For curious readers who wish to hone their psychic skills, a plethora of occult tomes, lost scrolls, and even stranger items lie hidden throughout Golarion. From the kaleidoscopic Recursion Tablets to the never-ending Infinity Scroll, Pathfinder Player Companion: Psychic Anthology presents a diverse archive of texts elucidating esoteric ideas and techniques that can benefit any psychic spellcasting class, as well as other spellcasters. Alongside feats, magic items, and spells, this volume unlocks the hidden powers of the mind!
Inside this book, you'll find:
New archetypes for nearly every occult class, including the phantom blade spiritualist and the autohypnotist mesmerist.
Panoplies—collections of occultist implements that harness the power resonating between the items—and numerous kineticist wild talents for all the elements.
A new corruption arising from raw psychic energy that, if left unchecked, could mutate one's form into an all-consuming horror of writhing flesh.
This Pathfinder Player Companion is intended for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and the Pathfinder campaign setting, but can easily be incorporated into any fantasy world.
ISBN-13: 978-1-60125-928-8
Other Resources: This product is also available on the following platforms:
I'm not going to talk about the psychic or mesmerist much here. The psychic gets to be the magic and magic item section, and it's a mixed bag. Mesmerist just isn't a class I much care to play (outside of one archetype), so I haven't spent much time looking at it.
Spiritualists get a nice chunk of stuff, a fun new emotional focus (and rules for using it with older archetypes). Two new archetypes, one bringing in some black blade magus fun, and a phantom animal one. I have intentions of using the phantom blade, the totemist I might if an appropriate campaign comes up. My only real problem with either is they lose emotional focus (something I enjoy about the flavor of the class).
Medium gets a fun new archetype. It doesn't really address any issues with the class, might even make some of them worse (forcing taboo). It get's fun abilities and has cool flavor though. Look for a thematic campaign to use it in.
Kineticist gets a lot of expanded selections. The invocations are a cool idea, and possibly a good tool for the future, but the feat look for most characters is disappointing. More talents, especially for wood and void is nice. Wood's new simple blast is disappointing, and makes for a (mostly) true pacifist if taken as your first. Not practical but interesting choice. More blade abilities make the melee fan happy. Speaking of which the Kinetic Knight is everything I ever wanted for the Kineticist, not just supporting but encouraging a strength based build, nice defensive features. I've already started playing one and it's one of m favorite builds. The lack of form infusions can be limiting somewhat though.
Occultist is another nice package here. The panopolies are great. Between giving you a way to go deeper into your spell list with out giving up too much versatility and some nice new focus powers. the archetype to support them is a nice addition too.
Overall a great book that supported the four psychic classes I care about in fun ways, and inspiring at least 4 new characters I want to play.
A Fantastic Expansion of Occult Options (for the most part)
This is a fantastic companion book for those interested in playing one of the classes in Occult Adventures. And for the most part, it gives these classes a lot of love. In order of how much (and the quality of) the love they receive:
1. (A+): The Spiritualist was originally my least favorite class in Occult Adventures. A class with cool flavor but weak mechanics. This book changes that. It introduces not one, but two archetypes that turn the Spiritualist into a viable and interesting option. The first is essentially a psychic version of the Blackblade Magus, and the second gives you a phantom animal companion (or two!) that's a viable option in combat. And it introduces a new Kindness emotional focus that the Id Rager can take(!). This went from a class I couldn't imagine getting myself to play, to a class I have at least two character ideas for. Fantastic stuff.
2. (A+): The Mesmerist, on the other hand, was one of my favorite classes in Occult Adventures. It's a lot like the alchemist -- a 6th level caster with lots of skill points and a bag of abilities that, though neat, don't obviously fit together (in the case of the alchemist: bombs, mutagens, self-buffing extracts, poison-using abilities and alchemy/potion-oriented abilities, in the case of the mesmerist: stares, tricks, touch treatments and a bevy of mind-affecting spells). In the case of the Alchemist, this was fixed by a bunch of great archetypes and options that allow you to really focus on one of the themes of the Alchemist (e.g., bomb focused alchemists, mutagen + self-buffing alchemists, poison-focused alchemists, etc). But until now the Mesmerist didn't really have the options to do the same.
This book starts to change that. It introduces a trick-focused archetype and a bunch of feats that make the Mesmerist's tricks cool and effective enough to really build a character around. Likewise, there are some great Stare feats that make stares effective enough to build a character around. Add in a cool Possession-focused archetype and a "mind-over-matter"-style archetype which moves away from *just* mind-affecting spells, and there are now a number of interesting and distinct options on the table to focus your Mesmerist around. More great stuff.
3. (A+): The Occultist was originally in the middle of the pack for me -- lots of flavor, and reasonably effective mechanically, but with a couple awkward features that make it hard to develop all of the versions of the class one might like to try (such as the dramatic difference in the power of different schools -- from the virtually obligatory Transmutation to the painfully bad Necromancy and Evocation -- and the strong disincentive to choose a school more than once, essentially locking you into a single spell per school). This book (combined with the incredible Silksworn archetype from the Heroes of the High Court) do a fair bit to change that. By adding panoply options (and the corresponding panoply-focused archetype) you now have a cool and flavorful way of getting multiple spells from a given school, and of spreading out your spell picks a bit more. There's still a few awkward features of the class left over (it's still hard to imagine building an Occultist without Transmutation, or with Necromancy and Evocation), but the class is definitely more fun to play with than before.
4. (A): The Kineticist was a class I liked a lot, and it also gets a lot of love, in the form of the first good Kineticist archetype (a melee-focused armor-wearing kineticist tank) and a big batch of new wild talents which open up the variety of builds to pursue, especially if you want a Wood or Void-focused Kineticist. Granted, a lot of them are high-level abilities which only the DM is likely to get to play with, and it's hard to not to wish there were even more utility Wild Talents and Kinetic Invocation options. (More! More! More!) But this still opens up a lot of interesting options, making this book pretty much a "must-have" for anyone building a Kineticist.
5. (B): The Medium was one of my least favorite classes in Occult Adventures. It had great flavor, making it a class I very much wanted to play. But mechanically, the only really viable option seems to be building your character around the Champion spirit and making them a kind of psychic-flavored fighter, which didn't fit very well with most of the Medium-style character ideas I wanted to play with.
This book adds some more neat flavor options to the Medium (you can tie yourself to a kind of outsider), with an accompanying archetype, which someone building a Medium might consider. But none of these options make the class feel like it would play very differently, or open up the possibility of making a Medium which isn't basically a psychic fighter. Of course, these demerits of the Medium class aren't this book's fault, and it's a little unfair to expect it to resolve all of the problems facing the Medium. Still, given how much I like the idea behind this class, it would be great to someday see some options for making a viable character focused around one of the non-Champion spirits.
6. (B-): The Psychic was originally another class from Occult Adventures in the middle of the pack for me. The disciplines have lots of flavor, but, much like the sorcerer's bloodlines, most of them don't have enough mechanical "meat" to make them feel like they'd play that differently. The amplifications are kind of neat-ish, but most don't do interesting enough things to be memorable. And the overwhelming focus on mind-affecting spells makes the Psychic feel a bit fragile, usefulness-wise, for a 9th level caster.
This book does a bit to round out the Psychic's spell casting possibilities, and adds in some psychic analogs of arcane spell-related magic items. But the class feels much the same as before (in both good ways and bad) in light of these options, and there's little that seems specific to the Psychic that's on offer. Okay stuff.
All told, if you're mostly interested in the Medium or the Psychic, then while there are some new options in this book, there isn't anything that you really need in this book. But if you're interesting in playing around with Spiritualists, Mesmerists, Occultists or Kineticists, then this is definitely a book you'll want to have.
Lots of great stuff and a little bit of really, really bad
I would strongly recommend you buy this book, but I can't give it more than three stars because it has some really poorly conceived and edited options in here that should be mildly embarrassing to Paizo.
The mesmerist, spiritualist, and occultist options are generally great, a couple of bad archetypes and unclear rules ("holding" panoply occultist implements) aside. As far as I can tell the medium and kineticist stuff is of similar quality, but I don't care about those as much. If you want more options for these classes absolutely buy this book and you won't regret it.
Where the book falls down is the Psychic items and spells section. I can agree that this was arguably more necessary to grow the class than an archetype or more disciplines would have been, but the implementation is pretty poor. Most of the magic items are uninspired psychic retreads of (bad) arcane options that in some cases already worked fine for psychic casters. The spells have some decent options, and a couple of weak options, but the real problem is that there are two absurdly strong options. One allows you to daze lock a creature even on a successful save (at 3rd level!), the other is basically a Moment of Prescience god mode that applies to almost every roll you do for 1 full minute. I think you can easily solo higher threat CR creatures in melee with this spell and a few standard buffs. It's that ugly.
Publishing either of these spells would have been irresponsible, publishing both makes me doubt Paizo takes this line seriously anymore with respect to maintaining the integrity and balance of their game. PFS will ban the hell out of them, but having this sort of awful munchkiness out there as an idea that someone at Paizo thought was ok to publish is troublesome.
My final complaint is that there are a few more than the usual (already disappointing) level of poor editing and rules mistakes that we've come to expect in the Player Companion line. You have an unprecedented casting time of "1 full round action" on some spells (a big problem on Psychic classes that need their move action to add metamagic or center and avoid concentration penalties and not an innovation that should be dropped in without explanation), missing explanations of partial saving throws, and a couple of other minor signs that this needed a better development pass from a responsible adult.
That aside, you should reward Paizo for the good things with your money and put the good options to use responsibly. I just hope the bad things get more attention in future products and don't become a trend.
The fluff and items range from good to alright, but everything else is sorta meh. The new spirits for the Medium are pretty cool, as well as some of the Stare feats/tricks for the Mesmerist, but other than that...
I'll be honest. I wanted more kineticist talents when I bought this book, and I was nothing but disappointed. Oh gee, more ways to melee as a kineticist - as though there weren't a half-dozen archetypes that did pretty much the same thing. Oh look, *more* blasts that expand the use of your kinetic blade! Oh look, *feats*! Like there aren't *enough* feats, and these simply add a few spells as kineticist talents.
It was alright overall, but frankly, I would've saved the 10 bucks.
I pride myself on long detailed reviews, but there is very little to say about this. Uninspired, tending to overly dramatic and "uncontrolled!" type wackiness. Lack of content covered by larger than normal bad magic items section.
AC can be made up for with heavier armor, Reflex saves are usually considered less important than Fortitude or Will and you still have a good Reflex save, not every element has many shape infusion save DCs, and Acrobatics can easily be boosted via magic items, feats, traits, and other such, presuming you even value them that highly.
If you want to keep your Dexterity high anyways, why do you need a feat that will only give you a small bonus over the default?
I think adding your Constitution to attack rolls for physical blasts would be the most game-breaking. They have few shape infusions to worry about compared to energy blasts and add their full Constitution for damage, so being able to focus solely on Constitution would be extremely powerful for them. Besides which, how does aiming with your physical toughness make any sense in the first place?
Why would you waste a feat on getting a blast you would get at level 7 anyway?
If you expand to a different element. For example, I have an air(electric)kineticict who is planed to expand into telekineticict. Have your read the awful that IS aether composite? 2 burn to add a measly 1/die to damage when everyone else gets double the dice (at least make it 1 burn dangit!)? As things stand, I don't get REAL composite blasts until extremely late. This restriction also forces you to have to expand an element you already have to get the other blast. you get more benefits from another element than that unless you need the extra talent (which you unfortunately usually do. should have gotten a talent by default and had sticking to your main element give a bonus instead). Finaly, if you expand, you can only ever expand again into your primary, or another element. this means you can NEVER have both of your second elements simple blasts.
Point is, I want to have some way to keep up with damage if I expand to aether. Doesn't matter if it's a way to gather power as a swift or a way to get a decent composite.
Speaking of dumping Dex, it seems likely that this will include an archetype for a melee-only heavily armored Kineticist with a shield that doesn't interfere with gathering energy. That'll let you focus on Str and Con instead, if Dex isn't your style.
Because the blast is a spell power and your con is your casting stat so it makes sense to me. I have seen spells that use casting stat mod to hit like the telekinesis spell. Well if the feat for con mod to hit is for the aether element only then it wouldn't matter as much that it's composite blasts are weak.
I noticed that from the playtest that there had to be an archetype or at least feat tree that lets them do that.
By the way, I didn't mention the rest of your post because that stuff is all fairly reasonable. ^_^
I would 'love' a void wild talent (infusion) that you regained some life from the attack. 1 hp per dice (of the attack) per target sounds reasonable I think.
What are the chances we can get MULTIPLE elemental defense options for the same element? For example... Earth can have their stoneskin defense OR they can.. say.. increase saves, for example? This would also be useful for once you hit 7th level and maintain that same element, you can pick another defense from the same element as well.
Because the blast is a spell power and your con is your casting stat so it makes sense to me. I have seen spells that use casting stat mod to hit like the telekinesis spell. Well if the feat for con mod to hit is for the aether element only then it wouldn't matter as much that it's composite blasts are weak.
I noticed that from the playtest that there had to be an archetype or at least feat tree that lets them do that.
I think it makes some sense for magic because you're visualizing the attack, it's purely mental, whereas for a kineticist, you use Constitution because you're withstanding raw elemental forces being directed through your body, and have to aim that force physically, so using Constitution makes no sense to me. I would be okay with something that allowed you to use a mental ability score such as Intelligence or Charisma, representing a kineticist who uses their mind to aim more than their body, though.
Verzen wrote:
I would 'love' a void wild talent (infusion) that you regained some life from the attack. 1 hp per dice (of the attack) per target sounds reasonable I think.
I think temporary hit points are far more likely than actual healing unless that healing acts like kinetic healing and makes you take burn that can't be reduced by gathering energy.
I tend to agree with Ashram, Isabelle, and Luthorne (and thus with Gorbacz too, tangentially). In my scan, the only thing I didn't wholeheartedly agree with in Isabelle's analysis was the specifics she mocked up for the multiclass blast feat, which she specifically said was just a first stab, since it would be selectable by non-multiclass kineticists or potentially even with that loophole closed to make sure you multiclass, you would wind up with kineticist6/OtherDip1/kineticistMORE (expand to new elements) or kineticist/evangelist that winds up with superior blast situation to a full kineticist.
That said, some of these options could be things that could happen in some way involving archetype shenanigans (if we had the wordcount, there was one really crazy possibility not on the outline that Isabelle and I were vaguely considering attempting), but they are far beyond the scope of a feat in terms of their effect on the class's balance. In general, the Design Team have been trying to move towards a design approach where key class features are consistently better than a feat (see vigilante) to make the class identities and powers more awesome (a la vigilante talents compared to rogue talents), but what that means on the flip side is that you're not going to be using a feat to grab them, either, since that would raise the expected power level while locking characters into taking that feat as a tax to do so.
Isabele how likely would a feat that gives a kineticist access to their elements other blast be? Say air picking up wind and electric?
Slightly more likely, but still not very. Basic blasts are a very limited-access resource for a kineticist, whereas feats are (comparatively) more plentiful. I find it highly unlikely that something like that would be made available via feat, at least without significant conditions (including, most likely, a level requirement).
** spoiler omitted **
That said, I'm a bit less certain about this one. Perhaps Mr. Seifter will weigh in. ^_^
fires up Seifter Signal
I don't care if there is a level limit. I want to make Storm from the X-men and feel like I need all the air and water blasts.
I would love a feat that lets you use your con mod for attack rolls with your blast(ranged and melee).
A feat that gives you a simple blast from any element, that is easy to get at level 1, but you still have to wait to 7th level to get the composite blasts. Can be taken multiple times.
You will not see either of these in a first-party product. (I can't speak for third-party - perhaps N. Jolly can speak to that.)
I don't think I've done a con mod to attack feat/ability yet.
I believe you can do the second with Cantikinesis, and I believe the DSP Roil Dancer has a feat which allows you to snag another basic blast sans composite.
I don't exactly agree about Isa's reason for such a thing not existing in 1p myself, as right now I don't see there as a 'best blast'among the ones that are out. Your most viable option here would probably be to take the second blast for your main element due to (as Isa stated above) infusion compatibility, since you need infusions that can be used with both blasts to stay as versatile as possible (unless you're just picking up electric blast to get magnetic infusion and then using metal objects with telekinetic blast which isn't a terrible option).
I believe it'd be an entirely viable 1p feat, but not something that should be allowed to be taken multiple times.
As for the defense one, I agree that such a feat/ability would be beyond what I'd want for this game; it'd be everyone picking up force ward/flesh of earth since they'd be silly not to. It would be a massive power increase as well as invalidate the extra defense talent. Even once, at 1st level you'd turn an earth/aether kineticist into the tankiest ever; even my fusion kineticist archetype which doesn't give both elemental defenses at once.
I tend to agree with Ashram, Isabelle, and Luthorne (and thus with Gorbacz too, tangentially). In my scan, the only thing I didn't wholeheartedly agree with in Isabelle's analysis was the specifics she mocked up for the multiclass blast feat, which she specifically said was just a first stab, since it would be selectable by non-multiclass kineticists or potentially even with that loophole closed to make sure you multiclass, you would wind up with kineticist6/OtherDip1/kineticistMORE (expand to new elements) or kineticist/evangelist that winds up with superior blast situation to a full kineticist.
That said, some of these options could be things that could happen in some way involving archetype shenanigans (if we had the wordcount, there was one really crazy possibility not on the outline that Isabelle and I were vaguely considering attempting), but they are far beyond the scope of a feat in terms of their effect on the class's balance. In general, the Design Team have been trying to move towards a design approach where key class features are consistently better than a feat (see vigilante) to make the class identities and powers more awesome (a la vigilante talents compared to rogue talents), but what that means on the flip side is that you're not going to be using a feat to grab them, either, since that would raise the expected power level while locking characters into taking that feat as a tax to do so.
Are we ever getting a metal kineticist to round out the five element system with fire, water, earth, and wood?
Are we ever getting a metal kineticist to round out the five element system with fire, water, earth, and wood?
The metal kineticist is earth + earth...I don't see that changing anytime soon, if only because it would be confusing. Considering jīn was typically represented by either gold or silver, though, perhaps a gold element could be possible, though one wonders how it would distinguish itself from other elements. At least, I'm presuming you're referring to Wu Xing, since there were quite a number of five element systems...
Are we ever getting a metal kineticist to round out the five element system with fire, water, earth, and wood?
The metal kineticist is earth + earth...I don't see that changing anytime soon, if only because it would be confusing. Considering jīn was typically represented by either gold or silver, though, perhaps a gold element could be possible, though one wonders how it would distinguish itself from other elements. At least, I'm presuming you're referring to Wu Xing, since there were quite a number of five element systems...
I was referring to the five element system in game (as described by Ultimate Magic). The Wu Xing or other system that include metal could also serve as inspiration.
Besides the "metal" attacks that earth can get, what else is usually metal? Weapons, armor, equipment, and so on. Creating stuff is pretty interesting besides just throwing metal stuff at our opponent. A kineticist based on manipulating equipment and being extremely flexible would be very interesting even if it's just an archetype.
When looking at other metal archetypes or class options, we get even more stuff for fun. Metal wizards get some construct and electricity spells. Clerics give us the metal subdomain and artifice domain. Oracles give us the metal mystery.
Are we ever getting a metal kineticist to round out the five element system with fire, water, earth, and wood?
The metal kineticist is earth + earth...I don't see that changing anytime soon, if only because it would be confusing. Considering jīn was typically represented by either gold or silver, though, perhaps a gold element could be possible, though one wonders how it would distinguish itself from other elements. At least, I'm presuming you're referring to Wu Xing, since there were quite a number of five element systems...
I was referring to the five element system in game (as described by Ultimate Magic). The Wu Xing or other system that include metal could also serve as inspiration.
Besides the "metal" attacks that earth can get, what else is usually metal? Weapons, armor, equipment, and so on. Creating stuff is pretty interesting besides just throwing metal stuff at our opponent. A kineticist based on manipulating equipment and being extremely flexible would be very interesting even if it's just an archetype.
When looking at other metal archetypes or class options, we get even more stuff for fun. Metal wizards get some construct and electricity spells. Clerics give us the metal subdomain and artifice domain. Oracles give us the metal mystery.
Yes, the system described in Ultimate Magic is the Wu Xing. In all honesty, rather than a new element, I feel like it would require recreating alternate versions of the normal elements. It would be easier to go with the godai or your classical elements, which are both air/wind, earth, fire, water, and aether/void.
I do think that mixing the elements together and creating new ones for different elemental systems could certainly be interesting, but when it comes to pagecount, it would take up quite a bit of space, one imagines...
I want to see a charisma based Occultist Archetype, maybe not in this book, but maybe in another more appropriate one. I was REALLY surprised when they didn't do it with the Ancestral Asperant.
To me it screamed CHA based shenaniginry. Because of that it makes it really hard for me to come up with an Archetype that can better capture what a Charisma Based Occultist would be like.
To be honest I haven't spent much time on the subject. The furthest I got was a instruments implement centered Occultist. Would have Bardic abilities most likely. It wouldn't sacrifice Object reading(favorite ability of any class) or alter it like Battle Host for that matter.
Maybe even cause the object your reading to burst into song telling its info to you and any within earshot. Like "Yes I'm magical! My command words 'Classical'! I'll make you intangible! My owner was quite Cynical! he dressed very Fanciful! But then he grew Mandibles! He Got very irrational! Started maiming animals! And people too..."
Sorry I don't know enough about music to help with how that's supposed to be sung. I hear it in my head, its kinda operatic, for some reason Loony Toons(the old ones) come to mind. Kinda like Gilbert and Sullivan but slower.
I was even playing with the idea that different types of instruments represented different types of Implement Schools. Strings would be Enchantment, Precussion would be Evocation, Wind would be Abjuration, Keyboard would be Necromancy, and that's about as far as I get. But now I realize limiting them like that doesn't help much. It only really limits the creativity. Also to be fair, I made that list As I was writing it. So it's open to change or complete ignoral.
Paizo your free to take this idea and expand or modify it as you see fit. I pray only that no 3pp had this idea already and ruined all my hopes and dreams of this ever becoming a thing in any official future Pathfinder product.
Has that ever happened before? A 3pp that Paizo still made into, or closely, a 1pp?
Hey everyone, please let's not get into rules arguments in the middle of the product threads. Those who said that the book has been written long long before this are right. Requesting new ideas is best left to request threads (we can find those easily if we want when making new books, whereas no one will think to find it in an old product threads). Also, and this last is a recommendation but not really required, I'd recommend that once you've made a suggestion, it might not be in your best interest to continuing posting the same idea, since it dilutes your original message.
I'm hoping the teased melee kineticist archetype is not tied to heavy armor. I love the idea of a close range archetype but I don't want to give up the awesome elemental defenses and I never cared for playing anything more than lightly armored.
Hopefully it's two archetypes that work well together.
I'm hoping the teased melee kineticist archetype is not tied to heavy armor. I love the idea of a close range archetype but I don't want to give up the awesome elemental defenses and I never cared for playing anything more than lightly armored.
Hopefully it's two archetypes that work well together.
There's the elemental annihilator archetype. They keep the elemental defense ability.
I actually hope we do get a medium/heavy armor melee build that actually lets you friggin' use weapons while doing your blasting, because as it stands you have to constantly keep your hands free if you want to use Gather Power/Supercharge. Maybe even possibly key your form infusions off of Strength or something so you're not ridiculously MAD.
...Yes, I also like the mental image from Golden Sun of the high level warrior adepts wearing full plate, swinging greatswords around, and blasting stuff with elemental psychic magic. :v
