I remembered (again) that Incarnum soulmelds can be used to make arms and such, which works with some JoJo Stands, which got me wondering about more. Is there a way of turning a soulmeld temporarily into a summoned creature/using a chakra to summon something made out of essentia?
There is one official soulmeld which creates a soulspark familiar, the strength of which depends on which chakra it is bound to. If I remember correctly, the soulspark familiar is between CR 1/2 and 3, so it isn't a terribly strong creature. Depending on the campaign, I could definitely see a reskin of that ability getting used to create something like that.
If it was a larger focus of the character or campaign, though, I might do it as a prestige class, perhaps by having a special ability that allows you to create a creature with one soulmeld and give it the benefits of others. I haven't watched the show, though, so that might not be the best fit.
“A deadening field of necrocarnum radiates from you, filling the air with faint, shadowy tendrils.” Magic of Incarnum p. 79
This soulmeld literally leeches the life from those nearby. Whenever an adjacent, living creature is wounded, the shaper gains a bonus to attack and damage, and investing essentia increases the radius of the effect dramatically. This soulmeld can be bound to either the waist, frightening enemies within the field created, or the soul, allowing the caster to use the necrocarnum to attack their enemies, draining their will to live and their power to strengthen the necrocarnate as well.
Alignment: Neutral Good. To Anna, there is no evil act too terrible to seek, and earn, redemption from, no soul too lost to be saved, and no sacrifice too great to make. Mercy, compassion, and the defense of the innocent are the most important things in the world to Anna.
Gender: Genderqueer, uses she/her pronouns
Sexuality: Asexual, aromantic
Background: Anna was born to a noble family with too little land and too many children. Second youngest and the only girl of five, she received a broad education, and learned how to use her power with the aid of tutors her parents had hired, but the costs were getting too high for the small treasury to support the whole family, and Anna left to find other employment. She enlisted in the army when she was a young woman, and served well for nearly two years, when she was ordered to kill civilians. Not only did she refuse, she opposed the commander who had given the order, giving the civilians time to escape. She was bound at a post for a week and denied food and drink for a week while her fate was being decided. Ultimately, the commander who had given the order was found guilty of war crimes and Anna was released, but she was given twenty lashes and discharged for insubordination. She wandered for a while, working occasionally as a bodyguard or caravan escort, accepting little money beyond what it took to keep her alive.
It was only after the war spread and she stopped receiving any news from her family that she returned home, finding the lands desolate and the estate in shambles. No one seemed to have been there in months when she arrived, and she walked through the halls hoping to find some clue as to where her family had fled. When she entered the study, she found it a ruin, letters and parchment strewn everywhere. One sat on the desk still, a quill across it. "Anna, my dearest sister…“ it read, the rest unwritten due to whatever emergency that had called him away. She has searched, unsuccessfully, since then.
Description: Standing 5'2” (1.57 m) and weighing around 210 pounds (95.3 kg), Anna has dark hair which falls to just above her shoulders and brown eyes with hints of honey-gold when they meet the light. She has strong features and a near-constant smile, despite her past, and almost always sees the best in people. She is very slightly
Preferred Equipment/Soulmelds: Incarnate weapon (forming a warhammer), Full plate armour, large shield, Airstep Sandals (bound), Mantle of Flame, Crystal Helm (bound), Bluesteel bracers, Lightning Gloves (bound)
All information here can be found on the Iconic Incarnate link on the blog, but for those not going to the main blog, here it is. (Sorry for the long post)
Incarnum is a source of power, like arcane or divine magic but distinct from all others. Incarnum is the energy and matter of souls, the souls of the dead, those living, and those not yet born. There are different ways of interacting with this power, but the most common is to shape it into other forms, selecting the souls to shape as you do, to create semi-permanent objects that grant a variety of effects. While members of any class can use incarnum with training, there are three classes which use it as the base of their powers. First, the Incarnate, unwavering champions of a single alignment, who shape the souls of extraplanar beings and great heroes into a myriad of forms. Each incarnate is vastly from the next, and incarnates of different alignments are so different as to be almost different classes. Second, the Soulborn, awesome combatants of the extreme alignments, who shape the souls of mortals into combat focused soulmelds. Their power changes their body, making them immune to certain effects depending on their cause. Finally, the Totemist, stalwart defenders of nature who shape the souls of powerful beasts into soulmelds to use the power of those creatures. They have access to a special bind that dramatically increases the power of a single soulmeld.
“You harness the soul energy of mighty warriors past, present, and future, shaping that incarnum into bands of bright blue steel that surround your wrists and lower arms. You feel a soft tingling in your wrists that grows stronger when danger is near.” Magic of Incarnum p. 62
The primary advantage of this soulmeld is the warning you get. Mechanically, it makes it more likely for you to act first in combat, allowing you to close on enemies and distribute your essentia to prepare for a fight. You can also invest essentia into these soulmelds to grant yourself a bonus on melee damage (this soulmeld is favored by Lawful or Evil incarnates due to its emphasis on melee combat, though Chaotic and Good incarnates have good reason to use this as well. When bound, the warning you receive through the bracers also spreads to your nearby allies, allowing them to act earlier as well.
Increased damage potential and the ability to act first in battle and even help your allies do the same make this soulmeld a fearsome one. Not as visibly impressive as others, the somewhat diversified effects of this soulmeld grant versatility and teamwork benefits to any combat focused incarnate.
