D&D 5E Is "Mystic" a bad class name?

[RotGrub]

There have been a number of different incarnations of the Mystic in D&D, none of which has had anything to do with Psionics.

Do you think this was a good or bad choice?

Personally, I think it was a bad choice. Heck even the dictionary definition of the term Mystic doesn't really fit.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I love it. I think it is perfect to remove some of the sci fi nature of psionics.

mys·tic /ˈmistik/

noun: mystic; plural noun: mystics

1. a person who seeks by contemplation and self-surrender to obtain unity with or absorption into the Deity or the absolute, or who believes in the spiritual apprehension of truths that are beyond the intellect.

adjective

adjective: mystic

1. another term for mystical.

synonyms: spiritual, religious, transcendental, paranormal, otherworldly, supernatural, occult, metaphysical More

"a mystic experience"
•cryptic, concealed, hidden, abstruse, arcane, esoteric

I would say #1 is best...

1. a person who seeks by contemplation and self-surrender to obtain unity with or absorption into the Deity or the absolute, or who believes in the spiritual apprehension of truths that are beyond the intellect.

I think a psion could be a person who seeks contemplation and self-surrender to obtain unity with or absorption into the absolute.

I thin a psion can believe in the spiritual apprehension of truth that are beyond the intellect.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Maybe that's why he appended 'Awakened?'

'Mystic' for a psi is no worse than Sorcerer (someone who deals with spirits for supernatural power) for someone with innate magical powers, or 'pyromancy' (divination through fire) for throwing fireballs around. D&D has a long tradition of using rather questionable names for classes, and the names don't really matter much, as it's not like PCs go around announcing the class on their sheet in-character all the time. (Of course, that said, there was little reason to change it from Psion.)

 

[RotGrub]

Here are the definitions I was looking at.

a person who claims to attain, or believes in the possibility of attaining, insight into mysteries transcending ordinary human knowledge, as by direct communication with the divine or immediate intuition in a state of spiritual ecstasy.

a person who tries to gain religious or spiritual knowledge through prayer and deep thought : someone who practices mysticism

For me the term Mystic it's far too divine and spiritual in nature.

 

[RotGrub]

Maybe that's why he appended 'Awakened?'

'Mystic' for a psi is no worse than Sorcerer (someone who deals with spirits for supernatural power) for someone with innate magical powers, or 'pyromancy' (divination through fire) for throwing fireballs around. D&D has a long tradition of using rather questionable names for classes, and the names don't really matter much, as it's not like PCs go around announcing the class on their sheet in-character all the time. (Of course, that said, there was little reason to change it from Psion.)

why use a name that was used before in a completely different context? I do agree that Psion was fine.

 

[Davinshe]

I love the name. It actually evokes a bit of flavor. Psion is very generic.

 

[The Myopic Sniper]

Put me down for "I love it" as well. I know that "mystic" was used in old school D&D for monks, but I think this is by far the best name that they have ever attached to a psionic class and if you are going to do one psionic class rather than spreading the load through several classes as in 3E and 4E, it should cover pretty much all the archetypes fine.

 

[Remathilis]

My knee-jerk reaction was "What's wrong with the psion(icist)?"

That said, mystic isn't bad. It can be used to invoke an aesthetic, a spiritualist, a Jedi, or a guru. If your going to stray away from the pseudo-science (which this version seems to be) then it make sense.

 

[RotGrub]

My knee-jerk reaction was "What's wrong with the psion(icist)?"

That said, mystic isn't bad. It can be used to invoke an aesthetic, a spiritualist, a Jedi, or a guru. If your going to stray away from the pseudo-science (which this version seems to be) then it make sense.

Have you invoked Guru Pitka? perhaps with the Mystic title you can do that.

 

[MoonSong]

Psion was good, well at least it is still up for grabs.