At what level can a dual-element Kineticist select the Enhanced Defense universal talent? Is it lvl 8 when he gains access to 4th level talents or is it lvl 12 when his second element gains access to 4th level talents?
I was confused since it is essentially being applied to an element that doesn't yet qualify for 4th level talents, or is it just talents of that specific element?
Okay, thanks.
New question:
Do abilities that are always active like the defense talents (at least I think they are) require any kind of concentration, even a tiny bit? I'm wondering if they would turn off during a Barbarian's rage?
Okay, thanks.
New question:
Do abilities that are always active like the defense talents (at least I think they are) require any kind of concentration, even a tiny bit? I'm wondering if they would turn off during a Barbarian's rage?
Defenses? No- no concentration checks or anything associated with them. So they should stay on until you turn them off (which only seems like it would come up when you want to be 'subtle' and not have ice clouds or burning flames wrapped around your character. Apparently it is rude to use a frost covered salad fork to help cut your steak).
Not sure how well you can get barbarian into a build with 8 levels of kineticist though. The blasts, the main class mechanic, are SLAs, which do in fact have concentration checks. I couldn't see this whole build working earlier than level 12 (where you can get 4 levels of bloodrager for mad magic, and then the 8 kineticist levels).
Yeah, I had an old build idea for a kineticist/barbarian myself, in the hopes I could make a case for certain abilities functioning without concentration. Didn't pan out, unfortunately. One of the big reasons being that kineticists don't usually appreciate multiclassing unless you're using VMC or gestalt rules, since the kinetic blast scales with class level.
The only way I can think of that a raging character might be able to access a kinetic blast is if he's using a conductive weapon. It'd be easiest to make a case for a ranged weapon since kinetic blast is a ranged ability by default, but you might be able to sneak a kinetic blade, kinetic whip, or devastating infusion onto a greatsword (or you could use it with kinetic fist, but no). The problem there is that you're making a conscious decision to activate the conductive ability, which could easily be considered concentrating. Also, I would assume that even if this is allowed, you would need to spend twice as much burn as if you'd just straight-up used the blast on its own. Also, since the melee blasts must be made as part of another action anyway, if they're allowed with conductive melee weapons it'll get rather muddy. Would each hit of your full attack have a kinetic blade tagging along, or would you only hit once with the kinetic blade tagged with your sword and the rest of the attacks are made with just the blade or the sword only? What if you use a thrown weapon with flurry of blasts or devastating flurry? If your DM does allow it, you might wanna be sure they can answer those questions before you start.
And again, that's if they allow it at all.
As Lem said though, a lot of the passive talents - including the defense talents - as well as things that stay on "until you next recover burn" such as kinetic form or thorn body should stay up through a rage (although you likely couldn't activate them mid-rage).
I have another Barbarian character, and rage only really comes up maybe 5 rounds per scenario. Great for if I need to boost accuracy or damage, but surprisingly underwhelming. I use it more for the hp buffer.
Anyway, the plan is only 2-4 levels of UnBarb and the rest Kineticist. Rage for melee combat and Blast for ranged.
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So what do you plan on getting out of 4 levels of barbarian over 4 levels of kineticist? Because a Barb 4/Kineticist 7 is going to be noticeably weaker than a Kineticist 11 while using blasts. Namely 2d6+2 damage on, +2 to con and +1 to attack from elemental overflow, reducing infusion costs by 2, being able to maximize a blast, having twice the internal buffer ability, and being able to reduce the burn cost by one more point when using gather power. Also 2 infusions and 2 utility wild powers of higher level. And if you're worried about being backed into a corner, there's always Kinetic blade.
Those 4 levels of barb gets +1 BAB, fast movement, ~16 rounds of rage (which is of questionable use to a kineticist), Uncanny Dodge, Danger Sense +1 and 2 rage powers.
Overall it looks like you're trading damage, high level talents and not inconsiderable reduction in burn for fast movement, uncanny dodge and a couple rage powers.
No, trading those things for fun, flavor, versatility, and being able to wield a Greataxe in one hand!
But mostly fun. I'm a multiclasser; I have more fun combining the powers of 2 or 3 classes than by staying purly one class. Even my character that was meant to be pure Fighter ended up picking up 2 levels of Brawler. The characters I enjoy playing the most are my CORE Reaper (Cleric of Urgathoa 3, Fighter 2, Shadowdancer 3), followed by my first character ever (Gold Dragon Sorcerer 4, Fighter 1, Dragon Disciple 4) and my Tengu pirate (Unchained Sea Reaver & Packrager 4, Freebooter 2).
It's less about what I lose/gain and more about if I'll have fun playing.
The particular character I'm developing will rage in melee and blast at range. If he's already raging but needs to blast, he'll adopt a calm stance and 5 ft. back to do so while still threatening his squares with the greataxe in one hand. Having 24 hp at 1st should also be interesting.
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I get that, but a kinteticist doesn't need to multiclass to be good at melee and can do a lot of cool things in the higher levels. Possibly taking 4 levels of barbarian doesn't really seem like a good idea. I could understand 2 levels for rage and a rage power, but even then, I would rather have a kinetic whip and the ability to do stuff like Earth Glide, Ride the Blast, or Spark of Life. All of these seem like much cooler abilities than what a barbarian will get you, at least at low levels anyway.
No, trading those things for fun, flavor, versatility, and being able to wield a Greataxe in one hand!
But mostly fun. I'm a multiclasser; I have more fun combining the powers of 2 or 3 classes than by staying purly one class. Even my character that was meant to be pure Fighter ended up picking up 2 levels of Brawler. The characters I enjoy playing the most are my CORE Reaper (Cleric of Urgathoa 3, Fighter 2, Shadowdancer 3), followed by my first character ever (Gold Dragon Sorcerer 4, Fighter 1, Dragon Disciple 4) and my Tengu pirate (Unchained Sea Reaver & Packrager 4, Freebooter 2).
It's less about what I lose/gain and more about if I'll have fun playing.
The particular character I'm developing will rage in melee and blast at range. If he's already raging but needs to blast, he'll adopt a calm stance and 5 ft. back to do so while still threatening his squares with the greataxe in one hand. Having 24 hp at 1st should also be interesting.
But a kineticist can MAKE a great axe. Out of FIRE. Or STONE. Or etc.
You can even wield a huge axe and say that is why your kinetic whip gets extra reach.
True enough but kinetic blade only lasts for the attack, leaving me unarmed during the enemy's turn. I would need Elemental Annihilator to fully threaten. Anyhoo, I like the idea of a Kellid barbarian being banished for developing non shamanistic magic. What element to use is all that remains...
True enough but kinetic blade only lasts for the attack, leaving me unarmed during the enemy's turn. I would need Elemental Annihilator to fully threaten. Anyhoo, I like the idea of a Kellid barbarian being banished for developing non shamanistic magic. What element to use is all that remains...
Thinking about it...elemental annihilator seems like it syngergizes much more easily with multiclassing, since it uses 'normal' combat styles rather than the one big scaling blast.
6 levels of that seems like it would fit rather well with many melee builds. With an earth users, you could grab DR/6, a nice little bit from elemental overflow (not anything too amazing, but probably enough to cover the 'no weapon enhancement' bit), and enough feats that you can do a good switch hitter.
Still not sure if it would work with barbarian for the usual reasons, but it would definitely work with any other melee class.
No you can't have a greataxe kinetic blade. A kinetic blade is light or one-handed weapons only. Greataxe is two-handed.But a kineticist can MAKE a great axe. Out of FIRE. Or STONE. Or etc.
You can even wield a huge axe and say that is why your kinetic whip gets extra reach.
PETITE GREATAXE.
No you can't have a greataxe kinetic blade. A kinetic blade is light or one-handed weapons only. Greataxe is two-handed.But a kineticist can MAKE a great axe. Out of FIRE. Or STONE. Or etc.
You can even wield a huge axe and say that is why your kinetic whip gets extra reach.
Talk to your GM. See if you can flavor it as a greataxe. A giant, finesseable greataxe of elemental energy.
At the very least, you could just say it looks like a "big ol' axe") it just wouldn't take up both of your hands unless you wanted it to do so. It doesn't take anything mechanical from looking like a specific sort of thing (for instance, a water blast with an axe-shaped kinetic blade/whip is still bludgeoning), so it can look like something cool that you imagine! :)
At the very least, you could just say it looks like a "big ol' axe") it just wouldn't take up both of your hands unless you wanted it to do so. It doesn't take anything mechanical from looking like a specific sort of thing (for instance, a water blast with an axe-shaped kinetic blade/whip is still bludgeoning), so it can look like something cool that you imagine! :)
Exactly. My telekinesist wears a cestus so her kinetic "blade" manifests as a giant hulk fist of aether that I use to pummel those who dare get in her face.
She has hulk smashed many a creature that mistakenly thought that because she sits in the back and throws stuff that she can't handle her self in melee.
The form infusion is a SU ability, like most of the form infusions. It's still modifying the basic blast which is still SLA.
And dude, the new print went out two days ago. If you're necroing a thread be sure to say that there's been a rule change and now the new rule is X. Because the way you did it seems like you're correcting someone for being wrong, but they were right at the time.
Devastating infusion may be a SU ability but your attack, the kinetic blast, is a SLA and requires concentration unless you get the metakinesis feat that lets you use it in a rage. And then it's costing you 1 burn per round to use in a full attack.
Devastating infusion may be a SU ability but your attack, the kinetic blast, is a SLA and requires concentration unless you get the metakinesis feat that lets you use it in a rage. And then it's costing you 1 burn per round to use in a full attack.What metakinesis lets you use kinetic blast while raging?
The new book that just came out has a feat that lets you pick one of 5-6 metamagic feats to become a usable metakinesis with a cost of 1 burn. The choices are piercing, ghost touch, the rage one, do non-lethal and I think 1 more.
The new book that just came out, In two days :P
Subscribers never pay attention to street dates. We just do what the emails tell us. :-)
The new book that just came out, In two days :P
Whoops my bad. I heard people talk about it in past tense so I assumed that it was the full release.