OK, so this might seem weird to some people, but quite often a character concept will hit me while I'm listening to music.
Sometimes the words have something to do with it (though not often) and sometimes it's just my mind playing a mini-movie with the concept.
Either way, I've had some fantastic character concepts via this method, both for those I've played and NPCs.
Today's offender? -- "The Pretender" by Infected Mushroom (a Foo Fighters cover), off their 2012 album Army of Mushrooms. (check it on YouTube if curious)
They've got a weird name, but are my newest music addiction, and I think they're fantastic - but that's not the point.
Just doing other stuff, this song rolls onto my playlist. ...and into my mind, rolls a BA Magma Kineticist. Very tanky. Very up-close-and-personal.
The kind of person that, when the party decides to try and run, insists on staying behind to delay the foe for their safety. "I'll make them pay for every gods-forsaken step they take."
OK brain - Challenge Accepted! But how to do it?
(Please Note: When I think like this, optimization isn't really the goal - more making the concept at least slightly viable)
So considering the character, let's assume stats 14/14/16/10/10/10 (20pt buy) BEFORE racial anything.
Human seems like the understandably standard choice. Stats 14/14/18/10/10/10.
Hobgoblin... Could be both Stat advantageous, and provide interesting story flavor. Stats 14/16/18/10/10/10.
Figure 8th Level for the full initial effect.
2nd) Talent: Extended Range
3rd) Toughness
4th) CON +1, Talent: Kinetic Cover
5th) Point Blank Shot, Infusion Spec: Form, Metakinesis: Empower
6th) Talent: Impale
7th) Extra Talent: Entangle, Talent: Expanded Element (Fire)
8th) CON +1, Infusion Spec: Substance, Talent: Expanded Defense (Fire)(with intent to get Ride the Blast for crazy gap close)
Humoring a Hobgoblin named "Shard" with, with Intimidate alternate racial, and average WBL...
Belt of Physical Perfection +2 (16k), Menacing AOMF (4k - Thanks Mark!), Chain Shirt +3 (9k), Ring of Protection +1 (2k), Cloak of Resistance +1 (2k) = 33k and the exact WBL total.
Shard, the Hobgoblin Geothermal Kineticist:
HP: 107 (8 from 1st level, 35 Lv 2-8, 8 Toughness, 48 Con, 8 favored class)
STR: 16 -- DEX: 18 -- CON: 22 -- INT: 10 -- WIS: 10 -- CHA: 10
FORT: +13 -- REF: +11 -- WILL: +3 (ouch - might want Iron Will and/or a trait bonus)
Earth Blade: Melee only (0 Burn), +10/+5[+12/+7] (4d6+10[+12]) with an extra +4 hit if flanking.
Fire Blast: Up to 120ft (0 Burn), +11[+13] vs. Touch (4d6+3[+5])
Fire Blade: Melee only (0 Burn), +10/+5[+12/+7] (4d6+3[+5]) with an extra +4 hit if flanking.
Magma Blast: Up to 120ft (2 Burn), +11[+13] (8d6+14[+16])
Magma Blade (How cool is that?!): Melee Only (2 Burn), +10/+5[+12/+7] (8d6+14[+16]) with an extra +4 hit if flanking.
([]s are with Feel the Burn +2. None of these account for Point Blank.)
Impale: +12[+14] to hit a 30ft line for 4d6+10[12]. Costs 1 burn (0 with Gather)
Earth Blast can entangle for 0 burn with a gather, Magma can entangle for 2 burn with a gather.
Magma Blade can single attack for 1 burn with Gather.
Earth/Fire blade can get +50% damage on both attacks for 1 burn, or on one attack for no burn with gather.
A (melee type) with 18 STR up to 20 with a belt, a +2 Greatsword, and both Weapon Focus feats as well as weapon spec, would have +18/+13 to hit for 2d6+12 or +15/+10 to hit for 2d6+21 with Power Attack.
Considering the semi-morphic nature of the Kineticist's options, I feel like these are acceptable differences.
Fighter Max, Power Attack: +15/+10 for 23-33 (1 hit) or 46-66 (2 hits)
Kinetic with Earth Blast: +10 for 14-34 or 22-52 with Empower, no burn.
Kinetic with Fire Blast: +10 vs. Touch for 7-27 or 9-39 with Empower, no burn.
Kinetic with Magma Blast: +10 for 26-66 (1 burn) or 34-94 with Empower(2 burn).
Doesn't sound super impressive, but does sound good enough, and when you take into account the defenses...
While it would be pretty awesome to have hybrid elemental forms (such as magma), and/or the ability to treat the "form" as basically an boosted sense of Feel the Burn's visual rather than turning into an elemental (such as with Bracers of Falcon's Aim), I'm digging the Earth/Fire defense together.
Far as I can tell, there's nothing saying you can't have both defenses up at once - they just take their respective actions, so two turns.
Round 1) Move up, blast as appropriate, trigger Earth Defense for DR 4/Adamantine.
Round 2) Close gap (can you trigger Kinetic Blade on a charge?), Blast/Swing as appropriate, trigger Fire Defense for 1d8 backlash.
Thematically, you'd look like you were rocking Magma Armor.
I don't think this character is optimal at all... but damn do I love the feel!
This is the part where I ask for feedback on the thought.
I'd prefer to avoid negative stats - so with that in mind, any thoughts on how to make it more effective without taking too much (if any) away?
For a while, I was toying with the idea of of a few levels in a martial class for some bonus armor and combat tricks.
What would you change? What would you add?
Would you consider dipping a full BAB class, and if so, what and why?