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COM introduced Epiphanies, a general pool of abilities that can be taken in place of your connection powers. They're pretty great. Here's a rundown and my initial thoughts.
1st Level Options
Empowered Healing Touch: Use your healing touch as a standard action instead of 10 minutes, and use resolve for extra uses. A great alternative to taking the Mystic Heal spell. At higher levels it scales better than the Healer Connection's Healing Channel power , but without the action economy and mass heal options.
Solar Connection: You get a solar weapon (but not the other solar manifestation options). No other powers to boost it, either. This is pretty much just a flavor option for wannabe jedi. Note that you don't get proficiency!
Overbearing Stare: A swift action debuff (will negates) that imposes a -1 on an enemy attribute that you choose every morning. It's the PF1 mesmerist stare, but less powerful. An easy pick for a single target spellcaster to use on Will saves, you're not using your swift action anyway. Combine with the Mindbreaker's Sow Doubt and the move action demoralize feat and you can spend your three actions to try to inflice up to a -5 on saves. Very nice.
Wrecking Fists: Improved Unarmed Strike, no archaic, and you can channel spell energy for a low damage boost without spending an action (so double potential benefit on a full attack). Mystic monk powers activate.
3rd Level Options
Expanded Skill Channeling: Choose two skills, your channel skill insight bonus now applies to them and you get them as class skills. Very nice for a skill focused Mystic build or if you want a specific starship role, like a pilot who isn't a Star Shaman.
Secondary Connection: You can pick the 1st level connection power of another connection, but if you worship a deity, it has to be a connection associated with that deity. Atheists have the best flexibility. Options worth noting here: Share Pain (Mindbreaker) for defense, Blood Mark (Devastator) for combat, Empathy (Empath) for diplomancy, Personal Modification (Geneturge) for a changeable associated skill boost or big bulk improvement, Healing Channel (Healer) for the obvious, Inexplicable Commands (Overlord) for social mind control campaigns, Shadow Infusion (Shadow) for darkvision and stealth but you really want an insight bonus to stealth for this one so consider skill focus, Song of the Spheres (Melophile) to be a bard, Weapons of War (Warmonger) if you're willing to blow your spells on modest BAB increases or you want to enter the Power Armor Jockey archetype, Weapon Proficiency (Crusader) if you're crazy enough to trade this for proficiency plus specialization in advanced melee weapons.
6th Level Options
Improved Second Connection: You get the 3rd level connection power from your secondary connection. If you're doing this, why didn't you just choose that for your primary connection? Spell list and associated skills? Fair enough.
Mystic Reach: Cast as a full round action to extend the range on your spells. Sure, why not if you love touch or close range spells but not being charged or easily hit in melee.
Wrecking Spells: Add half your level to damaging spells, similar to the 2nd level Technomancer hack. I'd trade the 9th level Mindbreaker power for this to soup up my Mind Thrusts, and it makes the trash AOE spells slightly less lame.
9th Level Options
Farsight: You get a daily pool of spell points to spend on clairaudience/clairvoyance or arcane eye (or both in combination). Can be useful to spying/scouting.
Mind Probe: Free uses of Mind Probe equal to your mystic level. 1/day per target, though. Great if you're in a corporate espionage campaign, I suppose.
Spell Bond: Harmless spells with touch range can effect anyone in your telepathic bond within 120 feet. Doesn't have the action economy hit of Mystic Reach and has more range, but not sure you need this.
12th Level Options
Greater Secondary Connection: Do you want to trade your 3rd, 6th, and 12th level connection powers for the 1st, 3rd, and 6th from another connection? I continue to doubt whether it's worth it (Mindbreaker combat/debuff stuff but you hate the spell list and skills?) but you can.
Lingering Spell: Spend 1 RP to double a spells duration. If it's a connection spell with a duration of 1 minute/level or more, you can make it last 24 hours. Useful spells qualifying for all day (actually good spells that don't already have a hour/level duration): Telepathy (Empath), True Seeing (Empath), Carnivorous (Devastator), Shadow Body (Shadow), Resistant Aegis (Crusader, Warmonger), Resistant Armor (Warmonger), Greater Resistant Armor (Crusader), Death Ward (Crusader). The Crusader, Empath, and Warmonger have multiple all day options, Shadow has a really strong one.
Mindlink Bond: Everyone in your telepathic bond can minklink memories to each other as a swift action. But no extra mechanical benefits make this purely flavor.
15th Level Options
Guided Reincarnation: Whoa! Reincarnate someone into the race/sex/physical appearance of their choice once per day, no cost, but you and the target (if someone else) suffer 2 negative levels. You also get the benefit of a mnemonic editor. If you reach 15th level as a Mystic and avoid being enslaved you must be really, really rich keeping megacorp CEOs perpetually young and good looking.
Modify Memory: The spell of the same name level/day, each target only 1/day. But if they fail you can spend some RP to change YEARS of their memory and to make the changes memories happen instantaneously. More of an NPC ability, but great for an Overlord running a cult.
18th Level Options
None! There are some bad 18th level connection powers out there, but you can always pick one or both of the excellent 15th level epiphanies. Or pick up Annihilating Purity from the Esotericist archetype, twice per day use a reaction to boost a damaging spell you just cast by 50%, really juice that Mind Thrust 6.
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I agree these make the on the abilities being great and giving very good customisation options.
Just one amendment perhaps.
Solar Connection: You get a solar weapon (but not the other solar manifestation options). No other powers to boost it, either. This is pretty much just a flavor option for wannabe jedi. Note that you don't get proficiency!
From solar weapon in Solarian entry.
Your solar weapon functions as a one-handed kinetic advanced melee weapon, and you’re automatically proficient with it.
And you can use solarian crystals.
I agree these make the on the abilities being great and giving very good customisation options.
Just one amendment perhaps.
Solar Connection: You get a solar weapon (but not the other solar manifestation options). No other powers to boost it, either. This is pretty much just a flavor option for wannabe jedi. Note that you don't get proficiency!From solar weapon in Solarian entry.
Your solar weapon functions as a one-handed kinetic advanced melee weapon, and you’re automatically proficient with it.
And you can use solarian crystals.
Nice catch.
Now my question is, do we have to take Advanced Melee Weapon Proficiency and Weapon Specialization(Advanced Melee) to get Level to damage at Lv3? Is the base class' Weapon Spec enough?
Weapon Specialization(Ex) 3rd Level: You gain Weapon Specialization as a bonus feat for each weapon type this class grants you proficiency with.
Would that include the Solar Weapon?
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Tldr, you would get weapon specialization at third level from the mystic class.
Rationale
I would say the class gives you solar weapon and solar weapon gives you proficiency. So it follows that proficiency is given to you by the class. As opposed to being granted by a feat, archtype, theme or race.
So the class woild give specialisation only in the solar weapon (not in all advanced weapons)
The counter arguement is the exocortex mechanic which specifically calls out specialization.
The counter counter arguement it is not in the solar weapon description because solarian gets weapon specialization for advanced weapons which includes the solar weapon.
Addendum to counter counter arguement, it is an inference and there was a word count to consider.
So what happens if you take an ability that requires a lower level one? Like trading out a star shamans nightlight ability but thats a requirement for higher level ones.
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I assume you have to keep prereq abilities, like that and the overlord Charm Person/Monster powers. So trade them both.
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There's a great Secondary Connection option in Attack of the Swarm! #5's new Shaper mystic connection.
As a standard action, you can surround yourself with a field of swirling debris and “hardened” air. This field grants you temporary Hit Points and fortification as if it were a force field with an item level equal to or lower than your mystic level.
This field doesn’t block gases, liquids, or light. If the field drops to 0 temporary Hit Points, it ends. You can use this ability for a number of rounds per day equal to 3 × your mystic level, but these rounds need not be consecutive. In general, it can be assumed you have enough air or loose matter around you to use this ability, but in some circumstances, such as when you are surrounded by vacuum, the GM is free to rule that this ability can function only if you can provide a source of matter.
Below are the forcefield stats, level/color/HP/fast healing/fortification. Uh, technically this doesn't actually do anything until 3rd level, but that's not a problem if you take as a secondary connection. It may also not be worth a standard action until level 6/8, but it gets pretty decent in later levels.
3 Brown: 1/1
6 Purple: 5/2
8 Black: 10/3
10 White: 15/4
12 Gray: 20/5
14 Green: 25/6 20%
16 Red: 30/7 40%
17 Blue: 35/8 60%
18 Orange: 40/9 80%
20 Prismatic: 50/10 100%
I agree these make the on the abilities being great and giving very good customisation options.
Just one amendment perhaps.
Solar Connection: You get a solar weapon (but not the other solar manifestation options). No other powers to boost it, either. This is pretty much just a flavor option for wannabe jedi. Note that you don't get proficiency!From solar weapon in Solarian entry.
Your solar weapon functions as a one-handed kinetic advanced melee weapon, and you’re automatically proficient with it.
And you can use solarian crystals.
Also if you dip mystic you could potentially get a solar weapon from this and armor or the ranged option or shield from solarian. So if somebody really wants two options at once they can do it.
Also if you dip mystic you could potentially get a solar weapon from this and armor or the ranged option or shield from solarian. So if somebody really wants two options at once they can do it.
My game master is letting us rebuild our character using COG options. I'm seriously considering taking a level of mystic for a sword and shield combo flavored as a double-bladed lightsaber for my Solarian Jedi wannabe.
Solar Connection caught my eye instantly, because it gives Mystics a potent weapon. Furthermore, for Shakatlas, it helps a LOT. For context, the Shakatlas are playable aliens that must multiclass, so Mystic/Solarian with the Solar Connection epiphany has become the best option, thanks to how levels from both classes stack when determining the solar weapon/armor's level.
These really do change the mystic a fair bit. Now you're looking at connections that give the best spells and ignoring some of the lamer powers.
Personally, I'm tempted to try a Crusader Connection Mystic with Solar Connection if I ever get the chance.
You can have only one manifestation active at a time unless you are fully attuned (graviton or photon), in which case you can use two manifestations at once.
Odd note: the 9th level Mind Probe epiphany is strictly better than the similar 9th level Akashic connection ability. Those mystics should always trade out at that level.
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It's in the middle of the description of the Extra Manifestation alternate class feature. What I posted is a direct quote that I didn't bother to tag as such.
There's a great Secondary Connection option in Attack of the Swarm! #5's new Shaper mystic connection.
As a standard action, you can surround yourself with a field of swirling debris and “hardened” air. This field grants you temporary Hit Points and fortification as if it were a force field with an item level equal to or lower than your mystic level.
This field doesn’t block gases, liquids, or light. If the field drops to 0 temporary Hit Points, it ends. You can use this ability for a number of rounds per day equal to 3 × your mystic level, but these rounds need not be consecutive. In general, it can be assumed you have enough air or loose matter around you to use this ability, but in some circumstances, such as when you are surrounded by vacuum, the GM is free to rule that this ability can function only if you can provide a source of matter.Below are the forcefield stats, level/color/HP/fast healing/fortification. Uh, technically this doesn't actually do anything until 3rd level, but that's not a problem if you take as a secondary connection. It may also not be worth a standard action until level 6/8, but it gets pretty decent in later levels.
3 Brown: 1/1
6 Purple: 5/2
8 Black: 10/3
10 White: 15/4
12 Gray: 20/5
14 Green: 25/6 20%
16 Red: 30/7 40%
17 Blue: 35/8 60%
18 Orange: 40/9 80%
20 Prismatic: 50/10 100%
Alas, I missed this line my first time through: "If the field drops to 0 temporary Hit Points, it ends." Might not be worth a standard action to activate it if it's only going to take one hit, two if you're lucky, and end before it can regenerate.
I'm currently playing a Vesk Mystic who fights unarmed with Wrecking Fists and its fantastic. Mixed with the Ring of Fangs my character has truly become a Muscle Wizard who casts Fist.
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Related query: can you take an Epiphany more than once? There's no verbiage precluding this option, and the wording of "you can choose an epiphany of equal or lower level [to the connection power you're droppping]" leaves the door open to picking an Epiphany from a level-tier that you've already chosen from.
I'm thinking of building a "space paladin" mystic that takes the Crusader connection, but taking Secondary Connection twice, at levels 3 and 6, to grab the Warmonger and Healer connection level 1 powers (for that authentic paladin "I punch and I heal things" flavour :D)
I'll be officially agnostic about whether you can take epiphanies in general more than once, but I'll come down on "no" for Secondary Connection because of its name and the first line: Choose a second connection. You can't choose a third.
I'm thinking of building a "space paladin" mystic that takes the Crusader connection, but taking Secondary Connection twice, at levels 3 and 6, to grab the Warmonger and Healer connection level 1 powers (for that authentic paladin "I punch and I heal things" flavour :D)
Remember that although the mystic doesn't require a deity, the secondary connection ability does. So to take warmonger and healer you'd have to worship a deity that has both connections.
Associated Deities: Angradd, Damoritosh, Iomedae
Associated Deities: Desna, Hylax, Iomedae, Pharasma, Sarenrae, Talavet, Urgathoa, Weydan
Huh Iomedae it is...
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Secondary connection doesn't require a deity. It just restricts what secondary connections can be taken if you do have a deity.
And you can worship a deity not associated with your primary connection, it’s only the second one that is binding.
Secondary connection doesn't require a deity. It just restricts what secondary connections can be taken if you do have a deity.
huh. Weird... atheism is overpowered.... :)