Level Up (A5E) Savant as Psychic?

Faolyn

Faolyn

(she/her)
While reading @This Effin’ GM's post ("Savant or Rogue?"), I suddenly wondered: the Savant is supposed to be a non-magical class, but would it support a low-powered occultist-type psychic archetype?

When I say "low-powered," I mean things like seances, object reading, aura reading, clairvoyance, and stuff like that. Not a high-powered psychic blaster-type. Useful, perhaps, in a lower-magic setting, such as Ravenloft, or perhaps even Zeitgeist itself.

I literally came up with the idea a few minutes ago, so I'm not 100% on how to implement this idea. Assigning a small spell list is possible, but also perhaps just a list of abilities that can be chosen at 1st, 2nd, 6th, 11th, 14th, and 17th levels, along with some other abilities as well: proficiency in Insight and Arcana, or extra skill specialties in them; bonuses when communicating with spectral undead or nature spirits, the ability to set up ritual-traps in order to banish otherworldly entities, and things like that.

Any thoughts?
 

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RangerWickett

RangerWickett

Legend
I considered a seance-y sub-class, akin to Eldritch Knights and Arcane Tricksters, but I didn't want to dilute the conceit of 'my mind is all I need,' at least not for the first release. I mean, the Vox is a little close, since you can literally talk someone to death.

I say go for it and pitch it to the Gate Pass Gazette.
 

This Effin’ GM

This Effin’ GM

Hero
Faolyn said:
While reading @This Effin’ GM's post ("Savant or Rogue?"), I suddenly wondered: the Savant is supposed to be a non-magical class, but would it support a low-powered occultist-type psychic archetype?

When I say "low-powered," I mean things like seances, object reading, aura reading, clairvoyance, and stuff like that. Not a high-powered psychic blaster-type. Useful, perhaps, in a lower-magic setting, such as Ravenloft, or perhaps even Zeitgeist itself.

I literally came up with the idea a few minutes ago, so I'm not 100% on how to implement this idea. Assigning a small spell list is possible, but also perhaps just a list of abilities that can be chosen at 1st, 2nd, 6th, 11th, 14th, and 17th levels, along with some other abilities as well: proficiency in Insight and Arcana, or extra skill specialties in them; bonuses when communicating with spectral undead or nature spirits, the ability to set up ritual-traps in order to banish otherworldly entities, and things like that.

Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
I bet it could. If nothing else, flavoring their abilities can easily work.
 





RangerWickett

RangerWickett

Legend
Faolyn said:
Oh, gosh. I'd gotten distracted by shiny things. Sorry. I'd had some thoughts but none of it really came to fruition.
Click to expand...
Two years later, the Planestrider's Journal has a savant archetype linked to the Far Realm, the eldritch mentalist.
A sample ability:

Psychic Combat​

At 2nd level, you gain one of the following new savant tricks. Any savant can take these tricks.
Ego Whip Flourish. When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you exploit the mind’s instinct to recoil from pain, inhibiting its ability to control its own defenses. Once in the next minute, when the target succeeds on a saving throw you can force it to reroll.
Id Insinuation Flourish. When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you use the emotive bond of shared peril to plant a confusing impulse into your foe’s mind. If that creature fails a Wisdom saving throw it is confused until the end of your next turn.
Thought Shield. When a creature you are aware of would be charmed, confused, frightened, or rattled, you interpose your thoughts and expend your psychic focus to negate that condition for 1 minute.
 

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