I think it's definitely a sub-regional thing. Probably a deferential shift, like the one that killed ye. You don't hear it in the Mountain South, because mountainfolk don't give deference. 😁
Yeah, I was thinking of something like taking the cream of the old 2e blue leatherette books (maybe with the pantheon building stuff from Complete Priest) and combining it into a single volume.
Yeah, I think these are the most salient commonalities.
As to how it isn't. When I think of Specialty Priest, and then look at 5e Clerics, I let out a sad little sigh.
It may just be an artifact of Mearls starting with the UA version and editing on the fly during the stream. He had definitely abandoned the name Mystic, and the idea of trying to shoehorn the Wu Jen into the class.
The third one is literally the Happy Fun Hour Psion. Doesn't bother with spells, but plays nice with multiclassing.
Yes, the first two are close. Spellcaster with a psi patina, or 3.X psionics.