Unearthed Arcana 5E Psionics Alert! The Mystic Is Back In Unearthed Arcana

It's back! The long-awaited new version of the mystic - 5th Edition's psionic class - is here. "The mystic class, a master of psionics, has arrived in its entirety for you to try in your D&D games. Thanks to your playtest feedback on the class’s previous two versions, the class now goes to level 20, has six subclasses, and can choose from many new psionic disciplines and talents. Explore the material here—there’s a lot of it—and let us know what you think in the survey we release in the next installment of Unearthed Arcana." Click the image below for the full 28-page PDF!

SaveSave
SaveSave​

 

[Eric V]

I noticed they made a big deal about this on twitter for the mystic: http://www.sageadvice.eu/2017/03/14/the-unearthed-arcana-mystic-isnt-tuned-for-multiclassing/

Thanks!

 

[MoonSong]

Wow... up to page 8 and I don't think I've seen a single poster mention that all traces of the Far Realms have been removed from the class. Which tells me either one of two things...

1) Everyone expected it to happen so it wasn't worth mentioning... or...

2) Having the Far Realms as a possible fluff story for the class to make it unique (just like the quirks table does now) actually is, as it always has been, so easily able to be ignored that people don't even notice it when it's not there anymore. Which goes to show how inconsequential it was that the class mentioned it and turns out wasn't worth nearly the amount of time and energy people spent freaking out about it.

Of course, now instead people can get all up in arms about the quirks table (yelling "Not in MY psionics!"), when again, they'll be able to ignore it with absolutely no issue whatsoever.

Well, quirks are a bad thing to have. I don't like them, they imply and promote antisocial behavior on top of dehumanizing characters which makes them less approachable. Even though this table has labeled itself optional, the quirks are not, it is spelled out -paraphrased not quoted-"if you don't like these quirks you have to make your own, and they gotta be as disgusting and repelling as these"

Heh... I dunno... on the previous two UAs for it, the Far Realms connection was like one of the first things people mentioned as soon as the article was released. You'd think if it was really that important that people would have read those first couple pages, saw no mention of it (with it all replaced by the quirks charts) and come on here screaming 'Hallelujah!' Instead, nary a peep. LOL!

Well, It was so horrible I'd like to pretend that was never the case and those paragraphs were blank thank you.

I know y'all are excited about this, but I find it all kind of...underwhelming. Yucky, even (to use a technical term.)

It seems like they just took a whole bunch of ideas for various mechanics, threw them all into a pile, and explained it all by saying, "It's psionics." This almost feels like the core of an entirely different game, maybe a superhero game, in which heroes are the rare few with psionic powers.

Speaking of which, does psionics satisfy warlord fans, because it's not actually magic?

But pisonics its magic! it clearly says "this is magic just not spellcasting"

Ummm...is that a yes or a no? Do Warlord fans still need a "non-magical, non-psionic, non-supernatural" option?

Yes we still need one, psionics is magic so we still that non-magic supporter

Forsooth. Just write Sorcerer or Druid or Warlord at the top of your Mystic character sheet if you want to. That's how I created a Friar in 4E, a Paladin in OD&D, a Bene Gesserit in AD&D and a Warlord in 5E.

You yourself might not care, but names matter, a lot. People have gone to war and died over names before. Names are important, not just for themselves but for what they mean and stand for.

 

[Gradine]

I was hoping for Id Insinuation, if not Psychic Crush.

They're there, as effect options under the Psychic Assault Discipline (in fact, all your favorite old school psionic attack modes are there, save Mind Thrust is now a Talent).

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Eric V]

Soooooo....psionic blast. The damage just sorta...happens?

Edit: In that, there doesn't seem to be an attack roll nor a call for a saving throw.

 

[Valetudo]

Ok first off this is a mess. I understand this is playtest material, but there are some things that make me slap my forehead. So wizards is breaking their concentration rules and in a poorly designed trap. Why are you shoving a warlord build into the psion? Just give us a ing warlord dammit. The soulknife should be a rogue subclass. Wheres the fighter/Psionic subclass wizards hinted at? A bit too much power creep along with everything else.

Ok end of rant. I do see alot of cool ideas in this mess. I just think they are cramming too many things together.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Kobold Avenger]

Some multiclassing ideas:

Nomad Gunsmith, with Mystic and Artificer why not play 1 class in playtesting when you can play 2 classes in playtesting? Also nomadic arrow works really well with the standard attacks from the gun, and both Artificer and Mystic use int, so that works well together.

Mystic Theurge, most likely the Order of the Wu Jen with the UA Wizard subclass that gets some cleric spells. It's not the original Mystic Theurge concept, but it certainly works as someone who wants to dabble in a lot of magical stuff, also both Wizard and Mystic use int so that's a bonus.

Vigor Bard Avatar, the College of Valor might actually make up for some of the things the Order of the Avatar doesn't get.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Ok first off this is a mess. I understand this is playtest material, but there are some things that make me slap my forehead. So wizards is breaking their concentration rules and in a poorly designed trap. Why are you shoving a warlord build into the psion? Just give us a ing warlord dammit. The soulknife should be a rogue subclass. Wheres the fighter/Psionic subclass wizards hinted at? A bit too much power creep along with everything else.

Ok end of rant. I do see alot of cool ideas in this mess. I just think they are cramming too many things together.

I would not worry too much, I bet the final version wont have all that stuff cramped into only one class. Some of it will stay into the main class with maybe 4 archetypes, and some other stuff will go into other classes archetypes.

Maybe they're even trying new mechanics for a revised monk or something; I guess that if the feedbacks are good on the wu-jen, for example, it would be easy for them to reverse-engineer the psi cost to ki points.

Just my opinion (with a good dose of hopes, too) tho.

 

[TwoSix]

Soooooo....psionic blast. The damage just sorta...happens?

Edit: In that, there doesn't seem to be an attack roll nor a call for a saving throw.

I think you're right, looks to be the psionic version of magic missile. It scales more linearly in terms of damage (worse at low levels, better at high levels) and can't be split, seems pretty OK.