D&D Psionics Survey; Plus "First Major Mechanical Expansion" Coming?

The latest D&D survey is up from WotC, and it's asking your thoughts on the revised Awakened Mystic article (aka 5E psionics rules) in Mike Mearls' Unearthed Arcana column last July. It also asks whether you want to see new races, classes, spells, and feats. At the same time, the last survey's results are in, reporting on the pubic's opinions of the Kits of Old article from a few months ago; and Mike Mearls refers to a "first major mechanical expansion" in the game.

[lq]At this stage, we’ve begun considering what the first, major mechanical expansion to the game might look like.[/lq]

 

[Guest 6801328]

This! Advanced Players Handbook. New optional races, classes, feats, kits, abilities, spells and rules for veteran players of the worlds most popular fantasy role playing game.

Why "for veterans"? I imagine there are newcomers who would love that stuff, and plenty of veterans who think there are more than enough options already.

Wouldn't it be more accurate to simply say "for option-lovers"?

 

[OB1]

[MENTION=6801328]Elfcrusher[/MENTION] because I'm envisioning it as an "Advanced" PHB not a PHB2. A PHB2 would simply add options, while an APHB would also add complexity. Personally, I don't need either, in two years I've barely scratched the surface of the material in the three core books and I play an average of 20-25 hours a month. I truly feel I could play just using the three core books for a decade or more and not get bored. So IMO if you are going to add options, do it in a way that expands the game for the more hardcore gamists who aren't satisfied with the current complexity level. Newbies or those who don't want added complexity can continue on with the core books.

 

[jayoungr]

Thank you fir this! How do they deal with all the spells, etc. which are not part of the OGL?

First, it's a book of rogue types, so there should not be many spellcasters in it. And second, for the spellcasters that are there, new custom spells were one of the unlocked stretch goals for the Kickstarter.

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

I don't know about that. Book of Nine Swords and the Warlock (Complete Mage?) were the seeds the blossomed into 4th edition. Are you ready for 6th?

I'm ready for some class mechanical variety. Right now its full spells, half spells, or 1/3 spells (and like the 4 subclasses that dont cast spells). Psion seems interesting and different. I'd like to see them take some design chances as one off experiments, as the classes are almost as homogenized as 4E. Great if you want umpteen variants of a vancian caster, less awesome if you actually want something different.

Psion, Incarnate, Bo9S, Warlord, Artificer. Sure, bring em on. I dont want 6th edition, but I'd like to see what novel concepts they can come up with using this ruleset.

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

@Elfcrusher because I'm envisioning it as an "Advanced" PHB not a PHB2. A PHB2 would simply add options, while an APHB would also add complexity.

I'd personally like to see a simplified caster type. The magic equivalent of the Champion, little in the way of resource management. Maybe a shapeshifter or just a blaster type. Warlock is kind of there for the latter, but warlocks are honestly easy to build in a weak way.

 

[Neonchameleon]

I'm ready for some class mechanical variety. Right now its full spells, half spells, or 1/3 spells (and like the 4 subclasses that dont cast spells).

Don't forget the Warlock and two out of three Monk subclasses (the third doesn't actually cast spells).

 

[Kobold Avenger]

I think the mass combat rules might show up in that "mechanical expansion", but it's something we haven't heard much of since it first showed up in UA.

 

[Topdecker]

All I can say is that I am thankful that psionics aren't part of the core game.

It is just my opinion, but a concept / word originating from the 1950's has no place in a fantasy setting. Good stuff for a space opera, but latter-half of the word is from "electr-onics" and has no business having ever been in D&D. It's like they licked too many Gama World book covers or something and just tossed it into the game since they had a rules framework.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

So demonic stuff should not be part of D&D either because that ends with -onic? Or no Chthonic religions? Or your characters cannot be platonic friends?

 

[Morrus]

All I can say is that I am thankful that psionics aren't part of the core game.

It is just my opinion, but a concept / word originating from the 1950's has no place in a fantasy setting. Good stuff for a space opera, but latter-half of the word is from "electr-onics" and has no business having ever been in D&D. It's like they licked too many Gama World book covers or something and just tossed it into the game since they had a rules framework.

What about "hobbit" or "Balrog"? Not the 49s, admittedly, but not long before then.

Did "fireball" exist before 1974?