Burning up! Pyrokineticist help

[Angeal976]

Okay, so I was thinking of making a Pyrokineticist as a D&D 3.5 character, but it's a prestige class, so I was wondering what class would be good to level into before it. All I had so far was just fighter for weapon specialization and weapon focus with my fire lash. Also I think I read somewhere that power attack was good, because fire lash is a touch attack, but it's also a ranged touch attack. Wouldn't that mean power attack doesn't work with it? Any help would be great, and I want this guy to be a more melee-ish guy. Thanks in advance!:smallbiggrin:

[Manateee]

Feats that work with whips work with Flame Whip. Power Attack is legit.

I'd probably use Swordsage with this - because it is a reliable way of making a competent melee character from normally weak materials, because it can get enough attacks/round to benefit pretty meaningfully from the Pyro's level 2 ability and because many of the feats used to optimize whip use are the same that benefit Sun School maneuvers. Desert Wind actually lets it take the Pyro's schtick without actually entering pyrokineticist, but I'll ignore that for the time being.

For a build using pyro levels, I'd either go Swordsage 5/Pyro 2/SS X, if the popular unarmed swordsage adaptation is allowed or Swordsage 3/Monk 2/Pyro 2/capping out with a mix of Shadow Sun Ninja and Swordsage (SS levels where non-SSN schools provide especially desirable maneuvers) [By using UA's fighting styles, the Monk levels can provide Flurry, Evasion, Power Attack and Improved Trip without the normal ability/feat prerequisites - useful for a feat-starved build like SS/Pyro].

[Darrin]

Okay, so I was thinking of making a Pyrokineticist as a D&D 3.5 character, but it's a prestige class, so I was wondering what class would be good to level into before it.


Around these parts, I believe Flaming Homer (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4108954&postcount=22) is the patron saint of pyrokineticists.



Also I think I read somewhere that power attack was good, because fire lash is a touch attack, but it's also a ranged touch attack. Wouldn't that mean power attack doesn't work with it?

Fire lash does say it's a ranged touch attack, but it also says you can use any feats that apply to the use of a standard whip. A whip is a melee attack with 15' reach, so Power Attack = Yes and thus Fire Lash = Yes.

[Angeal976]

Cool, thanks for the ideas. Another question though, does the fire lash add Str mod to damage like a whip, or does it just do 1D8 of fire damage?

[Amphetryon]

Cool, thanks for the ideas. Another question though, does the fire lash add Str mod to damage like a whip, or does it just do 1D8 of fire damage?Pyrokineticist in general, and Fire Lash in specific, appears to suffer some from the 3E to 3.5E conversion, where whips went from being ranged weapons to melee weapons. It should probably work like a 3.5e whip in all respects, but there's never been official word from the developers to that end, as far as I know. In this case, "ask your DM" is probably the wisest course.

[RagnaroksChosen]

I know I am kinda late to the party but my sugestion:

Some psionic race or human with wild talent

Scout 4/ranger 1/Pyrokentisis 10/ any thing else

I think the order went scout 3/ranger 1/scout 1 then into pyro
Taking your swift hunter as your 4th level scout bonus feat.

the whole build works around fire bolt so you won't be able to start realy pumping out a decent amount of damage untill 8th but before that you play as a scout with some fire abilitys.

[hex0]

Fun fact: So the Pyrokineticist deals more damage with its Bolt of Fire by level 15 than a level 20th Warlock will deal with its Eldritch Blast, despite it being basically the same ability. Then again it is fire damage.

Be an Sonokineticist (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040625e) instead. Set a structure of any size on sonic just to watch it sonic. The damage is reduced one die for everything, but then again it ignores hardness and no one has sonic resistance.