First Look at Fantasy Mystic for PF1
Posted by Owen K.C. Stephens
So, while it’s easy to say that Starfinder mystics function as clerics for that game, and technomancers serve as wizards, that’s not entirely accurate. While it is true that many of the same design and role concerns went into the mystic and technomancer as the fantasy classes they are commonly associated with, they are far from 1-to-1 conversions of those concepts. As a result, there is often some interest in creating fantasy versions of such classes (and other Starfinder class options, such that I have written fantasy a version of the solarian for PF1, and have a version for PF2 available on Pathfinder Infinite).
Converting a class over is a big project, and generally takes more than one writing draft and multiple development passes, so this is just a first look at how I’d take the mysterious-supernatural-powered mystic from its SF setting and move it to PF1. Today we just look at the core framework, with connections coming later in the week.
The Mystic (PF1)
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d8.
Starting Wealth: 3d6 x 10 gp (average 105 gp).
Class Skills
The mystic’s class skills are Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Fly (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (any 6, selected individually)(Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Survival (Wis).
Skill Points at each Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Features Spells Per Day
Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th |
1st | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Connection, connection power, healing touch | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
2nd | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | Mindlink | 4 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
3rd | +2 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Connection power, connection spell | 5 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
4th | +3 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Connection skill | 6 | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
5th | +3 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Connection spell | 6 | 4 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
6th | +4 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Connection power | 6 | 5 | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
7th | +5 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Connection spell | 6 | 6 | 4 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
8th | +6/+1 | +2 | +2 | +6 | Connection skill | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | – | – | – | – | – |
9th | +6/+1 | +3 | +3 | +6 | Connection spell | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | – | – | – | – | – |
10th | +7/+2 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Connection power | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | – | – | – | – |
11th | +8/+3 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Connection spell, telepathic bond | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | – | – | – | – |
12th | +9/+4 | +4 | +4 | +8 | Connection skill | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | – | – | – |
13th | +9/+4 | +4 | +4 | +8 | Connection spell | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | – | – | – |
14th | +10/+5 | +4 | +4 | +9 | Connection power | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | – | – |
15th | +11/+6/+1 | +5 | +5 | +9 | Connection spell | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | – | – |
16th | +12/+7/+2 | +5 | +5 | +10 | Connection skill | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | – |
17th | +12/+7/+2 | +5 | +5 | +10 | Connection spell | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | – |
18th | +13/+8/+3 | +6 | +6 | +11 | Connection power, transcendence | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 |
19th | +14/+9/+4 | +6 | +6 | +11 | Connection spell | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 |
20th | +15/+10/+5 | +6 | +6 | +12 | Connection power, enlightenment | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
Spells Known
Level | 0 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th |
1st | 4 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
2nd | 5 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
3rd | 5 | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
4th | 6 | 3 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
5th | 6 | 4 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
6th | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
7th | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
8th | 8 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
9th | 8 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – |
10th | 9 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | – |
11th | 9 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | – | – | – | – |
12th | 9 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – |
13th | 9 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | – | – | – |
14th | 9 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | – | – |
15th | 9 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | – | – |
16th | 9 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | – |
17th | 9 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | – |
18th | 9 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
19th | 9 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
20th | 9 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Mystics are proficient with all simple weapons, and light armor.
Spells: A mystic casts divine spells drawn from the psychic and shaman spell lists. She can cast any spell she knows without preparing it ahead of time. To learn or cast a spell, a mystic must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a mystic’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the mystic’s Wisdom modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a mystic can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on her class feature table000. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Wisdom score (see Table: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells).
A mystic’s selection of spells is extremely limited. A mystic begins play knowing four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of her choice. At each new mystic level, she gains one or more new spells, as indicated on Table: Mystic Spells Known. (Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a sorcerer knows is not affected by her Wisdom score; the numbers on Table: Mystic Spells Known are fixed.)
Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered mystic level after that (6th, 8th, and so on), a mystic can choose to learn a new spell in place of one she already knows. In effect, the mystic loses the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged. A mystic may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that she gains new spells known for the level.
A mystic need not prepare her spells in advance. She can cast any spell she knows at any time, assuming she has not yet used up her spells per day for that spell level.
Connection: At 1st level the mystic has a mysterious connection with some force that grants her magical powers. The exact nature of the connection can vary widely, and even mystics who share the same connection may interpret it differently. The mystic picks one connection upon taking her first level of mystic—once made, this choice can’t be changed. (Connections you can choose from, or how to adapt other class abilities into connections, are presented in this blog throughout this week).
Many mystics serve as priests of various gods, and while you can theoretically choose any type of connection with any entity or concept, deities rarely grant connections that don’t fit within their ethos.
Connection Power: At 1st, 3rd, 6th, 10th, 14th, 18th, and 20th level, the mystic gains a connection power unique to her connection. If a connection power allows a saving throw to resist its effects, the DC is equal to 10 + half the mystic’s class level + her Wisdom modifier. Connection powers are listed with each connection.
Connection Spell: Each connection grants additional spells known, starting at 3rd level and then another every other level thereafter. These spells are in addition to the spells known listed on Table: Mystic Spells Known. The spell level of each spell is listed in each connection’s entry.
Healing Touch (Su): At 1st level, the mystic can heal with a touch. Once per day, as a standard action you can heal a creature touched of 1d6 damage per mystic level. this healing touch does not harm undead or other creatures damaged by positive energy, instead healing them.
Mindlink (Sp): At 2nd level, the mystic can form a mental link with creatures she touch, communicating information rapidly through it. She can use mindlink at will as a spell-like ability, though only once per day on any given individual.
Connection Skill (Su): As the mystic grows in power, her link to her connection grants her supernatural benefits to related skills. At 4th level, the mystic selects two skills associated with her connection (See Connections), and receive a +2 bonus to all checks with that skill. At 8th level, and every 4 levels thereafter, that bonus increases by 2. This bonus does not stack with bonuses to skills from abilities with favored in their title (such as favored enemy and favored terrain), or abilities that function as favored abilities.
Telepathic Bond (Sp): At 11th level, as a standard action, the mystic can form a telepathic link with up to six other willing creatures, allowing her to communicate telepathically at great distances. This functions as telepathic bond, except the duration is permanent. She can have only one telepathic bond active in this way at any given time; creating a new telepathic bond immediately ends the previous one.
Transcendence (Sp): By 18th level the mystic is close to becoming one with her connection. She can cast each of her connection spells once per day without consuming a spell slot. In addition, she learns how to temporarily transcend her physical form. Once per day, she can project her consciousness outside of her physical body in the form of an intangible psychic image of herself. This counts as a 6th-level illusion effect and lasts for a number of rounds equal to her mystic level. While her consciousness is projected, her physical body is considered blind, deaf, and helpless, but she can return to her body as a swift action. She controls her psychic image as though it was her own body, and her senses perceive only what the image can see and hear. She moves with a fly speed of 60 feet and perfect maneuverability. She can pass through solid objects as though she was incorporeal, but she can’t go farther into a solid object than her space (5 feet for a Medium creature). She can’t directly affect physical objects. Her projected consciousness is immune to most attacks or effects, whether or not they affect incorporeal creatures, but mind-affecting effects have their full effect on her, as does any ability that can negate or dispel magic.
The mystic can cast any mystic spell or spell-like ability with a range of touch or greater from her projected consciousness. The spells affect other targets normally. She can’t cast any spells on her projected consciousness except for illusion spells. She need not maintain line of effect to her projected consciousness, but if she crosses into another plane, even momentarily (including via teleportation), her mind immediately returns to her physical body.
Enlightenment (Su): At 2th level the mystic achieves enlightenment, becoming a living incarnation of her connection. She no longer ages, nor does she die of old age. Once per day as a move action, the mystic can enter a state of total communion with her connection that lasts for 1 minute. During this time, she gains a +4 insight bonus to attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks.
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About Owen K.C. Stephens
Owen K.C. Stephens Owen Kirker Clifford Stephens is a full-time ttRPG Writer, designer, developer, publisher, and consultant. He's the publisher for Rogue Genius Games, and has served as the Starfinder Design Lead for Paizo Publishing, the Freeport and Pathfinder RPG developer for Green Ronin, a developer for Rite Publishing, and the Editor-in-Chief for Evil Genius Games. Owen has written game material for numerous other companies, including Wizards of the Coast, Kobold Press, White Wolf, Steve Jackson Games and Upper Deck. He also consults, freelances, and in the off season, sleeps. He has a Pateon which supports his online work. You can find it at https://www.patreon.com/OwenKCStephensPosted on November 15, 2021, in Game Design, Pathfinder Development and tagged Base Classes, Fantasy Mystic, Fantasy Starfinder, Game Design, gaming, Geekery, Pathfinder First Edition, PC Options. Bookmark the permalink. 6 Comments.
Owen, thanks for writing this up! As someone who has an interest in back-converting SF material to PF1E, this was a delight! I do think the 20th-level power could use a little beefing up (and the class ability to actually let them cast 0-level spells seems to be missing), but I can’t wait to see the connection details!
Thank you so much for this!
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