D&D 5E (2014) The Names for the Psionic Class that You Like More

[CrusaderX]

Psion gets my vote.

 

[Hriston]

I made some silly suggestions up-thread, but seriously I think Mystic sets the right tone in connoting someone who is initiated into mysteries. Psion and Psionicist are too much a part of our world in flavor, and Psychic just sounds like a fortune teller or someone on the psychic hotline. Maybe that's just me.

I don't really have a horse in this race as I never play with psionics.

Though maybe I will if they change the name.

 

[Hriston]

How about Dianeticist?

 

[Herobizkit]

The... um... mojo surrounding the word 'mystic' seems to have left with the 70's, but for me, the word totally conjures visions of The Oracle (like on the Hilarious House of Frightenstein) and other turban-laden swamis... practitioners of mind-melting mesmerization!

(Kudos if you read the last part with ALL of the exCITEment of SEVENties anNOUNcers!!)

 

[Hriston]

The... um... mojo surrounding the word 'mystic' seems to have left with the 70's, but for me, the word totally conjures visions of The Oracle (like on the Hilarious House of Frightenstein) and other turban-laden swamis... practitioners of mind-melting mesmerization!

(Kudos if you read the last part with ALL of the exCITEment of SEVENties anNOUNcers!!)

That's funny, because for me, the term "psychic" and its variants have similar connotations. "Mystic" on the other hand, although a modern usage of the word, refers to numerous figures of legend, and ancient and medieval history, including Jesus, the Buddha, Lao Tzu, and Krishna. More recently there are St. Francis of Assisi and other medieval mystics to whom were attributed supernatural powers. These legendary, and semi-legendary figures really don't fit into any existing D&D archetype. Clerics are traditionally warrior types that serve a higher power. Wizards are students of the arcane, rather than seekers of internal truths. It seems like D&D needs a class that fills this niche.

On the other hand, I would be hard pressed to come up with a character of myth and legend that is compatible with my idea of what a psychic is. Of course fortune tellers and astrologers go way back, but figures like the Oracle at Delphi or Nostradamus don't strike me as particularly heroic.

 

[MoonSong]

Psychic, Psion, Mentalist, Awakened, Channeler. Really anything but Mystic, it has too much of a divine connotation for my taste.

Psion sucks for two reasons. 1: it's a made-up word that means nothing outside of D&D, and 2: it's homophonous with an unrelated real-life word that comes up a lot in fantasy. The first time someone suggested that I play a psion, I immediately wondered, "Scion of what?"

Psionicist is just too awkward to pronounce. Also, it's a made-up word that means nothing outside of D&D.

Mystic has many connotations, none of which have anything to do with psionics. Not a great fit.

Psychic seems perfect to me. It's a real word, it's easy to pronounce, and it clearly expresses the concept that it represents.

Well in the other thread they told me Psion predates D&D.

 

[Sadrik]

If not Psion or Psionicist. Just not Awakened Mystic.

Mesmer this term is used in guild wars and it has a bit of the bard mixed in. I think this is a good fit though.
Mentalist is also very good.
Master could be interesting.
Mind

I actually think Psion is good it was used in the last two editions. Itevokes for me what psionics should do.

 

[Vael]

Honestly, IMO, every alternative to Mystic that I've seen here, I haven't liked. If we can't have Psion, Mystic is acceptable to me.

It even kinda makes sense within a DnD world. Compared to Arcane and Divine Magic, Psionic abilities are rarer and more mysterious. I can see Kalashtar and Inspired Mystics as exotic in Eberron, it even works in Dark Sun. At least, IIRC, the one Dark Sun novel I read, the word Psion was never used to describe the Psionic wielder, I think he was a "Follower of the Way", or something like that. Which sounds like a Mystic to me.

 

[epithet]

Of the terms suggested in this thread so far, I like Mystic the best. By a wide margin.

Although Bruce has a certain undeniable appeal.