Psion class (Mearls, Happy Fun Hour)

[TwoSix]

Please see Dreamscarred Press for more info about what the Psychic Warrior (and many other psionic classes) has since become.

Let's be honest, WotC isn't going to top what Dreamscarred did for psionics. I'd rather use their take on 3.5 psionics than any other 3.5 magic system.

 

[CapnZapp]

I hope this makes it to publication

That we can certainly agree on.

(The revised Ranger has not seen publication, and the game is now 5 years old. Glacial is indeed a proper word for MMearls development speed...)

 

[CapnZapp]

I love the distinct mechanics that Psionics had in previous editions... but it complicated things greatly and required people to master yet another set of mechanics.

OTOH, 5th edition is by now an established success.

It doesn't necessarily follow that every new supplement must keep to the low level of crunch of the PHB.

Maybe it's time to let the devs stretch their legs. Psionics is best when it feels different in a mechanical sense as well as any in-universe differences.

 

[CapnZapp]

Given the way warlocks work and various other things, I would surmise that WotC sees a strong qualitative distinction between 1st-5th-level magic and 6th-level-plus magic. That's clearly where the restriction in the spell point rules comes from. A full caster's eventual ability to get multiple 6th- and 7th-level slots, at the very highest of levels, should probably be regarded as an extremely qualified exception to the rule as a reward for getting that far, and not to be taken as precedent without careful consideration. If we're basing power points on the spell slot system, then as with the warlock, I think a 1x restriction on 6th-level-plus slots is inevitable.

But if we're basing power points on the spell slot system, then really we should just use the spell slot system. If we're going to be switching to this new system with its heavy emphasis on flexibility, then immediately turning around to put slot-like restrictions on the system is pretty counterproductive. Instead, we should balance the 6th-plus psionic powers on the assumption that they will be used multiple times per day, rather than (as with spells) the assumption that they will not.

I can even venture a guess as to what this might look like. With psionics' historical emphasis on augmentation, it may be encouraged for more of a psion's "6th-plus powers" to actually be augmented lower-level powers than it is for a spellcaster to use higher-level slots for lower-level spells. We don't want a caster spamming wishes, but spamming really big confusions? Seems less troublesome.

Good ideas.

You could even have a Psion get an unrestricted power point scheme (because the restrictions in spell points are decidedly inelegant) and then warlockian once/day higher-level effects. The "level 6-9" powers would then be more like "level 5+" powers for balance. The number of PPs would then level off after level 5, since the higher-level effects don't cost PP.

 

[CapnZapp]

[MENTION=5142]Aldarc[/MENTION], maybe it's better that you hope for this Dream company of yours to do a 3PP supplement to 5E once the official WotC psionics is out. I don't think WotC is looking at 3PP much at all, to be honest. Maaaybe Paizo, and even then it's a stretch.

 

[Aldarc]

[MENTION=5142]Aldarc[/MENTION], maybe it's better that you hope for this Dream company of yours to do a 3PP supplement to 5E once the official WotC psionics is out. I don't think WotC is looking at 3PP much at all, to be honest. Maaaybe Paizo, and even then it's a stretch.

Sorry, but Dreamscarred Press should not be unfamiliar with anyone interested in discussing psionics in D&D. Look up psionics on d20pfsrd.com, and there you will find Dreamscarred Press's contribution. They picked up the mantle of 3.5 Expanded Psionics, but geared towards Pathfinder. They just finished a Kickstarter for bringing their psionics to Starfinder. I doubt they are not unaware of Pathfinder 2 either. They initially even had their own psionic-only setting, Third Dawn, originally for True20. So they are probably one of the premier standard-bearers for psionics in "D&D."

 

[TwoSix]

Sorry, but Dreamscarred Press should not be unfamiliar with anyone interested in discussing psionics in D&D. Look up psionics on d20pfsrd.com, and there you will find Dreamscarred Press's contribution. They picked up the mantle of 3.5 Expanded Psionics, but geared towards Pathfinder. They just finished a Kickstarter for bringing their psionics to Starfinder. I doubt they are not unaware of Pathfinder 2 either. They initially even had their own psionic-only setting, Third Dawn, originally for True20. So they are probably one of the premier standard-bearers for psionics in "D&D."

Yep. Dreamscarred Press isn't a third party publisher for psionics, they're THE third party publisher for psionics. I think you could make a valid argument that Occult Adventures became what it was simply because DSP made doing a relatively straightforward Paizo adaption of 3.5 psionics a non starter.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

As for other classes not gaining psionics until they reach the level where they get a subclass, I think we could get some sort of "Wild Talent" concept as an option. For full spellcasters and certain races it could be the matter of taking 1 Talent/Psionic Cantrip, for fighting classes maybe their could be a new fighting style that uses psionics in some way. No idea what Rogues, Barbarians or Monks would get as they aren't full spellcasters and don't get fighting styles. There also could be some sort of background about psionic potential with some of flavour ability that uses psionics to see things.

 

[CapnZapp]

Sorry, but Dreamscarred Press should not be unfamiliar with anyone interested in discussing psionics in D&D. Look up psionics on d20pfsrd.com, and there you will find Dreamscarred Press's contribution. They picked up the mantle of 3.5 Expanded Psionics, but geared towards Pathfinder. They just finished a Kickstarter for bringing their psionics to Starfinder. I doubt they are not unaware of Pathfinder 2 either. They initially even had their own psionic-only setting, Third Dawn, originally for True20. So they are probably one of the premier standard-bearers for psionics in "D&D."

Maybe I'll have a look when and if that becomes relevant. For the time being nothing indicates MMearls draws inspiration from anything except past TSR/WotC material.

 

[CapnZapp]

As for other classes not gaining psionics until they reach the level where they get a subclass

...and let's not forget how the first few levels are apprentice levels.