Psionic mastery mystic feature: Thoughts and a question

[Grizl' Bjorn]

Right off the bat, this strikes me as one of the few aspects of the UA mystic that DEFINITELY needs to be rewritten, not because there's anything wrong with the mechanics, but because it's hard to follow dense rules ahoy.

It's an important section because it puts lie to the common claim that the mystic's casting capacity doesn't progress past 10. It does progress, in fact when you account for psionic mastery the mystic has 115 psi points at level 20, compared with the wizard's 133 equivalent spell points- significantly less, but not massively so. Of course the absence of progression to 6-9 level spells is another issue altogether, but one that might be balanced out by the other aspect of psionic mastery.

There's one thing I don't get about it though. RAW it's possible to expend multiple daily uses in a row, at a rate of one per round. However, if you have power points from multiple uses of psionic mastery available, do they form a common pool which can be used to power multiple concentration disciplines at once, or can the points used to power simultaneously active concentration disciplines only come from one use of psionic mastery? Cause if they can all be used on aggregate to power multiple concentration disciplines at once, that's a huge boon to the mystic, and probably balances out the lack of powers equivalent to level 6-9 spells.

[Jerrykhor]

The first thing they need to do is make it clear that:

1. You can activate multiple Disciplines at once
2. The psi limit is still capped at 7
3. Right now, there's no reason not to use it every time you finish a long rest, since it lasts for the whole day anyway.
4. The special points gained from multiple uses stack with each other.

[joaber]

The first thing they need to do is make it clear that:

1. You can activate multiple Disciplines at once
2. The psi limit is still capped at 7
3. Right now, there's no reason not to use it every time you finish a long rest, since it lasts for the whole day anyway.
4. The special points gained from multiple uses stack with each other.

1. No, psionic mastery let you reach the pool with onr action, you still need to burn multiple actions/bomus actions to use that pool . Yes, this is a terrivle and underpowerd design thanks to action economy.

[Zalabim]

The first thing they need to do is make it clear that:

1. You can activate multiple Disciplines at once
2. The psi limit is still capped at 7
3. Right now, there's no reason not to use it every time you finish a long rest, since it lasts for the whole day anyway.
4. The special points gained from multiple uses stack with each other.
1. As it's currently written, you cannot activate any disciplines when you gain the points. It takes separate actions and bonus actions. I don't think this is what you're talking about.

2. The psi limit never changes after level 9. It applies per activation, per bullet point, not per round or per discipline.

3+4.You might as well use it right after a long rest, but you can't stack them together because multiple uses of the same ability don't stack together.

So yes, they rather do need to make it clear how this stuff works.

[Mjolnirbear]

"... You can use all 9 points on one discipline."

Mastery points work like psi points except:

1) your Psi limit doesn't count (see above point)
2) you can't mix and match mastery points and psi points
3) you can concentrate on multiple effects at the same time, so long as only mastery points were spent.

In effect, it's like a warlock incarnum. You get one six-level slot worth of psi points per day

[joaber]

"... You can use all 9 points on one discipline."

Mastery points work like psi points except:

1) your Psi limit doesn't count (see above point)
2) you can't mix and match mastery points and psi points
3) you can concentrate on multiple effects at the same time, so long as only mastery points were spent.

In effect, it's like a warlock incarnum. You get one six-level slot worth of psi points per day

"One discipline", not "all 9 in one discipline effect with one action".
Nothing state you can surpass the psi point limit.

[Mjolnirbear]

Ok I wrote a long rebuttal, but it's actually pointless. Nothing has a cost of more than 7, and your Psi limit is per expenditure, not per turn so there is nothing stopping you from spending more than 7 points a turn. I withdraw my comment.

[joaber]

Ok I wrote a long rebuttal, but it's actually pointless. Nothing has a cost of more than 7, and your Psi limit is per expenditure, not per turn so there is nothing stopping you from spending more than 7 points a turn. I withdraw my comment.

This is correct, nothing forbid you to spend all 9 pp in one turn. But you can't use just one action or bonus action to do that.

[Khrysaes]

I would argue that maybe the discipline abilities that are based on per point, that say 1-7 should be able to go up to 9. Simply because of how they work. Static effects like any in the Beast Form Discipline would be another matter.

My reading of it is use 1 action to gain those 9 points, AND use them as part of that action, limited to disciplines that are either actions or bonus actions. But I agree, it could definitely be more clear. However, rereading it I can see why people say that it is action to gain the 9 points, more actions/bonus actions to use them.

However, you refresh them every long rest, and they don't disappear until the next one, so immediately after the long rest you could then activate the pool to have the points at the ready. As you level up you gain more uses, wonder if you can stack the pools of the uses. so bring the cap to 33 with 3 of them at 15th level.

[joaber]

I would argue that maybe the discipline abilities that are based on per point, that say 1-7 should be able to go up to 9. Simply because of how they work. Static effects like any in the Beast Form Discipline would be another matter.

My reading of it is use 1 action to gain those 9 points, AND use them as part of that action, limited to disciplines that are either actions or bonus actions. But I agree, it could definitely be more clear. However, rereading it I can see why people say that it is action to gain the 9 points, more actions/bonus actions to use them.

However, you refresh them every long rest, and they don't disappear until the next one, so immediately after the long rest you could then activate the pool to have the points at the ready. As you level up you gain more uses, wonder if you can stack the pools of the uses. so bring the cap to 33 with 3 of them at 15th level.

I prefer your version of psionic mastery, but it isn't how it work by JC

https://mobile.twitter.com/jeremyecrawford/status/843204145767100416

[Khrysaes]

I prefer your version of psionic mastery, but it isn't how it work by JC

https://mobile.twitter.com/jeremyecrawford/status/843204145767100416

Too bad the second question wasn't answered, since I asked the same thing. However you can still activate the pool immediately after rest to have it available the entire day.

[Zalabim]

According to the errata, and thus the general rules, multiple applications of the same ability don't add together, instead the strongest one applies, usually the one with the greatest magnitude. So I don't expect you can stack psionic mastery into one pool.

[Khrysaes]

According to the errata, and thus the general rules, multiple applications of the same ability don't add together, instead the strongest one applies, usually the one with the greatest magnitude. So I don't expect you can stack psionic mastery into one pool.

I wouldn't think they would, otherwise why give more uses rather than just increasing the size of the pool?