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.

 

[Remathilis]

I think the worst aspect of psionics is that people get it in their brain (heh) that psionics should not only not look like spellcasters, it should ignore all the limitations of it. I mean, I too would love to cast two 9th level spells, both without components (costly included) and can't be counterspelled or detected. But that ain't happening.

 

[GarrettKP]

A History check can reveal 'secret lore'. It just means a higher DC.

No it can’t. If the lore is secret, the DM has no obligation to reveal it to a history check, even if they rolled a 30. History is about what your character can reasonably know. If the secret isn’t known to anyone, you can’t magically learn it through a skill check. Any DM allowing that is doing the skill a disservice.

 

[Yaarel]

No it can’t. If the lore is secret, the DM has no obligation to reveal it to a history check, even if they rolled a 30. History is about what your character can reasonably know. If the secret isn’t known to anyone, you can’t magically learn it through a skill check. Any DM allowing that is doing the skill a disservice.

The Legend Lore spell cannot even work unless the target is already 'famous'. In other words, it equals History. What the players need to know, or need not to know, is 100% DM discretion. There is nothing in the spell description that can do something that the History skill cant already do. Secret lore means a few people did know about it, and the History check came across obscure evidence about it or else figured it out.

Costly material components are stupid.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Non-spellcasting psionics are already available for people right now. If you need it that badly, you can actually buy it and start using it TODAY, rather than stewing in the soup of your own anger for the next 12 months for what WotC might eventually get around to doing.

This is why I can't take any of the complaints seriously.

 

[dave2008]

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

I mean psionics is, like magic, completely fictional. Its concept can be whatever we, or in this case WotC, wants it to be. Heck, we don't track material components for our wizard, so I know we certainly wouldn't do it for a psion!

 

[Yaarel]

I mean psionics is, like magic, completely fictional. Its concept can be whatever we, or in this case WotC, wants it to be. Heck, we don't track material components for our wizard, so I know we certainly wouldn't do it for a psion!

Hanging on to nonfunctional or dysfunctional rules is unhealthy for any gaming system.

If most gamers ignore spell components, then it is time to delete them from the game, for the same reason D&D dropped Encumbrance from the game.

Definitely dont bake bad rules into future D&D products, especially not into a psionic option where they dont belong.

 

[GarrettKP]

Hanging on to nonfunctional or dysfunctional rules is unhealthy for any gaming system.

If most gamers ignore spell components, then it is time to delete them from the game, for the same reason D&D dropped Encumbrance from the game.

Definitely dont bake bad rules into future D&D products, especially not into a psionic option where they dont belong.

Encumbrance rules are still in the 2024 PHB dude. They didn’t drop anything. If WotC dropped every rule that most people ignored, we’d be doing improve with no ruleset to speak of. Every rule gets ignored now and then. Doesn’t mean they shouldn’t exist.

 

[Li Kao]

Hmm, I don’t play the game, but the somatic thing seems moronic to me. I would probably ignore it until I know for sure it really hurts the balance in my game. Or if hurting the balance is that much of an issue.

 

[mamba]

Likewise, needing to drop weapons or whatever to the ground, in order to think about something? No, just no.

I can ignore the material spell components, but just ‘thinking’ with no gestures is a ‘no’ from me. It should be obvious who is ‘casting the spell’ and being restrained should have the same preventative effect as for spellcasters

 

[DEFCON 1]

Hmm, I don’t play the game, but the somatic thing seems moronic to me. I would probably ignore it until I know for sure it really hurts the balance in my game. Or if hurting the balance is that much of an issue.

Ignoring rules you don't like is entirely point. This is exactly what you should be doing, and why it doesn't matter what WotC chooses to do in their books.