D&D (2024) Githzerai Psion? Thri-kreen Psion? Where's My Psion?

[Maxperson]

Unless you're creating a new entry point to 5e outside of WotC (like A5e and TotV), I don't think so.

I would very much like to be shown otherwise though! Love me some alternate design.

DM's guild shows the following and I really didn't look far down the list.

"Play as an Intelligent Weapon!" - alternate fighter class as a weapon.

"Classic Classes present variant classes for a fifth edition, seeking to recapture some of the charm and narrative looseness of first edition. “Long ago, in editions the first, classes had charts varying for experience, and many determined their statistics in order. Couple these factors two, and with minimal requirements of entry, fighters were a class most common."

"A quick and simple overhaul of the Fighter class, to make it a bit more fair, balanced, and fun, while staying within the spirit and confines of D&D 5e"

That's three just with a brief look. I'd bet that most classes have alternate versions.

 

[Maxperson]

I don't think a majority of players will like their version of the psion enough to buy the $30-60 book.

That's the problem.

I can't see a lot of people liking the official 5e Psion but not liking it enough to buy the book.

If they like it, why wouldn't they buy it? People buy things that they like.

They are buying 5.5e, despite it not changing a whole heck of a lot. They'd buy a completely new psion class if they liked it.

 

[Epic Meepo]

...So a Psion would need some Xanatar/Tasha level content to drag the book with psions over the mountain of complaints and to the finishline.

So... problem solved? We can get a Psion in the next Tasha's book?

 

[Marandahir]

So... problem solved? We can get a Psion in the next Tasha's book?

It was supposed to BE in Tasha's, alongside the Artificer. Instead we got Aberrant Mind, Psi Warrior, and Soul Knife.
It was NEVER going to sell a book on its own, it always needed other content to get it over the finish line and sell the books.
But even with Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, we still couldn't agree enough on Psion to get it there in time for release.

Similar to the One D&D revisions – we couldn't agree enough on how to transform the game, so they defaulted back to minimalistic rebalancing and introducing flavourful new ideas to both subclasses and baseclasses, while focusing their revision efforts more so on other parts of the game that were lacking.

 

[Micah Sweet]

It was supposed to BE in Tasha's, alongside the Artificer. Instead we got Aberrant Mind, Psi Warrior, and Soul Knife.
It was NEVER going to sell a book on its own, it always needed other content to get it over the finish line and sell the books.
But even with Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, we still couldn't agree enough on Psion to get it there in time for release.

Similar to the One D&D revisions – we couldn't agree enough on how to transform the game, so they defaulted back to minimalistic rebalancing and introducing flavourful new ideas to both subclasses and baseclasses, while focusing their revision efforts more so on other parts of the game that were lacking.

Back in 3e, the Complete Psionics Handbook was certainly enough to generate sales on its own.

 

[Corinnguard]

I haven't looked at 3PP for classes. Has anyone redone the base PHB classes in a 3PP?

Do homebrews of the PHB classes count? If they do, then I would have to say that Laser Llama has done exactly that. They even created their own Psion class.

Back in 3e, the Complete Psionics Handbook was certainly enough to generate sales on its own.

There was also the Expanded Psionics Handbook. Another great book on 3e psionics.

 

[Marandahir]

Back in 3e, the Complete Psionics Handbook was certainly enough to generate sales on its own.

And 2e/3e/3.5/4e splatbook fever and their poor sales per book is why we only get a Rules Expansion for classes every 3 years or so in 5e. This is the fundamental challenge D&D struggles against, and a book entirely devoted to Psionics isn't going to cut it like it did in decades past.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Do homebrews of the PHB classes count? If they do, then I would have to say that Laser Llama has done exactly that. They even created their own Psion class.

There was also the Expanded Psionics Handbook. Another great book on 3e psionics.

That one's sitting on my shelf right now.

 

[Corinnguard]

That one's sitting on my shelf right now.

I've got both in what's left of my 3e collection.

 

[Micah Sweet]

And 2e/3e/3.5/4e splatbook fever and their poor sales per book is why we only get a Rules Expansion for classes every 3 years or so in 5e. This is the fundamental challenge D&D struggles against, and a book entirely devoted to Psionics isn't going to cut it like it did in decades past.

More's the pity. I miss the torrent of official content.

But of course, current official content is unsatisfying to me, so 3pp all the way!