My main concern with using spells has been an organic power progression. A Psion shouldn't get everything on their list like a Cleric, or have the "lol random" approach of the Wizard. Something more like, having this cantrip unlocks this domain like grouping of spells would be more on theme.
There are lots of perfectly good psionic classes already designed. The trouble is, there so many fundamentally different concepts of what psionics is (and very rigid ones for something that does not exist) that they are all hate-magnets.
1st: Mind over Matter: When you cast mage hand, you can make the spectral hand invisible, and you can perform the following additional tasks with it:
You can stow one object the hand is holding in a container worn or carried by another creature.
You can retrieve an object in a container worn or carried by another creature.
The weight the mage hand can move increases with 5lb every Psion level.
As an action you may Telekinetically Control an object to make melee spell attacks at a range of 30ft, dealing d8+ Charisma modifier damage.
6th: Psychokinesis over Physiology: You can perform Strength or Dexterity ability or Tool use checks at a distance of up to 30ft. When you do so you may substitute your Charisma instead of your Strength, and your Intelligence instead of your Dexterity.
You may make Shove or Grapple checks and the Use an Object in this way as a bonus action as well.
When telekinetically controlling an object, you may make two melee spell attacks as a single action and do so up to 60ft away.
10th: More Mind over Matter: You may cast Telekinesis once per Short rest without expending power.
Anytime you cast Telekinesis, you may affect two objects or creatures simultaneously.
When telekinetically controlling an object, you may make three melee spell attacks as a single action and do so up to 120ft away.
14th: Further Psychokinesis over Physiology: You gain a fly speed (hover) equal to your walking speed. When taking the Dash action, you psychokinetically boost this even further, and double your speed.
As a reaction you can telekinetically "catch" a weapon attack made against a target within 30ft of you. The attack deals no damage and the attacker must make a Str saving throw or be unable to use their weapon again until the beginning of their next turn.
When telekinetically controlling an object, you may make four melee spell attacks as a single action and do so up to 180ft away.
Invocations:
Physical focusing: You are able to increase the power of your manifestations with focusing rites, or releasing some of the energy that you usually contain.
You may choose to use your psionic powers in such a way that they produce Verbal, Somatic, and Appearance components (Chanting, complicated gestures, eyes glowing or hair standing on end etc.) When you do so, it is immediately obvious to everyone in the area that you are performing a supernatural action, but you may cast the power as if using an additional power point.
Here are "disciplines". Each subclass of the Psion is called a discipline. You choose your discipline at level 1.
Each discipline has its own spell list.
This post is a first pass at the spell list for each discipline to get a sense of the overall flavor of each discipline list. Later there will be new spells to finetune the psionic capability and flavor, as well as fill in any gaps.
For the sake of completion I am including pertinent official spells, even if known to be subpar, and either would balance better if relocating to a lower spell slot level, or would require a rewrite.
To ensure that the disciplines are about equally powerful, their respective spell lists include themes that intentionally group reasonably useful spell choices.
At character creation, you gain the spell list of your chosen discipline plus one more spell list from any other discipline of your choice. When you choose your known spells for your Psionic class, choose them from these two spell lists.
DISCIPLINES
0
Guidance
Resistance
True Strike
1
Alarm
Bane
Bless
Comprehend Languages
Detect Evil or Good (= Detect Plane)
Hunters Mark
Protection from Evil or Good (= Protection from Plane)
Shield of Faith
3
Bestow Curse
Blink
Clairvoyance
Counterspell
Magic Circle (= Circle of Protection from Plane)
Nondetection (= Anti-Divination)
Remove Curse
Sending
Summon Fey
Summon Shadowspawn
Tongues
4
Arcane Eye
Banishment
Death Ward
Dimension Door
Divination
Locate Creature
Mordenkainens Private Sanctum
5
Banishing Smite
Commune (but contact in any plane any willing creature you have met)
Dispel Evil or Good (= Dispel Plane)
Far Step
Legend Lore
Planar Binding
Scrying
Skill Empowerment
Steel Wind Strike
Summon Celestial
Teleportation Circle
6
Arcane Gate
Contingency
Drawmijs Instant Summons (without costly component)
Find the Path
Forbiddance
Scatter
Summon Fiend
Tashas Otherworldly Guise
Word of Recall
9
Astral Projection
Dream of the Blue Veil
Foresight
Gate
Time Stop
True Resurrection
0
Acid Splash
Poison Spray
Primal Savagery
Spare the Dying
1
Animal Friendship
Beast Bond
Cure Wounds
Detect Poison and Disease
Expeditious Retreat
Healing Word
Jump
Longstrider
Ray of Sickness
Speak with Animals
Tashas Caustic Brew
2
Aid
Alter Self
Animal Messenger
Beast Sense
Blindness/Deafness
Enhance Ability (Str, Con, or Dex only)
Enlarge/Reduce
Gentle Repose
Lesser Restoration
Melfs Acid Arrow
Prayer of Healing
Protection from Poison
Ray of Enfeeblement
Spider Climb
Summon Beast (fissioning off from your body)
Warding Bond
3
Aura of Vitality
Beacon of Hope (but advantage on Constitution saves replaces Wisdom)
Haste
Mass Healing Word
Revivify
Slow
4
Aura of Life
Aura of Purity
Dominate Beast
Evards Black Tentacles (but from your body out to 20 feet, can pull/push)
Polymorph
Vitriolic Sphere
5
Antilife Shell
Greater Restoration
Mass Cure Wounds
Reincarnate (choose any race; after you die, you can cast on self)
6
Heal
Tensers Transformation (extra damage is same type as weapon)
7
Divine Word
Regenerate
8
Animal Shapes
Clone
Power Word Stun
9
Mass Heal
Mass Polymorph
Power Word Heal
Shapechange
True Polymorph
0
Blade Ward
Eldritch Blast
Mage Hand
Sword Burst
1
Catapult
Detect Magic
Feather Fall
Mage Armor (you can target an ally)
Magic Missile
Shield
Tensers Floating Disk
Unseen Servant
Zephyr Strike
2
Levitation
Magic Weapon
Spiritual Weapon
3
Dispel Magic
Fly
Leomunds Tiny Hut
4
Freedom of Movement
Otilukes Resilient Sphere
Summon Construct (creature type is force construct)
5
Bigbys Hand
Circle of Power (but is psionic energy)
Creation (object is a force construct)
Telekinesis
Wall of Force
0
Friends
Mind Sliver
Minor Illusion
Vicious Mockery
1
Cause Fear
Charm Person
Command
Compelled Duel
Disguise Self
Dissonant Whispers
Heroism
Sanctuary
Silent Image
Sleep
Tashas Hideous Laughter
Wrathful Smite
2
Blur
Calm Emotions
Crown of Madness
Detect Thoughts
Enhance Ability (Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma only)
Enthrall
Hold Person
Invisibility
Magic Mouth
Mind Spike
Mirror Image
Phantasmal Force
Shadow Blade
Suggestion
Tashas Mind Whip
Zone of Truth
3
Catnap
Enemies Abound
Fear
Hypnotic Pattern
Intellect Fortress
Major Image
Phantom Steed (quasi real from force)
4
Conjure Minor Elementals (Fire only)
Elemental Bane (Fire or Radiant only)
Fire Shield (warm only)
Guardian of Faith (appears only as gleaming sword)
Summon Elemental (Fire only)
Wall of Fire
5
Conjure Elemental (Fire only)
Dawn
Flamestrike
Immolation
Wall of Light
6
Investiture of Flame
Sunbeam
7
Crown of Stars
Delayed Blast Fireball
Fire Storm
8
Incendiary Cloud
Sunburst
9
Meteor Swarm
0
Absorb Elements
Armor of Agathys
Booming Blade
Create or Destroy Water
Frostbite
Guiding Bolt
Gust
Ice Knife
Lightning Lure
Message
Ray of Frost
Shape Water
Shocking Grasp
Thunderclap
1
Fog Cloud
Snillocs Snowball Swarm
Thunderous Smite
Thunderwave
Witchbolt
Gust of Wind
2
Shatter
Silence
Skywrite
Warding Wind
3
Call Lightning
Gaseous Form
Lightning Arrow
Lightning Bolt
Protection from Energy
Sleet Storm
Thunderstep
Tidal Wave
Wall of Water
Water Breathing
Water Walk
Wind Wall
4
Conjure Minor Elementals (Air or Water only)
Control Water
Elemental Bane (Cold, Lightning, or Thunder only)
Fire Shield (chill only)
Ice Storm
Storm Sphere
Summon Elemental (Air or Water only)
Watery Sphere
5
Cone of Cold
Conjure Elemental (Air or Water only)
Control Winds
Maelstrom
6
Chain Lightning
Investiture of Ice
Investiture of Wind
Otilukes Freezing Sphere
Primordial Ward
Wall of Ice
7
Whirlwind
8
Control Weather
Tsunami
9
−
0
Druidcraft
Magic Stone
Mending
Mold Earth
Shillelagh
Thorn Whip
1
Earth Tremor
Ensnaring Strike
Entangle
Goodberry
Grease
Hail of Thorns
Purify Food and Drink
2
Arcane Lock
Barkskin
Cloud of Daggers
Cordon of Arrows
Dust Devil
Earthbind
Knock
Locate Animals or Plants
Pass Without Trace
Spike Growth
Maximilians Earthen Grasp
3
Conjure Barrage
Create Food and Water
Erupting Earth
Meld into Stone
Plant Growth
Speak with Plants
Tiny Servant
Wall of Sand
4
Conjure Minor Elementals (Earth only)
Fabricate
Grasping Vine
Stone Shape
Stone Skin
Summon Elemental (Earth only)
5
Animate Objects
Commune with Nature
Conjure Elemental (Earth only)
Conjure Volley
Passwall
Swift Quiver
Transmute Rock
Tree Stride
Wall of Stone
Wrath of Nature
6
Blade Barrier (blades are made of metal)
Bones of the Earth
Flesh to Stone
Investiture of Stone
Move Earth
Transport Via Plants
7
−
8
Earthquake
Mighty Fortress (lacks servants)
9
−
PERSONALIZING SPELLS
Just as every performer lends their art a personal flair and every warrior asserts their fighting styles through the lens of their own training, so too can a [Psion] spellcaster use [psionics] to express ones individuality. ... You can customize the cosmetic effects of your characters spells.
My 5E psion build utilizes a modified 2E approach. At least it started being built on a 2E framework. Essentially, the idea is to mimic the psionic comic book characters we see in Marvel comics. I wanted my psions and psychic warriors to have the feel of these comic book characters.
There is a psion class, and subclasses for each of the Psionic Disciplines (Clairsentience, Psychokenisis, Psychometabolism, Psychportation, Telepathy) of the 2E era. Your subclass gives you some abilities, and bonuses with certain powers.
I have Psionic Defenses and Psionic Attacks. Each defense gives you a flat benefit, and then assists with the protection against certain psionic powers and attacks. Each attack has an effect, but if there are psionic defenses in place, there is essentially a "rock, paper, scissors" style benefit to the defender in defending against the psionic attack forms. Putting up a defense costs PPs, so you can do it perpetually, but it comes at a cost in your ability to do the class and power tricks that are your bread and butter.
There are powers (as opposed to spells) available to the psions and they power them with power points. They get few powers, but each power is versatile having multiple ways you can use the power - much like there are many ways to use a Biby's Hand in 5E. However, the uses of the powers span different levels of utility - with some equivalent to low level spells and others more powerful. You roll checks when you use the power. If you're sufficiently powerful, the check can be an automatic success. However, you can also attempt to do things that are too powerful for you to do safely. If you do so, you may suffer grave consequences for failure. You start off knowing 1 or 2 powers, and never get to know more than 7. Like comic book characters, you have your schtick that you do.
Your PP cost can be impacted by the check you make. This allows the simpler applications of a power to become automatic and costless over time, allowing PCs to make telepathic contact without cost, telport short distances without cost, etc... At their lowest levels they can do nothing automatically, but around 5th level they can do cantrip level things automatically, around 11th level they can do first level spell things automatically, and around 17th level they can do 2nd level spell things automatically.
They have a lot of powers that provide auras. Auras have a power point cost to initiate and maintain, but they provide benefits perpetually. Some are simple, equivalent to mage armor, for example, while others are more intricate, offering ways to counterspell magics or alter reality at will around them in minor ways.
I have not had anyone play a psion as a PC for a prolonged period in 5E. I use these rules to make NPCs. As such, they're a little fluffy and vague in the way they're written out.
My psionic warriors also have similar mechanics, with different basic core class mechanics, fewer PPs, and better ways to mix martial and psionic abilities.
Here are "disciplines". Each subclass of the Psion is called a discipline. You choose your discipline at level 1.
Each discipline has its own spell list.
This post is a first pass at the spell list for each discipline to get a sense of the overall flavor of each discipline list. Later there will be new spells to finetune the psionic capability and flavor, as well as fill in any gaps.
For the sake of completion I am including pertinent official spells, even if known to be subpar, and either would balance better if relocating to a lower spell slot level, or would require a rewrite.
To ensure that the disciplines are about equally powerful, their respective spell lists include themes that intentionally group reasonably useful spell choices.
At character creation, you gain the spell list of your chosen discipline plus one more spell list from any other discipline of your choice. When you choose your known spells for your Psionic class, choose them from these two spell lists.
DISCIPLINES
0
Guidance
Resistance
True Strike
1
Alarm
Bane
Bless
Comprehend Languages
Detect Evil or Good (= Detect Plane)
Hunters Mark
Protection from Evil or Good (= Protection from Plane)
Shield of Faith
3
Bestow Curse
Blink
Clairvoyance
Counterspell
Magic Circle (= Circle of Protection from Plane)
Nondetection (= Anti-Divination)
Remove Curse
Sending
Summon Fey
Summon Shadowspawn
Tongues
4
Arcane Eye
Banishment
Death Ward
Dimension Door
Divination
Locate Creature
5
Banishing Smite
Commune (but contact in any plane any willing creature you have met)
Dispel Evil or Good (= Dispel Plane)
Far Step
Legend Lore
Planar Binding
Scrying
Skill Empowerment
Steel Wind Strike
Summon Celestial
Teleportation Circle
6
Arcane Gate
Contingency
Drawmijs Instant Summons (without costly component)
Find the Path
Forbiddance
Scatter
Summon Fiend
Tashas Otherworldly Guise
Word of Recall
9
Astral Projection
Dream of the Blue Veil
Foresight
Gate
Time Stop
True Resurrection
0
Acid Splash
Poison Spray
Primal Savagery
Spare the Dying
1
Animal Friendship
Beast Bond
Cure Wounds
Detect Poison and Disease
Expeditious Retreat
Healing Word
Jump
Longstrider
Ray of Sickness
Speak with Animals
Tashas Caustic Brew
2
Aid
Alter Self
Animal Messenger
Beast Sense
Blindness/Deafness
Enhance Ability (Str, Con, or Dex only)
Enlarge/Reduce
Gentle Repose
Lesser Restoration
Melfs Acid Arrow
Prayer of Healing
Protection from Poison
Ray of Enfeeblement
Spider Climb
Summon Beast (fissioning off from your body)
Warding Bond
3
Aura of Vitality
Beacon of Hope (but advantage on Constitution saves replaces Wisdom)
Haste
Mass Healing Word
Revivify
Slow
4
Aura of Life
Aura of Purity
Dominate Beast
Evards Black Tentacles (but from your body out to 20 feet, can pull/push)
Polymorph
Vitriolic Sphere
5
Antilife Shell
Greater Restoration
Mass Cure Wounds
Reincarnate (choose any race; after you die, you can cast on self)
6
Heal
Tensers Transformation (extra damage is same type as weapon)
7
Divine Word
Regenerate
8
Animal Shapes
Clone
Power Word Stun
9
Mass Heal
Mass Polymorph
Power Word Heal
Shapechange
True Polymorph
0
Blade Ward
Eldritch Blast
Mage Hand
Sword Burst
1
Catapult
Detect Magic
Feather Fall
Mage Armor (you can target an ally)
Magic Missile
Shield
Tensers Floating Disk
Unseen Servant
Zephyr Strike
2
Levitation
Magic Weapon
Spiritual Weapon
3
Dispel Magic
Fly
Leomunds Tiny Hut
4
Freedom of Movement
Otilukes Resilient Sphere
Summon Construct (creature type is force construct)
5
Bigbys Hand
Circle of Power (but is psionic energy)
Creation (object is a force construct)
Telekinesis
Wall of Force
0
Friends
Mind Sliver
Minor Illusion
Vicious Mockery
1
Cause Fear
Charm Person
Command
Compelled Duel
Disguise Self
Dissonant Whispers
Heroism
Sanctuary
Silent Image
Sleep
Tashas Hideous Laughter
Wrathful Smite
2
Blur
Calm Emotions
Crown of Madness
Detect Thoughts
Enhance Ability (Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma only)
Enthrall
Hold Person
Invisibility
Magic Mouth
Mind Spike
Mirror Image
Phantasmal Force
Shadow Blade
Suggestion
Tashas Mind Whip
Zone of Truth
3
Catnap
Enemies Abound
Fear
Hypnotic Pattern
Intellect Fortress
Major Image
Phantom Steed (quasi real from force)
4
Conjure Minor Elementals (Fire only)
Elemental Bane (Fire or Radiant only)
Fire Shield (warm only)
Guardian of Faith (appears only as gleaming sword)
Summon Elemental (Fire only)
Wall of Fire
5
Conjure Elemental (Fire only)
Dawn
Flamestrike
Immolation
Wall of Light
6
Investiture of Flame
Sunbeam
7
Crown of Stars
Delayed Blast Fireball
Fire Storm
8
Incendiary Cloud
Sunburst
9
Meteor Swarm
0
Absorb Elements
Armor of Agathys
Booming Blade
Create or Destroy Water
Frostbite
Guiding Bolt
Gust
Ice Knife
Lightning Lure
Message
Ray of Frost
Shape Water
Shocking Grasp
Thunderclap
1
Fog Cloud
Snillocs Snowball Swarm
Thunderous Smite
Thunderwave
Witchbolt
Gust of Wind
2
Shatter
Silence
Skywrite
Warding Wind
3
Call Lightning
Gaseous Form
Lightning Arrow
Lightning Bolt
Protection from Energy
Sleet Storm
Thunderstep
Tidal Wave
Wall of Water
Water Breathing
Water Walk
Wind Wall
4
Conjure Minor Elementals (Air or Water only)
Control Water
Elemental Bane (Cold, Lightning, or Thunder only)
Fire Shield (chill only)
Ice Storm
Storm Sphere
Summon Elemental (Air or Water only)
Watery Sphere
5
Cone of Cold
Conjure Elemental (Air or Water only)
Control Winds
Maelstrom
6
Chain Lightning
Investiture of Ice
Investiture of Wind
Otilukes Freezing Sphere
Primordial Ward
Wall of Ice
7
Whirlwind
8
Control Weather
Tsunami
9
−
0
Druidcraft
Magic Stone
Mending
Mold Earth
Shillelagh
Thorn Whip
1
Earth Tremor
Ensnaring Strike
Entangle
Goodberry
Grease
Hail of Thorns
Purify Food and Drink
2
Arcane Lock
Barkskin
Cloud of Daggers
Cordon of Arrows
Dust Devil
Earthbind
Knock
Locate Animals or Plants
Pass Without Trace
Spike Growth
Maximilians Earthen Grasp
3
Conjure Barrage
Create Food and Water
Erupting Earth
Meld into Stone
Plant Growth
Speak with Plants
Tiny Servant
Wall of Sand
4
Conjure Minor Elementals (Earth only)
Fabricate
Grasping Vine
Stone Shape
Stone Skin
Summon Elemental (Earth only)
5
Animate Objects
Commune with Nature
Conjure Elemental (Earth only)
Conjure Volley
Passwall
Swift Quiver
Transmute Rock
Tree Stride
Wall of Stone
Wrath of Nature
6
Blade Barrier (blades are made of metal)
Bones of the Earth
Flesh to Stone
Investiture of Stone
Move Earth
Transport Via Plants
7
−
8
Earthquake
Mighty Fortress (lacks servants)
9
−
PERSONALIZING SPELLS
Just as every performer lends their art a personal flair and every warrior asserts their fighting styles through the lens of their own training, so too can a [Psion] spellcaster use [psionics] to express ones individuality. ... You can customize the cosmetic effects of your characters spells.
I really don't think we should keep the tradition of Psionics doing explicitly spell-like things. Storm magic just is not Psionics, I'm sorry. Psionics may sometimes involve storm aesthetics, but explicit storm magic, or naughty word like transport via plants, these really make psionics an Aberrant Mind with almost no difference in fluff or mechanics.
