Mercies and Other Classes

[TrinitysEnd]

Several other classes gain the ability to gain Paladin Mercies, but there is no wording on them (E.x. Kinetic Chirurgery) saying they treat their level for Paladin level or substitute the Charisma modifier for certain DCs with their own primary stat.

So I ask, Is it intended for classes that gain the Mercy Class Feature like a Paladin (Such as Kinetic Chirurgeon) to not be treated as their level as an effective Paladin level? And are they also supposed to use their Charisma modifier or their primary or some other modifier?

I understand that this is RAW, but I am unsure if this is the intent, as it makes several mercies completely unusable or have insanely low DCs. Examples down below, and I'd love to hear other's opinions and if people think that this is not intended.

Spoilered for length:

Kinetic Chirurgery:

A kinetic chirurgeon must select either aether or water as her primary element. She gains kinetic healer as a bonus wild talent at 1st level. At 3rd level and every 2 levels thereafter, the kinetic chirurgeon can select any one paladin mercy that a paladin of that level could select. Each time she uses kinetic healer, she can apply one of these mercies to the target of the healing. A kinetic chirurgeon can never use infusions. This ability replaces infusions.

Targeted Mercy:

The paladin’s lay on hands also acts as sanctuary, using the paladin’s level as the caster level. The saving throw DC to negate this effect is equal to 10 + 1/2 the paladin’s level + the paladin’s Charisma modifier.

Cursed Mercy:

The paladin's lay on hands ability also acts as remove curse, using the paladin's level as the caster level.

[toastedamphibian]

Intent of Kinetic Chirurgeon seems to be, to me, that you use your Chirurgeon level, not paladin level. Nothing indicates a change of ability modifier though.

No, I have no rules to back this up, just what I read as the intent.

[Nefreet]

You would use your Kineticist Level (since you are the "Paladin" in this case), but you would still rely on your Charisma modifier for it.

Many classes gain the abilities of other classes. There is no default rule for using the base class's primary attribute.

Sometimes it's defined, and sometimes it's not.

[TrinitysEnd]

I really wish that there were rules to back this up, but thank you for at least confirming that I do count as a paladin in the case of the mercies. It sucks for ones like Targeted, but it's not the worst thing ever. But at least I can use the majority of the Mercies.

Though, would anyone happen to have a link to the post that I could FAQ for class features that gain another's class features but don't change the name? I thought there was one for like Kensai magus? But I can't find it.

[Nefreet]

An FAQ about ability modifiers for DCs?

There isn't one.

Part of the reason is because, unlike Starfinder, classes don't have a "primary attribute". What would be the primary attribute of a Fighter, Barbarian or Ranger?

It's best to call out different attributes within the class ability itself.

And so barring that sort of language, we're left with the default attribute of the base ability.

[TrinitysEnd]

Maybe I wasn't clear, I meant for class features that don't change the name of the parent class they take it from, like the Kensai's Canny Defense Talent, which states:

Canny Defense wrote:

Canny Defense (Ex): At 1st level, when a kensai is wielding his chosen weapon, he gains the canny defense ability. This is identical to the duelist prestige class ability of the same name (Core Rulebook 382), save that his chosen weapon may be of any type.

But doesn't change the wording from Canny Defense to work with Magus Level. I was hoping to try and find an FAQ attempt (Forgot that word in my last post) for that and boost that at least.

Sorry for being confusing.

[Nefreet]

It doesn't have to state that. It's a Magus (Kensai) ability.