The Mystic, Revised

A human clad in simple robes walks along a forest path. A gang of goblins emerges from the brush, arrows trained on him, their smiles wide at their good fortune of finding such easy prey for the legion's slave pens. Their smiles turn to gasps of shock as the human takes a single step, and vanishes from their sight.

The militia forms in ranks to prepare for the orcs' charge. The growling brutes howl their battle cries and surge forward. To their surprise, the human rabble holds its ground and fights with surprising ferocity. Suddenly, mindless fear clings to the orcs' minds and they, despite facing a far inferior foe, turn and run, never noticing the calm half-elf standing amid the militia and directing its efforts.

Baron von Ludwig was always proud of his grand library. Little did he know that each evening, a gnome laden with blank scrolls slipped past his guards each night and dutifully copied his most heavily guarded archives. When the duke's men arrived to arrest him for dealing with demons, he never guessed that the gnome scribe traveling with them had spent more time in his keep than he had over the past year.

These heroes are all mystics, followers of a strange and mysterious form of power. Mystics shun the world to turn their eyes inward, mastering the full potential of their minds and exploring their psyches before turning to face the world. Mystics are incredibly rare, and most prefer to keep the nature of their abilities secret. Using their inner, psychic strength, they can read minds, fade into invisibility, transform their bodies into living iron, and seize control of the physical world and bend it to their will.

Hermits and Outcasts Mystics are loners. Most discover the secrets of their power through vague references in tomes of lore or by ingratiating themselves to a master of the power. In order to master their power, mystics must first master themselves. They spend months and years in quiet study, exploring their minds and leaving nothing uncovered. During this time, they shun society and typically live as hermits at the edge of society. A mystic who studied under a master worked as a virtual servant, toiling away at mundane tasks in return for the occasional lesson or cryptic insight. When mystics finally master their power, they return to the world to broaden their horizons and practice their craft. Some mystics prefer to remain isolated, but those who become adventurers aren't content to remain on the fringe of the world.

Eccentric Minds In order to maintain the strict disciple and intense self-awareness needed to tap into their power, mystics develop a variety of practices to keep their focus sharp. These practices are reflected in taboos and quirks, strange little behaviors that govern a mystic's actions. These quirks are oaths or behavioral tics that help keep mystics in the proper frame of mind while maintaining perfect control over their minds and bodies.



































































While these taboos are harmless, they help cast mystics as outsiders. Few feel accepted by society, and fewer still care to become integrated with it. To mystics, the life of the mind is where they feel most at home.