Energy Roper

Many kineticists have a preferred form for their kinetic blasts: some enjoy throwing their energy as long-range projectiles, some use it as a melee weapon, some prefer to mold it into a barrier. The energy roper chooses to transform the elements into a powerful tentacle that can wrap around enemies and keep them helplessly bound and controlled.

Kinetic Tendril (Su)

At 1st level, the energy roper gains Kinetic Pin as a bonus feat, ignoring its prerequisites. By accepting the cost of a composite blast, they can use its damage in place of their simple blast’s damage when using this feat.

In addition, they gain kinetic tendril as a bonus infusion. The energy roper can increase the burn cost of their kinetic tendril infusion by 1 to attempt to grapple the target hit by it as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity; if a substance infusion would have them perform another combat maneuver, it is attempted before the grapple. Successfully grappling a creature this way does not give the energy roper the grappled condition, and they do not need to move the grappled foe into an adjacent square (though they can still choose to do so as part of initiating the grapple). They must maintain line of effect between themselves and the grappled creature or else the grapple is broken (creatures of the grappled creature’s size or smaller are not considered to break line of effect for this purpose even if they provide cover), and maintaining the grapple keeps one hand occupied. For the purpose of initiating or maintaining a grapple with a kinetic blast, the energy roper’s BAB from their energy roper levels is equal to their energy roper level to determine their CMB and no penalty is applied for attempting a grapple with one hand unless they are already grappling another creature. This otherwise functions as if the target had been grappled by a weapon with the grapple weapon trait.

The energy roper cannot use their kinetic blast without applying kinetic tendril except as part of their Kinetic Pin feat, and a hand occupied by a grappling kinetic tendril is treated as free for the purpose of gather power, but not for using a kinetic blast. An energy roper cannot learn any other form infusions.

This replaces the basic utility wild talent and 1st-level infusion and alters infusions and kinetic blast.

Kinetic Tendril

Element(s): universal; Type form infusion; Level 1; Burn 0

Prerequisite(s): energy roper 1st

Associated Blasts: any

You form a lash out of elemental matter or energy and whip it toward your foe as part of an attack action. Your blast’s damage die is reduced by 1 step (1 > 1d2 > 1d3 > 1d4 > 1d6 > 1d8 > 1d10 > 1d12) and its critical threat range is 19-20. It has a reach equal to your natural reach; this increases by 5 feet at 4th level and every 4 levels thereafter (adding up to 25 feet at 20th level). A kinetic tendril vanishes at the end of your turn unless it is being used to grapple a target. Kinetic tendril is considered a light weapon for the purposes of all feats, and as the kinetic blade infusion for Kinetic Proficiency, Improved Kinetic Proficiency, Defensive Kinetic Proficiency, and Kinetic Clutches. Telekinetic blasts used with this infusion cannot be used to throw objects or creatures.

Grappling Utility (Ex)

At 2nd level and every 4 levels thereafter, the energy roper can choose to gain a bonus feat in place of a utility wild talent. They use their energy roper level in place of their BAB to meet the requirements of bonus feats gained this way, but must meet all other prerequisites.

They can select their bonus feat from among the following: Body Shield, Bushwhack, Chokehold, Defensive Kinetic Proficiency, Dirty Fighting, Dirty Grapple, Greater Grapple, Improved Grapple, Improved Kinetic Pin, Improved Kinetic Proficiency, Kinetic Proficiency, Kraken Style, Kraken Throttle, Kraken Wrack, Kinetic Coils, Pinning Knockout, Pinning Rend, Rapid Grappler, Sleeper Hold, Snapping Turtle Clutch, Snapping Turtle Shell, Snapping Turtle Style, Snoutgrip, Stout Deterrent, Stout Maneuvers, Unfair Grip, Weapon Focus (kinetic blast or grapple). They can use kinetic blasts in place of unarmed strikes for any feat in this list.

This alters the 2nd, 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th-level utility wild talents.

Elemental Grip (Su)

The energy roper does not receive a bonus to their damage rolls or a chance to ignore the effects of critical hits or sneak attacks from their elemental overflow ability. They instead gain a bonus to their CMB to initiate and maintain a grapple equal to twice their elemental overflow’s attack roll bonus, and creatures currently grappled by them receive a penalty to attack rolls and saving throws against the energy roper equal to the energy roper’s attack roll bonus from elemental overflow.

This alters elemental overflow.

Powerful Tendrils (Ex)

At 5th level, the energy roper gains Kinetic Clutches as a bonus feat, ignoring its prerequisites. If they already possess Kinetic Clutches, they can instead gain a bonus feat as if through their grappling utility ability. In addition, they can use kinetic blasts and gather energy even while grappling a creature so long as they have at least one hand free, and they reduce the burn cost of a kinetic blast by 1 when they confirm a critical with it (to a minimum of 0; this effect stacks with other effects which reduce burn cost).

This replaces the 5th-level infusion and infusion specialization 1.

Energy Roper Talents: At 9th, 13th, and 17th levels, the energy roper can select one of the following abilities: Advanced Kinetic Pin (Sp)

By accepting 1 additional point of burn as part of a Kinetic Pin used as a standard action, the energy roper can instead attempt to deal 1/4 their blast’s damage to each creature they are currently grappling. A single combat maneuver roll is made at a -10 penalty and applied against each grappled creature’s CMD individually, and the grapple is successfully maintained against all creatures this combat maneuver succeeds against. The energy roper must be 13th level to select this roper talent.

Around the World (Sp)

When the energy roper successfully trips a creature with their kinetic tendril infusion, they can treat it as if they’d used the Spinning Throw feat, with the Ki Throw and Improved Ki Throw feats, as a move action. By accepting 1 point of burn, the energy roper deals 1/4 their kinetic blast’s damage as additional bludgeoning damage against each creature successfully bull rushed by this talent. The energy roper must possess the sweep roper talent to select this roper talent.

Collateral Damage (Su)

When the energy roper successfully uses Kinetic Pin to damage a grappled creature, they also deal their blast’s minimum damage to each creature in a direct line between them and the grappled target, allowing a Reflex save to negate it.

Counterstriking Tendril (Ex)

The energy roper can make attacks of opportunity with their kinetic tendril infusion, but only threatens squares within their natural reach, and they cannot attempt grapples when making attacks of opportunity this way.

Deadly Tendrils (Su)

Increase the damage die of the energy roper’s kinetic blast by one step (1 > d2 > d3 > d4 > d6 > d8 > d10 > d12). They cannot increase the damage die size higher than d12 in this way. This roper talent can be taken up to three times; its effects stack.

Empowered Grip (Sp)

When using their kinetic tendril infusion, the energy roper can choose to increase its burn cost by up to 1 point per 4 energy roper levels they possess.

For each point of burn added to the kinetic blast’s burn cost in this way, they receive a +1 bonus to their CMB to perform combat maneuvers with their kinetic tendril.

Extended Reach (Su)

Increase the reach of the energy roper’s kinetic tendril infusion and the effective weapon reach for the Kinetic Clutches feat by 10 feet each. This roper talent can be taken up to three times; its effects stack.

Extra Grappling Utility (Ex)

The energy roper gains a single bonus feat from the list of those they could learn with their grappling utility ability. They must still meet the prerequisites as if they had gained it through that ability.

Focused Kinetic Pin (Sp)

When the energy roper deals damage with Kinetic Pin to a creature they are grappling, their Kinetic Pin deals double damage so long as they’ve made no other actions this round except maintaining their grapple against that creature.

Giant Wrangler (Su)

Combat maneuvers originating from the energy roper’s kinetic blast which would normally only affect creatures up to one size category larger can affect creatures up to two size categories larger than themselves. They can increase the burn cost of their kinetic tendril infusion by up to 3 additional points when performing a combat maneuver to allow it to affect a creature one additional size category larger for each point of burn the cost is increased by. The energy roper must be 13th level to select this roper talent.

Natural Grappler (Su)

Choose one natural attack the energy roper possesses. They can use the body part normally used to deliver it to instead use their kinetic blast, even if it is not prehensile (for example, an energy roper with a bite attack could choose it to allow themselves to use a kinetic blast with their mouth).

They cannot use this natural attack while maintaining a grapple made with a kinetic blast from that body part.

Planar Leash (Ex)

When a creature grappled by the energy roper’s kinetic blast attempts to move outside of their kinetic tendril’s reach, the energy roper can attempt a drag combat maneuver as an immediate action. If the energy roper succeeds, they can either move that creature to a square adjacent to them or force it to end its movement once it has reached a distance from the energy roper equal to the kinetic tendril’s reach; either way, it must then succeed a Reflex save (DC = 10 + the energy roper’s level) or be forced prone. The energy roper must possess the yank roper talent to select this roper talent.

Cmb (Ex)

When the energy roper deals damage with a kinetic blast or the Kinetic Pin feat, they deal additional bludgeoning damage equal to their Strength modifier (minimum 0), plus an additional +1 per 4 energy roper levels they possess.

Sweep (Ex)

When the energy roper successfully strikes a target with a kinetic blast, they can attempt a trip combat maneuver against it as a swift action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The energy roper cannot be forced prone by this attempt even if they fail the attempt by 10 or more. If they possess the tendril splice talent, they can attempt to trip both creatures hit by it with the same combat maneuver.

Tendril Rage (Ex)

The energy roper can increase the burn cost of kinetic tendril by 2 to perform a full attack with it, treating their BAB as their energy roper level for this purpose. However, they cannot attempt grapples when using kinetic tendril for a full attack, and their kinetic blast loses the grappling weapon quality until the beginning of their next turn.

Tendril Revenge (Ex)

The energy roper threatens all squares within their kinetic tendril infusion’s reach and can attempt grapples when using kinetic blasts for attacks of opportunity.

The energy roper must possess the counterstriking tendril roper talent to select this roper talent.

Tendril Splice (Sp)

When the energy roper uses their kinetic tendril infusion, they can choose to simultaneously attack two targets which are no further apart than the kinetic tendril’s reach with a single melee attack or melee touch attack (whichever is normally used for their blast’s type) at a -5 penalty against both targets. Any decisions regarding grappling them are made independently (for example, if both creatures become grappled, the player can choose to move one into an adjacent space while letting the other remain where it was hit), and the grapples must be maintained with individual combat maneuvers. Both grapples initiated and maintained through this ability occupy the same hand.

Tendril Utility (Su)

The energy roper can use their kinetic tendril to assist them in other ways than battle. They add a competence bonus equal to their Constitution modifier to Climb and Swim checks. In addition, they can use a kinetic tendril to retrieve an unattended object within its reach as a move action, and can use a standard action to have their kinetic tendril perform finer tasks (such as pulling a lever or pressing a button), or to use it as if it was a prehensile whip.

Yank (Ex)

When the energy roper successfully strikes a target with kinetic tendril, they can attempt a drag combat maneuver check to pull the creature 5 feet closer to them as a swift action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. They need not move when performing this action unless they wish. If they possess the tendril splice talent, they can attempt to drag both creatures hit by it with the same combat maneuver.

This replaces metakinesis (maximize, quicken, and twice).

Suregrip (Ex)

At 11th level, when using a weapon with the grappling property (including their kinetic blast), the energy roper only needs to threaten a critical to be allowed a free grapple attempt, rather than confirm it, and if they threaten a critical with a kinetic blast, they receive a +2 bonus to DCs of any substance infusions applied to it. At 17th level, the energy roper only needs to hit with a grappling weapon to get a free grapple attempt.

This replaces the 11th and 17th-level infusion specializations.

Tetherlord (Sp)

At 20th level, the energy roper has mastered their ability to bind others in their kinetic tendrils. The cumulative penalty to combat maneuvers to initiate or maintain grapples imposed by their own feats and abilities, including the -4 penalty to initiate or maintain a grapple with one hand and the -10 penalty to tie up a grappled target, is reduced by 3 plus an additional 1 for each point of burn they possess (penalties imposed by other creatures’ abilities are not reduced this way). In addition, the energy roper selects one substance infusion wild talent they possess, which can be either universal or of their primary element and up to 2nd level, and which does not require them to attempt a combat maneuver. They reduce its burn cost to 0 and can use it without it counting against the normal limit of 1 substance infusion per blast (though it can only be applied once per blast).

This replaces omnikinesis.

Energy ropers may learn the following unique feat:

Extra Roper Talent

Prerequisite(s): Energy roper 11th.

Benefit(s): You gain an additional roper talent.

Special: You can select this feat a second time at 15th level, and a third time at 19th level.