Oath of the Psychic Defender, a Psionic Paladin Subclass

[Matrota]

I played a Mystic a while back in my friend's campaign who was focused heavily on healing and supplying supportive buffs to the party, as I knew from prior experience that offensive mystics are very strong, if not overpowered. Now that psionic subclasses have appeared in UA, it implies WotC has no intent to fix and reprint the Mystic class. As such, I wanted to try my hand at creating a psionic paladin subclass in theme with my supportive healing mystic from back in the day so I could play him again if given the chance. I took inspiration from the base mystic, the Oath of the Watchers, as well as the 3.5 prestige class Divine Mind. Let me know what you think.

Oath of the Psychic Defender
Paladins who swear the Oath of the Psychic Defender gain psionic powers which they channel through psionic talent instead of faith. While a conventional cleric or paladin must make do with whatever powers and abilities a deity decides to provide, a psychic defender manifests their divinely-inspired powers through the strength of their mind and their unstoppable will.

Tenets of the Psychic Defender
The tenets of the Psychic Defender revolve around defending others from the threat of enemy spellcasters and aberrations from the far realm. Paladins who uphold these tenets are willing to sacrifice themselves for the cause they serve, and are often neutral or lawful neutral in alignment. The core principles of the tenets are simple:
Repel the Far Realm. You are never to work for the forces of the far realm, and must do everything in your power to thwart their plans involving the mortal plane and beyond.
Vigilance. The threats you face are cunning, powerful, and subversive. Be ever alert for their corruption.
Discipline. You are the shield against the endless terrors that lie beyond the stars. Your blade must be forever sharp and your mind keen to survive what lies beyond.

Oath Spells
You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.
3rd: Id Insinuation, Hunter's Mark
5th: Mind Spike, Silence
9th: Psionic Blast, Counterspell
13th: Ego Whip, Freedom of Movement
17th: Greater Restoration, Telekinesis

Channel Divinity Options:
When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options.
Clarity of Mind and Body. You can use your Channel Divinity to restore mental and physical clarity to those who have been inhibited. As an action, you can choose a number of creatures you can see within 30 feet of you, up to a number equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one creature). you immediately end any effect on these creatures causing them to be stunned, incapacitated, charmed, or frightened, and give them advantage on saves vs such an effect until the end of your next turn.
Mental Bastion. You can use your Channel Divinity to invest your presence with a powerful psionic ward. As an action, you can choose a number of creatures you can see within 30 feet of you, up to a number equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one creature). For 1 minute, all the chosen creatures have advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws.

Aura of Mental Fortification
By 7th level, your psionic power helps you and your allies defend against psychic attacks and enemy spells. You and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you have resistance to psychic damage. Additionally, when you or an ally within your aura saves against an enchantment effect or an effect that deals psychic damage, you can use your reaction to deal force damage equal to half your paladin level (rounded up) to the source of this effect as long as it is within 60 feet of you.
At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.

Immortal Resolve
Your indomitable willpower allows you to persevere when others would fall. Starting at 15th level, when you are reduced to 0 hit points and are not killed outright, you can choose to drop to 1 hit point instead, and you gain advantage on all saving throws made until the end of your next turn. Once you use this ability, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Psionic Ascension
At 20th level, you can channel your overwhelming psionic power to transform into a being made of disruptive psychic energy. Using your action, you gain the following benefits for 1 minute:

Enemies within 10 feet of you cannot cast spells or activate any magical effects.
You gain resistance to nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
You are immune to being charmed or restrained. Any creature grappling you takes 2d10 psychic damage at the start of your turn.
If you die, roll a d20. On a 10 or higher, you discorporate with 0 hit points, instead of dying, and you fall unconscious. You and your gear disappear. You appear at a spot of your choice 1d3 days later on the plane of existence where you died, having gained the benefits of one long rest.
Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

EDIT: Added the 18th level line to the Aura of Mental Fortification

[BerzerkerUnit]

I like the concept of a far realm defender, but I think it's doubling down on psychic defenses way more than it needs to or should.

Default aura is already huge as a defense boost vs whammy effects. The Aura modification feature is probably fine (on par with Ancients since it also affects monster abilities like succubus and vampire charms, etc and the spell counterparts). But that means the bump from Channel Divinity is a bit much.

The CD that ends effects is good, I'd even go with a one round Aversion effect (like the spell), or maybe something with a TK flair.


The rest seems okay. Immediately made me think of something like Oath of the Dreamer

Tenets:
Fight far realms
Inspire hope
Banish fears

Channel Divinity Options
Rousing Burst
As an action you release a burst of psychic power and creatures of your choice within 30 feet have their minds cleansed ending the Stunned, Charmed, Frightened or Incapacitated conditions and Magical Sleep.

Field of Dreams
When a creature you can see is attacked you can use your reaction to summon an illusion of a creature important to the attacker that distracts them from their current action inflicting disadvantage on the roll. The image of this figure may be obfuscated exaggerated by dream logic but its identity is clear to the attacker.

Oath Spells:
1 Sleep, Disguise Self
2 Calm Emotions, Shadow Blade
3 Catnap, Hypnotic Pattern
4 Hallucinatory Terrain, Phantasmal Killer
5 Dream, Rary's Telepathic Bond

Gossamer Aura
Beginning at 7th level your aura draws forth the essence of dreams like the finest threads of a spider's silk. Creatures you choose treat your aura as difficult terrain or reduce falling damage by 1/2.

What Dreams Are Made Of
At 15th level your dreams begin to manifest in the real world. At the end of any long rest you can gain proficiency in a tool, skill, or language of your choosing until you complete a long rest. Additionally, you manifest 1 mundane object of your choosing that fits within a 15 ft cube. You awaken on, inside, or holding the object as befits its nature. If you lose contact with the object for more than 1 minute it evaporates into glimmering motes at the end of your next turn.

Dreamwalker
At 20th level you can allow your dreamself to escape the Astral Plane and fight in your stead. When you lose consciousness you can choose to manifest your dreamself. Treat this as if the Simulacrum spell were cast on you after you had completed a long rest with the following changes.
You gain a fly speed equal to your speed.
You have resistance to nonmagical slashing, piercing, bludgeoning damage and psychic damage.
Your lay on hands feature can heal your dream form.

This form lasts for 1 minute after which you may awaken or continue sleeping.
If your Dreamform is reduced to 0 hitpoints, your body is also reduced to 0 hit points and begins dying normally.
If your body dies while your Dreamform is manifested, it disappears and you die.

[rumplepum]

I like this archetype, I like the fluff (good on you for making some tenents that make sense, love the capstone and would love playing this!


I like the concept of a far realm defender, but I think it's doubling down on psychic defenses way more than it needs to or should.I respectfully, yet completely disagree.


Default aura is already huge as a defense boost vs whammy effects. The Aura modification feature is probably fine (on par with Ancients since it also affects monster abilities like succubus and vampire charms, etc and the spell counterparts). But that means the bump from Channel Divinity is a bit much.Yeah but default aura is only good within 10 feet, at least until level 18 and none of the PhB paladin archetypes have any defensive Channel Divinities (don't have XGtE handy).


The rest seems okay. Immediately made me think of something like Oath of the DreamerI mean, they're both psychic themed but in enough ways that I don't see much of a comparison

[BerzerkerUnit]

Ah, oath of the dreamer wasn't intended as a comparison, when inspiration strikes I just put what I'm thinking of down wherever.

If you're satisfied with your oath as is, enjoy!

[rumplepum]

Ah, oath of the dreamer wasn't intended as a comparison, when inspiration strikes I just put what I'm thinking of down wherever.

If you're satisfied with your oath as is, enjoy!That makes sense! Sorry for the confusion.

I'm sure Matrota would still appreciate critique however lol

[Matrota]

If you're satisfied with your oath as is, enjoy!


I'm sure Matrota would still appreciate critique however lol

Ah yeah, sorry for late response to this, but input is definitely appreciated! There's a few things I've thought of to modify it with since posting, but they'd all be increasing the power of the subclass and idk if that's a good idea considering I'd say it's rather strong as a defensive buffer atm. 2 considerations I've made thusfar:

Adding a psionic talent die, like the revisited psionic subclasses all have, but paladin oath level 3 abilities are always channel divinity, so there's no precedent for adding any other feature to them at that level, which is where you'd logically introduce a psionic talent die. Adding in psionic talent dice and features to use them on just seem like giving paladins more features than they by default have. Plus, level 7 pally features are auras half the time, so improving psionic talent dice seems a bit strange to do at that level as well.

Another minor thing I thought of was on the Clarity of Mind and Body channel divinity, changing it from being advantage on saves vs those CC effects, it just grants immunity for 1 round.

[BerzerkerUnit]

Ah yeah, sorry for late response to this, but input is definitely appreciated! There's a few things I've thought of to modify it with since posting, but they'd all be increasing the power of the subclass and idk if that's a good idea considering I'd say it's rather strong as a defensive buffer atm. 2 considerations I've made thusfar:

Adding a psionic talent die, like the revisited psionic subclasses all have, but paladin oath level 3 abilities are always channel divinity, so there's no precedent for adding any other feature to them at that level, which is where you'd logically introduce a psionic talent die. Adding in psionic talent dice and features to use them on just seem like giving paladins more features than they by default have. Plus, level 7 pally features are auras half the time, so improving psionic talent dice seems a bit strange to do at that level as well.

Another minor thing I thought of was on the Clarity of Mind and Body channel divinity, changing it from being advantage on saves vs those CC effects, it just grants immunity for 1 round.

You could give them the psionic talent die, let's call it
Zealous Awakening
"snip Psi die rules" add Talent die to Religion checks, Insight checks, and Spellcasting Ability checks to dispel magic.

Channel Divinity option- Divine Will
You can reach into a reserve of will psionic might unknown to the faithless. After you roll your Psi Die you can choose to increase the size of the die up to its normal maximum regardless of the result.

That's a very, very niche Psi die, Ribbon ability, and that makes the channel divinity option for an extra refresh also a ribbon until you get a feature that let's you do something combat effective with it. Like

Psychic Smite
At 15th level you can add your Psi die to the damage of a divine Smite or Improved Divine Smite. The attack deals additional psychic damage instead of Radiant or Necrotic and reduces the size of the die regardless of the result.