D&D (2024) We have Arcane, Divine, and Primal lists now. Why not Psionic?

[Aldarc]

Out of curiosity...

If they made a psionic spell list, and gave the sorcerer the ability to pick what spell list to use (and spell points instead of slots), would you enjoy the aberrant mind sorcerer as a psionic option?

I'm not really a fan of the Aberrant mind sorcerer. I think that the 5e D&D team has been pushing the whole psionics are from the Far Realms a little too hard for my tastes. It would still feel IMHO a little too limited in its scope. Like here are all the different subclasses you can take for being a wizard, a sorcerer, a warlock, a bard, etc. but then the only way to really build a psion would be to take the Sorcerer, pick the psionic spell list, and then pick the single subclass. It would be almost like having the only way to play a druid would be to play a Nature Cleric who picked the Primal spell list.

 

[Mephista]

I'm not really a fan of the Aberrant mind sorcerer. I think that the 5e D&D team has been pushing the whole psionics are from the Far Realms a little too hard for my tastes. It would still feel IMHO a little too limited in its scope. Like here are all the different subclasses you can take for being a wizard, a sorcerer, a warlock, a bard, etc. but then the only way to really build a psion would be to take the Sorcerer, pick the psionic spell list, and then pick the single subclass. It would be almost like having the only way to play a druid would be to play a Nature Cleric who picked the Primal spell list.

So, you want a full caster class for psion, but with a spell list? Okay, cool. thanks for answering my question.

 

[DEFCON 1]

The funny thing is there are probably enough spells already in the game that align to standard psionic abilities and tropes that you could create a Psionics spell list just with that. You wouldn't have as many spells at each level for the Psionic spell group as you would with say Arcane... but really if you can get up to like just 8 spells per level, you're really good to go.

This format is pretty much like the ideas we've all bandied about for Sorcerers previously, with the idea of each Sorcerer subclass having its own spell list tailor-made for its theme, rather than just one or two "always known" spells to touch upon theme. The same can now be done with the other magical "power sources"-- if someone wants an Elemental power source, they just pick and choose the proper elemental spells out of the entire spell section and create their list. Same with Astral, same with Psionic, same with Abyssal, same with Chronurgy/Graviturgy etc.

 

[Remathilis]

(a better way of giving warlocks more spells, which would also make other parts of the system better, would have been to change a short rest to 5 minutes, thus making their spells actual encounter power, instead of sticking with the ridiculous hour-long period).

Oh please. Let me cast two fireballs or banishments or sickening radiance every fight. I would love to have near infinite high level magic while the wizard and sorcerer gets two per day. Even better, I could cast noncombat spells 10 times per hour! That's practically at-will.

Please try this immediately and see how long it takes to have a PC break warlock with effectively infinite spell slots.

 

[Remathilis]

Onto the subject at hand.

They could really make a Psionics Handbook later with a few easy steps.

1. A Psionic Spell list you can swap for access to the arcane, divine or primal list for casters.
2. New and reprinted subclasses like aberrant mind or soulknife.
3. New psionic themed spells.
4. New and reprinted psionic feats like telekinetic.
5. Psionic races like kalshatar, shardmind and elan.
6. All manner of psionic beasties.

They could theme it like a study of Psionics across the Multiverse and pull from a bunch of different settings like Eberron or Athas.

 

[Vaalingrade]

The spell components actively interfere with many character concepts. The spell components are an official, intrusive, ubiquitous, useless, complicating, eyesore that is impossible to ignore.

More than the Vancian / pseudo Vancian mechanic itself that lets you play zero of the spellcasters currently in the pop cultural zeitgeist?

 

[Vaalingrade]

Also, if we HAVE to eject sci-fi, can we do some actual good and eject Cosmic Horror too?

 

[Willie the Duck]

Can we please stop with the oh-pleases and your-argument-is-unacceptables? That's not how others are convinced of one's position.

Psionics: I agree with those who stated that even those who do want psionics are fairly divided on what they want to see in a psionic system -- perhaps because people fell in love with them (or parts of them, flavor or mechanics) during different implementations. I don't know that WotC has a strong incentive to actually put out a definitive version of psionics in 5e, as it likely will leave 50%+ of those asking for such a system disappointed. That said, if they ever decide to do so, the person in charge of doing so at that point probably wouldn't appreciate being beholden to whomever curates a psionic spell list now.

 

[MGibster]

I'm a bit surprised that this is a topic that makes people angry. And I mean in both the pro and anti side.

 

[billd91]

I'm a bit surprised that this is a topic that makes people angry. And I mean in both the pro and anti side.