Mentalist (5e Class)

Mentalist

In a crowded market, a woman shrieks and a thief scampers. No one saw what happened, but everyone knows. A few people chase after the perpetrator, but to what avail? There are no weapons allowed in the market and the thief is quick and strong. To flail one's arms or utter an incantation is to invite a riot. The thief will surely escape...except he doesn't. He stops in place, drops his newly acquired prize, and lets his chasers detain him. No struggle. No magic. Only the keen eye of a bystander who has brought this thief to justice with nothing more than an arched brow and the might of her will. And just like that, the market returns to normal and the silent vigilante fades into the crowd, unsung and unnoticed.

Mentalists, they are called, or mind-mages to the unsophisticated. They strike with the effect of magic and the subtlety of a rogue, all with the raw power of their mind. Their psionic powers are the stuff of legends, not all of those legends savory. They are not arcanists or acolytes or devotees but intelligent and stout-minded beings who dictate reality through their thoughts and will.

Unlike other spellcasters, mentalists do not require words or gestures and often not even materials to inflict their will upon the world, only the intent to make it so. What they gain in subtlety they sacrifice in adaptability as the spell effects they can create are limited (half-caster) and largely non-scalable. But to underestimate a mentalist is a folly few repeat. Be it an unexpected spell effect or a devastating blast of raw psychic power, a mentalist has what it takes to make someone's day a whole lot worse. Or a whole lot better.

Creating a Mentalist

When creating a Mentalist, consider how your power will manifest. Part of that comes from the selection of your strain (subclass), but part also comes from your character's intentions. Are you sneaky and deceptive? Brazen and overt? Contemplative and peaceful? Do people know about your psionic powers or are they secret? Why would you be adventuring with your party? Also consider the origin of your powers. Were they inherited from your family line? Were you influenced by a psionic entity as a child...or more recently? Did they manifest through trauma? Or did you unlock these powers through your own research and experimentation? Do you like having these powers or are they a burden? What is it you do when you aren't relying on your powers?

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Quick Build

You can make a mentalist quickly by following these suggestions. First, Intelligence should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution (or maybe Charisma for Mind Spinners). Second, choose the Sage background. Third, choose a light crossbow and an explorer's pack.

Class Features

As a Mentalist you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per Mentalist level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Mentalist level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: none
Weapons: simple
Tools: one set of artisan's tools of your choice
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Constitution
Skills: Choose three from Sleight of Hand, Stealth, History, Investigation, Nature, Animal Handling, Perception, Insight, Deception, Intimidation, and Persuasion

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• any simple weapon
• (a) a dagger or (b) 4 darts
• (a) a scholar's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• a meditation focus (can be any innocuous object such as the trinkets listed on p.160 of the PHB or a similar item approved by the DM)
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 4d4x10 gp in funds.

Table: The Mentalist

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Psionic dice	Features	Cantrips Known	Spells Known	—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
						1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
1st	+2	d4	Mentalist Strain, Psychic Cantrips, Psionic Power	2	-	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	d4	Psychic Spellcasting, Psychic Whisper	2	2	2	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	d4	Meditation, Psi-Armor	2	3	3	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	d4	Ability Score Improvement, Cantrip Versatility	2	3	3	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	d6	—	3	4	4	2	—	—	—
6th	+3	d6	Mentalist Strain Feature	3	4	4	2	—	—	—
7th	+3	d6	Psychic Versatility	3	5	4	3	—	—	—
8th	+3	d6	Ability Score Improvement, Cantrip Versatility	3	5	4	3	—	—	—
9th	+4	d8	Mind Over Matter	3	6	4	3	2	—	—
10th	+4	d8	Mentalist Strain Feature	4	6	4	3	2	—	—
11th	+4	d8	Empowered Psychic Spells	4	7	4	3	3	—	—
12th	+4	d8	Ability Score Improvement, Cantrip Versatility	4	7	4	3	3	—	—
13th	+5	d10	Reliable Power	4	8	4	3	3	1	—
14th	+5	d10	Mentalist Strain Feature	4	8	4	3	3	1	—
15th	+5	d10	M.O.M. Improvement	5	9	4	3	3	2	—
16th	+5	d10	Ability Score Improvement, Cantrip Versatility	5	9	4	3	3	2	—
17th	+6	d12	Mind Storm	5	10	4	3	3	3	1
18th	+6	d12	Mentalist Strain Feature	5	10	4	3	3	3	1
19th	+6	d12	Ability Score Improvement, Cantrip Versatility	5	11	4	3	3	3	2
20th	+6	d12	Jolt of Versatility	5	11	4	3	3	3	2

Psychic Cantrips

At 1st level, you know two cantrips of your choice from the mentalist spell list, plus one specific to your strain. You learn additional psychic cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Mentalist table. These cantrips can be cast as any other cantrips, but they require no material components unless the component has monetary value or is consumed by the spell. Unlike your Psychic Spellcasting feature (below), psychic cantrips may require vocal and/or somatic components.

Intelligence is your spell casting ability for these cantrips.

Psionic Power

Your mind harbors a wellspring of psionic energy. This energy is represented by your Psionic Energy dice, which are each a d4. You have a number of these dice equal to twice your proficiency bonus, and they fuel various psionic powers you have, starting with the first feature of your strain.

Some of your features will expend the Psionic Energy die they use, as specified in a power's description, and you can't use a power if it requires you to use a die when your dice are exhausted. You regain all your expended Psionic Energy dice when you finish a long rest.

When you reach certain levels in this class, the size of your Psionic Energy dice increases: at 5th level (d6), 9th level (d8), 13th level (d10), and 17th level (d12).

Psionic Power does not work well when locked inside a can. If you're wearing heavy armor, it is impossible to expend psionic dice, even if you're proficient with heavy armor.

Mentalist Strain

From their first emergence, psychic powers differ significantly enough to be classified into one of three strains: Kineticist, Mind Spinner, or Shadow Weaver. All three are detailed at the end of this class description. Your strain grants you features at 1st level and again at 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th levels.

Psychic Spellcasting

At 2nd level, your mind extends beyond you into the physical world in a way that closely resembles spellcasting. However, your spells come from the power of your mind and a connection to the astral plane rather than from deities or arcane origins. As such, your spells manifest differently.

None of your spells (other than cantrips) require vocal, somatic, or material components unless the component has monetary value or is consumed by the spell. However, you can only cast spells at their lowest level. A higher spell slot may be used to cast a lower level spell, but you gain no benefit from that higher spell slot. For instance, you can use a 2nd level spell slot to cast the 1st level spell Cure Wounds, but it still only heals 1d8 + your spell casting modifier, just as it would with a first level slot.

Spell Slots

The Mentalist table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these mentalist spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

If you have spell slots from another class, determine your total number of spell slots using the optional Multiclass Spell Slot rules on p.164 of the PHB. Mentalist is considered a “half-caster”, similar to the Ranger and Paladin, so half of your Mentalist levels (rounded down) should be included in spell slot calculations.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

At 2nd level, you know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the mentalist spell list. You will also gain two 1st-level spells from your strain.

The Spells Known column of the Mentalist table shows when you learn more mentalist spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 5th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the mentalist spells you know and replace it with another spell from the mentalist spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your mentalist spells, since the power of your magic relies on your mind's ability to understand it's own potential. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a mentalist spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Psychic Whisper

Also at 2nd level, you gain the ability to silently communicate with your allies at a range of up to 1 mile. As an action, choose one or more creatures you can see, up to a number of creatures equal to your proficiency bonus, and then roll one Psionic Energy die. For a number of hours equal to the number rolled, the chosen creatures can speak telepathically with you, and you can speak telepathically with them. To send or receive a message (no action required), you and the other creature must be within 1 mile of each other. You do not have to share a language in order to understand each other.

An unwilling creature can be included in the bond if it fails an Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throw (creature’s choice) against your spell save DC. The save is made with advantage. If the creature fails, another save may be attempted at the start of each of its turns (or once every 6 seconds if not in initiative). This only enables you to hear the thoughts that the creature wants you to hear, but it does force the creature to hear the thoughts you intend. A creature that loses its willingness to be bonded may also exit the bond by making this save.

The first time you use this power after each long rest, you don't expend the Psionic Energy die. All other times you use the power, you expend the die.

Meditation

Starting at 3rd level, you can meditate during short rests to refresh yourself from physical and mental exertion. You can do this in one of three ways:

• Focused Healing: If you regain hit points using at least one hit die, you may expend any number of psionic dice up to your proficiency bonus and add their rolls to your hit points gained up to your maximum.
• Focused Potential: You may expend one psionic die to regain an expended spell slot. If you do this, roll the die and divide its roll by three (rounding up). That is the maximum level of the spell slot you regain.
• Focused Power: You may regain a number of psionic dice equal to your Intelligence modifier.

Your meditation can enable only one of these in any short rest. Once any of these benefits is used, that benefit cannot be used again until you complete a long rest.

Meditation Focus

Meditation requires the use of a Meditation Focus - an innocuous item which is significant to you. Meditation requires 10 consecutive minutes of reflective contemplation utilizing your Meditation Focus, during which time you cannot engage in any other activities (keeping watch, sleeping, etc.) If your meditation focus is lost or destroyed, you can turn another innocuous but personally relevant object (not a weapon or armor or anything "useful") into your new Meditation Focus by deepening your connection with the item over a long rest. (It is the DM's discretion whether an item qualifies as "personally significant" or "useful", but this is an excellent opportunity to let your role playing creativity soar.)

Psi-Armor

Also at 3rd level, your psychic energy can be channeled to surround your body and protect you from physical damage. As an action, cast the spell Mage Armor without expending a spell slot. When you do this, roll one of your psionic dice. The Psi-Armor carries a charge of the die roll + your intelligence modifier. When you take damage from an attack roll, reduce that damage by an amount up to the charge (minimum 1). When your armor had fewer charges than your intelligence modifier (minimum 1), you can use an action to expend a psionic die and add the roll to the charge. Once the entire charge is exhausted, the armor dissipates.

Mage Armor is not added to your spells known and cannot be cast with spell slots. Once you have generated your Psi-Armor, you cannot generate another until you finish a short or long rest.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Cantrip Versatility

When you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you can replace one cantrip you learned from this class' Psychic Cantrips feature with another cantrip from the mentalist’s spell list. If there are any cantrips that deal psychic damage that are not on the Mentalist spell list, those may be chosen instead. Likewise you may select a cantrips that deals damage specific to your strain: necrotic for Mind Spinners, cold for Shadow Weavers, or thunder for Kineticists.

Psychic Versatility

Your psionic power and psionic spells stem from the same source. As such, it is possible to draw power directly from your untapped spell potential.

At 7th level, you may expend a spell slot as a bonus action to gain 2 psionic dice (increases to 3 dice at 13th level). The size of the die is based on the level of the spell slot expended. A first level slot regains a d4. Each higher level regains a die with 2 more sides (2nd for d6, 3rd for d8, 4th for d10, 5th for d12). You cannot gain a die larger than the size indicated in the Psionic Die column of the mentalist table for your mentalist level. If you have spell slots higher than 5th level (from multiclassing or any other source), that power is not a pure manifestation of your psychic potential and thus cannot be used to replenish Psionic Power dice.

Mind Over Matter

By 9th level, the power of your mind begins to compensate for the damage your body takes, or in some cases feeds off that damage. When you take damage that would NOT drop your hit points to zero, you can use your reaction to do one of three things:

1) take half as much damage instead, rounded down. (For example, if you take 37 damage, you can take 18 damage instead.)

2) regain a spell slot of a level up to one tenth the amount of damage taken, rounded down. (For example, if you take 37 damage, you can regain a spell slot of 3rd level or lower.)

3) regain a number of psionic power dice equal to one tenth the damage taken, rounded down. (For example, if you take 37 damage, you could regain 3 psionic energy dice.) The dice size will match the size listed in the Mentalist table.

Once any of these benefits is used, that benefit cannot be used again until you complete a long rest. At 15th level, this ability resets at the end of a short rest.

Empowered Psychic Spells

Starting at 11th level, you can combine your Psionic Power and Psionic Spellcasting features to upcast your mentalist spells and gain the benefits of the higher spell slots, though this taxes your psionic powers considerably. To do so, expend the higher spell slot and a number of psionic dice equal to the number of levels increased. When you do this, roll the psionic dice expended; on a roll of 6 or higher, you retain that die.

For example, you could upcast the 1st level spell Cure Wounds with a 3rd level spell slot to heal an improved 3d6 + your spellcasting modifier hit points, for which you invest a level 3 slot and two psionic dice, rolling the dice to see whether you retain them (6 or higher) or discard them (5 or lower).

Reliable Power

Starting at 13th level, when you use a feature that requires you to roll a psionic power die, you may expend an extra die, rolling that as well and choosing between the two results. You may do this after you make the initial roll. You may only use this feature once on a turn.

Mind Storm

At 17th level, your mental powers have become their own force of nature capable of unleashing anything from a tiny trickle to a devastating deluge of raw psychic energy. That energy can affect a group of creatures or be concentrated on just one. As an action, pick a point within 90 feet and roll any number of psionic dice (up to the maximum on the Mentalist table). After they are rolled, you may select any number of those dice to expend (minimum one). For each die expended, you deliver psychic damage equal to the die's roll to every creature within 30 feet of the target point. Any creature in the area that succeeds a Constitution saving throw takes half damage.

If you choose to target an individual creature instead of an area, roll the damage as above, but also add your Intelligence modifier for each die expended. The damage type for this extra damage is determined by your strain: thunder for Kineticists, necrotic for Mind Spinners, or cold for Shadow Weavers. A successful save does not halve this extra damage.

For example, a Mentalist Mind Spinner with an Intelligence modifier of +5 targets an adult dragon with a focused Mind Storm, rolling 5d12 worth of psionic dice. The dice roll 12, 9, 8, 3, and 2, so the Mentalist decides to expend the three highest dice, dealing 29 psychic damage and 15 necrotic damage. If the dragon succeeds its constitution saving throw (or uses its legendary resistance), it takes 14 psychic damage (half the rolled damage, rounded down) and 15 necrotic damage.

Jolt of Versatility

At 20th level, your Psychic Versatility feature gains the ability to deliver a greater burst of power at the moment it's most needed. When you have six or fewer psionic dice remaining, you may use a bonus action to expend one spell slot to add to your pool of psionic dice, however these dice won't necessarily match the size of the dice in the mentalist table. A first level slot will grant 6d6 to use as psionic dice. A higher spell slot can be expended for more dice and/or larger dice. For each level of the spell slot above 1st, add 1 die or 2 sides to the dice. For example, if a mentalist has two psionic dice remaining, she could expend a 4th level spell slot and receive 8d8 (1 level for the 6d6 + 1 level to upsize them to d8s + 2 levels to add 2 more dice).

Once you've used this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest. This feature is in addition to your Psychic Versatility feature rather than a replacement.

++Mentalist Strains++

The powers of the mind come in myriad forms, but there are a few commonalities that classify mentalists into specific strains, namely Kineticests, Mind Spinners, and Shadow Weavers. Kineticists specialize in movement and thunder damage. Mind Spinners are the masters of charm, fear, and disruption. Shadow Weavers draw upon other dimensions to influence their own.

Kineticist

There is no more iconic example of psychic power than bending and moving objects with the mind. This is but the beginning of what a Kineticist can do. Their mental manifestations tend to employ the movement of objects (and creatures) and thunder damage.

Level 1: Kineticist Spells, Bonus Proficiency, Strong Mind

Level 6: TK Forcefield

Level 10: Kinetic Barrage

Level 14: Body and Mind

Level 18: TK Golem

Kineticist Spells

At each indicated level, the listed spells are added to your known spells but do not count against your number of spells known. These are Mentalist spells for you and Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for them.

1st:Mage Hand (invisible, cast and manipulated as a bonus action)

2nd:catapult, Thunderwave

5th:Shatter, Spider Climb

9th:Conjure Barrage, thunder step

13th:Freedom of Movement, Staggering Smite

17th:Animate Objects, Telekinesis

Bonus Proficiency

Your innate understanding of collisions grants you proficiency with any weapon that deals bludgeoning damage as long as it doesn't have the heavy property.

Strong Mind

You move things with your mind, including people. As long as you have unspent psionic dice, you can use an action to take either the Shove or Grapple action in combat targeting any creature of medium size or smaller within 30 feet of you. Each is made as a Strength (Athletics) check as usual, but you may choose to add your Intelligence modifier instead of Strength (not both) to the roll. The shove can be made directly away from you or directly toward you. A successful grapple will be maintained until the start of your next turn (may be contested as usual).

When you use this action in combat (successfully or not), you may spend a psionic die to make a weapon attack as a bonus action. If that attack hits, roll the psionic die and add that amount of psychic damage to your weapon damage. If the attack misses, you retain the Psionic die.

TK Forcefield

At 6th level, you can create a brief telekinetic field around yourself that can add to your armor class. When you are hit by an attack, you can use your reaction to roll a psionic energy die and add half the roll (rounded up) to your AC until the start of your next turn. If the added AC causes the attack to fail, the die is expended.

Kinetic Barrage

At 10th level, you can cause pure telekinetic energy to erupt from your body, damaging multiple creatures within 30 feet of you, possibly even striking some of them twice. As an action, expend a psionic energy die and roll it. The barrage hits a number of targets equal to the psionic die roll + your intelligence modifier (minimum 1) that are within 30 feet of you. Each target takes 3d8 thunder damage, or half as much on a successful Dexterity save versus your mentalist spell casting DC. If there are more creatures in the area than the number targeted, you get to choose which creatures are targeted. If there are fewer creatures in the area than the number targeted, you choose which creatures are targeted twice (roll the Dexterity saves separately). No creature can be targeted more than twice by the same Kinetic Barrage.

Body and Mind

At 14th level, your psychic powers can be used to bolster a specific physical attribute. When you finish a short or long rest, you may select Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution and add +1 to its ability modifier (limit +6 total). This feature requires your concentration, as if concentrating on a spell. This concentration can only be lost if you choose to abandon it (no action required), are incapacitated, or you shift your concentration to a spell or other ability. Concentration can be regained and the +1 bonus restored after spending one minute with your Meditation Focus (uninterrupted by actions, bonus actions, reactions, or damage). The improved attribute can only be changed at the end of a rest.

While maintaining concentration on this feature, when you hit a creature with a melee attack, you may choose to make the damage type thunder once per round. You also gain additional benefits depending on which attribute you are enhancing.

Strength: While you're concentrating on this feature, you can lift or carry twice as much weight as usual for your strength and size.

Dexterity: While you're concentrating on this feature, your walking speed increases by 10.

Constitution: While concentrating on this feature, you can use your bonus action to gain temporary hit points equal to twice your Intelligence modifier which last until the beginning of your next turn.

TK Golem

At 18th level, you learn to surround yourself with telekinetic energy to make yourself an unstoppable juggernaut for one minute. Use an action to expend 2 psionic dice. Roll both. The same telekinetic energy that fuels your other abilities now seeps from your pores and takes on a quasi-solid form around your body, responding to your movements as your own flesh would.

While in this golem form:

• Your size increases by one level (example: medium to large)
• You make one additional attack when taking the attack action
• Choose one of those rolls to add to your AC
• Add the other to your melee strikes as psychic or thunder damage (you choose the damage type each attack)
• At the start of each of your turns, you gain temporary hit points equal to the sum of the rolls
• All saving throws are made with advantage
• Any melee weapon you are wielding gains the reach property as telekinetic energy erupts from your body and wields the weapon beyond your fingertips.

If you're suffering from exhaustion, the levels are halved (rounded up) for the duration. This form lasts for one minute, until you lose concentration, or until you are incapacitated. Damage cannot break your concentration on this feature.

The first time you use this feature after a long rest bears no consequences, but subsequent times will each leave you with two levels of exhaustion that can only be removed by a long rest.

Mind Spinner

Mind Spinners stretch their thoughts out into other creatures' minds and pull the strings like a hijacked puppet. They are renowned for their ability to charm and terrify, inflict damage through the mind, and even disrupt the minds of mages.

Level 1: Mind Spinner Spells, Bent Mind

Level 6: Scared to Death

Level 10: Nega-Psychic

Level 14: Feedback Loop

Level 18: Influence the Masses

Mind Spinner Spells

At each indicated level, the listed spells are added to your known spells but do not count against your number of spells known. These are Mentalist spells for you and Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for them.

1st: Mind Sliver

2nd: Command, Cause Fear

5th: Crown of Madness, Silence

9th: Enemies Abound, Hypnotic Pattern

13th: Charm Monsater, Phantasmal Killer

17th: Greater Restoration, synaptic static

Bent Mind

Mind Spinners have an uncanny ability to manipulate the minds of others. Whenever you cast a Mentalist cantrip, add +1 to your spell save DC.

You can apply this DC bonus to any spell that requires a Wisdom saving throw or deals psychic damage by expending a psionic energy die as part of the casting. The die must be expended prior to the save being rolled.

Scared to Death

Starting at 6th level, your victims find you horrifying to the point of injury. At the beginning of your turn, if there are creatures within 60 feet of you that are frightened of you, you can use your bonus action to deal psychic damage to a number of those creatures up to your proficiency bonus. The psychic damage is equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1). Damage delivered this way never triggers a saving throw against the source of the frightened condition.

As part of that bonus action, you may choose to expend one psionic die to add the roll to the damage delivered to the creatures, however this damage can trigger a saving throw.

Nega-Psychic

At 10th level, your psychic powers have begun to interfere with the magic of others. Psionics and magic, however, are an unstable pairing, the results of which could be incredibly volatile or completely underwhelming.

You learn the spells Counterspell, Dispel Magic, and Remove Curse. However, you cannot cast these spells using your spell slots. Instead, you cast them by expending a Psionic Power die. When you cast the spell, roll the die. On a roll of 1 or 2, the spell fails and your Psionic Power die is not expended. On a roll of three or higher, the spell is cast at the level equal to the roll. A roll above 9 is cast at 9th level, but the excess psychic power creates a backlash, delivering the die roll’s amount of psychic damage to you.

Charisma is your spell casting ability for these spells since this is a manifestation of your will in conflict with the will of another caster. You can cast spells from this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1). You regain all castings at the end of a short or long rest.

Feedback Loop

At 14th level, your ability to harm creatures through their minds begins to work in reverse, enabling you to convert physical damage into mental trauma. Whenever a creature within 30 feet of you takes bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, you can use your reaction to expend a psionic die to attempt to add a condition to their injury. Roll the die to determine the condition according to the table below.

Roll Condition

1 None (die retained)

2-3 Poisoned

4-5 Frightened

6-7 Blinded

8-10 Stunned

11-12 Paralyzed

The creature suffers from this condition until it makes a successful Constitution saving throw against your mentalist spell save DC or until it is affected by another condition from this feature. The creature gets a save attempt at the start of each of its turns and any time it takes damage. The creature adds +1 to its roll for each prior failed save attempt (no maximum). Once a save is successful or when the creature is affected by a subsequent use of this ability, that save bonus resets to zero.

If the triggering bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage was delivered by you, this feature does not require a reaction.

Influence the Masses

At 18th level, you gain the ability to extend your influence to new minds without losing your grip on those already in your grasp. While you are concentrating on a mentalist spell that has at least one target either charmed or frightened, you can expend two Psionic Power dice to attempt to cast that same spell a second time (using the appropriate spell slot) and attempt to maintain concentration on both. When you cast the second spell, roll one of your expended Psionic Power dice to determine whether the new casting is successful. On a roll of 1, the spell fails and the spell slot is lost. On a roll of 2-3, the new spell fails, but the spell slot is not expended (though your psionic die is). A roll of 4 or higher means the spell casts as intended.

Whether the new spell is successful or not, roll the second die. On a roll of 1, you lose concentration on the previous casting of the spell.

While concentrating on two spells, any Constitution saves made to maintain concentration must be made twice (once for each spell). Any attempt to cast another concentration spell or any other use of concentration will result in loss of concentration on both spells.

Shadow Weaver

The mind of a Shadow Weaver refuses to be confined to just one plane of existence. It casts its shadow onto other neighboring planes, lending glimpses beyond what mortal eyes ever see or do. It's when these shadows are pulled back into our own plane that their powers truly manifest, especially since those shadows don't always come alone.

Level 1: Shadow Weaver Spells, Ethereal Shadow

Level 6: Astral Shadow

Level 10: Communing Rituals

Level 14: Empowered Shadows

Level 18: The Dark & The Fair

Shadow Weaver Spells

At each indicated level, the listed spells are added to your known spells but do not count against your number of spells known. These are Mentalist spells for you and Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for them.

1st:Vicious Mockery (words seem to come from target's shadow)

2nd:Arms of Hadar, Unseen Servant (shadowy instead of invisible)

5th:Misty Step, Rope Trick

9th:Blink, Spirit Guardians (entities appear as shadowy figures)

13th:Arcane Eye, Banishment

17th:far step, Wall of Force

Ethereal Shadow

Your mind casts shadows onto the borders between planes. As your power grows, so does your ability to manipulate these shadows. At 1st level, you can use an action to manipulate your shadow on the border of the ethereal plane. You can extend your ethereal shadow up to 6o feet away from you in any direction (including up or down) regardless of barriers. Your shadow’s speed is half of yours (rounded up). Once moved in this way, the shadow remains in that location for one minute, until you move it again, or until you are more than 60 feet away from it, at which time it instantly returns to your space, where it normally resides.

As a separate action, you can inhabit your shadow, seeing and hearing through its eyes and ears. While you are using your shadow’s senses, you are blind and deaf to your own. Your shadow cannot move while you are inhabiting it. Your perceptions and interactions (other than movement) are the same as those in the Etherealness spell. If your shadow takes any damage while you inhabit it, your senses immediately return to your body, you take 2d6 psychic damage, and you are stunned for 1d4 rounds while you recover from the shock. Otherwise, you return to your body after one minute or when you choose to return as a bonus action.

While you inhabit your Ethereal Shadow, you can expend one Psionic Energy Die to cast a cantrip through your shadow. Cantrips cast this way affect the material plane. When you do this, roll the expended die. If you roll 3 or less, you return to your body and can't return to your Ethereal Shadow for the number of minutes rolled.

You can inhabit your shadow a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. After that, you must expend a psionic die to inhabit your shadow again. You regain all uses of this ability after a long rest.

Astral Shadow

At 6th level, you can use an action to pull your shadow from the Astral plane into the material plane, creating a dark, translucent version of yourself in an empty space 5 feet from you. It occupies its space and can be seen by others. While it's present, add 1d4 to all your saving throws except concentration checks.

Your astral shadow mimics your motions and actions. If you move, it moves, though you can choose the direction it faces (no action needed). As a bonus action, you can change the shadow's location to any unoccupied space adjacent to you. If you make a melee attack, your Astral Shadow makes an identical attack (rolled separately if there is a comparable target). You can use your reaction to have your shadow make an opportunity attack from its position.

This shadow is an extension of you, both physically and mentally. As such, it does not have its own hit points. Instead, when your Astral Shadow takes damage, you take half that much psychic damage (which cannot be reduced in any way, including resistance). You only take damage in this way if your shadow is damaged by something that does not damage you. (For example, if you and your shadow are both caught in a fireball spell, you take only the fire damage. If your shadow is in the fireball and you are not, you take the psychic damage.) When you take damage in this way, you must make a Constitution saving throw as if you were maintaining concentration on a spell or the Astral Shadow immediately fades back to the Astral Plane. Despite this necessity, the Astral Shadow does not require your concentration.

If you are about to be hit by an attack originating from at least 10 feet away, you can use your reaction to relocate your Astral Shadow between you and the attack, causing the shadow to take the impact instead of you. (You would take psychic damage as above.) Your Astral Shadow is immune to all conditions, but does share the effects if you suffer a condition. If you are incapacitated, the Astral Shadow dissipates.

Your Astral Shadow's AC is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier and all of its saves add your Intelligence modifier to rolls (but nothing else). Your Astral Shadow lasts for one minute, until you dismiss it as a bonus action, until you fail a Constitution save as above, or until you are incapacitated. You can summon your Astral Shadow once, regaining that ability at the end of a long rest. You can expend a psionic die to summon the Astral Shadow again.

Communing Rituals

At 10th level, your connection to other planes grants you a serenity and understanding that enables you to cast some psychic spells without using spell slots. You gain the ritual casting ability for Mentalist spells with the ritual tag. Vocal, somatic, and material components are necessary parts of rituals. You may use your meditation focus as a spell casting focus for your ritual spells.

You may also add any one spell with the ritual tag to your spells known. This spell is a Mentalist spell for you and does not count against your number of spells known. The spell must be of a level you have spell slots for. If the spell is not on the Mentalist list, it can only be cast as a ritual.

Empowered Shadows

At 14th level, you gain the ability to cast psychic spells of level 1 or higher through both your Ethereal and Astral Shadows. If a mentalist spell is cast through your Ethereal Shadow, it affects the material plane. As soon as the spell is cast, you return to your physical body. Similarly, you can now cast spells from your Astral Shadow’s position instead of your own.

The Dark & The Fair

At 18th level, your shadow extends to the Feywild and Shadowfell, allowing you to summon creatures from both. Expend two Psionic energy dice to cast a combined version of the spells Summon Fey and Summon Shadow Spawn at 4th level without material components. When you cast the spell, roll the Psionic dice you spent (one for each summoned creature). On a roll of 1, that part of the spell fails. On any higher roll, the spell is successful and the summoned entity adds the rolled amount of psychic damage to any damage it deals through attacks. If the summoned entity causes a creature to make a saving throw, the die roll can be applied as a penalty to the save, however, once the entity has used the die this way, it no longer adds the damage to its attacks.

Your concentration maintains both summonings together. A failed concentration check will cause both the fey and the spawn to return to their native planes. Once you have used this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Mentalist Spell List

When you learn new Psychic Spells, you select them from the spell list. You also learn additional spells based on your subclass, as listed above.

Cantrips

Blade Ward, Booming Blade, Chill Touch, Control Flames, Friends, Guidance, Magic Stone, Message, Mind Sliver, Resistance, Thaumaturgy, Thunderclap, True Strike, Vicious Mockery

1st Level

Animal Friendship, Bane, Bless, Cause Fear, Charm Person, Command, Comprehend Languages, Cure Wounds, Detect Evil and Good, Detect Magic, Dissonant Whispers, False Life, Heroism, Identify, Inflict Wounds, Protection from Evil and Good, Sanctuary, Sleep, Tasha's Hideous Laughter, Unseen Servant, wrathful smite

2nd Level

Aid, Augury, Blindness/Deafness, Calm Emotions, Darkvision, Detect Thoughts, Enhance Ability, Enthrall, Hold Person, Lesser Restoration, Locate Animals or Plants, Locate Object, Mind Spike, Phantasmal Force, See Invisibility, Silence, Tasha's Mind Whip, Zone of Truth

3rd Level

Beacon of Hope, Catnap, Clairvoyance, Enemies Abound, Fear, Feign Death, Hypnotic Pattern, Intellect Fortress, Nondetection, Protection from Energy, Remove Curse, Revivify, Slow, Speak with Dead, Tongues, Vampiric Touch

4th Level

Aura of Purity, Charm Monster, Compulsion, Confusion, Divination, Dominate Beast, Freedom of Movement, Hallucinatory Terrain, Locate Creature, Phantasmal Killer, Private Sanctum, Sickening Radiance, Stoneskin

5th Level

Commune, Commune with Nature, Contact Other Plane, Dispel Evil and Good, Dominate Person, Dream, Enervation, Geas, Hold Monster, Legend Lore, Modify Memory, Scrying, Synaptic Static, Telekinesis, Telepathic Bond

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Mentalist class, you must meet these prerequisites: Intelligence 13+

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Mentalist class, you gain the following proficiencies: one skill from the Mentalist options

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