Mystic Class Discussion

Good Morning Game Fans, we’re back to continue our deeper investigation into the mysteries of Dungeons and Dragons, and how it shaped the larger roleplaying game community.  We’ve put a temporary hold on our discussion about races in fantasy roleplaying (We’ll pick back up with the races from Volo’s Guide to Monsters and the Elemental Evil Player’s Companion after this interlude).  We’re going to discuss the role of Classes in fantasy roleplaying games, and then we’ll take a look in turn at each of the character classes in the Player’s Handbook for Dungeons and Dragons, 5th Edition.

So what is a Character Class?  In Dungeons and Dragons (and many other roleplaying games) A Character Class represents a combination of special abilities, options and skills that make up a character’s occupation.  Your Character Class helps define what options you have to interact with the larger game world, and determines whether you’re a sneaky expert, or a bold warrior, or a crafty arcane magician.  

It also serves to indicate to other players what they can expect your character to be capable of doing.   In other words, it can serve as a keyword for you to identify a variety of factors.  It’s also the second most common descriptor used to identify a character after race.  For example, “He’s a human ranger, or she’s an elven wizard.”  in the same way that people can identify as a lawyer, or a doctor or a soldier, the fantasy adventurer identifies as a barbarian, or a ranger, or a wizard.  

Now Today’s Feature is a little different because we’re looking at an Unearthed Arcana class offering.  This is the third iteration of the Mystic, and contains a full 20 level progression that features several archetypes.  This one introduces a lot of new concepts and terms, which we’ve covered here.  If you need to refresh, feel free and then we’ll dive into the Mystic.

Mystic:

The Mystic is the most recent version of the Psionicist, a character idea that used mental powers either in place of or in addition to more typical adventuring ideas.  The earliest version of these rules that i am familiar with show up in the Player’s Handbook for Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, and every edition since has attempted (with varying degrees of support and success) to include them in the Dungeons and Dragons game.  

Mystics utilize advanced meditative and thought harness techniques to channel energy that is barely understood by others.  Mixing a monk like devotion to meditation with extremely esoteric powers, the Mystic embraces the world of the odd.  Harnessing these techniques gives the Mystic abilities that look and in some cases, feel like magic, yet they aren’t magic, anyone with the proper understanding of the underlying ideas would be capable of using the same powers.  If these ideas seem interesting to you, then you might dig the Mystic.

Creating a Mystic:

Why did you pick Mystic for this character?  Is he or she a student of the esoteric?  Drawn to the studies of the deepest mysteries of the universe?  Did your character discover an ancient secret way of looking at the cosmos and felt the pull to follow that secret? What brought your character to this role, and how did they end up deciding on the Mystic life?    Figuring out these answers can help you figure out why you want to be a Mystic, and how you can select a background that works with the class and your concept.

Mystics have an amazing array of potential powers to work with.  Disciplines and Talents give the potential Mystic a wide variety of things that they can potentially do, and once the player starts making decisions about which powers they’re looking for, those choices start to crystallize along order and discipline ideas.  The other thing that i find very compelling about the way the Mystic is put together is the flexibility in power that Psi Points allow.  The Mystic can opt to use as many psi points as their power limit allows and this creates effects that are orders of magnitude more powerful.  The other important component to the power limit is that as it increases, more powerful effects can be generated from within the same discipline.  It’s a very neat effect, and one that could use more exploration in further class ideas.

Now the Mystic’s psionic abilities are powered by Intelligence, and it’s the primary statistic for the Mystic.  Other stats will depend on exactly how you want to build your Mystic, but i always encourage effect generating characters (the Warlock, the Sorcerer, the Wizard, and the Artificer for example) to consider Constitution as a secondary statistic.  Hit Points are extremely useful for staying alive once combat breaks out.  The alternative thought to that is that if you aren’t ever hit, you can’t be injured.  People following that thought should consider Dexterity instead.

Note 1:  The Mystic has its own personality quirk table that can help you build some interesting Role-playing interactions.  Consider utilizing it to its fullest extent when you are working on your character’s background

Class Features

This section contains all of the mechanically and statistically relevant information that you will need as a player to build your character.  

Hit Points:

Hit points represent the amount of damage a character can take before being incapacitated and potentially dead.  Every class has a specific range of potential hit point totals, modified by the character’s Constitution modifier.

Hit Dice:  Mystics use a D8 for their hit dice.  This is a middle of the road hit die, the dedicated arcane spell casters are rolling D6s, while the rogue, the Cleric, and the monk are also rolling D8s.  Compared to more martially capable characters, Mystics can’t take as much of a punch without succumbing to their injuries

Hit Points at 1st level: A 1st level Mystic will have 8 hit points plus an additional number of hit points equal to their constitution bonus.  

Hit Points at higher levels:  Every level after first, a Mystic gains an additional D8 hit die, which they can roll for hit point, or take the average value of 5.  They also get to add their Constitution modifier to whatever they roll.  The new Hit Die plus Con mod is added to their existing Maximum hit points, and they are off to the races.  

For example, a level 3 Mystic has just gained enough experience points to achieve level 4.  They roll a D8, and come up with a 6.  The player adds their Constitution bonus of +2, and this comes to an 8.  Added to the existing maximum Hit Point total of 24, the new 4th level Mystic has 32 hit points.

Proficiencies:

Proficiencies represent specific training and competency levels with a variety of weapons, armor, saving throws, tools, and skills.  When using weapons and skills your character is proficient in, as well as making saving throws of types your character is proficient with, you get to add your proficiency bonus to the die roll.  

Armor:  Light Armor

Weapons: Simple Weapons

Tools: None

Saving Throws:  Intelligence, Wisdom

Skills:  Choose any two from Arcana, History, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, and Religion

Note: There are other ways to acquire certain proficiencies beyond the character class.  Certain races, backgrounds, and other options allow a character to pick up proficiencies outside their normal range, so if you see something you’re looking for, you might just find it in another section.  

Equipment:

Every character class has a recommended starting package of weapons and equipment.  This is an excellent way to save yourself time by grabbing a gear package and being ready to go.  All of the suggestions are laid out in a menu, and you as a player get to make one choice per bullet point for your character’s equipment.

• (a) spear or (b) mace
• (a) leather armor or (b) studded leather armor
• (a) light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any simple weapon
• (a) scholar’s pack or (b) explorer’s pack

Class Abilities:

The majority of the remaining class description will feature a combination of special abilities and tricks that only members of this specific class have access to.  These are the other professional capabilities that define this class and separate it from the remaining ones.  They give the flavoring that make the bard play differently from the sorcerer.  They have a specific format that they’ll likely follow:

1st Level

Mystic Order

At 1st level, you choose a specialization for your Mystic, either the Order of the Avatar , the Order of the Awakened, the Order of the Immortal, the Order of the Nomad, the Order of the Soul Knife, or the Order of the Wu Jen.  These archetypes have special abilities gained at 1st level, 3rd level, 6th level, and 14th level.  We’ll look at these more closely when we examine those archetypes at the end of this document.  

Psionics

Every Mystic has the ability to channel psionic power through their meditative arts and thought exercises.  These powers are the unique abilities that Mystics are famous for.  There are several components to Psionics, as described below.

Psionic Talents:

Psionic talents are minor psychic powers that a Mystic picks up throughout the levelling up process.  These don’t use Psi Points, and are interesting abilities that a character has acquired.  None of them are associated with specific Mystic Orders (more on those in a second), meaning that any given Mystic has access to the entire pool of Psionic Talents.  (These start on page 27 of the pdf file).  

Psionic Disciplines:

The Psionic Discipline represents an interconnected web of meditative and mental activities that produce specific effects when utilized.  Every Mystic starts with 1 Discipline, and throughout the course of their career, they will learn a few other disciplines. Each Discipline has a group of related effects that have an associated psi point cost, a benefit for maintaining psychic focus with that discipline, and an associated tradition.  Each of the related effects has a psi point cost, an effect, and a potential duration and the possibility for concentration.  

Psi Points:

These are the resources that a Mystic expends to power their Discipline based abilities.  Higher level Mystics have more resources to work with, and can power greater effects with them.

Psi Limit:

The more experienced Mystics are capable of pouring more energy into their effects than new ones.  The Psi Limit represents the maximum amount of Psi Points a Mystic can spend on a given Discipline ability.  

Psychic Focus:

Every Mystic has the ability to focus their mental energies on a specific psionic discipline, and this allows them to take advantage of a specific benefit associated with that discipline.  Activating this ability takes a Bonus action, and lasts until the Mystic is incapacitated or spends another bonus action at a later time to change Disciplines.  

Psionic Ability:

Psionics are powered by Intelligence, and the Mystic uses their Intelligence Modifier for Attack bonuses and Saving throws.  This looks like this:

• Discipline Save DC = 8 + Mystic’s Proficiency Bonus + Mystic’s Intelligence Modifier
• Discipline Attack Modifier= Mystic’s Proficiency Bonus + Mystic’s Intelligence Modifier

2nd level

Mystical Recovery

The Mystic can draw on his or her psionic powers to heal their body.  When they psi points on a psionic discipline, they can spend a bonus action to regain a number of hit points equal to the number of psi points spent.

Telepathy

The Mystic learns the ability to communicate with another creature using the power of its mind.  So long as the creature is within 120 feet and has the ability to understand a language or have the telepathy ability, the Mystic can communicate with it.  

3rd Level

Mystic Order Ability #2

Depending on which Mystic Order  you select, you’ll get one of five abilities.  I’ll cover these below when i cover the archetypes in greater detail.

4th Level

Ability Score Increase

You can increase one ability score of your choice by two points or you can increase two different ability scores by one point.  You can’t increase an ability score over 20 using this ability.  Some games allow feats, and you can substitute a feat for an Ability Score Increase.

Strength of Mind

The Mystic can channel his or her superior mental powers to better resist physical rigors.  After finishing a short or a long rest, the Mystic can swap out proficiency in Wisdom Saving Throws for proficiency in Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, or Charisma Saving Throws.  This lasts until the Mystic completes another short or long rest, when they can make this substitution again.  

5th Level

No New Abilities gained

6th Level

Mystic Order Ability #3

Depending on which Mystic Order  you select, you’ll get one of five abilities.  I’ll cover these below when i cover the archetypes in greater detail.

7th Level

No New Abilities gained

8th Level

Ability Score Increase

You can increase one ability score of your choice by two points or you can increase two different ability scores by one point.  You can’t increase an ability score over 20 using this ability.  Some games allow feats, and you can substitute a feat for an Ability Score Increase.

Potent Psionics

The Mystic can infuse his or her weapon attacks with psionic energy.  Once per turn when the Mystic successfully hits another creature, they can add an additional 1D8 psychic damage to the damage roll.  This increases to 2D8 when the Mystic reaches 14th level.   

9th Level

No New Abilities gained

10th Level

Consumptive Power

The Mystic gains the ability to burn hit points to power his or her psionic abilities.  When they activate a psionic discipline, the Mystic can pay the cost in Hit Points instead of Psi Points.  Both Current and Maximum Hit Points are reduced by the amount spent and the reduction in maximum Hit Points lasts until the Mystic completes a long rest.  This ability recharges after the Mystic completes a long rest.  

11th Level

Psionic Mastery

At this level, the Mystic gains the ability to tap into greater reservoirs of psionic power.  As an action, the Mystic immediately gains 9 Psi Points to spend on Psionic Discipline powers that require either an action or a bonus action to activate.  Most importantly, the Mystic can choose to spend these points on Disciplines they don’t normally have access to, allowing them to activate different abilities from their normal limits.  The Mystic can’t use his or her normal pool of Psi Points on these additional Disciplines.  These extra points remain until the Mystic completes a long rest.  

This ability improves to granting 11 psi points at 15th level.  The Mystic also gains additional uses of this power at 13th, 15th, and 17th level.  

(This is an extremely powerful ability and basically tosses out the existing rules that Mystics play by, but it does have some limits.  First, it doesn’t allow the Mystic to establish a Psychic Focus on the Discipline.  Second, it doesn’t allow for the Mystic to use any of the other powers that require more than an action or bonus action.  Could be extremely powerful, and it does extend the Mystic’s ability to adventure without rest.)

12th Level

Ability Score Increase

You can increase one ability score of your choice by two points or you can increase two different ability scores by one point.  You can’t increase an ability score over 20 using this ability.  Some games allow feats, and you can substitute a feat for an Ability Score Increase.

13th Level

Psionic Mastery gains an additional use per day

14th Level

Mystic Order Ability #4

Depending on which Mystic Order  you select, you’ll get one of five abilities.  I’ll cover these below when i cover the archetypes in greater detail.

Potent Psionics (Improves to 2D8 psychic Damage)

15th Level

Psionic Mastery gains an additional use per day and the pool increases to 11 points

16th Level

Ability Score Increase

You can increase one ability score of your choice by two points or you can increase two different ability scores by one point.  You can’t increase an ability score over 20 using this ability.  Some games allow feats, and you can substitute a feat for an Ability Score Increase.

17th Level

Psionic Mastery gains an additional use per day

18th Level

No New Abilities Gained

19th Level

Ability Score Increase

You can increase one ability score of your choice by two points or you can increase two different ability scores by one point.  You can’t increase an ability score over 20 using this ability.  Some games allow feats, and you can substitute a feat for an Ability Score Increase.

20th Level

Psionic Body

The Mystic’s body is infused with psionic power that provides the following benefits:

• The Mystic gains resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
• The Mystic no longer ages.
• The Mystic is immune to disease, poison damage, and the poisoned condition.
• If the Mystic dies, roll a d20. On a 10 or higher, the Mystic discorporates with 0 hit points, instead of dying, and the Mystic falls unconscious. The Mystic and his or her gear disappear. The Mystic appears at a spot of his or her choice 1d3 days later on the plane of existence where the Mystic died, having gained the benefits of one long rest.

Thoughts and Ideas:

I like the implementation of this version of psionics.  This class feels a lot like earlier attempts but definitely brings the idea forward into the 5th edition head space.  This class is just as potent as one of the other effect generators, and i think it can do a lot of work in an adventuring party.  I think one of the most critical elements when designing something like this is to consider what role it takes in a party and if it displaces anything else.  I think the Mystic is a wonderful companion to most of the other potential character class choices that you can come up with, and i think it can be a lot of fun.  

Archetypes:

A character class is built to be as broadly encompassing as it can be.  There are many types of wizards in the world, and different types of fighters as well.  Each class has access to a selection of Archetypes that allow a player to further tighten up their concept and build the type of character they are specifically looking for.  Rogues have access to both thief and assassin, for example, and while they are both Rogues at heart, the abilities that each Archetype uses definitely change the way the class feels to play.  

The Mystic is spoiled for options for Archetypes, with six Mystic Order choices to work from.  Each one is focused on a different aspect of Psionics, and each one has Psionic Disciplines associated with itt.  Further, each has additional abilities that fit within the theme that each Mystic Order represents.  The Five Mystic orders are the Order of the Avatar, the Order of the Awakened, the Order of the Immortal, the Order of the Nomad, the Order of the Soul Knife, or the Order of the Wu Jen.  These archetypes have special abilities gained at 1st level, 3rd level, 6th level, and 14th level.

Order of the Avatar

The Avatars use psionic powers to manipulate the emotions and minds of those around them.  Equally capable of being tyrants or leaders, the Avatars focus their psionic might to use emotions as weapons and tools for the greater good (or evil).   Avatars are capable of molding their allies into a superbly capable force of warriors or eroding the morale of their enemies.   

1st Level

Bonus Disciplines

The Avatar learns two additional Disciplines from the list of Avatar Disciplines.  

Armor Training

The Avatar gains proficiency with Medium Armor and Shields.

3rd Level

Avatar of Battle

The Avatar projects an aura that inspires his or her allies.  As long as the Avatar isn’t incapacitated, each ally within 30 feet gains a +2 bonus to initiative.  

6th Level

Avatar of Healing

The Avatar projects an aura that fortifies  his or her allies.  As long as the Avatar isn’t incapacitated, each ally within 30 feet gains an additional number of hit points equal to the Avatar’s Intelligence modifier whenever they would regain hit points from a psionic discipline.

14th Level

Avatar of Speed

The Avatar projects an aura that invigorates his or her allies.  As long as the Avatar isn’t incapacitated, each ally within 30 feet can take the Dash action as a bonus action.

Avatar Disciplines

I’m not going to do a full breakdown of the Disciplines for any of the Mystic Orders this week (you can find those on page 10 of the Unearthed Arcana article for Mystic). Next week we’ll break down all the Disciplines and go over how they work in game play.

Thoughts and Ideas:

The Avatar is an interesting support Mystic who powers up his or her allies while taking apart the morale of enemy creatures.  The right combination of psionic disciplines can dramatically alter the flow of a given battle.  Also of note are the proficiencies with heavier armor and shields than a normal Mystic has access to.  This Mystic is probably closer to the enemy than most, and that necessitates a heavier invest in protective gear.  

Order of the Awakened

The Awakened view the world in the context that Intelligence is the key to all locks.  Unlocking their mental powers gives them greater capabilities to deal with problems that arise throughout the adventuring life.  They have access to some truly devastating mental powers, and excel at solving puzzles, riddles, and other feats of Intelligence

1st Level

Bonus Disciplines

The Awakened learns two additional Disciplines from the list of Awakened Disciplines.  

Awakened Talent

The Awakened gains proficiency with two of the following skills: Animal Handling, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception and Persuasion.

3rd Level

Psionic Investigation

The Awakened can focus his or her prodigious mental powers to read the psionic impression left on an object.  This process takes 10 minutes and grants a mental image (from the object’s point of view) for the last 24 hours.  This reveals the last creature to hold it in that time frame.  The Mystic can also use that object to study the events that happened within the last hour, revealing events that occurred within 20 feet (again from the object’s perspective).  Finally, the Mystic can imbed the object with a psionic sensor, allowing him or her to use an action to learn the object’s relative direction and distance, and use the object to look at it’s surroundings.  This perception lasts until the beginning of the Mystic’s next turn.  This feature recharges on a short or long rest.

6th Level

Psionic Surge

The Awakened can attempt to overwhelm the defenses of the targets of his or her psionic attacks.  By expending his or her psychic focus, they can impose disadvantage on the target’s next saving throw.  The Awakened can not reactivate psychic focus until they successfully complete a short or long rest.  The Awakened has to be able to activate a psychic focus in order to use this ability.  

14th Level

Spectral Form

The Awakened can slough of his or her mortal body and become a ghostly figure of pure psionic energy.  While in this form, the Mystic has resistance to all damage, moves at half speed, and can pass through solid objects and creatures (the Mystic still can’t end their turn occupying the same space as an object or creature).  This lasts for 10 minutes or until the Awakened ends it with an action.  This ability recharges on a long rest.  

Awakened Disciplines

I’m not going to do a full breakdown of the Disciplines for any of the Mystic Orders this week (you can find those on page 10 of the Unearthed Arcana article for Mystic). Next week we’ll break down all the Disciplines and go over how they work in game play.

Thoughts and Ideas:

The Awakened feels like an extremely traditional mentalist.  Using psionic powers to control objects and batter foes with pure psionic power, the Awakened is reminiscent of many comic book characters.  If you’re looking to see how this kind of a character would exist in Dungeons and Dragons, here’s your best chance.  

Order of the Immortal

The Immortals turn their psionic energy inward, honing their physical bodies beyond levels imagined by other warriors.  Notoriously hard to kill, Immortals are the most physically capable Mystics, and are more than capable of killing their opponents with psionically charged physical powers.  

1st Level

Bonus Disciplines

The Immortal learns two additional Disciplines from the list of Immortal Disciplines.  

Immortal Durability

The Immortal gains an extra maximum hit point per level, and they are harder to hit than most other Mystics.  The Immortal (while not wearing any armor or carrying a shield) treats his or her base Armor Class is 10 + The Immortal’s Dexterity Modifier + the Immortal’s Constitution Modifier.  

3rd Level

Psionic Resilience

The Immortal can draw on his or her psionic energy to empower his or her body.  At the start of each of his or her turns, the Immortal gains a number of temporary hit points equal to his or her Intelligence Modifier as long as the Immortal has at least 1 hit point remaining.  

6th Level

Surge of Health

The Immortal can shrug off even the most lethal attacks. .  By expending his or her psychic focus, they can use their reaction to halve the damage they’ve just taken.  The Immortal can not reactivate psychic focus until they successfully complete a short or long rest.  The Immortal has to be able to activate a psychic focus in order to use this ability.  

14th Level

Immortal Will

The Immortal can channel his or her psionic power to stave off death.  At the end of the turn while the Immortal is at 0 hit points, he or she can spend 5 psi points to immediately regain a number of hit points equal to his or her Mystic Level plus his or her Constitution Modifier.

Immortal Disciplines

I’m not going to do a full breakdown of the Disciplines for any of the Mystic Orders this week (you can find those on page 10 of the Unearthed Arcana article for Mystic). Next week we’ll break down all the Disciplines and go over how they work in game play.

Thoughts and Ideas:

The Immortal is probably the most aggressive of the Mystic Orders.  With a suite of abilities that enhance their ability to stay in the fight along with a higher than normal armor class, the Immortal is happily engaging their foes up close and personal.  Their Psionic Disciplines are kind of icing on the cake.

Order of the Nomad

The Nomads turn their psionic powers toward the goal of travelling as far and as wide as possible.  Through constant travel and exploration they can unlock more secrets of the universe and pass that knowledge onto other Mystics and the wider world around them.  Nomads are constantly travelling to learn new things and see places that no one has ever seen.

1st Level

Bonus Disciplines

The Nomad learns two additional Disciplines from the list of Nomad Disciplines.  

Breadth of Knowledge

The Nomad can expand their knowledge in new and different ways.  At the end of a long rest, the Nomad can gain two proficiencies of choice.  Either two tools, two skills, one of each, or they can learn languages instead.  This benefit lasts until the Nomad finishes their next long rest.

3rd Level

Memory of a Thousand Footsteps

The Nomad is capable of shifting around the battlefield as a reaction to being hit.  As a Reaction when hit by an attack, the Nomad can teleport to an unoccupied square that the Nomad occupied since their last turn and the attack misses.  This ability recharges on a short or long rest.  

6th Level

Superior Teleportation

The Nomad can squeeze just a little more distance out of their teleportation powers.  When the Nomad uses a psionic discipline to teleport any distance, that distance is increased by ten feet.  

14th Level

Effortless Journey

The Nomad’s psionic powers have reached a point where it moves the Nomad without actually moving.  During each of the Nomad’s turns, they can forfeit up to 30 feet of movement to teleport the distance forfeited.   The Nomad has to be able see where they are teleporting to, and it must be an unoccupied space.  

Nomad Disciplines

I’m not going to do a full breakdown of the Disciplines for any of the Mystic Orders this week (you can find those on page 10 of the Unearthed Arcana article for Mystic). Next week we’ll break down all the Disciplines and go over how they work in game play.

Thoughts and Ideas:

The Nomad is an interesting approach to using psionics as an escape mechanism.  With access to revolving doors of skills/tools/languages and teleportation powers, the Nomad is nigh impossible to keep pinned in place.  They’re going to be a lot of fun at parties, just keep an eye on the silverware.  

Order of the Soul Knife

The Soul Knife harnesses psionic power to create deadly weapons of psionic energy.  Singularly focused on this pursuit, the Soul Knife sacrifices breadth of knowledge for superb competency in this singular pursuit.  Some follow this as a means to an end of its own, a meditative discipline to focus the mind while others turn this ability into a singularly devastating tool of mayhem.  

1st Level

Bonus Proficiencies

The Soul Knife gains proficiency with Medium Armor and Martial Weapons.

Soul Knife

The signature ability that the Soul Knife is named for allows him or her to manifest knives of pure psionic energy.  These are manifested from both fists, and while active the Soul Knife can’t hold other things.  These are manifested and sent away as Bonus Actions.  The Soul Knife is a martial weapon with the light and finesse properties, and deals 1D8 points of psychic damage on a hit.  Further, as a Bonus Action, the Soul Knife can prepare these blades defensively, and gain a +2 bonus to his or her Armor Class until the start of his or her next turn.  This benefit ends if the Soul Knife is incapacitated.  

3rd Level

Hone the Blade

The Soul Knife can spend Psi Points to augment the attack and damage rolls of the Soul Knife.  He or she gains a bonus depending on how many Psi Points they choose to spend on the power:  2 points grants a +1 bonus, 5 points grants a +2 bonus, and 7 points grants a +4 bonus.  This bonus lasts for 10 minutes.  

Note:  I do not think that this ability is limited by the Power limit that a Mystic is normally restricted by because this isn’t the activation of a Discipline power.  

6th Level

Consumptive Knife

The Soul Knife regains two psi points whenever he or she slays an enemy creature

14th Level

Phantom Knife

The Soul Knife gains the ability to ignore armor as a part of their technique.  As an action, the Soul Knife can make a melee attack with their Soul Knives.  Treat the target’s Armor class as 10 for this attack, regardless of what it normally is.

Soul Knife Disciplines

I’m not going to do a full breakdown of the Disciplines for any of the Mystic Orders this week (you can find those on page 10 of the Unearthed Arcana article for Mystic). Next week we’ll break down all the Disciplines and go over how they work in game play.

Thoughts and Ideas:

The Soul Knife is an interesting approach to a melee weapon user that never seems to lack for a weapon.  The Soul Knife ability is potent on its own, Doubly so when you factor in the Potent Psionics benefit that the main Mystic class gains access to.  This Mystic Order doesn’t have the breadth of abilities that the others have access to, but it is going to do an amazing job of murdering people with its Soul Knife ability.  

Order of the Wu Jen

The Wu Jen studies the nature of psionic power and the interaction it has with the natural world.  THey are among the most studious of the Mystic Orders and devote their lives to studying the interplay between psionic power and natural energy.  They master the ability to combine these two energies to powerful effect.

1st Level

Bonus Disciplines

The Wu Jen learns two additional Disciplines from the list of Wu Jen Disciplines.  

Hermit’s Study

The Wu Jen gains proficiency with two of the following skills:  Animal Handling, Arcana, History, Insight, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Religion or Survival.

3rd Level

Elemental Attunement

When a creature reduces the damage caused by a psionic discipline with a resistance, the Wu Jen can spend a Psi Point to ignore that creature’s resistance.  The Wu Jen can’t spend this point if it would increase the Psi Point cost over the Wu Jen’s power limit.

6th Level

Arcane Dabbler

The Wu Jen learns three wizard spells of his or her choice between levels 1-3.  They are always considered to be prepared.  The Wu Jen can spend Psi Points to create a spell slot as a bonus action.  The Slot remains until the Wu Jen completes a long rest.  The Wu Jen has to maintain power limit restrictions when generating spell Slots with this ability.  A 1st level slot costs 2 points, a 2nd level slot costs 3 points, a 3rd level slot costs 5 points, a 4th level slot costs 6 points, and a 5th level slot costs 7 points.  Whenever the Wu Jen gains a level, they can replace one of their three wizard spells with another wizard spell of levels 1-3.

14th Level

Elemental Mastery

The Wu Jen can channel his or her connection to the elements to resist even the most powerful elemental energies.  If the Wu Jen has resistance to a type of damage, the Wu Jen can spend 2 psi points to ignore the damage completely.  They gain immunity to that damage type until end of his or her next turn.  

Wu Jen Disciplines

I’m not going to do a full breakdown of the Disciplines for any of the Mystic Orders this week (you can find those on page 10 of the Unearthed Arcana article for Mystic). Next week we’ll break down all the Disciplines and go over how they work in game play.

Thoughts and Ideas:

The Wu Jen is an interesting blend of arcane magic and psionic power.  It’s got a range of interesting options that a player can use to specialize in a specific element or take a broad approach.  Couple this with their ability to manage other creature’s resistance, and the Wu Jen has some interesting options for putting creatures in the hurt locker.  

Conclusions:

The Mystic is an interesting interpretation of Psionics and its underlying powers.  It takes that from a variety of different sources and brings it forward into the 5th edition design space.  It has interesting options and abilities, and i think it’s a valuable addition to the cast of characters you can play in 5th edition.  

I’ll do a more concise explanation of how the Disciplines and Talents work next week because this article is already extremely long.  From an amateur game designer’s perspective, the folks at Wizards put a lot of thought and energy into how to incorporate this particular idea into 5th edition.  They had to cover a lot of ground and design a lot of systems to make this work.  I like this character class, and i am definitely going to add it to my docket of things to play with the next time i get to a table.