D&D 5E Do you want psionics in your D&D?

[Yaarel]

Looking at the Mystic playtest just makes me sleepy. I already learned the ins and outs of one spellcasting system that 9/12 classes in the game run on, and the thought of having to run games with a brand new system for casting your spells (sorry 'manifesting' your 'psionics') that only one class uses is just...god that sounds like a lot of work, and I'm not really sure what that works gains me, as a DM.

The only way I would see myself incorporating psionics into my games would be if they wholly replaced the traditional spellcasting system. (Setting and campaign where the only classes available were Fighter, Rogue, Barbarian, and Mystic.)

I agree with you. At the same time, the Mystic isnt as bad as it looks at first glance. Really, it is a cluster normal spells. Think of it as thematically grouped spells.

Mechanically, the Mystic is a normal full caster class, like Wizard, Bard, Cleric, and Druid. (The Mystic has some problems with balance, being underpowered at high levels, but it is a full caster class.)

 

[Warbringer]

"This isn't the rpg you are looking for"

"You're free to move to another thread"

 

[Azurewraith]

Never been a fan of psionics it always seemed more scifi to me than fantasy. Add to the fact I'm not overly keen on the way 5e handles magic as is and that's all psionics are is Magic.

 

[76512390ag12]

No. Always felt odd

Sent from my SM-G901F using Tapatalk

 

[Alexemplar]

I've liked Psionics in certain contexts: Dark Sun, and even Eberron, wher they make efforts to integrate them into the setting. I've always disliked how divorced they were from the rest of the core game in other supplements, though. 4e went a long way in making Psionics seem as legitimate as the arcane/divine/martial/etc dynamic. Making the Monk a psionic class, which I believe helped further ground them in the D&D world and gave them context as a source for Orientalism/New Age/Third Eye/Chi/Eastern Mystic powers. It acknowledges its "foreign/exotic" appeal and is actually in keeping with the protrayal of Psionics in Dark Sun and Eberron- settings where they have been most readily embraced.

 

[OB1]

I do like the idea of Psionics, and even more so if, instead of just being another system of magic, it's one level deeper, where practitioners are hacking the reality of the game itself, Matrix like (You mean I can dodge bullets (Magic)? No, when you're ready, you won't need to (Psionics)). I think some of the UA mystic gets at that with abilities that allow for a large amount of flexibility, but doesn't go quite far enough, relying on to many spell like abilities. I also don't like that the current implementation doesn't combine Ki with Psi, but that's a whole separate topic.

Ultimately, I'd like to see a Mystic do a couple of different types of things. 1. Spend Psi to temporarily take on class and race features from anywhere in the rules. 2. Spend Psi points to determine the results of a die roll

 

[Helldritch]

No psi for me in my campaings. They never were that cool and they belong to sci-fi (imo). In 1ed they were too unbalancing, in 2nd it was about the same. 3.5 never took the chance to get anywhere near the psi books (got burned twice, I won't get burned thrice...). 4ed... better left unspoken. So in 5ed, I really don't want anything about them.

I read the mystic and I don't like it either. I much prefer the knight.

 

[steeldragons]

Civilized peoples, the world over, on Orea travel from far and wide to visit (and HOPE for an audience within) the Blue [Crystal] Tower. They send gifts and emissaries to pose questions that might sway or save (or destroy) the fates of important persons or an entire people, even the world itself, for answers from the Oracles of Andril.

The counsel of a green-cloaked and clad initiate from the pseudo-religious Order of the Emerald Tear, with their teardrop-shaped sparkling green gemstones adorning robes and brow, is often unsolicited but always highly prized for its ability to pierce the hearts of men or see into the future itself. Neither hero, king nor villain would dare not heed one of the emerald seers. Agents of the Emerald Tear scour the world, seeking to bring all psychic individuals into their ranks for training and growth, and in no small way, their own continued safety.

The god of knowledge, history, inspiration and such pursuits as language and writing, the Scribe of the Gods, Sorilorr the All-Knowing, is cosmologically represented by Orea's secondary, smaller and green, moon. It is said, from his Infinity Archive upon that celestial body, when the moon is new, Sorilorr weeps (accounts of the cause or source of this sorrow are legion). When his divine tears fall to the realms and land upon a mortal, their mind is opened, in part, with the infinity of knowledge of the All-Knowing. Thus are psychic individuals born to Orea.

For those who fail to undergo the rigorous training, simply do not have the patience or temperament to achieve full control of their minds, or are driven by selfish or destructive aims, the Scarlet Shard welcomes you to its powerful ranks (sometimes referred to as "Wildminds" by those who deal in psychic-related circles).

The Mage-princes of R'Hath are highly curious, even perplexed, and some obsessed with the pursuit and study of the mental powers of psychically awakened beings. Kidnappings and cruel experimentation on unfortunates is not unheard of in a quest to comprehend and (more likely) control this strange "personal magic" that does not use "spells" most wizards do not (and will never) possess.

Of course, there are those who fall prey to the superstitions and fears of normal men, accused of demonic possession (How else does someone with no training in wizardry or witchcraft possess such power?) or other hideous untruths, imprisoned, beaten, and worse out of a lack of understanding -as much their own as their condemners- of the significant and marvelous wonders of their minds. Those that flee might be found by the Emerald Tear or some other beneficent teacher (a monk or other contemplative, enlightened hermit or compassion wizard with an understanding -however cursory- centering the mind, etc...) who can calm their fears and steady their focus to produce some degree of control and usefulness out of their powers.

It was long supposed, and now known, by the sages that the winged men called the Zepharim, are in fact, a telepathic race amongst their own kind. Though it seems they possess no capacity for mental communications or the reading of others' minds unless that individual is, themselves, also psychically awakened and aware.

To date, it seems on Orea only humans, elves of high enlightenment or noble descent, and half-elves (and the aforementioned Zephari) possess the capacity for such an awakened mind. Though many other [non-PC] creatures and beings to be found throughout the World of Orea and the planar beyond are also so-gifted.

Yes. I want [and have] psychics in my D&D. Always have. Always will.

Still won't call them "psionics" as I do not possess, in my campaign setting, the technological advancements or sci-fi devices that produce them.

 

[Greg K]

They are only a consideration nearly 40 years later because Gary felt he needed to throw Brian a bone.

And, later, as with the weapon vs. armor table, he considered their addition a mistake.

 

[Ninja-radish]

The reason I love psionics is because I've always hated magic from a fluff perspective but I've always felt compelled to play casters because pure martials are horrible in D&D. Psionics gave me an out. I could play someone who had cool powers instead of the uber lame Harry Potterish gibberish spouting, stick waving, finger wiggling magic users, and I wasn't stuck playing a terrible martial character. In every previous edition of D&D psionics was there to save me.

However, the Mystic really needs a ton of work. It's nowhere near playable at this point. The issue is it's too difficult to create a class that can fulfill all roles like the Mystic can and keep it balanced. It needs to be broken up into a caster "Psion" class, a martial "Psychic Warrior or Battlemind" class, and maybe a roguish "Soulknife" class. It's much easier to balance everything out when the focus of each of these classes is more narrow.