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

[Gadget]

It seems to me that psionics can be designed and flavored in a manner that is palatable to any number of desires, from Sword & Sorcery to Eastern Mysticism to High Fantasy to Vulcan Mind Melds. Heck, I could squint and see a lot of the 'magic' in The Lord of the Rings as psionic if I really tried. As such, I too heartily approve of the nomenclature change to Mystic and more fantasy sounding names. My problem with psionics in the past is that the traditional Power (or Psi, or whatever) Point management sub-game is not something that appeals to me, despite the flexibility promised by the system. The Mystics seems to be backing away from this slightly, but also seems to be trying to shove too many concept under the same umbrella.

As to the Magic or Not? question, this Edition has less of problem with that distinction than previous ones I think, but it would still be an issue. Dispel Magic is much less of the go to nuke it was in 3.x (partly because layered buffs are no more, and partly because Counterspell has shouldered it aside a bit). Some care would have to be given to how the two interact, but it could be done by reasonable DM & players. Magic Resistance could be applied to most psionic effects, creatures with resistance to charm and the like should be given due consideration with telepathic intrusion effects. As a player, I would be a little peeved if my Mind Blank didn't also protect from psychic intrusions and psionic location. So Really, it's only in places where mind affecting/protecting magic (enchantment, illusion, abjuration) intersect with traditional psionic powers that it could get ugly.

 

[cbwjm]

Isn't Pern a fantasy series?

I've always considered it a fantasy series, but I think that the humans colonised the planet and engineered the dragons from lizards on Pern.

 

[Yaarel]

I would rather merge Sorcerer and Psion into the same ‘psionic = innate magic’ class.

Call this new class ‘Mystic’, with the following archetypes.
Each Mystic character chooses two (!) Archetypes.
• Telepath = Mindmage, Enchanter
(mind magic, charm, domination, fear, illusion, telepathy)
• Prescient = Seer, Diviner
(knowledge, foresight, prescience, true sight, clairvoyance)
• Kinete (rhymes with athlete) = Forcemage, Forcer
(telekinesis, flight, force constructs, force damage, light, radiant damage, lightning, thunder)
• Elementalist = Sorcerer, Wujen
(fire, earth, stone, metal shaping, water, cold, transmute of nonliving forms like stone skin)
• Shapeshifter
(transmute of living forms like humanoid, animal, plant, psychometabolism, psychic healing)
• Jumper = Teleporter, Traveler, Phaser
(outofbody projection and manifestation, teleportation, phase thru solid objects, space-time effects)


In the past, there was a suggestion to call the Psion-Sorcerer class ‘Scion’ to refer to the bloodlines of the Sorcerer class, but sounding identical to and being a lampshade for the ‘Psion’ class. Psychics are innately magical and even if one is the result of an alteration, their children can inherit their psychic abilities.

But the ‘Mystic’ is a fine name for a class.

 

[Ninja-radish]

It seems to me that psionics can be desired and flavored in a manner that is palatable to any number of desires, from Sword & Sorcery to Eastern Mysticism to High Fantasy to Vulcan Mind Melds. Heck, I could squint and see a lot of the 'magic' in The Lord of the Rings as psionic if I really tried. As such, I too heartily approve of the nomenclature change to Mystic and more fantasy sounding names. My problem with psionics in the past is that the traditional Power (or Psi, or whatever) Point management sub-game is not something that appeals to me, despite the promise flexibility promised by the system. The Mystics seems to be backing away from this slightly, but also seems to be trying to shove too many concept under the same umbrella.

As to the Magic or Not? question, this Edition has less of problem with that distinction than previous ones I think, but it would still be an issue. Dispel Magic is much less of the go to nuke it was in 3.x (partly because layered buffs are no more, and partly because Counterspell has shouldered it aside a bit). Some care would have to be given to how the two interact, but it could be done by reasonable DM & players. Magic Resistance could be applied to most psionic effects, creatures with resistance to charm and the like should be given due consideration with telepathic intrusion effects. As a player, I would be a little peeved if my Mind Blank didn't also protect from psychic intrusions and psionic location. So Really, it only in places where mind affecting/protecting magic (enchantment, illusion, abjuration) intersect with traditional psionic powers that it could get ugly.

I couldn't agree more. Psionics is not inherently sci fi and can be imagined to be anything. It could be mind magic, or manipulation of energies from the Astral Plane, or whatever. That "No psionics in my D&D" attitude seems to come from a lack of imagination and a general attitude of "I don't care what other people like, I don't like it so I don't want them to have it".

 

[Yaarel]

The difference can be as simple as this.

If it is ‘psychic’ then it means the source is innate, and there is no need for material components to create a special effect.

If it is ‘magic’ then it means the source is external, and you must use material components - or a special focus - in order to create the same special effect.

Done and done.

Otherwise, the effects themselves are identical.

 

[Tony Vargas]

It could be mind magic, or manipulation of energies from the Astral Plane, or whatever.

Except neither of those would be 'psionics,' they'd be magic or channeling.
Now the things psionics actually do can mostly be done with magic (which can do just about anything, afterall, especially in D&D), so in the sense of what you accomplish, they might as well be the same thing.
But, in the sense of what they say about a setting, they're different, indeed, that's kinda the point. You can't have Pythia in your sci-fi story, but you can have a precognitive alien, and tell a story with the same structure as a Greek myth.

 

[Azzy]

Yeah, I want psionics. I've been a fan of it since 1e, though I've usually been displeased by the execution within the rules (1e & 2e, especially).

The 5e mystic is interesting and more fanasy grounded,, but I think WotC should bring back some of the interesting ideas from 3.x, like psicrystals, dorjes, astral constructs, and such.

 

[Soul Stigma]

None for me, thank you.

 

[Azzy]

None for me, thank you.

I'll take your share, then.

 

[Soul Stigma]

I'll take your share, then.

Help yourself!