Effects with the air trait either manipulate or conjure air. Those that manipulate air have no effect in a vacuum or an area without air. Creatures with this trait consist primarily of air or have a magical connection to that element. Planes with this trait consist mostly of open spaces and air with various degrees of turbulence, though they also contain rare islands of floating stone and other elements and energies.

A composite impulse combines multiple elements. You can gain an impulse with the composite trait only if your kinetic elements include all the elements listed in the impulse's traits.

Effects with the fire trait deal fire damage or either conjure or manipulate fire. Those that manipulate fire have no effect in an area without fire. Creatures with this trait consist primarily of fire or have a magical connection to that element. Planes with this trait are composed of flames that continually burn with no fuel source. Fire planes are extremely hostile to non-fire creatures.

The primary magical actions kineticists use are called impulses. You can use an impulse only if your kinetic aura is active and channeling that element, and only if you have a hand free to shape the elemental flow. The impulse trait means the action has the concentrate trait unless another ability changes this. If an impulse allows you to choose an element, you can choose any element you're channeling, and the impulse gains that element's trait.

Powerful impulses temporarily overdraw the energy of your kinetic gate. When you use an impulse that has the overflow trait, your kinetic aura deactivates until you revitalize it (typically with Channel Elements). Extinguishing your element this severely is taxing, and consequently, you can use only one overflow impulse per round, even if you reactivate your kinetic gate.

These effects transform the target into a new form. A target can't be under the effect of more than one polymorph effect at a time. If it comes under the effect of a second polymorph effect, the second polymorph effect attempts to counteract the first. If it succeeds, it takes effect, and if it fails, the spell has no effect on that target. Any Strikes specifically granted by a polymorph effect are magical. Unless otherwise stated, polymorph spells don't allow the target to take on the appearance of a specific individual creature, but rather just a generic creature of a general type or ancestry.

If you take on a battle form with a polymorph spell, the special statistics can be adjusted only by circumstance bonuses, status bonuses, and penalties. Unless otherwise noted, the battle form prevents you from casting spells, speaking, and using most manipulate actions that require hands. (If there's doubt about whether you can use an action, the GM decides.) Your gear is absorbed into you; the constant abilities of your gear still function, but you can't activate any items.

This magic comes from the primal tradition, connecting to the natural world and instinct. Anything with this trait is magical.