D&D 5E Mystic Speculation

[vpuigdoller]

What part is feeling weird? The name? The disciplines?

Its a mix of things but I believe it is a concept issue. How i think it should feel when I use it is not what Im getting and the name and flavor just confuses me further, everytime I say mystic in my mind I see an oriental type mage with scrolls and talismans, thr name of the subclasses like inmortal makes it worst. Idk it really is a feel thing.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Its a mix of things but I believe it is a concept issue. How i think it should feel when I use it is not what Im getting and the name and flavor just confuses me further, everytime I say mystic in my mind I see an oriental type mage with scrolls and talismans, thr name of the subclasses like inmortal makes it worst. Idk it really is a feel thing.

Well, the oriental feel seems to be what he is going for, along with the oriental-feeling options for the other classes, from the way he was talking on Twitter. So expect more oriental-themed stuff for the remaining classes to be covered in this run of UA articles.

 

[ArchfiendBobbie]

Its a mix of things but I believe it is a concept issue. How i think it should feel when I use it is not what Im getting and the name and flavor just confuses me further, everytime I say mystic in my mind I see an oriental type mage with scrolls and talismans, thr name of the subclasses like inmortal makes it worst. Idk it really is a feel thing.

I agree. The entire way they've talked about the Mystic makes me wonder if they're not going for a ki/chi = psionics stance. Which... completely misses, by a long mile, what both chi and psionics are.

 

[Aldarc]

I'm worried that for an edition that sought to unite fans of all editions and the best of D&D, everything around the mystic seems to be a giant middle finger to D&D's tradition of psionics and its fans, including the flippant rebranding of its name.

 

[Remathilis]

This makes me think that:

A) The UA book will include not only psionics, but oriential/Asian stuff, and
B) One of the 2017 story arcs is going to be oriential/Asian in flavor (Kara-Tur?)

Oh yeah, I like "mystic" because it is more fantastical than "psionicist," which sounds scientific. I'd rather go without midichlorians, thankyouverymuch.

I actually think we might see this book end of the year, so I wager a Kara-Tur set AP in for Spring 2018. My guess is ToH and something Planar this year for APs.

 

[MoonSong]

I'm worried that for an edition that sought to unite fans of all editions and the best of D&D, everything around the mystic seems to be a giant middle finger to D&D's tradition of psionics and its fans, including the flippant rebranding of its name.

I'm not even indignant at this point, so far the devs have shown that "fans of all editions" is code for "people who swear by BECMI and the AD&D PHB". Everything else is fair game.

 

[Aldarc]

I'm not even indignant at this point, so far the devs have shown that "fans of all editions" is code for "people who swear by BECMI and the AD&D PHB". Everything else is fair game.

Aren't psionics there alongside the bard in the appendices of the AD&D PHB?

 

[Jer]

Aren't psionics there alongside the bard in the appendices of the AD&D PHB?

Yes but not in any form that people who are the biggest fans of psionics now would want to see.

Much like the bard and the biggest fans of the bard class, come to think of it.

 

[gyor]

I actually think we might see this book end of the year, so I wager a Kara-Tur set AP in for Spring 2018. My guess is ToH and something Planar this year for APs.

My guess is a Chultan ToH and just in time for the movie Under mountain.

 

[Mercurius]

Someone asked Mearls this in the chain of tweets about the mystic and oriental stuff and he said "not any time soon". With how far out they seem to have things planned, I would take that as not at all in 2017, maybe not even in 2018.

Ah, thanks. You're probably right, although...

I actually think we might see this book end of the year, so I wager a Kara-Tur set AP in for Spring 2018. My guess is ToH and something Planar this year for APs.

I could see this, as well.

I'm worried that for an edition that sought to unite fans of all editions and the best of D&D, everything around the mystic seems to be a giant middle finger to D&D's tradition of psionics and its fans, including the flippant rebranding of its name.

Dude, really? You're upset about the name change?

Further, I think you are creating a false dichotomy between "fans of all editions/best of D&D" and "D&D tradition." D&D tradition is a massive four+ decade edifice and means different things to different people, depending upon their own history and when they imprinted with D&D (that is, started playing). Even the term "psionicist" didn't come out until maybe 2E (if I remember correctly).