A few questions about the Telekinesis spell

[Sporge]

Alright so recently I have been playing a Kineticist and just hit level 10, and was picking up the Telekinetic maneuvers wild talent. This lets me use combat maneuvers as if it was the telekinesis spell.

This apparently has several things less clear than it did at a glance, I cannot find a thread actually getting an answer on most of it. There are a few clarifications I think need to be made about the spell in general.

1. What is the CMD of the telekinesis when grappling someone? It is either the 10 + the CMB, 10 + the CMB + your Dex, or 10 + the CMD + your casting stat. I lean towards the middle one as I think it makes sense to still be based on your quickness.

2. Do rider effects occur? As in if I grapple someone 500 ft away with this spell are they pulled at break-neck speeds to me in order to be adjacent to me, allowing me to basically pull all my allies out of trouble when needed? Does failing a trip attempt by 10 or more with the spell mean I might fall over? And if you do keep them where they are when grappling in particular does it hold them there keeping them from falling?

3. Is size ever a consideration for this spell? If I am smaller like being a gnome do I take a penalty? If I polymorph into a huge thing do I get bonuses? Can I not trip things of much larger sizes?

4. When bull rushing can you choose the direction, or is it still straight away from you?

5. When grappling you can pin, but was it intended never to damage or move? I feel like move would make sense, may be not the others, but if you can damage what is the damage?

6. Specifically for the Kineticist does doing the steal maneuver pull the object right to you?

7. Do feats or bonuses that improve your combat maneuvers apply to the spell? Does Greater Grapple let me concentrate as a move action to maintain the spell/grapple, and am I still limited to only one maneuver check each round? Does Greater Trip allow the spell to let my allies get an attack of opportunity?

[Avadriel]

1) as written, the cmd used is yours
"Resolve these attempts as normal, except" and cmd is not among listed exceptions

2) again as written, yes they are pulled adjacent to you as per the grapple rules, though there are some other debates going on in the forums as to whether an ally counts as a foe per the targeting of combat maneuvers specifying foe.

3) The spell specifies how you calculate the cmb, and size is not a listed factor, it does apply to cmd though. as written, there is no change to rule for how large a target you can trip.

4) again resolve as normal except, so you must follow any restrictions on bull rush.

5) "Resolve these attempts as normal, except" by logical extension you can damage using a light or one handed weapon you wield as per the grapple rules, and anything else you are normally allowed to do with grapple.

6)I know nothing of the kineticist and the spell does not mention being able to perform the steal maneuver.

7) the action required to concentrate does not change, as written the improved and greater maneuver feats apply their bonus to the check and yes greater trip should allow AoOs.

These are all rules as written answers, so take that as you may.