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This weekend I finally get time to playtest the new classes. This playtest was made with 2 players. Me controlling the PC and a friend GMing.
It was a speedrun playtest of Fall of Plaguestone because we already have all the things done and I want to test the Soldier too and because the soldier's playtest only goes up to level 5, we chose to play a low-level adventure.
I won't describe the full adventures here because its too much to be written and instead I will go directly to my impressions and observations.
This playtest will focus into animist only. For other classes I will post my impressions in their respective forums.
Party composition
Build
I made this animist as an DPR focused blaster. I take Electric Arc cantrip using Adapted Cantrip to allow to use it with full Spell DC from Wis and to combo with Earth's Bile to get maximum multi-target save damage output in this level where I still don't get my 3rd focus point.
My apparition choice during all the level was Steward of Stone and Fire and Custodian of Groves and Gardens because I don't want to play melee as spellcaster and those was who appear to get the best Vessel Spells to use at a safest range and as a good off-encounter healing option also as the alchemist as fully bomber focused and due exemplar was using Scar of the Survivor and Barrow’s Edge the Animist was the only healer in the party so to try to compensate the lack of healing spells I invested into Medicine and put Battle Medicine feat in it via background.
Impressions
My general impression of this Animist was very good as DPR but poor caster and healer. While Earth's Bile completed fantastically well the Electric Arc combo the same couldn't be said about get only 1 spell slot to use healing and how weak is Garden of Healing in battle.
As I said the combo of Electric Arc + Earth's Bile in the first level is powerful but its devastating vs multiple weak enemies. Some battles the Animist simply killed every weakling in a single turn. While vs strong opponents it still good but could easily prevent that some melee allies to flank targets so its just OK and a good alternative for single melee parties like was this in my playtest yet it still no better than the good old d12 melee weapon but as range it still pretty good.
I have mixed feelings about Earth's Bile damage effectiveness because when compared to Electric Arc its a bit more difficult to use (due the burst max range is pretty closer forcing to move to 20ft or less sometime to put it behind the frontline to prevent friend fire) and sometimes I rolled very low dices (like a snake eyes) and others a very good result (double 4) goes from meh specially vs strong enemies to devastating when rolling high numbers vs weak enemies.
My general sensation is that its burst is too large making it very strong vs multiple opponents but dangerous vs stronger ones and without Sustaining Dance (because its a level 2 feat) it costed move actions to me making difficult to use other spells while sustain it.
IMO if Earth's Bile was its AoE reduced from 10 feet burst to a square would be the ideal adjustment to the spell to make it less devastating vs multiple targets while allows to use it from a safer distance.
About Garden of Healing IMO it has being overrated by many people here. It is a pretty good off-encounter multiple allies healing but due you basically always use Vessel Spells in combat too you always need to get 20-30 minutes refocusing because you never want to advance without your focus points once the class depends too much from them. I compared in practice almost always this is more time than usually medicine check was required.
At same time in combat the spell is weak complicated to use and dangerous. I only used it twice in combat and in the both times is was meh and dangerous. It put the Animist to closer to enemies making it vulnerable to their attacks also due the opponents advancing in the direction of the animist to try to attack it because it was closer enough to enemies to focus on it and to not loose the sustain I was forced to use 1-2 actions to get way from them. Also healing only 1d4 is very little specially to dying characters that can get down again pretty easily.
Yet about healing the current spell slot disposition is pretty bad for healing. OK in higher level it get better specially after take Embodiment of the Balance but this feat competes with Sustaining Dance so it's a hard decision to take it in place.
About spell list the Apparition Spells makes it very restrictive. I only used it once with Interposing Earth when I get too close to the frontline outside this I never used my Apparition Spells. IMO this is the result of the clunkiness of half of your spells locker to the apparition I hope that the designers review it and make it more flexible with the divine spell list allowing to freely choose if you want to use your spell slot for apparition or for your own dive list.
My general impression was good. Playing with blaster animist was fun most times it just need some adjustments to make it more flexible, maybe reduce the AoE of Earth's Bile and change Garden of Healing to get better in combat while allows more flexibility in spells slots specially at lower levels.