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I have seen this class played from level 1 to 5 in the field test, and the release version is not too much different at this levels, take anything 6+ with a grain of salt.
CLASS FEATURES
4 slot, light armor, 8 HP a level caster. Already a good start.
TRANSFER VITALITY
- Still not sure why the recharge on this in combat is so utterly glacial past the early levels, why does it start at 4/round and barely scale past there? Could we not add some +level or +1/2 level scaling to this so it keeps a roughly consistent recharge rate, instead of starting out recharging in 2.5 rounds and going up to taking 10.75 rounds to recharge if you legendary your skill?
- Otherwise fine, essentially a ranged lay on hands 1/combat, its fairly good.
CONNECTIONS
- This is sort of where things start to break apart for me with regard to mystic. There really isn't a clear design idea on whether the mystic's focus spells are supposed to be supplementary (i.e. they replace an actual spell cast) or complimentary (cast in addition to a spell). PC2 rejigged a lot of level 1 focus spells so that they were combat useful for the class they were printed on, and I think this was a good change because focus spells are supposed to
- 1) Make up for the lack of slots at low levels so you don't feel like you're spamming cantrips.
- 2) As an encounter-refresh resource, they're supposed to be used on a per-encounter basis.
- Mystic's focus 1 spells are currently stuck between supplementary (Infusion, Shadow Snap), Complimentary (Anthem), basically combat useless (Akashic Fount) and questionable as to why it exists (Elemental Weapon).
- Infusion is probably the strongest of these because Heal is already a spell people cast, and an effective max rank-1 heal as a focus spell is extremely powerful.
- Elemental Weapon is questionable, its effectively a weapon that loses an upgrade slot for +1d4 damage, which is good early before you can get +1d6 upgrades and then you just never use this again. But it has another problem - why is it a 10 minute duration instead of an "until used again or next daily prep", you just have to keep stop-starting if you want this to start combat with, because spending 3 actions to manifest it in combat is awful.
By advanced focus spells, everyone can take a feat to have Infusion available to them.
- Akashic Assistant is unclear as to what it aids on (is it anything? Only skill checks? Only occultism checks?) and what rank the assistant has (I presume equal to your rank). If it can aid attacks, this is combat useful, otherwise its yet another non combat focus spell for Akashic.
- Cloying Shadows is an okay blast focus spell with a condition for less damage.
- Elemental Barrier is an okay defensive focus spell I guess.
- Shuffle Repeat being sustained means that Rhythm is going to start having problems casting spells if it has 2 of its focus spells up. It also kind of feels a bit weak compared to Anthem.
- Vitality Nova just seems like a worse version of Infusion, you have to lose points from your Transfer Pool to even cast this, and the rate is fairly mediocre. Feels like I'd rather just 2a Infusion -> 1a Transfer vitality.
- Data Drain is where Akashic finally gets a damage spell... a pretty bad single target blast, being 2 levels behind on damage and without that much upside to compensate.
- Elemental Nova is another okay blast focus spell.
- Shadow Prison is like Paralyze as a focus spell, it's okay but no multitarget means its pretty meh for a Focus 6.
- Remix weirdly starts out at 1 creature and goes to 6 2 levels later. It's effectively sustained Haste as a focus spell... except without the ability to Strike.
- Vital Rebirth is effectively Breath of Life as a focus spell with a transfer vitality cost, it's okay because its free but i'd probably never take it if it cost me anything.
HARMONY
- I get the point of these is supposed to be so you don't feel like dumping your entire Transfer Vitality load in one go, but none of them are strong enough to really justify spreading it out like that.
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FEATS
Just going to point out ones that are strong or weak
- Deity's Domain is more FP which means more infusions, and it can actually get a good focus spell too. The other focus spell granting feats are the same except they don't give great focus spells.
- Spot Healing's adjacent only requirement is rather awkward.
- Mental Inference requires using your Connection Skill, which for Healing and Elemental Mystics is great because their connection skill is Wis based. For everyone else its likely on a tertiary stat and will be far worse.
- Network shield is a solid defensive reaction.
- Convert Lifeforce doesn't feel like it should cost 1 action considering its an inefficient trade anyway.
- Overclock Spell is pretty fun.
Why does Convert Lifeforce have a -4 to it!? That makes it weird and not well thought out, if it was like burn some hit points and gain free amount equal to your Wisdom bonus then it be fine but I need to burn 5 hit points for just 1 hit point is silly and weird. If it was give up as many as you want + Wisdom, sure people only do 1 hit points for 1 action, it be fun.
Bro, you're level 12+. If you're not giving up at least 40 to put in 36 at this point because you're running dry you're just screwing around and need to be healing scrapes at the kindergarten playground.
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Am I missing something or is the Mystic the only class that never gets to have their Perception proficiency raised any higher than "Trained"? From what I can tell, every other class either starts as an "Expert" in Perception or receives Perception Expertise, Perception Mastery, Incredible Senses, or some other class ability that improves their Perception at some point in their progress but not the Mystic. Is this an oversight or an intentional nerfing of the class because it is Wisdom-based?
There's a lot of weird errors like this, for instance:
Mystic is also missing weapon specialization.
Witchwarper never gets Expert weapons, despite having weapon specialization.
Soldier is almost completely lacking in actual class features beyond proficiency, and doesn't get greater weapon specialization.