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Are we sure the standard shield spell will still be around after the remaster?One that we saw in the earth preview is Glass Shield, a shield-style cantrip that has fewer hit points, but also shatters into shards when it's destroyed, causing damage.Any defensive / reactive Earth cantrips?
(Asking for a Stone Druid)...
It feels like "A spell that conjures a magic shield to protect you from harm" is sufficiently generic that there aren't going to be any copyright issues involved. At most it will get a rename, like "Magic Missile" will (that name is very OGL, but "throw magical projectiles at someone" is very generic.)
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Glass Shield references Shield for part of its mechanics.
That is a good sign.
Are we sure the standard shield spell will still be around after the remaster?One that we saw in the earth preview is Glass Shield, a shield-style cantrip that has fewer hit points, but also shatters into shards when it's destroyed, causing damage.Any defensive / reactive Earth cantrips?
(Asking for a Stone Druid)...
No but there's no reason to it to be remove. If Paizo would change something is probably to improve it instead. Maybe reducing or removing/reducing the shield "colldown" after block (to stay more in par with kineticist ability to remake their metal/wooden generated shields) or allowing it to be primal. But Glass Shield is already granted because it comes from RoE.
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The dedication gives you the Channel Elements actin. (Replaced Gather Elements. Doesn't require a free hand, isn't concentrate, and lets you use all your elements at once.) It also gives you the blast action (and it's two action +con damage variant) but doesn't scale the damage on it without further feats. Further impulses can be selected as class feats, same as other multiclass feats. But the nice thing is non-blast impulses still heighten automatically.
No but there's no reason to it to be remove. If Paizo would change something is probably to improve it instead. Maybe reducing or removing/reducing the shield "colldown" after block (to stay more in par with kineticist ability to remake their metal/wooden generated shields) or allowing it to be primal. But Glass Shield is already granted because it comes from RoE.Are we sure the standard shield spell will still be around after the remaster?One that we saw in the earth preview is Glass Shield, a shield-style cantrip that has fewer hit points, but also shatters into shards when it's destroyed, causing damage.Any defensive / reactive Earth cantrips?
(Asking for a Stone Druid)...
Shield was originally an iconic D&D spell, so it wasn't a given. Luckily the PF2 version works quite differently and the name is super generic.
The dedication gives you the Channel Elements actin. (Replaced Gather Elements. Doesn't require a free hand, isn't concentrate, and lets you use all your elements at once.) It also gives you the blast action (and it's two action +con damage variant) but doesn't scale the damage on it without further feats. Further impulses can be selected as class feats, same as other multiclass feats. But the nice thing is non-blast impulses still heighten automatically.
Shield was originally an iconic D&D spell, so it wasn't a given. Luckily the PF2 version works quite differently and the name is super generic.No but there's no reason to it to be remove. If Paizo would change something is probably to improve it instead. Maybe reducing or removing/reducing the shield "colldown" after block (to stay more in par with kineticist ability to remake their metal/wooden generated shields) or allowing it to be primal. But Glass Shield is already granted because it comes from RoE.Are we sure the standard shield spell will still be around after the remaster?One that we saw in the earth preview is Glass Shield, a shield-style cantrip that has fewer hit points, but also shatters into shards when it's destroyed, causing damage.Any defensive / reactive Earth cantrips?
(Asking for a Stone Druid)...
I suspect that a green revolution may hit Golarion soon and a lot of trees starting to spontaneously grow all over the place then with everyone (especially more support oriented characters) being able to easily grab cantrip Tree protector as early as level 4.
As for Shield, the one thing imo that may change is the specific benefit vs MM since that's kinda iconic to dnd.
Good call on magic missile. Hopefully it gets replaced with something more broadly applicable.
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Good call on magic missile. Hopefully it gets replaced with something more broadly applicable.The dedication gives you the Channel Elements actin. (Replaced Gather Elements. Doesn't require a free hand, isn't concentrate, and lets you use all your elements at once.) It also gives you the blast action (and it's two action +con damage variant) but doesn't scale the damage on it without further feats. Further impulses can be selected as class feats, same as other multiclass feats. But the nice thing is non-blast impulses still heighten automatically.
Shield was originally an iconic D&D spell, so it wasn't a given. Luckily the PF2 version works quite differently and the name is super generic.No but there's no reason to it to be remove. If Paizo would change something is probably to improve it instead. Maybe reducing or removing/reducing the shield "colldown" after block (to stay more in par with kineticist ability to remake their metal/wooden generated shields) or allowing it to be primal. But Glass Shield is already granted because it comes from RoE.Are we sure the standard shield spell will still be around after the remaster?One that we saw in the earth preview is Glass Shield, a shield-style cantrip that has fewer hit points, but also shatters into shards when it's destroyed, causing damage.Any defensive / reactive Earth cantrips?
(Asking for a Stone Druid)...
I suspect that a green revolution may hit Golarion soon and a lot of trees starting to spontaneously grow all over the place then with everyone (especially more support oriented characters) being able to easily grab cantrip Tree protector as early as level 4.
As for Shield, the one thing imo that may change is the specific benefit vs MM since that's kinda iconic to dnd.
Just say that it can be used against Force damage and you're set.
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No new true dragons from the two new elemental planes? Really?
What a shame...
Monster Core had 2 new dragons per Tradition of Magic. That's where we should get them, one dragon is called the Adamantine Dragon metal plane.
If you can get the proficiency and start with 16DEX, a shortbow is a pretty good weapon on pretty much any full caster who occasionally has a free third action. Will the same be true about a full caster who starts with 16CON and goes into the kineticist archetype to occasionally make blasts instead of bow shots? Or will a runed up bow still deal more damage, even with the bad weapon proficiency scaling of a caster?
The blast can only get expert proficiency with a feat, still uses con as its attack attribute, is a d6 or d8, and can only scale up to 4d6 or 4d8 by spending one feat per extra die. So no, it's not better than shortbow. Huge feat sink that at least doesn't cost money. (Unless you get that item bonus thing for blasts.)
Can the multiclass pick up any of the impulse junctions?
I didn't spot that option.
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Rule's Laywer on Youtube has a overview video.
Covers:
1. Full kineticist class chassis, and 1st level univeral feats (no impulses).
2. Kineticist MC.
3. Elemental Barbarian.
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This was probably already asked but how do two-action blasts improve at higher levels? I recall a concern being that adding Con to damage put them behind cantrips in terms of damage assuming it was the only feature they gained.
They really didn't. The only advantage at higher levels I can see is if you are trying to trigger your junction (which requires a 2-action blast/impulse) with a blast instead of one of your other impulses.
If there are 2 things I find slightly disappointing in Kineticist I'd say it is this (2-action blast scales VERY poorly) and the fact that your blasts don't get an extra die of damage until lvl 5 (one level behind a striking rune) as it goes up at lvl+4. So at lvl 4, your blasts are very week compared to other options both martial and cantrips.
P.S. would love if somebody told me I was misreading the blast progression, but it looks like an extra die at lvls 5,9,13,17 since it is listed as "Level+4" and I'm assuming it starts. Though as I think about it lvl 4,8,12,16,& 20 makes more sense...I'm confusing myself...help!
You're not misreading it, first bump is at 5th level.
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You're not misreading it, first bump is at 5th level.
Thank you, I'm back to being sad, but have my sanity back. Martials are doing 2dx+str+x (weapon and class dependent). Telekenetic Projectile is doing 2d6+int/cha. Poor Kineticist is doing 1dx+x (maybe str, maybe con, maybe neither).
Oh well, there is so much to love that I won't focus on that.
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This was probably already asked but how do two-action blasts improve at higher levels? I recall a concern being that adding Con to damage put them behind cantrips in terms of damage assuming it was the only feature they gained.They really didn't. The only advantage at higher levels I can see is if you are trying to trigger your junction (which requires a 2-action blast/impulse) with a blast instead of one of your other impulses.
If there are 2 things I find slightly disappointing in Kineticist I'd say it is this (2-action blast scales VERY poorly) and the fact that your blasts don't get an extra die of damage until lvl 5 (one level behind a striking rune) as it goes up at lvl+4. So at lvl 4, your blasts are very week compared to other options both martial and cantrips.
P.S. would love if somebody told me I was misreading the blast progression, but it looks like an extra die at lvls 5,9,13,17 since it is listed as "Level+4" and I'm assuming it starts. Though as I think about it lvl 4,8,12,16,& 20 makes more sense...I'm confusing myself...help!
I read the scaling the same way but I wouldn't mind being wrong. Worth noting though the two action blast can combine with other abilities to get a lot more than just its raw dice. The fire aura junction is one example, but there's also full strength to damage options. You also get item bonuses to hit, so I think the cantrip comparisons are missing a lot. The average at maxed levels only deals 32 damage on a hit. A maxed thrown 2 action impulse can can be 34.5 without touching auras and other enhancements, and you can follow up with another blast after that. Electric arc + shortbow is the only thing I'd wonder about out damaging it.
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This was probably already asked but how do two-action blasts improve at higher levels? I recall a concern being that adding Con to damage put them behind cantrips in terms of damage assuming it was the only feature they gained.They really didn't. The only advantage at higher levels I can see is if you are trying to trigger your junction (which requires a 2-action blast/impulse) with a blast instead of one of your other impulses.
If there are 2 things I find slightly disappointing in Kineticist I'd say it is this (2-action blast scales VERY poorly) and the fact that your blasts don't get an extra die of damage until lvl 5 (one level behind a striking rune) as it goes up at lvl+4. So at lvl 4, your blasts are very week compared to other options both martial and cantrips.
P.S. would love if somebody told me I was misreading the blast progression, but it looks like an extra die at lvls 5,9,13,17 since it is listed as "Level+4" and I'm assuming it starts. Though as I think about it lvl 4,8,12,16,& 20 makes more sense...I'm confusing myself...help!
I read the scaling the same way but I wouldn't mind being wrong. Worth noting though the two action blast can combine with other abilities to get a lot more than just its raw dice. The fire aura junction is one example, but there's also full strength to damage options. You also get item bonuses to hit, so I think the cantrip comparisons are missing a lot. The average at maxed levels only deals 32 damage on a hit. A maxed thrown 2 action impulse can can be 34.5 without touching auras and other enhancements, and you can follow up with another blast after that. Electric arc + shortbow is the only thing I'd wonder about out damaging it.
Yeah, I get that and at higher levels it is no issue (though no runes like martials and a number of cantrips go vs. saves). I just find lvl 4 to be very odd and the progression maxing at 17 odd as well. Especially since they did the attenuator at the same level as you get your first potency rune. Would love for somebody to say that it is 1-4-8-12-16-20 under the logic that the blast doesn't have a level and thus is considered a lvl 0 ability so the lvl+4 is 0+4=4.
Anyway, unless somebody confirms that, it is just going to be my little pet peeve.
Last I checked, blasts are about at cantrip level (meaning electric arc is here to mock you once again).
Early on, impulse+blast kineticist actually has a really hard time of it compared to electric arc+shortbow on a bard. Fire can get a leg up with the weakness aura, improved damage dice on impulse, etc, but it's actually kind of disappointing now that I've mathed it out.
Fire can get a leg up on with Flying Flame, 30' shapeable line that for fire with impulse junction does d8 per spell rank equivalent. It's two actions, not overflow, so your other action can use the elemental weapon feat to throw your blast and add strength damage if you have enough to matter. Or just double tap one of your FF victims with the regular blast. Once damage and weakness auras are up you're hitting these guys twice if they're in your aura and one of them three times.
Flying Flame is the bread and butter for always hitting 3-4 close enemies without hitting allies.
The air/water/metal two action non-overflow impulses are d4 (air/water, with compensations/adders) or d6 (with line or cone option).
Last I checked, blasts are about at cantrip level (meaning electric arc is here to mock you once again).
Early on, impulse+blast kineticist actually has a really hard time of it compared to electric arc+shortbow on a bard. Fire can get a leg up with the weakness aura, improved damage dice on impulse, etc, but it's actually kind of disappointing now that I've mathed it out.
In terms of damage, yeah it falls slightly short. The main way the kineticist gets a leg up in comparison is with versatility, especially with Weapon Infusion.
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Last I checked, blasts are about at cantrip level (meaning electric arc is here to mock you once again).
Early on, impulse+blast kineticist actually has a really hard time of it compared to electric arc+shortbow on a bard. Fire can get a leg up with the weakness aura, improved damage dice on impulse, etc, but it's actually kind of disappointing now that I've mathed it out.
Electric Arc + Shortbow on a Bard ?
Isn't that one of the highest damaging caster builds at early level ? EA is not on the Occult list after all.
A 2 action Melee Elemental Blast will just barely edge out an electric arc cantrip... used on a single target. If Electric arc didn't hit 2 people it wouldn't be as bad, but even at that point it would still be only a few damage less than Elemental Blast's best damage case. And while I totally get the big Infusions not being as high-end as big spells because of the unlimited v. limited natures, the fact that Kinetic Blast can't edge out a cantrip is pretty damning. But that's an issue with Electric Arc more than anything else.
Last I checked, blasts are about at cantrip level (meaning electric arc is here to mock you once again).
Early on, impulse+blast kineticist actually has a really hard time of it compared to electric arc+shortbow on a bard. Fire can get a leg up with the weakness aura, improved damage dice on impulse, etc, but it's actually kind of disappointing now that I've mathed it out.
Electric Arc + Shortbow on a Bard ?
Isn't that one of the highest damaging caster builds at early level ? EA is not on the Occult list after all.
Jolt Coil has made electric arc really accessible, though not at level 1 at least.
It's with the dice bump. Base Flying Flame is d6.
Hmm. So does Kineticist have damage boosting blasts similar to psychic? You can boost the blasts to do great damage?
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If you can get the proficiency and start with 16DEX, a shortbow is a pretty good weapon on pretty much any full caster who occasionally has a free third action. Will the same be true about a full caster who starts with 16CON and goes into the kineticist archetype to occasionally make blasts instead of bow shots? Or will a runed up bow still deal more damage, even with the bad weapon proficiency scaling of a caster?The blast can only get expert proficiency with a feat, still uses con as its attack attribute, is a d6 or d8, and can only scale up to 4d6 or 4d8 by spending one feat per extra die. So no, it's not better than shortbow. Huge feat sink that at least doesn't cost money. (Unless you get that item bonus thing for blasts.)
The fact that you get short changed on scaling and proficiency compared to everyone else is kind of rough. They were really scared of kineticist archetype.
I do kind of like the idea of the elemental barbarian taking the kineticist archetype to grab the armor+shield ability from wood/metal which gives them shield block a shield that doesn't occupy a hand. The elemental blast would just be a backup ranged attack.
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Hmm. So does Kineticist have damage boosting blasts similar to psychic? You can boost the blasts to do great damage?
There's Desert Winds, the air/earth composite, which is a stance that (1) sets up a concealment border at your aura's edge (I think you can see out freely), and (2) adds on slashing damage on any air impulses that hit anything inside the aura (scales up to +8 on multitarget, +16 on single target).
There's also Living Bonfire, the fire/wood composite. It summons a bonfire that can be a source for your blast but also adds fire dice (d6 up to 4d6) to your blasts.
The fire aura junction (half level fire weakness) has been mentioned, that works with your blasts if the targets are in the aura.
Finally, I think there's at least one or more versions of the elemental form/body power that were in the playtest in the fire section. If you're under the influence of one of these (I think I remember they exist at least for fire and metal, using a new metal version) they add one dice to your blast while active.
Does the archetype impulse proficiency scale like other spellcasting archetypes? Expert at 12 and master at 18?
No, it's caster proficiency. 7/15/19. And there's an attack bonus (but not DC) item to give a +1 at 3rd level and a +2 at 11th. Accuracy is good, DCs are the same as casters.
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As an aside from the kineticist, we have the new 4th rank spell, life-draining roots. It does 8d6 piercing damage in a 30ft line and gives you 1d4 temp hp per living creature hit.
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I mean for the kineticist archetype. Since we were talking about the multiclass potential for blasts.Does the archetype impulse proficiency scale like other spellcasting archetypes? Expert at 12 and master at 18?No, it's caster proficiency. 7/15/19. And there's an attack bonus (but not DC) item to give a +1 at 3rd level and a +2 at 11th. Accuracy is good, DCs are the same as casters.
You get Expert at 12 like a spellcasting archetype (although unlike a spellcasting archetype, the feat only gives proficiency), but there's no Master feat at 18 like a spellcasting dedication.
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You can get expert proficiency at level 12 with a feat. At 8/14/18 you can select feats that improve your elemental blast damage by a single die.
It's very feat inefficient to be inaccurate with blasts that do modest damage. It's best for low level utility feats, things like the air party mobility or wood protector tree.
This was probably already asked but how do two-action blasts improve at higher levels? I recall a concern being that adding Con to damage put them behind cantrips in terms of damage assuming it was the only feature they gained.They really didn't. The only advantage at higher levels I can see is if you are trying to trigger your junction (which requires a 2-action blast/impulse) with a blast instead of one of your other impulses.
In practice the low progression of 2-action blasts isn't really a problem, as it tends to be replaced by some better 2-action save impulse at higher levels.
Additionally, you can greatly improve the efficiency of 2-action blasts at lower levels using strength bonuses and Weapon Infusion to improve the range you can use this bonus at up to 20 feet (which is usually sufficient for most indoor combat).
In the mid to last levels blasts in many builds will end up being the equivalent of the additional 1-action Strike/Sustain Spell/Psi Burst/Act Together that many spellcasters use to complete their 2-action spells.
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Living bonfire sets up a bonfire in a 10ft square within 30ft and you can have your wood blasts come from it instead of you. When you do, it deals +1d6 fire damage (I wonder if this gets boosted to 1d8 with the fire impulse junction since the bonfire itself is fire+wood). Level 4 feat, and scales by another d6 per 5 levels.