Psionics Coming Soon To D&D?

WotC's Mike Mearls has hinted that we may be able to expect some psionics content soon, possibly in the Unearthed Arcana column. He was asked by Ethan Clow on the Twitterweb "any chance we might see a Psionic class for 5e soon? Perhaps in unearthed arcana?" to which he replied "wouldn't be surprised. I *might* have had a couple prior edition psionics books on my desk last week..." (Thanks to Wolf Hunter for the scoop).

 

[Staffan]

But I also want Psionics to be ... I want Psionics to be less like Psionic spells. I don't want Psionic Fireball, Psionic Magic Missile, etc. Maybe a list of Psionic skills?

I don't think the skill system in 5e, particularly with its binary nature, is the right place to put psionics. I do, however, think it needs to have a distinct identity separate from magic. Some of the concepts from 2e that I think would help, even if not implemented in the same fashion, are:

1. Distinct disciplines. 2e psions had a primary discipline which most of their powers belonged to, and couldn't add powers from other disciplines at all until later levels.

2. Grouped powers. Fictional psychics generally have a "base power" and figure out various ways of applying that power. For example, if your power set is "telepathy", you might have mind reading, mind blast, various levels of mind control, psychic illusions, and so on. 2e handled this both via the disciplines concept and via (usually fairly shallow) prerequisites.

3. Active use. One of the more interesting things about psionics in 2e was that, with a few exceptions, powers did not have a specified duration - instead, maintaining them continually drained power from the user. This could, perhaps, be tied to the Concentration mechanic.

 

[Parmandur]

I don't think they'll have "Psionic Fireball," but I think Psions will have access to the same spell list, with unique additions. Divine and Arcane are undistinguished, doubt they will start with Psionics.

 

[Psikerlord#]

My hopes for psionics:

1. Power point based.
2. Just another kind of magic like divine, nature, song etc (I want to be able to dispel psionics with dispel magic - I don't want a whole dispel psionics etc - too unweildy)
3. Mostly borrows spells from existing lists, but also has it's own unique powers
4. New class and subclass abilities. Not a subclass of wizard or sorcerer.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

what would everyone think of a telepath background that gives the 'language' telepathy 30ft

 

[Vael]

what would everyone think of a telepath background that gives the 'language' telepathy 30ft

Background? Ehhhh ...

For a class or race, definitely. Maybe even a feat.

 

[steeldragons]

what would everyone think of a telepath background that gives the 'language' telepathy 30ft

Background? Ehhhh ...

For a class or race, definitely. Maybe even a feat.

Yeah. I don't really see that making sense as a background. I mean, I do not know exactly what you mean by "the 'language' telepathy to 30ft."..You mean where all it is/does is let's you comprehend and speak any language within 30'? I guess that potentially fine as a Feat.

But would almost certainly be met with people raising/complaining, in game, "How can I read their minds to understand their thoughts and not do the same as Detect Thoughts? If I can speak into their minds, why can't I do a Suggestion?"

Something as versatile and encompassing as "telepathy" I don't really think can be contained into a feat...or is appropriate to a background structure.

Edit to add: I could see a feat, maybe, for "Single use" powers...like "Astral Projection" could be a feat. The Psychic Warrior/Psionic Blade thing could be a feat.

But for the broadest...really "base" abilties of all psychic power, telepathy or telekinesis, from which pretty much all other psychic abilities can be branched, wouldn't really work.

 

[Mouseferatu]

The GOO warlock already gets this ability at low level. It's hardly a game-breaker, and it means there's precedent for the ability to communicate mentally without be able to duplicate spells. I dunno if I'd give it to a background, but it's not remotely worth a feat.

 

[Fabio Andrea Rossi]

I've GOT it!

I don't know how it would work...make it dependent on their Int. mod. comes to mind...or an ability [Cha or Int] check to initiate a second power while a first one is ongoing...Maybe scaling with level? Up to 2 powers at once at X level, 3 powers/effects at once at Y level, etc...It could go a couple of different ways.

But it seems to me, for the future of psionics in 5e D&D, the use and manipulation of the Concentration mechanic may be the golden key to meet [or satisfy] the most demands of the most people.

Thoughts? [heh heh. Psionics thread...asking for thoughts...cute. ehem. Carry on.]

Great idea, very intriguing...manipulation of the concentration mechanic would be a perfect starting point. It could also work the other way around (sorry if you already meant this) by having Psionics get different low-to-medium effect powers easily activable but all bound by the single concentration one can have...unlimited, but fragile and only one at a time.

This way they could even quickly do a Psionic class withouth need to create a separate Psionic Powers list. They could then just add ten or twenty disciplines, some of which could very well be reskinned spells, and just tinker with the concentration mechanic as the base class feature.

We would get a class with a distinct flavour and a distinct mechanic difference withouth a hundred new powers. The psionic would become less of a different spellcaster and more of a, say, different taste of monk.

Something like:

Psionicist (class)

- concentrate to activate & mantain a power;
- pick one/two disciplines and use it when you want (or via power points or via "once per encounter and it finally makes sense as it's soo draining for my mind");
- pick basic ranged "mind blast" (we already have the psichic damage kind) or "psichic dagger" enhancement for melee;
- various possible tricks depending on sublcass like telepathy, mind control, telekinetic attacks, multiple concentration, stealthy psionic tricks, get-damage-use-more-powers...

I like it!

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Yeah. I don't really see that making sense as a background. I mean, I do not know exactly what you mean by "the 'language' telepathy to 30ft."..You mean where all it is/does is let's you comprehend and speak any language within 30'? I guess that potentially fine as a Feat.

But would almost certainly be met with people raising/complaining, in game, "How can I read their minds to understand their thoughts and not do the same as Detect Thoughts? If I can speak into their minds, why can't I do a Suggestion?"

Something as versatile and encompassing as "telepathy" I don't really think can be contained into a feat...or is appropriate to a background structure.

Edit to add: I could see a feat, maybe, for "Single use" powers...like "Astral Projection" could be a feat. The Psychic Warrior/Psionic Blade thing could be a feat.

But for the broadest...really "base" abilties of all psychic power, telepathy or telekinesis, from which pretty much all other psychic abilities can be branched, wouldn't really work.

[MENTION=1288]Mouseferatu[/MENTION] got where I was going... some monsters have it listed as a language already and don't get anything for it...

and 1st level warlocks can get this:

You can comunicate telepathically with any creature you can see within 30ft of you. You don’t need to share a language with the creature for it to understand your telepathic, but the creature must be able to understand at least one language.

 

[steeldragons]

what would everyone think of a telepath background that gives the 'language' telepathy 30ft

Background? Ehhhh ...

For a class or race, definitely. Maybe even a feat.

[MENTION=1288]Mouseferatu[/MENTION] got where I was going... some monsters have it listed as a language already and don't get anything for it...

and 1st level warlocks can get this:

"Don't get anything for it"...except unhindered communication with any/all creatures that speak a language, you mean? You can just handwave that away for any/everyone as "everyone can understand everyone else" for ease of play. I know there are monsters that have it. It's a nice convenient handwavy way to say, "this monster can speak to anyone [and anyone can speak to it], without having to spell it out. Like "psionic magic" was a nice handwavy way for them to include psionic monsters in the MM. But no one who wants to actually play/use psionics in a game wants to see "Psionic Magic" as the implementation for a class.

Now, granted, I had not thought about the Warlock power...and again, that is hardly nothing...unless one's game involves only combat-after-combat. Then, no, you can't use your ["language"] telepathy to attack others or bolsters your allies' minds. But even then, there's no surprise as to what orders the commanders are shouting at the monster soldiers or never a question when you demand they surrender or they demand you do...when the monster/demon/far realmsian "thing" is delivering their evil scheme monologue...when you want to scout/spy on something you have never encountered before/language you don't know.

For people that like psychics and would want to play psychic characters, "telepathy" needs to do [and is] a lot more than "you can talk to anything."

It needs to involve communication, yes of course. But also, "reading minds" [its most basic use]. It needs to involve knowing when there are sentient minds around. It needs to involve the possibility for paralyzing [or other afflictions] by "turning off" certain parts of the mind, creating illusions within a mind, making one invisible [blocking out the perception of whatever is being made invisible in the target mind], break charms and shield their allies' minds from influence...and of course, all of the obvious enchantment spells effects (charms, compulsions, sleep, mind control, etc...) and all the fun psychic bolt/blast/mind-scrambling/damage attacks on a target mind.

So, for people who want that and see that as what "telepathy" is, again, this background/feat idea as just "giving away" telepathy for chats will not do. Just say, in your games, the players understand whatever they encounter/hear and, maybe even creatures that don't really speak but have a given intelligence[?], understand whatever they say.