D&D 5E Playing a Mystic (Immortal)

EDIT: April 2017 - this was about Mystic v2 and has been thread necro'd. It is not about the Mystic v3.

I've been playing around with ideas for a Mystic (Immortal) for a game that'll be played in the first two tiers, mostly around 3-7 and maybe topping at 9-10. At first I was excited for the idea, but playing around a little bit I don't see how a Mystic (Immortal) is pulling their own weight in the party.

I can make them fairly tanky if I'm willing to pump Int for temp HPs once I hit 3rd, but I don't see how they do enough damage to contribute meaningfully. Even just acting as a tank perhaps needs Sentinel, but with one ASI over much of play and a second coming in for the last 10-20% I'm not sure I can afford a feat. (Yes, I am sure everyone will say variant human.)

I've thought of two other alternatives around that, though they don't multiply each other.

One would be to get Booming Blade. High Elf is the easy answer, with +2 Dex and +1 Int plus the cantrip. Eldritch Knight or Arcane Trickster can give it. One level of Cleric (Arcana), Warlock and Sorcerer can get it, with a 13 pre-requisite when we're already MAD. Wizard can get it but doesn't add much, though a 2nd level could add Abjurer or Bladesinger, though I'm not sure how high Int will be to justify double dipping like that, especially when a race to 5th so that the Mystic starts go get enough PP and a high enough limit is half the campaign already. Mind you that warcaster to cast it on an AoO is likely not in the cards. (Yes, I do realize that some also could get access to shield and absorb elements. But at that point, it's playing an EK primary, not a Mystic. EKs are cool, trying to explore the Mystic right now.)

The other option is a level of Fighter (not Paladin because of requisites) for the Tunnel Fighter fighting style in the Underdark book, to at least make them pay when they go through.

But even then, I'm one attack doing an okay amount of damage, and if I take the right discipline I can spend PPs for extra damage. But that's it. It feels like the attack will be anemic compared to other weapon users of those levels, and they will have some disciplines but nothing like the flexibility or decisiveness of a full caster.

(I have also looked at fighter for Duelist style, but with only ne attack it's not a big deal.)

So, how do we get them on-par or better in terms of combat effectiveness for a character of their level in the 3-7 or 1-9 range?

1-4 they're superior. From level 1 they've a +1 weapon, and at level 3 you get the regeneration.
Problem is you lack Extra Attack which is a big power jump at 5, or a Sneak Attack-esque feature to make up for the lack of it.

Greenfire/Booming Blade would work, or picking up Extra Attack somewhere would also do it.

You're above the power curve per attack (except maybe for Rogues), but you're behind the count on number of attacks.

You do get Lethal Strike and enough Psi Points to use them frequently.


Putting it all together, have you considered a Immortal/Assassin. Big Nova damage between Sneak Attack, Lethal Strike and Assassinate.

EDIT: Yeah, here's the nova damage for a crossbow-wielding Rogue 1/Mystic 1/Rogue 4/Mystic 5, that picks up Crossbow Expert at level 5.
At level 4 Assassinate comes online, allowing you to double all this bar the +mods if you've got surprise.

It's a nice build, but for most of play (3-7) it's more rogue levels than mystic.

Is this a sign that the Mystic (Immortal) can't hold it's own?

Not at all. It's just that Assassinate is that good for a character with high-dice attacks.
Psi Points go 4, 6, 14, 17, 27, which is effectively +4d10, +6d10, +14d10, +17d10, and +27d10 per day respectively. Which is... high. Not as high as some can manage, but then again, they don't get a magic weapon out of it. Or the (somewhat limited) ability to dump it into one attack.

I have been playing an Immortal Mystic since the class first came out and I am now level 8. I have constantly provided more damage than my other combatants.

Level 1 human (pole arm mastery) Str 16 Int 14, Con 14 AC 15. With psionic weapon I have a total of+6 to hit 1d10+4/1d4+4 with an extra 1d10 4 times per day.
Compared to our fighter Dex 17/Int 14/Con 14, AC 17 (shield) + 5 to hit 1d8+5
Paladin: Str 17, Con 16 AC 15. +5 to hit 2D6+3

By level 5 things had evened out. We each had a magical weapon
Mystic: Str 18/Int 14/Con 14 AC:16 (Iron Durability). +8 to hit 1d10+5/1d4+5 with an extra 27d10 per day.
Fighter (EK): Dex 17/Int 14/ Con 14 AC 18 (Shield). Took Warcaster at 4th. +7 to hit 1d8+6/1d8+6 action surges x3 day for an extra 6(1d8+6)
Paladin: Str 18, Con 16 AC 18 (plate). Took Heavy Armor Mastery at 4th. +8 to hit 2d6+5/2d6+5 (all reroll 1&2s) with an extra 14d8 per day
at this level over the 18 rounds of fighting we usually saw M:343 damage/F:243/P:344

Now at level 8
Mystic: Str 20/Int 14/Con 14 AC:16 (Iron Durability). +9 to hit 1d10+1d8+6/1d4+6 with an extra 44d10 per day.
Fighter (EK): Dex 18/Int 14/ Con 14 AC 19 (Shield). Took Warcaster at 4th/MAM at 8th +8 to hit 1d8+1d8+8/1d8+8 action surges X2 day for an extra 6(1d8+8)
Paladin: Str 18, Con 16 AC 18 (plate). Took Heavy armor Mastery at 4th/ GWM at 8th. +8 to hit 2d6+5/2d6+5/2d6+5 (all reroll 1&2s) with an extra 17d8 per day
at this level over the 18 rounds of fighting we usually saw M:485 damage/F:389/P:428

How did you expand the Mystic to level 8?
Or getting Lethal Strike with Iron Durability up?

um look at the unearthed arcana from feb 1 http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/psionics-and-mystic-–-take-two
This brings Mystics to level 10, one of the biggest differences is that the ability to use a discipline is separate from keeping focus on one.

Sweeeeeeet.
Since the closure of the WotC forums I kinda lost track of what's new.

yeah I only find out what is going on over there thanks to Sage Advice. Mystics don't get a second attack at level 6 like I was assuming but do get a +1d8 once per round at level 8 like a cleric. That helps them keep up their damage output but they really do need a way to use their bonus action to get an extra attack (PAM, SM, or GWM). They have surge of action but at a cost of 5pp using a bonus action to make an attack action (with only 1 attack unless you have multi classed) is not worth the 5d10 damage you could have done (maybe if it was only 3pp).

I don't see a reason not to be a ranged Mystic. They're just awesome. Relating to another thread, Mystic out-ranger's a Ranger.