I've been re-reading the Occult Adventures book, revisiting classes that I'd overlooked for one reason or another previously. I noticed that Mesmerists get a choice of two different damage prevention/mitigation tricks, and I'm trying to decide which one is better.
Psychic magic soothes the subject, alleviating her wounds temporarily. The mesmerist can trigger this trick when the subject takes damage. The subject gains a number of temporary hit points equal to 1d8 + 1/2 the mesmerist's level. If the damage from the triggering attack would have reduced the subject to 0 hit points or fewer, this trick grants an additional 1d8 temporary hit points. These temporary hit points last for 1 hour or until discharged.
So, what I like about Psychosomatic Surge is that it's triggered by any damage, regardless of the source, and it's a "heal" that can be triggered from considerable distance. It's effective as a buff on melee, and also works as an insurance policy for soft targets (including the Mesmerist). The downside is that the wording implies that it applies the healing *after* the damage has been done, so it isn't really preventing damage, and technically it isn't healing it either. It's just a band-aid until you can find a real healer. You could get hit once, trigger the healing, and then never use those temp hit points if you aren't damaged again in the next hour.
The mesmerist protects the subject against an attack and redirects the harm to someone else. The mesmerist can trigger this trick when the subject takes damage from an attack. The damage the subject takes is reduced by an amount equal to 3 + the mesmerist's Charisma modifier (to a maximum of the total amount of damage the attack deals). Another creature within range of the original attack, other than the attacker, is affected by a shadow illusion that makes it appear as if the attacker is attacking that creature instead of the attacker's actual target. This second creature takes an amount of damage equal to the amount by which the attack's damage was reduced. This shadow doesn't require a roll to hit and ignores cover and concealment, but the target can attempt a Will save to disbelieve the effect. If it succeeds at this save, it neither takes the damage nor believes the attacker targeted it. This trick can't be triggered if there's no eligible second creature within range to take the redirected damage. This is an illusion (shadow) effect.
Shadow Splinter prevents damage and redirects it to another target in a manner that could possibly create infighting among the enemy. That's great! However:
1. It's only triggered by attacks, so indirect damage (traps, etc.) won't trigger it.
2. There is a will saving throw, so it could potentially not work (though the damage prevention happens regardless)
3. There has to be a secondary target in order to trigger the effect, and they must be in range of the original attack.
4. The damage prevention scales with Charisma, rather than character level, so progression will be slow.
Overall, Shadow Splinter appears to be tactically superior when it's applicable, but Psychosomatic Surge seems like it would apply in more situations. Which would you prefer?
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Psychosomatic Surge, mostly because of (3).
(1) Annoying, but in most campaigns outweighed by the advantage of actually preventing damage rather than just putting a temporary patch on it.
(4) Progression isn't that different. Psychosomatic surge scales by half character level, and to achieve high Will DCs most mesmerists are likely to have a Cha modifier of within a point of half their character level for most of their career. (Starting with 16 like a caster/controller bard, you can keep up with the level increase by getting a +2 headband or two stat increases to Cha by level 8 for your 18/+4, a +4 headband or +2 and two stat increases by level 10 for +5, and a +6 headband or +4 and two stat increases by level 12 for +6, a +6 headband and two of three stat increases by level 14...)
(2) Mesmerists tend to have high Will DCs so it's fairly likely to land and once we've concluded that the healing benefit is at least as useful, damaging & fooling your enemy is just a bonus.
(3) However depends not just on the attack coming in but enemy positioning, and in my experience cuts the situations in which you could activate this ability in half. If you could prevent damage even if there wasn't a secondary target (and just pass on the offensive benefit), I would take Psychosomatic Surge, but making the healing effect so situational for me makes me doubt I'd get good value for this trick.
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I'm not reading the ability the same way you guys are. I don't see anything saying that there must be a 2nd opponent in order to trigger the healing.
From Nethys:
The mesmerist protects the subject against an attack and redirects the harm to someone else.
This looks to be a two stage defect. First it reduces damage, then it causes damage to another through an illusory attack.
There is no mechanical reason why reducing the damage is dependent on having a target for the secondary effect. If the entire damage was prevented and the mechanic was stated that the first attacker was deceived into thinking the 2nd enemy was the target therefore no damage was done, I'd agree. The 1st attacker doesn't need a save so it's not even like the first attacker thought he only grazed the PC, doing reduced damage.
As far as the 1st attacker goes, he gave a good hit. The damage is prevented through some fashion and then a illusion is generated on the 2nd enemy where he thinks the 1 enemy hit him instead.
Overall, the two mechanics are independent. I submitted this question for rules clarification, in case I'm incorrect.