D&D 5E Here's why we want a Psion class

[Maxperson]

They have light sabers. That much I do know.

The Psychic Warriors do, anyway.

 

[dave2008]

No, but whatever they are, they use no components for their powers.

I don't think that is a requirement though. There is a tradition of using drugs, crystals and the like to augment psychic powers. You could make that part of D&D too. Not to mention jedi's using vocal and somatic components. Heck, I believe the official reason DV couldn't use force lighting was that he didn't have hands!

 

[Minigiant]

Because the anti-psion crowd seems to have kanipchen fits over it.


Of all of those, the creation of constructs is the least "psionic" of the bunch.

Well we have psionic blades. And throwing psionic constructs Green Lantern style seems fine depending on what they are made of.

It's the portals that throw me off.

 

[Maxperson]

I don't think that is a requirement though. There is a tradition of using drugs, crystals and the like to augment psychic powers. You could make that part of D&D too. Not to mention jedi's using vocal and somatic components. Heck, I believe the official reason DV couldn't use force lighting was that he didn't have hands!

The Jedi don't use components. All of the powers where they wave their hands and such, they also have used in film while not doing anything at all. The handwaving just makes it easier on the viewer to tell. It's not a requirement.

 

[Guest 6801328]

The Jedi don't use components. All of the powers where they wave their hands and such, they also have used in film while not doing anything at all. The handwaving just makes it easier on the viewer to tell. It's not a requirement.

Is that RAW?

 

[Maxperson]

Is that RAW?

Your sushi is RAW.

 

[Mecheon]

It's the portals that throw me off.

Teleportation is definitely a psychic 'thing' in general parlance so I'm fine with it being around

 

[Mistwell]

Page 222 of the MM. If you guys want to pretend the the explicit psionic ability of Mind Flayers which does not use any components is somehow not a rule as written pertaining to using psionic abilities, you can. Nobody is going to stop you. Feel free to ignore RAW and mock me as usual.

It's a rule as written for monsters in the MM. Specifically NOT for Players. "The Monster Manual, like the Dungeon Master’s Guide, is a book for DMs. " It contains a TON of creatures which are similar to PCs and PC abilities but which do NOT FUNCTION THE SAME. A Familiar from the MM is not, in any way, a familiar for a PC. An Drow in the MM is not like a PC Drow. An assassin in the MM is not like an Assassin player class. A Minotaur in the MM is not like the Minotaur race you can play.

Mind Flayers get "Innate Spellcasting (Psionics)" but there are lots of monsters in the MM who also get "Innate Spellcasting" which is not Psionics. The Innate Spellcasting isn't even specific to Psionics in the MM. Heck, that Drow I mentioned earlier also has "Innate Spellcasting".

But the more important point is the MM rules are not, in fact, the same as the PC rules and never have been for 5e. This stuff is explicit for 5e. It is distinct from, for example, 3e which based challenges on the same fluff and mechanics as the PCs. They didn't do that for 5e. Anyone who has DM'ed 5e knows this from day one. My question is, how do you not know this after all these years?

 

[dave2008]

Page 222 of the MM. If you guys want to pretend the the explicit psionic ability of Mind Flayers which does not use any components is somehow not a rule as written pertaining to using psionic abilities, you can. Nobody is going to stop you. Feel free to ignore RAW and mock me as usual.

Max, do you not understand that is a rule for a Mind flayers and not psionics in general? There are in fact other monsters that don't use components and have the exact same RAW as mind flayers. May I direct you to page 294 of the MM:

"Innate Spellcasting. The unicorn's innate Spellcasting Ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14). The unicorn can innately cast the following Spells, requiring no components:"

The unicorn is using magic not psionics, but the RAW is the same as the Mind Flayer.

 

[Maxperson]

It's a rule as written for monsters in the MM. Specifically NOT for Players. "The Monster Manual, like the Dungeon Master’s Guide, is a book for DMs. " It contains a TON of creatures which are similar to PCs and PC abilities but which do NOT FUNCTION THE SAME. A Familiar from the MM is not, in any way, a familiar for a PC. An Elf in the MM is not like a PC elf. An assassin in the MM is not like an Assassin player class. A Minotaur in the MM is not like the Minotaur race you can play.

Mind Flayers get "Innate Spellcasting (Psionics)" but there are lots of monsters in the MM who also get "Innate Spellcasting" which is not Psionics. The Innate Spellcasting isn't even specific to Psionics in the MM.

But the more important point is the MM rules are not, in fact, the same as the PC rules and never have been for 5e. This stuff is explicit for 5e. It is distinct from, for example, 3e which based challenges on the same fluff and mechanics as the PCs. They didn't do that for 5e. Anyone who has DM'ed 5e knows this from day one. My question is, how do you not know this after all these years?

So your argument is that monsters use a COMPLETELY different psionics system than players do, just like they use a COMPLETELY different magic system. Oh, wait...