I am confused about adapt element.

[VampByDay]

So . . . maybe I'm stupid, but adapt element seems . . . stupid? It lets you two action gather an element only if it is around (so, y'know, gathering earth might be hard if you are on the immaculately cleaned third floor of a mannor house), you can only gather what you could channel anyway (so it doesn't let our geogeneticist gather water) and . . . what benefit does it have? Lets you turn that bit of earth into a nice statuette? Let's you cool down that cup of ice water? Give someone a stiff breeze?

I understand that it gains better uses as you go on, but why not just say 'hey with gather element, you also have these options' instead of treating them as two seperate abilities? What am I missing?

[Unicore]

I too am a little uncertain about most of the element/terrain adapting class features. They are thematically and conceptually very cool, but they feel mechanically like a massive step backwards towards nebulous illusion/prestidigitation/unseen servant spells of games past: hotbeds of fights between players and GMs about what qualifies as creativity and what is just trying to “cheat” the system.

I get that narrative powers need to be a little open-ended to foster colorful fun role playing. But I hate it when the only thing you can be sure about how a GM will interpret a power is that it is going to change every time you play it.

[Temperans]

Yeah right now adapt element is both too weak (the numbers are too small) and too nebulous (the whole thing reads as "don't ask us, just ask your GM").

Then the fact so much space is wasted for what's effectively (they even used it as an example), "you can move a pebble withing 10 ft of you 1 ft".

[Hergrir]

It seems that Adapt Element "Gather" option allows you to Gather any element in your environment, no matter your inner gate. Then, even without specific impulse, you use this "gathered element" for generic purpose, such as Element blast "...using your gathered element".
Not gamebreaking, but quite nice to have options.

[Seppukumon]

Hergrir wrote:

It seems that Adapt Element "Gather" option allows you to Gather any element in your environment, no matter your inner gate. Then, even without specific impulse, you use this "gathered element" for generic purpose, such as Element blast "...using your gathered element".

Not gamebreaking, but quite nice to have options.

Choose a non-magical portion of an element you can channel that’s within 10 feet of you.

You have to be able to channel the element, so your 1 element as a dedicated, 1 of 2 for dual, or any of the universal.

*Edited formatting.

[YuriP]

IMO Adapt Element is just a Prestidigitation for Kineticists. A tool to help casters to do simple magical things that's help in role play.

[Martialmasters]

YuriP wrote:

IMO Adapt Element is just a Prestidigitation for Kineticists. A tool to help casters to do simple magical things that's help in role play.

This was also my assumption.

[Opsylum]

Out of curiosity, what would break if Kineticist could move elements 5 ft, got Adapt Terrain at 1st level (and Pure Adaptation at 7, and something stronger at 11), and had the chance to boost the effects of "Adapt Element" features by spending a focus point?

[shroudb]

I don't like it.

The fact that you have a kineticist that can't even affect a small portion of his dedicated element, regardless his level, just seems absurd to me.

"Hey, geokineticist, there's some rubble in the way, can you move it aside. "

" Sure! One pebble at a time! "

" But isn't your whole thing moving earth around? "

" Yeah.... About that... "

[Kekkres]

the restrictions are pretty clearly in place to prevent 5e style "creative narative solutions" to combat or challenges such as flooding and draining a room to kill an encounter without any mechanical interaction

[RexAliquid]

I do think that the power boost at 11th level could come a little earlier. Maybe 7th?

[Temperans]

Kekkres wrote:

the restrictions are pretty clearly in place to prevent 5e style "creative narative solutions" to combat or challenges such as flooding and draining a room to kill an encounter without any mechanical interaction

Which they way the handled it sounds more like they don't want players doing more than a party trick. A negligible amount of bulk is literally inconsequential.

[Ravingdork]

It wouldn’t surprise me if it existed to allow you to continue using your abilities in a more limited form once you overtaxed your internal gates with Burn, or something like that.