Void Kineticist in heavy armor. Am I crazy for this?

[Arutema]

So Occult Origins is out for subscribers, and with it the void kineticist, who can throw around blasts of negative energy.

Am I crazy for wanting to make something like this with it?

Race: Half-elf
Str: 16
Dex: 14
Con: 17 (15 +2 racial, boost at 4th level)
Int: 10
Wis: 10
Cha: 8

Take the ancestral arms alternate racial trait for longsword proficiency, take medium then heavy armor proficiency as my first 2 feats.

Stomp around in heavy armor throwing blasts of pure unlife at the living, switching to the longsword if undead show up.

It's sub-optimal even by kineticist standards, but will it work?

[Sayt]

Well , you're getting a weapon proficiency, Estoc and Falcata are both valid from Ancestral arms and just about strictly better (Estoc isn't technically strictly better as it has a different damage type, but the Falcata is).

[avr]

For your first 2 levels the blast damage is a bad joke, then it becomes so-so; if you're not pushing dex or offensive feats then the accuracy is good but not amazing. As a 3/4 BAB class without relevant buffs your swordmanship starts behind the curve and gets worse fast. OTOH if there's a way of getting haste then you can put out reasonable damage via kinetic blade and the armor will help you survive to do so.

Without OO I can't guess what neat tricks a void kineticist might have. Care to enlighten us?

[Starbuck_II]

What about a new weapon they released, Gandasa? (2d4, x3, Slashing)?
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/weapons/weapon-descriptions/gandasa

[Secret Wizard]

OP: I don't think anyone is familiar enough with Kineticists to know if it'd work! Try it out for us, and please send me the results - I'm planning to release a 3PP archetype for heavy armored Kineticists and I'd love to hear more ideas or feedback about the concept.

I don't have Occult Origins to know what blasts and talents are associated with Void to give further advice.

But yeah, go with a Falcata or a Katana over a Longsword every day.

You could also go Human - they have a new racial trait from Inner Sea Races that lets them get two weapon proficiencies instead of the usual Human bonus feat. You could pick up Katana and Estoc or even Longbow proficiency.

Another really good race for this concept is Hobgoblin. +2 DEX/CON, and you can take the Unfit racial trait for proficiency with a martial weapon (Longsword).


What about a new weapon they released, Gandasa? (2d4, x3, Slashing)?
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/weapons/weapon-descriptions/gandasa


It's damage is +0.5 over a Battleaxe. It's not a specially good weapon unless you really like to Vital Strike.