Unearthed Arcana WotC Surveys: Implementation vs. Interest

[Oofta]

Personally I've never seen a need for psionicists. What is psionics anyway other than a different source of magic? What does it add the game?

As @Celebrim stated: for those who want a psion, why? What would be different other than perhaps using a variation of mana or spell points?

Because based on other threads, there's not even any agreement on what it should be. Maybe it's only popular because people fill in their ideas of what the psion would be if they developed it?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Personally I've never seen a need for psionicists. What is psionics anyway other than a different source of magic? What does it add the game?

In Dark Sun, it was used to represent weird mutations caused by living in a post-apocalyptic environment. It's worth noting that at the time Dark Sun was written the sorcerer class did not exist, and the optional psionics from 1st edition DMG where quite weird and whacky.

For Mind Flayers, Gith and Kalashtar, it represents alienness. Not for them all this chanting and wand waving that those primitive lesser races get up too.

 

[Oofta]

In Dark Sun, it was used to represent weird mutations caused by living in a post-apocalyptic environment. It's worth noting that at the time Dark Sun was written the sorcerer class did not exist, and the optional psionics from 1st edition DMG where quite weird and whacky.

For Mind Flayers, Gith and Kalashtar, it represents alienness. Not for them all this chanting and wand waving that those primitive lesser races get up too.

But then it's just magic with different fluff. Or I'm missing something and always have.

Isn't it just changing the labels used for sorcerers? Or just a different way of representing warlocks that get their power from the far realms?

Everyone has their preference, but a label change doesn't seem like enough to support a new subsystem.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

But then it's just magic with different fluff. Or I'm missing something and always have.

Isn't it just changing the labels used for sorcerers? Or just a different way of representing warlocks that get their power from the far realms?

Everyone has their preference, but a label change doesn't seem like enough to support a new subsystem.

You need to get rid of certain mechanics as well. Mind Flayers (and those who gained their powers from them) have no need for wands and magic words. I.e. the most important thing for something to be psionic (IMO) is it doesn't have v, s & m components.

There is also the science fantasy crossover element. A psionicist should be able to walk from a D&D setting into Babylon 5 or Star Wars without changes.

As for Dark Sun, IMO you could replace psionics with a Gamma World style random mutation table for a similar effect, but that would offend purists.

 

[cmad1977]

There really ISNT a lot of interest in a psion.
It’s always just been magic with different fluff.

 

[Aldarc]

What is psionics anyway other than a different source of magic? What does it add the game?

You answer your own second question here. For a number of fans of psionics, what that alternate source of magic represents is appealing because it has a different set of thematics and aesthetics than fireball-slinging wizards wielding cosmic powers, pious clerics drawing upon their gods, primal druids wielding nature, and bards singing their magic.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

It’s always just been magic with different fluff.

1st edition psionics was very very different to 1st edition magic.

 

[Oofta]

You need to get rid of certain mechanics as well. Mind Flayers (and those who gained their powers from them) have no need for wands and magic words. I.e. the most important thing for something to be psionic (IMO) is it doesn't have v, s & m components.

There is also the science fantasy crossover element. A psionicist should be able to walk from a D&D setting into Babylon 5 or Star Wars without changes.

As for Dark Sun, IMO you could replace psionics with a Gamma World style random mutation table for a similar effect, but that would offend purists.

But then you need to modify other things to balance it out.

I get it, but no game can be everything to everyone.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

But then you need to modify other things to balance it out.

I get it, but no game can be everything to everyone.

True. But it's something D&D has been able to do in the past.

 

[Oofta]

True. But it's something D&D has been able to do in the past.

During the TSR days they pushed out a lot of material, a lot of which was of dubious profitability or popularity.