D&D 5E Here's why we want a Psion class

[Fenris-77]

I still don't really "get" the warlock chassis for a Psion. Although I suppose I snagged its Spell Slots as my Augments. I think it would probably be cool, and maybe could somehow tap into some of that 2e skill-based feel by using invocations more than spells, but it hasn't crystalized into anything in my head. Maybe it would be an easier base to create something with a 4e feel, where you augment your Invocations? Ki as Power Points has merit too. Maybe some crazy mix of those 2 to get really out there.

There's really two ways. The easy way is to use the spell slot part to keep the current psionic spells, added to with the additional spells per patron. The invocations would be psionic abilities, which could be at-will, or limited per day or whatever. I'd probably change the casting from all high slots to something more nuanced, where instead of, for example, two 3rd level castings for SR, the class got 6 psionic dice per SR, with one die per 'spell level' being the activation cost. The invocation portion is where you slot buffs and metapsionic abilities.

The harder way would be to jettison the current spells entirely, but keep the Psionic dice per SR and have disciplines take the place of spells. So your core psionic discipline stuff would include some base class abilites, but would also be differentiated somewhat by patron (subclasses). Each discipline has a range of effects it can produce, gated by level, and/or the number of psionic dice needed to power the ability. The invocations in that second model would serve a couple of purposes. One, they could add effects to the discipline abilities, much like there are invocations to boost Eldritch blast. So there might be an 'invocation' that adds range or weight allowed to the base psychokinetic abilities, or damage and effect to blasting. The invocations would also be the home for psionic abilities that fall outside the three disciplines that form the core of the class. You could layer on subclass abilities to further strengthen the differentiation of each discipline. So someone who's, say, a Psychometabolic Warrior, would always be better at that stuff than a different subclass who had some of the same abilities.

The picture I have of what disciplines might look like is more like a feat tree than a spell list, where you have prerequisites and capstones. A player would then have a lot of freedom to build the Psion they want. All of them would get some base set of abilities, with discipline related stuff added by 'patron' and then the focus of the character could be further sharpened by what invocations are chosen. Additional disciplines would also be available. When you level you can either progress in one of the disciplines you already have, or branch out with a base level ability in a new discipline - so players have the choice between wide or deep.

This isn't a completely realized model obviously, but it's the broad strokes.

 

[Aldarc]

If I were to use a Warlock's "Pact Magic" and Invocations for the Psion, then I would get rid of the Patron/Boon division of the Warlock and provide subclasses (i.e., Disciplines) instead. (Also, I would move the invocations slightly out of typical multiclass-dip range.)

 

[Fenris-77]

If I were to use a Warlock's "Pact Magic" and Invocations for the Psion, then I would get rid of the Patron/Boon division of the Warlock and provide subclasses (i.e., Disciplines) instead. (Also, I would move the invocations slightly out of typical multiclass-dip range.)

The first part is a pretty obvious way to go, yeah. I'd probably build the class to subclass starting from 1st level, which helps cut down on shenanigans. If you have disciplines that build like feat trees, and invocations that are either low key or build directly onto a specific discipline, I think the MC abuse would be lower. The big power jump for a lot of classes is level five anyway (extra attack, 3rd level spells) and that's probably how I'd design the Psion as well.

 

[Hoffmand]

You can have components in Psionics. They are just a method to control, manipulate, or channel the energy.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

How wide-ranging do we want psions to be in terms of their powers?
Should a Telekinetic be very good at movement spells, but limited access to emotion spells?
Or should they be more like wizards, who generally have a wide smattering of powers, with just minor bonuses to spells from specific disciplines?

 

[Fenris-77]

How wide-ranging do we want psions to be in terms of their powers?
Should a Telekinetic be very good at movement spells, but limited access to emotion spells?
Or should they be more like wizards, who generally have a wide smattering of powers, with just minor bonuses to spells from specific disciplines?

I think there should be some base-level class psion abilities that they all get, and that their core abilities be determined by discipline/subclass. There's nothing wrong with some cross training, where low level abilities from some or all disciplines are somehow available, but specialization of some sort should be baked into the class IMO. That's why I favor feat trees with prereq's for the disciplines, it makes gating stuff trivially easy. 5e classes tend to provide the general template, with subclasses providing the specialization. Under that model, I don't think a wide-open psion with equal access to everything is either useful or desirable. YMMV.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

Perhaps a design ethos similar to the Artificer then, where there is a small base list of spells and general abilities, but the subclasses have a more role-defining spell list and determine the capabilities of the character more strongly.

 

[Fenris-77]

Perhaps a design ethos similar to the Artificer then, where there is a small base list of spells and general abilities, but the subclasses have a more role-defining spell list and determine the capabilities of the character more strongly.

Yeah, the artificer also captures some of the design ethos I'm looking for. The artificer also indexes a willingness on the part of the WotC design team to do new things with new 5E classes.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

How wide-ranging do we want psions to be in terms of their powers?
Should a Telekinetic be very good at movement spells, but limited access to emotion spells?
Or should they be more like wizards, who generally have a wide smattering of powers, with just minor bonuses to spells from specific disciplines?

Previous incarnations have tended to have a similar flexibility to caster classes. Either you could choose from your entire list of powers, or you could choose the majority but were unable to pick certain ones (like specialty wizards).

5e casters have generally taken the approach of full access to a large list, with some classes granting you more specifics via a subclass.

Either one of those could work for a simple 5e Psion. I don't really see evidence that limited power choices is an element of the D&D Psion, so I would lean towards taking the open approach and just granting cool bonus abilities to the subclasses (they will need bonus abilities anyway). Psionics already have a limited traditional power set, like bards or druids. Adding even more limits on it doesn't make any sense for portrayal of a D&D Psion.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

Previous incarnations have tended to have a similar flexibility to caster classes. Either you could choose from your entire list of powers, or you could choose the majority but were unable to pick certain ones (like specialty wizards).

5e casters have generally taken the approach of full access to a large list, with some classes granting you more specifics via a subclass.

Either one of those could work for a simple 5e Psion. I don't really see evidence that limited power choices is an element of the D&D Psion, so I would lean towards taking the open approach and just granting cool bonus abilities to the subclasses (they will need bonus abilities anyway). Psionics already have a limited traditional power set, like bards or druids. Adding even more limits on it doesn't make any sense for portrayal of a D&D Psion.

I must admit, I would probably do it the other way around. While a wizard might have a wide range of varied spells, a telekinetic (for example) is more likely to simply be very very good at moving things around with their mind. They might have a lower-end capability in mind-reading, and emotion control, but telekinesis is what they are really good at.

A wizard could have Dominate Monster, Foresight, Telekinesis, Reverse Gravity and many other spells that do many different things.
I would see a high-tier telekinetic psion as not having access to Dominate Monster or Foresight, but being able to cast Reverse gravity as normal, and Telekinesis at will.