So, could someone with MTT check this weapon for me? d20 source is listing it as 1d8 x3 and 1d6 x2 for a double weapon weapon. Okay, fair enough. That's no double bladed sword...
Except it is simple???
Um.
Yea.
For the very rare, and powerful, double ability the balance ussually tends to be that they are hard to get hold of. Fair enough since any TWF build that isn't using weapon finesse wants them. (Oh, you mean all those builds that no one plays? Shush me!)
I dunno, I am kinda floored by this weapon. Seems too good to be true.
So, looks like AMH is up on the SRD. Good news! Let's check it out!
Okay, well, there are three decent armor training buffs... the rest... why am I giving up armor for skills? Ugh. Okay. Let's look at the feats.
Quote:
Armor Focus (Combat)
Your familiarity with a specific type of armor increases the amount of protection you receive from it.
Prerequisite(s): Base attack bonus +1, proficiency with selected armor.
Benefit(s): Select one type of armor, such as chain shirt or splint mail. The AC bonus granted by the selected armor increases by 1.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new type of armor. The Armor Focus feat counts as the armor training class feature for the purpose of armor mastery feat prerequisites and determines what types of armor you can use with armor mastery feats.
Okay, so someone might look between Weapon Focus and this and say, "WOW, that's perfect!"
But, to me this looks absolutely terrible.
See, I have seen this feat before. In fact, I was a huge fan of it. I love me some heavily armored characters. I love me my mandalorians and spice marines. So, let's look at this old 3e feat from the Star Wars RPG.
Quote:
Armor Familiarity
You are accustomed to wearing a particular suit or type of armor and are less hindered by it due to experience.
Prerequisite: Proficient in the selected armor.
Benefit: When wearing a single type of armor, such as padded battle armor, all armor check penalties are reduced by 1 and your maximum Dexterity bonus to Defense increases by 1.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, its effects applies to a different type of armor.
Okay, so the first thing that stands out is a much less uniform and more interesting name.
The second thing is that the benefit here is almost strictly better. We get Armor Training. Just, straight up Armor Training as a feat. No problems.
Is this broken?
No, it only applies to a singular set of armor. And as we all know, a feat should be roughly two traits. Let's look at some traits now.
Quote:
Defender of the Society (Fighter, Society)
Your time spent fighting and studying the greatest warriors of the society has taught you new defensive skills while wearing armor.
Benefit: You gain a +1 trait bonus to Armor Class when wearing medium or heavy armor.
Armor Expert
You have worn armor as long as you can remember, either as part of your training to become a knight's squire or simply because you were seeking to emulate a hero. Your childhood armor wasn't the real thing as far as protection, but it did encumber you as much as real armor would have, and you've grown used to moving in such suits with relative grace.
Benefit: When you wear armor of any sort, reduce that suit's armor check penalty by 1, to a minimum check penalty of 0.
Okay, so yes. Defender of the Society is by far on the upper end of traits and these can't both be taken. Still, it establishes a power baseline. And there is that drawback included of only one set of armor.
Remember, Armor Familiarity comes from a game where the power curve was much lower. This is an age where Dodge was against 1 guy. And it served a perfectly fine and balanced part in that game.
Now, we step into a modern age and... Offense > Defense. I'm sorry, but that's how the game works. Weapon Focus for Armor is TERRIBLE as a standalone feat. Basically, you are paying half a feat now for AAT later. And I don't think being able to take Advanced Armor Training should be worth half of my feat. It really shouldn't. There are only two Armor Training class features on par with this. One of which, Master Armorer, fails to note that you can use it without armor on so have fun crafting your OP armor while always wearing your armor suit kids!
Sigh.
I suppose I would be happy with it if it gave effective Fighter levels for the improvements of AAT. But, I can't see how written it would. If there was a line saying your effective Fighter level for the purposes of feats count as your Fighter levels... Yea, then Martials could have nice things.
EDIT: Sorry, I had a moment of wishful thinking there. Of course it would be even worse than letting you get Advanced Armor Training. I really wanted to pretend this feat had a point.
Basically/TL;DR: Why does Improved Armor Focus exist as a separate feat at all? The second effect of Improved Armor Focus doesn't even do anything as written. Why??? I don't get it.
So, let's not put the carriage ahead of the horse on talking about mechanics just yet. We don't know what the base game will look like, but we can talk about what the game probably should look like. Starting with...
Unchained Rules
It's no secret. Unchained had a lot of variant rules. They were and are for the most part great. But there are so many. And many of them are clearly made not to work together. So, which ones should be used?
Personally, Background Skills are an instant winner. Automatic Bonus Progression also makes my list, but for reasons I won't explain just yet. Removing Iterative Attacks is something I haven't tried or looked at really yet, but feels like something I really, really should. Particularly the mobile variant. It just flat out looks like it makes for a better game!!! More interesting options, a reason to truly pump attack, and more relevance for martials without dolling out pounce. I can see this system being really fun with a revised shot on the run and playing a "Han Solo" character. Maybe that will FINALLY be mechanically viable!
Stamina pools are normally a winner, but that's because giving them to Fighters feels like a good fix to the Pathfinder game, but one that maybe should be a class feature or not around in a new game. Fixes are great for things that... Need fixing. You don't add them when you don't know it is broken yet. Unchained Action Economy is interesting, but I just can't get into it. I do really like the idea of the Wound Thresholds rules, but I can see them being detrimental as part of the base game.
Others
Called shots - Duh, yes. Why isn't this just on in every game ever?
Armor as DR - Okay, so here me out on this one. Armor that deflects away a sword makes sense. Armor that deflects away laser fire? Less so. The armor as DR rules, as stands, are actually pretty terrible. This concept could be revisited, and maybe armor actually all provided DR and also normal armor bonuses. Just weaker armor bonuses. Of course, if the miss chances are too weak then players need a bit more AC from somewhere. Which is where Automatic Bonus Progression comes in handy. Synergy!
Piecemeal Armor - Eh, this can just be fun. It's like called shots, no reason to not include it.
So, this might be a bit early to start a thread. As of yet, Beware Tex has never put out a product, and I have not yet begun the process to make Beware Tex an "official" third-party publisher.
However, it looks like I am on track for publishing a book this June-July. So, I thought now would be a good time to drum up interest and make my intentions official. As of yet, it is not 100% certain obviously if I will succeed in getting my product on sites like Paizo, but even if I do not it should be finished relatively soon.
Or, rather Chapter 1 of an epic journey in the making will be. KT will be released chapter by chapter, in an expected period of 1-2 months between chapters. This might, however, be affected by my unfortunate health conditions and personal life. Thus far, 6 chapters in 5 books are planned with potential additional chapters to be considered after I have finished. These first 6 chapters could be considered a single product, and I will no doubt make a proper combined edition when I finish them. Each chapter is listed below with a short description and preview.
Kineticist Tome
Chapter 1: Elemental Races Elemental races explores additional options for each race with a connection to kineticist powers. Emphasis is given on the genie-kin races, though several others appear. This is the most "off-topic" book with additional race options for non-kineticists by the kineticist connected races.
Preview:
Aether Bloodline (Sorcerer Bloodline)
You were born with aetheric energies in your bones or otherwise exposed to the aether present on your plane of existence. This had warped your blood giving you unusual powers.
Intimidating Flames Element(s): Fire; Type Substance Infusion; Level 2; Burn 1
Prerequisite(s): Ifrit
Associated Blasts: Blue Flame, Fire
Saving Throw none
You may make a single intimidate check to demoralize all hit as a free action. They do not need to see or hear you, but if they cannot see you size modifiers do not effect the check. Each target can only be affected by this ability once per turn.
Alt Racial Traits: Fey Elemental: Some undine are more related to fey, such as nereid or oceanid, than outsiders. Instead of appearing similar to most undine they have the pearl skin and usually the hair color of their fey ancestor. Their type changes to fey and they lose darkvision instead having low-light vision. Their ability scores change, instead of +2 wisdom they gain +2 charisma.
In addition they gain charm person as a spell-like ability that may be used once per day. The DC is 10 + character level + their charisma modifier. This replaces darkvision and alters their type, subtype, and ability scores.
Chaos Affinity: Ganzi sorcerers with the Protean bloodline treat their Charisma score as 2 points higher for all sorcerer spells and class abilities. Ganzi clerics with the Chaos domain cast their domain powers and spells at +1 caster level. In addition, they add +1 to the DCs and caster level of Void wild talents. This replaces quibble.
Psychic Circuitry (Su): Androids with this trait that possess a psychic discipline in mindtech add +1 to the caster level of all discipline powers, psi-tech discovers, and discipline spells. They can cast spells with emotional components from the class that granted the mindtech discipline by replacing them with somatic components.
These Androids loose the +4 racial bonus from constructed against mind-affecting effects and lower the +4 racial bonus against stun effects to +2. They lose all effects of this trait if they take the empathy feat. This alters constructed.
Chapter 2: Basic Kinetic Techniques: Basic kinetic techniques is geared towards giving a wealth of feats, wild talents, archetypes, and more to bring Kineticists more in line with other classes in terms of raw content.
Preview:
Kinetic Mobility (Combat Feat) Prerequisite(s): Dex 15, Dodge, kineticist level 4th
You use your kinetic talents to move lithely through battle.
Benefit: When wearing light or no armor you gain +10 to your base movement speed.
Special: This feat counts as the mobility feat for the purposes of satisfying prerequisites.
When using the Shot on the Run feat you can use kinetic blast as the ranged attack in shot on the run so long as it is a standard action. Furthermore, your full-round action to move can be a usage of greater flame jet or a wild talent that acts as greater flame jet.
Aethereal Muscle Element(s): Aether; Type Utility (Sp); Level 2; Burn 1
You infuse your muscles with a bit of your kinetic power allowing you to either move quicker or be stronger. You gain a +4 enhancement bonus to either Dex or Str. This bonus lasts for 2 rounds per kineticist level and you can switch between stats as a swift action. At level 10 this becomes an +8 bonus to either Dex or Str and a +2 bonus to the stat that isn’t active. At level 16 this increases to +12 and +6.
Mutable Plant Element(s): Wood; Type Utility (Sp); Level 5; Burn 1
Prerequisite(s): Bonded Plant
Your plant companion becomes an avatar of your plant manipulation. On your plant companion’s next turn they can take a move action to change forms, or if you possess wild growth they may choose to use as part of an action to change sizes. They can change from one species of plant companion to another that you choose. This adjusts all their base statistics to their new form, but does not alter skill points (calculate skill points per level from here on using their most favorable form) or change their feats or any other feature besides species. When they change, you may also choose an elemental focus as per a spiritualist’s phantom using your plant companion’s level as their phantom level. Your plant companion gains all the benefits of this elemental focus except good saves.
If this focus changes a stat bonus from progression (such as lust) to use a different statistic, then the plant companion recalculates their base scores putting dexterity into the new stat instead. In the case of foci like anger this means the plant companion’s strength and dexterity bonus would apply twice.
At 16th level you may use this wild talent as a move action. If you possess two plant companions, this wild talent applies to both of them at the same time. If you possess Elemental Armor while they are at the same size or smaller than you your plant companion(s) may take a move action when within 10-feet of you to morph into your armor, keeping their natural attacks. They may still be attacked while part of you in this way. While attached to your body, you may choose to use a standard action of your own to reduce them to tiny size to become an inanimate part of your outfit, such as a flower tucked behind your ear. They can be restored as a free action.
Chapter 3 and 4: Magnetism and Time And here we have the brand new element, magnetism! Time is also present, but perhaps not as one would expect as a legendary element needs to be more separate from the masses. Admittedly, these are the two chapters I have written the least of so they might be moved back.
Preview:
Armor Crush Element(s): Earth, magnetism; Type Form infusion; Level 4; Burn 3
Associated Blasts: Magnetic, metal
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial; see text
You brutally crush an opponent inside their own suit of metal armor. This form infusion can only be used against a target wearing metal armor. The target and their armor takes half of your blast damage as bludgeoning damage and can attempt a Fortitude save to reduce that amount to ¼th normal damage. If they fail their save and their armor has, or is given by this attack, the broken condition it's wearer gains the entangled condition so long as they wear the armor.
Armor that gains the broken condition from this wild talent requires twice as long to remove.
Chapter 5: [Error, permissions not found.] We have to keep one ace up our sleeve now don't we~ This is easily the best chapter in this book.
Preview: N/A
Chapter 6: Kinetic Traditions Honestly, I kinda hate that it will take so long to get here. I put this back this far to make sure any feats or wild talents I miss in basic kinetic techniques can find a home in KT. Some of my favorite feats, archetypes, and more made it into this section. Such as...
Preview:
Kinetic Caster (Feat)
You were raised and trained in the ways of a kineticist using ritualistic methods and taught to use your abilities from magical words and gestures, rather than from the power of your psychic might. Accessing your inner abilities takes on a different shape, be it dancing, muttering phrases to focus, singing, or strange gestures and movements.
Benefit: Whenever you choose to accept burn you only take nonlethal damage equal to ½ your class level +1 for every 5 class levels you possess.. However, using a wild talent or class ability that requires you to accept burn takes a full-round action (Unless it would normally take longer) that requires either somatic or verbal components and provokes attacks of opportunity. If you take damage during the activation of the wild talent you must make a concentration check (DC 10 + the effective level of the wild talent). If you fail you must take the burn you were going to accept and loose the wild talent. Wild talents that do not require you to accept burn are not affected by this. Burn put into Elemental Defense does not benefit from the reduced burn (all other restrictions apply). Metakinesis (quicken) can only be used to reduce this to a standard action unless you accept another 3 burn to reduce it to a swift. If you accept burn on a wild talent that may be used as a free action it is only increased to a move action and can be turned back into a free action with metakinesis (quicken).
Furthermore, your gather power kineticist class feature (if any) possesses verbal components to focus your mind.
Special: This feat must be taken at 1st level or before you take your first level in Kineticist or any level in another class that would grant the burn or wild talent class features.
Great engineers, architects, kingmakers, charlatans, the mental supremacists come from all walks of life. The one thing they all have in common is extraordinary ability. A mental supremacist can bend the world, and the people in that world, to their wimp. Few can match the casual dismissal with which a mental supremacist approaches their problems. To the mental supremacist, every problem requires a unique tool, and they hold the toolbox.
Powerful Morpher (Ranger Archetype)
The power lies on the side of the powerful morpher. These rangers defend the world thanks to their connection to mysterious magic that grants their unique abilities. These energetic fighters must GO GO GO GO.
Servant of the Ancient Ones (PrC)
A Servant of the Ancient Ones is either a follower of a Great Old One or Outer God. Vile worshipers of chaos whose ultimate goal is to bring about the mysterious desires of their dark masters. A Servant of the Ancient Ones may be difficult to integrate into a group of adventures. But, they will remain loyal so long as it will, or they believe it will, bring about the will of the Old Ones or Outer Gods.
Unfortunately, the mysterious desires of a Servant of the Ancient Ones’ masters are most likely a mystery even to the servant. These great beings might not even consider their cultists. Awareness of such petty mortals being beneath them. Though, that does not alter the crazed beliefs of their fanatical worshipers. Many of whom seek to garner the attention of their masters. Regardless of the possibility that attention will destroy the world as it is known.
Let's all play the arguing numbers game! And whether or not the Kineticist's damage is too low or not.
Spoiler:
Personally, I think that most classes which can hold up steady damage and stuff usually have a bit of an edge in the whole magic items thing, but that's just me.
So, a certain thread got massively off-topic recently by talking about a feat meant for throwing characters. This feat seems about on par with what you would expect for it's effect. At least, in my opinion and with the quick "math" I used as a baseline. Some people disagree. However, I would rather be constructive rather than destructive.
So, with that in mind, what would you give to throwing to make it better? Are there rules that still need clarifying? Does throwing styles need exuberantly good feats above curve to make it good enough? Or does it need more love period?
Or, do you like where throwing is now? Do you believe that throwing is legitimate? Or perhaps that the style is fine, but lacks the archetype support of something as exuberant as Zen Archer?
I have my own personal bias, as I am quite smitten with Startoss Style right now, but I would love to see other opinions and creations of feats to work with throwing.
Okay, so here's a question, let's say I have a Plant Companion. I then take Animal Ally, or for that matter a level in a class, any class, with an Animal Companion.
Do the level for them stack together like for a normal companion?
Ooooor, and this is what I am suspecting, does the fact Plant Companion has a different name mean I can now possess two, count them, two pets ah ah ah ah.
Not that it is terribly OP in the later world. A single level dip can get a normal Animal Companion to split as many times as the player likes and get the human racial and Boon Companion on all of them. But, Plant Companions aren't very good and the thought of having one and also getting Animal Ally appeals to me.
Note, Animal Ally does call out Mounts that progress as an Animal Companion, but not other class features.
So, I'm toying around with the idea of a rage based Kineticist archetype. Mostly as a thought puzzle. Mechanics are fun to toy with in my free time.
So, my base idea, and influence is... well, ya know in media where someone coats their body in elemental matter and busts down moves as a virtually unstoppable force of nature? I've kinda been thinking about that and the idea of going armorless as an ascetic. They rage, maybe eventually get a power to stay in rage all the time, and come in like a wrecking ball. I also fancy the idea of burn being gained more slowly, perhaps they can't take burn out of rage, but also they get stronger and stronger the more they are heating up with burn. Perhaps even slowly loosing burn at 1 per hour when out of combat?
So, the questions I have then are:
1. What do you think a rage kineticist would look like?
2. What are some neat ideas you think synergize with a rage kineticist?
3. How would you make up for the loss of wearing armor?
4. Below I have a rough outline. I'm thinking it needs an equivalent to the +1 to hit and +2 to damage per burn for each 3 kineticist levels you have. How would you go about giving this equivalent? Would you copy paste that ability?
5. Is this basic concept too extreme? When in raged obviously it would be a powerhouse, but outside of rage it looses most class powers besides simple blasts. Is that too much? How would you balance it around the idea of something like this, this, or this?
6. Any other random thoughts! This is a spitball thread, there are no wrong answers*.
Spoiler:
Wild Kineticist
Some kineticists are a ball of elemental fury just waiting to explode. Normally, they are little more than a average person, but when their kinetic power unleashes itself they are transformed into a living mass of elemental energy who can casually lay destruction in their wake. However, once their wrath has subsided a wild kineticist will often pass out instantly from overexertion.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency:
The Wild Kineticist is only proficient in simple weapons.
Single Minded (Su):
(Placeholder text! The idea is you only get one element.) The wild kineticist can, however, choose one composite blast they possess half the requirements for in place of a utility wild talent.
(Note for below: I was thinking of making Wild Talents not usable outside of "rage" except simple kinetic blasts. Rage however, is a super rage granting all your class features.)
Kinetic Fury (Su):
The wild kineticist covers themselves with elemental power. Their body becoms like an elemental with fire raging over every inch of skin or lightning coursing through their viens or their body being overrun with verdant growth or some other thematic application. This ability is simular to a barbarian's rage. Starting at 3rd level, when completely unarmored a wild kineticist can enter kinetic fury for a number of rounds per day equal to 4 + their Constitution modifier. At each level after 3rd, they can rage for 2 additional rounds. Temporary increases to Constitution, such as those gained from rage and spells like bear's endurance, do not increase the total number of rounds that a wild kineticist can use kinetic fury per day. A wild kineticist can enter kinetic fury as a free action. The total number of rounds of rage per day is renewed after resting for 8 hours, although these hours do not need to be consecutive.
While in kinetic fury, a wild kineticist gains a +4 morale bonus to their Strength and Constitution, as well as a +2 morale bonus on Will saves. Unlike rage, they take no penalty to Armor Class. They also instantly gain the effects of all their supernatural ability and spell-like ability utility wild talents that target the wild kineticist who possess them as if they were rage powers. No action is required to activate them. If the utility wild talent has a burn cost the wild kineticist gains that effect after their current burn taken is at least as much as the burn cost of the wild talent. If the utility wild talent has a target other than the kineticist themselves they must pay the burn cost as normal to gain effects. The increase to Constitution grants the wild kineticist 2 hit points per Hit Dice, but these disappear when the kinetic fury ends and are not lost first like temporary hit points. While in kinetic fury, a wild kineticist cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except Acrobatics, Fly, Intimidate, and Ride or a skill in which they possess skilled kineticist) or any ability that requires patience or concentration other than wild talents.
A wild kineticist can end their kinetic fury as a free action and is fatigued after kinetic fury for a number of rounds equal to 2 times the number of rounds spent in the kinetic fury. This fatigue overrides any form of fatigue immunity or conversion except the roused anger rage power. After using roused anger though, a wild kineticist's exhausted condition cannot be overridden by anything. A wild kineticist cannot enter a new kinetic fury while fatigued or exhausted but can otherwise enter kinetic fury multiple times during a single encounter or combat. If a wild kineticist falls unconscious, their kinetic fury immediately ends, placing them in extreme peril of death. This ability counts as having the rage class feature and can be modified by any effects that use the rage feature.
As a wild kineticist's body becomes more and more suffused with their element, they begins to gain more powerful benefits.
Starting at 6th level, whenever they have at least 3 points of burn, the morale bonus to their Strength and Constitution increases to +6 and the morale bonus on their Will saves increases to +3. They also gain a morale bonus to Dexterity of +2. If the Kineticist possess greater flame jet or a power that works as greater flame jet they gain a supernatural flight speed of 60 with good manuverability. At 11th level, whenever the wild kineticist has at least 5 points of burn, the morale bonus to their Strength and Constitution increases to +8, the morale bonus on their dexterity increases to +4, and the morale bonus on their Will saves increases to +4.
At 16th level, whenever the kineticist has at least 7 points of burn, the morale bonus to their Strength and Constitution increases to +10, the morale bonus on their dexterity increases to +6, and the morale bonus on their Will saves increases to +5. This replaces the elemental overflow class feature.
Furious Defense (Su):
The wild kineticist does not gain the benifits of their elemental defense unless they are in a kinetic fury or other rage effect. The wild kineticist cannot put burn into their defense, but when it is active they treat all of their current burn as if it had been used to buff elemental defense up to their current maximum. This alters the elemental defense class feature.
Gather Rage (Su):
Whenever a wild kineticist uses gather power, if they do not use the extra power to reduce the total burn cost of a blast wild talent they may instead refill their "rage" round. They treat every point of burn reduction as one rage round. The bonus from gather power can be split between both rage and reducing burn. This alters the gather power class feature.
Rage Powers (No duh, I need these in here. Likely loosing half of the utility wild talents.)
Burn Refresh (Ex):
Out of nessecity, wild kineticists learn to ease the burren of the burn they have taken on. Starting at ??? once per day the kineticist removes 1 burn from themselves when they exit a kinetic fury. This reduction increases by 1 for every X levels above ???. This replaces the ??? class feature. (The basic idea here is that they have an emergency get out of death free card. I'm eyeing up Internal Buffer as a sacrifice.)
Hello all, I'm new to the Paizo forums, so before showing my work let me talk about why I just made an account and what my goal is.
See, I am really quite taken with the new Kineticist class Paizo has put out. It stirs that elemental urge I have always had a fondness for. Perhaps partly because of Bionicle and likely partly because I have always had a fondness for the rain and wind. (Hiiiissss, sun.)
Regardless, I have been avidly reading and theory building Kineticists since I found out about them while organizing what will be my first tenure as GM. (Spoiler alert: The party will fight Kineticists as a result of this.) I did however notice a failing in every guide I found. It did not talk much about Kineticists mixing with other classes. My inner multiclasser overtook my senses and produced this guide.
There is no point in keeping such a thing to myself however, ergo I elected to join the forums for the purpose of throwing my work to the masses to be brutally torn apart piece by piece until I cry myself to sleep and- Uh, ahem. Anyways, critique is welcome as I no doubt made some errors here and there. Hopefully it is a productive tool for EXPUNGING THE NON-KINETICISTS FROM THE LAND. PURGE THE HERESY! people wishing to make certain Kineticist builds a reality.
