Hmmm - seems like they get their power from within: "Using their inner, psychic strength, they can read minds, fade into invisibility, transform their bodies into living iron, and seize control of the physical world and bend it to their will."
As long as you agree:
1) to come up with a good character story as to why a loner like this joined the clan, and:
2) to allow me to nerf anything too over the top / taking the piss,
- then go for the mystic.
Which order are you thinking of? - because I KNOW you already have one in mind...
You make it sound like Mystics are powerful. I am far from confident the character will live.
Born a third generation member of the clan to low level servitors Kal was tested for magic aptitude at the standard age. While Kal's magical aptitude was recognised, Kal was unable to proceed beyond simple rituals and was forced back into the servant class. As a failed mage with a greater awareness of the dangers of meddling with magic, Kal was assigned to Master Argent and his Apprentice Dirian. Dirian was from a long line of high cast Mages and treated Kal with contempt. Kal had the dubious credentials of being a failure and of low birth. Servants dependent upon the whim and grace of their magical superiors followed the example set by Dirian. Kal was an outcast within the clan forced to survive on his own.
Without friends and support Kal became a reclusive hermit venturing out of his accommodation only when his duties called him forth. With nothing left to do Kal began to dream about having powers and dedicated himself to learning what he could about magic and magical creatures. While cleaning up after Argent and Dirian, Kal would use his familiar to smuggle books and other texts on magic. Occassionally Kal was able to supplement his resources by playing Argent and Dirian against each other and create opportunities to pilfer and sell items on the black market. Lacking a tutor Kal failed to appreciate the well-known and documented limits on human magic. Drawing on the examples of magical beasts that manifest magic using innate abilities Kal developed a unique brand of personal magic.
Kal will soon come of age and will need to prove his worth to the clan. In common with others his age he will join a hunting party and attempt to trap a magical beast. As a known failure Kal has been assigned the role “Bait”.
Here are the details for Mystic I would like to play. Powers costing 2, 3, & 5 PP become available at 1st, 3rd, 5th level of play. Comments are in italics. At first level Kal will be able to: Hurl creatures away from himself; Create darkness and light; and cause the odd headache.
Race Variant Human
Feat Rituals
Level 1 Talent
Mind Thrust: As an action, you target one creature you can see within 120 feet of you. The target must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw or take 1d10 psychic damage.
The talent’s damage increases by 1d10 when you reach 5th level (2d10), 11th level (3d10), and 17th level (4d10).
Level 1 Discipline
Awakened Discipline Psychic Assault: You wield your mind like a weapon, unleashing salvos of psionic energy.
Psychic Focus. While focused on this discipline, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with psionic talents that deal psychic damage.
Psionic Blast (1–7 psi). As an action, choose one creature you can see within 60 feet of you. The target takes 1d8 psychic damage per psi point spent on this ability.
(Magic missile more powerful until 4th level)Ego Whip (3 psi). As an action, choose one creature you can see within 60 feet of you. The target must make an Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 3d8 psychic damage, and it is filled with self-doubt, leaving it able to use its action on its next turn only to take the Dodge, Disengage, or Hide action. On a successful saving throw, it takes half as much damage.
(Available at 3rd level of play. Weaker than Psionic Blast but debuffs attacks)
Id Insinuation (5 psi). As an action, choose one creature you can see within 60 feet of you. The target must make an Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 5d8 psychic damage, and it goes into a fury, as its id runs rampant. On its next turn, it can use its action only to take the Dodge or Attack action. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage.
(Available at 5th level of play. Weaker than Psionic blast. No significant debuff)
Psychic Blast (6 psi). As an action, you unleash devastating psychic energy in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make an Intelligence saving throw, taking 8d8 psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. You can increase the damage by 2d8 if you spend 1 more psi point on this ability.
Available at 7th level of play. Area effect but significantly weaker than fireball. Only saving grace few resistant to psychic.
Psychic Crush (7 psi). As an action, you create a 20-foot cube of psychic energy within 120 feet of you. Each creature in that area must make an Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, a target takes 8d8 psychic damage and is stunned until the end of your next turn. On a successful save, a target takes half as much damage.
Available at 9th level of play. Area effect but significantly weaker than fireball. Only saving grace few resistant to psychic.
Order of the Wu Jen
The Order of the Wu Jen features some of the most devoted mystics. These mystics seek to lock themselves away from the world, denying the limits of the physical world and replacing it with a reality that they create for themselves. Known as wu jens, these mystics cast their minds into the world, seize control of its fundamental principles, and rebuild it. In practical terms, wu jens excel at controlling the forces of the natural world. They can hurl objects with their minds, control the four elements, and alter reality to fit their desires.
Bonus Disciplines
At 1st level, you learn two additional psionic disciplines of your choice. They must be chosen from among the Wu Jen disciplines.
Hermit’s Study
At 1st level, you gain proficiency with two of the following skills of your choice: Animal Handling, Arcana, History, Insight, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Religion, or Survival.
Elemental Attunement
Starting at 3rd level, when a creature’s resistance reduces the damage dealt by a psionic discipline of yours, you can spend 1 psi point to cause that use of the discipline to ignore the creature’s resistance. You can’t spend this point if doing so would increase the discipline’s cost above your psi limit.
Arcane Dabbler
(Main reason for choosing order)At 6th level, you learn three wizard spells of your choice and always have them prepared. The spells must be of 1st through 3rd level. As a bonus action, you can spend psi points to create spell slots that you can use to cast these spells, as well as other spells you are capable of casting. The psi-point cost of each spell slot is detailed on the table below.
Spell Slot Level Psi Cost
1st 2
2nd 3
3rd 5
4th 6
5th 7
The spell slot remains until you use it or finish a long rest. You must observe your psi limit when spending psi points to create a spell slot. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the chosen wizard spells with a different wizard spell of 1st through 3rd level.
Elemental Mastery
Starting at 14th level, if you have resistance to a type of damage, you can spend 2 psi points as a reaction when you take damage of that type to ignore that damage; you gain immunity to that damage type until the end of your next turn.
Wu Jen Discipline Mastery of Light and Darkness
You claim dominion over light and darkness with your mind.
Psychic Focus. While focused on this discipline, natural and magical darkness within 30 feet of you has no effect on your vision.
Darkness (1–7 psi). As an action, you create an area of magical darkness, which foils darkvision. Choose a spot you can see within 60 feet of you. Magical darkness radiates from that point in a sphere with a 10-foot radius per psi point spent on this ability. The light produced by spells of 2nd level or less is suppressed in this area.
Minor crowd control & escape plan few people run into darkness when they cannot see
Light (2 psi; conc., 1 min.). As an action, an object you touch radiates light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet. The light lasts until your concentration ends. Alternatively, a creature you touch radiates light in the same manner if it fails a Dexterity saving throw. While lit in this manner, it can’t hide, and attack rolls against it gain advantage.
Weaker psionic version of Fairy Fire
Shadow Beasts (3 psi; conc., 1 min.). As an action, you cause two shadows to appear in unoccupied spaces you can see within 60 feet of you. The shadows last until your concentration ends, and they obey your verbal commands. In combat, roll for their initiative, and choose their behavior during their turns. When this effect ends, the shadows disappear. See the Monster Manual for their stat block.
3rd level of play. Extra cannon fodder
Radiant Beam (5 psi; conc., 1 min.). As an action, you project a beam of light at one creature you can see within 60 feet of you. The target must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 6d6 radiant damage and is blinded until your concentration ends. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage. A blinded target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. You can increase this effect’s damage by 1d6 per each additional psi point spent on it.
5th level of play. Damage and disadvantage to one target on failing Dex
Wu Jen Discipline Mastery of Force
As a student of psionic power, you perceive the potential energy that flows through all things. You reach out with your mind, transforming the potential into the actual. Objects and creatures move at your command.
Psychic Focus. While focused on this discipline, you have advantage on Strength checks.
Push (1–7 psi). As an action, choose one creature you can see within 60 feet of you. The target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 1d8 force damage per psi point spent and is pushed up to 5 feet per point spent in a straight line away from you. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage.
Move (2–7 psi). Choose one object you can see within 60 feet of you that isn’t being worn or carried by another creature and that isn’t secured in place. It can’t be larger than 20 feet on a side, and its maximum weight depends on the psi points spent on this ability, as shown below. As an action, you move the object up to 60 feet, and you must keep the object within sight during this movement. If the object ends this movement in the air, it falls. If the object would fall on a creature, the creature must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or take damage as listed on the table below.
Psi Spent Maximum Weight Bludgeoning Damage
2 25 lbs 2d6
3 50 lbs 4d6
5 250 lbs 6d6
6 500 lbs 7d6
7 1,000 lbs 8d6
Inertial Armor (2 psi). As an action, you sheathe yourself in an intangible field of magical force. For 8 hours, your base AC is 14 + your Dexterity modifier, and you gain resistance to force damage. This effect ends if you are wearing or don armor.
Telekinetic Barrier (3 psi; conc., 10 min.). As an action, you create a transparent wall of telekinetic energy, at least one portion of which must be within 60 feet of you. The wall is 40 feet long, 10 feet high, and 1 inch thick. The wall lasts until your concentration ends. Each 10-foot section of the wall has an AC of 10 and 10 hit points.
Very weak crowd control. Small wall with few hitpoints.
Grasp (3 psi; conc., 1 min.). You attempt to grasp a creature in telekinetic energy and hold it captive. As an action, choose one creature you can see within 60 feet of you. The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be grappled by you until your concentration ends or until the target leaves your reach, which is 60 feet for this grapple.
Hold person at third level of play
The grappled target can escape by succeeding on a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check contested by your psionic ability plus your proficiency bonus. When a target attempts to escape in this way, you can spend psi points to boost your check, abiding by your psi limit. You gain a +1 bonus per psi point spent.
While a target is grappled in this manner, you create one of the following effects as an action:
Crush (1–7 psi). The target takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage per psi point spent.
Move (1–7 psi). You move the target up to 5 feet per psi point spent. You can move it in the air and hold it there. It falls if the grapple ends.