D&D Debuts Playtest for Psion Class

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Wizards of the Coast is playtesting the Psion class for Dungeons & Dragons. Today, Wizards of the Coast provided a new Unearthed Arcana for the Psion, a new class for the current revised 5th edition of Dungeons & Dragons. The playtest includes base class rules plus four subclasses - the body-shifting Metamorph, the reality warping Psi Warper, the offensive-minded Psykinetic, and the Telepath.

The core mechanic of the Psion involves use of Psion Energy die. Players have a pool of energy dice that replenishes after a Long Rest, with the number and size of the dice determined by the Psion's level. These psion energy dice can either be rolled to increase results of various checks/saving throws or spent to fuel various Psion abilities.

While the Psion and psionics have a long tradition in D&D, they've only received a handful of subclasses in 5th Edition. If the Psion survives playtesting, it would mark the first time that Wizards of the Coast has added a new character class to D&D since the Artificer. Notably, the Psion and psionics are also heavily associated with Dark Sun, a post-apocalyptic campaign setting that many considered to be off the table for Fifth Edition due to the need to update parts of the setting to bring it current with modern sensibilities. However, the introduction of Wild talent feats (which replaces some Origin feats tied to backgrounds with psion-themed Feats) in the UA seems to suggest that Dark Sun is back on the table.
 

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Christian Hoffer

Christian Hoffer

I know that one would assume the GP-Cost Material component is there for balance, but it isnt.

Since a Wizard lacks training with a Shield, the Somatic spell restriction is moot. If a Wizard decides to take a feat to train with a Shield, it should be able to cast with a Shield. Meanwhile, the weapons are often also the spellfocus for casting, such as the staff and sometimes a longsword, so there isnt any balancing purpose for the Somatic component.



See above. The spell components are not a balancing mechanism.



See above. The spell components dont and cant serve a balancing function.



The problem with spell "flavor" is.

It must be the class that decides the flavor.

A Bard dancer needs to cast almost all of the spells by a Somatic component. A Bard instrumentalist needs to cast almost all of the spells by a Focus Material component. A Bard singer needs to cast almost all of the spells by a Verbal component.

Most classes cast spells. Spell components make all of the classes "feel samey".

Even now, the UA Psion is trying to force the Psion to parrot the Wizard Material component, even when it is highly inappropriate.

It is the CLASS that must determine how to cast (or manifest) a spell.


All the spells that actually require balance need spell descriptions to assure it, without assuming the presence of gp.

Delete the spell component entry. It interferes with the game.
I agree, that they DON'T do these things well. But at various points in the games history, these were ideas behind the VSM system. I think right now the naive design of 1st edition have left us with a legacy mechanic which half heartedly impacts these things, without actually accomplishing any of these things.

But since it does limit casters rules as written some ways, taking it totally away from the psion does make them more powerful than other full casters. Even if a lot of tables (mine included) totally forgets which spells need only V and which need S, and oops I never picked up 50 gp of ruby dust for continual flame.
 

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Taken me a while to digest this UA.

Overall impression: I am very happy with this.

General Class Impression: They went the safe boring route, but even with that I still like the overall direction they went. I'd prefer a non-spellcaster with a bunch of powers and some sort of resource system to fuel those powers, but I am OK with a spellcaster system and I suspect OK is the best we can get given the lack of agreement on an alternative system.

The core class could use some tweaks. They need some sort of defense here. At least give them shield proficiency, though I think more likely they could use something like the Draconic Sorcerer has and given them AC based on both Dex and Int. Maybe a higher hit die. This feels closer to a bard in practice, so the bard hit die might make more sense.

Spells: The list is decent, but it's missing a few spells. But really, just a few.

Subclasses: This is where this UA really shines. I love these four subclasses. Of course they could use some tweaks here and there (the metamorph absolutely needs more defense) but overall the themes are all cool, they're all very different from each other, I like the idea of enhancing certain spells with each. I want to play all four of these subclasses.
 


Does anyone know when the next D&D Panel or D&D Direct or D&D celebration where we might get an update/context on this UA & the other recent ones will he?
Know? Nope. But August seems a pretty decent guess based on prior hiatory: a good time frame to preview the books in the back half of the year.

The Psion UA feels further off, though, as they are probably being more careful and longterm with a new Class.
 



Elemental clerics always felt like a compromise in Dark Sun, a necessity for having healers. That was one reason why I preferred 4e's vision of Dark Sun. It just threw all the divine power source classes out - Cleric, Paladin, Avenger, Invoker - and left the healing to the "Leaders" in the other power sources.
 


The only GenCon panel they have announced is focused on the Forgotten Realms books and on Third Party content for D&D Beyond. But they do usually do a press event the Wednesday before for some announcements.


They will be discussing future plans for 2025, will that just be for FR, or while they talk about the October Surprise too and whatever Psionics will be in.

Maybe this panel should be in a separate thread.
 
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