Erechel
Explorer
While I was waiting a long time for it (i need to cover the needs of a high level psionic for my campaigns) I have to say that the mystic took a long way from the V.2, so I understand most of the time of waiting. I'm going to detail my first impressions about it, both as an entirely new class and in comparison with the v.2.
I will highlight a few topics that capture my interest:
* There is no mention of psionics and magic to be different. This was one major mechanic earlier, and one that fits archetypes like the wu-jen in this one.
*Psychic focus
*The relation between disciplines and archetypes and its lack of meat.
*Major rework of the Immortal
*Armor & Weapon proficiencies
*New Archetypes.
*There is no major and minor disciplines anymore. All disciplines are available from level 1.
*Past level 10.
Lets go
1. Magic and Psionics: Jeremy Crawford tweeted that in this version, psionics are a form of magic. I see this as a massive step backwards from earlier versions, and I was actually fond of psionics being a different kind of power source. The powers, indeed, are not spells and they shouldn't be treated that way, unless they replicate spells, like the wu-jenArcane Dabbler feature. Why is this way? I believe to be subject to (very uncommon) effects like Antimagic Field or Counterspell.
Proposed fix: I actually like the psionics to be different effects than magic. The same way that you create an antimagic field, you can build a "Psichic resistance" field to hinder psionics if you believe that it's useful.
2. Psychic Focus: this is the most problematic issue of the Mystic. The way it functions now makes the psionic an auto-solution for many, many problems. Add to this that many powers are absolutely bonkers in their benefits (like Adaptative Body: I see no reason not to pick this power as default, and only change it when the time is needed, and then change it back; with this power you have not one organic need except for water from level 1). This is aggravated by the no-drawback and no-resource expenditure (Goodberry at least spends a lvl 1 spell slot), so this is a no choice. Granted, the food bit is a non-issue in any campaign that don't rely on survival, but then this specific part of the power is useless, so when it comes to relevance it denies its utility (no DM will allow a psionic with this discipline if it's going to make a Survival campaign, and no sane DM with a party including a psionic will ever make a Survival campaign); but I see other problems too, even in a dungeon: you aren't affected by poisonous gas, smoke, floodings, etc. You also don't need to sleep, so goodbye exhaustion. And this is only one discipline.
The other disciplines don't seem as broken (advantage in a single skill, like Animal Handling or Athletics, and such), but then limitless change of focus allows you to ever having all your psychic focus working without expending any resource.
Proposed fix: Changing the psychic focus should be limited in some way. One way to do it is limiting it to "once per short rest, as a bonus action, you can change your psychic focus". Also, some disciplines, like adaptative body, should change its psychic focus ("You can live indefinitely with half-rations, sleep half the time and hold your breath twice as much time before suffocating"), or integrate again the Minor and Major tags.
3. The relation between disciplines and archetypes. This has changed from earlier versions, and now it's weaker than ever. There is no benefit at all in choosing a discipline that belongs to your archetype, you are only forced to when you choose an archetype at first level. In V.2, you gain the HP from the Mystic Recovery feature when you expend PPs in your archetype's disciplines.
Proposed fix: You can gain some benefit from choosing to use your archetype's powers. One way to do this is to add some benefit at further levels, like "Archetype Focus: begining at level X the PP's cost of powers related to your archetypes is reduced by 1, up to a minumum cost of 1. At level Y you reduce the PP cost by 2, to a minimum of 0".
4. Major rework of the Immortal: This is a massive change from earlier versions. In prior versions, the Immortal was basically a fighter with psionic powers. Now it has it's own flavor althogether, maybe more akin to a Jedi or an illuminate sage than a "Psychic Warrior". I'm actually quite fond of the new Immortal, barring some disciplines. A few of their features now go to the Avatar.
Proposed fix: This is a great step forward. One small change I would make is to make Immortal Durability work with Intelligence instead of Constitution/ Dexterity to make it less MAD.
5. Armor and weapon proficiencies: The Medium Armor and Shield proficiencies are gone, unless you choose an Avatar. I see this as an improvement; light armor is easier to justify than a shield and a half plate (where the Awakened learned to use those?). Another step forward.
Proposed fix: Nothing. It's great that way.
6. New Archetypes: This is perhaps the greater step forward of the file. The new archetypes are the Wu-Jen, the Avatar, the Nomad and the Soul Knife. Each one now feels a lot more streamlined and "authentic": the Nomad is a traveling, teleporting sage; the Avatar is a warrior and a leader, dabling with emotions (sort of a psionic bard); the Wu-Jen is a wuxia mad sorcerer; the Soul Knife is another psychic assassin and warrior focused on melee combat.
Proposed Fix: Most of the archetypes are balanced one way or another, but again their disciplines aren't linked in any meaningful way with their core practitioners.
7. Disciplines: There is no major and minor disciplines anymore. All disciplines are available from level 1. This is a major change from the earlier versions, and I see this as a problem. There is no balance whatsoever between them, with some of them being utterly broken, and others marginally useful (Bestial Form Gills is mostly overrided by the Adaptative Body focus, and its Psychic focus is moot). There is too many disciplines to cover here, and such a little space. Adaptative Body focus is a bigger issue than many can think, as it renders the psionic immune to many, MANY monster powers, like many dragon's breath weapons: Green Dragon's poison is the most obvious one, but also faerie dragon euphoria, silver dragon's slowing, gold dragon's weakening, gas spore's death burst, golem's poison and slow and so on and so on.
Proposed Fix: Revisit the Major and Minor And even Sciences) disciplines concept, or tweak a lot the balance of the disciplines and their focuses. See the Psychic Focus bit.
8. Past level 10: It seems ok, but the extra PP's are a bit redundant. Also, there is the issue of concentration. This is a delicate concept, so I don't immediately discard it, but the playtesting will say it.
Overall...
Overall, the class has advanced a lot from the earlier stages. The new archetypes and the reworking of the Immortal and Awakened seem ok. Nevertheless, it doesn't resolve any of the issues from prior versions, and it has many of the same problems of before: the extreme versatility of Psychic Focus, some utterly powerful disciplines, the clunky advancement of the PPs, the nule significance of the Archetype Disciplines.
Higher levels are a little lackluster and derivative, except for the capstone power (powerful but meh, you are 20th level). Although in many ways it is what was expected, it still don't resolve. In this current state, I don't think that I will use it on any campaign soon as it dwarfs anything else. I see the class to need a massive rework of some problematic features (Psychic Focus and disciplines above anything else).
I will highlight a few topics that capture my interest:
* There is no mention of psionics and magic to be different. This was one major mechanic earlier, and one that fits archetypes like the wu-jen in this one.
*Psychic focus
*The relation between disciplines and archetypes and its lack of meat.
*Major rework of the Immortal
*Armor & Weapon proficiencies
*New Archetypes.
*There is no major and minor disciplines anymore. All disciplines are available from level 1.
*Past level 10.
Lets go
1. Magic and Psionics: Jeremy Crawford tweeted that in this version, psionics are a form of magic. I see this as a massive step backwards from earlier versions, and I was actually fond of psionics being a different kind of power source. The powers, indeed, are not spells and they shouldn't be treated that way, unless they replicate spells, like the wu-jenArcane Dabbler feature. Why is this way? I believe to be subject to (very uncommon) effects like Antimagic Field or Counterspell.
Proposed fix: I actually like the psionics to be different effects than magic. The same way that you create an antimagic field, you can build a "Psichic resistance" field to hinder psionics if you believe that it's useful.
2. Psychic Focus: this is the most problematic issue of the Mystic. The way it functions now makes the psionic an auto-solution for many, many problems. Add to this that many powers are absolutely bonkers in their benefits (like Adaptative Body: I see no reason not to pick this power as default, and only change it when the time is needed, and then change it back; with this power you have not one organic need except for water from level 1). This is aggravated by the no-drawback and no-resource expenditure (Goodberry at least spends a lvl 1 spell slot), so this is a no choice. Granted, the food bit is a non-issue in any campaign that don't rely on survival, but then this specific part of the power is useless, so when it comes to relevance it denies its utility (no DM will allow a psionic with this discipline if it's going to make a Survival campaign, and no sane DM with a party including a psionic will ever make a Survival campaign); but I see other problems too, even in a dungeon: you aren't affected by poisonous gas, smoke, floodings, etc. You also don't need to sleep, so goodbye exhaustion. And this is only one discipline.
The other disciplines don't seem as broken (advantage in a single skill, like Animal Handling or Athletics, and such), but then limitless change of focus allows you to ever having all your psychic focus working without expending any resource.
Proposed fix: Changing the psychic focus should be limited in some way. One way to do it is limiting it to "once per short rest, as a bonus action, you can change your psychic focus". Also, some disciplines, like adaptative body, should change its psychic focus ("You can live indefinitely with half-rations, sleep half the time and hold your breath twice as much time before suffocating"), or integrate again the Minor and Major tags.
3. The relation between disciplines and archetypes. This has changed from earlier versions, and now it's weaker than ever. There is no benefit at all in choosing a discipline that belongs to your archetype, you are only forced to when you choose an archetype at first level. In V.2, you gain the HP from the Mystic Recovery feature when you expend PPs in your archetype's disciplines.
Proposed fix: You can gain some benefit from choosing to use your archetype's powers. One way to do this is to add some benefit at further levels, like "Archetype Focus: begining at level X the PP's cost of powers related to your archetypes is reduced by 1, up to a minumum cost of 1. At level Y you reduce the PP cost by 2, to a minimum of 0".
4. Major rework of the Immortal: This is a massive change from earlier versions. In prior versions, the Immortal was basically a fighter with psionic powers. Now it has it's own flavor althogether, maybe more akin to a Jedi or an illuminate sage than a "Psychic Warrior". I'm actually quite fond of the new Immortal, barring some disciplines. A few of their features now go to the Avatar.
Proposed fix: This is a great step forward. One small change I would make is to make Immortal Durability work with Intelligence instead of Constitution/ Dexterity to make it less MAD.
5. Armor and weapon proficiencies: The Medium Armor and Shield proficiencies are gone, unless you choose an Avatar. I see this as an improvement; light armor is easier to justify than a shield and a half plate (where the Awakened learned to use those?). Another step forward.
Proposed fix: Nothing. It's great that way.
6. New Archetypes: This is perhaps the greater step forward of the file. The new archetypes are the Wu-Jen, the Avatar, the Nomad and the Soul Knife. Each one now feels a lot more streamlined and "authentic": the Nomad is a traveling, teleporting sage; the Avatar is a warrior and a leader, dabling with emotions (sort of a psionic bard); the Wu-Jen is a wuxia mad sorcerer; the Soul Knife is another psychic assassin and warrior focused on melee combat.
Proposed Fix: Most of the archetypes are balanced one way or another, but again their disciplines aren't linked in any meaningful way with their core practitioners.
7. Disciplines: There is no major and minor disciplines anymore. All disciplines are available from level 1. This is a major change from the earlier versions, and I see this as a problem. There is no balance whatsoever between them, with some of them being utterly broken, and others marginally useful (Bestial Form Gills is mostly overrided by the Adaptative Body focus, and its Psychic focus is moot). There is too many disciplines to cover here, and such a little space. Adaptative Body focus is a bigger issue than many can think, as it renders the psionic immune to many, MANY monster powers, like many dragon's breath weapons: Green Dragon's poison is the most obvious one, but also faerie dragon euphoria, silver dragon's slowing, gold dragon's weakening, gas spore's death burst, golem's poison and slow and so on and so on.
Proposed Fix: Revisit the Major and Minor And even Sciences) disciplines concept, or tweak a lot the balance of the disciplines and their focuses. See the Psychic Focus bit.
8. Past level 10: It seems ok, but the extra PP's are a bit redundant. Also, there is the issue of concentration. This is a delicate concept, so I don't immediately discard it, but the playtesting will say it.
Overall...
Overall, the class has advanced a lot from the earlier stages. The new archetypes and the reworking of the Immortal and Awakened seem ok. Nevertheless, it doesn't resolve any of the issues from prior versions, and it has many of the same problems of before: the extreme versatility of Psychic Focus, some utterly powerful disciplines, the clunky advancement of the PPs, the nule significance of the Archetype Disciplines.
Higher levels are a little lackluster and derivative, except for the capstone power (powerful but meh, you are 20th level). Although in many ways it is what was expected, it still don't resolve. In this current state, I don't think that I will use it on any campaign soon as it dwarfs anything else. I see the class to need a massive rework of some problematic features (Psychic Focus and disciplines above anything else).
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