D&D 5E What if Psionics is a kind of Divine magic?

[Yaarel]

What if Psionics is a kind of Divine magic?



As Divine magic, Psionics is an aspect of consciousness, the individual soul, ideals, and thought. In other words, the mind.

By contrast, Arcane magic is an aspect of external realities, the individual body, elemental forces, the ‘stuff’ that makes physical actions possible.



The realm of Divine magic is the Astral Plane. The Outer Planes are part of it, emanating concepts, ideals, and values of cultures - in dreamlike ways. Positive energy perfuses the minds of the Celestial planes. Negative void unravels the minds of the Infernal planes.

By contrast, the realm of Arcane magic is the Ethereal Plane. The Feywild and the Shadowfell are frequencies of the Ether. Positivity perfuses the Fey plane with lifeforms and successes. Negativity unravels the Shadow plane with death and oblivion. These frequencies are at the opposite extremes of the spectrum of the Ether, and cannot engage each other directly. It is the Material plane that mediates them. There, by means of physical actions, and their interactions within the Matter, the Fey and the Shadow can engage each other indirectly.

The Elemental Plane is also an aspect of the Ethereal Plane, around the middle of its spectrum. The Elemental Plane comprises the four elements - Earth, Fire, Water, and Air - in their respective regions that interact along their borders with each other. The four elements emanate from and physicalize within the Ether. Indeed, Ether is the fifth element, the substance of spirit sotospeak. The four elements form the cosmic forces by which materiality operates. The Material plane is where they all meet, entangle, and permute.

In some settings, the Ether is called the ‘Weave’ of Arcane magic.

In the center of it all, the Human race combines both consciousness and physicality equally - both Aster and Ether - both Divine and Arcane. The Human by means of Human physical actions according to mindful intention is able to unite all of these cosmic forces, in balance and dynamic harmony.



To better distinguish Divine and Arcane has appeal.

As is, Psionics and the considerable trouble to create options for it, is likely to mainly go to waste. If the past determines the future, Psionics will not fit in, and will have most players ignore it. Will it be the venerable D&D tradition to ignore D&D Psionics? Again? Instead, the arrival of Psionics is an opportunity to think about the relation between Divine magic and Arcane magic, while thinking about how Psionic relates to Divine and Arcane. Making Psionics a kind of Divine magic can make the difference between Arcane and Divine more interesting.

Arcane includes different kinds of magic - Elemental, Shadow, Fey, and in an inclusive way Ethereal.

Likewise, Divine can include its different kinds of magic - cosmic Ideal and personal Intention, namely the Outer and the Material, and in an inclusive way the Astral.

By definition, Psionics is ones own mind, thought, intention, soul, and bodily aura. Psionics is the personal consciousness, the ‘Atman’, versus the cosmic consciousness, the ‘Brahman’. Both are aspects of the Divine.

Indeed, the word ‘Psionics’ derives from the word ‘Psyche’, and means ‘soul’, the consciousness and the lifeforce of an individual being. Psionics relates to the aspects of the Divine.

Even the recent name for the Psionic class, the Mystic, and the connotations of the Star Wars Jedi, describe how the humble consciousness of an individual person is somehow cosmic and divine.

The Divine powers of the Paladin are by means of Ideal. The Divine powers of the Mystic are by means of a soul.

Making the Divine ‘internal’ and the Arcane ‘external’, helps each feel different from the other.



When bifurcating Arcane and Divine, some might want to characterize the Arcane as ‘magic’, then the Divine as not magic but ‘miracle’. So like Psionics, the Divine is not magic. Oppositely, some others might want to characterize Psionics as a kind of ‘magic’, thus associating both Psionics with Divine magic. Either way, Divine and Psionics are two sides of the same coin.

The Ethereal plane is the ‘Weave’ of Arcane magic. Altering the accessibility of the Ether is how antimagic fields happen. There is also a Divine equivalent. Many D&D world settings and regional settings, assert that Divine casters are unable to access their Divine forces. This is simple to explain. The Astral Plane is the ‘Weave’ of Divine magic. Altering the accessibility of the Aster is how ‘antimiracle’ fields happen.



I want Arcane and Divine to distinguish more saliently and more enjoyably. Psionics helps make this happen.

 

[Ath-kethin]

If psionics is a type of divine magic, it will save me the cost of whatever book that's printed in. I have no interest in a psionics that merely duplicates the game mechanics of spells. They can call the power source whatever they want as long as they aren't just reskinning a magic system.

I have not been 100% happy with any treatment of psionics in D&D, but the closest they came was in 2nd Edition, where psionics was a power system that was effectively skill-based, and entirely distinct from the two types of magic in the game.

 

[Yaarel]

If psionics is a type of divine magic, it will save me the cost of whatever book that's printed in. I have no interest in a psionics that merely duplicates the game mechanics of spells. They can call the power source whatever they want as long as they aren't just reskinning a magic system.

I have not been 100% happy with any treatment of psionics in D&D, but the closest they came was in 2nd Edition, where psionics was a power system that was effectively skill-based, and entirely distinct from the two types of magic in the game.

Narrating Psionics as a kind of Divine, allows for various mechanics, including a skill-based design for a Psionic class.

There are several different ways to do the mechanics for Arcane magic. Wizard slots versus Warlock invocations versus Bard inspirations, and even more experimental designs.

 

[Yaarel]

Heh, it occurs to me.

Where the Ethereal plane is the ‘Weave’ of Arcane magic, the Astral plane is the ‘Force’ of Divine magic.

 

[Curmudjinn]

I like using the Mind, Body & Soul approach to the three facets if casting. Mind is obviously psionics, Body is arcane magic(because the Weave runs through all things), and Soul is the divine through your unique bond to a deity or divine spark.

 

[Yaarel]

I like using the Mind, Body & Soul approach to the three facets if casting. Mind is obviously psionics, Body is arcane magic(because the Weave runs through all things), and Soul is the divine through your unique bond to a deity or divine spark.

The way I view things, the Outer Planes are a ‘place’ for the Platonic Ideal and ideals. Archetypes, symbols, and language. The Divine is thought itself. In philosophy, ideas and ideals and the spiritual are moreorless interchangeable and contrast the material and physical.

From the other direction, the word ‘psyche’ means soul. It is the same thing.

 

[Illithidbix]

This is a pretty cool idea, esp. if you want to divorce “Divine Magic” from deities.

Although how do Arcane spells that deal with the outer planes work?


Sidenote tangent.
I've noticed that in 5E the distinction between Arcane and Divine Magic seems a bit of an afterthought mentioned in a sidebar.
I think from the descriptions that the source of each classes magic is actually well established and personally I think they work better not being lumped into the two catagories. The distinction between Paladin and Cleric seems far clearer in 5E than before.

To me the Druid and Ranger's style of magic seem as distinct from a Cleric and Paladins as they do from the Arcane casters.

In my homebrew I had the classes represented that the players had inherited the archetypes of heroes who turn up time after time in history in the cosmic narrative.

 

[Space Jockey]

That's certainly an interesting take on it, one that I hadn't thought of before.

That being said, I think they should let psionics be whatever the DM wants it to be, not tied to a specific cosmology/setting. For example, I'd probably still utilize psionics as a distinct force from arcane and divine magic and emphasize it's more "sci-fi" overtones.

 

[Yaarel]

This is a pretty cool idea, esp. if you want to divorce “Divine Magic” from deities.

Sidenote tangent.
I've noticed that in 5E the distinction between Arcane and Divine Magic seems a bit of an afterthought mentioned in a sidebar.
I think from the descriptions that the source of each classes magic is actually well established and personally I think they work better not being lumped into the two catagories. The distinction between Paladin and Cleric seems far clearer in 5E than before.

To me the Druid and Ranger's style of magic seem as distinct from a Cleric and Paladins as they do from the Arcane casters.

Good point on how different the Divine classes are from each other. A good thing. Each focuses on different aspects of the Divine.

The Paladin explicitly focuses on the Divine aspect of the Ideal, and exercises spiritual power by means of concepts, ethical actions, and personal commitment to a cause beyond oneself. The Paladin itself is a potent archetype of knightly chivalry as a sacred ideal.

The Druid and Ranger focus on the Divine aspect of the soul, as Lifeforce, including the souls of animals, the symbiotic life of plants, and the planet itself working together as a kind of living organism.

The Psion also focuses on the Divine aspect of the soul, but moreso in the sense of personal consciousness, awareness, and focus.

The Cleric includes any and all of these aspects of the Divine, and is a general Divine everything class, paralleling how the Wizard is a general Arcane everything class.

 

[Yaarel]

This is a pretty cool idea, esp. if you want to divorce “Divine Magic” from deities.

Although how do Arcane spells that deal with the outer planes work?

Arcane magic uses the Ether - the Weave - to get to the Outer Planes. The Positive Energy plane perfuses both the Celestial archetypes and thought in the Astral plane, as well as the Fey flourishings in the Ethereal plane. An Arcane can ride the Positivity from the Ether into the Aster. And vice versa.

Symmetrically, The Negative Energy plane unravels both the Fiendish archetypes and thought in the Astral plane, as well as the Shadow deathliness in the Ethereal plane. Arcane can jump the void from the Ether into the Aster. And vice versa.

There is a kind of ‘distance’ sotospeak from the Shadowfell as a realm of the dead to the Celestial paradise ‘above’. At the same time there is a ‘nearness’ between the Evil undead spirits of the realm of death, and the Evil fiendish spirits of the planes of Devils and Demons - and the two often commingle.

Symmetrically, there is also a kind of ‘distance’ from Feywild to the Fiendish torment ‘below’. For example, suppose a Fey Elf wishes to travel from the Feywild to the Celestial Elf Courts in the Chaotic Good plane of Arborea to envision the cultural ideals of Elves. The Fey Elf can travel there directly, via the currents of Positivity. There are ‘Fey Crossings’ between the Feywild and the Celestial realms. By contrast, to get to the Fiendish planes requires a more circuitous route. The Elf would first have to get to the Elven paradise in Arborea, then from there enter the Astral plane to navigate to the Fiendish planes. Alternatively, the Elf could get to the Material plane thru a Fey Crossing, and from there find someone who can navigate the Aster to the Fiendish realms.

Certain Evil Fey that associate with Fiends, likewise maintain close ties with the Material plane.