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.

 

[SkidAce]

Mmm. I find the “Everything’s a spell” approach in 5e to be irksome occasionally. It would’ve been nice if they’d kept 3e’s “spell-like abilities” … so like a tiefling could use their thaumauturgy cantrip without having to “cast” it per se.

Interesting point is they changed this for many spellcasting NPCs, who now have "special abilities" that cant be counterspelled.

 

[maceochaid]

Spell components are not a dysfunctio al rule, however, they work very well at the table in play in my experience.

I think that the problem with spell components is that they do several things:

• Way to balance Spellcaster vs Martial characters (Wizard can't hold a weapon/shield in one hand)
• Gate low level spells for high level characters (Chromatic orb being 1st level damage, but having the versatility reserved for higher level characters)
• Give puzzles/challenges that counter spellcasting (cast a silence spell to stop a spell, pickpocket an evil cleric's holy symbol, only use V component spells in a jail cell)
• Flavor (and even little jokes)
• Serve to envision how conspicuous or showy a spell is
• Limit how many times you can cast a powerful spell

Because it serves these rules somewhat, but kind of awkwardly with the legacy of the VSM system it's hard for the rules to accommodate a full caster without some of them. I have my own idea of what would be a better system than the VSM tags, they're not going to change it now.

But I can see why they are reticent to make a full caster that has the benefit can wield a weapon and shield, can cast spells in the middle of a social encounter with no one noticing, etc.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Interesting point is they changed this for many spellcasting NPCs, who now have "special abilities" that cant be counterspelled.

A terrible, verisimilitude-breaking change IMO.

 

[SkidAce]

A terrible, verisimilitude-breaking change IMO.

I understand it for "monsters" that are using spell "like" abilities. But an NPC wizard should be "casting" spells.

But lets not /derail

 

[Stormonu]

I was against the "psionics is just another form of magic" for a long time, but as I started to put together my own version realized it just made more sense to use existing spells. Savage Worlds does something similar, with generalizing power and then letting players skin it to fit the idea of their character.

I still prefer psi points over psi dice though. The class I put together for my game makes the psion class a hybrid of warlock and sorcerer - Disciplines that cover powers/spells of 1st - 4th level and Sciences that cover 5th+ power/spells like the Warlock's Mystic Incarnum. Disciplines are powered by using psi points, using the formula for the Sorcerer uses to get spell slots. The number of psi points the psion gets is more than the Sorcerer, but is balanced between having fixed slots and being able to "alpha strike" slots.

Of couse, also threw in some "psion only" spells/powers to give them some distictiveness, and went with the Expanded Psionics books for subclasses.

I've yet to look at the UA, but will probably keep my version for my homebrew. Maybe there'll be something in the UA I'll pull into my version though.

Spoiler

So, a 7th level Psion could throw out a max of six 4th level powers per long rest, on par with a Warlock who took 2 short rests on a day. At 10th level, up to ten 4th level powers could be put out in a day (I used the DMG to figure for the points, but looking at it now, I expect to be tweaking the point cost/points per day downward after some playtesting).

 

[SkidAce]

Assumption: UA Psion gets published.
Query: What are the best customizable parts?


In order to create different types of psions (perhaps favorites from yesteryear) what do you customize, whats the easiest, best bang for the buck thing to homebrew?

Entire subclasses, custom spell lists for existing subclasses, new(or converted) psionic spells available to all, disciplines?

 

[dave2008]

A terrible, verisimilitude-breaking change IMO.

I understand it for "monsters" that are using spell "like" abilities. But an NPC wizard should be "casting" spells.

But lets not /derail

How much is this actually the case though? They got rid of spell slots, but most magic is still Spellcasting.

Now the archmage's Arcane Burst doesn't specifically call itself spell (though as DM I would still rule it that way), but everything else, and everything of relevance, is a spell that is subject to a counterspell. I mean if a PC is wasting a counterspell on an Arcane Burst then that is a win for the archmage!

 

[Dragonhelm]

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

You know, I would be okay with that. Psioncs has always had that tradition of using Psionic Strength Points/Power Points.

However, my guess is that WotC will want to keep things consistent.

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.

A friend of mine uses it in his games.

 

[Umbran]

I generally know how to play chess, but I have no idea what that PDF covers to need 144 pages.

Looking at the table of contents...

Over half the document is about tournaments, rather than individual games. Ten percent of it is a listing of the changes since the last version of the document. About 5% of it is about use of a chess clock. There's a section in there on the behavior of spectators, and scoring systems, official icons for pieces, playing by post or electronic systems...

So, most of the document is about things other than the basic game of chess.

 

[Von Ether]

Looking at the table of contents...

Over half the document is about tournaments, rather than individual games. Ten percent of it is a listing of the changes since the last version of the document. About 5% of it is about use of a chess clock. There's a section in there on the behavior of spectators, and scoring systems, official icons for pieces, playing by post or electronic systems...

So, most of the document is about things other than the basic game of chess.

Called it.

As for verisimilitude-breaking, this is why the GM never says the last minute monster he came up with was a bear + special ability. As a player for Champions, and GM for Savage Worlds and Cypher, I haven't been too attached to new powers = must equal new mechanics for a while

Then again, everyone is different. And customized rules do wonders to reinforce a setting or a vibe.