The Kineticist: HALP!


Advice


I may have asked this question some time back, but I really need the Kineticist class explained to me. I need it broken down and each part explained as though I was the slow kid in math class. I want to use one as an NPC in a game this Friday night. The players have encountered Munravi and their subterranean origin just screams Geomancer to me.

Help!


Generally just saying "help! explain this whole thing to me." Makes it really hard to help you because it looks like you've not even tried. Go read the class, think about it and come with specific questions. Then people will be more likely to help you.

A quick google search also turned up this: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?482463-Can-someone-explain-th e-Kineticist-class-to-me


I have read the class, more than once. Specifically, I don't understand the burn mechanic.

And thanks for the link! I just scanned the guide and it looks like exactly what I need!


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Burn is basically a stacking debuff that you can only get rid of with a full night’s rest.
* For each point of burn you have, you also take nonlethal damage equal to your character level. This nonlethal damage can’t be healed by normal means.
* Per round, you can only take 1 point of burn per 3 kineticist levels you have, with a minimum of 1
* You can’t choose to hold more burn than 3 plus your constitution bonus, though it could happen on accident.
* There are other kineticist abilities that lower or prevent burn, though most of those only apply to blasts and not to utility.


Burn can be used to fuel/enhance your powers, class abilities, etc.
I'll assume that is not your issue, but each specific thing describes what burn does to it, if at all applicable. The trickiest ones are probably the indirect ones, like the overflow.

It's your resource.
1 pt of burn comes with an amount of unavoidable non-lethal damage equal to your character level.
Which you can't heal normally, but get back after a good night's sleep.
And you can only take so much voluntarily, namely 3+CON max, and a maximum of anywhere between 1 and 6 per round, depending on your level.

And that's basically it.
You'll get things to lower costs and stockpile tiny amounts for later use.

I realize after checking that I've ended up merely rephrasing the actual burn description, but I'd need a more precise question to be more helpful.

If the talent you wanna use needs burn, spend it, take the damage, enjoy.
If it's morning and you want to beef up your defense talent for the day, check how much you want to invest, spend it, take the damage, go on with your day.
If you want to boost your blast with an infusion or some metakinesis : add all the costs, see how much you need, how much you reduce that by if you're lv 5 or more, check if you can afford to Gather Power, see how much burn you still need after that, if any. Double-check if you can still take burn today. If you can spend that much at once. Spend it. Take the damage. Boom.

Edit : also, if it's for an NPC and you don't care to handle the minutiae, you can afford to handwave at least part of that.
Careful not to overdo it : do try to have an idea of what's possible and what isn't. But you don't necessarily need your bookkeeping to be absolutely exact, to the dot.


Excellent! Thank you!

Grand Lodge

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Also remember, the level of a talent is basically its spell level. Your kineticist level needs to be double the level of any talent you want.

You can also gather power to lower the amount of burn something uses. A move action will reduce the burn cost of something by 1, a full turn removes 2.

Infusion specialization also reduces burn, but only from infusions (things that alter your kinetic blast), it won't reduce the cost of composite blasts or utility talents.

Burn is both a help and a hindrance...as you take burn it will give you some bonuses, but it will also weaken you and make you easier to knock out.


Thanks, everyone. I'll start looking into it tonight.


Slyme wrote:
You can also gather power to lower the amount of burn something uses. A move action will reduce the burn cost of something by 1, a full turn removes 2.

You can't however, use gather power on utility talent (which I think is bs, but it would kinda break the class completely if you could use it with Kinetic Healer).

GP only works with infusions and blasts.


Let us know if you have any more questions, DM Cal! Kineticist is one of my favorite PF1E classes, because of all the different options to which you have access.


Thank you, Faelyn! I'm sure I will be turning to the wisdom offered here!

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