D&D 5E Psionics in a sci-fi D&D

[Minigiant]

Oh. I see. That thing. You hate wizards so much you want to design an entire parallel magic system that is not tainted by wizards. Ok...
But I actually agree that there is an issue with warlock and sorcerer, just not what the cause is.

I don't hat wizards.

My point is that the D&D spell system is designed around the WOTC, TSR, and Fan favoritism that Wizard can "do everything with magic except heal and resurrect people.". Because of that philosophy, there is little room to create supernatural specialists within the same system because wizards have access to it. This makes it hard to make specialists without creating a new system of some level like the Warlock.

I'd prefer not to have more unsatisfactory sorcerer type class because cool ideas are shut down and the options left in the system are limited.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

The definition of what is and isn't science in fiction is entirely defined within the fiction itself. Their plausibility outside of fiction is irrelevant. It's why science fiction that falls outside of the narrow category of "hard sci-fi" is still called science fiction and not fantasy. Magic is magic because the fiction defines as so. When magic isn't magic, but just "sufficiently advanced science," again, it's because the fiction defines it so. If psionics is tapping into some "other," like the Force, then it could be plausibly compared to magic, but say if it's the result of using mechanical implants to harness and amplify unused portions of the brain, then it doesn't matter that the concept doesn't hold up under real world scientific scrutiny; pseudoscience is still within the purview of science in a fictional context, not magic.

And in many fantasy settings, e.g. Eberron that exactly what magic is: made up science. It follows the laws and rules dictated by the setting. In the Forgotten Realms magic draws energy from the weave. In the real world mass is created when particles interact with the Higgs field. The only difference is one is real and the other is made up.

 

[Aldarc]

I don't hat wizards.

My point is that the D&D spell system is design around the WOTC, TSR, and Fan favoritism that Wizard can "do everything with magic except heal and resurrect people.". Because of that philosophy, there is little room to create supernatural specialists within the same system because wizards have access to it. This makes it hard to make specialists without creating a new system of some level like the Warlock.

I'd prefer not to have more unsatisfactory sorcerer type class because cool ideas are shut down and the options left in the system are limited.

There also seems to be increasingly less trade-offs and downsides that wizards have for the versatility they bring.

 

[Krachek]

I understand the need to have a system to emulate some psionic skills.

Starting with faint emphatic feeling, going to telepath, then implemented suggestions and finally dominate mind. The actual DnD spell-spell slot system is pretty lame to emulate such fantasy psionic.

But DnD is also pretty lame to emulate many magical fantasy that rely on such progression and mastery of arcane skills. 4ed made a step that way making at least the detect magic a simple arcana check.

So I conclude saying that psionic and arcane and divine need alternate systems to implement more progressive and skill like supernatural talent. But official DnD won’t take that step for now.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Why? Who says what psionics (a made up name for a made up thing) can and cannot do? Why can't my psionic character shoot fireballs out of their fingertips?

Made up things can have their own flavor, and psionics flavor simply doesnt include everything D&D wizards do.

 

[Krachek]

If you look enough in various fantasy you will find psionic that emulate most DnD magic school. Mind manipulation, body manipulation, element, open plane portal, healing, fighting,
in fact all the PHB can be rewritten to be a psionic powered game keeping the same classes.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Made up things can have their own flavor, and psionics flavor simply doesnt include everything D&D wizards do.

Who dictated what the flavour was? I don't see any universal rules written down. If I'm creating a setting the flavour is whatever I want it to be.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Who dictated what the flavour was? I don't see any universal rules written down. If I'm creating a setting the flavour is whatever I want it to be.

So words have no meaning outside your opinion of them?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

So words have no meaning outside your opinion of them?

Words that have no meaning have no meaning. I tried looking up psionics in the dictionary, and guess what: no entry.

 

[Krachek]

Some observation on psionic in fantasy.

Limited ressource. Often we see fatigue or even exhaustion after the use of psionic in intensive way. Time per day, spells slots or spell point seem to be shun by psionic fan, but a ressource system is needed.

Concentration. psionic foiled by pain, heavy noise, is also common. We also see the lack of controlling an infinite number of targets, So the concept of concentration can be kept or tweak for psionic.

Component. Surprisingly psionic usage in fantasy often imply use of voice, eye contact, some hands or body gesture, the use of focus, drugs, reagent. Actual detailed material component are too much, but banish all component from psionic is not so obvious.

Passive sense. In fantasy characters have often passive sense, but DnD is pretty lame on this. note that in a game, passive sense are more tricky to implement than in a planned fantasy.

scalability, adaptability. there the fantasy setup possibility that cannot be implement in actual DnD, Upcasting and meta magic are cool tools, but there is still a huge gap to fill.