D&D 5E Aberrant Mind's Psionic Sorcery is officially the most powerful feature.

[Undrave]

The intended limits of suggestion are somewhat unclear. The spell description states that the suggestion has to be worded to "appear reasonable", but the example of suggesting a knight to give her warhorse to a random beggar is pretty much as unreasonable as it gets.

This is a feature. The limits of suggestion are intended to be somewhat unclear. This is an edition that embraces the origin of D&D, and the idea exposed in the first paragraph of the of the AD&D DMG - the books are there to give you a core framework, but interpretation of the Rules and personalization of the game are up to the DM.

I'm kinda tired of this being used as an excuse for badly worded spells. It's fine to leave room to interpretation but they could have at least provided a good example instead of the stupid one!

Eh, I suppose a dissonant whispers spammer is the closest thing to a warlord/enabling leader we'll get out of 5e. I can dig that.

That actually sounds fun as heck!

 

[Mistwell]

I think people need to learn to use the word "officially" better. It's becoming like the misuse of the word "literally" to mean "figuratively" around here. To be clear, "In my opinion" is never the same as "officially" unless you are the designer of the game.

 

[Mistwell]

In-depth analysis:

• Aberrant Mind: Best Mind Control of the game: Check.
• Steroid Suble spell + Other Metamagic on a spell: Check.
• Metamagic. Check
• Careful Fear/Hypnotic Pattern: Check
• Acess to Wish (Acess to simulacrum and other amazing spells): Check
• Strongest Stealth Casting of the game: Check
• Improved "Spell point version" with free psionic sorcery: Check
• More Spell known than the Wizard's Prepared spells. Check
• Uncounterable spells, making him almost invincible in a magical duel. Check
• Fly and hover? Check
• Spam useful spells like Dissonant Whister, Sleep, Tasha's Laught, Mind Spike like cantrip. Check.
• Expertise with Stealth + Sorcerer's Magical Guidance (Reroll a failed skill check) is one of strongest skill monkey of the game and the most reliable Sneaky Casting Mage. Check
• Quicken Polymorph (Bonus action to transform into a giant ape and action to multiattack) or Twin for strongest melee at tier 2. Check
• Best assassin in the game with, Psionic Mind Spike, Sleep and Synaptic Static.

For me, this is the most powerful and versatile class in the game. Any comparison is unfair.

More than half of these are highly situational. A bunch are redundant points as well. To me this seems like a pretty standard class, which is good in some situations and mediocre in others. It also is a class which doesn't work quite as well with a party than it would on it's own.

 

[Undrave]

More than half of these are highly situational. A bunch are redundant points as well. To me this seems like a pretty standard class, which is good in some situations and mediocre in others. It also is a class which doesn't work quite as well with a party than it would on it's own.

Heck, isn't there whole swaths of creatures in the game outright immune to mind effects? Like slimes, undead, construct and stuff? What do you do when the Gelatinous Cube riding Clay Golems come for you?!

 

[Hohige]

More than half of these are highly situational. A bunch are redundant points as well. To me this seems like a pretty standard class, which is good in some situations and mediocre in others. It also is a class which doesn't work quite as well with a party than it would on it's own.

What is situational or mediocre here?

 

[Hohige]

Heck, isn't there whole swaths of creatures in the game outright immune to mind effects? Like slimes, undead, construct and stuff? What do you do when the Gelatinous Cube riding Clay Golems come for you?!

Wait, It's a sorcerer.
Quicken Empowered Fireball and Twined Empowered Firebolt.
Quicken Polymorph into giant ape and multiattack on the same turn. Or Twin Polymorph to turn your party into 2 Bleeping Giant Ape.
Again, It's the incredible versatile.
But, I was curious what this scene would be like.
Spam Dissonant Whisper (Twinned or not) and Party's free oportunity attack.
Choose one.

Mod Edit: Language. ~Umbran

 

[nogray]

What spells are on the list granted from the Psionic Spells feature? Is it the same as the UA list or has that been updated?

 

[Hohige]

What spells are on the list granted from the Psionic Spells feature? Is it the same as the UA list or has that been updated?

No. Tasha's version has more bonus spells avaiable.

 

[jgsugden]

I'm kinda tired of this being used as an excuse for badly worded spells. It's fine to leave room to interpretation but they could have at least provided a good example instead of the stupid one!

It isn't an excuse. IT IS A FEATURE. They're not poorly worded because they lack the specificity that you think you want - they're worded to be exactly what they are - intentionally open to interpretation. If you actually understand that, then you won't be tired of the situation.

Regardless: Let's try a little exercise. You get a party of four PCs, level 6. One is the new Aberrant Mind Sorcerer. The other 3 are a Battlemaster Melee Fighter, a Tempest Cleric, and an Assassin Rogue.

 

[Mistwell]

What is situational or mediocre here?

When you're in a dungeon, with a party, and the denizens are aware a group is raiding the dungeon? You know, like tons of adventures? All this "they don't even know you're casting a spell, OMG!" stuff is very situational. The times that matters are few and far between. So rare most people never took subtle spell. Few care about Careful spell either. Or being a "stealth caster" which is the same point as subtle spell and the same point as being an "assassin" spellcaster - it's all the same highly situational moment and not the bread and butter of most games. And making it harder to counter your spells is good, but counterspell situations are also highly situational.

I am thinking back for example on the adventures we've been going through lately, which is from Tales from the Yawning Portal. This PC would have been totally trashed in some of the aventures like Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan, and pretty standard to slightly weak in most of the rest like Sunless Citadel, Forge of Fury, White Plume Mountain, and Dead in Thay.

The point is, your bread and butter actions will be the same as most bread and butter spellcasters. Except you spent some resources to focus on highly situational events, and opened yourself up to an unnecessary weakness of focusing on mind-oriented spells which are vulnerable to undead and constructs.