Unearthed Arcana New Psion update, Dungeons and Dragons Unearthed Arcana

WotC updates the psion in new playtest document.
1759425607782.png


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.
 

log in or register to remove this ad

Christian Hoffer

Christian Hoffer


log in or register to remove this ad

The post below perfectly encapsulates why WotC won't go the route you want. Fact is, old psionics ability to bypass magic was considered by many as too powerful, so making it spellcasting brings it on par with the rest of the game. If that makes it homogeneous, then is a small price to pay.
The only things Psionics not being magic really bypassed were Counterspell (boo!), Dispel Magic, Magic Resistance (not a thing in 5e but all over the place in 3.5) and Magic Immunity. This isn't really an issue in 5e.

The thing is that we actually have a lot of Psionics and with multiple systems.
  • The Soul knife is a clear psychic (and matches 90s Betsy Braddock/Psylocke)
  • The Psi Warrior is another clear psychic
  • The College of Whispers Bard as the creepy eminence grise
  • The Tasha's Aberrant Mind was the full casting spells using Psion (2024 broke them by not letting you swap out the tentacles)
  • The GOOlock, made much better in the 2024 version
If we wanted Psionics that were caster's with the serial numbers filed off we already had them. But attempting to suck up all the Psion juice into Yet Another Full Caster - an off-brand sorcerer when the sorcerer had barely escaped from being an off-brand wizard we are adding very little to the game. We already have two or three full casting psionic subclasses (depending whether you count the warlock) that are, by virtue of being different based classes, more diverse than one class can be.

This thing moves in and squats on what has been thematic space used interestingly, just disliked by people who want there to be nothing eldritch near their psionics. It can't harm the full casting telepath because a fourth doesn't matter. But the metamorph? A metamorph should not be a full caster; they focus on changing themselves. The metamorph should be a type of monk or barbarian, not someone working towards the ability to cast Teleportation Circle.
 

The post below perfectly encapsulates why WotC won't go the route you want. Fact is, old psionics ability to bypass magic was considered by many as too powerful, so making it spellcasting brings it on par with the rest of the game. If that makes it homogeneous, then is a small price to pay.
The ability to bypass magic in earlier editions combined with the DM having to learn a completely new system lead to an instant ban of Psionics. Now the only reason for banning psionics by a DM will be for completely thematic reasons.
 


Because Psions are expected to do a lot of the Telepathy thing, they are expected to have many of the same Enchantment spells that Wizards and Bards get.

We're at a point that if there's a new Enchantment spell it's a definite "gimme that" for the Bard and the Psion.
 

The ability to bypass magic in earlier editions combined with the DM having to learn a completely new system lead to an instant ban of Psionics. Now the only reason for banning psionics by a DM will be for completely thematic reasons.
Yeah, this alone is why I'm in favor of psionics as spells. I can barely remember the rules for magic, combat, skill checks and whatever macro and micro scale lore is going on in my campaign at any moment; should I really be memorizing an entire parallel rule system for the benefit of one character and a handful of monsters, when the effects of that system can be replicated more easily with rules that I and my players already know?
 

The one thing that they still haven't done is balance the Psion spell list to make all four of the Spell School-paired Psionic Disciplines each worth taking. After a quick count up (my numbers may be slightly off)... the number of spells from each pairing are as follows for the first three spell levels:

BIOFEEDBACK (Necromancy/Transmutation): 1st [3] / 2nd [7] / 3rd [3]
BOLSTERING PRECOGNITION (Abjuration/Divination): 1st [7] / 2nd [5] / 3rd [6]
DESTRUCTIVE THOUGHTS (Conjuration/Evocation): 1st [3] / 2nd [1] / 3rd [2]
ID INSINUATION (Enchantment/Illusion): 1st [7] / 2nd [14] / 3rd [4]

So that's 13 spells for Necro/Trans, 18 spells for Abj/Div, 6! spells for Conj/Evo, and 25!!!!! spells for Ench/Illus. Why would ANYONE take Destructive Thoughts as a Discipline when it applies to I think only THREE of the six spells that are on the Psion spell list for Conjuration/Evocation (with the other three not requiring saving throws)? Talk about throwing away a Discipline slot, LOL!

I guess my Survey answer that went over this imbalance did not garner that much attention or concern. Oh well! Every Psion can just take Id Insinuation, as that's the most useful of all of them. :D
Perhaps its intentional to emulate the aspects of "mind" magic they feel are important?
 

Still a spellcaster?

Then still a 100% non-starter for me.

I'm glad Psion fans will actually get a real, actual class with the name "Psion".

I just (probably) won't ever play one, because this is just the most recent example in the cavalcade of "if it's supernatural, 99.9% of the time, it's specifically spellcasting".

This, to me, simply, flatly, and IMO objectively, isn't a Psion. It's a Wizard with unusual mechanics.

I am genuinely beginning to hate Vancian spellcasting. Its stranglehold on game mechanics is killing WotC's ability to actually design classes, because now nearly every class is a homogenous hodgepodge with only the tiniest tracery of differences. The class features literally cannot be of much particular value, because spellcasting is so hegemonic; the core is 90% of the character's power, so they literally can't put much of any actual worth into the class features, and forget subclasses.
Same. The mystic had real potential, but they didnt want it because it was actual work to design something rather than slapping a full caster.

Actually at this point I want at least ONE class to go back to actual vancian. IE, you have 2 magic missiles, 1 sleep, 1 mage armor prepared.

But they're really samey feeling. The psion absolutely should have been a short rest style class.
 



Related Articles

Remove ads

Remove ads

Top