“The eternal void is filled with infinite possibilities.” – Laozi
I like to hope life is also filled with infinite possibilities, but truly all of our existence came from nothing or the collapse / recombination of compressed matter in the Big Bang. So really, who am I to quibble? Maybe Zon Kuthon has some perspective from what’s back there in the darkness between the stars. I’d argue that’s not the void truly, as at least for Golarion’s cosmology there is the true plane of such energy, the Void. It’s not evil, but an aspect of reality and nature. Pharasma maybe wouldn’t agree since Undead thrive there, but she certainly wouldn’t disagree that death and “the final end” are part of the natural cycle.
Why this negative introspection on void and death? Well, I never got to play a negative energy based kineticist for Pathfinder1E other than I did have an NPC the heroes of an old campaign ran into. I was doing a post-apocalyptic Eberron (and there was time traveling to save the world with some Chrono Trigger inspiration) and the group traveled to Xen’drik, eventually meeting up with some Umbragen who were trying to keep all the foul monsters of the underground back and from taking over the surface. The Umbragen (see below) first appeared in Dragon Magazine 330 and I was smitten. Making dark bargains and using shadow (occult?) magic to stop Mind Flayers and other aberrations? I’m in!
Anyway, maybe I’m wanting a kineticist with void, shadowy powers because there’s a vitality option for Wood-based Kineticists, or maybe for something I’ll use in my Kingmaker game, or maybe I’m just inspired by Sentry from Marvel Snap / Thunderbolts but I felt I needed to see a Void Kineticist! Or, to borrow from the name in Pathfinder1E, the Chaokineticist! The title image for this article is actually a Chaokineticist that appeared in Occult Origins. Is purple magic void kineticism? Is that what Agatha has in Agatha All Along? She does drain power and life… I definitely want to see more of her, and void kineticism, soon I hope. Until Paizo publishes something official here’s what I’ve created, starting first with a little flavor/theme detail to help guide me.
Void
Void energy represents the raw nothingness underlying creation—the absence of matter, light, and order. A kineticist who channels the void taps into this entropic force to unravel reality itself. Your blasts are less “elemental” in the traditional sense and more about negation, disruption, and the erasure of substance. Whether you see the void as a nihilistic power or a means to reshape existence is up to your character’s philosophy.
Elemental Blast
1d6 void, 30 feet
Impulse Junction
Increase the damage die size of void damage dealt by the impulse by one step. This does not apply to void healing.
Gate Junction
Critical Blast The target takes 1d6 persistent void damage. You gain an item bonus to this persistent damage equal to your item bonus to impulse attack rolls, such as from a gate attenuator.
Elemental Resistance void or vitality (choose which would harm you), cold
Aura Junction Not shadow, but the draining of the light, making even darkness deeper flickers around you. Enemies in your kinetic aura gain weakness to void from your void impulses. The weakness is equal to half your level (minimum weakness 1). If they have resistance to void, that resistance is instead reduced and any remainder becomes a weakness. This does not affect immunity.
Skill Junction Acrobatics, Cat Fall
Here are some feats I’ve made, though bare in mind they might need balance tweaking. Seeing as how my Kingmaker game will only see these abilities used by an enemy, I’m a little less concerned about PC balance but still was trying to consider the right level. I’ve yet to build any
Nullification
Feat 1, Impulse, Void
1 or 2 Actions (as kinetic blast)
You strike with a void kinetic blast and choose one of the following effects:
- Weakened Defenses: The target must succeed at a Fortitude save or have its physical resistances reduced by 2 until the start of your next turn.
- Antimatter Disruption: For one round, the target loses any bonus to its AC that comes from physical cover or natural armor (this does not affect magical bonuses).
Phantom Shift
Feat 1, Impulse, Void
1 Action
You gain one of the following benefits until the start of your next turn:
- Incorporeal Flicker: You become partially insubstantial, granting you a 10-foot step as an immediate action.
- Evasive Shadow: You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to AC against one attack of your choice.
Gravity Distortion
Feat 2, Impulse, Void
1 or 2 Actions (as kinetic blast)
You strike with your void kinetic blast, you may attempt to warp space around it. The target must succeed at a Reflex save or be pulled 5 feet toward you and have its movement reduced by 10 feet until the end of its next turn. A critical failure doubles these amounts.
Abyssal Surge
Feat 2, Void
Actions Spend an extra action when making a kinetic blast.
Empower your void blast to deal an additional 1d6 void damage.
Eclipse Shield
Feat 2, Impulse, Overflow, Void
Reaction: When you are hit by an attack, you may use a reaction to invoke void energy as a shield.
Reduce the triggering attack’s damage by your kinetic blast damage. This represents the void momentarily absorbing part of the energy directed at you.
Event Horizon
Feat 4, Impulse, Stance, Void
1 Action (sustained)
Emanate a 10-foot radius zone of void energy up to 1 minute. Any enemy that starts its turn in the zone must make a Will save or be dazed until the end of its turn.
Void Mastery
Feat 6, Void
Your void kinetic blasts permeate cover. Reduce any bonus provided by cover by 2.
Whispers of the Void
Feat 8, Impulse
2 Actions
As the spell Whispers of the Void
Entropy Overload
Feat 8, Overflow, Void
1 or 2 Actions (as kinetic blast)
You overcharge a void blast to double its damage dice. You take a number of hit points in untyped damage equal to double the amount of dice you roll.
Reality Unraveling
Feat 8, Void
Your void kinetic blasts have a chance to erase fleeting aspects of your target’s form. On a success, the target loses its reaction for 1 round as its senses reel from the encounter with nothingness. On a critical success, the target is also stunned 1.
Hope you enjoy what I’ve laid out thus far. Happy to hear any feedback, especially if you want to play around with it or you’ve built your own as you invest in the Kineticist. It’s always fun to see what we could build and play with in Pathfinder2E. I’m also very excited for the NPC Core and Lost Omens Rival Academies coming out next month and I’ll be sure to drop my usual hype articles! Until then, be well and remember to support one another in this big grand gaming community!
Investing In:
I wasn’t quite sure what to name my article series when I first started but the idea of showcasing or discussing things that make me excited, that I find new and interesting, or maybe I’m otherwise passionate about seemed to fit with the idea of Investing In something like the Pathfinder 2E mechanic. To use some magic items you have to give that little bit of yourself, which helps make these things even better. I like the metaphor of the community growing and being strengthened in the same way!
I also want to hear what you’re Investing In! Leave me a comment below about what games, modules, systems, products, people, live streams, etc you enjoy! You can also hit me up on social media as silentinfinity. I want to hear what excites you and what you’re passionate about. There’s so much wonderful content, people, groups (I could go on) in this community of ours that the more we invest in and share, the better it becomes!
Sources
Banner – modified “Into the Void”, a Chaokineticist image, Occult Origins, Paizo, art by Ian Perks
- Blossoms of a Dark Void, Shadows of a Murdered Sun, Sevenics
- Shadow Soulknife, “The Umbragen Shadow Elves of Xen’Drik”, Dragon Magazine, Wizards of the Coast, article written by Keith Baker, art for the Umbragen article was by Steve Prescott and David Wahlstrom
