Best Psychic Focus Spells for a Bard

[siegfriedliner]

I am bard at level 4 and was thinking of arcytping into psychic to grab some offensive focus spells to give me a little more variety on my focus casting.

I have decentish AC (17+Level) so I was caught in condrum about what to take in terms of psychic cantrips, anyone have any recommendations ?

[Eoran]

Maybe you should describe what you typically do during combat. Or what you are currently not able to do but would like to be able to do after taking the archetype.

[gesalt]

If you want offense, you pick telekinetic projectile and use a divination staff for true strike or you use two feats to get telekinetic rend.

[aobst128]

If you just want some offense, Imaginary weapon is the most damage you can get out of a cantrip. Requires some setup to use the amp properly like spectral hand but hitting 2 targets is nice. Can use the non amped version with reach spell for a reliable 30 foot ranged attack. Although technically it still counts as melee so you can flank with it I think. Other than that, ray of frost is great for its range and amp helps keep you alive. Phase bolt is the most accurate with its amp, works nicely with true strike for good crit chances.

[Gortle]

aobst128 wrote:

If you just want some offense, Imaginary weapon is the most damage you can get out of a cantrip. Requires some setup to use the amp properly like spectral hand but hitting 2 targets is nice. Can use the non amped version with reach spell for a reliable 30 foot ranged attack. Although technically it still counts as melee so you can flank with it I think. Other than that, ray of frost is great for its range and amp helps keep you alive. Phase bolt is the most accurate with its amp, works nicely with true strike for good crit chances.

Spells that last for more than an instant have a Duration entry Which means that imaginary weapon can't provide flanking beyond its immediate existance for the action. Imaginary weapon technically just creates a spell attack not actually a weapon.

The Reach meta magic feat just increases range, and does not actually provides reach required for flanking. So technically the answer is no.

Though as a GM I would allow you to gain flanking for the purposes of your spell attack only. But that is just a personal choice of allowing flavour to override the rules. Many GMs won't do that.

[aobst128]

Gortle wrote:

aobst128 wrote:

If you just want some offense, Imaginary weapon is the most damage you can get out of a cantrip. Requires some setup to use the amp properly like spectral hand but hitting 2 targets is nice. Can use the non amped version with reach spell for a reliable 30 foot ranged attack. Although technically it still counts as melee so you can flank with it I think. Other than that, ray of frost is great for its range and amp helps keep you alive. Phase bolt is the most accurate with its amp, works nicely with true strike for good crit chances.

Spells that last for more than an instant have a Duration entry Which means that imaginary weapon can't provide flanking beyond its immediate existance for the action. Imaginary weapon technically just creates a spell attack not actually a weapon.

The Reach meta magic feat just increases range, and does not actually provides reach required for flanking. So technically the answer is no.

Though as a GM I would allow you to gain flanking for the purposes of your spell attack only. But that is just a personal choice of allowing flavour to override the rules. Many GMs won't do that.

Melee spell attacks can benefit from flanking but since reach spell basically gives it "range" and not reach I guess you're right. You could flank with tentacular limbs with it though look like. You need to be the one threatening and not just the effect.

[shroudb]

If you don't have reactions Guidance is pretty nice as well, and you can later on pick Glimpse Weakness which is very nice for those turns you have 1 action remaining as some free no-save damage.

[aobst128]

Amped message is also pretty good once it hightens to 4th level