Design Goals

• Since "magic item slots" aren't a thing in 5e, soulmelds should be completely divorced from magic items as a whole. That also frees up incarnum characters from conflicts with magic item economy.
• Without the need to map to magic item slots, chakras can be fit more closely to the real-world concept: seven chakras, which rise from root to crown. To support the idea of a path of enlightenment, the chakras are built a little like spell levels: eventually, you can shape your most powerful soulmelds into your crown chakra.
• The original 3.5e supplement included 3 classes: the incarnate, the totemist and the soulborn. To avoid system bloat and to make balance a little easier, the these three are reimagined as subclasses of the overarching "soulshaper" class.
• In my experience with the system in 3.5e, the round-to-round resource manipulation of essentia was a lot of fun but rarely lead to the big, dramatic plays that many spellcasting or martial manoeuvre classes could enjoy. To give the soulshaper some punch, the "chakra bind" feature has been unified across all soulmelds to grant a powerful daily ability (often a spell).
• Originally, the incarnate and soulborn classes are closely tied to alignment. As much as possible, reliance of these classes should be removed to support a greater breadth of character concepts. For example, incarnates should be able to support abstract concepts like love or hate, and soulborns should be able to take up arms for any cause, rather than just an intrinsically aligned one. Aim for choice, rather than restrictions.

Soulshaper

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. When condensed and shaped, its energies often manifest as an azure, ethereal fluid.

A weilder of this power can shape incarnum to create physical objects of magic known as soulmelds. Each soulmeld is anchored to a sentient creature's energy centres, known as chakras. As a soulshaper becomes more skilled, they unlock more chakras, following a path of enlightenment from their root to their crown.

Each soulshaper can also access their own personal resevoir of incarnum, called essentia. As a shaper becomes more comfortable with the magic that flows within them, their essentia may be visible as a gentle azure glow, especially in their eyes.

Soulshapers are the quintessential wielders of incarnum, able to manifest soulmelds through understanding of their personal goals and philosophies, be they celestial, fiendish, natural or martial.

Quick Build

You can make a soulshape quickly by following these suggestions. First, Wisdom should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Strength or Dexterity should be your next best score, depending on your fighting style. Choose the hermit background. You may wish to begin the game by shaping the cerulean sandals and incarnum weapon soulmelds.

Class Features

As a soulshaper, you gain the following class features:

Hit Points

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• Hit Dice: 1d8 per soulshaper level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per soulshaper level after 1st

Proficiencies

You are proficient with the following items, in addition to any proficiencies provided by your race or background.

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• Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
• Weapons: simple Weapons
• Tools: None

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• Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
• Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Insight, Nature, Religion, Perception

Equipment

You start with the following items, plus anything provided by your background.

• (a) a mace or spear
• (a) Scale Mail, (b) Leather Armor, or (c) Chain Mail
• (a) a Shortbow and 20 arrows or (b) any simple weapon
• (a) a Priest's Pack or (b) an Explorer's Pack
• A Shield

Alternatively, you may start with 5d4 x 10 gp to buy your own Equipment.

Meldshaping

Your understanding of the nature of the soul grants you the ability to pull incarnum from the aether and mould it into physical manifestations known as soulmelds.

The Soulshaper table shows how many soulmelds you can shape. You can shape one soulmeld for each chakra you have open. Each chakra can only be occupied by one soulmeld.

You can change the soulmelds you have shaped when you finish a long rest. Shaping a new set of soulmelds requires time and meditation: at least 5 minutes for each soulmeld.

Spellcasting

Some soulmelds allow you to cast spells and cantrips. See Chapter 10 of the Player's Handbook for for the general rules of spellcasting, and Chapter 11 for the spell descriptions.

Unless otherwise stated in a soulmeld's description, you cast soulmeld spells at the highest possible level shown in the Soulmeld table.

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for spells granted by your soulmelds, since shaping incarnum requires meditative introspection. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell or soulmeld feature refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for soulmeld spells you cast, soulmeld features you use, or when making an attack roll associated with soulmeld spells or features.

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• Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
• Spell Attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

Essentia

You have a number of "essentia" points, which augment your soulmelds. At the start of your turn, you can invest your essentia in your soulmelds, up to a maximum as given in the table. Once you invest your essentia, you must wait until the start of your next turn before you can change the distribution of essentia among your soulmelds.

For example, as a 2nd level Soulshaper, Freya can shape two soulmelds: one to occupy the root chakra and one to occupy the sacral chakra. She decides to shape the incarnum weapon to occupy her sacral chakra, and the cerulean sandals to occupy her root chakra. Later that day, her party is forced to battle a troll. At the start of her turn, Freya invests 2 points of essentia in her cerulean sandals, increasing her speed to 40 feet in order to make a quick escape. She invests her remaining point in her incarnum weapon, which will deal +1 force damage on a hit. At the start of the next turn, she invests two points into her incarnum weapon and one in her cerulean sandals, hoping to pack more should the troll pursue.

Chakras by LordtNis

Open Chakra

At 1st level, you may shape soulmelds which occupy the root and sacral chakras. As you gain levels in the soulshaper class, you may shape soulmelds which occupy higher chakras according to the following table:

Level	Chakra Opened
1st	Root, Sacral
3rd	Solar
7th	Heart
11th	Throat
15th	Third Eye
18th	Crown

Chakra Bind

Starting at 2nd level, you can more closely attune a single soulmeld by binding it to its respective chakra. When you bind a soulmeld to a chakra, you gain access to an additional ability listen under the "Chakra Bind" entry of each soulmeld. When you use an ability granted by chakra binding a soulmeld, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.

At 9th level, you can bind two soulmelds to your chakras. You can use the chakra bind ability of each soulmeld once. When you finish a long rest, you can use both chakra bind abilities again.

At 17th level, you can bind three soulmelds to a chakra. You can use the chakra bind ability of each soulmeld once. When you finish a long rest, you can use all three chakra bind abilities again.

Incarnum Tantra

Choose an incarnum tantra, which describes the ideals through which you come to understand the nature of the soul and the world.

Your choice grants you features when you choose it at 2nd level, and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Rapid Shaping

Starting at 5th level, you can more quickly re-shape a soulmeld to meet your needs. When you complete a short rest, you may dismiss one soulmeld and shape one new soulmeld, occupying the same open chakra. You may not dismiss a soulmeld which is currently bound to a chakra (see Chakra Bind). If you reshape a soulmeld, you must finish a long rest before you can do so again.

At 13th level, you may dismiss and reshape up to two soulmelds. You may reshape one soulmeld upon finishing two separate short rests, or both soulmelds upon finishing one short rest. When you have reshaped two soulmelds, you must complete a long rest before you can do so again.

Perfect Shaping

When you reach 20th level, you finally understand how to combine the incarnum of the world with your own essentia in a perfect expression of the soul. When you invest your essentia in your soulmelds, you may temporarily remove the cap on the maximum essentia you can invest in each soulmeld. This bonus lasts until the start of your next turn. If you use this ability, you must finish a short rest before you can do so again.

Incarnum Tantras

Understanding and shaping incarnum is a deeply personal process, and the many different philosophies soulshapers influence the way their abilities manifest and influence the world around them.

Your tantra may influence the kinds of soulmelds you wish to shape. For example, totemists may prefer those that reflect the forms of animals and monsters. However, soulshapers can use any soulmeld that occupies the chakras they have opened.

Incarnate

As an incarnate, you find a deeper understanding of the universe through your commitment to to a powerful philosophical ideal, such as Good or Evil, Law or Chaos, Love or Hate. Through your mastery of incarnum, your ideal is shared with your allies or imposed on your enemies.

Incarnum Radiance

Starting at 2nd level, the fusion of your own soul with the world's well of incarnum can manifest as a radiant aura. On your turn, you can activate your radiant aura as a bonus action. Your radiant aura lasts for 1 minute or until you are knocked unconscious. You can also dismiss your radiant aura on your turn as a bonus action. While it is active, your radiant aura grants one of the following benefits, which you choose when you gain this feature:

• Shared Ideal: Whenever you hit a creature with a weapon attack or a spell attack, one creature you choose within 15 feet of you gains temporary hit points equal to half your level.
• Imposed Ideal: Whenever you hit a creature with a weapon attack or a spell attack, that creature takes a 1d4 penalty to the next saving throw or ability check it makes.

You can activate your radiant aura once for each chakra you have opened (see Open Chakra feature). You regain all expended activations upon finishing a long rest.

Shared Radiance

Starting at 6th level, you radiant aura expands beyond your own body. While your radiant aura is active, allies within 15 feet of you also benefit from its effects.

Overflowing Aura

Starting at 10th level, the power of your soulmelds overflows into your aura. When you active your radiant aura, choose one of your shaped soulmelds. Allies within 15 feet of you also gain any benefits of that soulmeld as if they had invested zero points of essentia into it. Your allies do not benefit from any effects of a soulmeld that are activated when it is shaped (such as the calling of a soulspark familiar).

True Incarnation

Starting at 14th level, you become a shining beacon of your chosen ideal. You are immune to the charmed and frightened conditions, and the radius of your radiant aura increases to 30 feet.

Soulborn

The tantra of a soulborn is an intrinsically active one. A soulborn understands incarnum as a tool to be used in the service of an important cause, one that each soulborn must fight for. Soulborns value martial prowess and direct action.

Bonus Proficiencies

At 2nd level, you gain proficiency in heavy armor and martial weapons.

Essentia Smite

Starting at 2nd level, you may channel your essentia into a burst of overwhelming magical force. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can deal extra force damage to the target, in addition to the weapon's damage. Remove a number of essentia from your soulmelds up to your maximum investment limit. The extra damage is equal to 1d8 per point of essentia you remove. Essentia spent to use this ability cannot be reinvested in other soulmelds until you finish a long rest.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 6th level, you can Attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Martial Bond

Starting at 10th level, you belief in your cause can manifest as a link between you and your a chosen enemy. As a bonus action, you can activate a martial bond with one creature. You gain advantage on attack rolls against that creature. The bond lasts for 1 minute or until you or the target creature falls unconscious. When you activate a martial bond, you must finish a short rest before you can do so again.

Soulmeld Body

Starting at 14th level, you have learned to draw out the essentia of your enemies to bolster your own vitality. Whenever you use your essentia smite, you gain hit points equal to the extra force damage dealt by that ability.

Totemist

Your understanding of the soul comes not from higher planes or cosmic ideals, but directly from the natural world. Life in all its great and powerful froms is your muse.

Open Totem Chakra

Starting at 2nd level, you can meditate upon the boundary between the natural world and the soul to attune yourself to a special chakra: the totem. Although you cannot shape a soulmeld to occupy the totem chakra, you may bind another soulmeld you have shaped to this chakra as detailed in your chakra bind feature. This chakra bind is in addition to the usual number of chakra binds your chakra bind feature confers. Any soulmeld may be bound to the totem chakra, regardless of which of your other chakras it occupies. You cannot bind a soulmeld to your totem chakra if it is already bound to another chakra. When a soulmeld is bound to your totem chakra, it also alters your body to incorporate bestial traits. For example, when you bind the manticore belt to your totem chakra, you grow a spined manticore's tail.

Totem's Vitality

Starting at 6th level, your totem chakra can collect the power that escapes when you release bound incarnum. Whenever you expend a chakra bind, you gain temporary points equal to your 1d6 plus an extra 1d6 for every soulmeld you have shaped.

Totem's Protection

When your reach 10th level, your totem acts as a ward against primal nature. You cannot be charmed or frightened by beasts or monstrositites, and you are immune to poison and disease.

Embody Totem

Starting at 14th level, you can use your action to magically assume the shape of a creature that you have seen before. You can cast the spell polymorph with yourself as the target. While you are polymorphed, you retain all abilities associated with the soulmeld bound to your totem chakra. You may invest your essentia in this soulmeld and expend its chakra bind as normal. When you use this feature, you must finish a short rest before you can do so again.

Other Tantras

Necrocarnates specialise in shaping incarnum taken from the souls of the dead. Fleshmelders can use incarnum to reshape their bodies, drawing on the expertise of the most powerful aberrations.

Soulmelds

A soulmeld typically embodies an ideological, natural, monstrous, or magical archetype. Totemists may prefer to shape natural or monstrous soulmelds, while soulborns and incarnates may prefer ideological and magical soulmelds.

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Each soulmeld usually grants a soulshaper:

• A passive ability which is always active.
• At least one effect that can be augmented with essentia.
• A powerful instantaneous effect or attack accessible if the soulmeld is bound to its chakra.

Behir Gorget

Chakra: Throat

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Incarnum forms a deep blue collar around you neck. It sparks with electric discharge.

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While this soulmeld is shaped, you gain resistance to lightning damage.

Essentia: For each point of essentia invested in this soulmeld, your weapon attacks deal +1 point of lightning damage.

Chakra Bind: You can expend your chakra bind to cast the spell chain lightning.

Bluesteel Bracers

Chakra: Solar

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The souls of warriors of legend are borne in these steel bands. Their whispers reveal the flow of battle.

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While this soulmeld is shaped, you gain advantage on Initiative rolls.

Essentia: For every point of essentia invested in this soulmeld, you deal an extra +1 point of force damage when you hit with a melee weapon attack.

Chakra Bind: You can expend you chakra bind to cast the spell aid.

Cerulean Sandals

Chakra: Root

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You shape incarnum into a pair of blue crystalline sandals. Just beneath the surface, they seem to flow like water.

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This soulmeld grants the ability to move across any liquid surface - such as water, acid, mud, snow, quicksand, or lava - as if it were harmless solid ground (creatures crossing molten lava can still take damage from the heat).

Essentia: For each point of essentia invested in this soulmeld, your speed increases by 5 feet.

Chakra Bind: As a bonus action, you teleport up to 10 feet per point of essentia invested in this soulmeld. You must be able to see your target location.

Incarnate Avatar

Chakra: Crown

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You become cloaked in the shimmering, ethereal form of a powerful outsider.

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While this soulmeld is shaped, the ghostly form of a powerful outsider is superimposed over your own body, mimicking your movements and expressions. The form of this cloak is dependent upon your ideals: an agent of chaos may form a veil in the shape of a slaad, and a servant of good may resemble an angel. This avatar cloak grants you immunity to the frightened condition.

Essentia: For each point of essentia invested in this soulmeld, you gain a +1 bonus to Charisma saving throws.

Chakra Bind: You can expend your chakra bind to cast true polymorph with yourself as the target. You must take the form of a fiend, celestial or aberration wit h challenge rating equal to or less than your level.

Incarnum Weapon

Chakra: Sacral

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You shape a weapon from incarnum, or augment your own with a shimmering blue aura.

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When this soulmeld is shaped, you manifest one weapon with which you are proficient. This weapon counts as a magical weapon while you weild it, and maintains physical form as long this soulmeld is shaped. Alternatively, if you choose not to manifest an incarnum weapon, you may instead imbue a single weapon, which you must hold while this soulmeld is shaped. You may invest essentia in this imbued weapon or expend your chakra bind as if it were your incarnum weapon.

Essentia: For every point of essentia invested in this soulmeld, you deal an extra +1 point of force damage when you hit with a weapon attack using your incarnum weapon.

Chakra Bind: When you hit a creature with your incarnum weapon, you can expend your chakra bind to deal force damage to the target, in addition to the weapon's damage. The extra damage is 1d8 for each point of essentia invested in this soulmeld Level

Krenshar Mask

Chakra: Third Eye

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You shape your incarnum into a fearsome visage, bearing the fangs of the krenshar.

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While this soulmeld is shaped, you gain advantage on Charisma (Intimidate) checks and you are immune to the frightened condition.

Essentia: If you have essentia invested in this soulmeld, you project a hunter's aura which emboldens your allies, making them immune to the frightened condition. The radius of the aura is 5 feet per point of essentia invested in this soulmeld.

Chakra Bind: As an action, you voice the bone-chilling screech of the krenshar. Creatures within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, creatures are incapacitated until the end of their next turn. On a succesful save, they are frightened until the end of their next turn.

Manitcore Belt

Chakra: Sacral

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Incarnum forms a belt of spotted fur around you waist. Short spines emerge from the belt at your back.

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While this soulmeld is shaped, you gain advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks made to jump. As an action, you can also fire your spines at your enemies. Make a ranged spell attack against one creature within 60 feet. On a hit, that creature takes 1d10 piercing damage.

Essentia: For every three points of essentia invested in this soulmeld, increase the piercing damage done by your spines by 1d10.

Chakra Bind: As an action, you loose an indiscriminate volley of spines in all directions. Each creature within 20 feet of you must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, creatures take piercing damage equal to 1d10 plus 1d10 for every two points of essentia invested in this soulmeld, or half as damage much on a successful one.

Necrocarnum Veil

Chakra: Crown

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You wear a blue-black veil across you face, and you see the threads of life and death woven in incarnum. With this new power, you can channel incarnum to raise the dead.

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While this soulmeld is shaped, you gain resistance to cold and necrotic damage.

Essentia: Whenever you hit a creature with an attack roll, and that creature is neither a construct nor undead, you gain a number of temporary hit points equal to the number of points of essentia invested in this soulmeld.

Chakra Bind: You can expend your chakra bind to cast the spell create undead with a casting time of one action.

Planar Chasuble

Chakra: Throat

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Incarnum forms an ornate vestment draped over your shoulders, covering any other clothing, armor, or vestments you are wearing. The chasuble is little more than a large circle with a hole in the center for your head, but raw incarnum is woven like blue thread into intricate patterns down its front.

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When you shape this soulmeld, choose either necrotic or radiant damage. You gain resistance to the chosen damage type.

Essentia: For each point of essentia invested in this soulmeld, you gain a +1 bonus to Wisdom saving throws.

Chakra Bind: You can expend you chakra bind to cast the spell plane shift.

Seafarer's Bracers

Chakra: Solar

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Incarnum forms a pair of leather bands surrounding your wrists (and any other bracers or bracelets you might wear). When you are still and your eyes are closed, you feel a gentle rocking as if you were aboard a ship on a calm sea.

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While this soulmeld is shaped, you gain proficiency in vehicles (water). Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses this vehicle proficiency.

Essentia: For each point of essentia invested in this soulmeld, you gain a +1 bonus on Constitution saving throws.

Chakra Bind: As an action, you can expend this chakra bind to gain a swim speed of 30 feet, and you can breathe normally underwater. The effect lasts for 8 hours or until you un-shape this soulmeld.

Shadow Mantle

Chakra: Heart

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Incarnum forms a cloak of stony gray around your shoulders and back, which writhes like tentacles. It drinks the darkness around it.

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While this soulmeld is shaped, you gain blindsight out to 60 feet and are immune to the effects of magical darkness.

Essentia: You project a sphere of darkness centered on you with radius equal to 5 feet per point of essentia invested in this soulmeld. Non-magical light cannot illuminate the area, however magical light such as the light and daylight spells can. Creatures with darkvision can see normally within the area.

Chakra Bind: You can expend your chakra bind to cast the spell greater invisibility, with yourself as the target.

Sighting Gloves

Chakra: Sacral

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You shape the memories of history's legendary marksmen into a pair of turquiose archery gloves. Each arrow you loose is trailed with blue sparks.

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While this soulmeld is shaped, you can cast the cantrip true strike.

Essentia: For every point of essentia invested in this soulmeld, the range of ranged weapons you use increases by 10 feet.

Chakra Bind: You can expend you chakra bind to cast the spell hail of thorns.

Soulspark Familiar

Chakra: Solar

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You mould incarnum into a tiny construct which eagerly follows your commands.

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When you shape this soulmeld, you gain a familiar as if you had cast find familiar. The familiar takes the shape of a homunculus, however its poisoned bite does not cause a creature to become unconscious.

Additionally, when you take the Attack action, you can forgo one of your own attacks to allow your soulspark familiar to make one Attack of its own with its reaction.

Essentia: For each point of essentia invested in this soulmeld, it gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls and the DC of its bite attack's the Constitution saving throw increases by 1.

Chakra Bind: As an action, you transform your soulspark familiar into a powerful warrior, using the ape statistics (its type remains construct). The transformation lasts for 1 minute or until it is reduced to 0 hit points. Your familiar assumes the hit points of its new form. When it reverts to its normal form, your familiar returns to the number of hit points it had before it transformed. If it reverts as a result of dropping to 0 hit points, any excess damage carries over to its normal form. As long as the excess damage doesn't reduce your familiar's normal form to 0 hit points, it isn't destroyed.

While your familiar is transformed, it can use its action to attack as normal.

Soulspeaker's Torc

Chakra: Throat

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A thick cobalt band coils around your throat. The words you speak evoke the languages of souls long passed, and you understand the world through their guidance.

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While this soulmeld is shaped, you can cast the spell comprehend languages at-will.

Essentia: For each point of essentia you invest in this soulmeld, you gain a +1 bonus to Intelligence saving throws.

Chakra Bind: You can expend your chakra bind to cast the spell Rary's telepathic bond.

Strongheart Vest

Chakra: Heart

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A heavy web belt of cyan energy wraps around your torso. When you wear it, you feel energized and revitalized.

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While this soulmeld is shaped, you gain advantage on Strength ability checks and Strength saving throws.

Essentia: For each point of essentia you invest in this soulmeld, you gain 1 temporary hit point at the start of your turn.

Chakra Bind: You can expend your chakra bind to cast the spell stoneskin with yourself as the target.

Thunderstep Boots

Chakra: Root

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You shape incarnum into a set of heavy cobalt bands which reinforce your footwear.

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While this soulmeld is shaped, you cannot be moved from your space unless you are willing.

Essentia: Your steps sound a powerful thunderclap with each footfall. On your turn, whenever you move within 5 feet of a creature, that creature takes 1 point of thunder damage for each point of essentia invested in this soulmeld. Each creature can take this damage only once per turn.

Chakra Bind: As an action, you move up to your speed and make a melee weapon attack against one creature within reach. If you hit, your attack deals an extra 1d8 points of thunder damage per point of essentia invested in this soulmeld, and the target is stunned until the end of their next turn. If you miss, the target takes 1d4 points of thunder damage per point of essentia invested in this soulmeld.

Truthseeker Goggles

Chakra: Third Eye

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Incarnum forms blue-lensed goggles that hover in front of your eyes. The world does not seem blue to you; rather, small details become apparent, whether they are in something you search or in someone’s facial expression and posture.

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While this soulmeld is shaped, you cannot be surprised, and you gain advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks.

Essentia: If you have essentia invested in this soulmeld, you can see the best route to escape. You may impose disadvantage on any opportunity attack roll made against you. You may use this ability a number of times on your turn equal to half the number of points of essentia invested in this soulmeld (rounded down).

Chakra Bind: You can expend your chakra bind to cast the spell true seeing with yourself as the target.