Psychic powers are a staple of science fiction. Many sci-fi games have a psychic powers or even a whole psychic class. Starfinder only sort of does, in that many mystic and technomancer powers feel kind of psychic-y. There’s a phrenic adept archetype and a few psychic power feats, but there isn’t anything that just says “here’s what a psychic gets.” It strikes me that there must be some better spell list that’s something between the mystic’s and technomancer’s (with some of the witchwarper’s as well). So let’s make the psychic spell list today.
As a default, I’m going to built this from the mystic spell list; it seems that’s more psychic in feel than the technomancer or witchwarper spell lists. I imagine that the best way to use this would be as a substitute spell list for the mystic: you get either this spell list or the mystic spell list when you make up a mystic character, but not both, and once you make that decision, it’s permanent. Maybe the choice is mandatory for certain mystic connections, like empath or mindbreaker. The best class to use it would be a whole separate psychic class, I suppose, but we’ll go with mystics for now.
This spell list will be smaller and more focused than other spell lists, but should still provide a lot of good options in play.
I’m going to take the mystic spell list and start by stripping out anything that doesn’t seem overtly psychic in flavor. I’m then going to add in any technomancer and witchwarper spells that seem particularly psychic-themed (normally, enchantment and divination spells, but others might work). I’ll then peek at a few spells from other sources, like the Character Operations Manual (COM), Alien Archives 3 (AA3), and Pact World (PW), to see if those fit. Finally, to make sure I’ve got it right, I’ll check rules like the phrenic adept archetype and psychic feats to be sure all those abilities show up on my spell list. Having done all that...here it is!
Psychic Spell List
0-LEVEL
Charming Veneer (COM): Give a creature a bonus to Charisma-based checks, and speed its gathering of information.
Dancing Lights: Create and direct up to four lights.
Daze: Humanoid creature of CR 3 or lower is dazed.
Detect Affliction: Determine whether a creature or object has been poisoned, is diseased, is cursed, or is suffering a
similar affliction.
Detect Magic: Detect spells and magic items within 60 feet.
Ghost Sound: Create minor illusory sounds.
Grave Words: Force a corpse to babble.
Mending: Restore 1d4 Hit Points to an object or construct.
Psychokinetic Hand: Telekinetically move an object of 1 bulk or less.
Telekinetic Projectile: Telekinetically hurl an object, dealing 1d6 damage to the target and object.
Telepathic Message: Send a short telepathic message and hear simple telepathic replies.
Token Spell: Perform simple magical effects.
1ST-LEVEL
Charm Person: Make one humanoid creature believe that it is your ally.
Command: One creature obeys a select command for 1 round.
Comprehend Languages: You understand all spoken, signed, and written or tactile languages.
Comprehend Customs (COM): Gain a +2 insight bonus to Culture checks about a specific culture made within the spell’s duration.
Confusion, Lesser: One living creature is confused for 1 round.
Detect Thoughts: “Listen” to surface thoughts.
Fear: Frighten a single living creature that’s of CR 4 or lower for 1d4 rounds.
Flight: One creature or object per level falls slowly.
Identify: Gain a +10 bonus to identify items of a magic or technological nature.
Incompetence (Armory): Cause a target to lose a proficiency.
Keen Senses: Target gains low-light vision and a +2 bonus to Perception checks.
Know Coordinates (COM): Learn the exact location of one creature on the same world as you.
Mind Link: Instantly and telepathically communicate information to a creature.
Mind Thrust: Mentally deal 2d10 damage to one target.
Seeking Shot (PW): Create a link between a weapon you touch and a target you perceive.
Share Language: Target understands chosen languages.
Share Memory (COM): Target shares memory with you and five others.
Unseen Servant: Invisible force obeys your commands.
2ND-LEVEL
Augury(R): Learn whether an action will be good or bad.
Command Undead: Undead creature obeys your commands.
Darkvision: Grant ability to see 60 feet in total darkness.
Daze Monster: Target living creature of CR 5 or lower is dazed.
Fear: Frighten multiple creatures of CR 4 or lower for 1 minute.
Flight: Target moves up and down at your direction.
Hold Person: Paralyze one humanoid.
Inflict Pain: Wracking pain imposes –2 penalty to ability checks, attack rolls, and skill checks on one target.
Mind Thrust: Mentally deal 4d10 damage to one target.
Mirror Image: Creature decoy duplicates of yourself.
Perfect Recall (COM): Recall one memory unaltered by magic perfectly.
Predict Foe (COM): As a reaction, shout a warning to an ally and grant that ally concealment against an attack.
See Invisibility: See invisible creatures or objects.
Status: Monitor condition and position of allies.
Zone of Truth: Creatures within range can’t lie.
3RD-LEVEL
Bestow Curse: Target takes –4 penalty to attack rolls, saves, and checks or 50% chance of not acting on each of its turns.
Charm Monster: Make one creature believe it is your ally or one day per level.
Clairaudience/Clairvoyance: Hear or see at a distance for 1 minute per level.
Deep Slumber: Put a number of creatures whose CRs total 8 or less to sleep.
Dispel Magic: Cancel one magical spell or effect.
Fear: Targets of CR 8 or lower within a cone are panicked for 1 minute.
Flight: Target flies at a speed of 60 feet.
Mental Block (PW): Prevent a creature from accessing its procedural memory.
Mind Thrust: Mentally deal 7d10 damage to one target.
Nondetection(R): Hide target from divination and surveillance.
Prescience (COM): Concentrate on an enemy, predict their reactions, and prepare an appropriate response.
Probability Prediction: Reroll one attack roll, save, or check.
Psychokinetic Strangulation: Concentrate to immobilize target and deal 3d8 damage per round.
Resistant Armor, Lesser: Grant DR 5/— or energy resistance 5 against two energy types.
Speak with Dead: Corpse answers up to six questions.
Suggestion: Compel a target to follow stated course of action.
Synaptic Pulse: Stun all creatures within 20 feet for 1 round.
Tongues: Target can speak and understand any language.
4TH-LEVEL
Awaken Computer (COM): Turn a computer into a friendly AI that you and up to four other creatures are authorized to use.
Confusion: Targets behave randomly for 1 round per level.
Discern Lies: Reveal deliberate falsehoods.
Dismissal: Force a creature to return to its native plane.
Displace Memory (COM): You deposit a memory into a small object.
Divination(R): Gain useful advice for specific proposed actions.
Fear: All targets within a cone are panicked for 1 minute.
Flight: Target flies at a speed of 70 feet.
Hateful Visage (COM): The target’s illusory face grants them a bonus to Intimidate checks and the ability to frighten foes.
Hold Monster: Paralyze one creature.
Mind Probe: Potentially access a target creature’s memories and its knowledge.
Mind Thrust: Mentally deal 10d10 damage to and fatigue a single target.
Planar Binding: Trap an extraplanar creature of CR 4 or lower until it performs a task.
Resistant Armor: Grant DR 10/— or energy resistance 10 to three energy types.
Telepathic Bond: Link allows allies to communicate.
5TH-LEVEL
Break Enchantment: Free creatures from curses, enchantments, and transmutations.
Command, Greater: One creature per level obeys select command for 1 round per level.
Commune With Nature: Learn about terrain for 1 mile per level.
Commune With Planet (COM): Learn information about the planet you occupy, or about a planet in whose orbit you’re within.
Contact Other Plane: Ask questions of extraplanar entity.
Control Machines: Command technological constructs within range telepathically.
Crush Skull: Deal 18d8 damage to a living creature’s head.
Dismissal: Force extraplanar creatures whose total CR is no greater than your level + 2 to return to their native planes.
Dispel Magic, Greater: Cancel multiple spells or effects.
Dominate Person: Control humanoid telepathically.
Feeblemind: Target’s Intelligence and Charisma scores drop to 1.
Flight: You can fly at a speed of 70 feet and hustle over long distances.
Mind Thrust: Mentally deal 15d10 damage to and exhaust one target.
Modify Memory: Change 5 minutes of target’s memories.
Planar Binding: Trap an extraplanar creature of CR 7 or lower until it performs a task.
Private Sanctum: Prevent anyone from viewing or scrying an area for 24 hours.
Resistant Aegis: Grant up to 10 creatures DR 5/— or energy resistance 5 to all energy types.
Retrocognition: Gain psychic impressions of past events in a certain location.
Synapse Overload: Target takes 18d8 damage and is staggered for 1 minute.
Synaptic Pulse, Greater: Stun all creatures within 20 feet for 1d4 rounds.
Telepathy: Communicate mentally with any creatures within 100 feet.
Transfer Consciousness (COM): Transfer your mind into a computer or willing technological construct, and control its functions.
Unwilling Guardian: Charm a target into protecting you during combat.
Waves of Fatigue: Several targets become fatigued.
6TH-LEVEL
Control Undead: Undead creatures follow your commands and don’t attack you.
Enshrining Refuge: Targets can’t attack or be attacked, but can exist comfortably.
Ethereal Jaunt: You become ethereal for 1 round per level.
Flight: Multiple targets can fly at a speed of 60 feet.
Inflict Pain, Mass: Wracking pain imposes –2 penalty to ability checks, attack rolls, and skill checks on one target per level.
Mind Swap (AA3): Trade minds with another creature.
Mind Thrust: Mentally deal 17d10 damage to, exhaust, and stun one target.
Planar Barrier: Seal an area against all planar travel into or within it.
Planar Binding: Trap an extraplanar creature of CR 10 or lower until it performs a task.
Plane Shift: As many as eight creatures travel to another plane you choose.
Psychic Surgery: Cure all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma damage and drain, plus remove other mental afflictions and conditions.
Resistant Armor, Greater: Grant DR 15/— or energy resistance 15 against four energy types.
Shadow Walk: Step into a shadowy realm to travel to a destination rapidly.
Snuff Life: Instantly kill or massively damage one creature per 2 caster levels, depending on targets’ CRs.
Subjective Reality: You convince yourself one creature or object is an illusion.
Suggestion, Mass: Compel one target per level to follow stated course of action.
Sympathetic Vibration: Deal 2d10 damage per round to freestanding structure.
Telepathic Jaunt: Use your telepathic bond with a creature to teleport to its location.
True Seeing: Target can see things as they really are.
Unspeakable Presences (COM): Enemies in the area take 4d6 damage per round, cannot move, and might be devoured whole.
Veil: Change the appearance of a group of creatures.
Vision(R): Answer a question about a person, place, or object.
