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

[WanderingMystic]

For me and the Psion I want Laserllama's fits the roll the best. Steampunkeet's version is great but a bit more complicated and fits more in line with A5E than 5e.

 

[Maxperson]

Including Laser Llama's? I am more a fan of LL's Magus and Ranger classes.

Looking at your links, Laser Llama is also "GM Binder". I didn't realize that GM Binder wasn't the name. LOL.

The Magus and Ranger are new to me, though.

 

[Corinnguard]

The Magus and Ranger are new to me, though.

LL's Magus class IMO is a pretty good attempt at making a Gish class and it's supposed to be the arcane equivalent of the Paladin and the Ranger classes. I like it for its' Arcane Armory, Spellstrike and Spellsunder features. It currently has 12 subclasses, 6 in this PDF file and 6 in its' follow-up PDF, Magus Expanded.

The Magus: Expanded by laserllama

The Magus: Expanded by laserllama - Created with GM Binder.

www.gmbinder.com

As for LL's Ranger, I can only wonder if it's better than the Ranger class in the 2014 PHB and the 2024 PHB. Like the Magus, it has a number of class features that I like, like the Quarry feature and it being a prepared spellcaster instead of a known spellcaster.

 

[Steampunkette]

Looking at your links, Laser Llama is also "GM Binder". I didn't realize that GM Binder wasn't the name. LOL.

The Magus and Ranger are new to me, though.

I think it's super cute that you mistook the website name for a designer! GM Binder provides the same sort of 5e Style Guide Template that a lot of 3pp and Homebrewers use as the Homebrewery.

As far as LaserLlama: Really solid designer. Not exactly my cup of tea in the Psionic or Gish class structure, but it's all very well balanced, the art selection is fantastic, and it all forms a harmonious whole that flows well.

The Magus, in particular, is really faithful to the concepts of the Pathfinder Magus brought into 5e with some really nice notes along the way.

Really can't go wrong with LaserLlama's work.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

It's a shame that DnD Beyond doesn't allow you to switch a classes ability scores.

An Int based aberrent mind sorcerer wouldn't be a perfect psion, but it would be better than anything we currently have available.

I can't see it being unbalanced either, even when you include multiclassing.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Why INT, other that it’s not much used by anyone much apart from wizards? I can see how book learning helps them, but I don’t see why it would make your mental powers stronger. If anything, force of personality (CHA) is a better fit. If that’s too overused I would use CON, like a PF kineticist.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Why INT, other that it’s not much used by anyone much apart from wizards? I can see how book learning helps them, but I don’t see why it would make your mental powers stronger. If anything, force of personality (CHA) is a better fit. If that’s too overused I would use CON, like a PF kineticist.

Well, you nailed one of the main reasons already.

Another is that in many cases, psychic powers have been associated with prodigious brainpower, not necessarily being charismatic and compelling. Consider Pokemon (where the Psychic type keeps a lot of this stuff alive and well...another example of a popular thing that features psychic powers!): Alakazam, Metagross, Mewtwo, Deoxys, and various other prominent, powerful psychic-types are presented as being incredibly intelligent, not ultra-compelling. In fact, most Psychic types are more weird than charismatic!

Japan is actually a really ripe source of a lot of this sort of thing, since you keep asking for cultural touchstones on the topic and then rejecting things because they don't fit your growing list of requirements. Terms like "espers" (ESPers, "extra-sensory perception") and, yes, "psionics" are quite common there. Various manga and anime works feature them or make references to such powers, and the translation will, like as not, use the word "psychic" or "psionic". There's also Star Trek, which explicitly refers to "psionic energy" and has Vulcans who can perform touch telepathy, amongst other things.

The idea, I think, is that telekinesis and telepathy and such are cultivated by flexing your mental muscles really hard, which is seen as an Intelligence thing. Wisdom is about intuition, observation, and resilience against mental assault, and Charisma is about being compelling and self-assured. Intelligence is your mental power, hence psychic powers draw upon that power, not on defending yourself or tricking/compelling others.

 

[TwoSix]

Well, you nailed one of the main reasons already.

Another is that in many cases, psychic powers have been associated with prodigious brainpower, not necessarily being charismatic and compelling. Consider Pokemon (where the Psychic type keeps a lot of this stuff alive and well...another example of a popular thing that features psychic powers!): Alakazam, Metagross, Mewtwo, Deoxys, and various other prominent, powerful psychic-types are presented as being incredibly intelligent, not ultra-compelling. In fact, most Psychic types are more weird than charismatic!

Japan is actually a really ripe source of a lot of this sort of thing, since you keep asking for cultural touchstones on the topic and then rejecting things because they don't fit your growing list of requirements. Terms like "espers" (ESPers, "extra-sensory perception") and, yes, "psionics" are quite common there. Various manga and anime works feature them or make references to such powers, and the translation will, like as not, use the word "psychic" or "psionic". There's also Star Trek, which explicitly refers to "psionic energy" and has Vulcans who can perform touch telepathy, amongst other things.

The idea, I think, is that telekinesis and telepathy and such are cultivated by flexing your mental muscles really hard, which is seen as an Intelligence thing. Wisdom is about intuition, observation, and resilience against mental assault, and Charisma is about being compelling and self-assured. Intelligence is your mental power, hence psychic powers draw upon that power, not on defending yourself or tricking/compelling others.

100% agree.

It's also worth remembering that due to the mechanics of earlier editions, a lot of people have internalized the narrative that stats are innate attributes, and that characters "pick" their classes based on those natural talents.

But since the mechanics no longer follow that path, you can also reverse that narrative for your characters. Unlocking psionic power can be represented as a high Intelligence, and the forging of more powerful neural pathways. Entering a warlock contract, or the unleashing of sorcerous power, could make someone forgettable have a greater presence and Charisma.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

The idea, I think, is that telekinesis and telepathy and such are cultivated by flexing your mental muscles really hard, which is seen as an Intelligence thing. Wisdom is about intuition, observation, and resilience against mental assault, and Charisma is about being compelling and self-assured. Intelligence is your mental power, hence psychic powers draw upon that power, not on defending yourself or tricking/compelling others.

This is a rather dated idea of what intelligence is, in both scientific and D&D terms. The science says there are many dimensions to intelligence, including things like social intelligence (charisma), and so on. In gameplay terms, the INT stat is pretty much narrowed down to book smarts, with the player themselves expected to supply those aspects of intellect not covered by wisdom and charisma. So, no, the INT stat is not "mental muscle" in 5e.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

This is a rather dated idea of what intelligence is, in both scientific and D&D terms. The science says there are many dimensions to intelligence, including things like social intelligence (charisma), and so on. In gameplay terms, the INT stat is pretty much narrowed down to book smarts, with the player themselves expected to supply those aspects of intellect not covered by wisdom and charisma. So, no, the INT stat is not "mental muscle" in 5e.

"Barbarian" is a rather dated idea. As in, literally thousands of years old dated (nearly directly taken from the ancient Greek barbaroi, an onomatopoeia for stammering because non-Greek people didn't speak Greek and thus sounded like "bar bar bar bar" etc.)

Book smarts are what make you good at psychic things in many pieces of media. Whether you like that or not is irrelevant to the fact that that's what people associate it with, and have done so for many decades, including media that is popular with teens right now.