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My players and I were just talking about this. We love everything about the design space of the class and the role it fulfills, but we agreed that the name didn't strike us as particularly fantasy. I guess, technically, science fiction does encompass science fantasy but that's a whole can of worms I don't want to get into.

However, what can I say is that most of my group grew up reading Tolkien, and later on George R.R. Martin, Brandon Sanderson, Robert E. Howard, Brent Weeks, Ursula K. Le Guin, Patrick Rothfuss, etc. As a reference point, we're mostly in our early 20's if that matters. Now obviously, Golarion isn't predicated heavily on any of these fantasy authors' works, but the heart of the matter is that none of us feel, in our gut, that kineticist is a particularly suitable name. It simply doesn't resonate as fantasy nor does it seem particularly evocative.

If anything, the first thing I think of is kinetics and, subsequently, physics. While that may accurately describe the broad range of a kineticist's abilities from a scientific standpoint, it doesn't feel like a fantasy class. If anything, the name conveys just a catch-all word for what the class's role is and nothing else. Like yes, I can manipulate an element, but what does that mean thematically for my character? How is that tied into the setting? Unlike most classes, there's little to no consistent media to use as a frame of reference when you think kineticist (besides elemental mages in various forms of fiction that differ from source to source and benders from Avatar but the latter is tied heavily to the setting).

Wizard? You think of a mighty and powerful wielder of the arcane arts who has spent years and years of study unlocking the secrets of reality. Gandalf, Dumbledore, Merlin, Prospero, Sparrowhawk, Harry Dresden, etc. Gunslinger? Conjures forth a deadeye gun fiend with smoking barrels and a propensity for dishing out high octane violence, all the while gritting their teeth. Roland Deschain, Wyatt Earp, Billy the Kid, the Man with No Name, etc. Rogue? Endless amount of concepts that leap to mind - thief with a heart of gold, the assassin with a rigid code of honor, the ruthless gang enforcer, scheming mastermind who weaves webs of lies.

Kineticist? Hmm, something about manipulating elements. Maybe middle school science where you first encounter the concept of kinetic energy. Conceptually, nothing strikes me besides Avatar. There's no inherent cool character archetype that stands out, and that I can build off of roleplaying-wise. Sure, that hypothetically gives me the freedom to play whatever and then justify it, but it doesn't give me inspiration for a character concept.

It doesn't need to be an already existing concept or name even. Look at D&D 4e's avenger. While you can argue over the merits of the name, it certainly sounds badass and fitting for a divine assassin sent to hunt down the enemies of their god. That's an idea you can play with right off the bat. Now I will admit 4e did also have some bland names. Like seeker. Way too generic, and it's kind of a stretch to relate to their primal power source. If I told a new player they could play seeker, they would probably just stare at me and blink.

On a slightly different tangent, I would like kineticists to be tied into Golarion lore more or a better explanation of what differentiates them from being mistaken as just another spellcaster but more specialized. To your average layperson, sure a sorcerer, a wizard, and a witch may seem the same, but there is a narrative difference. Sorcerers are born with power stemming from their unusual bloodline or an event occurred that significantly altered them like being born on the Day of the Reckoning of Abraxas where the sun was swallowed for a bit and residual energy leaked in from the Outer Planes. Wizards obtained magic through rote memory and a significant amount of studying which gives them a very academic approach to magic. Witches struck a pact, knowingly or unknowingly, with a being of immense power.

Kineticist seemed like they had a really cool class idea with strong mechanics to back it up, but no real thematic reason to exist. And a bit of a strange name for the genre.

About to run the Xanesha fight next session, and just wanted some clarification on how to use suggestion in 2e in combat due to the new wording, specifically this part, "You suggest a course of action to the target, which must be phrased in such a way as to seem like a logical course of action to the target and can't be self-destructive or obviously against the target's self-interest."

The latter portion of that statement seems to suggest that you can't ask the character to drop their weapon or take a hike back down the stairs in the clock tower you're fighting atop of due to the inherent conflict with the target's own self-interest of fighting beside their companions and keeping them safe (unless perhaps they're like evil or something, and motivated by selfishness). Even asking someone to close their eyes would run counter to their self-interest due to how much more likely you'll be hurt by not being able to see.

Any ideas?

So, I've finally gotten around to running my first AP (Kingmaker to be precise), and I was just wondering how often everyone around here has been TPK'd in an AP [oh, and specifically which one(s)]? I'm currently going to run it for six players with 20-point buy using the 6-player conversion rules for Kingmaker posted on this forum, and I became curious of which APs (if any)were notorious for TPKs.

Just like the title says, what do you do when you DM and you have a party that likes to expend all their resources rapidly before saying 'Whew, that was a good day of work we put in fellas', time to rest now," despite the fact that only 15 minutes have passed and they've only blown through one encounter. Obviously, by putting a time limit on how long they have before the BBEG reaches his/her objective first works, but I'm looking for more creative solutions that people here have used.