Kineticist and Attacks of Opportunity


Rules Questions


I'm a bit unclear if certain Kineticist abilities generate Attacks of Opportunity from threatening enemies. I've looked around the forums, but I haven't seen it addressed. (This actually makes me a little concerned that I'm overlooking something obvious.)

The entry for “Gather Energy” doesn't mention AoO's, but I could see an argument made that using it would leave you open for attack. Since it isn't specifically addressed, would it be fair to say that RAW are that it doesn't provoke?

Blasts seem to use a mix of mechanics from spellcasting and ranged weapons. Does using a blast generate an AoO? My first thought was that it did, but once again, this just isn't addressed in the book. Am I overlooking something obvious?


Gathering energy does not provoke.

Kinetic blast does provoke. Provokes once for using a spell-like ability while threatened, and provokes a second time for making a ranged attack while threatened. Best tactic is to 5 foot step away then fire (move action left to gather energy too), tumble away with acrobatics and fire, or not bothering to fire and use kinetic blade (which doesn't provoke because it's used as part of another action and not an action itself) instead.
Casting defensively for kinetic blast would only prevent the first AoO from it being a spell-like ability being used when threatened, not much can be done about using a ranged attack while threatened unless you have the Point Blank Master feat or some otherability allowing one to do shoot without provoking.

Grand Lodge

Gather Energy doesn't provoke, because it doesn't say so. The normal blasts provoke up to twice, once for the casting and once for the ranged attack. Blade, Fist, and Whip don't provoke, because they say they don't.


Thanks, guys. That makes a lot of sense. With the characters that I normally run, I never had to consider the difference between Supernatural and Spell-Like. I'm pretty excited to run my first Kineticist. As nice as it would be to not worry about AoO's, I can't justify spending four levels of Fighter to meet the prerequisites for Point Blank Master, though.


Don't bother multiclassing. If things get in melee range, 5 foot step away. Also finesse and kinetic blade when you're around level 3 can be life savers. You can gather energy to avoid the burn cost of blade. Just be careful if a GM ever understands the kineticist enough to know that readying an action to attack after a gather energy can be very painful for the kineticist. Won't have to worry about the burn cost as much at level 5 with infusion specialization.

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder First Edition / Rules Questions / Kineticist and Attacks of Opportunity All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.