D&D 5E What's on your psionics wishlist for 5E?

[Siphersh]

I just need psionics for Dark Sun: wild talent and a psionicist class. I would never try to insert psionics in a standard fantasy campaign, but I understand that some people would like to have that too.

As for the Dark Sun psionics, I'd like it to be completely distinct from magic. Use ability checks and power points instead of spell levels and spell slots, because psionics is not something you wield, but something you do. And I'd like to see psionic powers that are not duplicates of spells. Just remove the psionic-like spells from the wizard spell list in a Dark Sun campaign.

Also, there are three other threads already:

http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?356510-5E-psionics
http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...-think-a-psychic-class-should-look-like-in-5e
http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?358887-Psionics-What-do-you-want

 

[TarionzCousin]

What do YOU want to see in 5E psionics?

Dark Sun/Athas.

 

[Spykes]

I want psionic powers to be unique. They can be similar to spell effects, but they behave differently than the spell counterparts. In this way, they can be altered by the Psion, using the same power to achieve different effects, which leads to the next point...

I want psionic powers to be augmentable in such a way that the psion can alter the behavior of the power with more power points used as in 4e. This is not just increasing the stength of a power as in casting a spell at a higher level, I'm talking about changing the behavior.

I like the idea of a feat to gain access as a wild talent.

I would like to see the idea of Devotions and Sciences reclaimed. Devotions are your sub-class types such as Telekinetic, Telepath, Shaper, Pychometabolic. Sciences are are unique powers to each Devotion, similar to the Sorcerer's Metamagic powers.

One of the things common in past edition but rare in 5e is forced movement. This is for good reason I understand, but it does exist with spells like Thunderwave. I think Psions should be better at this than other classes because control is kind of their thing. This would definitely allow them to be unique.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

I want two things: I want Psionics to be different from magic and I want Psionics to be just as simple as the rest of 5e. In my opinion, spending points would be a clunky and inelegant choice.

If it were me, I'd create something similar to WoD's powers: every Psionic power would have several levels, and as you progress, you'd gain more and more options. A seventh-level Psion could have, say, Telepathy 4, Telekinetics 2 and Clairsentience 1.

 

[doctorhook]

I want two things: I want Psionics to be different from magic and I want Psionics to be just as simple as the rest of 5e. In my opinion, spending points would be a clunky and inelegant choice.

If it were me, I'd create something similar to WoD's powers: every Psionic power would have several levels, and as you progress, you'd gain more and more options. A seventh-level Psion could have, say, Telepathy 4, Telekinetics 2 and Clairsentience 1.

No power points? That's heresy! Not even 4E, Killer of Sacred Cows, dispensed with power points!

 

[Siphersh]

I want two things: I want Psionics to be different from magic and I want Psionics to be just as simple as the rest of 5e. In my opinion, spending points would be a clunky and inelegant choice.

If it were me, I'd create something similar to WoD's powers: every Psionic power would have several levels, and as you progress, you'd gain more and more options. A seventh-level Psion could have, say, Telepathy 4, Telekinetics 2 and Clairsentience 1.

Yes, psionics must be simple and elegant, because that's part of being 5E.

But without points, how do you limit how often they can use their most powerful powers?

 

[steeldragons]

I want two things: I want Psionics to be different from magic and I want Psionics to be just as simple as the rest of 5e. In my opinion, spending points would be a clunky and inelegant choice.

If it were me, I'd create something similar to WoD's powers: every Psionic power would have several levels, and as you progress, you'd gain more and more options. A seventh-level Psion could have, say, Telepathy 4, Telekinetics 2 and Clairsentience 1.

This has potential...I'm trying to see how it might work...it feels like it is right at the tip of my brain but I'm not foreseeing how it might play out or possible over-poweredness or abuse...

Something like, instead of how spells are divided into "power levels" with various slots of various levels gained at different levels of experience...

Psychics could have....no power points....no "slots"...but the powers they could take dependant on level of experience instead? Like...you take your discipline/focus/whatever you call them: Telepathy Telekinesis or Clairsentience...Then, what powers you have access to are "opened" as your mind and power level "expands" [by gaining levels sof XP]...

So the Telepathy powers might list "Detect Thoughts" and a "Daze" effect at first level powers. "Message/Send Thoughts" and "[Telepathic] Paralysis/Hold Person" under third level powers. "Psychic Blast" and "[Telepathic] Invisibility" at fifth.

Instead of Psychic Powers being listed as "1st level, 2nd level, 3rd level...", as spells, they get listed as "1st level, 3rd level, 5th level" so it is really as easy as when your PC is a given level they gain access to powers of that level or lower.' i.e. the Psychic Powers list, instead of listing 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc... level effects, only lists the level at which they become available: 1st, 3rd, 5th, etc... (to keep them in line with odd level "bump to new spell level" of spell casting classes).

My question then becomes, how do you limit the use of powers? What is keeping the Psychic PC from just Detecting Thoughts every round all day? They're never surprised and always know just how many people are around the corner/behind the door...and what they're planning. They can just Psychic Blast their way through every encounter, no matter how many there are a day or how many HD worth of creatures you're facing. Who needs a stinking mage? Or rogue/ranger with a bow or frontline fighters? Every adversary is unconscious/mind scrambled before they ever hit the front line.

That seems terribly OPed when compared to other classes. So, I do feel some way of tracking/limiting power use all day is necessary. One of the tropes of the psychic is there are times their powers falter or they become too mentally exhausted or "tapped" of power or they are limited to "smaller/weaker" powers until some recovery time.

The historic/default is to just say "Power Points". But...there is certainly another way floating around in here someplace...Is "level +Cha. mod. times per day" or "per long rest" too underpowered? Cha. [or Wis. or Int.] score times per day?...or per short/long rest? Is that too divergent from how other class powers are monitored?

Like I said...there's a "non-PP" option (more than one, I'm sure, depending on the flavor and preferences from table to table) out there someplace...it's just a matter of is it "easier/simple enough"? Is it elegant/elegant enough? I can't say, unilaterally, of course. But I feel like there's a way...in there somewhere.

 

[Sadrik]

I am in the no new classes group, Sorcerer with the Psion sub-class or telepath subclass, then create a telekineticist subclass and so on. Give each of them a specialized spell list. Then, the fighter can have the psychic warrior and the rogue can have the mind thief (or whatever) subclasses. The monk can have two psionic subclasses the soulknife and a more generic psion/monk hybrid.

This coupled with the spell point option from the DMG and you have many options. I think pulling out the warlock's casting methodology and plugging it into them is another valid option too.

The key to the classes for me is not the unique mechanics but the flavor. The flavor of using detect thoughts as a arcane spell or a psionic power is much different. I do not think you have to reinvent the wheel. The closer it ties to the current mechanics and system the easier it will be to have everyone on the same page with it. There is plenty of potential to make it more outlandish mechanically, but the core psionics should, in my mind, plug in seamlessly to the current mechanics of the game.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

Yes, psionics must be simple and elegant, because that's part of being 5E.

But without points, how do you limit how often they can use their most powerful powers?

You don't. Those are natural powers, like the Fighter's attack, and the Psion should be able to use them as often as s-he likes. You just have to balance those at-will powers with other class abilities, but that doesn't sound too hard.

 

[steeldragons]

You don't. Those are natural powers, like the Fighter's attack, and the Psion should be able to use them as often as s-he likes. You just have to balance those at-will powers with other class abilities, but that doesn't sound too hard.

Well...then how would you do it? I think it might be harder than you think. This limitless/trackless power...in exchange for what?

Something like "No armor. Simple weapons only" doesn't seem to "balance" out as fair, to me, weighed against "Unlimited access to any powers". What else can you do, at a class level, to make this fair?