Eric Finley
First Post
I agree that I don't like the recharge distinction according to how you used it. Wouldn't it be reasonable to, instead, make the augments of dailies be relatively minor boosts, whereas the augments of at-wills are pretty significant compared to the power they're augmenting? If it's a reasonably par choice, then you can ditch the differential recharge altogether.
Also, personally I'm not a fan of recharge rolls for PCs. I'd prefer to see it accomplished some other way. One thought would be to tie it to the Telepathy/Telekinesis features. Telepathy in particular would be cool... if the target of your telepathy becomes bloodied, becomes damaged while at full HP, or uses a rechargeable monster ability while contacted, then you may spend a focus surge. (But if it reaches 0HP while contacted then you are dazed until the end of your next turn!)
A little trickier for telekinesis, to be sure. Maybe, instead, Recharge Mode is one of the build features; the Telepath's is an add-on to Telepathy, as above, while the Telekinetic's keys to outside events only, and is technically disconnected from their Telekinesis power. (Say, "Hyperkinesthesia: If you are subject to forced movement, you may simultaneously spend a focus surge. If you are granted a shift by an ally, you may forgo that shift to spend a focus surge.")
Even now, the whole focus surge thing needs to be MUCH clearer. For example, as written, the daily powers which allow you to spend a focus surge are not only useless, but harmful... because you have not defined a default effect of spending a focus surge. (Regaining your Psi Focus is defined only within the Psi Focus power, meaning that other methods of spending one outside of that power block do nothing.)
I would say that a much clearer way to do it would be to make "Focused" a binary state. Either your Mentalist is Focused right now, or he is not; by default he begins each encounter Focused (save, possibly, when surprised - DM's discretion?). If he is Focused, then he can use the "Focus" rider on a power, and then become unfocused. If a power allows him to Refocus, then he may expend a Focus Surge (or, perhaps at this point, Psi Surge) to become Focused again. Meditate (poor name for this, btw, since many things such as Eladrin extended rests have the same name, and it certainly implies more than a couple of seconds' effort; maybe, simply, Second Mind) is then an encounter power which lets you Refocus and gain a +2 to Will defense until the end of your next turn. Any power which allows you to Refocus without spending a Focus Surge can simply say as much - it's pretty clear in this construction what that means.
In this construction, then the class features are: Psi Focus (which is the name for "you possess a binary state, Focused/unfocused, with the following rules"), Second Mind, and, say, Phrenic Gift (which is like the Warlock's Pact... it's a package choice which gives you one cantriplike power [telepathy or telekinesis], a Refocus method [empathic recharge or hyperkinesthesia], and one of the encounter tricks [Force of Will or Forceful Blast/Lingering Fire]). Note that the class feature list in the initial blurb should just say "Phrenic Gift" - see Warlock by comparison; Fate of the Void isn't on there by name, only the category names are present.
Picking one of two subsidiary class feature powers, after having already picked a class build, is too finicky. Sure, the Warlocks' At-Wills were a dumb construction, but this is ridiculous in the other direction. Take Lingering Fire and turn it into an encounter power or something, or a Telekinetics' feat (grants a more potent version of it instead of Forceful Blast?), or something like that.
And, as one last note, it jars me a great deal to have this class get proportionately more bursts and blasts than the Wizard. What the heck? I'd much prefer that it accomplished battlefield control primarily by targeting single opponents, but by using them to further hinder others, rather than the host of multi-target effects you've got here.
I mean, come on... is there seriously nothing on the list that telekinetically pushes enemy A into enemy B, and thence into enemy C, and B into D, until it runs out of strength? Why the hell not?
Or an enemy's weapon gets wrenched away and turned against his neighbours, or he becomes afraid of one of his allies and he "voluntarily" flees away from that ally (cf. One Bad Egg's Witch Doctor and the power "Hotfoot"), or one enemy pushes another one, or you slide an enemy into a secondary target and then the primary pushes the secondary and inflicts a penalty to save-versus-cliff rolls resulting from the push, or... there are so many ways that this class could do multi-target effects which are flavored as affecting a single target and inflicting collateral damage on the rest of them, you ought to be able to fill at least half the list with those alone. At that point, a couple of simple bursts and blasts, okay, fine. But right now, I'm afraid the whole thing just doesn't feel that inspired; it could be great, and right now it's merely okay.
Also, personally I'm not a fan of recharge rolls for PCs. I'd prefer to see it accomplished some other way. One thought would be to tie it to the Telepathy/Telekinesis features. Telepathy in particular would be cool... if the target of your telepathy becomes bloodied, becomes damaged while at full HP, or uses a rechargeable monster ability while contacted, then you may spend a focus surge. (But if it reaches 0HP while contacted then you are dazed until the end of your next turn!)
A little trickier for telekinesis, to be sure. Maybe, instead, Recharge Mode is one of the build features; the Telepath's is an add-on to Telepathy, as above, while the Telekinetic's keys to outside events only, and is technically disconnected from their Telekinesis power. (Say, "Hyperkinesthesia: If you are subject to forced movement, you may simultaneously spend a focus surge. If you are granted a shift by an ally, you may forgo that shift to spend a focus surge.")
Even now, the whole focus surge thing needs to be MUCH clearer. For example, as written, the daily powers which allow you to spend a focus surge are not only useless, but harmful... because you have not defined a default effect of spending a focus surge. (Regaining your Psi Focus is defined only within the Psi Focus power, meaning that other methods of spending one outside of that power block do nothing.)
I would say that a much clearer way to do it would be to make "Focused" a binary state. Either your Mentalist is Focused right now, or he is not; by default he begins each encounter Focused (save, possibly, when surprised - DM's discretion?). If he is Focused, then he can use the "Focus" rider on a power, and then become unfocused. If a power allows him to Refocus, then he may expend a Focus Surge (or, perhaps at this point, Psi Surge) to become Focused again. Meditate (poor name for this, btw, since many things such as Eladrin extended rests have the same name, and it certainly implies more than a couple of seconds' effort; maybe, simply, Second Mind) is then an encounter power which lets you Refocus and gain a +2 to Will defense until the end of your next turn. Any power which allows you to Refocus without spending a Focus Surge can simply say as much - it's pretty clear in this construction what that means.
In this construction, then the class features are: Psi Focus (which is the name for "you possess a binary state, Focused/unfocused, with the following rules"), Second Mind, and, say, Phrenic Gift (which is like the Warlock's Pact... it's a package choice which gives you one cantriplike power [telepathy or telekinesis], a Refocus method [empathic recharge or hyperkinesthesia], and one of the encounter tricks [Force of Will or Forceful Blast/Lingering Fire]). Note that the class feature list in the initial blurb should just say "Phrenic Gift" - see Warlock by comparison; Fate of the Void isn't on there by name, only the category names are present.
Picking one of two subsidiary class feature powers, after having already picked a class build, is too finicky. Sure, the Warlocks' At-Wills were a dumb construction, but this is ridiculous in the other direction. Take Lingering Fire and turn it into an encounter power or something, or a Telekinetics' feat (grants a more potent version of it instead of Forceful Blast?), or something like that.
And, as one last note, it jars me a great deal to have this class get proportionately more bursts and blasts than the Wizard. What the heck? I'd much prefer that it accomplished battlefield control primarily by targeting single opponents, but by using them to further hinder others, rather than the host of multi-target effects you've got here.
I mean, come on... is there seriously nothing on the list that telekinetically pushes enemy A into enemy B, and thence into enemy C, and B into D, until it runs out of strength? Why the hell not?
Or an enemy's weapon gets wrenched away and turned against his neighbours, or he becomes afraid of one of his allies and he "voluntarily" flees away from that ally (cf. One Bad Egg's Witch Doctor and the power "Hotfoot"), or one enemy pushes another one, or you slide an enemy into a secondary target and then the primary pushes the secondary and inflicts a penalty to save-versus-cliff rolls resulting from the push, or... there are so many ways that this class could do multi-target effects which are flavored as affecting a single target and inflicting collateral damage on the rest of them, you ought to be able to fill at least half the list with those alone. At that point, a couple of simple bursts and blasts, okay, fine. But right now, I'm afraid the whole thing just doesn't feel that inspired; it could be great, and right now it's merely okay.
