Unearthed Arcana Psionics Hits Unearthed Arcana

Nifft · Jul 10, 2015

In a previous campaign of mine, the two "natural" forms of magic, which existed before the discovery of the Planes, were Druidic magic and Psionics.

Druidic magic came from life itself and/or the Fey -- it was never known for sure, since "life itself" wasn't available for comment, and the Fey were not considered trustworthy.

Warlocks were the original form of Arcane magic. All other forms of Arcane magic came from study of Warlock powers, and refinement of such.

A character couldn't practice Arcane magic unless his or her race already had an Abyssal Menhir established on the Plane of Yawning Portals, Jhaat, the Yawning Chasms Under Pazuzu. Most already did. This was not a particularly good thing -- having an Abyssal Menhir meant every soul in your race was endangered.

Divine magic was a novelty, artificially constructed less than two thousand years ago, and specific to the campaign's main planet. It was pretty effective against the forces of the lower planes. Learning how to replicate the process would have been a major win.

Flexor the Mighty! · Jul 10, 2015

Mercule said:
The game has survived for 40 years without needing a unified theory of magic. I can see no value in adding one, now. That said, it's relatively harmless because most groups I've played with have had some sort of magical energy field that wizards tap into. My objection probably comes largely from a desire to keep Forgotten Realms setting concepts outside the core books. Keep the flow of ideas and terminology in one direction -- no backwash, please.

I agree. Mmy group pay little to no attention to that kind of fluff unless I hit them in the face with it during a session. I really don't pay much attention to it either unless it needs to be part of a game session. Where does magic come from? Who knows its magic!

jrowland · Jul 10, 2015

For what its worth, you sir, get it. I applaud.

Minigiant · Jul 10, 2015

Li Shenron said:
I guess there must be different fundamental views on psionics, because when I think of that, I think of The Matrix or X-Men: psionics is reality, but of the kind that few really get. It might be the next step in evolution, like handling tools, walking upright or speaking. There was a time where nobody knew those were even possible, but a few scattered individual started doing just that... Or a potential everyone has but is somehow 'hidden' until casually discovered or properly taught (like a lot of things). That's the flavor that psionics always had for me (and perhaps even the reason why in general it never totally fit into my favourite D&D): not alien, not unnatural, not supernatural, but pretty much 100% natural!

Personally, psionics as internal and natural gets too close to science fiction. You start getting into evolving and you start making excuses of why guns and cars don't exist.

For psionics to remain 110% fantasy and 100% not magic, it has to be external to me. Psionics can't happen because of evolution. It has to come from the outside or be a hard to repeat fluke.

Invasion of the Far Realm.
Corruption from exposure to moonrocks
Absence of divine magic creating a vacuum
Some immortal being saying "Screw the rules. I'm Divine."
Descendants of an ancient being

Nifft · Jul 10, 2015

Minigiant said:
Personally, psionics as internal and natural gets too close to science fiction. You start getting into evolving and you start making excuses of why guns and cars don't exist.

Hmm.

I think you're right that Psionics are partially informed by science fiction, but I think you're incorrect when you say that science fiction has no place in D&D.

Sci-Fi tropes were in the D&D games I played back in 1e, and that was cool.

There are rules for guns in many official sources, in many editions. Guns are not un-D&D.

- - -

If you want a "pure" fantasy game, that's cool, and I hope you can figure out how to get Psionics to work for your setting -- but D&D has never had the requirement of being "pure" fantasy, or really "pure" at all in any way.

In terms of purity, D&D is basically a cross between a haughty courtesan and a brazen strumpet.

Minigiant · Jul 10, 2015

Nifft said:
Hmm.

I think you're right that Psionics are partially informed by science fiction, but I think you're incorrect when you say that science fiction has no place in D&D.

Sci-Fi tropes were in the D&D games I played back in 1e, and that was cool.

There are rules for guns in many official sources, in many editions. Guns are not un-D&D.

- - -

If you want a "pure" fantasy game, that's cool, and I hope you can figure out how to get Psionics to work for your setting -- but D&D has never had the requirement of being "pure" fantasy, or really "pure" at all in any way.

In terms of purity, D&D is basically a cross between a haughty courtesan and a brazen strumpet.

Psionics doesn't have to be informed by sci fi.

Like in my setting, the "god of knowledge invented psionics to get around the restrictions of magic. The main restriction being the god of magic."

What I was saying is that psionics has to be either external, irrational, or unnatural or it gets heavy on science fiction very quickly. If psionics gets that hard or hheavy, it stops being primary fantasy and becomes primarily sci fi.

Li Shenron · Jul 10, 2015

Minigiant said:
Personally, psionics as internal and natural gets too close to science fiction.

Yes, and that's why as I said I never really cared much for psionics in D&D.

But at the same time, I already have enough 'external' sources between Clerics, Warlocks and Druids. Thus I also wouldn't care for an 'external psionics' either. At which point, I would prefer if they stick with tradition.

Flexor the Mighty! · Jul 10, 2015

Dying Earth was one of the the big influences of Gygax and it had all kinds of sci-fi.

Nifft · Jul 10, 2015

Minigiant said:
Psionics doesn't have to be informed by sci fi.

You're technically right: it doesn't have to be.

But also, I'm right: it was.

Minigiant said:
Like in my setting, the "god of knowledge invented psionics to get around the restrictions of magic. The main restriction being the god of magic."

Your setting sounds cool and should be valid.

But also, guns in D&D were cool, and should remain valid.

I don't think one of those things needs to win over the other.

Flexor the Mighty! said:
Dying Earth was one of the the big influences of Gygax and it had all kinds of sci-fi.

Bingo. Vancian spellcasting came from the works of Jack Vance, and that had a ton of sci-fi influence. Add in Ron Howard and Fritz Leiber, and there's no lack of sci-fi mixed with fantasy elements in D&D's ancestry.

Minigiant · Jul 10, 2015

Of course D&D has sci fi in it. The issue is how much and where it appears. That's why guns and airships aren't in the PHB.

Psionics which is internal gets very heavily or hard in sci fi if you don't make a ki or soulmagic link. This is especially true with psionics which isn't a form of magic.

Mearls was trying to make a more general psionics. A heavy sci fi psionics would not do. It's like having warforged be actual robots and not magical constructs.

A Far Ream based psipnics with the class named mystic lacks that out of place aspect. It is always easy which is good. It also forces flavor which is bad. It is the best route based on tradition. But all the tradition routes are bad.

Unearthed Arcana Psionics Hits Unearthed Arcana

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