Brilliant Gameologists Forum
The Thinktank => Min/Max It! => : McPoyo September 29, 2010, 12:14:41 PM
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So, Magic of Incarnum page 195 has the Soulfused Construct template. It can be applied to any construct without the Living Construct subtype, or an intelligence score. It gets some minor boosts, such as the Living Construct subtype, Essentia equal to 1 + 1/6 levels, the ability to invest essentia like a Cloak of Resistance, +2 dex and +4 cha, Int is set to 3, and Con is set to 10. Here's the fun part: under the Hit Dice column, it says to see the Advancing a Soulspark section on page 198.
A soulspark not created by means of the soulspark familiar soulmeld gains 1 additional point of essentia to invest in its incarnum shroud for each Hit Die it gains. Its Dexterity and Charisma scores each increase by 1 for every 4 additional Hit Dice
Bolding mine.
So while the first half of the ability is largely useless (you don't have an incarnum shroud, after all), the second half could be interesting as it's an unnamed bonus type. While Soulsparks are of the outsider type, and not constructs and therefor ineligible to gain the Soulfused Construct template, it might be arguable that the incarnum shroud restriction is irrelevant since you never have that racial feature.
So how hard would this be to shove onto a creature? Warforged Incarnate Construct Dustform Soulfused Construct looks like the easiest and quickest method, to me, netting a total LA of +1, but not a whole lot of good abilities. You basically lose your composite plating, and that's really it, unless I'm missing something, and gain some minor stat boosts at the cost of your Int going down to 3. Is there a more elegant method to get this onto something without tanking Int?
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Wait, what's your template application order?
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Starting Warforged, picking up Incarnate to lose the construct (and living construct subtype, since the subtype lists itself as tied to the construct type in the sidebar of MoI), and going to humanoid. Apply Dustform to regain construct type and lose int score, then add Soulfused to gain back the living subtype and pick up a (completely horrid) int score and con score again.
You'd lose all your warforged stuff that wasn't stats, it looks like, but you'd keep everything you gained from all three templates.
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From the wording of the template, it looks like you retain the bonus HP from being a construct despite becoming a Living Construct. In that case, something simple like...
Half-Ogre Effigy Soulfused Construct
+10 Strength, -2 Dex, -8 Int, -6 Cha
+30 HP, +6 NA
Looks like +3 LA, but no racial HD, so you can go straight into classes. With the bonus essentia, it looks like it could be good for a brutish incarnum user.
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Can we tack on enough templates after soulfused to fix the int issue? Maybe something like a soulfused nimblewright? Do those have int scores already?
Alternatively, dragonborn somewhere?
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??? ... where did I put that book
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Dragonborn is no good. If you put it on before you apply Effigy, you lose the Dragonborn stuffs AND the Con bonus, you're just stuck with a lousy -2 Dex. If you put it on after Soulfused, you lose the bonus Essentia.
Personally, I don't think Int is as much of a problem as the Charisma. Not a lot deals Int damage, and a good will save protects against basically all of it. Charisma damage is more worrisome, since there are lots of incorporeal undead that will be able to kill you with one touch, no save, and it doesn't have a floor value of 3, either.
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You could go into Warforged Juggernaut and get back most of those [Construct] immunities, like immunity to ability damage, mind affecting, etc.
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Is there a compiled list of LA possessing constructs somewhere? Can always ritual away the racial HD.
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The three Warforged: Charger, Scout & Standard Issue. Maug of course. And the Zhelekut from MMI. Nothing else springs to mind unfortunately.
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Nimblewrights have a +6 la, as well as an int score, so they're out, unfortunately. Looks like incarnate construct shenanigans are needed for the real fun.
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Is there a compiled list of LA possessing constructs somewhere? Can always ritual away the racial HD.
The point is that all mindless constructs are usually LA -. So basically in order to play a soulfused construct you to bend the rules unless you do all that template stacking. (And even Effigy doesn't work, because Effigy turns the LA into -.) Dustform is certainly unique in that respect. It also keeps all special qualities - which is certainly nice. The problem is the LA...
How about using the Soulfused construct fully within the spirit of the template? Are there any (non-template) mindless constructs without RHD, or just a few? At best even with a Cha score?
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For DMs, soulfusing a shadesteel golem is nice. They get big racial skill bonuses inteded to make them as competent as a rogue of their level. When you add actual skill points...
Only other time I used this in a build was on a Tiny animated object in an attempt to stat a tsukumogami (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsukumogami).
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Best I can see with this is a Chaotic Incarnate archer build. Those 23 bonus essentia from soulfused would nearly power all your soulmelds and/or wpns and armor. Prolly best with a scout class warforged.
Anyone have an idea for a better base than Warforged Scout > Incaranate Construct > Dustform > Soulfused Construct ?
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A fun note: Applying Incarnate Construct to a large creature gives you the Giant type.
There is a Giant-only template called Primordial Giant that gives -4 Str, -2 Con, +4 Int, +4 Cha and some minor abilities that may or may not be useful.
This may or may not help you, depending on what order you end up applying things.
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Well, I would suggest Eldritch Haunt (DL: HToS), but it has no LA.
Basically, it's like Dustform Creature, in that it allows you to turn any creature into a construct. Except, you gain a +2 to all mental stats, and you gain a magical item as an alternate form.
Yes, a magical item. That you are treated as being/wearing.
So the Soulfused Eldritch Haunt of a Belt of Battle would be hilarious. Especially if you used an ada=vanced Choker as the base creature.
If the item is charged, you can recharge it by hitting a spellcaster with a touch attack and stealing their spell slots. Like a Spellthief, only better.
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Wow. That's rather abusable. Eldritch Haunt Luckblade, anyone?
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UMD'd Horseshoes of the Flame would fix some of your intelligence problem since they give an unlisted bonus of +10 Int, +6 Cha, +2 Dex, fly speed 90 good, and 1d4 fire damage on hooves.
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UMD'd Horseshoes of the Flame would fix some of your intelligence problem since they give an unlisted bonus of +10 Int, +6 Cha, +2 Dex, fly speed 90 good, and 1d4 fire damage on hooves.
Isn't there a warforged that looks like a centaur? Seems like an easy fix to negate UMD needs.
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UMD'd Horseshoes of the Flame would fix some of your intelligence problem since they give an unlisted bonus of +10 Int, +6 Cha, +2 Dex, fly speed 90 good, and 1d4 fire damage on hooves.
Isn't there a warforged that looks like a centaur? Seems like an easy fix to negate UMD needs.
Only if they have the Tauric Belt, which is a minor artifact.
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UMD'd Horseshoes of the Flame would fix some of your intelligence problem since they give an unlisted bonus of +10 Int, +6 Cha, +2 Dex, fly speed 90 good, and 1d4 fire damage on hooves.
Isn't there a warforged that looks like a centaur? Seems like an easy fix to negate UMD needs.
Only if they have the Tauric Belt, which is a minor artifact.
So, better question: Is there a tauric-like construct already in existence without horrifyingly bad physical stats? Polymorph/alter self/mind-switch shenanigans would also solve that problem.
edit: Aside from applying the Tauric template, I mean.
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UMD'd Horseshoes of the Flame would fix some of your intelligence problem since they give an unlisted bonus of +10 Int, +6 Cha, +2 Dex, fly speed 90 good, and 1d4 fire damage on hooves.
Isn't there a warforged that looks like a centaur? Seems like an easy fix to negate UMD needs.
Only if they have the Tauric Belt, which is a minor artifact.
So, better question: Is there a tauric-like construct already in existence without horrifyingly bad physical stats? Polymorph/alter self/mind-switch shenanigans would also solve that problem.
Zelekhut (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/inevitable.htm#zelekhut) from MM1. Can't Mind Switch, though, since that's Mind-affecting. Also has an INT score, so it's unavailable for Soulfused.
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UMD'd Horseshoes of the Flame would fix some of your intelligence problem since they give an unlisted bonus of +10 Int, +6 Cha, +2 Dex, fly speed 90 good, and 1d4 fire damage on hooves.
Isn't there a warforged that looks like a centaur? Seems like an easy fix to negate UMD needs.
Only if they have the Tauric Belt, which is a minor artifact.
So, better question: Is there a tauric-like construct already in existence without horrifyingly bad physical stats? Polymorph/alter self/mind-switch shenanigans would also solve that problem.
Zelekhut from MM1
And now to do something very evil with all of this for a game I'm planning out...:evil:
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Animated object?
A Small animated object shaped like a pegasus has 1HD (replaced by class levels), +2 natural armor, 50ft speed, 25ft fly (clumsy). If it's made of wood it also has a swim speed of 25ft. Str 10/Dex 12/Con -/Int -/Wis 1/Cha 1 and hardness depending solely on the material used to create it. Use adamantine (hardness 20) and you're pretty much indestructible at low levels.
A Large animated object has 4HD, +5 natural armor, 40ft/20ft speed, Str 16/Dex 10 and can trample
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Animated object?
A Small animated object shaped like a pegasus has 1HD (replaced by class levels), 50ft speed, 25ft fly (clumsy). If it's made of wood it also has a swim speed of 25ft. Str 10/Dex 12/Con -/Int -/Wis 1/Cha 1 and hardness depending solely on the material used to create it. Use adamantine and you're pretty much indestructible at low levels.
hardened obdurium, anyone?
Edit: Except for those using Mountain Hammer strike...
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Tiny animated object: 1/2HD, no natural armor, Str 8/Dex 14, speed 60ft/fly 30ft (clumsy)...
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Okay: Incarnate Construct Tauric Effigy Soulfused Construct Warforged+Whatever animal.
Ending La, +2. Incarnate Construct -2, Tauric (per mm2 update. Humanoid LA +3) +3, Effigy None (Actually a null, but it's due to not having an int score, which the next template negates), Soulfused +1. End result, +2.
Total changes/losses:
Types/Subtypes: Lose Construct type, gain Humanoid type (incarnate), Lose Living Construct Subtype, become Monstrous Humanoid (tauric), Lose Monstrous Humanoid type, gain Construct type (Effigy), gain Living Construct subtype (Soulfused) - End result: Construct (Living Construct).
Scores: Str (Base Animal/Vermind/Whatever used for lower half of Tauric) + 4, Dex Base bottom Half, Con 10, Int set to 3, Wis set to 11, Cha set to 3. That's kind of kicked-in-the-face on the mentals.
Special Attacks and Special Qualities: Retain all natural attacks from bottom half's form, lose and then regain warforged's slam attack, retain all special attacks of lower half EXCEPT those with save DCs based on Con, Lose all special Qualities of lower half, gain some crappy x/adamantine DR, get free essentia equal to 1/6th level, soulbound resistance ability, and possibly 1 essentia/level for free (depending on how that ability listed under Hit Dice for soulfused is read).
Conversely, this could all be done via Animated Object + Soulfused Construct, or even just Awaken Construct. So really not worth it.
That's about what I give up with for trying to utilize this in some weird fashion. Not enough gain for the effort, and it's easier to do other ways. Awakening via Awaken Construct, despite being a 9th level spell, would be the easiest way to do it despite having to extrapolate an LA for it, no matter what. I am disheartened, now.
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Animated object?
Okay: Incarnate Construct Tauric Effigy Soulfused Construct Warforged+Whatever animal.
Ending La, +2. Incarnate Construct -2, Tauric (per mm2 update. Humanoid LA +3) +3, Effigy None (Actually a null, but it's due to not having an int score, which the next template negates), Soulfused +1. End result, +2.
As soon as you allow "LA -" constructs to qualify, then all the problems are gone. The only reason everyone has been using dustform so far is to avoid the "LA -", which basically every non-intelligent construct has.