Based on further playtesting and general revamps, the following changes are coming later today.
General Changes
- Occult skill removed, folded into Arcana, History, and Religion. Adding a new skill to the game is problematic since most character sheets won’t support it and unless the DM actively incorporates it, it becomes useless. With some official psychic classes being released, I feel it best to tighten the design on less valuable features. Classes with Occult skill have been given Arcana to compensate.
- Spells and Psionics are no longer anathema. Anyone can cast a spell without losing concentration on a power and vice versa. You can still only concentrate on a spell or a power at once, regardless if you have a feature that allows you to concentrate on two powers at once. There are ways to get around this (certain class features such as Psicrystal). This prohibition originally stemmed from stymieing dip builds, but most coveted psionic features aren’t front-loaded like a warlock subclass.
- Added two new feats (Psychomental Adept and War Manifester) to round out power manifesters by giving them similar feat picks that spellcasters enjoy. Psychomental Adept is a wider version of Elemental Adept that you may choose to use for spellcasters instead by merging the feats. War Manifester swaps no disadvantage on ranged power attacks in place of using weapon or shield for somatic components since powers don’t have spell components.
- Removed note on balancing spells and powers – all powers have been brought in line with spells so that there is no longer a 2 to 4 turn ramp up for efficiency.
- In the future, I will add an appendix for how spells and other existing official class features interact with psionic powers and psychic abilities if the interaction isn’t clear.
Class Changes:
Savant
- Religion added as skill pick, Perception removed.
- New Feature: Psi Blast – savants were feeling forced to take a damage power at 1st level or use a crossbow. This feature aims to remove some of the burden on choosing 1st-level powers by provided a cantrip-style attack option. Each savant subclass tweaks this feature. Decided on this route instead of increasing weapon or armor selection. Channelers have light armor and more weapon options, while savants are supposed to be more cerebral.
Order of Essence
- Lingering Regulation now lasts for 1 minute. This was made to address the no mage armor issue for a midrank attack and support subclass.
Order of Foresight
- Mind’s Eye upgrades at 10th level to be always on, not just when you are surprised.
Transcendent
- Heavy armor removed from proficiencies. I was torn on this one, as originally the class didn’t get this and I added it as a way to promote Strength builds, but this seemed to have driven it too far in that direction. It is possible to make Strength build work with medium armor and feats are a thing. In cases where a subclass is designed with heavy armor in mind, I’ll go the cleric rout and just give the armor proficiency at 3rd level when the subclass is taken.
Nomad
- Refocused to be more about teleports.
- Energy Burst has been removed. Replaced with Force Acrobatics which is a ribbon focused on movement.
- Energy Type has been removed. Replaced with Tracing Steps, an early teleport option.
- Exploitative Steps now how an additional function to grant bonus force damage after a teleport. “Double jump” function moved to Force Acrobatics.
- Projection renamed Force Projection for consistency.
- Energy Absorption renamed Force Absorption for consistency.
- Phantom Steps no long requires your bonus action to activate allowing you to weave rapid teleports with your other features.
Barbarian
Path of the Ghost
- Focused Fury – You can use Charisma instead of Dexterity to determine your AC. When you have psionic focus you add your Charisma bonus to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution ability checks.
- Frightful Strike – Restored to 3rd level. You can always make one Frightful Strike each rage, and can make additional ones a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus.
- Spirit of Hatred – Now 6th level. Reaction hatred also makes you immune to charmed condition for 1 minute. Focused goal effect now grants psionic focus when you actively pursue the goal you set.