Kineticist Searing Flesh and Weapon

[Draco_Lord]

So, with Searing Flesh would it deal damage to weapons when they are hit? Would the enemy get some kind of save against it, Much like if you hit a Magma Ooze? And could this be used to destroy enemy weapons?

[Milo v3]

So, with Searing Flesh would it deal damage to weapons when they are hit? Would the enemy get some kind of save against it, Much like if you hit a Magma Ooze? And could this be used to destroy enemy weapons?

It damages enemy weapons, the ability actually even mentions that the damage generally wont be enough to destroy a weapon though because of hardness.

[Draco_Lord]

Actually, by level 12 you could destroy steel weapons after 3 hits. Mithral in 4 hits and Adamantine in 10. So, it does become a bit more viable by then. Of course you do need to max out the damage to do that.

Also at level 20 with maxed out damage you can destroy Adamantine in 2 hits.

[Draco_Lord]

Actually, on a side note. Would this also effect a weapon you were using?

[Milo v3]

Actually, on a side note. Would this also effect a weapon you were using?

No. Whitetext.

[Psyren]

Actually, by level 12 you could destroy steel weapons after 3 hits. Mithral in 4 hits and Adamantine in 10. So, it does become a bit more viable by then. Of course you do need to max out the damage to do that.

Also at level 20 with maxed out damage you can destroy Adamantine in 2 hits.

Keep in mind that magic weapons increase both the hit points and hardness of the base material. So while you could probably melt a mundane steel weapon at level 12, generally nobody coming after you at level 12 has a mundane steel weapon anyway. (And if they are coming at you without magic at these levels, melting weapons are the least of their problems.)

Also, hardness applies to every hit, so your searing flesh would have to overcome a mundane steel weapon's 10 hardness on a single strike before you can even start damaging it. On top of that, energy attacks deal half damage to objects.

[Draco_Lord]

Keep in mind that magic weapons increase both the hit points and hardness of the base material. So while you could probably melt a mundane steel weapon at level 12, generally nobody coming after you at level 12 has a mundane steel weapon anyway. (And if they are coming at you without magic at these levels, melting weapons are the least of their problems.)

Also, hardness applies to every hit, so your searing flesh would have to overcome a mundane steel weapon's 10 hardness on a single strike before you can even start damaging it. On top of that, energy attacks deal half damage to objects.

Did not know the hardness changed with magic. That is good to know.

Shame, thought it was like the monsters with a similar ability, where it doesn't work like that. Like a Magma ooze for example.

[Psyren]

Magma Ooze specifically says it deals full damage to objects; Searing Flesh doesn't, therefore it is subject to the half. But even for the ooze, hardness still applies - and not only does the hardness change with enhancement, for adamantine it starts at 20, so it would be pretty hard even for a magma ooze to melt an adamantine weapon, much less a searing flesh kineticist.

[Tulya]

Around 12th level, enemy NPC weapon wealth does not quite justify ubiquitous adamantine magic weapons, and your damage is high enough to destroy non-adamantine gear in a few hits. For more durable gear with 12-14 hardness, you're going to need to expend additional burn in fire talents to double the effectiveness of searing flesh each round.

The entire concept is self-defeating, though. You don't want to invite direct hits to your face in melee while carrying absurd amounts of burn.

[Draco_Lord]

Yeah, I see the flaw in that part of my idea.

Luckily, I still think it can be quite useful for some out of combat things. Door in my way? Not if I melt it! Found myself in jail? Burn down the bars! And so on. Makes me very destructive to none magical things.

[Tulya]

If there were a way to deal the grapple bonus damage to objects, you could melt weapons a lot more quickly and proactively. Like, grappling a weapon and incurring a point of burn for 4x damage to it at the end of its wielder's next turn.

Hrm. Odd mental image: Running up to someone to 'hug' their blade and melt it.

Mechanically, you'd probably have an easier time and be on better rules footing just sundering with a melee blast form.