4 +4 +1 4 3 1 5th +3 +4 +4 +1 Chakra binds (crown, feet, hands) 4 3 1 6th +4 +5 +5 +2 Totem chakra bind (+1 meldshaper level) 4 4 2 7th +5 +5 +5 +2 5 5 2 8th +6/+1 +6 +6 +2 Rebind totem soulmeld 1/day 5 5 2 9th +6/+1 +6 +6 +3 Chakra binds (arms, brow, shoulders) 5 6 2 10th +7/+2 +7 +7 +3 6 7 3 11th +8/+3 +7 +7 +3 Totem chakra bind (double bind) 6 8 3 12th +9/+4 +8 +8 +4 Rebind totem soulmeld 2/day 6 9 3 13th +9/+4 +8 +8 +4 7 10 3 14th +10/+5 +9 +9 +4 Chakra binds (throat, waist) 7 11 4 15th +11/+6/+1 +9 +9 +5 Totem chakra bind (+2 capacity) 7 12 4 16th +12/+7/+2 +10 +10 +5 Rebind totem soulmeld 3/day 8 13 4 17th +12/+7/+2 +10 +10 +5 Chakra bind (heart) 8 14 4 18th +13/+8/+3 +11 +11 +6 8 16 5 19th +14/+9/+4 +11 +11 +6 9 18 5 20th +15/+10/+5 +12 +12 +6 Totem embodiment, 9 20 5 rebind totem soulmeld 4/day Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level): Concentration, Craft, Handle Animal, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (nature), Knowledge (the planes), Listen, Profession, Ride, Spellcraft, Spot, Survival, Swim. 620_88579_Chp2.indd 29 20_88579_Chp2.indd 29 7/12/05 8:59:16 AM /12/05 8:59:16 AM

30CHAPTER 2 CLASSES The Totemist. The maximum number of soulmelds that you can have shaped simultaneously is equal to your Constitution score minus 10 or the number of soulmelds on the table, 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, which can be invested into your soulmelds to increase their power. Your essentia pool’s size is shown on Table 2–4: The Totemist. Your character level, as noted on Table 2–1: Essentia Capacity, determines the maximum quantity of essentia that you can invest in any single soulmeld. As a swift action, you can reallocate your essentia investments in your soulmelds every round (see Essentia, page 50). A totemist does not study or prepare soulmelds in advance, but must have a good night’s rest and must meditate for 1 hour to shape his soulmelds for the day (see Shaping Soulmelds, 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, page 50), so that you cannot also benefi t 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 Table 2–4: The Totemist). At 2nd level, you can bind a soulmeld to your totem chakra (see below). Beginning at 5th level, you can bind soulmelds to your crown, feet, or hands chakras. At 9th level, you can bind soulmelds to your arms, brow, or shoulders chakras. At 14th level, you can bind soulmelds to your throat or waist chakras. At 17th level, you can bind a soulmeld to your heart chakra. You never gain the ability to bind a soulmeld to your soul chakra. For more information on chakra binds, see page 51. Totem Chakra Bind: At 2nd level, you gain access to a unique chakra: the totem chakra. This chakra is not associated with any location on the body, but rather represents your connection to the wild soul energy of nature, embodied in the magical beasts of the world. When you bind a soulmeld to your totem chakra, you take on characteristics of the creature represented by the meld—usually involving a limited physical transformation. Since the totem chakra doesn’t match a body location, binding a soulmeld to this chakra doesn’t restrict your use of magic items that take up a body location. Any soulmeld bound to your totem chakra has an essentia capacity 1 higher than the normal capacity for your soulmelds. For example, a 2nd-level totemist can invest up to 2 points of essentia in any soulmeld bound to his totem chakra bind (rather than the normal limit of 1 points of essentia). At 15th level, the capacity of any soulmeld bound to your totem chakra increases by an additional point (meaning that a 15th-level totemist could invest up to 5 points of essentia in that soulmeld). At 6th level, the effective meldshaper level of a soulmeld you have bound to your totem chakra is equal to your actual meldshaper level +1. The primary effect of this benefi t is to make that soulmeld harder to unshape. At 11th level, you gain the ability to bind a single soulmeld to your totem chakra and to another chakra at the same time. You gain the special benefi ts of both chakra binds. Wild Empathy (Ex): As the druid class ability; see page 35 of the Player’s Handbook. You gain a +4 bonus on wild empathy checks made to infl uence the reactions of magical beasts of the same kind as the beast associated with the soulmeld bound to your totem chakra. Thus, if you have a basilisk mask bound to your totem chakra, you gain the bonus on checks made to infl uence basilisks. Illiteracy: Like barbarians, totemists do not begin the game knowing how to read and write. You can spend 2 skill points to gain the ability to read and write all languages you are able to speak. If you gain a level in any other class (except barbarian), you automatically gain literacy. A barbarian who gains a totemist level remains illiterate. Any other character who gains a totemist level does not lose the literacy he or she already had. Totem’s Protection (Ex): At 3rd level, you gain a +4 bonus on saving throws against the supernatural abilities of magical beasts. Rebind Totem Soulmeld (Su): As your link to your totem chakra strengthens, you learn to shift the ties that bind your soulmelds. Starting at 8th level, once per day you can unbind a soulmeld from your totem chakra and bind a different meld to that chakra, as long as the new meld is one you already have shaped. This requires a full-round action and provokes attacks of opportunity. You can use this ability one additional time for every four levels gained above 8th (2/day at 12th level, 3/day at 16th, and 4/day at 20th). Totem Embodiment (Su): At 20th level, you gain the ability to temporarily link your body and soul to your totem chakra. This greatly enhances the power of essentia invested in soulmelds bound to that chakra. For the duration of this ability, your normal essentia capacity of any soulmeld bound to your totem chakra is doubled. Every point of essentia invested in a soulmeld bound to your totem chakra counts as 2 points of essentia. Activating this ability is a free action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. It can be used once per day and lasts for a number of minutes equal to your Constitution bonus (minimum 1). PLAYING A TOTEMIST As a totemist, you most likely come from a culture that might be considered primitive by other peoples. You spent at least the early years of your life far more concerned with fi nding food and shelter than with formal education. You probably still think of the most basic needs before less essential desires, such as gaining treasure or taking revenge. Those are luxuries. It might be a personal goal of yours to reach a position in your life where you can afford luxuries, but in the meantime you function at a more basic level. What are you doing in the towns and cities of civilized society? What has brought you from your home in the wilderness regions of the world? Why have you chosen to keep company with adventurers, and why these particular companions? Answering these questions will give an important handle on your character. Perhaps you have been 620_88579_Chp2.indd 30 20_88579_Chp2.indd 30 7/12/05 8:59:18 AM /12/05 8:59:18 AM

31CHAPTER 2 CLASSES banished from your people and taken up a life of adventure because it is the only way you can come close to fi tting in to civilized society. Perhaps your elders sent you on a quest and you hope your adventuring companions can help you accomplish it. Religion: Most totemists worship the spirits of magical beasts, invoking them through prayers even as they bind their power into their soulmelds. A few have adopted the worship of Obad-Hai or a similar nature deity, believing that he has authority over all nature spirits. A handful of others worship Kord or Erythnul because their people revere these gods. Other Classes: Totemists relate well to barbarians and, to a somewhat lesser extent, to druids. In general, they gladly accept the company of any character who accepts them, rarely making quick judgments of any individual based on class. Incarnates and soulborns recognize that the techniques of totemists are related to their own, but vary in their responses to totemists. Incarnates in particular look down on totemists as savages who don’t understand the correct use of incarnum, but most other meldshapers are intrigued by the uses to which totemists put incarnum and eagerly discuss their different thoughts and techniques. Combat: Standing strictly on the basics (Hit Die, attack bonus, weapon and armor profi ciency), you’re a fair melee combatant comparable to a cleric. Your soulmelds expand your combat capabilities, however, making a position in the front lines of battle even more viable. You have a good mix of attack-enhancing soulmelds and those more focused on defense. With the right soulmelds in place, you can attack effectively without a weapon and stand up in melee without armor. You also have a wide variety of special abilities to choose from. Do you want to roar like a dragonne, spit acid like an ankheg, trill like a frost worm, scare your enemies like a krenshar, petrify them like a basilisk, or grapple them like a girallon? Do you want to blink like a blink dog, be displaced like a displacer beast, phase like a phase spider, or fl y like a pegasus? The special attacks and defenses you choose should give you plenty to do in any combat while ideally complementing the capabilities of your allies. Advancement: Most totemists declare that they did not choose their career—it chose them. You might have had a momentous encounter with a magical beast in the wild in your youth, one that left you close to death or simply feeling called. It might have been your community that recognized something in you and thrust the role of a totemist on you. Your initial training in the class probably consisted of a long period spent alone in the wilderness, fasting and communing with nature spirits to learn their secrets and invoke their blessings. After emerging from that retreat, you learned to form incarnum into your soulmelds. Like the incarnate, you have a large variety of options available to you in your soulmelds. You have access to a long list of soulmelds from the start of your career. Some totemists identify strongly with a specifi c magical beast and prefer to bind a related soulmeld to their soul chakra, or they focus on a small number of soulmelds they frequently bind to that chakra. Others prefer to remain completely fl exible in their soulmeld choices, using the rapid rebinding ability to quickly bind different soulmelds to their totem chakras. DUSKLING TOTEMIST STARTING PACKAGE Armor: Studded leather (+3 AC, armor check penalty –1, speed 30 ft., 20 lb.). Heavy wooden shield (+2 AC, armor check penalty –2, 10 lb.). Weapons: Shortspear (1d6, crit ×2, range inc. 20 ft., 3 lb., one-handed, piercing). Light crossbow (1d8, crit 19–20/×2, range inc. 80 ft., 4 lb., piercing). Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 4 + Int modifi er. Armor Check Skill Ranks Ability Penalty Spellcraft 4 Int — Survival 4 Wis — Spot 4 Wis — Listen 4 Wis — Knowledge (nature) 4 Int — Knowledge (the planes) 4 Int — Swim 4 Str –6 Ride 4 Dex — Q uarranal Rhiannavar, a duskling totemist Illus. by C. Frank 620_88579_Chp2.indd 31 20_88579_Chp2.indd 31 7/12/05 8:59:20 AM /12/05 8:59:20 AM

32CHAPTER 2 CLASSES Feat: Alertness. Gear: Backpack with waterskin, one day’s trail rations, bedroll, sack, fl int and steel. 3 torches. Case with 10 crossbow bolts. Gold: 1d6 gp. TOTEMISTS IN THE WORLD “Quarranal has the fury of a worg and the cunning of a blink dog.” —Vadania, half-elf druid In the real world, people of different cultures esteem animals as exemplars of qualities that they seek to emulate. The totemist is an extension of this principle into the D&D universe: similar to animals but more powerful, magical beasts are a natural choice for totems. Totemists use incarnum to channel the power they see embodied in magical beasts and claim it for their own. Daily Life: In their native lands, totemists serve as spiritual leaders for their people, mediating between the mundane world and the spirit world of totem beasts. They are also war leaders, embodying the strength and power of magical beasts in the forefront of raiding parties and armies. They are part of two worlds, the material world and the spirit realm, and fully belong to neither. They live as outsiders even in the midst of their communities. Notables: Totemists appear here and there in the legends of different peoples as folk heroes. The legendary duskling Tavannath Durimarrasha is sometimes called the Totem Bringer, for he is said to be the first totemist. Areil Woodwarden is a wild elf totemist of modern times, known for mobilizing the magical beasts of her forest home to repel a gnoll invasion. Gayadari the Dreamer is a human totemist from a remote land, known as a great hunter of dragons. Organizations: Totemists as a rule do not form organizations. Many totemists are part of tight tribal structures in their native lands, and totemists who leave those lands are such anomalies that they rarely find compatriots to form guilds or schools. Some totemists have been known to join organizations that support druids, while others claim membership in societies that cater to foreigners in civilized lands. In general, however, totemists are loners at heart, rejecting any organization larger than an adventuring company. NPC Reactions Totemists claim positions of respect (even if it is mingled with fear) among their own people and members of other societies that are familiar with their ways. A member of a culture that includes totemists has at least a friendly reaction to any totemist, even one native to a different culture. Even though they are friendly, however, such people are more likely to give concrete aid and escape the totemist’s presence quickly rather than engage in casual conversation. People whose native cultures do not have a place for totemists range from indifferent to unfriendly toward totemists, depending on their feelings about foreigners in general and a specifi c totemist’s own culture specifi cally. A lizardfolk or orc totemist is unlikely to fi nd a warm reception in human lands, though he might be well received by wild elves who recognize his totemist status. TOTEMIST LORE Characters with Knowledge (the planes) or Knowledge (nature) can research totemists to learn more about them. DC 10: Totemists worship magical beasts and have some ability to mimic their powers. DC 15: Totemists wield a soul-energy called incarnum, which they draw from magical beasts and shape into objects almost like magic items. They have some limited ability to change their shape to gain properties of the magical beasts they revere. DC 20: Totemists shape incarnum into soulmelds that are related to various magical beasts. By claiming different soulmelds as a totem, a totemist can take on physical characteristics of different magical beasts. They can also bind soulmelds to the power centers of the body to gain different abilities. DC 30: Information about notable totemists, drawn from the section above. TOTEMISTS IN THE GAME Like the soulborn, the totemist is an important but not central part of the incarnum system. They are an example of how to model an existing fantasy and mythological archetype, similar to the druid and the spirit shaman (from Complete Divine), using incarnum rather than divine magic. You might consider revising your campaign history so that certain existing druids or spirit shamans are actually totemists instead, or you can posit that totemists are either a new arrival in the world or part of a distant culture that is only now arriving on the world stage. See Chapter 8: Incarnum Campaigns for more advice about incorporating incarnum into your campaign. Totemists have close ties to an existing fi xture of almost all D&D worlds—the magical beasts that make up common encounters in most games. For this reason, a player with a totemist can easily feel an important and meaningful part even of a campaign that otherwise makes little use of incarnum. Even if a totemist character never sees another character or creature that uses incarnum and never acquires an incarnum-based magic item, he still has a place in the world and a unique relationship to the magical beasts all around him. As a result, running a game that includes a totemist character requires little special attention. Adaptation: With significant modifications or expansions, the totemist could be recast with ties to different creature types. By renaming and tweaking their melds, totemists could invoke aberrations, fey, or dragons instead of magical beasts. Encounters: NPC totemists might be encountered as leaders of small bands of savage humanoids in the wilderness, serving as opponents with unusual powers to challenge the PCs. 620_88579_Chp2.indd 32 20_88579_Chp2.indd 32 7/12/05 8:59:23 AM /12/05 8:59:23 AM

33 Illus. by D. Griffi th Illus. by D. Griffi th haracters who wield incarnum rely on the same fundamental skills as other D&D characters. A few skills gain new applications in association with incarnum and meldshaping. The bulk of this chapter is devoted to new feats that characters of any class can take to gain or improve their abilities relating to incarnum and meldshaping. The chapter fi nishes with racial substitution level options for the new races introduced in Chapter 1, along with racial substitution levels for existing races who wish to pursue the new classes from Chapter 2. SKILLS This section covers new applications of existing skills that relate to incarnum. Table 3–1: Skill Points per Level summarizes the skill points gained by the classes described in Chapter 2 of this book. Table 3–2: Skills, on the following page, provides a complete list of all skills described in the Player’s Handbook and indicates which skills are class skills for the classes described in Chapter 2 of this book. CONCENTRATION (CON) Use this skill to avoid being distracted, such as by taking damage, while engaged in the use of incarnumbased abilities. Check: You must make a Concentration check whenever you might potentially be distracted (by taking damage, by harsh weather, and so on) while engaged in some action that requires your full attention. Such actions include shaping a soulmeld or binding a soulmeld or magic item to a chakra (but not investing or reallocating essentia or activating a soulmeld’s effect). If the Concentration check succeeds, you can continue with the action as normal. If the check fails, the action automatically fails and is wasted (leaving you with soulmelds shaped and chakras bound as before the action was attempted). See the Concentration skill description on page 70 in the Player’s Handbook for a table that lists the various distractions that might occur. KNOWLEDGE (INT; TRAINED ONLY) Questions about incarnum and soulmelds can be answered by Knowledge (arcana) or by Knowledge Table 3–1: Skill Points per Level 1st-Level Higher-Level Class Skill Points1 Skill Points2 Incarnate (2 + Int modifier) × 4 2 + Int modifier Soulborn (2 + Int modifi er) × 4 2 + Int modifi er Totemist (4 + Int modifier) × 4 4 + Int modifier 1 Humans add +4 to this total at 1st level. 2 Humans add +1 each level. 620_88579_Chp3.indd 33 20_88579_Chp3.indd 33 7/12/05 9:08:02 AM /12/05 9:08:02 AM

34CHAPTER 3 CHARACTER OPTIONS (the planes). Both skills cover this fi eld of study, and thus are equally capable of answering questions regarding the mysteries of incarnum. SPELLCRAFT (INT; TRAINED ONLY) You can use this skill to identify soulmelds. Spellcraft DC Task 20 Identify a shaped soulmeld. (You must be able to see the character wearing the soulmeld to be identified.) No action required. No retry. FEATS Feats in this chapter fall into fi ve categories: general feats, divine feats, incarnum feats, monstrous feats, and psionic feats. In addition, epic feats appear in the Appendix. General feats appear in the Player’s Handbook and follow the general rules for feats in that book. Divine feats, as discussed in Complete Divine, require an expenditure of a character’s ability to turn undead to activate the feat. Monstrous feats require a creature to have a monstrous form or special abilities. Psionic feats are only available to creatures with the ability to manifest psionic powers. Incarnum feats are a new category introduced in this book. INCARNUM FEATS Incarnum feats are similar to soulmelds in that they allow you to invest essentia into them, increasing their power. Unlike most other incarnum-based abilities, a character can invest essentia into each incarnum feat only once per day. Once invested, the essentia is unavailable for other purposes until 24 hours have passed. However large your essentia pool is, you can only invest a certain amount of essentia into any one soulmeld, feat, class feature, magic item, or other incarnum receptacle. Your character level determines this essentia capacity, as shown on Table 2–1. Incarnum feats display visual manifestations of their effect, such as a faint radiance or glow. Unless noted otherwise, these effects do not provide any actual illumination and do not affect a character’s ability to hide (nor do they give away an invisible character’s location). AZURE ENMITY [INCARNUM] You can channel incarnum to enhance your ability to deal damage to your favored enemies. Whenever you strike a favored enemy while essentia is invested in this feat, a gleam of faint blue radiance shines forth from your eyes. Prerequisites: Con 13, favored enemy class feature. Benefi t: Once per day, you can invest essentia into this feat. You gain an insight bonus equal to the invested essentia on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks made against all of your favored enemies. You also gain an insight bonus equal to the invested essentia on weapon damage rolls against such creatures. Once the amount of essentia invested is chosen, it cannot be altered and remains invested for 24 hours. You gain 1 point of essentia. AZURE TALENT [INCARNUM, PSIONIC] The soul energy of incarnum increases your mental capacity. Prerequisites: Con 13, a power point reserve. Benefit: Once per day, you can invest essentia into this feat. You gain bonus power points equal to twice the invested essentia. Once the amount of essentia invested is chosen, it cannot be altered and remains invested for 24 hours. If you have the ability to bind a soulmeld to your crown chakra (even if you don’t have one currently bound), you gain an additional 2 bonus power points as long as at least 1 point of essentia is invested in this feat. You gain 1 point of essentia. Table 3–2: Skills Skill Incarn. Soul. Totem. Untr. Key Ability Appraise cc cc cc Yes Int Balance cc cc cc Yes Dex2 Bluff cc cc4 cc Yes Cha Climb cc C cc Yes Str2 Concentration1 C C C Yes Con Craft C C C Yes Int Decipher Script cc cc cc No Int Diplomacy cc cc4 cc Yes Cha Disable Device cc cc cc No Int Disguise cc cc cc Yes Cha Escape Artist cc cc cc Yes Dex2 Forgery cc cc cc Yes Int Gather Information cc cc4 cc Yes Cha Handle Animal cc C C No Cha Heal cc C cc Yes Wis Hide cc cc cc Yes Dex2 Intimidate cc cc4 cc Yes Cha Jump cc C cc Yes Str2 Know. (arcana)1 C C C No Int Know. (architecture) cc cc cc No Int Know. (dungeoneering) cc cc cc No Int Know. (geography) cc cc cc No Int Know. (history) cc cc cc No Int Know. (local) cc cc cc No Int Know. (nature) cc cc C No Int Know. (nobility) cc cc cc No Int Know. (the planes)1 C C C No Int Know. (religion) C cc cc No Int Listen cc cc C Yes Wis Move Silently cc cc cc Yes Dex2 Open Lock cc cc cc No Dex Perform cc cc cc Yes Cha Profession C C C No Wis Ride cc C C Yes Dex Search cc cc cc Yes Int Sense Motive cc cc cc Yes Wis Sleight of Hand cc cc cc No Dex2 Speak Language cc cc cc No None Spellcraft1 C C C No Int Spot cc cc C Yes Wis Survival cc cc C Yes Wis Swim cc C C Yes Str3 Tumble cc cc cc No Dex2 Use Magic Device cc cc cc No Cha Use Rope cc cc cc Yes Dex 1 Skill discussed in this chapter (all other skills are described in the Player’s Handbook). 2 Armor check penalty applies to checks. 3 Double the normal armor check penalty applies to checks. 4 Skill is a class skill for some soulborns, depending on alignment. 620_88579_Chp3.indd 34 20_88579_Chp3.indd 34 7/12/05 9:08:05 AM /12/05 9:08:05 AM

35CHARACTER CHAPTER 3 OPTIONS AZURE TOUCH [INCARNUM] You can channel incarnum to enhance your ability to heal. When you use your incarnum-infused healing class feature, your hands glow bright blue. Prerequisites: Con 13, lay on hands or wholeness of body class feature. Benefi t: Once per day, you can invest essentia into this feat. Add the invested essentia to your class level to determine the amount of healing available to you from your lay on hands or wholeness of body class features. If you have both class features, the benefi t applies to both. Once the amount of essentia invested is chosen, it cannot be altered and remains invested for 24 hours. You gain 1 point of essentia. AZURE TOUGHNESS [INCARNUM] You can use incarnum to boost your physical vigor. Prerequisite: Con 13. Benefi t: Once per day, you can invest essentia into this feat. You gain three temporary hit points per point of invested essentia. Once the amount of essentia invested is chosen, it cannot be altered and remains invested for 24 hours, even if the temporary hit points are lost. You gain 1 point of essentia. Special: Azure Toughness can be used in place of the Toughness feat to qualify for a feat, prestige class, or other special ability. AZURE TURNING [INCARNUM] You can blast undead with incarnum-purifi ed positive energy. When you use this feat, your brow is enveloped in a brilliant blue corona. Prerequisites: Con 13, turn undead class feature. Benefi t: Once per day, you can invest essentia into this feat. When you make turning checks, any undead whose HD are low enough to be potentially turned or destroyed by your checks are also dealt 1d8 points of damage per point of essentia invested. Once the amount of essentia invested is chosen, it cannot be altered and remains invested for 24 hours. You gain 1 point of essentia. AZURE WILD SHAPE [INCARNUM] You can channel incarnum to enhance your combat prowess while wild shaped. Whenever you deal damage with a natural weapon while this feat is active, a fl ash of blue light bursts from the natural weapon that delivered the strike. Prerequisites: Con 13, wild shape class feature. Benefit: Once per day, you can invest essentia into this feat. While wild shaped, you gain an insight bonus on damage rolls made with natural weapons equal to the invested essentia. Once the amount of essentia invested is chosen, it cannot be altered and remains invested for 24 hours. You gain 1 point of essentia. BONUS ESSENTIA You are better able to harness your personal store of incarnum. Prerequisites: Con 13, character level 6th. Benefi t: You gain 1 point of essentia. If you are capable of shaping soulmelds, you instead gain 2 points of essentia. CERULEAN FORTITUDE [INCARNUM] You can use incarnum to boost your ability to resist effects that would adversely affect your health. Prerequisite: Con 13. Benefit: Once per day, you can invest essentia into this feat. You gain an insight bonus on Fortitude saves equal to the invested essentia. Once the amount of essentia invested is chosen, it cannot be altered and remains invested for 24 hours. You gain 1 point of essentia. CERULEAN REFLEXES [INCARNUM] You can use incarnum to boost your ability to avoid harm. Prerequisite: Con 13. Benefit: Once per day, you can invest essentia into this feat. You gain an insight bonus on Reflex saves equal to the invested essentia. Once the amount of essentia invested is chosen, it cannot be altered and remains invested for 24 hours. You gain 1 point of essentia. CERULEAN WILL [INCARNUM] You can use incarnum to boost your willpower. Prerequisite: Con 13. Benefit: Once per day, you can invest essentia into this feat. You gain an insight bonus on Will saves equal to the invested essentia. Once the amount of essentia invested is chosen, it cannot be altered and remains invested for 24 hours. You gain 1 point of essentia. COBALT CHARGE [INCARNUM] You can channel incarnum to deal devastating strikes when charging. When you make a charge attack while this feat is active, your weapon momentarily turns deep blue. Prerequisite: Con 13. Benefi t: Once per day, you can invest essentia into this feat. You gain an insight bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls equal to the invested essentia on all charge attacks. Once the amount of essentia invested is chosen, it cannot be altered and remains invested for 24 hours. You gain 1 point of essentia. COBALT CRITICAL [INCARNUM] You can focus your spirit into your melee weapon attacks, dealing more damage with successful critical strikes. Prerequisite: Con 13. Benefi t: Once per day, you can invest essentia into this feat. You gain an insight bonus equal to the invested essentia on melee attack rolls made to confi rm a critical threat. You also gain an insight bonus equal to the invested essentia on melee damage rolls made as part of a critical hit. (This extra damage is added before damage is multiplied for the critical hit.) Once the amount of essentia invested is chosen, it cannot be altered and remains invested for 24 hours. You gain 1 point of essentia. COBALT EXPERTISE [INCARNUM] By channeling the soul energy of weapon masters past, present, and future, you become more adept at maneuvers of skill and expertise. 620_88579_Chp3.indd 35 20_88579_Chp3.indd 35 7/12/05 9:08:08 AM /12/05 9:08:08 AM

36CHAPTER 3 CHARACTER OPTIONS Table 3–3: Feats General Feats Prerequisites Benefi t Bonus Essentia Con 13, character level 6th Gain 1 or 2 points of essentia Double Chakra Meldshaper level 9th Two soulmelds can occupy and be bound to the same chakra Expanded Soulmeld Con 15, meldshaper level 1st +1 essentia capacity for one soulmeld Capacity Heart of Incarnum Ability to bind a soulmeld Gain hp equal to your essentia pool to heart chakra Improved Essentia Con 15, essentia pool 2 +1 essentia capacity for incarnum feats Capacity Incarnum-Fortifi ed Body — Gain 2 hp per incarnum feat Incarnum Resistance No essentia pool +2 on saves against soulmelds and effects Necrocarnum Acolyte Ability to shape soulmelds, +1 profane bonus on necrocarnum soulmelds nongood alignment Open Greater Chakra Con 17, character level 18th Bind a soulmeld or magic item to a greater chakra Open Least Chakra Con 13, character level 6th Bind a soulmeld or magic item to a least chakra Open Lesser Chakra Con 15, character level 12th Bind a soulmeld or magic item to a lesser chakra Shape Soulmeld Con 13 You can shape a single soulmeld Share Soulmeld Ability to shape soulmelds, Share soulmelds with familiar, animal companion, share spells class feature or special mount Split Chakra — Magic item and soulmeld can share a chakra Divine Feat Prerequisites Benefi t Divine Soultouch Con 13, ability to turn Gain 1 essentia, increase essentia capacity for 1 round or rebuke undead Incarnum Feats Prerequisites Benefi t Azure Enmity Con 13, favored enemy Add invested essentia to favored enemy checks and damage class feature Azure Talent Con 13, a power point reserve Gain 2 bonus power points per point of invested essentia Azure Touch Con 13, lay on hands or Add invested essentia to class level to enhance healing wholeness of body class feature Azure Toughness Con 13 Gain 3 temporary hp per point of invested essentia Azure Turning Con 13, turn undead class feature Deal damage to undead with turn check Azure Wild Shape Con 13, wild shape class feature Add invested essentia to natural weapon damage Cerulean Fortitude Con 13 Add invested essentia to Fortitude saves Cerulean Refl exes Con 13 Add invested essentia to Refl ex saves Cerulean Will Con 13 Add invested essentia to Will saves Cobalt Charge Con 13 Add invested essentia to charge attack and damage Cobalt Critical Con 13 Add invested essentia to melee critical threat confirmation rolls and critical damage Cobalt Expertise Con 13, Int 13, Combat Expertise Add invested essentia to AC and disarm, feint, and trip rolls Cobalt Power Con 13, Str 13, Power Attack Add invested essentia to damage and bull rush, overrun, and sunder rolls Cobalt Precision Con 13, Point Blank Shot Add invested essentia to ranged critical threat confirmation rolls and critical damage within 30 ft. Cobalt Rage Con 13, rage class feature Add invested essentia to melee damage and Will saves Healing Soul Con 13, Heal 1 rank Heal your own wounds as swift action Incarnum Spellshaping Con 13, ability to cast You can use incarnum spells 1st-level spells Indigo Strike Con 13 and skirmish, sneak attack, Add invested essentia to skirmish, sneak attack, or sudden strike class feature or sudden strike damage Midnight Augmentation Con 13, ability to manifest Use invested essentia to augment a psionic power 2nd-level psionic powers Midnight Dodge Con 13, Dex 13 Add invested essentia to AC against selected target Midnight Metamagic Con 13, ability to prepare and cast Invest essentia into spell to add metamagic effect 1st-level spells, any metamagic feat Psycarnum Blade Con 13, ability to form a Add +1d6 per point of invested essentia to mind blade attack mind blade Sapphire Fist Con 13, Stunning Fist Add invested essentia to stunning attack damage, save DC Sapphire Smite Con 13, ability to smite Add invested essentia to smite damage and smites per day Sapphire Sprint Con 13 Add 5 ft. per point of invested essentia to run speed Soulsight Con 13, Wis 13, Concentration Gain limited blindsense 4 ranks Soultouched Spellcasting Con 13 Add invested essentia to dispel checks, caster level checks made to defeat spell resistance 620_88579_Chp3.indd 36 20_88579_Chp3.indd 36 7/12/05 9:08:09 AM /12/05 9:08:09 AM

37CHARACTER CHAPTER 3 OPTIONS Prerequisites: Con 13, Int 13, Combat Expertise. Benefit: Once per day, you can invest essentia into this feat. You gain an insight bonus on attack rolls, skill checks, or ability checks made to succeed on a disarm attack, a feint in combat, or a trip attack equal to the invested essentia. You also gain an insight bonus equal to the invested essentia to AC when using Combat Expertise (up to a maximum value equal to the penalty accepted on the attack roll). Once the amount of essentia invested is chosen, it cannot be altered and remains invested for 24 hours. You gain 1 point of essentia. COBALT POWER [INCARNUM] By channeling the soul energy of brutal warriors past, present, and future, you become more capable of overcoming your enemies through sheer strength. Prerequisites: Con 13, Str 13, Power Attack. Benefi t: Once per day, you can invest essentia into this feat. You gain an insight bonus on attack rolls or ability checks made to succeed on a bull rush, overrun, or sunder attack equal to the invested essentia. You also gain an insight bonus equal to the invested essentia on damage rolls made when using Power Attack (up to a maximum value equal to the penalty accepted on the attack roll). Once the amount of essentia invested is chosen, it cannot be altered and remains invested for 24 hours. You gain 1 point of essentia. COBALT PRECISION [INCARNUM] You can focus your soul energy into your ranged attacks, dealing more damage with successful critical hits. Prerequisites: Con 13, Point Blank Shot. Benefi t: Once per day, you can invest essentia into this feat. You gain an insight bonus equal to the invested essentia on ranged attack rolls made to confi rm a critical threat. You gain an insight bonus equal to the invested essentia on ranged damage rolls made as part of a critical hit. (This extra damage is added before damage is multiplied for the critical hit.) Both of these bonuses apply only against targets within 30 feet. Once the amount of essentia invested is chosen, it cannot be altered and remains invested for 24 hours. You gain 1 point of essentia. COBALT RAGE [INCARNUM] You can channel incarnum to enhance your rage. When you do so, your eyes turn deep blue in color. Prerequisites: Con 13, rage class feature. Benefi t: Once per day, you can invest essentia into this feat. While raging, you gain an insight bonus on melee damage rolls and on Will saves equal to the invested essentia. Once the amount of essentia invested is chosen, it cannot be altered and remains invested for 24 hours. You gain 1 point of essentia. DIVINE SOULTOUCH [DIVINE] You can channel positive or negative energy to imbue yourself with incarnum. Prerequisites: Con 13, ability to turn or rebuke undead. A duskling barbarian about to enter cobalt rage Monstrous Feat Prerequisites Benefi t Undead Meldshaper Int 3, undead type Use Wisdom instead of Constitution to shape soulmelds Psionic Feats Prerequisites Benefi t Azure Talent Con 13, a power point reserve Gain 2 bonus power points per point of invested essentia Midnight Augmentation Con 13, ability to manifest Use invested essentia to augment a psionic power 2nd-level psionic powers Psycarnum Blade Con 13, ability to form a Add +1d6 per point of invested essentia to mind blade attack mind blade Psycarnum Crystal Con 13, Psicrystal Affinity, Gain 1 point of essentia while psionically focused essentia pool Psycarnum Infusion Con 13, Concentration 4 ranks Expend psionic focus to fill incarnum receptacle for 1 round Illus. by C. Frank 620_88579_Chp3.indd 37 20_88579_Chp3.indd 37 7/12/05 9:08:11 AM /12/05 9:08:11 AM

38CHAPTER 3 CHARACTER OPTIONS Benefi t: You can spend a turn or rebuke undead attempt as a free action to add 1 point of essentia to your essentia pool for 1 round. For the duration of this effect, your essentia capacity in all soulmelds, incarnum feats, and other essentia-powered abilities is increased by 1. You can use this ability once per round. DOUBLE CHAKRA One of your chakras becomes capable of holding more incarnum than it is normally capable of containing. Prerequisite: Meldshaper level 9th. Benefi t: When this feat is selected, choose a chakra to which you can bind soulmelds. Two of your shaped soulmelds can occupy (and be bound to) that chakra simultaneously. This counts as two chakra binds. Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new chakra. Normal: Without this feat, each chakra can only be occupied or bound by a single soulmeld. EXPANDED SOULMELD CAPACITY Your soul’s tie to incarnum allows you to maintain more essentia in a single soulmeld. Prerequisites: Con 15, meldshaper level 1st. Benefi t: When you shape your soulmelds, choose one soulmeld. Your essentia capacity for that soulmeld is increased by 1 (up to a maximum of your Constitution bonus). Each time you shape your soulmelds, you can change the soulmeld that benefi ts from this feat. Special: You can take this feat multiple times. For each time you take this feat, you can apply its effects to one additional soulmeld while shaping. You can’t apply this feat’s effects more than once to the same soulmeld. HEALING SOUL [INCARNUM] You can draw upon the soul energy of incarnum to heal your wounds. Prerequisites: Con 13, Heal 1 rank. Benefi t: Once per day, you can invest essentia in this feat. As a swift action, you can heal your own wounds. Each use of this ability heals 2 hp per point of essentia invested in the feat, and you can use the feat a number of times per day equal to the invested essentia. Once the amount of essentia invested is chosen, it cannot be altered and remains invested for 24 hours. If you have the ability to bind a soulmeld to your soul chakra, each use of this ability instead heals 4 hp per point of essentia invested in the feat. You gain 1 point of essentia. HEART OF INCARNUM You tap into the power of your heart chakra to gain resilience. Prerequisite: Ability to bind a soulmeld to your heart chakra. Benefi t: You gain hit points equal to your essentia pool. If the size of your essentia pool changes, the number of hit points granted by this feat change to match the new total. IMPROVED ESSENTIA CAPACITY Your capability of investing essentia improves. Prerequisites: Con 15, essentia pool 2. Benefit: The essentia capacity of your incarnum feats improves by 1, up to a maximum value equal to your Constitution bonus. INCARNUM-FORTIFIED BODY The incarnum within you strengthens your body’s toughness, enabling you to withstand greater injury. Benefi t: When you take this feat, you gain 2 hit points for each incarnum feat you have. Whenever you take a new incarnum feat, you gain 2 more hit points. You gain a +4 bonus on Fortitude saves made to avoid death from massive damage. INCARNUM RESISTANCE Your body, untainted by incarnum, is not easily affected by the power of soul energy. Prerequisite: No essentia pool. Benefi t: You gain a +2 bonus on saving throws against effects generated by soulmelds. Special: You lose the benefi t of this feat if you gain any essentia. INCARNUM SPELLSHAPING [INCARNUM] You gain the ability to invest incarnum into your spellcasting. Prerequisites: Con 13, ability to cast 1st-level spells. Benefi t: You can learn, prepare, and/or cast spells with the incarnum descriptor (see page 98) as appropriate for your class’s spellcasting ability. You gain 1 point of essentia. INDIGO STRIKE [INCARNUM] You can channel incarnum to enhance your ability to deal damage with your skirmish attack, sneak attack, or sudden strike. When you do so, your eyes turn dark blue. Prerequisites: Con 13 and skirmish, sneak attack, or sudden strike class feature. Benefi t: Once per day, you can invest essentia into this feat. You gain an insight bonus on damage rolls made when delivering attacks with the skirmish, sneak attack, or sudden strike class feature equal to twice the invested essentia. Once the amount of essentia invested is chosen, it cannot be altered and remains invested for 24 hours. If you have more than one of the listed class features, the bonus applies only once on any given attack. You gain 1 point of essentia. MIDNIGHT AUGMENTATION [INCARNUM, PSIONIC] You can augment a psionic power with your personal soul energy rather than mental energy. When you manifest the augmented power, a circle of blue-black energy momentarily coruscates around your brow. Prerequisites: Con 13, ability to manifest 2nd-level psionic powers. Benefi t: Once per day, you can invest essentia into this feat and choose a particular psionic power that you know. If you expend your psionic focus when manifesting that power, the power point cost to augment that power is 620_88579_Chp3.indd 38 20_88579_Chp3.indd 38 7/12/05 9:08:14 AM /12/05 9:08:14 AM

39CHARACTER CHAPTER 3 OPTIONS reduced by a value equal to the invested essentia. This can’t reduce the augmentation cost to less than 1. You can’t invest more essentia in this feat than the chosen power’s level, even if the maximum essentia capacity of this feat would normally be higher than that value. Once the amount of essentia invested is chosen, it cannot be altered and remains invested for 24 hours. You gain 1 point of essentia. MIDNIGHT DODGE [INCARNUM] You can channel incarnum to enhance your ability to avoid attacks against you. As long as you have at least 1 point of essentia invested in this feat, your legs and feet turn blueblack in color. Prerequisites: Con 13, Dex 13. Benefit: Once per day, you can invest essentia in this feat. During your turn, you designate an opponent and receive a dodge bonus to Armor Class equal to the invested essentia against attacks from that opponent. You can select a new opponent on each of your turns. You gain 1 point of essentia. Special: Midnight Dodge can be used in place of the Dodge feat to qualify for a feat, prestige class, or other special ability. MIDNIGHT METAMAGIC [INCARNUM] You can channel incarnum to alter your prepared spells. When you cast such a spell, your hands gleam with a dark blue radiance. Prerequisites: Con 13, ability to cast 1st-level spells, any metamagic feat. Benefit: Once per day, you can invest essentia into this feat and choose one or more spells that you know (and have prepared, if you prepare spells) to apply the effect of a metamagic feat that you know. Each spell to be affected requires the investment of a number of essentia equal to the normal spell level adjustment required by the metamagic feat (minimum 1 point of essentia). The next time you cast that spell, the spell gains the effect of that metamagic feat without any change to its level (or casting time, if you cast spells spontaneously). You can apply the effect of this feat to as many spells as you can afford to invest with essentia. You can apply the effect of different metamagic feats to different spells, as long as you know all metamagic feats applied and you have suffi cient essentia capacity to do so. For example, you could invest 1 point of essentia to enlarge a spell (as Enlarge Spell) and 2 points of essentia to empower a spell (as Empower Spell), as long as you had at least 3 points of essentia to invest, had an essentia capacity (see Table 2–1: Essentia Capacity) of 3 or greater, and knew both the Empower Spell and Enlarge Spell feats. Once essentia is invested in a spell, it remains invested until the spell is cast, at which point the essentia returns to your essentia pool. You gain 1 point of essentia. NECROCARNUM ACOLYTE You have experienced the power of necrocarnum, a dark and twisted form of incarnum (see the necrocarnate prestige class on page 132). The power gained from this source can be great, but many decry its origins as evil. Prerequisites: Ability to shape soulmelds, nongood alignment. Benefi ts: You can shape soulmelds with the necrocarnum descriptor regardless of your alignment. You gain a +1 profane bonus on the save DCs of your necrocarnum soulmelds. Normal: Nonevil incarnates and nonevil soulborns can’t shape necrocarnum soul melds, since those soulmelds have the evil descriptor. OPEN GREATER CHAKRA You open up one of your body’s centers of power, allowing you to bind a soulmeld or a magic item to that chakra. Prerequisites: Con 17, character level 18th. Benefi t: When this feat is selected, choose one of the following chakras: throat or waist. You can now bind a soulmeld or a magic item to that chakra. In addition, you gain a minor benefi t from this newfound chakra, depending on the chakra chosen: Throat: +1 insight bonus on Bluff and Diplomacy checks. Waist: +1 insight bonus on Fortitude saves. Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new greater chakra. OPEN LEAST CHAKRA You open up one of your body’s centers of power, allowing you to bind a soulmeld or a magic item to that chakra. Prerequisites: Con 13, character level 6th. Benefi t: When this feat is selected, choose one of the following chakras: crown, feet, or hands. You can now bind a soulmeld or a magic item to that chakra. In addition, you gain a minor benefi t from this newfound chakra, depending on the chakra chosen: Lidda delivers an indigo strike Illus. by R. Spencer 620_88579_Chp3.indd 39 20_88579_Chp3.indd 39 7/12/05 9:08:15 AM /12/05 9:08:15 AM

40CHAPTER 3 CHARACTER OPTIONS Crown: +1 insight bonus on Will saves. Feet: +1 insight bonus on Balance and Move Silently checks. Hands: +1 insight bonus on Climb and Swim checks. Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new least chakra. OPEN LESSER CHAKRA You open up one of your body’s centers of power, allowing you to bind a soulmeld or a magic item to that chakra. Prerequisites: Con 15, character level 12th. Benefi t: When this feat is selected, choose one of the following chakras: arms, brow, or shoulders. You can now bind a soulmeld or a magic item to that chakra. In addition, you gain a minor benefi t from this newfound chakra, depending on the chakra chosen: Arms: +2 insight bonus on grapple checks. Brow: +1 insight bonus on Search and Spot checks. Shoulders: +1 insight bonus on Refl ex saves. Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new lesser chakra. PSYCARNUM BLADE [INCARNUM, PSIONIC] You can forge your mind blade from a mixture of mental and soul energy, enabling you to deal devastating strikes with the weapon. Prerequisites: Con 13, ability to form a mind blade. Benefi t: Once per day, you can invest essentia into this feat. You can expend your psionic focus when making an attack with your mind blade to gain an insight bonus on the damage roll equal to 1d6 per point of invested essentia. You must decide whether or not to use this feat prior to making the attack roll. If your attack misses, you still expend your psionic focus. Once the amount of essentia invested is chosen, it cannot be altered and remains invested for 24 hours. You gain 1 point of essentia. PSYCARNUM CRYSTAL [PSIONIC] Your psicrystal taps into the natural ebb and fl ow of incarnum, turning it into a small reservoir of soul energy. Prerequisites: Con 13, Psicrystal Affi nity*, essentia pool. Benefi t: As long as your psicrystal is within arm’s reach, you gain 1 bonus point of essentia. * See the Expanded Psionics Handbook. PSYCARNUM INFUSION [PSIONIC] You transform your mental focus into a brief burst of soul energy. Prerequisites: Con 13, Concentration 4 ranks. Benefi t: To use this feat, you must expend your psionic focus. Until the start of your next turn, one of your soulmelds, incarnum feats, class features, or other incarnum receptacles is treated as if it had essentia invested in it equal to its maximum essentia capacity. You don’t gain any bonus essentia from this effect. SAPPHIRE FIST [INCARNUM] You can channel incarnum to enhance your ability to deliver stunning attacks. When you deliver a stunning attack while essentia is invested in this feat, your hands burn with a faint blue fl amelike radiance. Prerequisites: Con 13, Stunning Fist. Benefi t: Once per day, you can invest essentia into this feat. Add the invested essentia as an insight bonus on the damage roll for any attack made with Stunning Fist, as well as to the save DC for the stunning attack. Once the amount of essentia invested is chosen, it cannot be altered and remains invested for 24 hours. You gain 1 point of essentia. SAPPHIRE SMITE [INCARNUM] You can channel incarnum to enhance your ability to deliver mighty blows. When you do so, your eyes glisten as if they had become brilliant blue gemstones. Prerequisites: Con 13, ability to smite (smite evil class feature, smite domain power, or similar ability) Benefit: At the beginning of the day, you can invest essentia into this feat. You gain additional uses of your smite ability for the day equal to the invested essentia. In addition, you gain a +1 bonus on damage dealt by your smite for every point of essentia invested. Once the amount of essentia invested is chosen, it cannot be altered and remains invested for 24 hours. You gain 1 point of essentia. SAPPHIRE SPRINT [INCARNUM] Drawing on the soul energy of great runners of history, you infuse your body with incarnum to speed your steps. Whenever you run, your feet shine with a bright blue gleam. Prerequisite: Con 13. Benefi t: Once per day, you can invest essentia into this feat. When you use the run action, you gain an insight bonus to your speed equal to 5 feet per point of invested essentia. This applies regardless of the form of movement used to run. You also gain an insight bonus equal to the invested essentia on Constitution checks made to continue running (see the run action on page 144 of the Player’s Handbook for details). Once the amount of essentia invested is chosen, it cannot be altered and remains invested for 24 hours. If you have the ability to bind a soulmeld to your feet chakra, you also keep your Dexterity bonus when running and gain an insight bonus to AC equal to the invested essentia against any attacks of opportunity you provoke when moving out of a threatened square during a run. You gain 1 point of essentia. SHAPE SOULMELD You gain the ability to shape a single soulmeld. Prerequisite: Con 13. Benefi t: When this feat is selected, choose a soulmeld from any class’s soulmeld list. You can shape that soulmeld using the normal meldshaping rules (see page 49). Once chosen, the soulmeld granted by this feat can never be changed. Your meldshaper level for this soulmeld is equal to one-half your character level. 620_88579_Chp3.indd 40 20_88579_Chp3.indd 40 7/12/05 9:08:17 AM /12/05 9:08:17 AM

41CHARACTER CHAPTER 3 OPTIONS If you have essentia, you can invest essentia in the soulmeld as normal. See Table 2–1: Essentia Capacity on page 19 to determine the soulmeld’s essentia capacity. If you have the ability to bind a soulmeld to a chakra, you can bind this soulmeld to any chakra available to you (as long as the soulmeld can be bound to that chakra). Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, choose a new soulmeld. SHARE SOULMELD You can share a soulmeld with an ally with which you have a special bond. Prerequisite: Ability to shape soulmelds and a familiar, animal companion, or mount with whom you can share spells. Benefi t: At your option, any soulmeld shaped by you and currently affecting you can also affect your familiar, animal companion, or mount. The creature in question must remain within 5 feet of you to receive the benefi t. If the creature leaves this radius of effect, it loses the benefi ts of the soulmeld until such time as it returns within 5 feet. SOULSIGHT [INCARNUM] You can attune your soul to sense living creatures near you. When you use this feat, your eyes glow with a blue luminescence. Prerequisites: Con 13, Wis 13, Concentration 4 ranks. Benefi t: Once per day, you can invest essentia into this feat. While essentia is invested in this feat you can activate a limited form of blindsense, capable of pinpointing living creatures only, as a move action. This blindsense has a range equal to 5 feet per point of invested essentia. The blindsense lasts until the start of your next turn. Once the amount of essentia invested is chosen, it cannot be altered and remains invested for 24 hours. If you have the ability to bind a soulmeld to your brow chakra, the blindsense granted by this feat is capable of detecting both living and nonliving creatures. You gain 1 point of essentia. SOULTOUCHED SPELLCASTING [INCARNUM] By fusing your spells with incarnum, they become more capable of overcoming enemy magic and spell resistance. Prerequisite: Con 13. Benefi t: Once per day, you can invest essentia into this feat. You gain an insight bonus on dispel checks and on caster level checks made to defeat spell resistance equal to the invested essentia. Once the amount of essentia invested is chosen, it cannot be altered and remains invested for 24 hours. You gain 1 point of essentia. SPLIT CHAKRA One of your chakras becomes capable of holding both a bound soulmeld and a magic item. Benefi t: When this feat is selected, choose a chakra, such as hands. You can gain the benefi t of a magic item that occupies the body space equivalent of that chakra even while a soulmeld is bound to that chakra. You can also bind a magic item to the chakra. Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new chakra. Normal: Without this feat, a soulmeld bound to a chakra closes the equivalent body space off from gaining the benefi t of a magic item. UNDEAD MELDSHAPER [MONSTROUS] Despite having no soul of your own, you maintain the ability to channel incarnum through force of will alone. Prerequisites: Int 3, undead type. Benefi ts: Use your Wisdom score to determine the maximum number of soulmelds you can shape. If you would use your Constitution score to determine a soulmeld’s save DC, use your Wisdom score instead. RACIAL SUBSTITUTION LEVELS A substitution level is a level of a given class that you take instead of the level described for the standard class. Selecting a substitution level is not the same as multiclassing—you remain within the class for which the substitution level is taken. The class features of the substitution level simply replace those of the standard level. To qualify for a racial substitution level, you must be of the proper race. For instance, to select a racial substitution level of azurin cleric, you must be an azurin. The four races featured in this book—azurin, duskling, rilkan, and skarn—each have racial substitution levels for one class from the Player’s Handbook. Added to these are racial substitution levels for a variety of existing races who can choose to become meldshapers. Essentially, each set of substitution levels presents a racially flavored variant standard class for your game. The DM can add more racial substitution level options (such as for azurin paladins or duskling druids) as desired, using the ones presented here as guidelines. For each class with racial substitution levels, you can select each substitution level only at a specifi ed class level. When you take a substitution level for your class at a given level, you give up the benefi ts gained at that level for the standard class, and you get the substitution level benefi ts instead. You can’t go back and gain the benefi ts for the level you swapped out—when you take your next level in the standard class, you gain the next higher level as if you had gained the previous level normally. For instance, if you are a 6th-level barbarian and take the duskling barbarian substitution level for 7th level, you forever lose the benefi ts normally provided to a standard 7th-level barbarian (gaining instead the racial substitution benefi ts for an 7th-level duskling barbarian). When you gain another level in barbarian, you gain the 8th-level benefi ts of the standard barbarian class. Unless otherwise noted in the description of a racial substitution level benefit, a character who takes a racial substitution level gains spellcasting ability (increases in spells per day and spells known, if applicable) as if he had taken this level in the standard class. A meldshaping character likewise gains meldshaping ability (soulmelds, 620_88579_Chp3.indd 41 20_88579_Chp3.indd 41 7/12/05 9:08:19 AM /12/05 9:08:19 AM

42CHAPTER 3 CHARACTER OPTIONS essentia, and chakra binds) as if he had taken this level in the standard class. A character need not take all the substitution levels provided for a class. For instance, a duskling barbarian might decide to take only the racial substitution level at 7th level, ignoring the previous substitution level. The description of each substitution level benefi t explains what occurs to the standard class ability not gained, if that ability would normally increase at a specifi c rate (such as the rilkan rogue’s sneak attack). When a substitution level changes the standard class’s Hit Die or class skill list, the change applies only to the specific substitution level, not to any other class levels. A duskling who takes the duskling barbarian substitution level as a beginning character gains 10 hit points (from the substitution level’s d10 Hit Die), and gains an additional 1d10 hit points for each additional duskling barbarian substitution level she takes later in her career, but she gains the normal d12 Hit Die for all standard barbarian levels. AASIMAR INCARNATE An aasimar incarnate sees himself as a representative of his celestial forebears and a defender of his mortal kin. More martially minded that most incarnates, an aasimar who takes up this mantle is a stalwart champion of the weak and downtrodden. He embodies good as much as any creature (short of an angel) can, which manifests itself in his method of shaping and wielding incarnum. An aasimar incarnate’s number of soulmelds, total essentia, and chakra binds are as detailed on Table 2–2: The Incarnate. Hit Die: d8. Requirements To take an aasimar incarnate substitution level, a character must be a neutral good aasimar about to take his 1st, 3rd, or 7th level of incarnate. Class Skills Aasimar incarnate substitution levels grant the same class skills as the standard incarnate class, plus Diplomacy. Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifi er (or four times this number as a beginning character). Class Features All of the following are features of the aasimar incarnate racial substitution levels. Martial Weapon: An aasimar incarnate trains for combat more rigorously than a traditional incarnate. At 1st level, he can select any martial melee weapon and gain the Martial Weapon Proficiency and Weapon Focus feats with that weapon. Aasimar incarnates tend to select the warhammer (since this is the weapon created by the good incarnum weapon soulmeld). This benefi t does not replace any incarnate class feature. Incarnum Radiance (Su): An aasimar incarnate recognizes that strong defense is not the only tool required against the forces of evil—one must be able to strike true against the foes of good. In addition to the normal effect of the incarnum radiance, while it is active the incarnate’s natural and weapon attacks are treated as good-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. If he has the incarnate weapon soulmeld shaped (see page 72), that weapon deals an extra 1d6 points of damage to creatures with the evil subtype while the incarnum radiance is active. An aasimar incarnate cannot grant his allies this additional benefi t with the share incarnum radiance class feature. This benefi t augments, but does not replace, the standard incarnate’s incarnum radiance class feature. Share Incarnum Radiance (Su): An aasimar incarnate, despite his strong dedication to good, recognizes that not all creatures have the moral fortitude to stand strongly against evil. Whenever he chooses to share the effect of his incarnum radiance with nearby allies, he can grant its benefit to any nonevil ally (rather than just any good ally). He must make this choice at the time the radiance is activated. An aasimar incarnate cannot share the good alignment of his attacks (see Incarnum Radiance, above) with allies. This benefi t augments, but does not replace, the standard incarnate’s share incarnum radiance class feature. AZURIN CLERIC An azurin cleric dedicates herself not only to a deity or pantheon, but also to the power of incarnum. Just as most azurins cleave to polarized alignments, azurin clerics take extreme positions on morals and ethics. Azurin clerics prefer to battle foes opposed to their alignment, and work best with other incarnum-wielding characters. Hit Die: d8. Requirements To take an azurin cleric substitution level, a character must be an azurin about to take her 1st, 4th, or 9th level of cleric. Class Skills Azurin cleric substitution levels grant the same class skills as the standard cleric class, plus Knowledge (the planes). Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifi er (or four times this number as a beginning character). Class Features All of the following are features of the azurin cleric racial substitution levels. Table 3–4: Aasimar Incarnate Racial Substitution Levels Base Attack Fort Ref Will Level Bonus Save Save Save Special Meldshaping 1st +0 +2 +0 +2 Aura, detect opposition, martial weapon As standard incarnate 3rd +1 +3 +1 +3 Expanded soulmeld capacity +1, incarnum radiance 1/day As standard incarnate 7th +3 +5 +2 +5 Share incarnum radiance As standard incarnate 620_88579_Chp3.indd 42 20_88579_Chp3.indd 42 7/12/05 9:08:20 AM /12/05 9:08:20 AM

43CHARACTER CHAPTER 3 OPTIONS Chaotic, Evil, Good, and Lawful Spells: An azurin cleric who selects any azurin cleric substitution level loses the ability to cast any spells of an alignment that doesn’t match her own. For example, a chaotic good azurin cleric can’t cast evil or lawful spells. This restriction replaces the standard cleric restriction regarding what alignment of spells the cleric can cast. Channel Incarnum (Su): An azurin cleric channels incarnum rather than mere positive or negative energy. Once per round as a free action, an azurin cleric can grant herself bonus essentia equal to her Charisma bonus or one-half her cleric level (whichever is lower), minimum 1. This essentia lasts for 1 round. The character can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier. This benefi t replaces a standard cleric’s ability to turn or rebuke undead gained at 1st level. An azurin cleric can use this ability in place of turn or rebuke undead to qualify for any divine feat, and can spend daily uses of this feat to power divine feats as if they were daily uses of turn or rebuke undead (though doing so requires a standard action rather than a free action unless the feat states otherwise). Soultouched Weapon (Su): Beginning at 4th level, an azurin cleric can use incarnum to imbue her weapon with the power of her soul’s convictions. This requires a move action and grants a single held melee weapon an alignment for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. The alignment chosen must be part of the azurin cleric’s alignment; for example, a chaotic good azurin cleric could choose to make her weapon chaotic or good, but not lawful or evil. A neutral azurin cleric gains no benefi t from this class feature. While this ability is in effect, an azurin cleric can also invest essentia in the affected weapon. The weapon gains an insight bonus equal to the invested essentia on damage rolls against creatures whose alignment includes a component opposed to the chosen alignment. For example, a good weapon would deal an extra 1 point of damage per point of invested essentia against evil creatures (whether lawful evil, neutral evil, or chaotic evil). The effects of this ability last for a number of rounds equal to 3 + one-half her class level. An azurin cleric can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifi er. This benefi t replaces the 2nd-level spell slot gained by a standard cleric at 4th level. From this point forward, the number of 2nd-level spell slots possessed by an azurin cleric is reduced by one. Distribute Incarnum (Su): A 9th-level azurin cleric can enhance the essentia pools of nearby allies by distributing free-fl owing incarnum in the environment. This requires the cleric to sacrifi ce a cleric spell of 5th level or higher (a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity) and grants all allies (including herself) within 30 feet bonus essentia equal to the spell’s level. All affected characters can immediately invest this essentia without spending an action (though currently invested essentia may not be shifted). The essentia lasts until the end of the cleric’s next turn. If an ally has no essentia pool, she can instead choose to heal 1 hp of damage per point of essentia that would be granted. This applies equally to all living and undead creatures, regardless of whether the cleric would normally spontaneously cast cure or infl ict spells. This benefit replaces a standard cleric’s ability to spontaneously cast cure or inflict spells of 5th level and above. DUSKLING BARBARIAN The duskling’s savage nature lends itself well to life as a barbarian. She channels incarnum to enhance her speed and defense, relying on her race’s natural link to this mystical energy rather than pure physical prowess. Though not quite as tough as a typical barbarian, she makes Table 3–5: Azurin Cleric Racial Substitution Levels Base Attack Fort Ref Will Level Bonus Save Save Save Special Spellcasting 1st +0 +2 +0 +2 Channel incarnum As standard cleric 4th +3 +4 +1 +4 Soultouched weapon See text 9th +6/+1 +6 +3 +6 Distribute incarnum As standard cleric Azurin cleric Illus. by R. Spencer 620_88579_Chp3.indd 43 20_88579_Chp3.indd 43 7/12/05 9:08:22 AM /12/05 9:08:22 AM

44CHAPTER 3 CHARACTER OPTIONS up for this with her ferocious determination and powers of incarnum. Hit Die: d10. Requirements To take a duskling barbarian substitution level, a character must be a duskling about to take her 1st, 7th, or 11th level of barbarian. Class Skills Duskling barbarian substitution levels grant the same class skills as the standard barbarian class, plus Knowledge (the planes). Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifi er (or four times this number as a beginning character). Class Features All of the following are features of the duskling barbarian racial substitution levels. Incarnum Speed (Su): A duskling barbarian can channel incarnum to dramatically improve her land speed and her ability to react to danger. Every point of essentia invested in this class feature increases the character’s base land speed by 10 feet, but only while wearing medium, light, or no armor and not carrying a heavy load. This is an enhancement bonus, and thus does not stack with a duskling’s racial ability to increase her speed. A duskling barbarian also gains an insight bonus on initiative checks equal to twice the invested essentia. This benefi t replaces a standard barbarian’s fast movement class feature gained at 1st level. Incarnum Defense (Su): At 7th level, a duskling barbarian gains the ability to use incarnum to protect herself against damage. Investing a point of essentia in this class feature grants damage reduction 1/— and 1 point of resistance to all types of energy (acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic); every additional point of essentia invested increases this damage reduction and resistance to energy by 1. This benefi t replaces a standard barbarian’s damage reduction class feature gained at 7th level. A duskling barbarian who selects this substitution level never gains damage reduction from her barbarian class levels. Incarnum Rage (Su): Beginning at 11th level, when a duskling barbarian enters a rage, she gains 2 points of essentia. This essentia disappears when the rage ends. This benefi t replaces a standard barbarian’s greater rage class feature gained at 11th level. If a duskling barbarian would later gain the mighty rage class feature, she instead gains greater rage. DWARF SOULBORN A dwarf soulborn has a strong link to the souls of his ancestors and gains special benefits from their knowledge. Unlike most soulborns, the dwarf soulborn pays particular homage to a deity—in this case, Moradin Soulforger, the god of the dwarves. Believing that incarnum is a precious gift from Moradin, a dwarf soulborn prefers to wield the same weapon as his deity and is rewarded for this choice. A dwarf soulborn’s number of soulmelds, total essentia, and chakra binds are as detailed on Table 2–3: The Soulborn. Hit Die: d12. Requirements To take a dwarf soulborn substitution level, a character must be a lawful good dwarf about to take his 1st, 3rd, or 9th level of soulborn. Class Skills Dwarf soulborn substitution levels grant the same class skills as the standard soulborn class, plus Knowledge (dungeoneering). Dwarf soulborns display an uncanny ability to recognize and identify the denizens and hazards encountered below the surface of the world. Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifi er (or four times this number as a beginning character). Class Features All of the following are features of the dwarf soulborn racial substitution levels. Smite Opposition (Su): A dwarf soulborn can deliver smite attacks just as a normal soulborn. However, if he delivers the smite with a warhammer, he can increase the bonus on the attack roll by 1 (as if his Charisma were 2 points higher). This ability refl ects his innate link to the Hammer of Souls wielded by Moradin. This effect augments, but does not replace, a standard soulborn’s ability to smite opposition. Stoneborn Insight: A dwarf soulborn’s channeling of incarnum invests him with the insights of his ancestors, both in matters of stoneworking and combat. This ability takes the form of an insight bonus equal to the number of soulmelds he has shaped on the following checks and rolls. • Appraise and Craft checks regarding stone or metal. Table 3–7: Dwarf Soulborn Racial Substitution Levels Base Attack Fort Ref Will Level Bonus Save Save Save Special Meldshaping 1st +1 +2 +0 +0 Aura, smite opposition 1/day As standard soulborn 3rd +3 +3 +1 +1 Stoneborn insight As standard soulborn 9th +9/+4 +6 +3 +3 Share incarnum defense 1/day As standard soulborn Table 3–6: Duskling Barbarian Racial Substitution Levels Base Attack Fort Ref Will Level Bonus Save Save Save Special 1st +1 +2 +0 +0 Illiteracy, rage 1/day, incarnum speed 7th +7/+2 +5 +2 +2 Incarnum defense 11th +11/+6/+1 +7 +3 +3 Incarnum rage 620_88579_Chp3.indd 44 20_88579_Chp3.indd 44 7/12/05 9:08:26 AM /12/05 9:08:26 AM

45CHARACTER CHAPTER 3 OPTIONS • Search checks related to his stonecunning racial trait (see page 15 of the Player’s Handbook). • Damage rolls made against orcs, goblinoids, or giants. This benefit replaces the standard soulborn’s bonus feat gained at 3rd level. Share Incarnum Defense (Su): Moradin recognizes that a dwarf soulborn is one of the god’s champions in the world and a faithful servant of the dwarf people. As such, he is rewarded with greater ability to bolster his dwarf allies. A dwarf soulborn can share his incarnum defense with any dwarf within 30 feet that he can see as a free action (rather than by touch as a standard action). This benefi t augments, but does not replace, the standard soulborn’s share incarnum defense class feature. ELF SOULBORN To those who do not recognize her special gift, an elf soulborn might appear unnaturally tranquil and patient. Her special contact with the souls of her people perpetually reminds her of the value of a long-term outlook. Even if she fails in her tasks, she knows that her soul will inform those who come after her of what has come before. As befi ts their heritage, they tend to be keen-eyed archers. An elf soulborn’s number of soulmelds, total essentia, and chakra binds are as detailed on Table 2–3: The Soulborn. Hit Die: d10. Requirements To take an elf soulborn substitution level, a character must be a chaotic good elf about to take her 1st, 2nd, or 7th level of soulborn. Class Skills Elf soulborn substitution levels grant the same class skills as the standard soulborn class, plus Search and Spot. Regardless of her other talents, an elf soulborn tends to keep her powers of vision strong as a measure of respect for her ancestors. Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifi er (or four times this number as a beginning character). Class Features All of the following are features of the elf soulborn racial substitution levels. Smite Opposition (Su): An elf soulborn’s link to the master archers of her race allows her to charge her bow attacks with the power of incarnum. She can deliver smite attacks just as a normal soulborn. However, she can deliver this smite attack with either an arrow fi red from a bow or with a melee attack (unlike the normal smite opposition attack, which can only be delivered with a melee attack). The foe to be smited must be within 30 feet of her to deliver the smite attack by an arrow. This effect augments, but does not replace, the standard soulborn’s ability to smite opposition. Incarnum Defense (Su): The incarnum that fuses to an elf soulborn’s being changes her mind and body as well. This manifests at 2nd level, when her eyes become solid orbs of deep forest green, with no visible pupil or iris. She gains immunity to enchantment (charm) effects. This benefi t augments, but does not replace, the standard soulborn’s incarnum defense class feature. Vigilance of the Ancestors (Ex): As a side effect of channeling incarnum, an elf soulborn benefi ts from the inherent vigilance of her people. The range of her low-light vision improves to triple normal human sight. Whenever a soulmeld occupies an elf soulborn’s brow chakra, she gains improved visual acuity. She gains an insight bonus on Search and Spot checks equal to twice the invested essentia. If a soulmeld is actually bound to her brow chakra, the range increment of any bow she uses increases by one-half. This benefi t replaces the standard soulborn’s bonus feat gained at 7th level. GNOME INCARNATE A gnome incarnate is a righteous and cunning servant of the cause of good. Often dedicated to Garl Glittergold, the god of gnomes, a gnome incarnate is a living testament to the traditions of the race. His link to the souls of gnomes past, present, and future gives the gnome incarnate a special place of honor among their people, which he holds quite sacred. A gnome incarnate’s number of soulmelds, total essentia, and chakra binds are as detailed on Table 2–2: The Incarnate. Hit Die: d6. Requirements To take a gnome incarnate substitution level, a character must be a neutral good gnome about to take his 1st, 2nd, or 7th level of incarnate. Class Skills Gnome incarnate substitution levels grant the same class skills as the standard incarnate class, plus Hide. Gnome incarnates recognize the value in not being seen, whether as part of an ambush or simply to evade an enemy’s detection. Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifi er (or four times this number as a beginning character). Class Features All of the following are features of the gnome incarnate racial substitution levels. Table 3–8: Elf Soulborn Racial Substitution Levels Base Attack Fort Ref Will Level Bonus Save Save Save Special Meldshaping 1st +1 +2 +0 +0 Aura, smite opposition 1/day As standard soulborn 2nd +2 +3 +0 +0 Incarnum defense As standard soulborn 7th +7/+2 +5 +2 +2 Vigilance of the ancestors As standard soulborn 620_88579_Chp3.indd 45 20_88579_Chp3.indd 45 7/12/05 9:08:28 AM /12/05 9:08:28 AM

46CHAPTER 3 CHARACTER OPTIONS Racial Defense (Su): A gnome incarnate serves on the front line of defense for his village or town. He relies on the knowledge of the souls within him to guide him in battling his people’s most dangerous foes. A gnome incarnate gains an insight bonus on damage rolls made against kobolds, goblinoids, and giants equal to one-half the number of soulmelds he has shaped. If at least one other gnome ally is within 30 feet and visible to the incarnate, this insight bonus instead equals the number of soulmelds shaped. This benefi t replaces the standard incarnate’s detect opposition class feature gained at 1st level. Detect Thoughts (Sp): A gnome incarnate recognizes that foreknowledge of an enemy’s plans makes the best tool for battle. As long as a soulmeld is bound to his crown chakra, he can use detect thoughts once per day. The save DC is equal to 12 + his Cha modifi er, and his caster level is equal to his meldshaper level. This benefi t does not replace any class feature. Share Incarnum Radiance (Su): A gnome incarnate can share some of his race’s natural talents with his allies. Whenever he shares his incarnum radiance with allies, his allies gain a +4 dodge bonus to AC against giants, in addition to the normal benefit of the incarnum radiance. If the creature already has a racial trait that grants a dodge bonus to AC against giants (such as a dwarf or gnome), this bonus does not stack with that benefit—only the better bonus applies. This benefi t augments, but does not replace, the standard incarnate’s share incarnum radiance class feature. HALFLING TOTEMIST A halfling totemist is a bit of an outsider, even among her own people. She tends to avoid social interaction with other people, preferring instead the quiet solitude of her spiritual link with the souls of the beast world. When she or her people are threatened, however, she becomes a fierce defender. Though not as physically tough as a typical totemist, the halfling is more athletic and agile than others of her class. A halfling totemist’s number of soulmelds, total essentia, and chakra binds are as detailed on Table 2–4: The Totemist. Hit Die: d6. Requirements To take a halfling totemist substitution level, a character must be a halfling about to take her 1st, 3rd, or 8th level of totemist. Class Skills Halfling totemist substitution levels grant the same class skills as the standard totemist class, plus Climb, Hide, Jump, and Move Silently. A typical halfling totemist is athletic and stealthy, much like the beasts whose powers she shares. Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifi er (or four times this number as a beginning character). Class Features All of the following are features of the halfl ing totemist racial substitution levels. Low-Light Vision (Su): A halfl ing totemist manifests some of the physical nature of the wild beasts whose souls she channels. As long as any soulmeld occupies her brow chakra, she gains low-light vision, enabling her to see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of shadowy illumination. This benefi t does not replace any class feature. Wild Vigor (Su): A halfling totemist draws on the power of nature to gain minor physical benefits, depending on the soulmelds that she has shaped. If she has a soulmeld occupying her arms chakra, she gains a +2 competence bonus on Swim checks. If she has a soulmeld occupying her feet chakra, she gains a +2 competence bonus on Jump checks. If she has a soulmeld occupying her hands chakra, she gains a +2 competence bonus on Climb checks. This benefi t replaces the standard totemist’s totem’s protection class feature gained at 3rd level. Fast Movement (Ex): Like the beasts of the world, a halfl ing totemist can dart quickly across the battlefi eld. Her land speed is faster than the normal for her race by 10 feet. This benefi t applies only when she is wearing no armor or light armor and carrying no more than a light load. This is otherwise identical to the barbarian’s fast movement class feature (see page 25 of the Player’s Handbook). This benefi t replaces a standard totemist’s ability to rebind a totem soulmeld gained at 8th level. A halfl ing totemist instead gains that class feature at 12th level, and thereafter Table 3–10: Halfling Totemist Racial Substitution Levels Base Attack Fort Ref Will Level Bonus Save Save Save Special Meldshaping 1st +0 +2 +2 +0 Wild empathy, illiteracy, low-light vision As standard totemist 3rd +2 +3 +3 +1 Wild vigor As standard totemist 8th +6/+1 +6 +6 +2 Fast movement As standard totemist Table 3–9: Gnome Incarnate Racial Substitution Levels Base Attack Fort Ref Will Level Bonus Save Save Save Special Meldshaping 1st +0 +2 +0 +2 Aura, racial defense As standard incarnate 2nd +1 +3 +0 +3 Chakra bind (crown), detect thoughts As standard incarnate 7th +3 +5 +2 +5 Share incarnum radiance As standard incarnate 620_88579_Chp3.indd 46 20_88579_Chp3.indd 46 7/12/05 9:08:29 AM /12/05 9:08:29 AM

47CHARACTER CHAPTER 3 OPTIONS the number of times per day she can use that ability is reduced by one. RILKAN ROGUE A rilkan rogue is typically a silver-tongued trickster or charlatan, or perhaps simply a charismatic daredevil. She relies on personality and passion for adventure to win the day. Despite her considerable talents of interaction and deception, though, she is quite capable of holding her own in a fight—all the better to survive the anger of a deceived merchant or a spurned suitor. Hit Die: d6. Requirements To take a rilkan rogue substitution level, a character must be a rilkan about to take her 1st, 3rd, or 10th level of rogue. Class Skills Rilkan rogue substitution levels grant the same class skills as the standard rogue class, plus Speak Language. Skill Points at Each Level: 8 + Int modifier (or four times this number as a beginning character). Class Features All of the following are features of the rilkan rogue racial substitution levels. Improved Flanking (Ex): A rilkan rogue who is fl anking an opponent gains a +4 bonus on attacks instead of a +2 bonus on attacks. Any other rilkans fl anking the same opponent also benefi t from this improved bonus. Other, nonrilkan characters fl anking with the rilkan rogue don’t gain this increased bonus. This benefi t replaces a standard rogue’s sneak attack ability gained at 1st level. Instead, a rilkan rogue gains sneak attack at 3rd level and reduces the extra damage dice indicated by 1d6. Bardic Knowledge (Ex): A rilkan rogue picks up a lot of stray knowledge while interacting with others. Starting at 3rd level, she can make a special bardic knowledge check with a bonus equal to her rogue level plus her Intelligence modifier to see whether she knows some relevant information about local notable people, legendary items, or significant places. This is otherwise identical to the bard’s class feature of the same name (see page 28 of the Player’s Handbook). This benefi t replaces the standard rogue’s trap sense class feature gained at 3rd level. A rilkan rogue who selects this substitution feature never gains trap sense from her rogue levels. Bonus Feat: At 3rd level, a rilkan rogue selects one of the following feats as a bonus feat: Deceitful, Diligent, Investigator, Negotiator, or Persuasive. Fortunate Reflexes (Ex): A rilkan rogue enjoys living life on the edge, taking risks that other rogues might avoid. Beginning at 10th level, a rilkan rogue can choose to reroll any failed Reflex save. The rogue must take the result of the reroll, even if it’s worse than the original roll. If the original roll is a natural 1, the rilkan rogue can’t use this ability. This benefit replaces the standard rogue’s special ability gained at 10th level. Furthermore, a rilkan rogue forever forfeits the ability to gain improved evasion as a rogue class feature. (She can still gain improved evasion from some other source.) SKARN MONK A skarn monk takes his race’s dedication to “perfection of form” to great extremes, tuning his body, mind, and soul to extraordinary purity. As part of this perfection, he learns to channel incarnum to achieve various effects and also gains the ability to use his arm spines with tremendous effectiveness. Hit Die: d8. Requirements To take a skarn monk substitution level, a character must be a skarn about to take his 1st, 5th, or 10th level of monk. Class Skills Skarn monk substitution levels grant the same class skills as the standard monk class, plus Intimidate. Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifi er (or four times this number as a beginning character). Skarn monk Table 3–11: Rilkan Rogue Racial Substitution Levels Base Attack Fort Ref Will Level Bonus Save Save Save Special 1st +0 +0 +2 +0 Trapfinding, improved flanking 3rd +2 +1 +3 +1 Sneak attack +1d6, bardic knowledge, bonus feat 10th +7+2 +3 +7 +3 Fortunate reflexes Illus. by W. England 620_88579_Chp3.indd 47 20_88579_Chp3.indd 47 7/12/05 9:08:31 AM /12/05 9:08:31 AM

48CHAPTER 3 CHARACTER OPTIONS Class Features All of the following are features of the skarn monk racial substitution levels. Spine Strike (Ex): For all purposes related to monk class features, a skarn monk can treat his arm-spine attack as if it were an unarmed strike. This includes using it as part of a fl urry of blows, ki strike, and the increased damage dealt by arm spines as the skarn monk gains levels (1d8 at 4th level, 1d10 at 8th level, and so forth). This benefi t replaces a standard monk’s unarmed strike class feature gained at 1st level. Defensive Insight (Su): As a skarn monk becomes more in tune with the soul energy flowing through his body, he learns to rely on this insight to aid his defense. Beginning at 5th level, a skarn monk gains a +1 insight bonus to AC for every point of essentia invested in this class feature. Insight bonuses to AC apply at all times, even against touch attacks or when a skarn monk is flatfooted, immobilized, or helpless. Wearing armor, carrying a shield, or carrying a medium or heavy load has no effect on this AC bonus. A skarn monk gains 1 point of essentia at 5th level. This benefi t replaces a standard monk’s AC bonus gained at 5th level and improved every fi ve levels thereafter. (A skarn monk still adds his Wisdom bonus to his AC.) Shape Soulmeld (Su): A skarn monk’s perfection of body and soul is so strong that at 10th level, he gains the ability to shape a single soulmeld (as long as he has a Constitution score of 11 or higher). A skarn monk can shape this soulmeld each day, following the normal rules for meldshaping (see page 49). This soulmeld must be chosen from the soulborn class list. A skarn monk’s meldshaper level is equal to one-half his monk level. The save DC (if any) for the soulmeld is equal to 10 + invested essentia + his Wis modifier. This benefi t replaces a standard monk’s ki strike (lawful) class feature gained at 10th level. Chakra Bind (Arms): A skarn monk can bind a soulmeld (see above) to his arms chakra, following the normal rules for chakra binds (see page 51). Table 3–12: Skarn Monk Racial Substitution Levels Base Attack Fort Ref Will Level Bonus Save Save Save Special 1st +0 +2 +2 +2 Bonus feat, flurry of blows, spine strike 5th +3 +4 +4 +4 Purity of body, defensive insight 10th +7/+2 +7 +7 +7 Slow fall 50 ft., shape soulmeld, chakra bind (arms) TIEFLING INCARNATE Whereas most tiefl ings feel trapped between their mortal and fi endish heritages, the tiefl ing incarnate has no problem in balancing these two parts of herself. Indeed, she embraces both her mortal soul and her infernal blood. Despite being a native outsider, she forges a strong bond with her mortal heritage, as represented by her use of incarnum. At the same time, her fi endish nature is well displayed by her incarnumfueled abilities. A tiefling incarnate’s number of soulmelds, total essentia, and chakra binds are as detailed on Table 2–2: The Incarnate. Hit Die: d6. Requirements To take a tiefl ing incarnate substitution level, a character must be a neutral evil tiefl ing about to take her 1st, 3rd, or 7th level of incarnate. Class Skills Tiefl ing incarnate substitution levels grant the same class skills as the standard incarnate class, plus Bluff and Hide. Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifi er (or four times this number as a beginning character). Class Features All of the following are features of the tiefl ing incarnate racial substitution levels. See in Darkness (Su): A tiefling incarnate’s natural tendency toward living in shadow manifests itself as an uncanny ability to see through such gloom. If she has a shaped soulmeld that occupies her brow chakra, she can see normally in magical darkness, such as that created by a darkness spell. This benefi t does not replace any incarnate class feature. Incarnum Radiance (Su): A tiefling incarnate’s incarnum radiance class feature functions normally, with one addition. As long as the tiefling is not within an area of bright illumination (that is, as long as she is in darkness or shadowy illumination), she gains concealment (20% miss chance), even against creatures able to see normally in such conditions. This benefi t augments, but does not replace, a standard incarnate’s incarnum radiance class feature. Telepathy (Su): A tiefling incarnate can mingle the soul energy of mortals with her fiendish mind to grant her the ability to communicate telepathically with any other creature within 100 feet that has a language (see page 316 of the Monster Manual). This ability only functions as long as a tiefling incarnate has a soulmeld bound to her crown chakra. This benefi t replaces a standard incarnate’s share incarnum radiance class feature gained at 7th level. Table 3–13: Tiefling Incarnate Racial Substitution Levels Base Attack Fort Ref Will Level Bonus Save Save Save Special Meldshaping 1st +0 +2 +0 +2 Aura, detect opposition, see in darkness As standard incarnate 3rd +1 +3 +1 +3 Expanded soulmeld capacity +1, incarnum radiance 1/day As standard incarnate 7th +3 +5 +2 +5 Telepathy As standard incarnate 620_88579_Chp3.indd 48 20_88579_Chp3.indd 48 7/12/05 9:08:33 AM /12/05 9:08:33 AM

49 Illus. by D. Griffi th Illus. by D. Griffi th eaching deep within his soul, the incarnate Jefi r draws forth an azure wisp of incarnum. The unstable soulstuff coats his hands, pervading his fl esh. Opening his eyes, he looks down at the blue lightning crackling between his fi ngers and smiles. Soulmelds are persistent magical constructions shaped from pure incarnum—the power of souls living, dead, and yet unborn—fused with the meldshaper’s own essence. They resemble both long-lasting spells and magic items in many ways, but truly are neither. Once shaped, a soulmeld takes on a solid physical form in the shape specifi ed for that particular meld. A shaped soulmeld acts as a normal object that might be worn, such as boots, armor, or a robe except for the following: they cannot be removed from the individual wearing them, they cannot be damaged except as specifi cally noted and they don’t have a weight (though they can restrict movement, thus giving an armor check penalty if applicable). A meldshaping character does not choose from a long list of options during combat in the way a spellcaster or psionic character does. Instead, he shapes a limited number of soulmelds at the start of each day. These soulmelds enhance the meldshaper’s attributes—often in the form of bonuses on various rolls and checks—and grant him special abilities that might resemble class features and spell-like abilities. Once shaped, a soulmeld remains in effect until the character chooses to unshape it (typically to shape a new soulmeld in its place). A soulmeld can remain shaped for a day, a month, a year, or even a character’s entire life. It is not true, however, that all of a meldshaper’s decisions are made before the adventure begins. On the contrary, the meldshaper manages a unique resource known as essentia, shifting it between his soulmelds to adjust their power level as needed. This round-by-round tweaking of powers makes the meldshaper unlike any other character in his ability to adapt to the threats he faces. SHAPING SOULMELDS To shape a soulmeld, a meldshaper must have a clear mind, just like a wizard who wishes to prepare spells (see page 177 of the Player’s Handbook). Achieving this clear mind requires 8 hours of sleep (or a like amount of restful calm, if the character does not sleep). After resting, a meldshaper must meditate for 1 hour. During this time, he selects and shapes all his soulmelds for the day, simultaneously unshaping any current soulmelds that he does not choose to retain. Any soulmelds previously shaped that he chooses to retain do not need to be reshaped. The time required remains the same regardless of the number of soulmelds shaped. At the end of this hour, the effects of any unshaped soulmelds end and the effects of shaped soulmelds take effect. While shaping soulmelds, a meldshaper must have enough peace, quiet, and comfort to allow for proper 620_88579_Chp4.indd 49 20_88579_Chp4.indd 49 7/12/05 9:09:56 AM /12/05 9:09:56 AM

50CHAPTER 4 SOULMELDS concentration, just like a wizard preparing spells (see page 177 of the Player’s Handbook). MELD SELECTION A meldshaper chooses which soulmelds to shape from his class list (see later in this chapter). He can choose any meld on this list, barring alignment restrictions (if an incarnate or soulborn). A meldshaper’s level limits the number of soulmelds he can have shaped at any given time. He can’t shape the same soulmeld more than once. Also, two soulmelds can’t occupy the same chakra (with some exceptions). At the same time that the meldshaper chooses which soulmelds to shape, he must also choose which soulmelds (if any) to bind to his chakras. The specifi c chakras and the number of chakra binds available to the meldshaper depends on his level. Two soulmelds can’t be bound to the same chakra. Once he has shaped a soulmeld (and bound it to a chakra), he can’t change these decisions until he unshapes it and shapes a new soulmeld. A meldshaper must shape all his chosen soulmelds at the same time. He cannot leave a soulmeld slot unfi lled in order to shape it later. A meldshaper need not invest essentia into a soulmeld at the time of shaping. The amount of essentia invested in each soulmeld can be changed each round (see Essentia, below). Meldshapers cannot give a meld to someone else, or shape one on anyone other than themselves. Shaped soulmelds cannot be removed from the meldshapers body. Unshaping a Meld Generally speaking, a soulmeld remains shaped until the meldshaper chooses to unshape it in favor of another soulmeld. Sometimes, however, a soulmeld is designed to unshape as part of its function. The arms chakra bind of the bloodwar gauntlets, for example, allows you to unshape the soulmeld to deliver damage to nearby creatures. MELDSHAPER LEVEL While most of a soulmeld’s variables depend on other aspects (such as essentia), a soulmeld also has a meldshaper level, which functions effectively like a spell’s caster level. For incarnates and totemists, your meldshaper level is equal to your class level in a meldshaping class. A soulborn’s meldshaper level equals one-half his soulborn levels. If you have two meldshaping classes, such as totemist and incarnate, your meldshaper levels are distinct for the soulmelds you shape from each class—you use your totemist level for your totemist soulmelds and your incarnate level for your incarnate melds, in much the same way as a cleric/wizard has discrete spellcasting levels. ESSENTIA Each meldshaper has a pool of essentia: the substance of the character’s spirit that is unlocked by the power of incarnum. The size of this pool is determined by the character’s level, as noted on Table 2–1. 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. Each soulmeld has a maximum essentia capacity based on the character’s level. Invested essentia applies to a both the soulmeld and its chakra bind effects, if appropriate. In addition to soulmelds, you might have the ability to invest essentia into other receptacles, such as class and race abilities (a duskling’s speed bonus or an incandescent champion’s incandescent strike, for example) as well as certain spells and magic items. These receptacles are treated as soulmelds for the putpose of investing essentia into them, with one notable exception: Several feats described in Chapter 3 allow you to invest essentia into them. It is a particular quality of these feats that you must invest essentia into them at the start of the day, and that essentia remains invested in those feats for the entire day. If a character loses essentia, this loss is deducted fi rst from any noninvested essentia in the character’s pool. If this does not cover the entire loss, remove the invested essentia from a randomly determined soulmeld or other essentia investment. Continue until the entire loss has been accounted for. Healing Essentia Damage Essentia damage (such as from rend essentia) is temporary, and returns at the same rate as ability damage (1 point for a night of rest or 2 points for a full day of rest). Essentia damage can also be healed by spells or other effects as if it were ability damage. For example, the lesser restoration spell can cure 1d4 points of essentia damage, while the restoration spell cures all essentia damage. CHAKRAS Every soulmeld occupies a chakra, even if it is not bound to it. When a soulmeld occupies a chakra, the meldshaper can still wear and gain benefi t from a magic item that occupies the corresponding body slot. The soulmeld appears fl oating in the air around that part of the body or simply superimposed over it and any other gear the character might wear on that part of the body. You cannot shape two soulmelds that occupy the same chakra. For example, if you have a crystal helm occupying your crown chakra, the crystal helm appears fl oating over your head, encompassing your head as well as any helmet (even a magic helmet) you might wear. You cannot also shape an enigma helm soulmeld, because it would also occupy your crown chakra. Some soulmelds can occupy one of two or more different chakras. For example, the mauling gauntlets soulmeld can occupy your hands or your arms chakra. You choose when you shape a meld which chakra you want it to occupy. The chakras correspond to body slots as follows, using the body locations described on page 214 in the Dungeon Master’s Guide: Crown: Headband, hat, helmet, or phylactery. Feet: Boots or shoes. Hands: Gloves or gauntlets. The hands chakra does not include the ring body locations. Arms: Bracers or bracelets. Brow: Eye lenses or goggles. Shoulders: Cloak, cape, or mantle. Throat: Amulet, brooch, medallion, necklace, periapt, or scarab. Waist: Belt. Heart: Vest, vestment, or shirt. Soul: Robe or suit of armor. 620_88579_Chp4.indd 50 20_88579_Chp4.indd 50 7/12/05 9:09:59 AM /12/05 9:09:59 AM