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

[Minigiant]

This I'm going to disagree with. D&D magic does D&D magic and pretty much nothing else. It is, in no way, actually wired to fantasy stories. Heck, even the magic of Vance isn't D&D magic, despite then moniker. And, funnily enough, Vance's fantasy was far more SF than fantasy anyway, seeing as it was set in a distantly far future where the magic was meant as technology. So, even the base inspiration for D&D magic is grounded (extremely loosely) in SF more than fantasy.

D&D magic is a singular thing, created for a game, that has virtually no parallels in fantasy genre literature.

I didn't say D&D magic is tied to fantasy games. I said D&D magic is tied to fantasy. Because D&D magic is

1. completely unscientific
2. doesn't attempt to be explained by science or logic
3. has zero limitations
4. offers a wide array of effects
5. uses a memorize and forget system which is not tied to nature nor explained scientifically
6. uses a spell slot which is not tied to nature nor explained scientifically
7. And new to 5e, the spell memory system and spell slot system are used together to cast spells but are tied together as the same system

You have beings with a 1st level spell slot that can cast:

• burning hands
• charm person
• comprehend languages
• disguise self
• false life
• fog cloud
• jump
• shield

And that same being can cast the same spells or a different array of widely different spell with a 2nd level slot. And then recharge the slot with 8 hours of rest. This all creates a system that completely divorced from the real world and thus fantastical. But such a thing is the opposite of Science Fiction.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

completely unscientific

Like psionics.

doesn't attempt to be explained by science or logic

Then explain it 'scientifically'.

has zero limitations

Has limitations as defined by the spells, and classes have limitations of which spells they can have.

offers a wide array of effects

As wide as class' spell list allows. Which can be written to have the desired scope.

uses a memorize and forget system which is not tied to nature nor explained scientifically

Some classes do. Many others just have known spells that they can always cast with their slots. But if you would want to 'scientifically' explain the memorisation, you could. Because we are talking about made up nonsense 'science' not actual science.

uses a spell slot which is not tied to nature nor explained scientifically

Again, make up the fake science.

You have beings with a 1st level spell slot that can cast:

• burning hands
• charm person
• comprehend languages
• disguise self
• false life
• fog cloud
• jump
• shield

And that same being can cast the same spells or a different array of widely different spell with a 2nd level slot. And then recharge the slot with 8 hours of rest. This all creates a system that completely divorced from the real world and thus fantastical. But such a thing is the opposite of Science Fiction.

They use their midiclorians to do it. Problem solved.

 

[Minigiant]

Like psionics.

not always

Then explain it 'scientifically'.

Good luck with that, buddy.
The points of my many points is that Psionics in Sci-Fi are often designed to be explained by science or fake science and that's why they are limited and have stress systems.
Whereas Magic, especially D&D Magic, is often design to work for plot or gameplay and the explainable wonder is part of the charm or skeleton.

As wide as class' spell list allows. Which can be written to have the desired scope.

Which I stated earlier, would require more than reskinning ultimately.

Some classes do. Many others just have known spells that they can always cast with their slots. But if you would want to 'scientifically' explain the memorisation, you could. Because we are talking about made up nonsense 'science' not actual science.

Again. Good luck scientifically explaining D&D magic even with mumbo jumbo.

Again, make up the fake science.

Aint that easy to do.

They use their midiclorians to do it. Problem solved.

Star Wars got kicked out of Sci-Fi for being too fantasy decades ago.
It added midiclorians to sneak its way back in and only got accepted as Science Fantasy by some. And barely. It's considered Space Fantasy by most people who can describe the genres.

Science Fiction always requires that tether back to science to stay science fiction. Scifi is about fictional science. You can do magic as science. However you would have to chop and repaint D&D magic so much to make it link to science that it would no longer look like the D&D spell system and look like a new system.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

This is going nowhere. For some bizarre reason some people seem to think that psionics is somehow more scientific of plausible than magic. It is not. It is all made up nonsense and can and will work exactly as the creator of the fiction desires.

 

[jmartkdr2]

I personally think the spell slot system very poorly messes with even soft sci-fi.

A lot of people will tell you it meshes poorly with fantasy...

Maybe we can try at-will, encounter and daily powers,…, hum, wrong answer!

Just expand on warlocks to cover all the available power sources and you have class-free 5e.

 

[Hussar]

not always


Science Fiction always requires that tether back to science to stay science fiction. Scifi is about fictional science. You can do magic as science. However you would have to chop and repaint D&D magic so much to make it link to science that it would no longer look like the D&D spell system and look like a new system.

Ah. Now I see the issue.

You are making an assumption about SF that is not true.

Doctor Who being a perfect example. Doctor Who is a wizard with a magic wand and a magic box. Zero limitations and zero explanations that are based on anything approaching science.

Immortal beings that can be disintegrated and then magically return because the are a “fixed point” for example.

SF does not in any way need to be explained by science. SF is not about fictional science. It is about social commentary that uses fantastic elements to shape the narrative.

 

[Mordhau]

The Spell slot system is now almost entirely a meta-system now anyway.

It used to be part of the fiction of the game, but it's really hard to make that case any more.

It's more just a basic representation of the idea that characters can only really wield so much magic before they get too tired to do so any more.

 

[Yaarel]

For me, the most important requirement for the Psion is, it is a full caster. I want spell slot level 9 effects, including Wish and Foresight. Also, I want potent at-will abilities. And it needs to be able to multiclass well with other Players Handbook classes.

 

[Minigiant]

This is going nowhere. For some bizarre reason some people seem to think that psionics is somehow more scientific of plausible than magic. It is not. It is all made up nonsense and can and will work exactly as the creator of the fiction desires.

Psioinics is not anymore plausible than magic in and of itself. 3e and Pf Psionics is just as implausible.
You can make almost scientific or almost plausible magic.

It's more that D&D Magic is less plausible than typical and popular uses of Psioinics. Because typical uses and popular uses of Psionics use from Science Fiction nor Fantasy.

Doctor Who being a perfect example. Doctor Who is a wizard with a magic wand and a magic box. Zero limitations and zero explanations that are based on anything approaching science.

Doesn't Doctor Who go out its way to explain the "science" and "tech"?

 

[Hussar]

Not even remotely. Doctor Who spits gobbledygook from time to time but virtually never even attempts to explain anything.

Heck it’s a big timey whimey mess.