Incarnum & Dragonmech

[Laughingcarp]

Wrote up a soulmeld for mech users, in case anyone is interested.

Mech Jockey's Non-Slip Gloves
Descriptors: None
Classes: Incarnate, Soulborn
Chakra: Hands
Saving Throw: None

Gear-shaped circles of incarnum swirl around your hands, clicking into place as a pair of well-worn, but still in good condition, leather gloves. The fingertips are slightly tacky, to help you keep a good grip on controls and tools. Your fingers move almost instinctively over the controls, with barely any conscious thought from you, performing at levels you have yet to achieve.

These gloves hold the combined ability of all the meck jockeys that ever were, that are now, and those that will be. You gain the legendary skill and bravado of those crazy mech pilots.
While you wear Mech Jockey's Non-Slip Gloves, you gain a +4 insight bonus on Mech Pilot and Craft (Mechcraft) checks, and a +2 bonus against fear effects. This soulmeld allows you to make these checks untrained.
Essentia: Every point of essentia you invest in Mech Jockey's Non-Slip Gloves increases the insight bonus granted to the listed skill checks by 2, and the insight bonus against fear effects by 1.

Chakra Bind (Hands)
The gloves send little feelers of incarnum out into any mech you are piloting, giving you insight into the capabilities and condition of the mech itself.

The maneuverability of any mech you pilot is increased by one category.


What do you think? I'm not 100% sold on the save vs. fear, but I wanted to think of something to represent the daring of pilots everywhere.

[Oaksoul Elite]

I think the saves vs. fear makes sense. They are, after all, known widely for their bravado. Here's some more ideas for binds and their effects:

Chakra Bind (Brow)
Though nothing appears to change with your gloves, you hear a faint ticking, like the muffled sounds of massive gears turning. It may be the inner works of your foe's mech you're hearing, because it gives you insight into where to best strike.

Whenever you score a critical hit against a mech, roll twice to see which system you hit and take your pick of which effect takes place.
Essentia: You gain an insight bonus to confirm critical hits equal to the invested essentia. This bonus only applies to attacks made with a mech.

Chakra Bind (Feet)
The gears on the gloves start turning, some at breakneck speeds. You call upon the brashness of mech jockeys to be first to jump into the fray.

You gain a +2 insight bonus to initiative checks.
Essentia: You receive an insight bonus to damage rolls equal to the invested essentia, but this bonus only applies during charges and the first round of combat.

I'm not sure if the brow chakra is too powerful or not for its level, but the ability matches what a brow or crown chakra bind should do. And the feet bind definitely matches what normally happens with a bind to the feet chakra, though it seems strange to bind gloves to the feet. Maybe crown then?

[Laughingcarp]

The brow bind is genius. I don't think it is overly powerful, but then I haven't tried it out yet either.

As for the feet bind, I love the concept, but I think it may be a little weak. +1 to +5 points of damage to a single attack, once/encounter? I'd suggest something like having the damage apply to any attacks made during the first round of an encounter. And I'd also say those extra points of damage ignore a mech's hardness. Or is that now too much?

[Oaksoul Elite]

Regarding the brow bind: I'd used a similar concept for the Ironsoul Elite/Oaksoul Elite class. I mean, skilled mech jockeys can avoid the worst of critical hits. Why can't you also become skilled enough to target the most vital systems? As for the feet chakra bind, I decided to err on the side of weak and tone it up rather than tone it done. How about this: "You receive a bonus to damage rolls equal to the invested essentia. This bonus applies to attacks made during the surprise round (if any) as well as the first round of combat." I decided not to make it ignore hardness, because this is a damage bonus, so that would just make the entire attack ignore hardness. Besides, that benefit wouldn't apply when fighting lunar dragons, and that's still a big part of the bravado of mech jockeys.

[Raptor]

How about giving the damage bonus whenever the mech charges?

[Oaksoul Elite]

How about giving the damage bonus whenever the mech charges?

Whoops. Sorry, I just realized I never responded. Anyway, I edited the feet bind so the bonus damage applies to charge attacks and the first round of battle. It sounds good. Seriously, I think the bonus on charges really makes sense, seeing as the flavor text describes the bind as drawing upon the inherent rashness of mech jockeys.