D&D 5E Mystic Speculation

[TheCosmicKid]

Indeed, D&D tradition is as you say, but the term psionics and psion have been part of it for a solid portion of D&D's history.

It may be a simple matter of terminological clarity. "Psionics" is the name of the power, implying that everybody who uses the power is a "psion". So they may want to avoid using the name "psion" for a specific class which not all psionically empowered individuals have necessarily taken levels in. Like how they don't call the wizard "magic user" anymore. I'm running into the same problem writing a homebrew alchemy system with both "alchemists" and "assassins". I'm just biting the bullet on "alchemist", and personally, I think they should do the same for "psion", but I can understand why they might not want to.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

They ended the year when the paladin. If they were adding the mystic to the mix, they would have done that a couple weeks back.

Good catch. I must have been thinking ahead on this before the paladin article and didn't update my brain--that or I've forgotten my ABCs.

I doubt the book will be an "Unearthed Arcana" book. That's a name that means nothing to many people, and doesn't tell you what the book is about. And it makes it harder to make a second book building on the UA articles for the next few years.

Very likely the book with have a theme and story, like the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide or Volo's Guide to Monsters that makes it apparent what it's about but also works as a place for both the mystic and new class archetypes.

I think you're right. They've talked about how they want the names to make it clear enough for new players not to accidentally buy the wrong stuff, so this will probably have to indicate that it is some sort of advanced rules of the game you should not be buying if you don't unless you already have experience with the game. Maybe "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Players Handbook".

In seriousness, I wouldn't be surprised if they put "Advanced" in the title, since people who know/remember the history would already know this book is something different, coming out in the 21st century as it is, while those new to the game probably have never heard of the old terminology and would take the term at face value. "Players Handbook" wouldn't be in the title though, as it would be misleading.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

I think you're right. They've talked about how they want the names to make it clear enough for new players not to accidentally buy the wrong stuff, so this will probably have to indicate that it is some sort of advanced rules of the game you should not be buying if you don't unless you already have experience with the game. Maybe "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Players Handbook".

In seriousness, I wouldn't be surprised if they put "Advanced" in the title, since people who know/remember the history would already know this book is something different, coming out in the 21st century as it is, while those new to the game probably have never heard of the old terminology and would take the term at face value. "Players Handbook" wouldn't be in the title though, as it would be misleading.

I would avoid using the word "advanced" with its historical D&D associations, because, notwithstanding the common meaning of the word, for the better part of two decades "Advanced" Dungeons & Dragons pretty much was Dungeons & Dragons. I think they'd want to make it clear to both old players and new that this is something different, non-core. "Expanded", maybe. "Unearthed" actually does work pretty well too.

 

[Mercurius]

I could see them using a title like Adventurer's Toolkit.