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5 Tips For Playing Better Kineticists

A Pathfinder RPG Guide

By Neal LitherlandPublished about a year ago 7 min read
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There are many forms of power in the world. Some channel the might of the gods, others master the disciplines of steel, and a select few embrace a potent fury within themselves. Many will transcribe arcane rites, some will follow complex philosophies, and others are simply gifted with strange powers due to a potent bloodline.

Perhaps the strangest and least understood powers, though, are those born of the mind, and the will to channel psychic energies to achieve one's ends.

This 5 Tips series has been going on for a while now, and the most common request from readers was to cover the classes from Occult Adventures. And of all the occult classes, the kineticist is the one people most wanted to lead the pack... so I thought I'd start there!

Tip #1: Where Did Your Power Come From?

Firestarters tend to manifest during puberty... or so we've heard.

Kineticists are those who act as channels for elemental powers and strange energies. However, while their powers might not always be understood, they have to come from somewhere. So it is worth taking a moment to ask what the origin of your powers is... because even if your character doesn't know, you probably should.

Do you come from a line, or even a tribe, of elemental manipulators? Were you subject to an event that altered your mind and body (a near-death experience, massive blow to the head, or even being caught in a wave of psychic backlash), leaving you with the ability to call upon energies you couldn't before? Did you touch the wrong kind of magic item, or try to use an enchanted item that blew up in your face? Or are you something of an anomaly; an unexpected result of disparate bloodlines, or alchemical experiments, gifting you this unexpected ability?

This may be a personal plot point for your kineticist, so consider talking with your GM about it before the campaign starts.

Tip #2: How Did People React To It?

Some early manifestations are... more upsetting than others.

Kineticists, like any other class that manifests unusual or dangerous displays of power, may have traumatic early experiences with their own abilities. This is particularly true if they aren't understood by their friends, family, and community, who may be afraid of these unexpected abilities, leading them to alienate the kineticist.

As an example, say a young kineticist started slamming doors or levitating objects when they were emotionally distressed. If this isn't a power those in their community are familiar with, an early explanation might be that they were haunted, or possessed. Clerics might have performed exorcisms that didn't work, because there was nothing to be exorcised. This would only compound the fear, making the kineticist lash out, making the fear around them even greater as their power became more dangerous.

Alternatively, a kineticist might develop their abilities in a community known for strange and unusual happenings. While their friends, family, and neighbors might not have a full grasp of what's happening when the kineticist started bursting into flames, or summoning gusts of wind, those who remember what it was like raising a fledgling sorcerer, or who had to deal with a set of tiefling twins going through their terrible twos, might be significantly less-phased by the manifestations of this power.

Support, or the lack thereof, can be extremely important for how well-adjusted kineticists might be, and whether they feel they should hide their powers, or simply see them as no big deal.

Tip #3: How Did They Learn To Control Their Abilities?

When your mind makes things real, you can call it manifesting.

Whenever you have a power that comes from inside of you, it's important to ask how you managed to control it. While many players assume that their characters went off on their own to learn how to master their abilities (as we see in nearly every superhero film where the protagonist goes to a junkyard to train, and really let loose), that's only one potential path you can take.

For example, a kineticist might find the martial forms, meditation, and philosophy of certain monastic orders helps them channel their powers. Others might be kept under laboratory conditions and trained by alchemists who helped foster the process of becoming a kineticist in the first place. A kineticist might even be trained by a supernatural creature who is born of a particular element, or who has similar powers to them. Pyrokineticists being trained by an ifrit or a dragon, for example, while an aerokineticist might find instruction from a coatl, or a similar celestial creature associated with the air and storm.

A kineticist might even burn themselves out, requiring technological modifications to help keep them alive and control their power, as I mentioned in 5 Classes to Pair With The Promethean Corruption, for those looking for a unique take on a kineticist.

Tip #4: What Everyday Things Do You Do With Your Power?

Need a light, friend?

Kineticists have an unusual source of power, even among the varied and wild creatures and classes that exist in Pathfinder. Not only can they channel and shape the raw elements and forces of the world, but they can do so at-will. They have no spells to memorize, and no words of power to speak; the elements simply respond to their whims.

So it's important to take a moment to ask... what sort of ways does your kineticist use their powers in everyday life? What is their experience with being able to call on this power whenever they want to?

As an example, if one has Force Ward, does that constant protection around them make them bolder or more foolhardy, taking risks because they know they're protected? Do you light campfires or pipes with your inner fire without even thinking about it as a pyrokineticist? If you can turn your skin to stone, do you have a habit of doing this without thinking when you're working in a forge, acid dipping metals, or doing other hazardous things that simply don't bother you because of your abilities?

This is, in many ways, similar to the advice I gave in 5 Tips For Playing Better Tieflings and Aasimar, because much like those native outsiders, kineticists are different from other creatures... and that difference can cause them to experience life in very unique ways.

Tip #5: What Have You Done With It So Far?

You all know who I am.

This particular tip is two-fold, because you should ask yourself what your kineticist has done with their powers up to the start of your adventure, but also what kind of effect that has had on the world around them.

For example, if you have a pyrokineticist, did they start a great forest fire that burned down entire villages? Or did they use their powers in service of a particular armed force, fighting as a hero? Did they fight back against those who bullied them, leaving a trail of horrendous scars in their wake, or do they live as a hermit that no one knows much about?

All of this should play into your Small Legend (more on that in Character Reputation in RPGs: The Small Legend). Do people know who you are? Do people know what you are? Were you just trying to help in case of a disaster, and people decided to blame you for it? Or do people ascribe drastically incorrect origins to your powers, claiming you're a devil in human skin, or that you're a ghost sent by the old gods of the mountain, or even that you're a sorcerer gone mad?

This part of the story is up to you, but it's important to consider it when you start putting your kineticist together.

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That's all for this week's Fluff post!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my recent short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

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About the Creator

Neal Litherland

Neal Litherland is an author, freelance blogger, and RPG designer. A regular on the Chicago convention circuit, he works in a variety of genres.

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Blog: Improved Initiative and The Literary Mercenary

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