Kineticist Attack Training?

[Gwyrdallan]

I'm finally trying to wrap my head around 2e and am looking at trying to build a Kineticist and I have some questions, for some reason I find 2e much harder to read at a glance than 1e and so would like some clarification.

Under proficiencies Kineticist they have "Class DCs" so they get the training bonus to that, but most spellcasting classes list both "Class DCs" and "Spell Attack Rolls"

Does that mean that Kineticists are NOT actually proficient with their elemental blasts if they need an attack roll?

Also under the description of Elemental blast it says: " damage type other than a physical damage type adds its trait to the blast" Which trait? to the attack roll or damage roll?

Am I somehow missing some base rules that make these things make sense?

[Baarogue]

Kineticists aren't spellcasters. Elemental blasts and impulses aren't spells. They use the kineticist's class DC proficiency

The trait referred to is the "damage type" trait, as listed here on AoN: Damage Types. Most likely it'll be an energy type like fire, electricity, cold, etc. That trait is added to the blast, not any of its rolls, for purposes of resistance, weakness, immunity or anything else that refers to that trait. Like if a blast has or gains the fire trait, and the target of that blast is weak, resistant, or immune to fire, or if another ability says "X happens if any creature in the area takes fire damage"

There are probably a great many base rules you should read in the Player Core book before jumping into what is a moderate to complex class like the kineticist. That's not a dig, just a suggestion. "Traits" are a core concept in PF2e, and knowing what they are and what they apply to is central to understanding everything

[shroudb]

Kineticists do not have spells, so thy don't need, or have, spell DC.

Their impulses use their class DC for stuff regardless if the impulse calls for a save or an attack roll:

Quote:

An impulse that requires a saving throw uses your kineticist class DC. Some of your impulses require you to attempt an impulse attack roll to see how effective they are. Your impulse attack roll uses the same proficiency and attribute modifier as your kineticist class DC. Like a spell attack modifier, your impulse attack modifier uses the following formula: d20 roll + attribute modifier + proficiency bonus + other bonuses + penalties. This means your impulse attack roll is typically 10 lower than your class DC. The drained condition can reduce your impulse attack rolls and class DCs. You can acquire a gate attenuator to gain a bonus to your impulse attack modifier.

As for the traits, a "roll", either an attack roll, or a damage roll, doesn't have a Trait. An Action/Activity has a Trait.

To give a general example, a Fireball spell has the Fire trait. It's not the damage roll that has it, it's the entire ability.

Same thing with Elemental Blast. If you do a Fire Elemental Blast, the whole ability has the Fire Trait.

Usually, for Impulses, they say which traits each individual Impulse has by default, but because Elemental Blast can be done with all the Elements and multiple damage types, they had to put that blurb in to give the Action the Traits of your Blast since they are variable.

[Gwyrdallan]

Ok, thanks for helping me understand traits on attacks. But do Kineticists have training on Attacks with Blasts?

[Baarogue]

Gwyrdallan wrote:

Ok, thanks for helping me understand traits on attacks. But do Kineticists have training on Attacks with Blasts?

>They use the kineticist's class DC proficiency

For more details, read that whole quoted section in shroudb's post

[Easl]

Baarogue wrote:

Gwyrdallan wrote:

Ok, thanks for helping me understand traits on attacks. But do Kineticists have training on Attacks with Blasts?

>They use the kineticist's class DC proficiency

Specifically, this is: Trained at Level 1, Expert at Level 7, Master at Level 16, and Legendary at Level 19.

Their Class proficiency is what they use for elemental blasts + all their other impulses + if you pick up Kinetic Activation, you'll use it for activating scrolls, wands etc. of your element too.