I was re-reading the rules of the Kineticist before game-play next week, and realized that I had perhaps mis-understood something...
Infusion Specialization says it only reduces the cost of combined infusions (or single infusion of course), not Metakinesis? So, you can't reduce the burn from either Empowering or Maximizing, right?
Kinda kills the whole Quickened/2x example in the book which would cost 7 Burn, not offset by anything at all, and likely too expensive to add the 'better' additions of Maximize/Empower (costing a total of 10 burn).
Is anyone even able to afford to "nova" that? Especially since pretty much everyone is going to want to have spent burn initially for their defenses and thus the Overflow... :/
Even if you start with a 20 Con, by level 17 having another 10 (30 Con), that's only 13 burn max... If you spend 3 burn for Overflow, you have 11 burn left over, but you'll probably prefer the 5 burn which puts you, at best, at 8 burn left... barely enough for a one-shot?
It specifically refers to infusions.
I had not noticed this until now. What sadness. Looks like I will have to homebrew it to "Blast Specialization".
Maybe better is to generate a house rule'd new feat...
You find it easier to manipulate your metakinesis than others.
Prerequisites: 7th level Kineticist.
Reduce the cost of a single metakinesis ability, selected when you gain this feat, by 1 (to a minimum of 0). This feat may be taken multiple times, but each time must be applied to a different metakinesis ability. You must first be able to use the metakinesis ability in order to gain this feat and reduce the cost of it.
Gather Power as a full-round action + a move action + Supercharge = 5 less burn you take for your blast. Infusion Specialization eventually makes nearly all your Infusions free, Composite Specialization cuts most Composite blast costs in half. Metakinesis Specialization allows a 33% to 100% off the cost of one Metakinesis (Empower can be yours for the low, LOW price of absolutely free every round).
You can't nova with the example in the book, but if you need 4x a huge composite blast right now or the BBEG kills your crew, by George you can do it once.
I have so much to learn... That seems pretty awesome like that. :P
Still gonna try to get this feat past my GM though, as it seems better. ;)
Metakinesis specialization is high level for a reason, free empowered on everything at 7th level sounds abit ridiculous.
Yes it does, it makes sense that it isn't free in retrospect, but I was loving the idea that one day I'd be pushing a free Empowered/Maximized Kinetic Blast. At least now my numbers seem to start matching what I see on the boards. :P Here I was thinking that damage was a bit too high (but everyone else was just saying it wasn't making me feel less bad about it), didn't realize it was because I can't read. :P
Metakinesis specialization is high level for a reason, free empowered on everything at 7th level sounds abit ridiculous.Would not Gather grant a similar result? Empower costs 1, Gather reduces by 1 the final total of your blast's burn, therefore: Gather+Empower Simple Blast all day starting at level 5?
Which is fine, since it takes up more actions to the extent where you're basically making a full attack.
Yes, you can Gather Power and then Empower your blast at level 5, but then you're paying for it with your action economy. You basically become a sitting duck for a round while you gather and blast. It's still totally cool if you have the leeway to do it, but in melee, you can't run away.