Keniticist Build

[Erts]

Well, I (in addition to planning to DM a campaign (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=10775318#post10775318)) am going to roll a straight up "blasty kineticist psion" for the campaign I'm playing now.
My plans to play an erudite never came through, and I've never played psionics before. What is a good build, in terms of feats and other factors?
My goal is to do damage, while still keeping it simple to play.
Help and suggestions?

[Erts]

All right, no responses, so I must bump. Sorry.

[cooperflood]

I played a low-level Kineticist once. It was alot of fun.

Powers:
Energy Missile: My go to power. It's a solid versatile spell that does damage.
Grease, Psionic: Great at low levels for the same reasons the regular one is. Solid choice for when your trying to conserve Power Points, but still need to contribute.
Telekinetic Force: The Fifth level spell Telekinesis is broken down into three different powers (3rd, 3rd, and 4th) this is the best of the three and you get it four levels earlier than a Wizard.

Feats:
Privileged Energy: I went with Cold, +1 damage type that targets Fort (no stupid Evasion).
Overchannel, Talented, and Psionic Meditation: Decent Feat combo, but nothing too exciting. Would retrain Talented to Maxamize at higher levels.

Equipment:
Empowered Spellshard (Energy Missile): Doesn't strictly work with psionics but its is a bargain if you can convince your DM to allow it.

Here is my full power/feat selection at 6th level. I don't remember exactly why I choose each power, but should give you a starting point.


1st: Psionic Body
Strongheart Halfling: Overchannel
Psion: Talented
3rd: Favorite Energy (Cold)
Psion: Psionic Meditation
6th: Expanded Knowledge


1 Vigor
1 Energy Ray
1 Precog Defensive
1 Entangling Ectoplasm
1 Grease Psionic
1 Astral Construct (EK)
2 Energy Missile
2 Damp Power
2 Cloud Mind
2 Serenity
3 Energy Wall
3 Telekinetic Force
3 Telekinetic Thrust
3 Dispel Psionics

[Moriato]

Is your heart set on Kineticist? You may actually be better off going Wilder if blasting is all you really want to do. They get fewer powers than psions, but the same amount of Power Points, and with psionics you don't really need that many blasty powers since they're all augmentable, and you can choose the energy type when you manifest it. The only major differences are the area of the powers (cone or line or burst etc). The wilder has a mechanic which lets them increase their manifester level for more blasty goodness.

You almost can't go wrong with psionics, and if you take the Psychic Reformation power you can always go back and change any of your choices for a minor xp cost.

[Lateral]

No, Kineticists are better blasters, because they get...

Well, Energy Missile. It's the best blaster spell ever written, PERIOD. Also, Psions have enough powers known that they can blast as well as Wilders and be useful in other situations, too. Wilders are only going to be able to blast. Wild Surge sucks and is rarely worth using at higher levels because of its increased danger of enervation.

Besides, Anarchic Initiate gets you a better version of Wild Surge for minimal feat investment (you should have Overchannel anyway) and no lost manifester levels. A basic build would be Psion (Kineticist) 5/ Anarchic Initiate 10/ Psion (Kineticist) 5, although it's perfectly viable to replace those last five Psion levels with some other prestige class.
For powers, basically take Energy Ray and then Energy Missile as soon as possible. Those are your go-to powers (Energy Missile is awesome for when there are multiple enemies, but Energy Ray is a touch attack instead of allowing a save.)
After that, go with whatever looks nice. Those pretty much make you a blaster, but some other blaster powers are tasty, also- you'll want Crystal Shard for PR: No, too. This may be helpful. (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19537882/What_Is_the_Most_Powerful_Psionic_Power)

[Draz74]

Psicrystals are ridiculously useful.

Are you using the XPH version of Energy Missile or the nerfed CPsi version?

Kineticist is indeed more poweful than Wilder, though Wilder can be decent too.

[Moriato]

Well, Energy Missile. It's the best blaster spell ever written, PERIOD.

The XPH version is, but the more recent CompPsi version got changed to +1 DC for ever 2 PP you augment it with, like every other power. So it's good, yeah, but no longer OMG BEST EVAR.

I don't know much about the Anachic Initiate, but as far as Wild Surge goes, you don't have to surge for the maximum every time, you can choose how much you want to risk, and I like that wild surge pays the extra PP cost for you. Plus there's got to be something out there that will make you immune to daze... in which case you could surge every time and get extra damage for free.

All in all, yeah, the psion is more powerful, but Erts also wanted something simple, which the Wilder fits very well.

[Lateral]

Psions are simple to play, and he asked for simplicity of play. Taking more powers isn't any more complex after character creation; more powers are always better, even if you pick at random. They'll still be useful sometimes. Besides, I linked to a list; the good ones are easy to pick.

...Yeah, I know it got nerfed in the CompPsi, but even with the nerf it's still an amazingly strong spell. (It's one of the few errata in Complete Psionics that makes sense. :smallannoyed:)

Anarchic Initiate is a prestige class in Complete Psionics, and there is absolutely no reason not to take it over Psion 20 for a blaster build. It's great on a Wilder, too, but it gives Psions something they really didn't have before- it's basically a better version of Wild Surge.