D&D 5E 5e has everything it needs for Dark Sun

[Don Durito]

All I think can be said for sure is that their market testing system for 5e (let's not pretend it's playtesting) doesn't work for psionics, either because people are strongly divided upon what they want to do with psionics, or because some people are against anything psionic.

Whatever. Just do it the old fashioned way. They just need to make something they think is good. If it's actually good fans will come around. Or if they really don't like it they won't use it. It's not the end of the world.

 

[Maxperson]

People told me that the Aberrant Mind was more of a far realm character because there are too many tentacles involved. There are tentacles involved in literally four spells it can take and all of them can be swapped out for divination or enchantment spells by the rules as written. So getting rid of the tentacles isn't hard and can be done by the rules as written, not changing one single one of the mechanics.

Have you actually read the description of Aberrant Mind? It literally tells you it's all about the far realms and alien influences. It's not just the tentacles.

 

[Maxperson]

The problem is, psionic fans disagree with each other.

For example. Some fans want psionics to stop being a pariah and to use normal mechanics. But some fans want alternative mechanics.

Perhaps the Warlock mechanics might be standard enough in 5e for the first group, while different enough from the Wizard for the second group.

In any case, it is the psionic fans who need to find common ground. The designers cant really do anything until then.

It's not really that much of a problem. In many threads we get, "I really want psionics to be X," but when asked if they would be okay with A, B, C, D, E or F versions, there are usually a few others that they would be okay with. WotC is looking at people saying, "I don't want X, I want Y." and not bothering to find out if there are other versions than Y that they would be okay with. I saw multiple ideas that most of the people in the threads were okay with, even if it wasn't their first choice.

 

[Aldarc]

Well, I try to assume that rebooting/remixing the setting is the take that people are presenting with "Dark Sun doesn't need psionics", not just "Well, let's skip it and ignore the hole it leaves in the setting." My own WWN take on Dark Sun doesn't have an explicit psionic class, but I'm aggressively mixing Dark Sun with other WWN concepts and my own stuff.

My own take of "Dark Sun doesn't need psionics" is that a reimagining of Dark Sun can deviate from 2e or 4e lore and still BE Dark Sun; I know from other threads that others don't accept that premise.

Not even bothering to use the Thought Noble in the back?

 

[Shardstone]

The problem is, psionic fans disagree with each other.

For example. Some fans want psionics to stop being a pariah and to use normal mechanics. But some fans want alternative mechanics.

Perhaps the Warlock mechanics might be standard enough in 5e for the first group, while different enough from the Wizard for the second group.

In any case, it is the psionic fans who need to find common ground. The designers cant really do anything until then.

As shown with my Psychic, you can do both, or at least I think you can in a satisfying way. Psi Points on invocation-like features, which you can easily expand, and then spell slots to keep with the current system. Its a bit different, ya, but it achieves the goal IMO.

 

[TwoSix]

Not even bothering to use the Thought Noble in the back?

Sorry, I should have phrased that better. I'm using Thought Noble, Healer, Vowed, Duelist, and Beastmaster as ostensibly "psionic" classes; but I don't have a dedicated "psionicist" or "psion" class that's comparable to High Mage or Elementalist. I also didn't adapt the psychic classes from SWN to increase the spectrum of psionic abilities available.

 

[Marandahir]

I'd also say Rising has a significant problem because of how badly the implemented the Dragonmarks are, because they didn't yet dare to do the Supernatural Gifts thing.

THANK YOU FOR THIS INSIGHT.

The 5e DM's Guild supplement Morgrave Miscellany by Keith Baker & Ruty Rutenberg (Guild Adept and co-author of Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron) has Fledgling Dragonmark feats, to allow for characters that develop their Dragonmark after 1st level.

I think I'm going to just houserule those as supernatural gifts for 1st level characters in Eberron who want to be Dragonmarked.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Some players want to add new ideas from other parties, for example the discipline "Athanism" about the manipulation of souls and spirits, or subclasses based in Pathfinder "Occult Adventures". If the update psionic powers is right, they may be perfect for games based in xuanhuan fiction or fantasy mash-up of superheroes (X-Men or Teen Academy).

 

[Remathilis]

THANK YOU FOR THIS INSIGHT.

The 5e DM's Guild supplement Morgrave Miscellany by Keith Baker & Ruty Rutenberg (Guild Adept and co-author of Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron) has Fledgling Dragonmark feats, to allow for characters that develop their Dragonmark after 1st level.

I think I'm going to just houserule those as supernatural gifts for 1st level characters in Eberron who want to be Dragonmarked.

I kinda like how each setting has given a unique spin on a specific mechanic. Ravnica was background and renown. Eberron was race. Theros was piety. Ravenloft was boons. They didn't quite create a new "world-based" character choice to fit guild, dragonmark, supernatural gift or dark gift (though the latter are leading towards it).

 

[Shardstone]

Wild Talents would work great for Supernatural Gift replacements. You get two features at 1st level, they're psionic, and you get a quirk. Boom, done.

I also think I want new stuff added to Dark Sun. I don't want a repeat of 2E, because glorious as it was, it was also pretty shallow beyond the aesthetics. I think adding new factions, or turning the Sorcerer-Kings and their domains into something like Ravenloft's Domains of Dread format (where each Sorcerer-King is their own adventure location essentially) would be a smart way to go about things.