Hi guys,
I am in a play-by-post game here on the boards, and I am trying to finish the rest of my leveling plan for my character. I am playing a Hydrokineticist with the Cold Basic Blast that pinch hits as the backup healer using the Kinetic Healing utility wild talent. We just got to level 3, and I am pretty solid on my plan up through 8, but after that I am not as sure. In particular I don't know what feats to take from level 13 on. Now, since it is a pbp on this board, it could very well die before then. But the theory crafter in me is still bothered that I don't know.
So check out my character sheet, and the below leveling plan I have so far.
1 caveat that you do need to know is we are using the Feat Tax rules. That's how I have Precise Shot at level 1 and am not picking up point blank shot until level 11 because it felt like there was always something better to take.
I also have no idea if at any point I should be using my ability to Change my Infusions or Utility talents. I imagine the Change Utility at 10 and Change infusion at 11 might be a good idea since I can take that as an opportunity to pick up some low level air talents. Same for the 16 and 17 earth talents. But I don't know what if anything I should be picking up. First time playing a kineticist so I am a little lost.
Anyways, open to thoughts, comments, and testimonials. Thanks for any input.
Feat/Ability Plan:
1 F: Precise Shot, E: Cold, I: Extended Range
2 U: Kinetic Healing
3 F: Weapon Focus (Kinetic Blast), I: Kinetic Blade - Current Level
4 U: Veil of Mists
5 F: Elemental Focus (Cold) , I: Entangling Infusion CI: ??
6 U: Slick CU: ??
7 E: Air, F: Extra Wild Talent (U: Air Cushion)
8 U: Wings of Air
9 F: Greater Elemental Focus (Cold) , I: Torrent
10 U: Shimmering Mirage CU: ??
11 F: Point Blank Shot , I: Mobile Blast CI: ??
12 U: Suffocate
13 F: ?? , I: Wall
14 U: Aerial Evasion
15 E: Earth, F: ??
16 U: Elemental Defense (earth) CU: ??
17 F: ?? , I: Deadly Earth CI: ??
18 U: Tidal Wave
19 F: ?? , I: Fragmentation
20 U: Seismic Master
So first question, will your gm allow kinetisicts if poryphora 3rd party material? If not that's fine, I just want to know which options are available
As far as switching out infusions/wild talents, I usually don't, there are a couple exceptions, like you could switch entangling for chilling blast, but onine I kept both :)
I would say, as far as feats, as you are taking three elements, I recommend spending just about every one on extra wild talent, yeah, you have to take talents four levels behind, but that will already be the case with your earth, and air talents, and thankfully, those restrictions don't stack.
Generally speaking take what you want, but if your already going kinetic blade, I have a few recommendations :)
Your taking water and earth, and spending a wild talent to pick up the earth defensive talent (recommend you keep that in the plan) but with all the defense, and you will be both healer, and tank :D
Why not Take it to the front line in Melee?
(You may even be able to drop point blank shot later)
Take kinetic whip, it's a reach weapon, that threatens close enemies, and allows attacks of opportunity, if you wantbtake blade whirlwind, and whip hurricane now you can let loose one blast at everyone within 10ft (I recommend but, it's a blast :D) with this you can drop fragmentation, this is a better way to hit groups :) and imagine entangling the whole area :D
Take ride the blast, this allows you to close into melee without moving (so you can gather power) I recommend taking extended range for this purpose, also, it's a prerequisite to an absurd number of infueions
If you really want to go crazy with reach, take kinetic form, now you can grow large or huge, if huge, hut everyone within 30ft with whip hurricane :D
If you went pure water I would recommend kinetic invocation, and fluid form through it, but you could already have Dr from your earth talent, and while the extra 10ft of reach is cool, it's not really necessary, and that would be 2 feats...
Rather then elemental focus cold, see if your gm will allow you to take ability focus blast
Definitely keep shimmering mirage
I looked into ability focus first. Got vetoed. No monster feats on PCs.
Gm has also been pretty firm on no 3pp, so I haven’t bothered asking about poryphora. Right now I am at the high end of power level in the party, so I don’t want to push too hard.
Stepping up to the frontline might not be a bad idea. I certainly have the go and dex for it. Worth considering.
Already have extended range, so ride the blast is smart regardless of what I do. Should find a place to squeeze that in.
If you want to step into melee you need to squeeze Weapon Finesse somewhere, otherwise yo won't be able to hit reliably.
As a ranged blaster i would go probably mono element, fire or air, but as a hydrokineticist i think that is place is in melee, with the kinetic whip chain listed above.
Weapon Finesse is free to all classes as part of the feat tax rules, so that is covered. I had missed the level limitation that prevents me from getting wings of air. That sucks. Crud. Okay. I can delay that to 10. Frees up another great since I don't need extra utility at 7 for air cushion.
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If you aren't going to single element, then you aren't going to actually get that much out of the Elemental focus feats. Also talk to your judge about Weapon Focus (Kinetic Blast); he might rule that Weapon Focus needs to be taken once each for KB-water, KB-air, etc. Rather like getting different weapon Focus feats for greatsword and longbow.
There are plenty of helpfull feats that have nothing to do with your blasts, particularly if you are on the high end of your party's power level. Improved Init, Iron Will & Skill Focus Use Magic Device come to mind...
Remember: Water & Air KBs, as well as both of their Composite attacks are physical, so they are affected by DR. Of the two Composites: one is half piercing/half cold, and the other is half bludgeoning/half electricity. So, I guess you pays your money and takes your chances there.
Mobile Gathering is insanely useful- so long as you can avoid Provoking, it gives you an exceptional amount of mobility for what amounts to a full-attacking ranged character. Especially once you get Wings of Air, it gives you nearly full mobility at all times.
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Mobile Gathering is insanely useful- so long as you can avoid Provoking, it gives you an exceptional amount of mobility for what amounts to a full-attacking ranged character. Especially once you get Wings of Air, it gives you nearly full mobility at all times.
Eh, I'm not sold on this. You can't take Mobile Gathering until you are 7th level, at which point you already have Infusion Specialty 1. So you Gather Power to Empower your blast, and let InfSpec cover the cost of Extended Range and just blast away. Or move 30' and blast normally, so that next round you are inside the 30' range.
I note that Infusion Specialty 2 comes at 8th level, not long after Mobile Gathering, which allows for more infusion shenanigans.
Please understand I'm not saying this isn't a usefull feat, I'm saying think carefully about whether or not you're going to use it a lot. Kineticists are another of the feat starved classes, and there are a lot of other feats to chose from. The play-style of your campaign is going to influence this a lot.