Unearthed Arcana Psionics Hits Unearthed Arcana

If you've been waiting anxiously for psionics to arrive in the D&D Unearthed Arcana column, your wait is over! The Awakened Mystic is a psionic class by Mike Mearls which - currently - has access to three psionic disciplines, with more to come later. Following on from Mike Mearls' question, Should Psionic Flavour Be Altered? (a discussion which promoted 750+ comments here on EN World, and is still ongoing), it sounds like he has answered the question with a resounding "yes". Rather than pseudo-scientific sounding terms like telepathy, clairovoyance, and the like, we have the disciplines Conquering Mind, Intellect Fortress (a callback to earlier editions), and Third Eye.

UPDATE - IMPORTANT NOTE FROM MIKE MEARLS: "For folks looking at the psionics material in today's UA, looks like there was a minor error. Not all the material is there." Keep an eye on it; I expect it'll be fixed soon.

UPDATE 2 - fixed! Updated document includes another three disciplines (Celerity, Iron Durability, and Psionic Weapon) and the basic rules to the class.

Find it here!

 

[Yaarel]

Happily the Awakened has full-on potent Telepathy.

"
At 1st level, your mastery of psionic power allows you to tap directly into the minds of others. You can communicate telepathically with any creature you can see within 100 feet of you. You don’t need to share a language with a creature for it to understand your telepathic utterances, and the creature understands you even if it lacks a language. You can allow a creature to respond to you telepathically, but it must understand at least one language in order to communicate this way.

"

All the mechanics require the target to be in sight, ‘one creature that you can see’. This is a gamey requirement (to prevent knowing what is going on behind closed doors) that contradicts popular notions about telepathy.

Concerns about gaming balance are especially important (because with the exception of 3e, psionics tends to fail at gaming balance because it keeps using wonky mechanics). At the same time, a Telepath ought to be able to detect the presence of other minds - at least ones nearby.

 

[Sadrik]

Ha, jumping the gun a bit aren't we? Unless you're just naturally anti-psionic?

I mean, I'm an anti-psion type guy, but I don't really mind this one so far. Mostly because the science-y names are gone, and it just seems like an altered wizard, which is something I'm totally okay with.

Another unique casting methodology and whole new class. Not interested. It is already bloated a bit anyway. Even better. Now with caster type #7. And with another unique casting method to confound and try and properly balance.

 

[Wik]

Another unique casting methodology and whole new class. Not interested. It is already bloated a bit anyway. Even better. Now with caster type #7. And with another unique casting method to confound and try and properly balance.

Just seems a bit negative, is all. Especially on a D&D site, where everyone is always discussing new stuff, house rules, etc. Not to mention, this is a great way to release new game supplies to fans - "here, it's not finished yet, help us make it perfect before we try and sell it to you". So I don't see what the complaint is.

If you're gonna be negative on the class, cite why. Be constructive, at least. Sheesh.

 

[Iosue]

Since this is a playtest version, it's probably overpowered so folks can get a full-blooded feel for how it plays. Then they'll pull it back a bit as they get closer to a final version. This was their MO during the Next playtest.

 

[Yaarel]

Mind Thrust is a little wierd in that it's a ranged attack so uses Dex.

I hope the Mystic doesnt use Dexterity for Mind Thrust attacks! That would be absurd.

 

[Raunalyn]

Only 5 levels...hmmm....

Strength of the Mind is a very interesting mechanic. Changing your save bonus after each rest? I'm not sure how I feel about that, honestly.

I do really like the idea that you have disciplines that, as long as you concentrate on the effect, offer you different benefits.

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

The overall mechanical shape looks decent. I don't like the name "Awakened Mystic" at all. Just call it a Psion. I do like most of the ability names, except "Mind Thrust", which is destined to cause immature giggles at the table for years to come.

I need to see more of the class before I can really consider feedback.

 

[Sadrik]

I hear you. I fully expect many to like it. It is after all what many were asking for. A unique perspective on the psion. My dislike of it is that it does not seamlessly fit into the game. Monsters with psionic powers will have to be re-imagined. New mechanics vetted and balanced. I am all for new stuff. I however am more interested in a clear coherent modular system more. This is a creative stab at a new spellcasting method. I even think that a nifty unique system is a great sort of advanced complex way to keep jaded die hard fans interested. However new fans and fans who don't want to deal with the advanced and complex nature, just turn it off. So I feel this is constructive.

 

[Yaarel]

I am still reading from the partial publication.

It seems all Mystics have Telepathy, Mind Thrust, and Object Reading. This helps every member of the class maintain a ‘psychic’ flavor.

On top of this other archetypes (disciplines) are added to the Mystic class.

 

[Yaarel]

I hear you. I fully expect many to like it. It is after all what many were asking for. A unique perspective on the psion. My dislike of it is that it does not seamlessly fit into the game. Monsters with psionic powers will have to be re-imagined. New mechanics vetted and balanced. I am all for new stuff. I however am more interested in a clear coherent modular system more. This is a creative stab at a new spellcasting method. I even think that a nifty unique system is a great sort of advanced complex way to keep jaded die hard fans interested. However new fans and fans who don't want to deal with the advanced and complex nature, just turn it off. So I feel this is constructive.

Possibly, the designers have a two-prong approach for psionics. The Mystic would be the base class that many fans want, with the mechanical wonkiness they have become accustomed too. In addition there can be psionic archetypes of the core classes that many fans want.

When the wonky psionic mechanics break the game, it will be easy for DMs to ban the class.

Meanwhile, DMs can continue to use the archetypes of the normal class with their normal mechanics more reliably.