Blue_frog 188's page

YuriP wrote:

I just wanted to point out that you can't compare a kineticist to a melee martial.

Well, you can lol. It just isn't a normal build. But go Con/Str, Armor in Earth, Weapon infusion, Athletics...at low levels you EB for 1a 1d8+3 melee or 2a 1d8+7. You have built-in reach and trip options, and it's all 1-H so you can also use a shield. That's a decent melee starting point. Oh and if you went single element Earth, your 2a attack buffs your AC +1. Tanky tanky.

Pick up air for Desert Wind, two element infusion, bump your Str to 4 when you can and at L10 your 1a single target melee damage is 3d8+10, plus ongoing concealment from those pesky archers. At L20, it's at 5d8+20. Now it's a shame you can't add to your attack with runes like a real martial, but hey, that's not bad for a class that really isn't supposed to melee martial.

Desert wind is awesome. But Melee fire/earth is actually the build I see the most around me, since it's probably the most effective one damage-wise, outdamaging most martials. Instead of doing 3d8+10 and concealment, you deal 3d8+9 but you add 10 AOE unresistable damage every round.

As a full round, using impulse + floating flame, you deal 3d8+9 single target, 5d8+5 AOE and 10 automatic damage. You hit at +20 and your DC is 29.

Assuming a basic level 10 opponent with AC 30 and Reflex 20, your full round deals:
- 50%*22,5+5%*40 = 13,25
- 5%*50+35%*27,5+50%*17,25=20,75
- 10 automatic damage.

Against one target, that's 44 damage. Against two targets, you're already at 75 damage.

Let's compare that to the giant barbarian who hits at +21 thanks to a +2 rune and deals 2d12+16 damage. Against the same opponent, attacking thrice, that's:
- 50%*29+10%*58 = 17,4
- 30%*29+5%*58 = 11,6
- 5%*20+5%*58 = 3,9

That's a total of about 33 against a single target with no AOE. So the fire/earth melee kineticist is dominating here, be it single target or AOE.

Of course, I'm comparing a full round - but it's the same with any number of actions:
- With only one action, the kineticist hits for 13,25 average + 10 static damage, that's 23,25 against 17,4 for the barbarian.
- With two actions, the kineticist hits for 20,75 + 10, that's 30,75 against 29 for the barbarian.

So in any situation, the kineticist deals more damage SINGLE TARGET and of course much more damage if there is but one more opponent.

And I took level 10 but it doesn't change that much later. In one level, the kineticist will get a +2 attenuator. In two levels, the barbarian will get another d12 dice (but the kineticist will get +1 vulnerability and +2 automatic damage). In three levels, the kineticist will get another dice, and so on, and so forth.

Despite what some people say, the melee fire kineticist (and only him) is very competitive to the point of being often better than a lot of martials DPR wise, even single target - and that's with great AC, good AOE and some utility.

Of course, not everything is about damage and earth/fire is a bit lacking in the utility department (although stepping stone or swim through earth can be great) in comparison to air, water or wood. But that's the price you have to pay if you really want to dish out damage.