D&D 5E The Psion: A simple, balanced alternative to the Mystic

http://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/HyApIxu3g

Here it is! I just wrote this up and I'm anxious to push it on one of my players who is running a level 10 mystic in my Out of the Abyss game. It's a rough concept so please let me know what you think.

Spoiler alert: It's basically a sorcerer.

So its just a weaker, refluffed sorcerer? Getting Metamagic at lv9 is incredibly lame. And um, no subclasses?

You make interesting and valid points regarding balance, but your 'remake' of Mystic is just pointless and boring. A new class should have new things. Don't use any mechanics from other classes. Stick with the standard full spell casting progression if you must, but don't force them to use vanilla spells.

I completly desagree of your mystic's analysis, except by "interoperability and DM fiat", unless you're doing less than 6-8 encounters per long rest (if you're playing OotA, you probably don't if you didn't changed everything). Yes, they are a bunch of unbalanced effects (some OP, others useless), and yes, they high point is about lvl 7 to 10, after that the powerlevel decrease vertiginously without effects close to lvl 6+ spells.

But if don't like it, change it. I think would be easier to make a warlock/sorcerer. Great old one for terepathy, call eldritch blast psychic, dissonant whisppers and tasha's, many control spells and metamagic, and delay your progression as sorcerer with the multiclass.

If you make a sorcerous Psion go with a sorcerous origin.
The mystic has its place and Int saving throws should just not be neglected by players that easily. If you dump int and die because of that it is your own fault... sorry.

UngeheuerLich said:

If you make a sorcerous Psion go with a sorcerous origin.
The mystic has its place and Int saving throws should just not be neglected by players that easily. If you dump int and die because of that it is your own fault... sorry.

Click to expand...

I don't have a problem with Int save or die effects existing in the game. If Mind Flayers have highly lethal attacks defended against with Int, that just means that Mind Flayers are scary and dangerous monsters. I don't have a problem with feeblemind* either, because that's an 8th-level spell and it's supposed to be good.

I have a problem with players being able to select abilities for their characters that force Int saves in place of Wis or Dex saves. Assuming you are fighting creatures from the Monster Manual and are in the 5-10 level range, replacing all of the required Wis saves in your attacks with Int saves is roughly the equivalent to increasing your save DC by 3 to 5 points. This becomes more exaggerated as the characters fight more powerful monsters. Would you allow a class that gave you +8 to your primary stat? No? Then I don't think the mystic is appropriate either. As a DM, I'm not going to force my players to fight non-stop Mind Flayers until they get proficiency in Int saves. They have the choice to leave the Underdark and stop messing with Mind Flayers if they want.

The same disparity is true for psychic damage vs. fire, lighting, and cold, but to a lesser extent.

I know there are some sloppy monsters in the Monster Manual: A drow mage isn't proficient in Int or Wis saves. A rakshasha isn't proficient in any saves. Juiblex isn't immune to acid. I don't have a problem with fixing what seem to be obvious mistakes like these, or even adding brand new abilities and defenses to monsters. But I don't want to do this for every single monster in every single fight, because then I can't be impartial in the slightest.

*For historical reasons feeblemind might be better as a Cha save. It was originally an anti-spellcaster spell that was particularly effective against mages.

I dont see the need for armor and Shield, trade them instead for meta-magic.
Mind Thrust and Mind Blast will make some jealous.