Unearthed Arcana New Psion update, Dungeons and Dragons Unearthed Arcana

WotC updates the psion in new playtest document.
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A new Unearthed Arcana is up, featuring a revised version of the Psion class. Per a D&D Beyond article, the Psion has seen considerable changes. Feedback for the class focused into three main areas - Psionic Energy Dice, Psionic Modes, and Spellcasting. Psionic Energy Dice are now more flexible and easier to obtain - a new feature called Psionic Reserves allows players to regain uses of Psionic Energy Dice and Telepathic Propel and Telepathic Connection allow players to use those abilities one time each without expending energy dice. Meanwhile, Psionic Modes has been cut from the class, with various aspects of the ability being incorporated into various subclasses as new features. Finally, the Psion now has an updated and expanded spelllist. The UA also contains seven brand new spells and updated versions of existing spells as well.

Additionally, the Metamorph, Psykinetic, and Telepath have all received updates. The Metamorph's abilities now often feature a roll of the Psionic Energy Die while they're being expended. The Psykinetic gains a Stronger Telekinesis feature with an improved Mage Hand spell use. Also, players can now use Telekinetic Propel without expending a Psionic Energy Dice. Finally, the Telepath has a new Telepathic Distraction feature that lets you interfere with another creature's attack roll if it's within range of your telepathy. Scramble Minds was redesigned to reduce the number of dice rolls needed to keep combat from getting bogged down.
 

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Christian Hoffer

Christian Hoffer

DESIGN NOTE: THE PSI WARPER
The Psi Warper subclass scored exceptionally well and doesn’t need to go through another playtest
Reading the Patch Notes is always a good idea, and more people should. There's always useful bits hidden in there. Like that one, or the one on Metamorph saying "magic items that provide benefits to Organic Weapons will appear in a future product if this subclass is printed." Which is something I've been harping on about in feedback going back to the Beast Barbarian and Soulknife Rogue. So I was highly pleased to see them finally doing something like this.
 

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I really don't know how you get that that interpretation.

My question is, what is needed for a psion class? Is having the bulk of their powers be the same spells as other casters ok?
Sorry. I think your comments got conflated with some others that were more 'we don't need a psion at all' and I just projected that notion onto you. Truth be told I don't mind if the Psion can reproduce some of the same spells that other casters get (though I'd prefer it to be through expending psi points rather than using Spell Slots like all the others). I just want the core class to be weird and creepy. Like that psychic kid from the Justice League episode "Legends"

That said, I find the design they're going for for the WOTC version... adequate? Tolerable. I don't expect a big shakeup in terms of design this late in the game. I like the subclasses, even if the telepath is undertuned still.

Frankly I'm just not that picky and as long as a class is fun and not egregiously overpowered or underpowered then I'll be okay with it.
 

The problem with wanting to "unspookify psionics" is that being spooky is why telepaths (in specific) attached to the Far Realm work well. Once you are a mind reader with any sort of mind control you're inherently creepy. And removing the spooky elements doesn't make them less creepy, it just turns them into creeps. Especially if they are full casters rather than near-mundanes using every trick they have including underhanded ones to keep up the way the soulknife is. Taking away the Far Realm from privacy-violating mind controlling telepaths is like taking away the sparkly vampire parts from Edward Cullen and being left with a middle aged guy faking being a high schooler and breaking in to watch a teenager sleep.

And yes this doesn't cover all psychics but neither does the psion. The psion as it stands must be a telepath. It's baked in that the psion is a telepath telekinetic hybrid with the at will abilities. (I'd also say the wizard/sorcerer frame is the wrong one for both primary telekinetics and primary metamorphs).

But if we take away the spookiness and pretend the creepiness isn't there then what flavour exactly is left? It's just bland generic superpowers that don't tie to anything; there's less flavour left than in your average sorcerer unless you add something beyond "mind mage who can ignore some of the limitations on normal mages".
The third edition psion was a mix of New Age mysticism, Eastern Yogism, comic book superheroes, crystalmancy, with a touch of pulp sci-fi and cosmic horror. Not every psychic character wants to be secreting slime from their pours or summoning tentacles like they're in an adult anime (I've seen enough to know where that is going). The 3 5 psionic class handled all those fairly well and I'm happy that the 5e one seems to be following in that tradition. If you can't accept telepathy without tentacles, I don't know what to tell you. But I did just fine before without it thank you.

Edit: it should be worth noting the two settings with devoted lore on psionics (Athas and Eberron) explicitly do not tie psionics to the Far Realm.
 

If we talk about "espers" or characters with psionic powers we have not only Momo Ayase (Dandadan) and her spirit hands but also Anya Forger (Spy x Family), one of cutests characters you can find. We also have got the telepaths from Star Trek or Babylon 5, and the jedis, siths and other force adepts from Star Wars are like psions.

Should be "mystic" playtest class to be renamed "cultivator"?

I don't dislike the idea of psionic powers acting as the equivalent of cosmic antibodies against intrusions from the Far Realm.

I can understand "spirit spells" could be more "expansion-friendly" but I don't feel totally confortable. I would like some pages for optional rules for players who missed some things from older editions.

* We don't need the update of all the previous psionic powers if players can publish the homemade version in D&DB.

* I want "astral construct" in all the levels. I also miss the elemental stewards from the complete psionic.

Maybe the elemental stewards from 3.5 complete psionic could become a PC specie style mephlings from 3.5 Planar Handbook.

* How I imagine a "mystic" class? Like a D&D version of yokai-touched characters from Wayward(Image comics) with a touch of Seiko Ayase(Dandadan).

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Yup. Because no one has a clear idea of what it should be, so you get lots of completely different versions, with no particular one rising too the top.
Indeed, it's the same as attempts at a Witch class. Popular culture depictions of the concept are broad and varied, and there's no definitive D&D version history to narrow the options. So either you get a situation where no specific concept will please everyone, or you get attempts that are overburdened because they try to be everything at once.

This version of the Psion at least commits to a specific vision of what D&D psionics should look like, and it does it with mechanics and power scale that suit 5e.
 


Indeed, it's the same as attempts at a Witch class. Popular culture depictions of the concept are broad and varied, and there's no definitive D&D version history to narrow the options. So either you get a situation where no specific concept will please everyone, or you get attempts that are overburdened because they try to be everything at once.

This version of the Psion at least commits to a specific vision of what D&D psionics should look like, and it does it with mechanics and power scale that suit 5e.
Just the other day I was discussing if a witch should be based on an arcane caster or a druidic caster. Both sides were valid interpretations of witches in popular culture.
 

I'd rather watch the Jeremy iron/Marlon Wayans d&d movie nine times over than debase myself and Asimov's memory by watching that show.
I think that is an overstatement. The show is mostly good. Asimov was writing pulp sci fi for a living. He would be enjoying the show and cashing his cheques if he was still with us. He was never so egotistical to believe his work was sacrosanct.
 

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