Any good fire kineticist guides out there?

[Flip]

Planning my next playthrough and was just wondering if there was any good guides for fire based kineticist ? I admit I don't really understand how this class works, I found the npc in Kingmaker rather confusing. But having just fought one now that was shooting firebolts for 150+ dmg per round at my team it seems like it can get very powerful.

[Sador]

This one is pretty strong, although fairly barebones on explanation: https://www.reddit.com/r/Pathfinder_Kingmaker/comments/pkfip2/kineticist_controldamage_build_wotr/

Basically, you'll do fire based composite trip blasts and later AoEs for huge damage and crowd control.

[transmutionorchestra]

Originally posted by Flip:

Planning my next playthrough and was just wondering if there was any good guides for fire based kineticist ? I admit I don't really understand how this class works, I found the npc in Kingmaker rather confusing. But having just fought one now that was shooting firebolts for 150+ dmg per round at my team it seems like it can get very powerful.

Kineticist is pretty strong. Very good controller if you spec into Earth with Bowling Blast.

https://www.neoseeker.com/pathfinder-wrath-of-the-righteous/builds/Main_Character#Kinetic_Demon

This guide is for one iteration of that.

https://www.neoseeker.com/pathfinder-kingmaker/builds/Main_Character#Unfair_Kineticist

This is for another that is Kingmaker specific but can be adapted. It is basically what Sador posted but in a different format.

Personally, I did a Kineticist run for my first playthrough. Very, very strong, especially going Legend path. You can get an INSANE Dexterity score going Legend Kineticist / Mutation Warrior Fighter. Tops off near 50 Dexterity. With Fury's Fall, Agile Maneuvers, +35 BAB and the Trip feat line, your Bowling Magma Deadly Earth can control choke points like nobody's business.

If you're dead set on going a Fire focused build, consider Trickster path. Kineticist's biggest weakness is low rolls and if you can guarantee that you're throwing twenties, you'll hit with your big blasts every time. Also, the Improved Improved Critical line from Trickster can make your Kinetic Blast into an absolute nightmare weapon.

[Rainnd]

One warning for starting out with fire, in early game until you get ascendand element mythic ability your kineticist will be completely useless against demons

[Sador]

Originally posted by transmutionorchestra:

If you're dead set on going a Fire focused build, consider Trickster path. Kineticist's biggest weakness is low rolls and if you can guarantee that you're throwing twenties, you'll hit with your big blasts every time. Also, the Improved Improved Critical line from Trickster can make your Kinetic Blast into an absolute nightmare weapon.

Yeah, the build I linked was Azata based which makes you pretty much invulnerable and massively improves the power of all your companions rather than just your own, but until you get AoEs having a low dice roll was painful. Once you get it going though, you just rip through everything.

[SmallGespenst]

you'll probably have a pretty rough early game going with fire, energy blasts have to deal with spell and energy resistance, so there's quite a lot of build to get online before you're effective against most serious targets. though targeting touch AC helps dealing with weaker targets.

[Frostfeather]

There was a recent discussion on the Kingmaker forums about this:

https://steamcommunity.com/app/640820/discussions/0/2962796621648962796/

It's not going to cover the basics of Kineticists, but honestly I think if you just try one, you'll get the hang of it and it's easier to learn them by playing one vs reading a wall of text about it. There is some other info about Fire Kineticists that you'll probably find useful though.

[Flip]

Thanks all for the help, will check them out. Would going Earth first and then going over to Fire (I think you can pick additional elements) be a way to remain relevant early game Act I before Ascendent Element?

[Frostfeather]

Originally posted by Flip:

Thanks all for the help, will check them out. Would going Earth first and then going over to Fire (I think you can pick additional elements) be a way to remain relevant early game Act I before Ascendent Element?

That's one way to do it, but you really don't have to. For one, you're mostly fighting cultists and other enemies without fire resist in the first act. The demons are mostly not immune to fire. You can always use a weapon or items if they are, or rely on your group for them.

Earth/Fire does have the advantage of earliest Deadly Earth, but it can be a dangerous and cumbersome ability to use, especially in real time. Fire/Fire has some advantages covered in the other discussion, like composite touch attacks and composite Walls, and stronger synergy with Flame Curse. It pretty much comes down to personal preference and group needs I think.

[Climhazzard]

It's not impossible to start the game with a fire blast, just annoying. You need to know where to get the first kinetic diadem, which you can easily get at level 3, then mostly just target cultists with your MC until you get ascendant element around level 6. The other concern with fire fire builds is spell resistance. Don't think you can just get pure flame infusion and be set, you don't get that until level 17. Most likely you want spell penetration, greater spell penetration, and mythic spell penetration, all before level 11.

The simplest way to play fire fire, would be to use elemental engine and just get zippy magic (azata mythic path), that way you hardly even care about your infusions, you just blast stuff. It's even viable on unfair. Would be the most boring kineticist build though, imo.

I have a build in the guides section that uses psychokineticist for fire/fire. With the acolyte background it can get high persuasion for use with deadly carnage. For pure fire/fire builds there really isn't a downside to using pscyhokineticist over regular kineticist, because fire/fire doesn't care about combat maneuver bonus.

If you want to get the best form infusions, you have to look outside of fire. The typical kingmaker build that's like earth>water>fire, to get wall, deadly earth, and cloud; should work. Though I don't know if it's ideal because you might need to get ascendant element twice.

[Flip]

Thanks for the advice, will check them out. Fire/Fire sounds interesting to me, I just like nuking things with fire and this looks like it could fit the bill.

[Sador]

Originally posted by Flip:

Thanks for the advice, will check them out. Fire/Fire sounds interesting to me, I just like nuking things with fire and this looks like it could fit the bill.

For what it's worth, earth - fire gives earth, fire and magma (composite) blasts. Then you don't just have fire, you can throw magma at them as well.

It's also a bit more flexible.