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To N.Jolly, concerning your guide, i looked at the sample builds, specifically at the fire/fire/Aether...

You took Eruption at 7th level from the expanded element bonus, but, you took Extended range only at 9, even though it's a requirement to take Eruption.

Unless for some reason it's been said somewhere that the Expanded Element free infusion lets you bypass requirements, maybe you'd want to take Extended Range at level 5 and draining infusion at 9? Besides I don't expect to find many enemies with high fire resistance until that point anyway.

I think each instance of fire resistance reduction has its own value and duration, and if two instances are active at the same time, their reduction values stack. Like so:

Level 6 kineticist with Burning Infusion & Searing Flame. Opponent has fire resist 20.

Round 1: Burning infusion deals 5 points. Fire Resist -5 for 3 rounds. Current Fire Resist: 15.

Round 2: Burning infusion deals 3 points. Fire Resist -3 for 3 rounds. Current Fire Resist: 12

Round 3: Burning infusion deals 6 points. Fire Resist -6 for 3 rounds. Current Fire Resist: 6.

Round 4: Burning infusion deals 1 point, then extinguished. Fire Resist -1 for 3 rounds. Round 1 Searing Infusion wears off. Fire Resist: 10

Round 5: Round 2 Searing Infusion wears off. Fire Resist: 13

Round 6: Round 3 Searing Infusion wears off. Fire Resist: 19

Round 7: Round 4 Searing Infusion wears off. Fire Resist: 20.

This is quite complicated to keep track of, though.

... That is bonkers level type of complicated. Complicated to the point where i'd rather homerule it or disreguard that ability all together (even though it's pretty useful, even mandatory for a fire-only kineticist)

It can't possibly work that way.

While on topic, a followup question, since there seems to be some grey area in the wording of some of those abilities.

Burning infusion doesn't state a duration for it, so far I've been going with the assumption that it's permanent until either someone puts it out, or the corpse is in ashes (Which after doing some reading, a human body can burn for up to 7 hours assuming it's wearing clothes)

But the actual question comes from Searing Flames utility talent.

It says it lasts for half the kineticist's level, but... also it says it stacks. So i'm unsure, does it keep stacking and re-applying itself every round, therefore refreshing it's duration and only persisting for X rounds after the burning is put out, or does that mean that it will only stack X times and wear off?
The later makes little sense considering that the burning infusion has no duration limit.

I know read as intended, i think the former makes sense, but.. The issue is it's unclear.

Quote:

But my DM thought that because the infusion doesn't state how long the fire lasts, that the Burning would disappear immediately on the opponent's death.

There is no text present in the game that suggests the instantaneous effect of the burning infusion would end if the kineticist dies.

Not the kineticist. That one is still well up and alive. He's talking about the target that got attacked with a flame blast + Burning infusion, failed it's save, started taking fire damage every turn (IE: set on fire), and then that victim that is on fire, dies, suddenly it's no longer on fire.

Title pretty much.

I've been playing a Pyrokineticist, and came with a little ambiguity in the rules.

Since for a fire elemental kineticist, it is useful to have multiple fire sources around available for abilities such as Smokestorm which can only be initiated from a fire source, it became an issue to figure out what is considered a fire source.

As a player i thought if Burning infusion sets an opponent on fire, that opponent then becomes a fire source for so long as the fire isn't extinguished, but the issue started when that burning opponent died.

I had assumed, that, as with all things that die from burning... you know.. Keep burning afterwards, and could be used as a new source of fire.
But my DM thought that because the infusion doesn't state how long the fire lasts, that the Burning would disappear immediately on the opponent's death.

That ruling would therefore force me to either only be able to use smokestorm on a burning opponent that is still alive, or to 1: Find or carry things that catch easily on fire and dispose of it somewhere convenient, 2: use basic pyrokinesis and spend a standard to cast Spark. 3: Wait for my next turn before using Smokestorm.

Sorry if it's been discussed in the kineticist playtest, but.. 4750 posts to comb through...

Ah, well, to sum up, you get a free swift action attack when you demoralize someone, but if the attack doesn't damage the opponent, then the shaken condition immediately ends.

Considering that i have been working on an intimidation build myself, something caught my attention...

In order to intimidate above shaken and up to panicked even.
By RAW, if i use Hurtful's extra attack as a swift action and miss, I would be un-affected if my target is frightened or Panicked.
But, by RAI, seems they'd be back to normal state.

Opinion?

Major_Blackhart wrote:

The thing about the Sanctified Slayer is that it's both a great archetype and a not so great one. I've never played it, but maybe someone could tell me if they've reliably in combat gotten the sneak attacks off.

SA is a bonus, not a class feature. And with the right teamwork feat and/or spells you can get it easier than most people, if you so desire. Studied target is pretty much equal to judgement, because you can spam it all day. If you run longer adventuring days then this gets even more amazing. The SA is just a bonus, and maybe makes the archetype better than base inquisitor.

Both ACG archetypes are AWESOME for the inquisitor!

I'd just like to throw in another option, While going the half-orc route to take advantage of the benefits of intimidate, Why not go towards an intimidation specialist inquisitor. Weapon focus (requirement), Dazzling Display, Gory Finish (Optional), and the cherry on top: Shatter Defenses.

Intimidate all your opponents, they are flat-footed towards you. Sneak attack all day long without relying on anyone. Synergizes VERY well with getting a Cruel weapon.
You could use the Studied Target ability to increase the DC of casting Hold Person too, making them helpless, then sneaking. (Though you could just Coup-De-Grace at that point)

If we're going all out for a longer build, Look at Soulless Gaze (Damnation feat), to allow you to intimidate beyond shaken.
Get the Heresy Inquisition, and forget about using charisma, dump everything into wisdom, which benefits your spells and intimidate as well without splitting statistics.
Get the Brute and Scrapper Half-Orc traits to get intimidate bonuses.
You can buy/craft very affordable skill bosting magic items to increase the skill too! (10,000gp to craft an item giving +10 intimidate for example).
Later with Sanctified Slayer when you get the slayer talent, get the ranger Two-handed weapon fighting style, get access to Great Cleave & Dreadful Carnage without meeting the pre-requisites. I haven't seen anything that says the effects of Gory Finish & Dreadful Carnage don't stack (Assuming you took Soulless Gaze), which results in increasing fear by 2 levels to everything within 30ft for killing a single target, or can stack Dreadful Carnage multiple times by using Great Cleave, potentially getting everyone from hostile to Panicked in one round.

For a level 10 half-orc inquisitor, you could easily get +45 intimidate skill modifier. That's assuming the aforementioned +10 skill magic item, but careful going much higher, it starts scaling up beyond that. 40k cost for a +20. At this point, you are guaranteed an intimidate success, the extra is only ensuring that the shaken/frightened/panicked state lasts longer.

Doing Sneak attacks with a two handed weapon (Falchion sounds a good option), just tickles my funny bone.

If your campaign does Mythic, go the marshal route. It becomes just hilarious.

Take note, this is all i'm getting simply from looking at a glance. If anything i'm saying in there doesn't work for any reason, do let me know please! :P (Because I'm seriously considering making such a character)