Unearthed Arcana New Unearthed Arcana: Psionics!

There’s a new Unearthed Arcana article out, and it’s all about psionics! "Their minds bristling with power, three new subclasses arrive in today’s Unearthed Arcana: the Psychic Warrior for the fighter, the Soulknife for the rogue, and the tradition of Psionics for the wizard."

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In this 9-page PDF, there are also some new psionics-themed spells (including versions of classic psionic powers like id insinuation and ego whip) and two new feats.

 

[gyor]

In my opinion, between these psionic sub-classes and the enhancements from the previous UA, Dark Sun will release in December 2020.

The thing is not all of these subclasses fit Darksuns themes, such as the Wild Soul Barbarian, College of Eloquence Bard, Astral Monk, Twilight Domain Clerics, Oath of Heroism Paladin, even the Psionic Sorcerer the Aberrant Soul doesn't fit Darksun.

This is a true puzzle.

 

[Eric V]

Hmmm. That is pretty vague. Not sure how to help you but there are SiFi settings, noir settings, horror settings, greek settings, modern settings, and investigation settings using the 5e core. I imagine some of those have innovative ideas.

EDIT: There is also Stongholds and Followers which has some new ideas

Thanks. I've looked and I'm not going to say it's not good material, it's all still material that stays within a pretty strict paradigm of what has come before, not something actually new or obviously creative.

Like how any new character idea has to be a subclass of something existing...why? I literally don't see the big difference between class "bloat" and subclass "bloat," except that now (for example) the evil paladin associating with the Nine Hells still heals with a touch, does radiant damage with a smite, and has an aura to protect his allies(!) because the idea has to fit within the existing paradigm (in this case, of the paladin class). Do people make it work? I suppose they do, but if you were sitting down to design a warrior inspired by the Nine Hells, healing with a touch, radiant damage, and a protecting allies aura probably wouldn't make the list of features...

My group has resigned to this being the case, but we keep an eye...

 

[gyor]

Ah yes. One of the better books done by wotc is the book that wasn't done by wotc.

WotC contributed to that book and no, it's really not one of the better books at all, it has a couple of sort of interesting things, but is the Forgotten Realms book I have liked the least, period.

If you want a book that was primarily done by someone else and is fluff wise the best book done for 5e, that would be the Swordcoast Adventurer's Guide which was both interesting, innovative in its presentation, well written and very interesting. It's one fault is that it should have been at least the size of ERftLW, or bigger, and it should have had all the FR Gods.

 

[Parmandur]

The thing is not all of these subclasses fit Darksuns themes, such as the Wild Soul Barbarian, College of Eloquence Bard, Astral Monk, Twilight Domain Clerics, Oath of Heroism Paladin, even the Psionic Sorcerer the Aberrant Soul doesn't fit Darksun.

This is a true puzzle.

Based on Crawford's statements in the recent batch of Beyond videos, most of the recent stuff was intended to test Psionic options (not all, though, like the Rune Knight). I don't think the evidence is there that this is a XGtE style book, though, based on the volume, so I'm still leaning towards a setting. The Settings that would seem to fit all the material we've seen to my mind at this point would be Planescape, Greyhawk or... Spelljammer.

 

[gyor]

Based on Crawford's statements in the recent batch of Beyond videos, most of the recent stuff was intended to test Psionic options (not all, though, like the Rune Knight). I don't think the evidence is there that this is a XGtE style book, though, based on the volume, so I'm still leaning towards a setting. The Settings that would seem to fit all the material we've seen to my mind at this point would be Planescape, Greyhawk or... Spelljammer.

You assume they aren't going to test more subclasses, so far if we include the Archivist, that is 17 subclasses (plus a required reprint of Artificer for Archivist) vs 31 subclasses in XGTE which includes 4 reprints. Taking out reprints (which this hypothetical book could have as well, Order Cleric for example fits far beyond Ravnica), that is 17 subclasses vs 27 subclasses. Another round of subclasses for all but the Rogue, Wizard, and Fighter, 10 more subclasses tying XGTE for subclasses. Or they could turn to new races. Or use the space difference could be used for class variants and the Artificer reprint and who knows what else. I will be very curious to see what ths next Unearthed Arcana brings.

I too originally thought this was going to be a Setting book, but this is actually on the verge of getting too big for a setting book. I mean this could be XGTE 2 as far as we are concerned, but different enough that WotC doesn't view it that way. Like it could be Manual of the Planes mets XGTE functional. That is not to say Darksun isn't coming in 2020, but these puzzle pieces suggest another XGTE, no matter what Mike Mearls said before about at least two years away, folks change their minds or get over ruled.

 

[Parmandur]

You assume they aren't going to test more subclasses, so far if we include the Archivist, that is 17 subclasses (plus a required reprint of Artificer for Archivist) vs 31 subclasses in XGTE which includes 4 reprints. Taking out reprints (which this hypothetical book could have as well, Order Cleric for example fits far beyond Ravnica), that is 17 subclasses vs 27 subclasses. Another round of subclasses for all but the Rogue, Wizard, and Fighter, 10 more subclasses tying XGTE for subclasses. Or they could turn to new races. Or use the space difference could be used for class variants and the Artificer reprint and who knows what else. I will be very curious to see what ths next Unearthed Arcana brings.

I too originally thought this was going to be a Setting book, but this is actually on the verge of getting too big for a setting book. I mean this could be XGTE 2 as far as we are concerned, but different enough that WotC doesn't view it that way. Like it could be Manual of the Planes mets XGTE functional. That is not to say Darksun isn't coming in 2020, but these puzzle pieces suggest another XGTE, no matter what Mike Mearls said before about at least two years away, folks change their minds or get over ruled.

Still less than 40 pages of material: whatever the book is depends on the other 80-90% of material. We still only have the tip of the iceberg.

 

[gyor]

Still less than 40 pages of material: whatever the book is depends on the other 80-90% of material. We still only have the tip of the iceberg.

Perhaps, although that entirely depends on the size of the book, but even in XGTE subclasses were only a fraction of the book, about 51 pages.

Still no book except the PHB and XGTE has had that much Player crunchy content, none of the settings have.

And it's very possible more stuff is coming. It could even be a mix abit of XGTE and VGTM, with both Monsters and PC races. Or it could have a section on a host of settings. Or something else entirely. Once you think you have it cracked, another twist happens. It's a tough puzzle. But if it has another 17 pages of names, I'm ripping them out and mailing them back to WotC covered in my righteous nerd rage .

 

[Ashrym]

Still no book except the PHB and XGTE has had that much Player crunchy content, none of the settings have.

That's why I was wondering if it's leading up to a PHB2 style book. XGTE follows the save concept.

 

[Parmandur]

Perhaps, although that entirely depends on the size of the book, but even in XGTE subclasses were only a fraction of the book, about 51 pages.

Still no book except the PHB and XGTE has had that much Player crunchy content, none of the settings have.

And it's very possible more stuff is coming. It could even be a mix abit of XGTE and VGTM, with both Monsters and PC races. Or it could have a section on a host of settings. Or something else entirely. Once you think you have it cracked, another twist happens. It's a tough puzzle. But if it has another 17 pages of names, I'm ripping them out and mailing them back to WotC covered in my righteous nerd rage .

That's not quite accurate: Rising from the Last War has 85 pages for character creation, more than twice the UA material we have at this point. If this is for, say, a Planescape Setting book following the same format, just add a handful of Races and content for Faction play and you are about at the same amount of material.

But we honestly don't have enough to go on at this point.

 

[Parmandur]

That's why I was wondering if it's leading up to a PHB2 style book. XGTE follows the save concept.

XGtE was the PHB2, and the DMG2, and Volo's & Mordenkein's were the MM 2 and MM3. I'd go so far as to call Ravnica the PHB3/DMG3/MM4 and Rising from the Last War the PHB4/DMG4/MM5.