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

[Ketser]

Make them fit the world, not be a strange piece of sci-fi. This includes ignoring names like psion or psionicist.

4e had some nice ideas about incorporating psionics into their game, linking it to ki and monk powers wasn't a bad step. Or the Pathfinder Occult Adventures classes that are being currently playtested and can be seen as Paizo's version of psionics. The psychic magic those classes use is described as being drawn from concious mind, life force and cosmic sprit.

Im not saying that the old sci-fi advanced mind idea should be thrown aside, no, i think both should exist in the psionics chapter, but the "sci-fi part" should be set as an option to those who want it that way. Have classes and powers named more "fantasy-like," but leave the sci-fi/pseudoscience ones as options in a chart or their descriptions.

About classes... well i don't think we need more than two classes: Psychic Warrior and the "Psion-class." I think others might fit right under them two.

 

[Vael]

In general:

Psionics should not be just spells with power points. I don't want to see any "Psionic X" powers running around. I want it to be distinct from magic.

Psionic users should have a strong central theme to their powers. Magic users simply pick spells, but you don't need to know Burning Hands to learn Fireball. This is something I kinda want Psionics to avoid. That shouldn't mean that a Psion is too limited and cannot diversify their abilities, but I don't want a Psion that has never used a fire ability suddenly dropping a Meteor Storm equivalent power. Maybe something like Tome of Battle, where higher level maneuvers required you to already know a number of powers from the same school.

Despite the two previous requirements, I still want Psionics to be fairly simple and balanced with other classes.

I also want it to be fairly modular, I'd love a half-casting Psionic progression that could replace Ranger and Paladin spellcasting. I like the idea of Psionic subclasses for most of the core classes, but again, let's avoid the Psionic X for the Rogue or Fighter subclasses.

 

[Bupp]

I'm a fan of what Khaalis wrote up and put in the downloads section.

http://www.enworld.org/forum/rpgdownloads.php?do=download&downloadid=1115

http://www.enworld.org/forum/rpgdownloads.php?do=download&downloadid=1127

 

[Ahrimon]

I'd like to see the 3pp soul knife that was produced for the pathfinder game. I can't remember who made it, but it's the best soul knife I've seen so far.

 

[Mishihari Lord]

I would just like to see 5E psionics follow the (few) books where psionics was done well in fantasy books. Of those I've read, that only includes the Deryni books and the Witch World books. If they can't manage that, then I'd strongly prefer not to see them at all. No SF or modern themed psionics in my fantasy RPG, please.

 

[Anth]

Wishlist:

Psionics that does NOT work like magic, because in that case I could just call the sorcerer for psion and the problem would be solved.

Only one psionic class, Psion, with subclasses for different disciplines is enough.

Psionic subclasses for the other classes, like Eldritch Knight, Arcane Trickster, Elemental Monk.

 

[The Myopic Sniper]

I would love to see an "at-will" version of psionics, but since every class seems to now have short-rest and long-rest refreshing components, it is probably not the edition to ask for that. I guess that is probably what makes the notion so appealing to me.

 

[SoulsFury]

Mindflayers as a PC race.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

OK so after sleeping on it, here is what I came up with...

1)Races... I want psionic races and sub races (Dromite, and Xeph races, Elan sub race for humans and Durgar for dwarf)
2)Feats... I think the feat system can be used for a wild talent system
3) Clasess... I want a telepath class, and a telekentic class (so you can multi class them) Each class will have a set of at will devotions they can take, and they will be limited by level (like warlock invocations) they then get power points that enhance each and come back on short and long rests. Telepath class will get mostly telepathy but some clairsentance. Telekentic would get mostly TK powers but some shaper type. Then there will be a general list of psychometablic and Psy defence powers that either can take from.
4) Subclasses... Psywarrior and Psy SPy for fighter and rouge are a must, but I would love to see a monk one as well.

 

[steeldragons]

2)Feats... I think the feat system can be used for a wild talent system

That makes sense. The only thing with this is that the feat system is supposed to be optional...but then incorporating the psychic powers/classes would be optional as well, I suppose.

So if you are using psychics, you'd just 'OK' the feat for wild talents. That works for me without adding a lot of bloat or having to incorporate a lot to make them work.

1)Races... I want psionic races and sub races (Dromite, and Xeph races, Elan sub race for humans and Durgar for dwarf)

4) Subclasses... Psywarrior and Psy SPy for fighter and rouge are a must, but I would love to see a monk one as well.

My questions here, and not singling you out [MENTION=67338]GMforPowergamers[/MENTION], you are just the latest to suggest some of this...and it raises the thought, since 5e seems conscious of and wants to minimize "bloat", why would separate "psychic races" be needed? What does adding 4-6 more races add to the game that they should be put in a book vs. just available for DM's to add as they see fit, as 5e is very clear about/doable? What is wrong with simply letting humans, elves, dwarves, halflings + whatever else is available at that table have psychic powers?

And for the classes, especially in the example above, if you have a "PsySpy Fighter" or a "Psyspy Rogue" or "Spy Monk" for that matter [which you kind of already have/could do with a shadow monk and make up a psychic feat], then why would you need both/the others? The "Psy Warrior" could be the fighter psy class [which I'd propose is doable now with Eldritch Knight and just allow enchantment/transmutation magic instead of adjuration/evocation or fluff the abj/evo magic to be psychic damage instead of whatever it is].

Again, not arguing, this is a thread about a wishlist after all. Just curious why people who want all of the separate "psy class X", particularly with specific fluff/flavor like "spy class" or "need psy-blade class -for fighters and rogues", want that? What does it bring to the game that can not be done with a single set of powers/abilities + role-playing, e.g. I want a "psychic spy fighter" character. So take the psychic fighter and play a spy? I am sincerely curious.