A Pathfinder Guide to the Psychic by dnoisette

What greater power is there than the one of the mind?

I quickly realized the lack of guide and discussion on this new class online and a thread from a player asking advice to understand and use the Pyshic's abilities to their full extent on the Paizo messageboards motivated me to start writing my own guide.

Now is probably a good time to mention that English is NOT my mother tongue. I'm French and even though I usually write and understand well enough in English, I would ask of you to please bear with me through this guide and to not hesitate to point out any mistakes you might have noticed or sentences that aren't clear!

Table of contents:

Part 1: Overview
Part 2: Ability scores
Part 3: Races
Part 4: Traits
Part 5: Skills
Part 6: Feats
Part 7: Spells
Part 8: Psychic Disciplines
Part 9: Phrenic amplifications (and major amplifications)
Part 10: Archetypes
Part 11: Multiclassing (and prestige classes)
Part 12: Equipment (and magic items)
Part 13: Sample builds
Part 14: Occult Origins

Rating system:

I decided that there was no reason to change the pre-established, color-based rating system from Treantmonk's guides, given that they seem to have become a standard for writing guides and assessing character options along the years.

Red: This is a bad option or a trap, it will do no good to your character and can potentially even cripple them.

Orange: This is a  mediocre option that will not hinder your character's effectiveness but will probably not be so useful, or is great to have but only under specific circumstances.

Green: This is a good option that will help you flesh out your character and help you play along the role you have selected for yourself.

Blue: For some reason, this option is a must-have that can dramatically enhance your character and/or is required for them to truly shine.

Part 1: Overview

Let's start with a quick overview of the Psychic's base statistics and class abilities so we know what we're working with.

d6 HP - You can't do worse than that in Pathfinder but you're a caster and unlikely to ever go into melee so that mitigates the issue somewhat. Still, keep in mind that you are a squishy and highly interesting target to any monster with the grab ability so invest in Constitution and Escape Artist if you can afford to. A Ring of Freedom of Movement is nice but way off your first level!

1/2 BAB - This sucks if you're planning to make heavy use of spells that require an attack roll. I would not recommend it but if you're dead set on making a ray/touch specialist, be sure to select feats that will boost your accuracy.

2+INT skill points per level - For a sorcerer, this is outright terrible but fortunately, your primary casting stat is Intelligence, not Charisma, so you should be doing okay in this area. You get the same amount of skill points par level than a Wizard and an amazing class skills list: all Knowledges, Spellcraft, Perception, Fly and the triad of social skills on top of that! It might be worth it to pick up Use Magic Device with a trait if you can, especially if your Psychic Discipline of choice keys off Charisma.

Good Will save, Bad Reflex and Fortitude saves - While Will saves are very important in the game, Fortitude saves are too and you suck in this one. I would once again advise to boost your Constitution because Fortitude saves can be deadly at all levels and even more so at lower levels. Invest in traits that boost Fortitude saves and look for those first if your DM has you locked up in picking a campaign trait as most AP will have it.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies - You get all simple weapons but no armors or shields. You'll probably carry a crossbow for the first two levels before you ditch it and psychic spellcasting has no chance of failure so you can safely wear armor all day, as long as you do not plan to use spells that require an attack roll.

Full psychic spellcasting - Now we're talking! This is obviously the single most important one of your class features, as you will have no doubt realized already. It keys off Intelligence which is far superior to Charisma for spellcasting, IMO.

However, the drawback of being a spontaneous caster is that you have to be very careful with the spells you select each level due to having access to only a few, in comparison to the Wizard who just scribes down in their spellbooks every other spell they find on scrolls in their travels and switch them every day. You also have to keep in mind that any spell you modify with metamagic will require a full-round action to cast. While this is not as detrimental than some people would make it, it still requires careful positioning around the battlefield and thinking before you make the choice to cast the spell or not.

Psychic casting is not impaired by armor chance of failure and has no verbal or somatic components so you could technically cast while gagged and restrained by ropes. However, it comes with its own unique weaknesses that you should be made aware of.
The first one is that any psychic spell that requires a concentration check is cast and the check made at a -10 penalty. This can be negated by taking a move action prior to casting the spell but is a pretty nasty drawback. As a rule of thumb though, you should avoid having to make concentration checks through careful positioning and planning.
The second issue with psychic spellcasting is that any non-harmless effect with the emotion or fear descriptor that affects you will shut you down for good as you purely become unable to cast spells with an emotion component.
There are various solutions to make up for this weakness, from taking Logical Spell as a feat to get rid of the emotion components to simply carrying around Potions of Remove Fear, which are quite cheap.
However, I've played with DMs for whom even the simplest first-level potion is a rare commodity. In this situation, I highly recommend you learn spells that have no somatic components (there are some on your list) so that you can still contribute meaningfully if your opponent just managed to score an Intimidate check on you.

Psychic Discipline - Depending on your build, the role you would like to perform in combat and what you're generally willing to achieve, this class feature ranges from okay to awesome. I will review each psychic discipline separately in another part of this guide. Basically, these are akin to a Sorcerer's bloodline, granting you bonus spells and specific abilities as you level up. They either work off your Charisma or Wisdom score.

Phrenic pool and phrenic amplifications - Once again, there are some really good options out there and some others that I would pass without regret. Basically, you get an energy pool that has 1/2 your level + your Wisdom or Charisma modifier (based on your Psychic discipline) number of points in it. You can then use these points to power up some phrenic amplications you chose at specific levels in the same manner a Magus or Arcanist would use their arcanas or exploits. I will also review each phrenic amplification separately.

Detect Thoughts - This is a minor ability but if your DM is willing to let you play with it, it can get really fun and even powerful in social encounters. Plus, it basically is the iconic Psychic ability to begin with so the coolness factor makes this green!

Telepathic Bond - Very thematic and potentially gives you back one of your spells known. I like this.

Major amplifications - See phrenic pool and phrenic amplifications. I will also review them later in this guide.

Telepathy - This is cool and more importantly this is free so what's not to love? Still, at 17th level, could have done better.

Remade Self - This is a really solid capstone. You gain one permanent spell as a constant spell-like ability which you choose upon reaching level 20. You can also add phrenic amplifications to your psychic spells for free, provided the original cost for them was 1 point or less. Even better, this does not count towards the usual limit of one amplification per spell!

Part 2: Ability scores

The main stat for you is obviously Intelligence as it determines the number of extra spells per day that you get as well as the highest level you can cast and the DC of your spells.

Depending on the Psychic Discipline you chose, Charisma or Wisdom will be your second most important attribute, especially if you plan to make heavy use of your phrenic pool.

Constitution can never be ignored as it boosts HP and Fortitude save. Dexterity is also cool to have for Reflex save, AC and initiative but not as important, in my opinion. Please note that this becomes potentially Green or even Blue if you're planning to focus a lot on spells that use ranged touch attacks.

Strength is a safe dump stat. Do not go into melee unless you're looking to test how lucky you are and do not pick a melee weapon, it's that simple. Even if Haversacks are a rare thing in your campaign and the old corner street magic shop is closed, you have nothing to carry around but a few scrolls and you own clothes so do not worry about Strength. I would advise against picking up spells that require a melee touch attack. If you really must use them, go with Reach metamagic and Dexterity instead or select Weapon Finesse.

Depending on your build, your role in combat and the party make-up, you will probably want more or less of each stat but the colors are meant to indicate which ability scores should usually have priority over the others.

If you are comfortable with dump stats and want to push Intelligence as much as possible from level 1, I would recommend the following:

STR: 7 DEX: 12 CON 12 INT 20 WIS 15 /7 CHA 7/15

This assumes a 20-points buy model, the standard for many games, and a +2 floating racial bonus that you put in Intelligence. For races with fixed bonuses, try to get as close as possible to this stat array. Switch Charisma and Wisdom around depending on your Psychic Discipline.

Please note that dumping Wisdom can be very risky for your Will saves so you might want to go with something along this line if you went with a Charisma-based Psychic Discipline:

STR: 7 DEX: 12 CON 12 INT 19 WIS 10 CHA 15

If you want a slightly more balanced stat array and you are not a fan of starting with 20 in a given ability score, you can go for the following:

STR: 7 DEX: 14 CON 14 INT 19 WIS 14 CHA 7

or, if using a Charisma-based Psychic Discipline:

STR: 7 DEX: 14 CON 14 INT 18 WIS 11 CHA 13

I would only recommend a score of 20 in Intelligence if you know you are building for save-or-suck (which I'm not a fan of) and need your DCs to get as high as possible.
Usually, a score of 18 or 19 is a nice starting point, especially if you are going to focus a lot of buff spells and spells that do not call for a save.

Part 3: Races

It is worth mentioning that only core races currently feature alternative favored class options for the Psychic. For other races, you're stuck with the +1 HP/level or +1 skill point. Granted, you will probably go for the +1 HP which you can really use while you already have enough skill points, but still.
The Human favored class option, for instance, is particularly good and not having access to this might hurt.

Since I have found that a lot of people still favor the core races anyway, I'll start with them.

Dwarves - These poor little beardy fellows probably aren't the greatest Psychics ever. They would be red in virtue of their racial bonuses only, if not for the bonus to Wisdom, which some Psychics can put to good use, depending on their Psychic Discipline. Darkvision can come in handy while Magic Resistant and Stubborn (alternate racial traits) have uses, but there isn't anything shinier than that to see here.

Favored class option: add 1/2 your level to the duration of your psychic abjuration spells. Not worth it.

Elves - Bonus to Intelligence and Dexterity is nice, though the Constitution penalty hurts. Elves make great mages and Psychics as well, not only because of their stats bonuses but also thanks to Elven Magic, which is basically a built-in Spell Penetration+.  Elven Immunities help you sure up your Will saves and resist some of the nastiest effects in game so there's that. Free bonus to Perception is nice, though swapping it for Fleet-Footed, along with Weapon Familiarity, is also a good trade. Arcane Focus and Fey Thoughts (not legal in PFS) are also good replacement options for Weapon Familiarity, which you probably won't use.

Favored class option: add 1/3 point to your phrenic pool. This is good because some phrenic amplifications require a large amount of points to use regularly and this can save you feats. However, with the Constitution penalty, it's just on par with +1 HP/level.

Gnomes - Despite the lack of bonus to Intelligence, Gnomes can still prove very good Psychics, provided you chose a Psychic Discipline that uses Charisma instead of Wisdom. The little size provides a minor boost to defense and offense but your base speed sucks and you might find some use for a Quick Runner's Shirt. Beware of dumping Strength too much as you are likely to start having encumbrance issues with a score of 5. Obsessive, Hatred and Weapon Familiarity are very lackluster and I would recommend replacing them with some of the alternate racial traits that are available to gnomes. The trade off won't be that impressive but you will turn a very marginally useful ability into a slightly less situational one.

Favored class option: same as Elves. See above.

Half-elves - You get a +2 floating bonus which you can put into Intelligence. You get Elven Immunities, same as Elves, bonus to Perception, free Skill Focus to start off the Eldritch Heritage chain of feats easily and low-light vision. Half-elves also have some amazing alternate racial traits available to them, including Arcane Training and Fey Thoughts to replace Multitalented (which is useless to you). Dual Minded is super awesome if you do not have a use for the free Skill Focus from Adaptability. But the real selling point is the favored class option, since you can access the Human one and it is honestly that great.

Favored class option: gain 1/6 of a new phrenic amplification. You can probably already access the ones you want and the ones you left away aren't worth it anyway. Bad option.

Favored class option (humans): If your DM lets you pick up the Humans' favored class option for Psychics, this is super blue! One more spell known at your second highest spell level is frankly worth it not having an extra HP. There's a reason the best Sorcerers are usually Humans and the favored class option (which is the same than the one for Psychics) is this reason.

Half-orcs - Yes, surprisingly given the stereotypes on half-orcs, they make good Psychics. The floating bonus goes to Intelligence and some of the racial traits can really help you when you need it most. You can build a nice Intimidatomancer and spellcasters can really make the most out of Orc Ferocity. I would personally replace Weapon Familiarity as this is unlikely to really help your character. Sacred Tattoo is pure gold and Skilled (which replaces Darkvision) can help you with your skill points if you really need it.

Favored class option: This sucks so hard! A +1 bonus to Concentration checks when taking damage is bad because you should never be casting and taking damage at the same time. Go for the +1 HP/level, at least this will help your character!

Favored class option (humans): I'll be honest here, the rating on Half-orcs is based on the assumption that your DM lets you select the Humans' favored class option for Psychics. If not, Half-orcs become green, just like Half-elves. See above for details.

Halflings - The little folks are just the same as Gnomes: while they do not gain any bonus to Intelligence, their bonus to Charisma and other racial traits can still make them good Psychics with a Charisma-based Psychic Discipline. The Halfling Luck and Fearless combo is particularly effective for a psychic spellcaster that tends to get shut down by fear effects. Fleet of Foot is nice for an alternate racial trait in that it does not replace anything too valuable and lets you move faster.

Favored class option: you treat your Charisma bonus as 1/3 higher for purposes of using your discipline powers that have a duration in rounds per day. No, this is not likely to let you achieve anything, really. Stick with the extra HP.

Humans - If your DM rules that you can only take the Humans' favored class option for Psychics by selecting this race, then this is the best option you have among all races. Humans do lack in extraordinary racial features but they make up for it with an extra skill point per level (which you can trade for minor situational bonuses that can come in handy in specific campaigns) and an extra feat at 1-st level, which is always useful and even required for some builds. Focused Study is also nice if you want to go down the route of Eldritch Heritage, Fey Magic is a great replacement for Skilled, as you could select Escape Artist as a class skill and Dual Talent is particularly useful to boost both Intelligence and your Psychic Discipline stat.

Favored class option: This is the reason you go Human when building a Psychic character. You add one spell known to your list at your second highest spell level, every level. This is golden and a clearly superior option that is worth giving up the extra HP for.

I will not speak in details of each and every race that has been published by Paizo outside of core over the years, simply because I cannot afford the time to do this right now and most of them would be irrelevant anyway as they have little to offer for a Psychic character. However, what I can give you are guidelines that will let you determine whether a particular race that you would want to play is a good fit for a Psychic.

Let's start with a basic: if it does not have a bonus to Intelligence, it is at best Green. You will need either a bonus to Charisma or a bonus to Wisdom (depending on the Psychic Discipline you're thinking about), as well as other nice racial features, for this race to be worth considering.

The next thing you should look for, in the event that you come across a race that you like that already has an Intelligence bonus is whether or not some of the racial traits can help you enhance your spellcasting abilities or effectiveness in and outside combat. Some races have amazing utility traits that you might miss the value of upon reading it first but can be absolute life savers under the right circumstances. I'm thinking here of Sylphs, for instance. With similar ability bonuses to Elves, their ability to cast Feather Fall 1/day can really save your life when you need it.

Finally, I would also urge you to consult with your DM when selecting a race outside of core, not only so that you can get permission for using it, but also because some racial features might have more value depending on your campaign setting. If you will be playing the Reign of Winter AP, for instance, cold resistance and the like (which would normally be marginally useful) suddenly become really attractive. A good DM should always take the time to inform you of their game's specificities so you don't end up dying on the first occasion or simply doing nothing because you made an enchanter and you're fighting undead (see the new Mesmerist in this situation, it's rather good!).

There are some races outside of core that still deserve specific mention here because of just how good they are.

Samsarans are the first to come to mind because Mystic Past Life is one of the most abusable option out there and could technically work for psychic spellcasting. If your DM lets you get away with this, grab the opportunity and don't let it go! Note that in this case, you will want an Intelligence score of 20 at 1st level because the number of spells you can pick through Mystic Past Life is set by your ability score at character creation. In addition, Samsarans make amazing Psychics when going with a Wisdom-based Psychic Discipline due to their racial ability bonuses: +2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom, and –2 Constitution. Heck, even with a Charisma-based Psychic Discipline, the bonus to Wisdom lets you tank this stat without too much of a drawback! Every single one race feature of the Samsarans is pure gold and it's very likely your DM will say "hell no" but I know I personally give my players this option in my games and the roleplaying potential, given the very nature of the race, is huge.

Continuing on with the notoriously overpowered races out there, if your DM will let you play a Drow Noble, go ahead. It's everything you want and more, with bonuses to Intelligence and both of your potentially secondary stats, darkvision, spell-like abilities... Though if your DM says yes to this option, I'd carefully watch for them laughing maniacally behind their screen as the adventure you're about to begin is sure not going to be easy!

Peri-Blooded Aasimars, while not as overpowered as the first two, remain an excellent option for a Psychic character. This is even more true if you go with a Charisma-based Psychic Discipline because you get a bonus to Intelligence and Charisma without penalty and thus become an avatar of grace and cunning. Bonuses to Spellcraft and Knowledge (planes) are sure to come in handy and you get pyrotechnics for free as a SLA, for which you will likely find usage in the course of your game. Note that by rolling 40 on the variant Aasimar abilities chart, your bonus to Intelligence jumps to +4. I have never met a DM thus far that will allow you to use this chart though, but it's worth knowing about this just in case.

Another good option, Tieflings with the Daemon-Spawn heritage can make fine Psychics. The bonus to Intelligence and Dexterity is cool but beware of the Wisdom penalty. This basically forces you into a Charisma-based Psychic Discipline and you won't be able to dump Wisdom to raise your secondary attribute as you are already suffering a penalty in this stat. It's a nice option and it's great that it exists but you can do better.

For the same reason, I rate Wayangs green and not blue. The racial features are nice but not too flashy and the Wisdom penalty will hurt, no matter how much you try to mitigate it. As usual, small size comes with its own strengths and weaknesses but I find the slow speed is tedious, especially if you're in an AP that has a lot of difficult terrain (snow, bushes, jungle...).

Ratfolks are on par with Elves, if you ask me, but their racial features will prove slightly more useful and their penalty is to your main dump stat rather than Constitution, which really hurts. Still, I would not rate them blue for the lack of Humans' favored class option is definitely felt here.

So there, we're done for the races, let's move on to the next part of this guide.

Part 4: Traits

There is an amazing guide to the traits available online, here. While you might not find every trait that was ever printed in this document, the list is much more complete than I could possibly hope to achieve, were I to try and do the same.

I highly recommend you take the time to read this guide in order to make educated choices in your selection of traits during character creation. This is especially true if your DM rules that one of your two starting traits has to be a campaign trait from the AP you will be playing. Indeed, the guide reviews campaign traits for each AP and can help you select the obvious best choices.

In this guide, I will present you with some of the best options for Psychic characters, which, unsurprisingly, will be very similar to the recommendations you see in every other spellcaster guides. As usual, the best traits that you can be sure to find a use for are the following:

• Traits that boost your saves: Resilient, Indomitable Faith, Deft Dodger and similar traits will provide a nice little help in an area that clearly isn't your strong suit. Second Chance is possibly overpowered as a trait, giving you the opportunity to reroll a failed saving throw. Be aware though that it is a Religion trait and is associated with a Halfling deity so your DM might rule you cannot take it unless you're a Halfling and/or have that specific deity.
• Traits that boost your initiative: Reactionary, Elven Reflexes and Warrior of Old all serve the same purpose, though the last two are rated higher because they are race traits and thus won't conflict with other traits you might select from the combat list.
• Traits that give you a specific skill as a class skill: among them, I would recommend Dangerously Curious for Use Magic Device, which is possibly the single most important skill that isn't already on your class list. Please note that if you plan to invest in Use Magic Device and haven't raised (or even dumped) your Charisma, you will find value in Pragmatic Activator and Clever Wordplay, which both let you use your Intelligence in place of your Charisma for making UMD checks.
• Traits that reduce the effective level of spells modified with metamagic: Magical Lineage comes to mind, as well as Metamagic Master, tough the last one is a regional trait associated with Wayangs so once again, your DM might lock you out of it. They stack together though, if you're allowed to take both.
• Traits that increase your effective caster level, such as Gifted Adept or Transmuter. I am personally not a fan of those because they cease to be useful at some point in your character's career but if you know your game won't get past that point then it is a good option to consider for some builds.

As you can see, there are lots of options that can really help you boost your character's survivability, versatility or effectiveness in combat. If, for some reason, your DM went with the "no traits" rule at character creation but will allow you to select Additional Traits as a feat, it is worth considering as some builds absolutely need one of these traits to truly shine.

Part 5: Skills

Let's start here by reviewing the class skills for Psychics before moving on to other skills that aren't on your list but can be worth investing in.

Bluff: not the best of the social triad but definitely has some uses, especially if you went with a Psychic Discipline based on Charisma and were subsequently assigned the role of Party Face. If someone else in your group will gladly take up this mantle, you can safely ignore that skill, unless you're roleplaying a character who loves to weave intricate lies or tries to protect their deepest secrets from others.

Craft: Huh. You have Spellcraft (see below) and are an Intelligence spellcaster. Why would you need this?

Diplomacy: The best of the trio of social skills available to you and very useful to secure the help of friendly (and not so friendly) NPCs. If you are the Party Face, this is mandatory. If not and you have decent Charisma, it's still worth it. If you dumped Charisma, feel free to pass on this one.

Fly: While this skill won't be of any use to you in the lower levels, it becomes mandatory as soon as you're flying on a daily basis. The best way to not get hit is simply to hover out of reach of your enemies. However, please note that the Fly DCs are quite high and thus will require you to invest heavily in this skill. You want to be able to hover even on a natural 1.

Intimidate: This one is just like Bluff, a nice skill to have but not of critical importance. If you're planning to build an Intimidatomancer, you will want to max this out, of course.  It's quite easy to push this into "auto-success" boundaries as most monsters do not have such an impressive Wisdom score, even at higher levels.

Knowledge (all): It's your job as an Intelligence spellcaster to identify your enemies and share what you learn with your allies in order to turn the tide of battle. As such, I recommend investing in Arcana, Nature, Planes and Religion, the big four that will let you identify most monsters and determine their resistances and special abilities. History and Local are nice to have outside of combat, especially in some AP that make use of them to let players access extra tidbits of information on the main storyline. The rest aren't worth more than just one skill point, so that you can make the check when it happens to be necessary (which should not be very often).

Linguistics: This skill is only situationally useful as you probably already have a plethora of other languages known through your high Intelligence score. If this is not enough to cover your basics (Draconic, Sylvan, Celestial, Abyssal, Infernal) then consider picking up a few ranks in Linguistics.

Perception: The most rolled skill in the game and you were blessed with it as a class skill. Invest as much as you can: as a spellcaster, you're a squishy target and you want to be aware of your enemies so you can act before they do. It's worth noting that you probably do not have a familiar (while most other spellcasters do) to roll a second time on everything so your bonus must be as high as it can get.

Profession: Craft was bad and this is even worse. Stay away or invest one point for roleplaying purposes but know that you won't get more than that out of it.

Sense Motive: If you are not the Party Face but have a decent Wisdom score, this skill is actually good enough to be worth a few skill points. You can study the merchant's behavior while your Bard or Paladin buddy tries to get them to lower their prices and discretely inform them of the things you notice.

Spellcraft: This skill is godly in that it keys off your best stat and has a lot of uses, even though you do not scribe spells. It lets you identify magic items and spells so you can counter them and is used to craft wondrous items and improve your existing gear. For certain feats, a specific number of ranks in Spellcraft is a prerequisite so you might need to max it out, especially if you're going for Spell Perfection.

Some skills are not class skills for you but you might still want to invest in them or even pick them up with traits. I recommend the following:

Use Magic Device: very rank-intensive and might require two traits to make it work if you dumped Charisma. However, this opens up a world of opportunities and vastly increases the versatility of your character, should you max it out.

Escape Artist: one of my worst nightmares when playing a caster of any sort are monsters with the grab ability or generally just grappling foes. This is why I love to rush a Ring of Freedom of Movement as soon as possible. In the meantime, at low levels, a few ranks in Escape Artist might very well save your bacon.

Other skills might be worth considering if you have a specific character concept that you are trying to pull off, however, the basics we've already covered. The Psychic has a very nice list of class skills and the tools to make the most out of it (high Intelligence and large number of skill points). You are basically a Wizard with Perception and social skills on their list: what's not to love?

Part 6: Feats

Oh boy. I knew we would get there eventually and I feared I would not be able to present this information in such manner that it would be easy to read and to find what is required. In the end, I decided to split this section of the guide into several categories that encompass the following: general purpose feats, combat feats, metamagic feats, item creation feats, race feats and class feats. I am not sure whether I was successful in my endeavor to make this easier to read but I honestly could not come up with a better idea.

Now is probably a good time for a quick disclaimer regarding the feats I rated below. First, I would like to underline the fact that I only reviewed the feats that I believed would have some sort of relevance for the Psychic class. That is, you won't find a complete, exhaustive list of all feats available in Pathfinder with rating for each but instead, a short summary of the key feats that can help you build a better Psychic character.
This also means that there are some feats that I purposely left out but could work and even be great for some specific character concepts. I cannot possibly imagine everything that one could come up with the Psychic class, especially as it has a lot of potential for some very flavorful and unique characters.
Use the feats and their ratings below as general guidelines, not the fundamental law for building a Psychic.

The second thing I would like to mention is that I am using feats from the Core Rulebook, the Advanced Player's Guide, Ultimate Magic, the Bestiary, Occult Adventures and most probably other sourcebooks that I forgot about in this review.
For this reason, I highly encourage that you check with your DM whether they are okay with the options you have selected based upon my recommendations below.

General purpose feats (a.k.a "do not fit in a specific list"):

Improved Initiative: More initiative, more win. You need to go first because you're a squishy caster and you want time to escape and/or buff up your defenses before the enemy is on you. But your main job as a caster is also to provide the tools to alter the battle and give it a more favorable outcome for your party. This is preferably achieved before your teammates are getting stomped to the ground by the BBEG.

Additional Traits: If you started the game with no traits, I urge you to make room for this one as early as possible. Even when you already have a few traits selected, more of them can open new possibilities. You can live without it though as two traits will generally cover your basic needs for most builds.

Leadership: Will probably be banned in 90% of the games you'll play for it is so easily abused but if this option is open to you and you have a decent Charisma score, go for it!

Spell Perfection: This feat is ridiculously powerful for casters of all types and even more so for blasters. You can apply one metamagic feat for free to your chosen spell whenever you cast it and double any other feat bonuses that apply to it. You should seriously consider this option for your favorite spell.

Toughness: This is roughly equivalent to a +2 bonus to your Constitution score. You can always use more HP as they are your last line of defense when everything else has failed. It's a good choice if you can afford to make room for it in your build. While I am well aware that others might rate this orange, I actually had characters who survived by a few HP after a heavy blow and were happy to still be standing to retreat on the next round.

Improved Familiar: If you have a familiar (there are ways to do this, we'll get to it in a minute), this can be a very good option. The usual advice is to load it with wands and consumables that the familiar can use on you and your party so as to win the action economy but a familiar is more than just that and improved familiars actually offer some nice little perks. Beware though as you will lose the fixed bonus that base familiars give their masters and the familiar archetypes that came out this year are actually really good while Improved Familiars do NOT qualify for them. The usefulness of said improved familiars will also greatly vary based on your DM's tendency to target them in combat.

Spell Focus/Greater: These are great (and almost mandatory) if you expect to be casting spells from a specific school very frequently. They also serve as prerequisites for other feats (see below).

Augment Summoning: Spell Focus (conjuration) is required for this one. However, it gives a significant boost to your summoned creatures and if you want to focus on critters in combat, it's the one feat I recommend you take first. You can have it at 1st level if you're Human and there's apparently a racial trait coming out by the end of the month at the time I write this guide that will let Half-elves qualify at 1st level as well.

Superior Summoning: Your 3rd level feat if you went with Augment Summoning at 1st level. This makes casting a higher level spell to summon multiple creatures a good deal, as you are guaranteed to have at least two summons on the field by the time you finish casting.

Eldritch Heritage/ Improved/Greater: This is a very nice chain of feats that can get you some nice perks. Eldritch Heritage (Arcane), for example, will net you a familiar to play with. Some bloodlines have nice offensive, defensive and utility abilities that are worth spending feats on. Careful though not to fall in the trap of selecting the Arcane bloodline thinking you'll get to cast arcane spells: it has been specifically called out that you would only be able to cast those using sorcerer spell slots, provided you have some. I recommend you read this guide if you're planning to go down this route as the author provides interesting insight on each bloodline, with Eldritch Heritage in mind.

Iron Will/Great Fortitude/Lightning Reflexes and Improved: Your saves are one of your weaknesses and these feats help you do better in this area. If you dumped Wisdom at character creation then Iron Will is almost blue for you as you do not want to fail a Will save, ever. Not only is it not fun for you to have your character be unable to act normally, it might also cause the death of some of your party members. The Improved version of each feat is marginally useful and you probably won't have the feat slots to afford it.

Spell Specialization: This is very good for blasters but not very useful to others. It requires Spell Focus in the school of your choice and will increase your caster level by 2 for one spell of that school, which you can swap at even levels. However, sooner or later, you will reach a cap in the number of maximum dice rolled for damage and will need to retrain this.

Spontaneous Metafocus: One more feat that is better for blasters than it is for generalist casters. If there's one spell you know you'll be casting for your entire career and modifying with metamagic feats, then it's worth considering as the full-round casting time might become a recurring problem. Otherwise, with careful positioning around the battlefield, you can avoid feeling the lack of this feat most of the time.

Varisian Tatto: This has the same prerequisite of Spell Focus and basically the same usage as Spell Specialization, which is rated above. It is strictly inferior as an option, though you can stack both if you know your game won't last long and want immediate results.

Expanded Arcana: While more spells known are definitely a good option, the cost of a feat to achieve it is a bit too high for my tastes. It is a good option for your 19th level feat, should you go that far, as you could pick up an extra 9th level spell, which even the best favored class option can't give you.

Combat Casting: I don't even take this with a Magus so I'm not about to recommend it for a Psychic. You should be doing your best and watching where you step so that you NEVER have to make a concentration check. Of course, this is not always possible and a good DM will know how to trick you into having to but even then, it's probably a safer option to simply run (that is, if you can). Not to mention Psychics suffer a -10 penalty to concentration checks with spells that have a thought component so a +2 bonus won't change much...

Spell Penetration/Greater: Don't get me wrong, this is far from useless. My main issue is that I like Piercing Spell better for the same results as it does not cost me two feats to achieve. In addition, a good caster will have selected some spells that do not call for spell resistance (either conjuration or buffs) in case they encounter a foe with very high SR. Still, might be worth it if you're using spells that have spell resistance on a daily basis.

Everything else that is not listed here, you can safely assume to be Orange (marginally useful or great but only if you're building a very specific character) or Red (not useful to you at all).

Combat feats:

Weapon Finesse: If, for some reason, you decided to go with spells that require melee touch attacks, I would urge you to consider Weapon Finesse because Dexterity is far more useful to a caster than Strength is.

Point-Blank Shot/Precise Shot/Weapon Focus: These three feats all aim at improving your accuracy with ranged attacks and can help you if you're building a character that will be doing lots of ranged (touch) attacks

Metamagic feats:

Dazing Spell: This turns a blaster into a controller. There's a reason it's a staple you see being recommended in almost every caster guide now. Dazed is one very harsh condition to suffer and to remove and you can even incapacitate enemies in a whole area with the right spells.

Persistent Spell: Combo this with Dazing Spell and spread the love. This is basically a Misfortune effect on your spells that forces your opponents to roll their saving throws twice and take the worst result. This is cool for useful for all types of casters, be they blasters or controllers. Of course, buffers and enablers will not use this very often but even then, it's nice to have.

Quicken Spell: Cast a spell as a swift action. This is particularly useful during the first few rounds of combat because it allows you to basically play twice, casting two different spells in the same round in addition to using your move action to get somewhere safe.

Extend Spell: Doubles the duration of your spells. This is best used on spells that already have a long duration to begin with so that you do not have to cast them again at the beginning of combat. If you cannot afford to learn it, a rod will do.

Reach Spell: This is a prime example of a very good metamagic feat for spontaneous casters that isn't so good for prepared casters. Expand the range of your touch and close spells at any time. Need to land a buff on your ally and there are monsters in the way? Use Reach Spell. This can function just as well as a rod since it is cheap but I would learn it if you can afford the feat slots.

Heighten Spell: This feat is very good for some specific builds, namely if you're using low level spells as a mean to deliver Dazing Spell and want to daze your enemies for additional rounds. For other builds, it's quite lacking, though I suppose it's still useful to have if you come across Globes of Invulnerability.

Empower Spell: A really good option for blasters but useless to everyone else. Still, the aim of blasting is to do damage and this feat helps you do more damage so it effectively makes you better at what you do for a reasonable price tag (+2 spell level).

Intensified Spell: This is the best way to keep your low level blasting spells online for longer. Sure, generalist builds won't have a use for it but dedicated blasters will appreciate having it around starting at 3rd level.

Maximize Spell: This feat is strictly worse than Empower Spell for blasters in almost every situation. It's worth picking it up at higher levels if you have the feat slots but you could also get a rod or live without it altogether and still be fine.

Sickening Spell: This feat is not bad per se but the spell level increase is only one lower than Dazing Spell and the effects are a lot less impressive. When in doubt, go for Dazing Spell rather than this one.

Rime Spell: An option that would be green if not for the cold descriptor prerequisite. There aren't a lot of these spells out there and specializing so much isn't worth it, in my opinion.

Toppling Spell: I only mention this feat here with a very specific build in mind, one that abuses Magic Missile. It is a nice control/debuff option at low levels but will quickly fall behind as you become unable to knock higher levels' targets prone. I would probably retrain it at some point, if you have the opportunity.

Logical Spell: This is the feat to cast psychic spells without emotion components. Granted the fact that you can get completely shut down with a single Intimidate check, I can find enough value for it to be worth selecting over the advancement of your character.

Intuitive Spell: See Logical Spell, but this time gets rid of the thought component. Concentration checks can be a pain as a psychic spellcaster so pick this up well over Combat Casting if you feel you have been making too much concentration checks lately.

Merciful Spell: On the bright side, it does not cost you anything to use this. On the other side, it still costs you a feat only so that you may inflict non-lethal damage with your spells. I suppose if you wanna roleplay a pacifist it's great, but really it's just flavor.

Threnodic Spell: This is usually Orange and only very situational (though some campaigns can see this used more than others). However, for you, it is a big fat red and this is due to one of the phrenic amplifications you can select which we will review later in the guide.

I know there are some metamagic feats that do not appear on my list but I voluntarily left them out for their limited and situational usefulness would make them all Orange or Red and not even worth mentioning as they generally are poor options.  

Item creation feats:

Craft Wondrous Item: You can get this feat as soon as 3rd level and I guarantee that the return on investment will be real. You can basically double your total amount of gold every level, only by crafting your own gear. You will also please the rest of your party by granting them easy access to some specific items which are seldom available in Pathfinder AP. In short, you'll become everybody's best friend and make tons of gold in the process! Of course, this is unavailable in PFS but if your DM goes with a low magic universe and magic items are a rare commodity, this is even better.

Craft Rod: This feat will probably be for personal use only but it can also serve the other spellcasters in your party as you can even craft a rod of a metamagic feat you do not possess.

Craft Magic Arms and Armor: These are less likely to be hard to find, even in a game that does not have a lot of magic items, but it's still a nice option to have. The cost for enchanting weapons and armor is so high that it cannot hurt to be able to keep it under control by crafting them yourself. Of course, this is not for you but for your party.

Unfortunately, the rest of the item creation feats are not worth it for you because you are a spontaneous spellcaster and thus have a very limited number of spells known to scribe scrolls, brew potions or craft wands.

Race feats:

I'll be honest here, there aren't a lot of them that strike me as extremely good for a Psychic character. Sure, some of them have uses but there're not exactly great either. With Inner Sea Races on the way, this might change in the future.

However, for now, the only one that I think deserve mention is the following:

Racial Heritage (Human): This feat lets you count as both human and another race of your choice for any effects that relate to it. It's still unclear whether this means favored class options and archetypes but if there's something you really wanted in another race and you chose Human because of the favored class option, you can still get it that way.

Class feats:

Expanded Phrenic Pool: Some phrenic amplifications cost a lot to use regularly and you might want to invest several times in this feat if you find that you really need more points in your phrenic pool.

Disciplinary Devotee: You gain a +1 bonus to your caster level checks, concentration checks and on the DC of saving throws for your discipline spells. Unfortunately, Psychic Disciplines are rather short of extraordinary spells to justify taking this feat.

Extra Amplification: It is my opinion that you should be able to select all of the phrenic amplifications relevant for your build without needing this feat to achieve it. I suppose it is nice that it does exist in case new amplifications are added to the class in the future that are worth picking up.

Part 7: Spells

I will not be making a detailed spell selection guide for Psychics because, unfortunately, my free time is in short supply lately and it would require a colossal amount of time to achieve.

However, I will provide you with guidelines to help you choose spells that will benefit your character the most.

My first recommendation is to choose spells that have versatility. You have few spells known and you need to make sure that all of them can be applied in different situations to produce a favorable outcome. In order to achieve this, look for spells that have multiple means to affect the battlefield (or your target). The traditional example for Sorcerers is Grease. For Psychics, Silent Image would be my spell of choice: it is not mind-affecting so undead and the like are not immune to it and with just a bit of creativity, you can come up with a wide range of effects to impair your enemies or help your allies.

My second recommendation is to make sure that you pick spells with distinctively different purposes, so as to maintain versatility even inside your list of spells known and not just in spells themselves. While spells like Silent Image are great and can achieve very different effects depending on the situation, sometimes, you just need Expeditious Retreat or Liberating Command to get out of a bad situation and Silent Image won't do that for you. Remember to make sure that you can cover the basics of the different roles that can be expected of a caster to fulfill: buffing, debuffing, summoning, blasting, support and battlefield control.

You have to be careful though, because you do not want to overly specialize either. You have to maintain a good balance of spells that are situationally excellent and others that have a wide range of utility. That is, even if you're a blaster, remember to pick up spells to support your allies and debuff your foes for these fights in which blasting is not the optimal answer (especially since "blasting" with a Psychic is extremely different to what usually constitutes blasting - I'm sure people will even tell me that's not what it is when I come to it later in the guide).

Another recommendation is to know which spells make good spells known and which are better on scrolls (or potions, or wands). Anything that has an effect independent of caster level and a high base duration is likely to fit in the last category. You only want spells on your list that work better using your caster level (or require to use your own caster level to even be worth casting).

Finally, I would recommend you go read some of the best guides out there for Sorcerers as they are likely to provide you with very good insight into choosing spells for your Psychic character. Indeed, the two classes share a lot of spells in common and, both being spontaneous spellcasters, look for the same aspects in spells when selecting the ones they learn.

With all the advice I gave you, I have listed below some of my personal favorite spells for each spell level:

Knacks: Dancing Lights, Daze, Detect Magic, Ghost Sound, Mage Hand, Mending, Prestidigitation, Read Magic, Stabilize, Telekinetic Projectile (a good crossbow replacement)

1-st level spells: Charm Person, Color Spray/Sleep (pick one and retrain at level 4), Command, Ear-Piercing Scream, Enlarge Person, Expeditious Retreat, Feather Fall, Liberating Command, Mage Armor, Magic Missile, Mind Thrust I (free retrain for subsequent iterations), Silent Image, Unseen Servant

2-nd level spells: Alter Self, Blindness/deafness, False Life, Hold Person, Invisibility, Ironskin, Mirror Image, Resist Energy, Rope Trick, Silence, Suggestion

3-rd level spells: Dispel Magic, Fly, Haste, Heroism, Rage, Summon Monster III

4th-level spells: Black Tentacles, Break Enchantment, Condensed Ether, Confusion, Dimension Door, Freedom of Movement (you can pass on this one if you plan to get a ring instead), Mindwipe, Summon Monster IV

5th-level spells: Dominate Person, Explode Head (for coolness factor only), Hold Monster, Overland Flight, Permanency, Psychic Crush I (free retrain for subsequent iterations), Teleport, True Seeing, Wall of Force

6th-level spells: Antilife Shell, Contingency, Disintegrate, Greater Dispel Magic, Summon Monster VI

7th-level spells: Insanity, Mind Blank, Repulsion, Greater Teleport, Waves of Ecstasy/Exhaustion

8th-level spells: Dimensional Lock, Irresistible Dance, Maze, Moment of Prescience, Trap the Soul

9th-level spells: Akashic Form, Dominate Monster, Mage's Disjunction, Telekinetic Storm, Time Stop, Wish

You might have noticed that my list includes a number of spells that can be undercast and I recommended you learn the higher level versions as soon as possible. This is because knowing Mind Thrust IV lets you decide to cast either Mind Thrust IV, Mind Thrust III, Mind Thrust II or Mind Thrust I while learning the new version automatically gives you an extra spell known in place of the earlier version you previously had.

This new mechanic was introduced in Occult Adventures, along with the Psychic class itself and I find it is particularly interesting for spontaneous spellcasters with their limited spells list.

Of course, these are just my own personal preferences for spells of each category (buff/debuff/blast/control/utility). If there's another spell that you like best and that fits your concept, go for it! Just make sure it matches the recommendations I gave you earlier for selecting spells known.

Part 8: Psychic Disciplines

Abomination

Phrenic Pool Ability: Charisma. Good if you're the Party Face and opens up interesting roleplay opportunities for your character.

Bonus Spells:  ray of enfeeblement (1st), alter self (4th), excruciating deformation (6th), black tentacles (8th), explode head (10th), repulsion (12th), insanity (14th), orb of the void (16th), telekinetic storm (18th)

This is a solid list of spells that most Psychics will find a use for, especially those focusing on debuffing and battlefield control. Explode Head is a fun and very flavorful spell but you could do better.

Discipline Powers:

Dark Half: You gain a morale bonus on Will saves, the DC of your spells go up by 1 and you become immune to fear effects. That's right, this very power completely negates one of your major weaknesses as a psychic spellcaster. Your damaging spells also inflict bleeding, which is always nice to have, I suppose. The downside is that you can't use skills or abilities that require patience or concentration, much like a raging Barbarian. You still remain able to cast spells, use your phrenic amplifications and make Fly checks though, so that's no big deal for me. To attempt to end this power, you need to succeed at a concentration check with DC 10 + your level. At 1st level, you can easily already have a +5/+6 bonus to your concentration checks so this isn't a real drawback. You can use this ability for 3 + 1/2 level + Charisma modifier rounds per day.

Morphic Form: I like this. Free DR 5 of a type that's randomly decided each time you use your Dark Half power. It' simple but efficient and nice to have around.

Psychic Safeguard: You gain spell resistance that effectively doubles up every time you use your Dark Half power. While this is nice to have in some fights, it also means that you need to spend a standard action each time an ally tries to land a beneficial spell on you, otherwise they need to beat said spell resistance and risk losing their spell in the process.

Final thoughts: Abomination is a really good Psychic Discipline for debuffers and battlefield controllers who will appreciate the increased spell DC from Dark Half and the list of extra spells known. The Dark Half power is so good that even generalist Psychics should consider this Discipline if they expect emotion components to be a recurring problem in their game.
Flavor wise, this is one of the Psychic Disciplines that opens up the most options for interesting roleplay.

Dream

Phrenic Pool Ability: Charisma. See Abomination for my thoughts on the matter.

Bonus Spells: sleep (1st), oneiric horror (4th), deep slumber (6th), sleepwalk (8th), nightmare (10th), cloak of dreams (12th), ethereal jaunt (14th), dream voyage (16th), microcosm (18th)

Obviously, this Discipline focuses on putting enemies outside of combat by making them fall asleep and this is reflected in the list of bonus spells. While some of them will be useful to a Psychic who wants to debuff their enemies in combat, they're pretty much all save-or-suck, which I am not really a big fan of. Nightmare sounds to me like a spell you would cast on your teammates in an evil campaign rather than one that would actually be useful in a Paizo AP.

Discipline Powers:

Dream Leech: This is moderately useful as a mean to regain phrenic pool points. It does have some synergy with most of your bonus spells so you can take advantage of that but it really isn't a great ability. A +4 circumstance bonus on a single Bluff, Intimidate or Diplomacy skill check is not exactly on par with other abilities from different Psychic Disciplines.

Oneiromancy: I really like the flavor of this one but once again, it isn't terribly useful. It's not like the Diplomacy or Intimidate check is made any easier by the fact that your target is asleep and the fact that it can be used as part of casting some spells is a nice touch but doesn't bring much to the table. You can use this ability for 3 + Charisma modifier times per day but I would be surprised if you ever reached that limit.

Mind Heist: Learn about your target while they are asleep. All of the powers from this Discipline seem to do the same thing only differently and this one is particularly lacking in my opinion. You can use it a number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier.

Waking Dream: Okay, now this has some serious potential. Have the BBEG fall asleep and take control of its body. Creatures that don't dream are immune to this effect so this is quite limited though. The duration of 1 hour per level is nice, however.

Final thoughts: Dream is an interesting Psychic Discipline for you get to roleplay an Oneiromancer, which is admittedly quite cool. If your DM is willing to give you opportunities to use your powers to help with the development of the scenario and provides you with options that can let you alter the course of the game by granting you the ability to avoid some fights, for instance, it can even be great. The problem is that most DMs won't do that and then your powers will not help you in any other way.

Faith

Phrenic Pool Ability: Wisdom. This is a nice stat to boost as it also affects your Will saves and your Perception positively.

Bonus Spells:   bless (1st), spiritual weapon (4th), magic vestment (6th), guardian of faith (8th), commune (10th), psychic surgery (12th), greater scrying (14th), greater planar ally (16th), miracle (18th)

The aim of this Psychic Discipline is to turn you into a pseudo-cleric and as a result, you gain some spells from their list. This is great for buffers and enablers as it provides you with tools you would not otherwise be able to access to perform your chosen role in combat. A good list overall.

Discipline Powers:

Deity: You must choose a deity and stay within one step of their alignment, just like a cleric. In exchange, you gain the ability to cast cure or inflict spells (your choice if your deity is neutral), to a maximum of one such spell for each spell level you can cast per day. Each time you do this, you also regain 1 point in your phrenic pool (though you can't gain more points than your Wisdom modifier per day). This is a very solid power as it increases your versatility and effectively grants you extra spells you can cast per day. The fact that you regain phrenic pool points when doing so is the cherry on top that makes this ability blue, in my eyes.

Resilience of the Faithful: A very good power that essentially replaces your Cloak of Resistance. This saves you money and a magic item slot, which is always a nice thing to have.

Prayer Aura: This is an awesome ability that lets you reproduce the effects of a Prayer spell (with increased penalty for enemies opposing your alignment!). You can use it a number of rounds per day equal to your level and these rounds do not need to be consecutive. It is a free action to power up this aura so you could even cast a quickened spell and a second spell as a standard action, all in the same round!

Final thoughts: The Faith Psychic Discipline is one of the best out there and definitely the better option for buffers and characters specializing in supporting their party. You are not a Life Oracle though, so be sure to mention to the other players in your group that you will not be playing the healbot.

Lore

Phrenic Pool Ability: Wisdom. See Faith, above, for my opinion on this ability.

Bonus Spells:   comprehend languages (1st), hypercognition (4th), dispel magic (6th), mind probe (8th), retrocognition (10th), legend lore (12th), greater arcane sight (14th), moment of prescience (16th), divide mind (18th)

This spell list is full of options that are only really good situationally. While it does not hurt that they are given to you for free, other Psychic Disciplines offer better alternatives. Comprehend Languages, for instance, is a very nice spell to have but won't do much for you at 1st level, when you need it most.

Discipline Powers:

Illuminating Answers: This power lets you regain points for your phrenic pool whenever you get an answer from a spell that allowed you to ask a question. This is not going to come up very often, unless your party is willing to let you continually set up divination spells for the sole purpose of regaining pool points. The limit of points you can regain each day is your Wisdom modifier but you should not find it to be a major issue, even in the situation I mentioned earlier.

Mnemonic Cache: I actually wanted to give this a Red rating but I thought it might still have occasional uses for some builds so I went with a compromise between Orange and Red. You can memorize and recall a piece of information perfectly but this is only going to come up in social encounters, if you really need to remember a map that's on the wall and you don't have the money to buy it and take it with you out of the store. You can also disarm magical traps by erasing them. I guess this can be useful sometimes.

Superior Automatic Writing: This only functions with occult skill unlocks and for those Psychics that went down this route, it's good. For others, it's pure garbage.

Memory Palace: This power is full of flavor and I like it for that reason alone but unfortunately, it's not very good. Skill-monkeys might find it useful to have around but it really is too situational for me to rate it higher, even though the idea is cool and very appropriate for a Psychic character.

Final thoughts: Lore, be it as a Mystery, Spirit or Psychic Discipline, has never been my favorite. It is usually fun and flavorful and sometimes has cool features (especially for skill-monkeys) but I generally find it lacking. There is no exception here and I would not recommend it unless you're making a specific character concept because almost any other Psychic Discipline will supply you with better options.

Pain

Phrenic Pool Ability: Charisma. See Abomination for analysis and recommendations.

Bonus Spells: persuasive goad (1st), pain strike (4th), vampiric touch (6th), mass pain strike (8th), synapse overload (10th), mass inflict pain (12th), waves of exhaustion (14th), horrid wilting (16th), mass suffocation (18th)

The main theme here is chaos. Your bonus spells will let you damage your targets, Intimidate them and steal their HP. While some spells are not as good as they could have been , you still get some decent ones such as Waves of Exhaustion or Mass Suffocation.

Discipline Powers:

Painful Reminder: As a swift action, you inflict non-lethal damage to your target if you already damaged them last round with one of your spells. While not bad, it isn't terribly useful either and will conflict with quickened spells at higher levels. On the plus side, it has some nice synergy with Power from Pain (see below).

Power from Pain: The Orange rating here is due to what I assume is a typo. You regain points in your phrenic pool whenever your Painful Reminder power deals more than 5 points of damage, which will happen regularly past level 8. However, you cannot regain more points per day than your Wisdom modifier. I'm pretty sure this should have been your Charisma modifier instead, which would make this ability Green in such case.

Live On: You get the Paladin Lay on Hands' ability! Granted, it functions at your level-3 and you can only target yourself but still, it remains an amazing power to have for when things did not go as planned.

Agonizing Wound: This power is really awesome in that it can reproduce a variety of effects that would otherwise require metamagic feats to achieve. This is not just great for characters focusing on direct damage: controllers will love it as well when paired with Magic Missile. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier so you should always have it ready at the beginning of a fight.

Final thoughts: When I first saw this Psychic Discipline, I immediately thought of Nagato, from the Japanese anime Naruto. I suppose you could roleplay a similar character or go with an adept of Zon-Kuthon and really bring something weird and unique to your game. In any case, this is a solid choice for blasters (though once again, a Psychic blaster has nothing to do with a Wizard fireballing their way through dungeons). It is also a really good option for controllers and debuffers, if only for the Agonizing Wound power and some of the bonus spells.

Psychedelia

Phrenic Pool Ability: Wisdom. See Faith for my personal opinion on this.

Bonus Spells: polypurpose panacea (1st), mad hallucination (4th), synesthesia (6th), confusion (8th), mirage arcana (10th), joyful rapture (12th), waves of ecstasy (14th), euphoric tranquility (16th), astral projection (18th)

Polypurpose Panacea is a very rough start here as this is essentially a knack that takes up one of your 1st level spell slots. Thankfully, the list improves as you level up and you get access to some nice debuff spells, including Confusion and Waves of Ecstasy. I rated Joyful Rapture higher than I would have for an arcane spellcaster due to this spell's ability to free its targets from harmful emotion effects, which is nice for a psychic spellcaster.

Discipline Powers:

Drug Resistance: I'm not really sure what to do with this. From my understanding, it does not affect the Cognatogen power (see below) so its usefulness is quite limited, as drugs usually won't come up very often in a regular game. If it turns out I'm wrong and it does affect the Cognatogen power then it becomes Green. Until I'm proven wrong, this remains Orange: very situational.

Cognatogen: This is a nice ability, stolen from the Alchemist. Once per day, you can enhance one of your mental attributes, at the expense of one of your physical attributes. While the obvious advantages here are to boost your spellcasting or phrenic pool by augmenting the desired attribute, be very careful about the ability damage that comes along with it. You do not want it stacking too much until it becomes a real burden.

Warped Brain: This power is nice to have around. It won't help you resist the mind-affecting effect for which you're saving but it does hinder your opponent somewhat by making them save as well or be nauseated for 1 round. You could do better but you could also do a lot worse. Overall, a nice ability.

Hallucinogenic Aura: This power is weird and can potentially break your game - but not in a good way. While the confused effect on opponents makes it a strong choice, note that it also affects your allies! Only you are immune to this power. Sure, you can brew an antidote that has a long duration (1 month) and in such case, it's actually a good power. Just be aware of the drawback because it might backfire unexpectedly in the middle of a fight if you forget to track the antidote carefully and your DM seizes the opportunity for a potential TPK...

Final thoughts: This Psychic Discipline is a good choice for characters specializing in debuffing the enemy and willing to roleplay the "drug addict", to some extent. Some of the powers are really nice but they come with drawbacks you have to carefully monitor if you don't want them to backfire in a harsh way. For this reason, I would not recommend this Psychic Discipline for beginners: you have to make educated choices each time you want to use your Cognatogen power or your Hallucinogenic Aura and this requires some knowledge of the way the game is played.

Rapport

Phrenic Pool Ability: Charisma. See Abomination for analysis and recommendations.

Bonus Spells: charm person (1st), enthrall (4th), coordinated effort (6th), lesser geas (8th), telepathy (10th), battlemind link (12th), mass hold person (14th), mass charm monster (16th), overwhelming presence (18th)

You gain some nice spells at higher levels but the ones you get before level 10 are really not so good. I rated Telepathy lower than usual because one of your class features actually duplicates the spell.

Discipline Powers:

Emotional Bond: While not a bad ability per se, most of the conditions affecting your allies that this power will let you become aware of are conditions that you would have been able to recognize without the empathic link. I guess it does not hurt to have it but it won't really do wonders for you either.

Emotional Push: This is more like it! All subjects of your Emotional Bond power can gain a bonus to a saving throw they are about to attempt equal to your Charisma modifier. This is an immediate action for your ally and does not require any specific action on your end. Your teammates can use this ability once per day and more as you level up. Each time they do so and save successfully, you regain one point in your phrenic pool. This is an amazing power!

Share Memory: This is okay, I guess. It has some uses but feels a bit lacking for a 5th level power. Be sure to use it on your party Scout as they come back from the bandit camp in order to know what's expecting you in details.

Team Player: You gain two bonus teamwork feats. There are few of those that are worth having for a martial character and even fewer for a caster. Granted, Inner Sea Races seems to have a lot of new teamwork feats so you might find better options in this book, once it's been released. The problem remains that your allies will need to have selected the same teamwork feats for this power to really do something useful for you. Otherwise, you'll have to cast Coordinated Effort each time you want to use your bonus feats which really makes it a bad ability, if you ask me.

Shared Skill: This would have been awesome if Use Magic Device was on the list of class skills for Psychics. As it stands, it is still good as it basically gives your party free rerolls on skill checks you might have failed yourself and it's flexible, so you can change skills every day. A nice and useful power to have.

Final thoughts: I feel like this Psychic Discipline was built with the new Sense8 series in mind. You connect to your allies and monitor their status, help them make their saving throws and share your skill bonuses. If the other players in your gaming group are willing to build similar characters, you can end up with a lot of synergy and a very strong party. Unfortunately, this requires a lot of coordination and discussion outside of play time which is not always possible or even welcome at some tables. This remains a nice choice for support characters and skill-monkeys.

Self-Perfection

Phrenic Pool Ability: Wisdom. See Faith for my personal opinion on this.

Bonus Spells: expeditious retreat (1st), bear's endurance (4th), haste (6th), freedom of movement (8th), echolocation (10th), transformation (12th), ethereal jaunt (14th), iron body (16th), akashic form (18th)

This is a really strong and truly impressive list of bonus spells. You'll be glad for each one of them and, unlike Sorcerers, you actually gain new bonus spells each time you access a new spell level. This is honestly the best bonus spells list of all Psychic Disciplines available in Occult Adventures.

Discipline Powers:

AC Bonus: This is a nice power that replaces the need for armor and let you add your Wisdom modifier to your AC and CMD (!) when unarmored and unencumbered. Please note that it also works for touch attacks and when you're flat-footed. In short, you essentially start walking the path of Self-Perfection with a Monk ability and this is nothing to complain about!

Physical Push: This is a good power, not so much for the bonus it grants you to one physical skill check but mostly for the ability to regain phrenic pool points by successfully making the skill check involved.

Bodily Purge: Oh. My. God. This power essentially lets you heal yourself on the fly. Or cast a lesser restoration. Or neutralize poison. Or remove diseases. You can even dispel permanent negative levels! Not only are these spells that you would otherwise not be able to access, they can be life savers in many situations. Sure, you can only use this power on yourself but even then, it's still a fantastic ability!

Pure Body: You become immune to diseases and poisons. This is simple but effective. However, this power is quite redundant with Bodily Purge (see above) so I did rate it lower on account of this.

Final thoughts: Self-Perfection is the Psychic Discipline for those that want a strong, self-reliant character that can take care of their own issues without burdening the party cleric. If there are no support character in your party, this is a really good choice as well. It can benefit any type of build really, so if you're hesitating and have no idea what to choose for your Psychic Discipline, go for Self-Perfection!

Tranquility

Phrenic Pool Ability: Wisdom. See Faith for my personal opinion on this.

Bonus Spells: telempathic projection (1st), silence (4th), mantle of calm (6th), mass daze (8th), serenity (10th), psychic surgery (12th), mind blank (14th), euphoric tranquility (16th), time stop (18th)

The list of bonus spells has some good ones, some great ones and some bad ones. It does lack a bit of focus in that spells here serve very different purposes. Debuffers and enablers will find a use for most of them but it's clearly not the bonus spells that make this Psychic Discipline attractive.

Discipline Powers:

Mental Placidity: This power lets you spend an immediate action to grant yourself (and allies saving against the same effect) a bonus on your Will saves. If you succeed at the saving throw, you also regain points in your phrenic pool. This is really great and can be used a number of times per day equal to your Wisdom modifier.

Calming Presence: This is a nice ability that can really help you if you're facing Barbarians or Bards on a regular basis. It remains situational though and I would not rate it higher than that for I cannot think of situations in which this would have helped me this past few months in my gaming group, which is not a good sign.

Purge Disquiet: That's right, you become immune to fear effects and the confused condition! For arcane or divine spellcasters, this would have been good but for psychic spellcasters, it's priceless. You can even suppress several conditions affecting your allies for 1 round per Psychic level!

Final thoughts: Looking at the bonus spells list, this Psychic Discipline isn't really impressive. Tranquility also conjures some unsettling mental images of these mages in Dragon Age: Origins that became unable to feel emotions at all and had this placid behavior as a result. I guess you could roleplay it that way, if you wanted to. However, the powers more than make up for it with really good support options and an immunity to one of your main weaknesses: harmful emotion spells and effects. This is even better if you have other psychic spellcasters in your party as you can partially share this power with them. A solid choice for buffers and support characters.

Part 9: Phrenic amplifications (and major amplifications)

Phrenic amplifications:

Complex Countermeasure: At the cost of 1 or 2 points from your phrenic pool, you get to increase by 2 or 4 the concentration check or caster level check required to dispel or counter the spell you are casting. I cannot see this coming into play often enough that it could prove useful on a day-to-day basis. This could be nice to have in a fight with another spellcaster but otherwise, it is very situational.

Conjured Armor: This is obviously not for everyone as only those Psychics focusing on summoning will find a use for it. Basically, any creature you summon with a spell augmented with this phrenic amplification gains an additional Deflection bonus to its AC for 1 round per caster level. The duration is bad at low levels but gets better eventually and the bonus to AC keeps getting higher as you level up which makes it a nice option to protect your little critters (not that them not dying should be your priority but still).

Defensive Prognostication: This phrenic amplification is only really going to be worth it for characters casting Mind Thrust a lot. Mind you, for them, it actually is a nice boost at low levels and for a reasonable cost. This loses steam quite fast though.

Focused Force: Your force spells do more damage and that's about it. There aren't a lot of force spells to choose from but Magic Missile is a good staple and you can build something cool around it so this phrenic amplification can be useful to have around if you go down this route.

Intense Focus: This phrenic amplification lets you spend 1 or 2 points from your phrenic pool to gain a bonus on concentration checks. This is not something you should have to do a lot if you play carefully and even then, the bonus is not worth the points invested to get it. Take a move action to center yourself if you really need it or simply retreat if possible and cast a spell next round, once you're safe.

Mindshield: You can spend points in your phrenic pool to grant your allies targeted by the augmented spell a bonus on Will saves that lasts for 1 round per level (maximum 10 rounds). This is great for buffers and while the duration is too low to make it worth it before level 5, it actually is a nice one to pick up past that point.

Mindtouch: A mind-affecting effect that lets you read surface thoughts of a target affected by the augmented spell. This is not bad but not terribly useful either, though it does have some applications in combat I suppose.

Ongoing Defense: Very, very situational. This phrenic amplification only works with four spells on your class list and you probably won't have more than one or two of them as spells known anyway. It increases the duration of these spells that help improve your psychic defenses. This can be useful to some degree but isn't much better than Complex Countermeasure (see above).

Overpowering Mind: This is very useful for debuffers and controllers as you can spend points from your phrenic pool to increase the DC of the augmented spell proportionally. The ability is really costly however, so you should carefully weight how and when to activate it, otherwise you'll burn all your phrenic pool points very quickly. In addition, this only works with spells that have the mind-affecting descriptor and require a Will saving throw.

Relentless Casting: You get to roll twice on caster level checks made to overcome spell resistance. This is godly and you should not pass up this option, unless you're a support character with very few spells known that call for spell resistance. Due note though that this phrenic amplification must be used before your DM asks for the caster level check so make sure to always identify your enemies first so you know if this will be needed or not.

Undercast Surge: This phrenic amplification has some real potential for Psychic characters seeking to make the most of the new undercast spells mechanic. Unfortunately, I find the cost of this ability is really too high for what it does and, if used regularly, will burn through your phrenic pool like nothing else.

Will of the Dead: This is mandatory for Psychic characters relying on mind-affecting spells and effects, whatever their purpose is, for this lets you use them on undead creatures while bypassing their usual immunity to such things. Much better than Threnodic Spell because it does not require a metamagic feat to achieve and can be used as soon as 1st level (and I have found that many Paizo AP feature lots of undead at low levels).

Major amplifications:

These become available as soon as 11th level and work the same as regular phrenic amplifications, while usually offering more potent effects (at an increased cost).

Dispelling Pulse: You can include a Dispel Magic effect in the augmented spell, so long as your target is hit by your spell or fails their saving throw against it. It would be a very good ability if not for the following limitation: you can only dispel spells and effects of a level equal to or lower than the augmented spell. As it is right now, I'd say it can be useful but remains situational.

Dual Amplification: This major amplification lets you spend 1 point from your phrenic pool to apply two different phrenic amplifications to your augmented spell at the same time. Of course, you are still required to pay the full price of each amplification that you apply to the linked spell but this opens up a world of options for when you really need Will of the Dead and Relentless Casting together, for instance.

Mimic Metamagic: You must choose two metamagic feats upon selecting this major amplification. When you cast spells augmented in this way, you get to apply these metamagic feats without increasing the spell effective level or casting time. Beware, however, as you must pay twice the number of points based on the actual level increase such metamagic feats usually require, which can quickly ramp up to enormous amounts. You can select this major amplification multiple times which can really save you a lot of feat slots but I would recommend that you still learn the ones you use most because of the high cost of this ability.

Space-rending Spell: I do prefer the Arcanist's exploit for similar effects but this major amplification is actually quite useful, letting you teleport as you cast the augmented spell. You decide how far you actually go based on the number of points you spend from your phrenic pool. This is nice to get to safety as you see an enemy approaching and reposition yourself around the battlefield without risking attacks of opportunity.

Subordinate Spell: This is a crappy ability that lets you cast a low-level spell alongside a higher level augmented spell. It sounds good until you realize that you can only cast a spell that targets yourself and of a level no higher than the augmented spell level -5, which is severely limiting. In addition, the cost is astronomic, as you are required to spend 3 + double the subordinate spell level number of points to activate this major amplification. It's not worth it in 90% of the cases.

Synaptic Shock: This major amplification gives you the opportunity to confuse targets of your mind-affecting augmented spell. The only issue here is the duration of 1 round, which is not nearly enough to make it worth it. In addition, you have to spend one point from your phrenic pool for each target of the augmented spell you want to affect with this ability. You could do much better than that.

Turning Shield: You can spend a number of points from your phrenic pool equal to the augmented spell level to gain the benefits of Spell Turning for 1 round per Psychic level. The total number of spell levels that this ability can reflect is equal to the level of the augmented spell. I can see this coming into play at higher levels but not often enough to make it Green. It is a solid but situational ability.

Part 10: Archetypes

There were four archetypes released for the Psychic class in Occult Adventures. I expect more to follow with Occult Origins. Each of these archetypes provides a different type of gameplay and new cool opportunities for roleplay. You will find below my personal opinion and recommendations regarding each one of them.

Amnesiac: This archetype changes your spellcasting mechanic so that you only retain certain spells from those you cast on the last day and gain amnesia slots in exchange, to be filled later in the day with new spells of your choosing. On one hand, this makes for an incredibly versatile character and gives players new options to always have the right tool for the right situation. You're not the Batman Wizard though, and never will be. The archetype also comes with a high cost: there's a 10% chance each time you try to fill up an amnesia slot that you will fail and become unable to cast spells that round. I can see how this could potentially be a huge gamebreaker for some people. I know I am generally lucky so I would not expect it to happen to me too often but not everyone will think the same!
In the end, if you like the concept of an amnesiac character and/or want increased versatility in your spells and are not afraid of the risks that come along with the archetype, I would actually recommend it. It can be really fun to play and quite effective. However, if you do not feel like gambling your spellcasting capacity every round, I can't really blame you and would advise you stay away from this archetype.

Formless Adept: This is a really interesting archetype and a fairly good one for the Psychic class. You basically give up your Psychic Discipline powers in exchange for the ability to take on a formless body with different benefits as you level up: take on a blur effect, gaseous form or become incorporeal and possess your enemies at higher levels! Since you no longer technically have a Psychic Discipline, the archetype sets your phrenic pool to work with Charisma and grants you a fixed list of bonus spells that you gain every time you would have accessed one of your Psychic Discipline spells. These extra bonus spells are actually really good and even better than those most Disciplines will offer so it is a good tradeoff, in my view. The two main drawbacks of this archetype are the duration of your formless body ability and the action required to enter and end such form. Indeed, you can only take on a formless body type for a number of rounds per day equal to 3+your Charisma modifier. This does not go up as you level up which is disappointing. In addition, taking on a formless body requires a standard action (swift action at level 20) and another standard action to end this ability. Sure, the archetype also replaces your 1st level phrenic amplification with one that allows you to cast a spell with the same standard action (and later on swift action) that you use to take on a formless body type. You are still required to spend phrenic pool points for this though and you also still have to spend a standard action to end this ability so in the end, you're still losing on the action economy. For these two reasons, I cannot rate the archetype higher than Green. It remains, however, a solid choice that offers a different gameplay and unique abilities to play with if you want a somewhat different experience than you would have had with the regular Psychic class.

Mutation Mind: This is a prime example of a bad archetype, IMO. The aim here is to turn your Psychic caster into a gish type of character, while you do keep your d6 HD, poor BAB and lack of weapon and armor proficiencies. The entire archetype revolves around the idea of trading your phrenic amplifications for bodily mutations, which let you increase your Strength score and grant you additional capacities such as tremorsense, darkvision or combat maneuver bonuses. It does not really help you become a competent melee combatant and if you want a magic-user that can hold their own in combat, I would recommend you look for other classes in Occult Adventures (the Occultist might suit you, for instance) or other sourcebooks (the Magus is standing right there, waiting for you). Definitely not a good option, in my humble opinion.

Psychic Duelist: You might have noticed the lack of color-coding for this archetype. I did not forget to rate it but have simply been unable to do so, given how very specific the archetype is. It's not even legal in PFS. Basically, what it does is give you extra tools to instigate and win psychic duels. This is somewhat similar to performance combat: if you're into that sort of things and your DM is too, go ahead, it's a nice option. Otherwise, it's not going to do you any good and you're better off selecting another archetype (or no archetype at all).

So far, your options for archetypes are quite limited but as I mentioned earlier, I'm pretty sure Occult Origins will bring in new archetypes for the Psychic class. If none of those currently available strike your fancy, do not despair, there might be more coming that you will like best!

Part 11: Multiclassing (and prestige classes)

As far as multiclassing goes for full casters, my recommendation always will be: don't. Not only do you lose access to extra spells known, higher spell levels and effective spellcasting, you are also at risk of turning a SAD class into a MAD class, depending on the type of multiclassing you're thinking about. Nothing is worth losing progress in your main class for some measly class features from another. Sure, a one-level dip in Crossblooded Sorcerer might be good enough for an Evoker Wizard that they can afford to slightly delay their spellcasting but you're a spontaneous caster: you already have delayed spellcasting, you don't need to make it any worse. You could probably try VMC if you DM allows it as feat slots are a less precious commodity for you than spell slots. Still, I don't think you would gain much from doing this so I would once again recommend that you stay with the Psychic class for the entirety of your character progression.

Prestige classes are different and usually provide nice options for casters, especially spontaneous ones, seeing as you keep learning new spells each level, in comparison with prepared spellcasters. However, the main issue here is that no current prestige class allows you to advance your phrenic pool, phrenic amplifications and Psychic Discipline, which can be essential to some builds. As such, I would not really consider recommending any other prestige class than the Evangelist. Starting at 2nd level, this prestige class lets you advance one class of your choosing and gain additional class features as if you were effectively leveling said class. You would only lose the Psychic capstone, Remade Self, in deciding to go with this prestige class. In exchange, you would get a bunch of additional class skills, bonuses on skill checks, tons of skill points, better HD, divine boons and another, very solid capstone from the Evangelist prestige class. It is also very easy to qualify: you must choose a deity to worship, follow their alignment restrictions, pick up the Deific Obedience feat and there you go, you can go into Evangelist as soon as 6th level. If you're looking for a prestige class to spice up your character concept, this is the one I recommend, seeing as it also has some very nice opportunities for roleplay.

Part 12: Equipment (and magic items)

Head:

Circlet of Persuasion - This is an awesome item that doesn't cost much but grants a +3 bonus on all Charisma-based checks. You can definitely use the boost for UMD and Psychic characters also acting as the Party Face for their gaming group will find a lot of additional uses for this item.

Jingasa of the Fortunate Soldier - Everyone loves a luck bonus to AC but the real power here is the ability to negate a sneak attack or critical hit by spending an immediate action to have the damage be rolled as if it had been a regular hit. This item can be a true life saver! If you're a Sylph, it's only Green due to Windy Escape.

Cap of the Free Thinker - You get to roll twice and keep the better result when making a saving throw against a mind-affecting effect. This item is good and worth the price, although it remains a bit too expensive for my tastes, given its limited purpose (not all Will saves you make are against mind-affecting effects after all).

Headband:

Headband of Mental Superiority - This is an absolute must-have. You'll start off with a Headband of Vast Intelligence and upgrade it to a Headband of Mental Prowess as soon as possible, so you can boost your main casting stat and your phrenic pool stat as you level up. Being able to apply the enhancement bonus to your third mental stat is just gravy on top (although it's actually very smart to do so if you use Charisma for your phrenic pool and have dumped Wisdom at character creation).

Eyes:

Truesight Goggles - This item is extremely expensive but its effects are proportionally good. True seeing continuously on is nice to have at higher levels, when you're fighting creatures and spellcasters that rely on deceptive abilities to win the fight. Besides, you can afford the Goggles for you are not a martial character and thus are not saving for magic weapon and armor.

Eyes of the Eagle - If you do not wish to pick up the Goggles above, this item makes for a nice, cheap replacement. It's a +5 bonus to Perception checks, which should come in handy at any times. You can never have too much Perception in this game.

Goggles of Night - Some races come with built-in darkvision but not all of them do and in a game in which light restrictions are enforced, you'll be glad to have this item. It's a little costly and not as crucial to you as it would be for an archer type of character but it's still a good option.

Lenses of Darkness- For characters with light sensitivity only. If you find your DM is abusing your main weakness, pick up this item on the first occasion you get. Though it's likely your DM won't let you buy it if they're dead set on trolling you...

Shoulders:

Cloak of Resistance - Failing a saving throw at low levels can lead to one character's death. Failing a saving throw at higher levels can cause a potential TPK. You do not want to pass on an opportunity to sure up your saves and this item really isn't that costly anyway.

Minor Cloak of Displacement - This is a constant Blur effect on your character. While not so impressive, it can actually come in quite handy and is a good choice in itself. It's just that the Cloak of Resistance above is almost mandatory so this is a second choice only.

Neck:

Amulet of Natural Armor - A staple for a reason. While your place certainly isn't on the front lines, getting stabbed and beaten to death, it will still happen that an enemy breaches your party defenses and gets to you and when they do, a small chance to avoid being hit is better than none.

Lesser/Greater Talisman of Life's Breath - This item automatically revives you when you should have died. Granted, it's only once ever or once per day depending on which version you selected but this is still extremely powerful as a sure mean to avoid death. If you find yourself dying more than once per day, either you did something really wrong or you pissed off your DM.

Chest:

Quick Runner's Shirt - Once per day, you can spend a swift action to gain an additional move action that you can use on the same round. While not as awesome for you as it is for a Witch character, you'll still find this is nice to have around, especially at lower levels. You can safely trade it off for something else you like best as it doesn't cost much to begin with. There aren't a lot of very impressive Chest slot items anyway so you might also keep it if you like.

Body:

Mnemonic Vestment - A very nice item to have to save money on higher level scrolls that you bought just for this occasion when you need that very specific spell to do the job. It really isn't expensive at all and can actually save you a lot of trouble (and gold) if you frequently rely on scrolls for your spellcasting or have found many of them in your travels.

Robe of Components - A false good idea. Indeed, psychic spells have no material components other than expensive, which the Robe would fail to provide anyway. Stay away from this.

Armor:

Mithral Shirt - Yes, it is true that you are not proficient with any kind of armor or shield but you also won't suffer any spell failure chance for wearing this and, seeing as the armor has no armor check penalty, you can even make attack rolls for these spells that require it and Fly around all day without issues. Of course, I would recommend you further enchant it with enhancement bonuses and defensive abilities for good measure (Slick, Spell Storing and Fortification are usually strong choices).

Belt:

Belt of Physical Might - You're not a martial character so this shouldn't be a priority but do consider it as soon as you can afford it. Boosting Constitution and Dexterity together will grant you more HP, more AC, better Reflex and Fortitude saves and extra initiative, thus improving your character's overall survivability.

Wrists:

Sleeves of Many Garments- This item is mostly for roleplaying purposes but it's super cheap and it's not like you'd have much better to select for this magic item slot anyway so why not go for it?

Hands:

Gloves of Elvenkind - This item's price tag is very high for what it does and you probably won't use the bonus to concentration checks very often (I sure hope you won't have to, at least!). However, it is very good for crafters who will appreciate the bonus to Spellcraft checks that lets them make more expensive items with lower chances of failure.

Rings:

Ring of Freedom of Movement - Extremely pricy but this item is super blue for how much you'll appreciate no longer being at risk of dying when you enter a dungeon room with a large grappling foe in front of you and not enough room to the ceiling to fly out of reach. Save up for this, it's worth it!

Ring of Protection - The ring counterpart to the Amulet of Natural Armor, it serves a similar purpose, boosting your AC so you are less likely to get hit. Deflection bonuses also apply against touch attacks so this is a good way to improve your touch AC if you regularly face monsters resorting to such attacks.

Ring of Sustenance - A cheap and effective magic item that will probably be even more useful to crafters as it lets them work on their magic items for longer in a regular adventuring day. Why waste time sleeping when you could be crafting all night long?

Ring of Psychic Mastery - It's not that it's bad but it is way overpriced. One extra spell per day of 1st to 4th level is nice but by the time you can finally afford this item, you probably don't really need them anymore, seeing as spontaneous spellcasters are less likely to run out of spells per day than their prepared counterparts.

Ring of Wizardry - Sadly, this is for arcane spellcasters only. Would have been quite good though.

Ring of Spell Knowledge - Also for spontaneous arcane spellcasters only. Too bad because this item is a really nice one for Sorcerers wishing to expend their spells known.

Ring of Feather Falling - Another false good idea. Get a Snapleaf or a Talisman of Beneficial Winds rather than eat up a ring slot with this magic item.

Feet:

Boots of Teleportation - These are not so pricy, given what they actually do, which is to let you cast Teleport up to 3 times per day with no further restrictions. It's not a mandatory item but there are few good feet magic items anyway and this is one of the best for your class.

Boots of Speed - I'm quite hesitant to mark these as Green as the benefits of Haste are partially lost on you. Indeed, you will not attack more given that you do not use a weapon to begin with and you cannot cast additional spells while under the effects of Haste. However, the free action to boost your movement rate once or more per day can come in handy so the Boots of Speed remain a good choice. Even though they were, like, lime green. ;)

Boots of Escape - Until you can get your hands on a Ring of Freedom of Movement, this is a very good replacement that will probably save your life at least once before you part with it. Do not hesitate to buy this item as soon as possible, especially if you find your DM is well too aware of your weaknesses, like mine frequently do!

Weapon:

You need no other weapon than your mind. In all seriousness, do pick up a dagger or something so you can threaten the spaces around you or provide a flank if necessary but that's about it.

Misc:

Cracked Dusty Rose Prism Ioun Stone - A +1 competence bonus on initiative checks for a very affordable price of 500 gp. This magic item is essentially a half-trait and is dirt cheap: I recommend you pick it up as soon as possible.

Handy Haversack Bag - You need of these badly so jump on the first occasion you get to buy one. Most Paizo AP will also have one available somewhere in the loot of the first campaign book but the bad news is you're probably not the only person interested in keeping it! Not only does this solve any encumbrance issue you might be experiencing due to your low Strength score, it also helps you retrieve items as a move action that do not provoke attacks of opportunity, which is priceless.

Tome of Clear Thought - Terribly expensive but worth every single copper piece you'll save for it. Boost your Intelligence as much as you can during character progression as this is your only real defining ability, governing your spellcasting and the vast majority of your skills. Such books also exist to boost your secondary stat, either Wisdom or Charisma, if you feel like you could use an inherent bonus to it.

Snapleaf - RAW, this item seems to work indefinitely which would be wrong for its price but if your DM goes for it, then the Snapleaf is super blue! Otherwise, it's still a very useful item to have, unless you wanna buy a Talisman of Beneficial Winds, which will do the trick just as well.

Lesser Strand of Prayer Beads - The rating here is assuming that the bead of healing is also treated as spell trigger items, which the description does not say. Otherwise, it's not really worth your money. If you lack a cleric in your party, you'll be glad for this item which can get you out of trouble once per day. Still a bit pricy though.

Bag of Holding - This is essentially a Handy Haversack with the ability to hold more items but the lack of possibility to easily retrieve stuff stored in it. You should probably consult with your party and buy one together to bring back everything you find on your adventures.

Runestone of Power - These should work for Psychic characters as well as they do for Sorcerers. It is not mandatory that you buy one but if you find yourself running out of spells quickly in your game, it might be worth considering buying a few low-level ones.

Ioun Torch - For those Psychics out there who can't be bothered to cast Light or Dancing Lights when entering dark rooms, despite the unlimited number of knacks per day. Still, it's very cheap and doesn't take up a magic item slot so it's worth it if you're interested.

Elixir of Swimming - Sure, at some point, you'll be able to fly over rivers and mountains but at low levels, you might be required to swim and you certainly don't have the Strength score for it. You also probably don't want to reroll because your previous character drowned and this cheap item will let you avoid the terrible fate that awaits any caster immerged in water deeper than their ankles.

Page of Spell Knowledge - A very good item that is unfortunately restricted to arcane or divine spontaneous spellcasters by RAW. I suppose you could make a case to your DM that this is obviously intended to work for all spontaneous casters but if you've enjoyed using this item with your latest Sorcerer or Oracle character, you should prepare to say goodbye. Luthorne, on the Paizo messageboards, brought to my attention the fact that a Spell Lattice will function in a similar fashion and work for Psychic characters. This item had eluded my knowledge thus far and I am glad Luthorne mentioned it because this holds immense value for Psychics!

Staves:

I would not recommend any of those, specifically. If your DM will let you make your own custom staff then it can be a good way to supplement your limited spellcasting capacity. However, no staves are truly required for your character to work and they can be very, very pricy so beware.

Rods:

There are several good rods to choose from and while the lesser version is enough for some of them, I would actually recommend that you upgrade them when you can as they will always come in handy. Do remember to store them in your Handy Haversack for convenient, easy access in the midst of battle.

Extend: Very nice to have around for your hour-long buff spells so that they will last all day. At higher levels, use on 10 minutes per level or 1 minute per level duration spells.

Reach: I have found that most people underestimate the power of this metamagic feat. I have found many uses for it while playing various caster characters, be it to buff an ally from the opposite side of the battlefield or to safely deliver touch range spells. If you do not wish to learn Reach Spell, be sure to buy a metamagic rod as soon as you can, you'll be glad you have it on several occasions.

Quicken: While this is an amazing metamagic feat to have and almost mandatory to learn, it isn't as good as you'd think as a rod. This is because of the very high price tag for even a lesser rod of Quicken Spell. Most of the time, you're better off just learning Quicken Spell as soon as possible instead of buying such an expensive item. Still, if you can afford it, it's worth the price and you'll always have a use for it: so much that you might wish you could have more uses per day on this item!

Logical: For obvious reasons, a lesser rod of Logical Spell is a good choice for a Psychic character. If you find that your DM is well aware of your weakness to harmful emotions and tries to slap you with one during every fight, it's your only real, 100% safe option for casting spells when you've been intimidated or you're facing something with a fear aura.

Intuitive: While less likely to come up as often as the need for Logical Spell, if you find that you are forced to cast defensively a lot, it might be worth picking up a rod of this. Still, in my opinion, if you play carefully and unless your DM is a dick, you shouldn't need this on a regular basis.

Ectoplasmic: I'm really hesitant to recommend buying a rod of Ectoplasmic Spell for it is only very situationally useful but when you need it, there's no other way to achieve similar results and it's unlikely you will have learned Ectoplasmic Spell as your character leveled up. On the bright side, it's not particularly costly so you won't have to sell anything too valuable to get this in exchange.

Wands:

I love them. I truly do and I usually carry over a dozen of them with me at all times. Higher level spells are not worth it for the cost of wands is exponential but there are a number of good 1st level and 2nd level spells that can make great wands. Below are some of my favorites.

1st level spells:

• Cure Light Wounds: very cheap healing, for out of combat use only
• Endure Elements: very useful in some games, of limited usage in others, really depends on how much you expect to face very high/low temperatures
• Enlarge Person: your melee allies will love you forever and it's generally wise to keep the meat shields standing between you and your foes happy :p
• Expeditious Retreat: sometimes, the wisest course of action is to run away and this lets you do it faster
• Faerie Fire: normally, I would not recommend this but seeing that Glitterdust is not on your class spells list, it becomes worth having it around for those fights with deceptive foes
• Grease: this spell's main effects are not level dependent so it makes a great wand
• Lesser Restoration (Paladin): if your DM will let you buy this as a Paladin-made wand, it's definitely worth it!
• Longstrider: very long base duration, otherwise works in a similar fashion than Expeditious Retreat
• Negate Aroma: you're probably wondering about this one. Well I have found that I hate it when the guard dogs of the bandits can pinpoint my location easily while I am invisible simply because they have scent. Negate Aroma takes care of this problem by removing all sorts of scents that might give you away.
• Protection from Evil: Paizo AP are loaded with evil foes and it's likely you'll face lots of them in a home-made campaign too. If you do not have a Cleric or Oracle character in your party, this is mandatory, otherwise, they probably have it as a spell known/prepared
• Resist Energy (Ranger): it's the same here than for Lesser Restoration, if you can have it as a 1st level wand, it's really great!
• Shield: Of moderate use for you but others in your party might also be able to activate this wand and might be glad to have it around for some fights. You could have your party contribute when you buy this wand if you expect they will also resort to it frequently.

2nd level spells:

• Barkskin: see Shield, above. Might not be of much use for you personally but your allies will thank you for it. I know as a caster my need for gold is lower than martial characters so I will usually not have them pay for the charge I used on them but if your DM is only handing out very little treasure then buy this as a party item because it is very expensive for what it does.
• Darkvision: I'm on the fence with this one but I can see this coming handy in a situation in which you don't want to give away your position with torches or spells and you're in group full of humans in an unlit dungeon or cave.
• Knock: sometimes, it's just too dangerous to send your Party Scout alone out there to check for traps. This can save you a very expensive resurrection spell and is worth the investment, especially if no one has a good Perception and/or Disable Device bonus to skill checks in your party.
• Mirror Image: this spell is so good that you probably have it as one your spells known. Nevertheless, it's always good to have to save spell slots and some of your allies might also be able to use it, making this wand a good item to buy as a group if you expect many of you will use it regularly.
• Spectral Hand: deliver touch spells from the safety of range. This spell is not level dependent and you could pass on Reach Spell if you have a wand of Spectral Hand at your disposal.

Scrolls:

Wands are for spells you expect to cast frequently enough that it's worth paying more to have them available when you need them most. Scrolls are for niche spells, those you might need at some point in your career but probably won't use every time either.

It would be too long to make a detailed list of good spells to have on scrolls for all of them can be useful one day. If you happen upon a scroll you think you'll never use during your game, do keep it still. You might be surprised that you'll find a use for it eventually. Good scroll candidates are spells which effects' are not level dependent, as with wands. Comprehend Languages, See Invisibility or Touch of the Sea are good examples of spells that are better to have on a scroll than a wand.

Potions:

I'm not a huge fan of those for they usually cost more than scrolls or wands for similar effects and you should have a reasonable UMD bonus anyway to activate items not already on your class list. However, there are some spells that might be worth having as potions and I suggest you get a bandolier (or better, two bandoliers) to store them for easy and quick access in combat.

Here are some of the potions I would consider buying, in the absence of scrolls or wands of the same spell:

• Cure Light Wounds (1st level): not so cheap anymore but still a reliable healing method out of combat
• Endure Elements (1st level): might be better than a wand if you know you'll only need it on one specific occasion
• Remove Fear (1st level): you're a psychic spellcaster. This is the only potion I recommend you buy frequently enough that you always have one with you, and preferably more than one if you can.
• Shield of Faith +2 (1st level): can come in handy and will benefit a teammate equally if you don't feel like using it for yourself
• Darkvision (2nd level): this is actually better as a potion than a wand, IMO. The reason is that it should not come up often enough that you absolutely need darkvision and simply can't light up a torch or cast a spell.
• Remove Paralysis (2nd level): you obviously can't drink it if you're the one person that has been paralyzed so let your party know that you have this so they can help you when you need it!
• Undetectable Alignment (2nd level): a nice potion to have for the more evil Psychics out there who don't appreciate being Paladin bait
• Gaseous Form (3rd level): can get you out of stinky situations, if you are able to drink the potion to begin with
• Neutralize Poison (3rd level): ideally, you don't want to get poisoned to start with but sometimes, it happens regardless and some poisons can be very deadly
• Remove Blindness/deafness (3rd level): while not as detrimental to you as they are for arcane and divine spellcasters, these conditions are still pretty hefty
• Remove Curse (3rd level): a -6 penalty to one ability score hurts, whichever the ability that was affected, so you must remedy it as soon as possible and having this potion is a nice step in the right direction
• Remove Disease (3rd level): see Neutralize Poison, above. Diseases are generally not as deadly (at least in the short term) as poisons but they are still very debilitating.
• Water Walk (3rd level): very situational and an Elixir of Swimming would have been better but I guess it works too if you really need it

Alchemical creations:

Do not underestimate the usefulness of some of the alchemical items available in Pathfinder. There are a ton of them out there and some duplicate spell effects very effectively. If you have an Alchemist or Investigator in your party and you follow my recommendations, you'll probably make them rich! But I guarantee it's worth it: on two occasions during the past three months, the Smelling Salts I threw at my teammates when they were down have changed the course of the fight and saved their characters.

Below is a list of alchemical creations I recommend you get on the first occasion, either by buying them from merchants or directly from other members of your party who can craft them.

Oils and Flammables:

Alchemist's Fire: This is a nice backup at low levels and useful to have against swarms and creatures with regeneration abilities (such as trolls).

Misc. Substances:

Acid: See Alchemist's Fire above. A flask of acid will serve the same purpose.

Alchemical Grease: Very useful at low levels to help you escape grapples. If you have a scroll of Grease or even better, a wand, this loses value. If another caster in your party can cast Grease, just skip it altogether.

Alchemical Solvent: This item is very situational but Tanglefoot Bags can be a pain to get rid of and you might be happy to have it around in case you get trapped in spider webbings, somewhere in a dark cave or in the middle of the jungle.

Shadowcloy: This substance and a Darklight Lantern can offer protection from high luminosity levels for characters with light sensitivity. In addition, this can also be thrown as a splash weapon to decrease the ambient light around your target.

Balms, Medicines and Tonics:

Antiplague: Gain an alchemical bonus to your Fortitude saving throws against diseases. You probably don't have a very high Fortitude save to begin with, as most probably other members of your party do. This can really help you save money on potions or more expensive spells to remove diseases.

Antitoxin: Works similarly to the Antiplague above, only against poisons and provides similar benefits.

Smelling Salts: This is an amazing item and versatile too. You can use it to attempt a new saving throw to avoid being staggered or rendered unconscious but you can also use it to bring back dying characters. They become conscious and staggered and must continue making stabilization checks every round but this might let them retreat closer to someone who can provide healing or at least to a safer spot. A single container has dozen of uses so it's really worth the price too.

Troll Oil: For the next hour after you drink this, you automatically stabilize if brought below 0 HP and have a 50% chance each round to end any bleed effects on you. This is something I like to have and consume before entering a dungeon or a particularly well guarded place of interest, just in case.

Unguent of Revivification: A spell of Gentle Repose, only everyone can use it and help preserve the body of their fallen comrade to bring them back from the dead later on.

Special Equipment:

Smokestick: A cheap alternative to Obscuring Mist, I have put this item to good use in the past to provide cover for my allies while retreating or offer the rogue in my party a set up for their sneak attacks. It's worth having a few of those around.

Tanglefoot Bag: This item can be used in different manners but the end goal is always the same: root your enemies in place so you can beat them up while they try to escape.  Even if your attack bonus is not that impressive, there's a good chance you will manage to throw this yourself and if you can't, ask the Fighter in your party.

Thunderstone: You can use this item as a mean to debuff your target but you can also set up an alarm around your campsite, with some cleverly built trap for your enemies. Just be careful where you aim this if you throw it at someone or something as it takes effect in a 10-foot-radius area.

Mundane gear:

I recently realized that many of the players in the Rise of the Runelords campaign I am running were unaware of the simple, little items below that can make your life easier. I thought I might as well talk about them here, in case anyone else who has never heard about them happens to read this guide, and thus will know they exist and can be useful.

Bandolier: You can wear up to two of them at the same time without penalty and they weight nothing. This item is very, very cheap and lets you use the "retrieve a stored item" action to take things off it during a fight. It's very nice to carry around potions and have them readily available in combat.

Wrist sheath, spring-loaded: This item does have a weight of 1 lb. but is otherwise very cheap (5 gp). I recommend you buy two of them, for each of your arms, because they are awesome and give you the possibility to store an item akin to a wand (it's even called out in the description) and retrieve it as a swift action. This means you could release the wand, move up to an ally's position and use the wand on them all in the same round, if you wanted, instead of needing two rounds to do the same thing, only without this item. It really is too good to ignore: get this at character creation with your starting gold if you must, you'll be glad you have it when you get your first wand.

I think that's about it for equipment and magic items so let's move on to the sample builds section of this guide!

Part 13: Sample builds

In this section, I will present some of the builds I came up with and experimented for Psychic characters. Not all of them are equally powerful but they are equally fun to play and I am confident everyone will find something to their liking in the number of builds below.

In addition to the obvious information regarding ability scores, feats, traits and class features, I will also give a short description of each build's gameplay and roleplay opportunities.

The Force User

Race: Half-Elf
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Class: Psychic
Level: 12
Archetype: None
Psychic Discipline: Self-Perfection
Ability Scores (recommended at 1st level): STR 7 DEX 12 CON 12 INT 19 WIS 15 CHA 10
--->Increase Intelligence at level 4 and Wisdom at level 8.
Traits: Magical Lineage (Magic Missile), Metamagic Master (Magic Missile)
Feats: 1. Toppling Spell
3. Dazing Spell
5. Heighten Spell
7. Spell Penetration
9. Greater Spell Penetration
11. Quicken Spell
Phrenic amplifications: 1. Focused Force
3. Mindtouch
7. Relentless Casting
11. Dual Amplification
Skills: Max out Fly, Perception, Spellcraft and Use Magic Device. Invest in all Knowledge skills so you can always make a check when required. Don't forget to also invest in Sense Motive, seeing as you have a good Wisdom score.
Gear: Look for a Headband of Mental Superiority as soon as you can. A Handy Haversack is also required and you should have a Cloak of Resistance, regularly upgraded to the next best version. A Ring of Freedom of Movement is not required for this build as you gain that very spell for free at 8th level with your chosen Psychic Discipline.
Roleplay: Lots of opportunities here, from leader of a rebel army to ascetic monk in training.
Gameplay: This build uses Magic Missile as a mean to deliver nasty conditions, dazed being the most important one. Heighten Spell is there to boost the original level of Magic Missile and so increase the duration of Dazing Spell. The idea is not for this character to deal impressive amounts of damage: they can't do that. However, they make brilliant controllers and can even support their allies with buff spells once the enemy has been dazed. Beware of foes that can cast Shield though: they'll shut down your main strategy and you'll have to think of something else to contribute meaningfully. Fortunately, you can do that very easily.

The Mind Crusher

Race: Human
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Class: Psychic
Level: 12
Archetype: None
Psychic Discipline: Abomination
Ability Scores (recommended at 1st level): STR 7 DEX 12 CON 12 INT 18 WIS 10 CHA 16
--->Increase Intelligence at level 4 and level 8.
Traits: Magical Lineage (Mind Thrust II), Metamagic Master (Mind Thrust II)
Feats: 1. Spell Focus (divination)
1. Spell Specialization (Mind Thrust I)
3. Intensified Spell
Level 4: switch Spell Specialization to Mind Thrust II
5. Empower Spell
7. Quicken Spell
9. Piercing Spell
Level 10: retrain Spell Specialization to Greater Spell Focus (divination)
11. Expanded Phrenic Pool
Phrenic amplifications: 1. Will of the Dead
3. Overpowering Mind
7. Relentless Casting
11. Dual Amplification
Skills: As usual, Perception, Spellcraft and Use Magic Device will come in handy. You have a very good Charisma score so you can afford to invest into Bluff, Diplomacy and Intimidate if you want, even more so if you act as the Party Face for your group. Don't forget to pick up the most useful Knowledge skills out there: arcana, local, nature, planes and religion. You also want a good bonus in Fly because you'll be using that spell a lot.
Gear: Your top priority should be to get your hands on a Headband of Vast Intelligence and to upgrade it whenever you can. This will help boost the DC of your spells and is absolutely required for this build. Charisma is less important to you so you can safely upgrade your Headband of Vast Intelligence over buying a new Headband of Mental Prowess. For the rest of your gear, take a look at the equipment section above and go for the usual items, based on your preferences.
Roleplay: You could use your Dark Half power to justify your character's actions and pretend you struggle with a demon or otherworldly figure that is trying to use you as a vessel for evil. Alternatively, you could simply roleplay a really mean individual who takes pleasure in the suffering of others, which caused their mind to fracture and create a division to hold back the worst part of their personality, which they access again involuntarily every time they inflict pain.
Gameplay: This build revolves around the idea of doing HP damage to enemies using your spells to achieve this. In a way, I suppose you could call it blasting. Now I do consider that blasting is generally subpar because you could simply end a fight with judicious use of some of your other spells but I know a lot of people enjoy this type of gameplay and I was not about to tell them that it is not an option. In fact, while your blasting is single-target oriented, you can actually deal a very good amount of damage in one round, especially starting at level 8, when you get to cast quickened spells.

Quick comparison with an archer build, which is the closest thing you can relate to:

Level 4: You deal 6d8 damage (average 27) to a single target, assuming they fail their saving throw against your spell.
A dedicated Fighter archer with a composite longbow (Strength +2), Rapid Shot, Deadly Aim and Weapon Specialization will deal up to 2d8+18 damage (average 27), assuming they hit their target both times.
Sure, the Fighter could also spread their attacks between different foes so they win over you in fights with multiple enemies. You're still holding your own pretty nicely damage-wise though.

Level 8: You now deal up to 20d8 damage (average 90) to a single target with a Quickened Mind Thrust II and Intensified Empowered Mind Thrust II in the same round.
Note that this is cut down by half if they make their saving throw but still.
The Fighter probably has Manyshot by now and iterative attacks. Assuming they switched their composite bow for one with Strength +3, they now deal up to 4d8+52 (average 70) damage per round, assuming all of their attacks hit.
If someone is trying to tell you that you can't be effective with this build, hear their arguments for you can always learn from them but know that I consider you can do just fine. Sure, your main issue is that you can't spread your damage between targets as an archer would be able to do and this means you will shine less in fights that have multiple enemies. In those, consider laying down some buff spells for your allies before you move on to blasting. You'll do everyone a favor and your teammates will be glad for the help. Do the same thing if you ever encounter a foe immune to mind-affecting effects that is not an undead (you have Will of the Dead for them). Some people will probably tell you that your damage is very subpar against enemies that have a high Will save but so will be the Fighter's against enemies with high AC, if they can't hit with all their attacks. If you love blasting and you would rather do direct damage than control your enemies, go for it!

The Enchanter

Race: Gnome
Alignment: Neutral Good
Class: Psychic
Level: 12
Archetype: Amnesiac
Psychic Discipline: Dream
Ability Scores (recommended at 1st level): STR 5 DEX 12 CON 12 INT 18 WIS 10 CHA 16
--->Increase Intelligence at level 4 and level 8.
Traits: Reactionary, Dangerously Curious
Feats: 1. Improved Initiative
3. Spell Focus (enchantment or illusion)
5. Persistent Spell
7. Piercing Spell
9. Greater Spell Focus (enchantment or illusion)
11. Quicken Spell
Phrenic amplifications: 1. Will of the Dead
3. Overpowering Mind
7. Ongoing Defense
11. Space-rending Spell
Skills: You get Use Magic Device as a class skill with a trait so max this out, you'll be glad you have it. As usual, Spellcraft is very good to have and even more so if your game goes on past level 12, because you could aim for Spell Perfection. With such a high Charisma, it would be a shame not to invest a few points in social skills. You also want a good Perception and one of your racial trait already helps with that. Also remember to pump up Fly a little: you're not supposed to be able to make the most difficult checks with this skill but you need to be able to hover and stay out of reach of your enemy while you're wrapping their minds and bending them to your will. Finally, do invest a lot in Knowledge skills: if your enemy has a high spell resistance, you've got to know it before you begin casting.
Gear: Look for a Headband of Mental Prowess early. If you can, it would also be smart of you to boost your Wisdom for Will saves. Remember to pick up a Ring of Freedom of Movement  and save for metamagic rods of Logical Spell, Intuitive Spell and the like. Indeed, I have found that characters specializing in controlling their enemies tend to catch a DM's attention and they are going to try going after you first because they know once you start casting, you might very well break the fight.
Roleplay: I think Gnomes make very interesting characters for this concept but you could also have gone with Elves as the Dream Psychic Discipline will suit them nicely too. I made this character an Amnesiac because most of the spells you want for the job that is yours, you get them from your Psychic Discipline, so you can afford to have floating amnesia slots. In addition, I find it hilarious to roleplay a character that keeps forgetting their buddies' names or who the BBEG was supposed to be!
Gameplay: You might have noticed that I suggested you choose between Enchantment and Illusion for Spell Focus. This is because you can rely on either one of these two schools of magic to play your part effectively. I personally prefer Illusion, which will reward the more creative but these spells will also require that your DM is open-minded and knows the rules in play. If they don't, enchantment is a safe choice too and quite fun as well. The idea is that you stop your enemies from doing what they do best: killing your party. You build around boosting your spells' DC as high as possible and making your foes roll multiple times for their saves. Of course, do keep a few spells around for these situations when you're fighting an enemy immune to mind-affecting effect (that is not an undead too). The Amnesiac archetype actually helps here because you can switch around your list of spells known on a day-to-day basis.

The Would-be Cleric

Race: Halfling
Alignment: Loyal Good
Class: Psychic
Level: 12
Archetype: None
Psychic Discipline: Faith
Ability Scores (recommended at 1st level): STR 5 DEX 12 CON 12 INT 18 WIS 15 CHA 10
--->Increase Wisdom at level 4 and Strength at level 8.
Traits: Second Chance, Reactionary
Feats: 1. Improved Initiative
3. Extend Spell
5. Reach Spell
7. Additional Traits (Dangerously Curious, Clever Wordplay)
9. Quicken Spell
11. Iron Will
Phrenic amplifications: 1. Mindshield
3. Conjured Armor
7. Relentless Casting
11. Dispelling Pulse
Skills: You should be exceedingly good at making Use Magic Device skill checks for you get it as a class skill and you use your Intelligence modifier instead of your Charisma modifier for it. You're probably not going to represent your party in social encounters so you could use your skill points to act as a skill monkey and provide information on monsters' weaknesses in combat. This is part of supporting other characters too. Fighters want to know about DR, Magus characters and blasters want to know about energy resistance, Inquisitors care for the enemy's creature type and other casters will want to know about their saves. Be sure you always start a fight with a Knowledge skill check to identify your foes.
Gear: Equipment and magic items are less important for a support character because there is nothing you really need to truly do your job properly. It only requires that you focus on the battlefield and be able to assess which spells are going to be of most use in a specific situation. Still, you want to boost your Intelligence and Wisdom as well as pick up items that increase your survivability, such as an Amulet of Natural Armor or a Ring of Protection. Indeed, as a support character, you should never go down, otherwise you're not helping your party. Do remember that your Psychic Discipline grants you a power that replaces the need for a Cloak of Resistance, so you get more money to spend on other items.
Roleplay: Your character could be a mage who's talent for magic stems from deep faith or simply an altruistic individual, dedicated to helping others or even just an adventurer with a strong sense of friendship, who seeks to protect his allies.
Gameplay: There is no specific way to play a support character because your job is to adapt to the situation at hand and provide the required tools for your other party members to shine. You should collect information on your enemies at the beginning of a fight and then use your buff spells with the shortest range, prioritizing defensive or offensive options depending on your own assessment of the level of threat you're facing. Do make it clear though that you are not a band aid and will not be spamming cure spells in combat.

The Item Dealer

Race: Half-elf
Alignment: True Neutral
Class: Psychic
Level: 12
Archetype: Formless Adept
Psychic Discipline: None (see archetype above)
Ability Scores (recommended at 1st level): STR 7 DEX 12 CON 12 INT 20 WIS 7 CHA 15
--->Increase Charisma at level 4 and Wisdom at level 8.
Traits: Elven Reflexes, Dangerously Curious
Feats: 1. Skill Focus [Knowledge(arcana)](race)
1. Improved Initiative
3. Eldritch Heritage (Arcane)
5. Craft Wondrous Item
7. Craft Magic Arms and Armor
9. Craft Rod
11. Quicken Spell
Phrenic amplifications: 1. Formless Spell (set by archetype)
3. Conjured Armor or Overpowering Mind
7. Relentless Casting
11. Mimic Metamagic (Reach Spell/Extend Spell or Persistent Spell/Piercing Spell)
Skills: You have a ton of skill points at your disposal so just go crazy with them and pick up everything you like. Do remember to boost your Perception as much as you can because you have a low Wisdom score. Max out Use Magic Device, you're sure it's going to come in handy and don't forget the usual: Spellcraft, Fly and Knowledge skills. Spellcraft is particularly crucial to you because your main job is to create magic items and you need this skill for that. Invest one point in Spellcraft at every level. Your phrenic pool is based off Charisma so you can make a decent Party Face, if you so desire. I'm sure by now you're familiar with my recommendations regarding skills for your character.
Gear: Gloves of Elvenkind are really attractive for you because they boost the skill you use to craft magic items and they let you do this with more ease. A Headband of Vast Intelligence is of course required, and you should definitely make it a Headband of Mental Prowess in due time, for you need as much Charisma as you can get for your formless body abilities.
Roleplay: You're going to have a familiar, starting at 3rd level, to help you craft things faster. You should talk with your DM about this so you may come up together with a background for the familiar and a way for you to become its owner (unless your DM would just have it appear out of nowhere because you took a feat, some would do that too). Otherwise, your character is probably a lonely scholar or mad scientist type of guy so there's definitely room for different types of roleplay here.
Gameplay: The whole build revolves around the idea of taking item creation feats and having a Valet familiar to help you with your crafting. You become the party dealer and everybody's best friend but beware: some games will not have a lot of downtime for crafting and you might find your feats useless in such occasions so talk with your DM first and make your intentions clear so there's no misunderstanding from the start. You might have noticed that I suggested multiple phrenic amplifications for some levels and gave you a choice: this is because you can take two different directions with your spells, either support your party or debuff the enemy. Remember that your role is not only to provide your allies with magic items: you must also contribute meaningfully in combat.

These are just some of the builds I came up with for Psychic characters. There are a lot of other different possibilities and I highly advise that you take the time to make your own build if you have a particular concept, because there's nothing more satisfying than to test it and see it come to fruition in play. I hope this guide will have made you want to try the Psychic class and build your own unique Psychic character!

Part 14: Occult Origins

Coming soon!!!