Does Spell Penetration apply to Kineticist Pure Energy Blasts?

[eharper256]

The feat browser always has a thumbs down for Penetration feats when I spec my mercenary Kineticist; and Kinetic Blasts are not "spells" so I assumed they were not applicable, something which seems to be agreed on by tabletop kineticist guides.

But I'm guessing they must be, surely, as there doesn't seem to be any other way for one to crack past it. They've gone from single-target murder-machine in Act 1/Act 2 to basically ineffectual besides doing Trickery/Mobility checks in Act 4; because they can't penetrate with energy blasts, or hit the really high AC's with composites/physicals.

[Thariorn]

No, Kineticist Blast are weapon rolls and do NOT profit or rely on Spell Penetration

[eharper256]

So there's nothing you can do to get past Spell Resistance on them?

[dszombiex]

Originally posted by Thariorn:

No, Kineticist Blast are weapon rolls and do NOT profit or rely on Spell Penetration

What do you mean? They're affected by spell resistance.

[Thariorn]

Originally posted by dszombiex:

Originally posted by Thariorn:

No, Kineticist Blast are weapon rolls and do NOT profit or rely on Spell Penetration

What do you mean? They're affected by spell resistance.

Ohh, eh, huh.
Must have misrembered that.....

Could've sworn SR/SI does not affect Blasts

[eharper256]

So I'm guessing that yes, they do, and I'm off for a respec again? XD

[eharper256]

It kinda doesn't help that Spell Penetration is normally shown in the Spellbook page only, when a Kin has no Spells, so no page.

[dszombiex]

I respeced real quick and tested it, it seems to work, this level 5 psychokineticist 1 Sohei seems to have a +10 bonus to overcome spell resist with Spen Pen, Greater Spell Pen

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2605518539

[eharper256]

Originally posted by dszombiex:

I respeced real quick and tested it, it seems to work, this level 5 psychokineticist 1 Sohei seems to have a +10 bonus to overcome spell resist with Spen Pen, Greater Spell Pen

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2605518539

Yeah I guess that would be right from Level 6 + 2 +2 (presumably Sohei also counts as a caster level for Kineticist in this case, which is weird but okay).

[dszombiex]

Originally posted by eharper256:

Originally posted by dszombiex:

I respeced real quick and tested it, it seems to work, this level 5 psychokineticist 1 Sohei seems to have a +10 bonus to overcome spell resist with Spen Pen, Greater Spell Pen

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2605518539

Yeah I guess that would be right from Level 6 + 2 +2 (presumably Sohei also counts as a caster level for Kineticist in this case, which is weird but okay).

Sohei shouldn't count. He gets 5 from Kineticist, +2 from Spell Pen, +2 from Greater Spell Pen, and +1 from being a handsome bastard.

[Lord_WC]

Energy infusions are subject to SR and spell pen affects them. In case of kinetic blade they target touch AC.
Composite with physical or pure physical blasts do not roll for SR and they target AC.

Generally you'd want Earth, Water (Water) and Fire, so you can get away with no spell pen on feat starved builds.

[Akogooth]

spell penetration is a not recommended feat for kineticist. (meaning the game thinks it doesnt work.)
spell resistance triggers for kinetic blasts that are based on energy like fire or blue flame. blastss that do bludgeoning damage like earth dont have a spellresistance check but also hit vs the AC not toch AC.

For blue flame combo blast (fire+fire) you can get the infusion that lets you ignore SR.
So you can have a critical sneakattack blue flame extended combo blast that does 1000+dmg while preventing SR check and energy immunity/resistance due to the fire mystic path feat.

[eharper256]

Originally posted by dszombiex:

Sohei shouldn't count. He gets 5 from Kineticist, +2 from Spell Pen, +2 from Greater Spell Pen, and +1 from being a handsome bastard.

Oh okay you've got the bonus from +1 CHA, fair enough, I forgot Psychokineticist used it rather than CON.

[dszombiex]

Originally posted by eharper256:

Originally posted by dszombiex:

Sohei shouldn't count. He gets 5 from Kineticist, +2 from Spell Pen, +2 from Greater Spell Pen, and +1 from being a handsome bastard.

Oh okay you've got the bonus from +1 CHA, fair enough, I forgot Psychokineticist used it rather than CON.

No no, psychokineticist uses WIS, and his WIS bonus at the time of that screenshot was +4. I was just making a joke.

[Lord_WC]

Originally posted by eharper256:

Originally posted by dszombiex:

Sohei shouldn't count. He gets 5 from Kineticist, +2 from Spell Pen, +2 from Greater Spell Pen, and +1 from being a handsome bastard.

Oh okay you've got the bonus from +1 CHA, fair enough, I forgot Psychokineticist used it rather than CON.

Psychokineticists use WIS.

[eharper256]

Originally posted by Lord_WC:

Generally you'd want Earth, Water (Water) and Fire, so you can get away with no spell pen on feat starved builds.

This specifically was an Air/Lightning/Fire build attempt to see what it was like. Magnetic Infusion is really useful to give everyone else +4 to hit when my MC is melee Trickster riding a wolf.

Whereas Bowling Earth is known to be very good, it would mostly get in the way for me.

Originally posted by dszombiex:

Originally posted by eharper256:

Oh okay you've got the bonus from +1 CHA, fair enough, I forgot Psychokineticist used it rather than CON.

No no, psychokineticist uses WIS, and his WIS bonus at the time of that screenshot was +4. I was just making a joke.

No idea where that +1 comes from then lol. XD