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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Yaarel" data-source="post: 8716693" data-attributes="member: 58172">I missed this post.I agree superheroes are important archetypes for psionic characters. They are tightly thematic, and exemplify what high level psionic characters can look like.Are you saying something like, make a skill check to cast a spell without spellpoints?A talent can give a spell for free. (Compare how a Warlock invocation makes Detect Magic at-will.)Hypothetically, a talent might require a skill check to grant a spell effect.A talent can make a certain spell effect automatic, always-on, or at will.The 5e Wizard class can do this. At level 18, the Spell Mastery feature allows the Wizard to choose a slot-1 spell and a slot-2 spell, and then cast these two spells at will.This kind of stuff is suitable for a Psion domain feature.There are spells that can do this.At the moment I am leaning toward the Psion lacking an armor proficiency, but every Psion having something like Mage Armor but flavored according to their discipline.There can be other kinds of auras as well.I realize you are describing your own Psion class that isnt quite the 2e Psionicist, but is a further development from it. I am less familiar with 2e generally. In the past when looking into the 2e Psionicist, I found its mechanics convoluting and lacking balance. My impression is, the psionic camp that wants variant mechanics mainly has the 2e version in mind. Some might have the spell points from the 3e Psion in mind, but the 3e Psion is actually a "normal" spell caster.It is my view that 5e (and its 2024 edition) needs two separate Psions.This thread has the full spellcaster in mind in the 3e Psion tradition, that uses normal mechanics with spells upto slot 9. Any spellcasting class can use spell points. It is normal enough. When translating 3e into 5e, the Warlock chassis works best, for several reasons, including more robust balance. But the spell points can still be the default for the Psion class here.Probably a separate class is necessary to truly silo experimental mechanics in the 2e Psionicist tradition, including yours from what I understand.Happily, 5e Tashas already does 1e psionics well in the form of feats. Even more perfect as the recent "background feats".Even tho the Psion here in this thread is the fullcaster, I hope that it can borrow elements from the 2e experimental mechanics. The class structure has the spells of a fullcaster. But it also has the Psion "talents" analogous to the Warlock invocations. A talent is like a mini-feat. It is a discrete unit of design space whose mechanics can be anything. The assemblage of talents is somewhat adhoc and random. Whatever seems interesting can be added to the list of talents to choose from.A talent can have experimental mechanics.If there are features from your own 2e-ish Psion that can work in the form of a feat, half-feat, or minifeat. Describe them here. I am pretty sure the Psion here can find a way to integrate them and benefit from.The threads Psion class consolidates all of these into four subclass disciplines. Essentially the somewhat passive Clairsentience combines with the somewhat repetative but active Psychoportation, to form a more thematically useful "Prescient".Each subclass discipline has features, talents, and spells. A talent can give a bonus to a certain spell. (Compare how a Warlock invocation can modify the Detect Magic spell, the Eldritch Blast cantrip, even the darkvision trait.)My feeling is. 1e psionic combat with itd mind-versus-mind combat is a theme that seems relevant for the Telepath discipline. There might be ways to translate this into 5e. 5e already has spells that come from 1e psionic combat.Yet the theme of mind-versus-mind seems less relevant for other psionic disciplines.Besides, the 1e psionic combat mini-game tended to remove the other players at the table from the gameplay.Translating into 5e, 1e psi combat probably works better as cantrips and spells that deal psychic damage, or save-or-suck effects, or ready defenses against attacks.Maybe the attack is normally versus a saving throw, but if the target has the same ability, it becomes an opposed ability roll?Moreorless these powers are spells. You mention the spell Bigbys.The skills system approach to psionics is an example of experimental mechanics.I can see a Rogue psionic subclass doing this well, where skill checks to do various kinds of psionic effects, work analogous to skill checks for Stealth, and so on.I tend to find these gamble mechanics unbalancing. Either one wins and the challenge is a cakewalk (and the game becomes broken), or one loses and the challenge devolves into a TPK (and the game becomes broken).5e has some gamble mechanics, but they tend to be modest. These mechanical options are less for my gaming style.Similar to "talents" (like Warlock invocations) going from about two to eight talents.There is a strong correlation between this threads Shifter discipline, the 3e Psychic Warrior, and perhaps your Psionic Warrior.If there are things you want to see this Psion do, see if you can organize them into a discrete feat, half-feat, or spell. This would make it easy for the Psion class to incorporate it. A talent or spell empowers the players whose gaming style prefers it to select it for their own Psion character concept.</blockquote>

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