Kinetic Knight - STR vs DEX what are your thoughts

[Gariot]

So i am experimenting a lot lately, watching videos and reading stuff about the class. So far i see a lot of pro-Dex builds and i wonder why? Dex gives you extra AC and with weapon finesse the abilitiy to hit better. But you are most likely bound to Medium Armor that dont negates your Dex bonus.
In my eyes its a waste. To use Dex as a hit modi you need to take a feat and i think this is wasted. You are also probably too weak to effectively wear heavy armor since you maybe dumped STR or just set it to 10.

I think STR is better. It also helps you to hit, dont wastes a feat and you can pretty savely take the heaviest armor. You can even look for a heavy Armor that lets you use +1 Dex and build your char around it. With the free feat you could use, i dont know, early Spell Penetration or something like early toughness.

What are your thoughts about it? :) And remember, its about the Kinetic Knight, not the regular one.

[lockedmind]

Pajama tanks (unarmored characters with high dex who also added some mental stat to AC (e.g. Wis via monk dip)) were better at tanking than actual armored tanks in Kingmaker and likely still better in WotR.

[Gariot]

But you have to consider that you should not add any additional Dex to your build. You need CON. So you are "stuck" with your base 16 or maybe 18 untill you find items that push both CON and DEX.

You are of course right that some classes are great Pajama tanks :D But i dont think the KK is it.

[JustSmile]

Originally posted by lockedmind:

Pajama tanks (unarmored characters with high dex who also added some mental stat to AC (e.g. Wis via monk dip)) were better at tanking than actual armored tanks in Kingmaker and likely still better in WotR.

Archmage armour works with potions, since using a potion counts as casting the spell. By advanced midgame you can have mage armour for 9-10 without losing any unarmoured bonuses and an unlimited dex conversion. It scales all the way up to 14, though only very, VERY late. In comparison, there's not a SINGLE armour mythic feat. Actual armour is outdated by the time you conquer Drezen.

[Sargtlin]

I am currently playing a ratfolk kinetic knight in a tabletop campaign. So while I can't give you any insight on KK in Wrath of the Righteous specifically, I can offer my opinion on KK dex vs str:
It is true that you have to sacrifice a feat on weapon finesse. On the other hand you might argue that 4 more points in dex give you 2 AC which is equivalent to 2 feats. The heavy armor restrictions can easily be overcome by using mithral full plate - which you should do anyways to make use of your high dex. You also get more initiative which can prevent early hits from enemies attacking you while being flat-footed.
Overall I think that dex is definitely worth it over str. Without the damage bonus from str there just isn't enough incentive to invest in it.

[Midnight]

Heavy armor also cripples multiple skillchecks, movement speed and provides no protection whatsoever against touch attacks.

[Gariot]

Oh, right, i forgot about the better initiative. Hm, good point. Do you even get extra damage from str on a KK? I dont think so. Not that it really matters.

I dont worry much about the skillchecks but of course its a valid point too. If you take a dwarf you are slow anyway ... ;)
Interesting and valid thoughts so far.

Offtopic:
Midnight is the name of my InGame Horse. You are so such a smart Horse! :D

[Soul]

I really would go Dex over Str for any sort of Kineticist build lol

[Lord_WC]

Kinetic knight gives you nothing and you have to sacrifice every other infusion for it. It's a very bad tradeoff, roll a normal kineticist not kinetic knight (until they put in kinetic whip).

And there's archmage armor which gives you the armor bonus of a +5 full plate and every other way to have XX stat to AC needs you to be without shield and armor.

Btw you can't have neither STR nor DEX as damage on kinetic blades. The only decision you have to make is you want to pump STR or DEX for attack and at that moment DEX gives you AC and reflex saves while STR doesn't give you anything else.