At the risk of sounding like a "setting snob" I wanted to throw some thoughts out there regarding how spontaneous divine casters are handled in the setting that we play in.
First let me state that I have been waiting with baited breath for the Oracle since it was first announced, as it fills an important niche in the Dragonlance setting....and frankly the Oracle fills the niche very well IMO.
Granted, there is some work to do on the class itself, but I see a lot of comments regarding it's use of charisma as a primary stat, or it's lack of healing, etc....etc....not making sense.
That really makes me wonder if the intent of the class has been effectively communicated.
In Dragonlance, a Mystic is more or less to a Cleric, as a Sorcerer is to a Wizard.
A Wizard gains his ability to manipulate the ambient magic left over from creation, by learning the techniques set forth by the God's of magic, although it's not exactly the same as a Cleric being given power by a god, as the God's of magic can't generally just shut off the juice so to speak once you know the technique. This requires a faculty of intelligence to learn the complex methods required of High Sorcery.
A Sorcerer has in innate ability to manipulate the ambient energies of creation....where a Wizard has to learn how to do this in an almost scientific manner, a Sorcerer is an artist with inborn intuitive skill, and more importantly the sense of self to almost force his will on his environment.
Clerics are granted their abilities through devotion to a god, and faith in that god. In a sense it's the pay off for your servitude and devotion to the gods ideals. The God “allows” some of his power to be focused through you, so that you can act as an agent of his goals. Don't do what your god wants, and you are likely to find your source of power shut off.
Mystics gain there powers in part through devotion to an ideal, but primarily through faith in themselves.
Just like a Sorcerer, they are able to tap into an innate ability to shape energies, in this case, the energies of life or “divine” energy, that all beings granted a soul are tied to.
A Mystic CAN choose to venerate a god, or a number of gods for that matter, but their power is in no way granted by a deity, so a Mystic can just as easily choose to ignore the existence of a god....if they have the nerve.
There power does not come from a god, it comes from their status as a being with a soul, and their innate faith in their own abilities, and sense of self.
Thoughts ???