The Totemist Handbook

[Brainpiercing]

Ok, so let me get this straight: You want to put Soulbound weapon on the Necklace of Natural Weapons, and for the price of a +2 bonus per natural weapon want to gain a +3 bonus. The trouble I see is this: Will you have to invest essentia PER weapon or just once and it applies to all of them?

Soulbound Amulet would be per weapon. Soulbound itself is fairly weak though, as your Totem Chakra Binds can get a capacity of 8. It works for the Manticore Belt though, which is really the only reason you would want it.

That's a pretty good idea, actually, I'm going to have to steal that for a build some day.

[Sinfire Titan]

Some updates have been made, including a PrC section. If anyone has some ideas for additional Totemist PrCs, please let me know.

[bearsarebrown]

A one level dip in Soul Eater (req weapon focus, iron will and non-humanoid type) is game changing. From BoVD.

Full BAB, all good saves, 4 skills, d8, and the big daddy, one negative level bestowed on touch. At all times. No save.

[Sinfire Titan]

A one level dip in Soul Eater (req weapon focus, iron will and non-humanoid type) is game changing. From BoVD.

Full BAB, all good saves, 4 skills, d8, and the big daddy, one negative level bestowed on touch. At all times. No save.

Some DMs rule that the ability is a Standard action to use since it's Su, so it's situational. Although Elan Totemist or Dragonwrought Kobold can enter the PrC fairly easily. The main benefit (aside from Negative Level shenanigans) is the Full BAB, which helps qualify for Rapidstrike and Improved.

[snakeman830]

A one level dip in Soul Eater (req weapon focus, iron will and non-humanoid type) is game changing. From BoVD.

Full BAB, all good saves, 4 skills, d8, and the big daddy, one negative level bestowed on touch. At all times. No save.

Some DMs rule that the ability is a Standard action to use since it's Su, so it's situational. Although Elan Totemist or Dragonwrought Kobold can enter the PrC fairly easily. The main benefit (aside from Negative Level shenanigans) is the Full BAB, which helps qualify for Rapidstrike and Improved.

Soul Eater requires Alertness instead of Iron Will, but it's still a worthwhile dip.  I wish it was Iron Will, since that's not a bad feat for a Totemist to pick up.

[bearsarebrown]

Soul Eater requires Alertness instead of Iron Will, but it's still a worthwhile dip.  I wish it was Iron Will, since that's not a bad feat for a Totemist to pick up.

Seems you're right. I knew it was a Core feat  

[Sinfire Titan]

A review of the standard Totemist Soulmelds has been posted.

[Lunaramblings]

quick question about the Totemists melds. If I have Girallon Arms bound to my Totem and Arms(level 12), I also bind Claws of the Wyrm what is my result? Do I have 4 claws for 1d6? 4 claws for 1d4? 2 claws for 1d6, 4 claws for 1d4? What if I then add Lamia Pelt?

I love Totemists, but man a lot of the rules are vague.

[Brainpiercing]

quick question about the Totemists melds. If I have Girallon Arms bound to my Totem and Arms(level 12), I also bind Claws of the Wyrm what is my result? Do I have 4 claws for 1d6? 4 claws for 1d4? 2 claws for 1d6, 4 claws for 1d4? What if I then add Lamia Pelt?

I love Totemists, but man a lot of the rules are vague.

I guess you want to talk to your DM about that: Will you use the SENSIBLE interpretation? This, for instance, means you can get up to four secondary claws from Girallon arms, say, with a primary bite, but can't use other claws on your ARMS.
You could also use the strict RAW interpretation, which just means that every time it says you "gain a claw attack" then you do GAIN a claw attack, irrespective of whether the arms are already occupied. But then you also only get three secondary Girallon claws, and have to use some of the other weird wordings in the book.

My conclusion is that natural weapons are a lot easier to handle if you throw strict raw out of the window for a moment, and just use the sensible interpretation whenever applicable.

So I think what I would do: Girallon + other claws: Use the bigger claws (bigger dice) as primaries, then add two secondaries from Girallon at 1d4. I know that's NOT RAW, however.

It gets worse if you combine it with spell effects that add more claws, for instance the Girallon's blessing spell.

[Sinfire Titan]

quick question about the Totemists melds. If I have Girallon Arms bound to my Totem and Arms(level 12), I also bind Claws of the Wyrm what is my result? Do I have 4 claws for 1d6? 4 claws for 1d4? 2 claws for 1d6, 4 claws for 1d4? What if I then add Lamia Pelt?

I love Totemists, but man a lot of the rules are vague.

You have the following:

As a Full Attack action, you may use the Girallon Arms to lash out with 4 claws.
As an Attack action, you may use the Girallon Arms to lash out with 1 claw.
As a Charge action, you may use the Girallon Arms to make a single Claw attack.
As a Standard action, you may use the Claws of the Wyrm to make 2 claw attacks.
As an Attack of Opportunity, you may use either Girallon Arms or Claws of the Wyrm to take the AoO.



The bolded portion is where the two differentiate. Claws of the Wyrm is the best Totemist offense at 1st level (and only 1st level). The instant you hit 2nd level, it's either Girallon Arms, Landshark Boots, Manticore Belt, one of the Breath Weapon soulmelds, Kruthik Claws, Displacer Mantle, or something that has a Poison in addition to the normal damage (Phase Cloak).

The Lamia Pelt adds an extra 2 claw attacks if you hit with any other natural weapon. Technically, these attacks are coming from the additional pair of legs the Totem bind gives you (it's fluff says you get the lower body of a Lion, 4 legs and all), so there's a (shaky) grounds for it stacking for number of natural weapons.

[snakeman830]

The Lamia Pelt adds an extra 2 claw attacks if you hit with any other natural weapon. Technically, these attacks are coming from the additional pair of legs the Totem bind gives you (it's fluff says you get the lower body of a Lion, 4 legs and all), so there's a (shaky) grounds for it stacking for number of natural weapons.

Speaking of this, wouldn't the totem bind also give you the benefits of being a quadreped?  Higher carrying capacity and the +4 bonus to resist Trip and Bull Rush?

[Sinfire Titan]

The Lamia Pelt adds an extra 2 claw attacks if you hit with any other natural weapon. Technically, these attacks are coming from the additional pair of legs the Totem bind gives you (it's fluff says you get the lower body of a Lion, 4 legs and all), so there's a (shaky) grounds for it stacking for number of natural weapons.

Speaking of this, wouldn't the totem bind also give you the benefits of being a quadreped?  Higher carrying capacity and the +4 bonus to resist Trip and Bull Rush?

If the DM is ruling that Girallon Arms grants the benefits of having 4 arms for grappling (rules printed in Sword and Fist no less), then there's no reason Lamia Belt shouldn't grant those benefits. I personally see no problem with this (who really tracks carrying capacity, and the bonuses to resist trip/bull rush are decent but not overpowering).

[bearsarebrown]

(who really tracks carrying capacity...)

Hulking Hurlers 

[Sinfire Titan]

(who really tracks carrying capacity...)

Hulking Hurlers 

Allow me to rephrase this: What meldshaper needs to worry about their carrying capacity?

[snakeman830]

(who really tracks carrying capacity...)

Hulking Hurlers 

Allow me to rephrase this: What meldshaper needs to worry about their carrying capacity?

Hulking Hurlers 

It's not impossible.  Even 3 levels isn't too bad for a Totemist (although only 1 is required).

[bearsarebrown]

[spoiler][/spoiler]
Straight up ridiculous. Every single natural attack becomes Save or Paralyze.

[Dusk Eclipse]

  great for a dip, with the amount of natural attacks a totemist can have, the enemy is assured to fail one, even if the DC is low.... maybe I've found what I wanted for the BBEG.

[bearsarebrown]

And note how early you can make that dip. DC 18 is bad at level 20 but at level 7? That's not to shabby.

[BowenSilverclaw]

[spoiler][/spoiler]
Straight up ridiculous. Every single natural attack becomes Save or Paralyze.

Soul Eater is nice as well

[Dusk Eclipse]

[spoiler][/spoiler]
Straight up ridiculous. Every single natural attack becomes Save or Paralyze.

Soul Eater is nice as well

I actually made a gestalt build that went like this

non-psionic thri kin/ Warblade/Soul eater// totemist

Warblade was somewhat of a filler and for some tiger claw manoubers, I couldn't figure out how to get girallon windimil flesh rip thoug...