DiskJokky's page

DiskJokky wrote:

I have a monk player who took the fighter dedication feat. They asked me out of session if they could use snagging strike with their ki strike. I was a bit on the fence about this since it is a one action strike. Can you combo a special feat strike that takes one action with a ki strike like this?

Snagging strike (Player Core pg. 141/Core Rulebook pg. 145)
Ki strike (Core Rulebook pg. 158)

You cannot combine because ki strike is not a Strike. It's a spell that calls Strike as subordinated action as part of its effect. You cannot substitute a subordinated action to other larger action/activity that have that action inside. You need to use that specific subordinated action exclusively.

Source Player Core pg. 415 - Subordinate Actions wrote:

An action might allow you to use a simpler action—usually one of the Basic Actions on page 416—in a different circumstance or with different effects. This subordinate action still has its normal traits and effects, but it's modified in any ways listed in the larger action. For example, an activity that tells you to Stride up to half your Speed alters the normal distance you can move in a Stride. The Stride would still have the move trait, would still trigger reactions that occur based on movement, and so on. The subordinate action doesn't gain any of the traits of the larger action unless specified. The action that allows you to use a subordinate action doesn't require you to spend more actions or reactions to do so; that cost is already factored in.

Using an activity is not the same as using any of its subordinate actions. For example, the quickened condition you get from the haste spell lets you spend an extra action each turn to Stride or Strike, but you couldn't use the extra action for an activity that includes a Stride or Strike. As another example, if you used

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Thank you for showing me this ruling. I didn't know about subordinate actions.

I have a monk player who took the fighter dedication feat. They asked me out of session if they could use snagging strike with their ki strike. I was a bit on the fence about this since it is a one action strike. Can you combo a special feat strike that takes one action with a ki strike like this?
Snagging strike (Player Core pg. 141/Core Rulebook pg. 145)
Ki strike (Core Rulebook pg. 158)

From the PRD, Spell Immunity:

The warded creature is immune to the effects of one specified spell for every four levels you have. The spells must be of 4th level or lower. The warded creature effectively has unbeatable spell resistance regarding the specified spell or spells. Naturally, that immunity doesn't protect a creature from spells for which spell resistance doesn't apply. Spell immunity protects against spells, spell-like effects of magic items, and innate spell-like abilities of creatures. It does not protect against supernatural or extraordinary abilities, such as breath weapons or gaze attacks.

Also from the PRD, Kinetic Blast:

Kinetic Blast (Sp): At 1st level, a kineticist gains a kinetic blast wild talent of her choice. This kinetic blast must be a simple blast that matches her element. As a standard action, the kineticist can unleash a kinetic blast at a single target up to a range of 30 feet. She must have at least one hand free to aim the blast (or one prehensile appendage, if she doesn't have hands). All damage from a kinetic blast is treated as magic for the purpose of bypassing damage reduction. Kinetic blasts count as a type of weapon for the purpose of feats such as Weapon Focus. The kineticist is never considered to be wielding or gripping the kinetic blast (regardless of effects from form infusions), and she can't use Vital Strike feats with kinetic blasts. Even the weakest kinetic blast involves a sizable mass of elemental matter or energy, so kinetic blasts always deal full damage to swarms of any size (though only area blasts deal extra damage to swarms). A readied kinetic blast can be used to counterspell any spell of equal or lower level that shares its descriptor. A kinetic blast that deals energy damage of any type (including force) has the corresponding descriptor.

A strict reading says that kinetic blast is a spell-like ability. Spell immunity can stop spell-like abilities from working. Therefore, spell immunity can be tuned to counter kinetic blast....

I agree with you for the most part. However, I also believe that the statement " the spell must be 4th level or lower," should also be taken into account. Kinetic blasts do have a level attached to them so reasonably if the kineticist can use 5th level or higher blasts I believe it should go through. Granted this is a bit RAI since it says spell not spell-like ability in the quoted statement, so take it as you may. I am not your GM.

Quote:

Healing Undead

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The heal spell can’t heal undead, but harm and soothe can.
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Quote:

Undead Trait

Once living, these creatures were infused after death with negative energy and soul-corrupting evil magic. When reduced to 0 Hit Points, an undead creature is destroyed. Undead creatures are damaged by positive energy, are healed by negative energy, and don't benefit from healing effects.

Soothe target: Targets 1 willing living creature

Soothe traits: emotion, enchantment, healing, mental

Did I miss something? Is the healing undead sidebar just wrong, or is soothe written incorrectly?

Also what are you supposed to do about stuff like diseases and curses whose removal spells have the healing trait and therefore don't work on undead? From my reading undead PC's don't have anything that says they can benefit from healing effects.

Here's how I see it. The Soothe spell has neither the positive or negative trait within the spell. Instead, it is mental or emotion effect that is healing the creature. This is definitely a gray area, but I argue that since it is not positive or negative, it can heal both undead and living creatures. But of course, ask your GM if he will allow this.

I know we shouldn't make too many comparisons but... PF1 let you choose and I feel like you should be able to do that too. Pick Bludgeoning or Cold for Water, Slashing or Electricity for Air.... hell, Piercing or Poison for Wood even.

Versatile trait would also be good.

Also why not have acid be paired with earth to round it out? However, I would say that there should be some damage dice tweeking when choosing between physical and elemental damage.

I think it would be interesting to have Kineticists be the class to be Legendary in class dcs. It seems that they have a lot more abilities focusing on class dcs than most other classes. Also I think it works flavor wise as the kineticist is described as working to control and master their elemental power within themselves.

Gaulin wrote:

This is the trade-off for getting martial progression. It would be bad for balance if the class got both martial proficiencies and full caster proficiencies. Part of why I thought the class should be more of a caster than a martial, but here we are

they don't really have martial proficiencies, it's more like warpriest proficiencies.

Agreed, compared to the Magus, Rogue, and Swashbuckler, they get expert in their weapons 2 levels after the listed classes. Strangely, they get mastery at the same time as the listed classes.

DiskJokky wrote:

Skabb wrote:

Flavorfully, Kineticists use their body to channel elements, so constitution makes sense from that perspective. Though having some kind of burn-like mechanic would certainly help make that flavor truly realized via mechanics.

Personally, I think the players class works well without burn, but I do agree that CON should be more integral to the class. I think they should bring back damage keying off of CON.

why not make it closer to a spell and key attack off as well?

Well, it seems like their making the Elemental Blast more closer to a weapon than a spell or cantrip where it takes physical prowess to manage and I kind of like that. However, from the flavor of the gates and inner power of the kineticist I still think it should use CON for damage.

You only need to Gather once to use the blast. While it’s technically two actions on the first turn of combat, you’re only using one every time following that unless you use an Overflow ability.

And sometimes you don't even need to do that. If you know that a combat is coming, you could Gather Elements before the combat starts similarly to pulling out your weapons, raising you shield, or preemptively casting spells.

Flavorfully, Kineticists use their body to channel elements, so constitution makes sense from that perspective. Though having some kind of burn-like mechanic would certainly help make that flavor truly realized via mechanics.

Personally, I think the players class works well without burn, but I do agree that CON should be more integral to the class. I think they should bring back damage keying off of CON.