D&D Debuts Playtest for Psion Class

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.

 

[Yaarel]

Each to their own. I think they add flavour.

They do assist with balance issues - usually either permanent effects (Magic mouth) or spells that would problematic if spammed (legend lore) or spells which the DM might want to restrict access to (identify).

Only 16 psion spells have material components and most are pretty obscure. The good news is that you can happily play a psion and reasonably never need to use a component.

The amount of GP on hand is circumstantial and setting-dependent. GP can never serve as a mechanism for gaming balancer.

Every spell needs to stand on its own. If a specific spell needs to balance mechanically, the spell description must ensure how. For example, if the spell is abusable to spamming, then the spell description itself needs to say it can only be cast once per Long Rest.

The Costly Material Component is crap. Most of it is truly trivially meaningless, with zero intention to have anything to do with balance, such as a trivial amount for spell at high level, when available gp is typically in superabundance.

There are only about five or so spells, where the gp cost might even matter. These spells need to be rewritten without a gp component if the point is to actually balance the spell mechanically.


For the Psion class, material components are anathama. Especially, costly material components have no place in the psionic concept.

Psionics is 'magical' (or wondrous, or miraculous, or mystical). It can even sometimes be 'spells', in the sense of a disciplined technique to manifest a personal intention. But psionics is absolutely not wizardry. Material components have no business being anywhere near psionic magic.

 

[Yaarel]

problematic if spammed (legend lore)

(By the way, Legend Lore is a vestige from 1e that is worthless in 5e. In 5e, the History skill does everything this very high slot spell can do. When a player rolls a successful History check, the DM needs to decide how much a player should know. When a player casts Legend Lore, the DM needs to decide how much a player should know. It is the same thing except the History check happens routinely at level 1. The spell is little more than a 'Take 20' for a History check. Of all the spells in the game, this least of all needs any 'balancing'. The Costly Material Components are stupid.)

 

[Frozen_Heart]

How would people feel about psion using the spell points / will points system from 2014 5e?

 

[Corinnguard]

How would people feel about psion using the spell points / will points system from 2014 5e?

I wouldn't have a problem using a points system for the Psion. It was used when psionics first came out and was one of the things that set it apart from spellcasting. Psionic energy could be raw and unrefined, unlike magic, and therefore require more work to produce a certain effect.

 

[Yaarel]

How would people feel about psion using the spell points / will points system from 2014 5e?

I think every spellcaster class should use the Short Rest spell point system.

Spell Point Pool = 1 + Level. Spell Cost = Spell Slot. The Pool refreshes after each Short Rest.

Spellcasting can be that simple for every class.


In the same book that the Psion class comes out, the book can also offer this spell point system as a variant that any class can take. Then DMs can decide if they want to points or slots.

 

[GarrettKP]

I think every spellcaster class should use the Short Rest spell point system.

Spell Point Pool = 1 + Level. Spell Cost = Spell Slot. The Pool refreshes after each Short Rest.

Spellcasting can be that simple for every class.


In the same book that the Psion class comes out, the book can also offer this spell point system as a variant that any class can take. Then DMs can decide if they want to points or slots.

They offered that in 2014 and removed it from 2024 because it’s hard to balance.

Spellcasting is built around spell levels being available to a certain degree per adventuring day. Spell points allow you to effectively trade in a collection of low level spells to get a second 9th level, or something to a similar effect.

That’s a balancing nightmare and the main reason it was removed in 2024. Don’t expect it to come back.

 

[Yaarel]

I agree for material components, except for permanent effects.
conjuring a castle out of nothing should cost as a castle, you still save on construction time and hassle of logistics.
maybe also summons if they last 24hrs, then you can have that as a fixed cost instead of hiring a sidekick.

Wizards and Druids should be magicking, elemental summoning, and Wish-ing palaces into existence and more. Micromanaging how much it costs to lay a brick, or to grow a bush for a hedge, makes no sense at the high tiers of D&D. And now Bastion is a thing.

There actually are spells that can build a fortress, or so on. They have descriptions like, must cast the spell every day for year, to make it permanent. It is the spell itself that needs to ensure balance. Having 'gp costs' is pointless. In any case, gp must be irrelevant to psionic magic.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Plenty of other psionic classes in 5e. Just not by WotC.

Don't tell me... tell the people who are complaining about WotC's psionics.

 

[pukunui]

That special feature is called spells like Command and Suggestion not having Somatic components in the first place.

Psions can still cast spells that don’t have Somatic components. It’s not like Artificer where every spell they cast HAS to have Material components (their tools).

So don’t worry, Psions can still command their release through their powers without having to wave their arms.

You don’t need to convince me!

 

[Yaarel]

They offered that in 2014 and removed it from 2024 because it’s hard to balance.

Spellcasting is built around spell levels being available to a certain degree per adventuring day. Spell points allow you to effectively trade in a collection of low level spells to get a second 9th level, or something to a similar effect.

That’s a balancing nightmare and the main reason it was removed in 2024. Don’t expect it to come back.

Heh, 2024 deleted the 2014 spell point system because it hurt the eyes. It was weirdly and unnecessarily complicated. Impracticable. I never heard of anyone actually use it.

Also, the 2014 system was per Long Rest. So it was possible to 'nova' many most powerful spells during a single battle.

The Short Rest spell point system only allows a small amount at any given time. To 'nova' would mean casting the highest level slot twice, which casters can normally do anyway, and thats it, pretty much no more spells would be possible until the next Short Rest. It is inherently self-balancing. It balances better with noncaster classes, and keeps all the casters on the Short Rest schedule.

Plus the Short Rest spell point pool is so simple. And, narratively sensical.