D&D 5E Mystic v3 - Energy Beam Talent attack vs save

[azegoca]

This one seems to me that it should be an attack roll instead of a save. It would be more in line with damage cantrips and attack scales better than saves at higher levels, and is just plain more satisfying to the player.

 

[cbwjm]

I didn't realise it wasn't, I think I just assumed it was an attack roll. Perhaps the developers thought that the versatility was good enough that they didn't want there to be the chance for a critical hit. I still might change it to an attack roll in my games though.

 

[azegoca]

My game is going to house-rule that it is an attack instead. It doesn't seem overly powerful treated like that, and will improve game play satisfaction.

 

[Sabeta]

It fits the fluff. This beam is created from raw psychic energy from nothing more than your mind, and it can be freely manipulated and probably change directions and all that other cool stuff. Honestly, monsters should be lucky they get to dex save at all rather than just suffer auto-hits from the magical beam being telekinetically controlled by that blue haired elf chick.

Though I do wish they had more Attack Rolls. It feels like every ability they use is a Saving Throw of some kind or another, and that creates headaches for DMs if anything.

 

[Xeviat]

Perhaps they intended to have PP modify talents, and have 1 pp add "half damage on save"? That's how I would have done it.


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[Staffan]

Perhaps they intended to have PP modify talents, and have 1 pp add "half damage on save"? That's how I would have done it.

As I recall, that was an issue with the Wizard/Evoker when all we had was the Basic Rules for 5e: they got an ability that let them deal half damage on a save with cantrips, but the Basic Rules didn't have any wizard cantrips with saves.

 

[Sabeta]

1d8+INT is pretty great. It's also plenty good on Orders that are primarily melee, as it gives them a filler option for the sometimes frequent moments that they're out of melee range. It can dial in on most elemental weaknesses which is kind of a big deal.

Not scaling quite as well in terms of accuracy is what makes this and Mind Thrust balanced options in my opinion.

 

[azegoca]

This isn't 1d8+int, just 1d8. I agree that being able to bypass resistance by changing type is powerful, but getting talents extremely slowly compares to other casters' cantrips, who will have the opportunity to branch out faster, negates that a bit IMO at mid and higher levels.

I have no issue with Mind Thrust as int save vs psychic damage makes perfect sense, as do Hammer and Slam due to the additional effects.

 

[Sabeta]

At level 8, you get +INT.

 

[azegoca]

Right, but that isn't uncommon at that level, and the mystic will have 2 talents vs 3, 4, or 5 cantrips at the same level.