D&D General What’s The Big Deal About Psionics?

[Steampunkette]

 

[Aldarc]

Does this Esper use the psionic die?

 

[Maxperson]

I think it's morre than none of the fans agree with WOTC's ideas for it. Mostly because they either tried to shove it into another class OR shove all of psionics into one class. AKA the easy cheap route.

Much like the artificer, if WOTC designs a psioincs class with a clear idea and concept most fans would be okay with it even if it isn't perfectly how they want it.

WotC bungled the surveys on their ideas. When talking in these threads, we all have an idea of which method we'd like to see the most, but almost everyone who wants psionics would also have been okay with 1, 2 or even 3 other methods rather than have nothing at all. Had their surveys allowed us some sort of ranking system, they almost surely would have had a few of their ideas with 70% of the people okay with it, even if they couldn't get 70% for any 1 method as their favorite.

 

[Maxperson]

While I've always been baffled about the habit of avoiding just making a rules-only updated version of the 2e Psionicist and expanding from there if it takes off, I've found plenty to enjoy in the various incarnations of psionics. At the end of the day, I'd rather have something I'm only 80% on board with than nothing.

This. As I just posted, I'm pretty sure that this is the general consensus. WotC just doesn't know how to conduct surveys properly, so we never got anything.

 

[jgsugden]

You might want to research what a cult is before accusing people of being in them.

You might want to do the same and remember that words have multiple definitions. Here I'm using it to mean people with a great devotion to an idea.

any idea what the sides are?

There are those that want to emulate AD&D, 2E (basic), 2E (revised), 3rd, 4E (which is not as easy to adapt to 5e), Mystic from 5E, and then a bunch of people, like myself, that have evolved one or more of these into a system that we think works better than any of the above by themselves. Psionics has been implemented to many different ways that there really isn't 'a' psionics fanbase - there are many different ones that can't agree on a singular implementation.

In general a lot of the content around here makes unproven claims what other people want and why they want it. Almost invariably in an unflattering way.

Dude. There is a difference between telling people that you disagree with unsupported arguments and telling them what they have to think / what opinions they have to possess. Go back and look at what you typed and imagine someone telling you something similar abolut your political, religious or other personal beliefs. This would be a great opportunity to self reflect and try a different approach.

 

[Steampunkette]

Does this Esper use the psionic die?

Sort of.

You get a reservoir of Psi Dice. Your dice starts as a d4 and you get 2 at level 1. You also get -one- power.

A power is basically a Cantrip. But it can be Augmented. There are basic augments, like "Do more damage" that apply to any power, and there are power-specific augments. Like increasing the weight limit of Telekinesis, or using Telekinesis to grapple an enemy at range. . And you can assign psi dice to each augment you want (or the same one several times for more damage, as an example)

You assign Psi Dice to augments, manifest the power. Then roll any assigned Psi Dice. On a 1 or a 2, you lose that Psi Die.

As you gain levels, you gain more psi dice, but also they increase from d4s to d6s to d8s to d10s. And you still lose them only on a roll of 1 or 2.

The actual powers with 1 psi die are a -little- weaker than a 1st level spell. But you have a 50/50 keep your psi die, so it's like you didn't spend your spell slot at low level. But you're much more likely to risk several dice at once to augment your power a lot when you gain levels, which can cost you if you roll several 1s.

You recover Psi Dice during a short rest by sacrificing Hit Dice. Otherwise you get them all back at the end of a long rest.

So let's say Aldarc is a level 8 Esper. He's 4d8 reservoir and Telekinesis he wants to use on a displacer beast. Thedisplacer beast is threatening the party Archer, Maxperson. He looks at his power and decides not to focus on damage, but to get Max to safety. So he puts 3 Psi Dice into "Lift". Beasty makes a Strength save or gets lifted up to 15ft into the air 'til the start of Aldarc's next turn, plus takes TK's base damage of 1d8 bludgeoning. Then for a Bonus Action uses a Mind-Strike to add a little more damage (1d6+int from a ballistic strike launching a rock at the displacer beast, if he hits)

Once the tenta-cat is flailing around in the air, 15ft away from Maxperson, Aldarc rolls those 3d8. Gets a 1 and two 6s. He loses one Psi Die from his reservoir, and Max gets away to shoot at the displacer beast.

On the Displacer Beast's turn it... flails. It doesn't have a fly speed or anything so it just hangs out in the air and cant reach anyone. It's turn is wasted.

On the following turn, Aldarc gets to choose if he wants to roll 3 dice to maintain the Lift. But decides he doesn't wanna put dice on Lift, so lets go of the cat, which falls 15ft, then winds up the 3 psi dice into TK, and throws a 4d8 TK blast at the kitty. Rolls to hit, rolls damage, rolls those 3d8 to see whether he loses another dice. 4, 3, 7. Keeps his dice.

Etc.

Mind Strike is also cool... one of four different Bonus Action attacks that improves to 2 dice at level 10 to help offset the fact that powers don't auto-level at the rate cantrips do.

 

[SkidAce]

I tried searching the thread and didn't find any reference to it, but for 3.5, Green Ronin published the "The Psychic's Handbook." (The Psychic's Handbook - Green Ronin Publishing | 3rd Era | DriveThruRPG.com). It's psionics based on feats and skills. It certainly has a different feel and mechanics than a spell point system.

I bring this book up every couple of years when the arguments and disagreements cycle back around again.

 

[Minigiant]

WotC bungled the surveys on their ideas. When talking in these threads, we all have an idea of which method we'd like to see the most, but almost everyone who wants psionics would also have been okay with 1, 2 or even 3 other methods rather than have nothing at all. Had their surveys allowed us some sort of ranking system, they almost surely would have had a few of their ideas with 70% of the people okay with it, even if they couldn't get 70% for any 1 method as their favorite.

"You guys hate our OP complicated do everything mystic. OMG. You all can't agree on anything."

 

[Carlsen Chris]

I've hated psionics since the terrible way they were shoehorned into AD&D. Back then, they were really unbalanced, added unnecessary complication, and felt like an attempt to cram cheesy 70s soft sci-fi into my fantasy setting. They still feel like the latter to me, and I don't really understand what purpose they serve in a magical setting that already has tons of spells that affect the mind. Why do we need a whole separate system for woo-woo?

Thanks for writing a post stating that you don't care about the topic everyone is posting about. It added a lot.

 

[Incenjucar]

I would be quite happy for them to introduce psionics proper in their own book, as they have done in the past, so people who are not fans of it don't have to think about it. If the book is super popular, then they can release a second to expand on it. As long as the rules are compatible and balanced they can remain separate.