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You’re an Aberrant Mind sorcerer, a titan of psionic power. You trap your opponents in elaborate illusory prisons, banish them from reality, and instill fear in their hearts! … so long as you maintain concentration.
Whether you’ve always wanted to play a telepath or are simply inspired by a certain character from Critical Role, keep reading for more information on how to build your own Aberrant Mind sorcerer!
Aberrant Mind Sorcerous Origin Features
Most of the Aberrant Mind’s features amplify your psychic powers, granting you extra spells, telepathy, and formidable mental defenses.
- Psionic Spells (1st level): You learn 11 additional spells as you level up, a powerful boon to the full caster class with the least spells. Though useful and flavorful in their own right, you can also replace any of these psionic spells with a divination or enchantment spell from the sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell list. This grants you access to spells like hex and geas, both on brand options for an Aberrant Mind.
- Telepathic Speech (1st level): You can select one creature within 30 feet of you and establish a temporary telepathic connection. This will likely become a staple ability for you, especially if your campaign prominently features heists or social encounters. Think of it as magical texting, but only you can initiate contact. (So, better.)
- Psionic Sorcery (6th level): When you cast any of your Psionic Spells of 1st level or higher, you can cast it using sorcery points instead of spell slots. When you do, the spell doesn’t require verbal or somatic components, nor does it require material components unless they would be consumed by the casting. Psionic Sorcery effectively sidesteps enemy counterspells, and allows you to surreptitiously cast spells mid-conversation. In addition, casting a 4th-level spell for 4 sorcery points is more economical than creating a 4th-level slot for 6 sorcery points using Flexible Casting.
- Psychic Defenses (6th level): You gain resistance to psychic damage, and you have advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened. Handy for a spellcaster without proficiency in Wisdom saves!
- Revelation in Flesh (14th level): You can spend up to four sorcery points to “unleash the aberrant truth hidden within yourself” for 10 minutes, transforming and empowering your body with arcane power. For each sorcery point you spend, you gain one of the following abilities: a flying speed, a swimming speed, the ability to see invisible creatures, or the ability to become so slimy and pliable that you can move through narrow spaces and escape restraints. Compare this to spells like fly, see invisibility, or gaseous form, some of which require concentration.
- Warping Implosion (18th level): You can alter reality and gravity around you. As an action, you teleport up to 120 feet away, causing damage to enemies near where you left and pulling them toward the space you vacated. Now that your enemies are clustered, it’s time for a Quickened hypnotic pattern!
Pros
If you want to feel like a psychic powerhouse, the Aberrant Mind gets it done. It wastes no time with key features, granting you limited telepathy from the start. (Most low-level hijinks only get funnier when you add telepathy.) The sorcerer can always use extra known spells, and the Psionic Spells feature takes that a step further by expanding into other class spell lists, allowing you to swap Psionic Spells for any divination or enchantment spell from the sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell list. This reminds me of the Clockwork Soul sorcerer’s Clockwork Magic feature, which lets you swap for abjuration or transmutation spells from those same spell lists. I really like this choice to give the sorcerer additional spells and greater flexibility in their known spells. Psychic Defenses, meanwhile, is critical for a spellcasting class that doesn’t have proficiency in Intelligence or Wisdom saving throws, although they may duplicate features you already get from your lineage. (Shout out to my fellow gith fans).
The Revelation in Flesh feature excels during exploration, travel, or even heists and espionage missions. Having access to a flying and swimming speed allows you to traverse almost any terrain with ease. In addition, the ability to see invisible creatures or squeeze through a 1-inch wide space is handy during infiltration. Do note that although this feature is inexpensive in combat and during brief exploration, it can add up quickly in longer scenes.
Though I talk below about finding the Warping Implosion feature a little underwhelming, I do like how well it combos with Quickened Spell, and that it guarantees damage in a pretty wide radius.
Psionic Sorcery vs. Subtle Spell
Some players will love Psionic Sorcery and others will ignore it entirely in favor of Subtle Spell. I’ve found that it mostly depends on your preferred spell list and your playstyle, including how often you spend sorcery points elsewhere.
The two features are quite similar. Psionic Sorcery allows you to ignore verbal, somatic, and material components, costs sorcery points equal to the spell level, and can only be used with your Psionic Spells; Subtle Spell costs merely 1 sorcery point and can be applied to any spell you cast, but only ignores verbal and somatic components. When you Subtle cast a spell with a material component, you still need to provide that component and are likely still visibly spellcasting as a result, “Subtle” notwithstanding. Conversely, when you use Psionic Sorcery for a 5th-level spell that only requires verbal components, you spend 4 more sorcery points than Subtle Spell for no comparative benefit. (Psionic Sorcery does take some pressure off to select Subtle Spell, however. Perhaps the extra sorcery points are worth it if it allows you to select another Metamagic option?)
Consider whether your favorite spells require material components and if so, how often you’ll need to cast them surreptitiously. Casting hex with Subtle Spell would still require a material component, whereas using Psionic Sorcery during a conversation to cast it with a thought could change the course of a social encounter. (Eat your heart out, College of Eloquence bards—the Aberrant Mind sorcerer can impose disadvantage on insight checks before they lie!) However, if you happen to favor spells that don’t require material components to begin with, or if your campaign features spellcasters that frequently cast counterspell and you want to stealthily cast more than your Psionic Spells, you may be better off selecting Subtle Spell.
Cons
I only have two complaints about this subclass, and the first is rather minor.
Revelation in Flesh is good, but I wish that there was one damaging option to the list of possible abilities you can activate. The feature in its current form does encourage creative use in combat with varied terrain or in exploration, but plenty of encounters won’t allow for swimming, flying, or squeezing through cracks. Some campaigns won’t feature the types of encounters (social, exploration, combat, or otherwise) where these abilities will shine, so I wish a damage boost of some kind were available to round it out. That said, I do think Revelation in Flesh competes well with other 14th-level sorcerous origin features, such as the Draconic Bloodline’s Dragon Wings or the Divine Soul’s Otherworldly Wings.
Warping Implosion at 18th level is mechanically solid but underwhelming as a capstone. It is essentially thunder step + gravity sinkhole once per day, which is certainly comparable to, say, the wizard’s Signature Spells feature at 20th level. But I don’t think Warping Implosion delivers on what the rest of the Aberrant Mind builds toward; the building blocks of the ability are so… precedented. The subclass describes a sorcerer reaching out into the Far Realm and finding there a terrible and unsettling power, one that twists the flesh and stretches reality. I simply expected the capstone ability for such a subclass to be more eldritch, more reality-breaking than a cool teleport. Compared to more powerful and flavorful capstone features like the Storm Sorcery’s Wind Soul or the Clockwork Soul’s Clockwork Cavalcade, Warping Implosion misses the mark.
Building an Aberrant Mind Sorcerer
Ability Scores
Sorcerers, like other full spellcasters, have a pretty easy time prioritizing their ability scores. You’re probably not defeating foes by swinging a greataxe with your Strength or firing a crossbow with your Dexterity, so you’ll focus on your spellcasting ability modifier: Charisma.
After Charisma, I normally advise sorcerers to invest in Constitution. Your Hit Dice are only a d6, so you need all the extra hit points you can get, and if you take damage while concentrating on a spell, you’ll need to succeed on a Constitution saving throw to maintain concentration. All that said, Aberrant Mind sorcerers face a little more pressure to prioritize Wisdom and/or Intelligence; their flavor almost demands it. When your character’s defining feature is the power of their mind, you don’t want them to be easily commanded or fooled by illusions.
Character Creation
The character creation rules in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything allow you to choose where to assign your starting ability scores, and Monsters of the Multiverse follows in these footsteps. Now we can focus on a lineage’s traits rather than feeling limited to those with innate Charisma bonuses. Keep an eye out, though: Some options feature traits that are made redundant by the Aberrant Mind’s subclass features, particularly Psychic Defenses.
- Aasimar: Humanoids with a touch of the divine, aasimar are a common choice for Charisma-based classes. Celestial Resistance grants resistance against necrotic and radiant damage, protecting the vulnerable sorcerer, while Healing Hands provides a niche ability to an arcane caster. If you want to lean into the Aberrant Mind’s spookiness, select the Necrotic Shroud revelation at 3rd level. (For another extraplanar origin with damage resistance, extra spells, and eerie potential, look to the tiefling.)
- Changeling: Would you like some sabotage with your subterfuge? A touch of psychic powers sprinkled atop your shapeshifting? The changeling is a master of disguise and infiltration, skills heightened by the Aberrant Mind’s sorcerous origin features. Use Psionic Sorcery to cast sending to the party while you’re distracting a guard and they’re looting a vault, or cast detect thoughts as you enter a gala dressed as a server. Or use Telepathic Speech to secretly converse with co-conspirators while maintaining your disguise. If I were a spymaster, an enemy changeling Aberrant Mind sorcerer spy would be my worst nightmare.
- Githyanki/Githzerai: As interplanar travelers with innate psionic abilities, the gith lend themselves to builds inspired by the Far Realms and mental magic. Both the githyanki and githzerai can conjure an invisible mage hand and both are resistant to psychic damage. However, note that a couple of the gith traits—though flavorful matches for the Aberrant Mind theme—are mechanically redundant with some of the Aberrant Mind’s features.
- Mountain Dwarf: Matt Mercer is right, we’ve been sleeping on dwarves. Though not typically associated with arcane magic, mountain dwarves are a great choice for a sorcerer. You can reallocate the mountain dwarf’s innate +2 to Strength over to Charisma; mountain dwarves already have a +2 to Constitution, so this will start your sorcerer off with nice boosts to their most important ability scores. (Most options provide a total of +3 in innate ability score bonuses, but mountain dwarves provide a total of +4.) The mountain dwarf also has proficiency in light and medium armor, allowing your sorcerer to don better armor than most warlocks and bards.
- Yuan-Ti: Snakes have long been associated with mystical powers, and the yuan-ti lean into this mythos. Their Serpentine Spellcasting feature provides three thematic spells, including suggestion, a fitting addition to an Aberrant Mind sorcerer’s list. But it’s their Magic Resistance feature that really shines, granting you advantage on saving throws against spells and protecting your mind from many harmful effects.
Feats
Here are a few feats that pair well with the Aberrant Mind subclass:
- Metamagic Adept: This feat is an excellent choice for sorcerers of any subclass, but the Aberrant Mind sorcerer makes the most of these extra sorcery points. Many of its sorcerous origin features—Psionic Sorcery at 6th level, Revelation in Flesh at 14th level, and Warping Implosion at 18th level—can cost several sorcery points per use (or after the first use). Your Psionic Spells pair particularly well with the Careful, Heightened, and Twinned Metamagic options.
- Resilient (Intelligence or Wisdom): It’s not as flashy or evocative as other feats, but I love Resilient. For a subclass with as much “mental magic” flavor as the Aberrant Mind, I highly recommend picking up this feat for Wisdom, Intelligence, or both. Wisdom saving throws are much more common, but Intelligence saves are usually against some pretty potent and nasty spells.
- Skill Expert: Take this rare opportunity to pick up expertise in Deception, Insight, Persuasion, or another social skill. In addition, Skill Expert allows you to round out any odd-numbered ability score to power up your defenses, such as Constitution for more hit points or Intelligence/Wisdom to boost saving throws.
- Telekinetic: Would you leave salt without its pepper? The sun without its moon? As a telepath, you may particularly enjoy telekinesis, one of the most classic superpower pairings in fantasy and science fiction. This feat’s invisible, subtly-controlled mage hand can be tremendously useful during heists, espionage missions, or social encounters.
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War Caster: War Caster has become a bit of a must-have for spellcasters, and for good reason. An ill-timed drop of concentration can get you or your allies killed. This alone normally makes the feat worthwhile, but an Aberrant Mind sorcerer could make great use of the ability to cast single-target spells as an opportunity attack. Imagine sending a thematic spell like banishment, dissonant whispers, phantasmal force, or suggestion at a fleeing target.
Aberrant Mind Sorcerer Sample Build
Below, I’ve linked to a sample 14th-level Aberrant Mind sorcerer. I selected some of my favorite psychic spells like confusion, synaptic static, and mental prison.
As an ode to the yuan-ti heritage, I included spells like fear, insect plague, and power word pain. Once concentrating on confusion or summon aberration, this sorcerer follows up with dissonant whispers to force an enemy’s movement, blindness/deafness or tasha’s mind whip to debuff them, or dispel magic to remove their existing buffs.
Normally, I encourage players to increase their main ability score to 20 as quickly as possible, but in this case I wanted to demonstrate the utility of certain feats with this subclass. First, Skill Expert gives this character +12 to Insight, allowing them to deftly navigate social encounters; they pair this skill with the detect thoughts spell cast using Psionic Sorcery. Next, the Resilient (Wisdom) feat plus the yuan-ti’s Magic Resistance puts the character on good footing against psychic attacks. Finally, the Metamagic Adept feat grants them two more sorcery points and Heightened Spell, which they use to counteract the effects of having a lower spell save DC, as well as Distant Spell, which they use to keep their admittedly fragile self out of range of most enemies. Now if their DM lets them top it off with a bloodwell vial, far realm shard, or another key magic item for sorcerers, they’ll be all set!
Making Your Own Aberrant Mind Sorcerer
The Aberrant Mind sorcerer is powerful and intense, but perhaps most of all, weird. Their powers are strange and otherworldly, often disturbing and terrifying. It can be frightening for player characters to travel with a party member who might be lurking in their minds at any moment, able to twist their thoughts, plant illusions, or convince them to turn on their friends. Talk with your group and your DM about how to match your Aberrant Mind character concept to the game’s genre and themes.
The subclass presents a wonderful opportunity to play a spooky and uncanny character, with powers from beyond that none quite understand. When you’re ready to get started, open D&D Beyond’s character builder—and maybe throw on the most recent episode of Critical Role to see an Aberrant Mind in action.
Damen Cook (@damen_joseph) is a lifelong fantasy reader, writer, and gamer. If he woke up tomorrow in Faerun, he would bolt through the nearest fey crossing and drink from every stream and eat fruit from every tree in the Feywild until he found that sweet, sweet wild magic.
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