Incarnum

Incarnum

Incarnum is the amalgamation of a character’s psychological fortitude and personal soul energy, a potent force against the encroachment of soul-consuming decay.

Each character has an Incarnum supply of 5 plus their Wisdom modifier per level. In addition, spellcasters gain 1 more point for every Spell Slot they have. Exceptionally, Warlocks gain 3 points per Spell Slot.

Incarnum = [(5+ Wisdom modifier) x character level] + spell slots

Incarnum serves as the cornerstone for enhancing both mental resilience and magical abilities.

Some classes, like the Incarnate, can manipulate Incarnum.

Incarnum Loss

Characters will lose their precious Incarnum every time they deal with supernatural events, dread manifestations of Enfaerun and when attacked by creatures of the dark.

Characters reaching 0 Incarnum become Possessed.

Here are the most frequent causes for Incarnum loss:

  • Spellcasting: Whenever a character casts a 1st level spell or greater, they lose 1 Incarnum, unless it is a Holy Spell.
    • A Holy Spell is defined as any spell that deals radiant damage, or by the presence of the words “holy”, “divine” or “faithful” in the spell’s name; in addition, all spells from the School of the Moon are to be considered Holy.
  • Vile Foe: Whenever a character faces Aberrations, Fiends or Undead, they must make a successful Wisdom Saving Throw (DC 10 + half the creature’s Challenge Rating, rounded down to a minimum of 10) or losing as much Incarnum as the creature’s Challenge Rating (to a minimum of 1; further encounters with the same kind of creature during the same day involve no further Saving Throws.
  • Might of the Soul: As a bonus action, a character can sacrifice their Incarnum, from a minimum of 1 to a maximum equal to their level plus their Charisma modifier, to obtain as many bonus Temporary Hit Points, that last until spent; however, a character cannot willingly sacrifice all their remaining Incarnum using this ability.
  • Dark Whispers: Whenever a character indulges in sin, allows themselves to be tempted by darkness and befittingly portrays a behavior flaw, they can choose to roll 1d4, 1d6, 1d6, or 1d10 to determine how many Incarnum Points they can trade for a bonus to any Ability Check, Saving Throw or Attack Roll performed in the following turn; The name Dark Whispers suggest that it is up to the DM to provide an opening, such as an ethical bind or too tempting an opportunity, for the character to show their deplorable side and act out accordingly.
  • A Taste of Darkness: When brought to 0 hit points, a character can use their last moments of clarify to linger in the surrounding darkness and delve into their own soul to find the same darkness. By doing so, they can opt for losing Incarnum equal to their character level to stay at 1 hit point instead of 0; once used, a character can resort to Taste of Darkness only after a Short or Long Rest.
  • Evil Creature Assault: Most creatures from Enfaerun add spiritual damage to the physical one, causing Incarnum loss.
  • Narrative Incarnum Point Loss: From time to time, the DM might need to inflict an Incarnum Point loss to increase tension and put the characters under pressure.

Regaining Incarnum

A character’s spiritual fortitude can be regained by meditating or simply committing to small things and earthly matters, to rediscover life’s bright side and momentarily forget about the looming darkness.

After they complete a short rest, a character regains 1 + Wisdom modifier (to a minimum of 1) Incarnum for every spent Hit Dice.

After they complete a long rest, a character regains an amount of Incarnum equal to their highest among Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma. Such versatility represents the way different characters deal with trauma in their sleep; an intelligent character will try to understand, learn from their mistakes, and rationalize their fears; a wise character will follow a philosophical or religious path, reassuring themselves with thoughts of transcendence and higher purpose; a charismatic character will try to find their inner strength, their resolve to go on and overcome any adversity.

There are other ways to spiritually recover, such as the Lunar Blessing.