October 3, 2016


Martial Archetype
Comments from the Finger: While we're waiting on wizards to actually publish a complete psionics class, we'll offer a little tidbit to tide everyone over.


Rare, gifted warriors known as battleminds fight using their mind not only for tactics and reflexes, but as a weapon in its own right. Battleminds are skilled in both psionic and martial combat, allowing them to use their magic to manipulate and deceive their foes even as their fighting skill lets them carve a swath through enemy ranks.

Psionic Powers
As a battlemind, you manifest a number of low-level psionic abilities.
     Power Points. You have a pool 3 power points, which increases as you gain levels in this class, as shown in the Power Points table. You can spend these points to gain a number of different abilities, called Psionic Maneuvers, as shown below. You regain all expended power points when you take a short or long rest.
     Saving Throw. If one of your psionic abilities calls for a saving throw, the save DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier.

Power Points 
Level Power Points

Psionic Maneuvers
At 3rd level, you can spend your power points on the following abilities.
     Battlemind's Demand. As a reaction when a creature that you can see attacks you, you can spend 1 power point to cast the spell compelled duel targeting it without expending a spell slot or spell components.
     Blurred Step. When a creature that you can see adjacent to you moves, you can spend 1 power point and use your reaction to move 10 feet without provoking Opportunity Attacks.
     Mind Spike. When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can spend 1 power point and use your reaction to make a spell attack roll against the attacker. On a hit, the target takes 1d10 + your Intelligence modifier psychic damage.

At 7th level, you can focus your psionic power to read the thoughts of others. You can spend 1 power point to cast the detect thoughts spell. As long as you maintain concentration on the spell, you can use a bonus action to send a telepathic message to a creature you are focused on. It can reply—using a bonus action to do so—while your focus on it continues.

Distortion Strike
By 10th level, once on each of your turns when you attack a creature, you can spend one power point to distort its perceptions. The creature must succeed a Wisdom saving throw or have disadvantage on attack rolls against you on its next turn.

Speed of Thought
Starting at 15th level, you can move up to half your movement speed when you roll initiative.
     Additionally, when a creature you can see within 120 feet of you misses you with a ranged attack roll, you can spend 3 power points and use your reaction to teleport to an unoccupied space adjacent to it.

Augmented Focus
By 18th level, you regain all expended power points when you roll initiative.


  1. Looks like this'll definitely do the job of being a nuisance in the front lines of enemies. Lot's of mobility, crowd control, some utility, and decent damage to boot.
    I was wondering, however, where you got the numbers for how many power points the archetype gets. Keeping it on par with Eldritch Knight, and converting spell slots to spell point, which is what I'm guessing power points could easily be represented as, it'd make a bit more sense to have 4 points at 3rd level, 14 at 7th level, 17 at 10th level, and 32 at 18th level. It is a MASSIVE difference, but it does math out if you're comparing it to what spell slots the Eldritch Knight has access to. Spell points (power points in this instance) gives a lot of utility due to the fact that they're all mashed together in one resource pool, so reducing the total amount they have by a few points is reasonable.
    I'm only saying this to give another perspective on the archetype option. I feel like this perspective is way off in a balancing sense, but I can't really ignore how the interaction between power points, spell points, and eldritch knight spell slots looks.

    1. Wow, it's been a long while since I actually wrote this feature (like almost three months now) so I genuinely can't remember what I based those numbers off of. I'm like 99% sure it was not based on spell slot/spell point conversion. After all, those numbers assume a full caster that recharges on a long rest. A more proper point of comparison is a 1/3 caster that recharges on a short rest.

      That being said, if my numbers are off on these, I can always be swayed into fixing them with a good argument.

    2. Are they closer to battlemaster maneuver dice?

  2. Also, that art is spot on.
    I really want to play a minotaur battlemind, now.


  3. Krynn Minotaurs (UA Waterborne) can actually get +1 Strength and +1 Intelligence. Could be an interesting build. Perhaps a pirate exiled from his lands due to a loss in the Circus. Now he wanders the seas, seeking worthy foes to challenge him. His hope is that his people will hear the tales of his might and welcome him home. Maybe multiclass Barbarian.