Does this seem balanced as an alternative Capstone ability?
Elemental Ascension (Ex)
At 20th level, you transcend mortal limits, becoming a living embodiment of your primary element.
You can accept 1 point of burn to transform into a Medium Elemental of your primary element, as if using Wild Shape. While in this form you retain your ability scores, skills, and class features, and you can use all kineticist abilities, including wild talents, while transformed. You also gain Darkvision 60 ft and Immunity to bleed, paralysis, poison, sleep, and stunning.
If you have the Kinetic Form utility wild talent, you can activate it while in elemental form, letting you transform into a Huge Elemental of your primary element.
Once you have accepted burn to activate this ability, you can freely shift between your elemental form and your normal form as a standard action until your burn is removed. This ability is a polymorph effect, and any other polymorph effect applied to you will override your elemental form until it ends, at which point you can resume your transformation if this ability is still active.
IMO. it seems a little weak. A druid can shift into a Huge Elemental at 12th level, so I would expect a Capstone ability to grant more than just a Medium elemental.
I think I'd just remove its native burn cost and call it a day. It's a convenience ability at a level where most of the convenience can be covered by other means.
I agree, but at the same time, I don't want an imbalance... I'm nowhere near 20th level, but I can't imagine my using Omnikinesis, as I envision this as a progression from a "Sylph Kineticist" into an actual Air Elemental Princeling... Just wanna give the GM something that he won't mind. :)
Thanks for the input.
I think you should show the GM this chat too. Frankly, I reach level 20 so rarely as to not even care about the options there. But I think most of us agree that what you currently have is on the lower end of the powerscale for capstone abilities, and I'd even recommend the GM give you a tiny little extra perk to it over what you listed.
Compare it to the official alternate capstone for kineticist:
Unbridled Power (Su)
Source Chronicle of Legends pg. 29
At 20th level, the kineticist wields her chosen element like a knife, cutting through all opposition. The kineticist chooses one blast. Her damage with that blast increases by 2d6+2 (for physical blasts) or by 2d6 (for energy blasts), and the blast ignores the first 10 points of damage reduction or energy resistance that the target has.
That's a free large boost to damage. The 2d6 is decent, but ignoring 10 DR/ER is even better. Meanwhile, what you have just gives some quality of life buffs that you mostly could have already had through other wild talents in your element.
Oh.... I don't have that source book, didn't know about that one... that'd be worth having. I only know the default capstone of "Hey, extra burn and you can shoot fire instead of lightning".
I do think what I really need though is, indeed, something to overcome the Resistance and/or Immunity of those I target...
https://aonprd.com/ClassDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Kineticist
The Archives are the official online rules for Pathfinder.
Scroll way down to Alternate Capstones. I only listed the one specific to kineticists. There are a few others that are generic to any class.
Perfect Body, Flawless Mind (Ex)
Source Chronicle of Legends pg. 31
At 20th level, the character’s endless training and study has resulted in an unmatched mastery of the self. The character increases her ability scores by a collective total of 8. For example, she can increase one score by 8, or one score by 5 and another by 3, or four scores by 2, and so on. Characters of any class can select this ability.
Thanks, I'ma hafta get me that book...
Chronicle of Legends was the big finale to the Player Companion line of books.