badooga
Explorer
Hi,
I've been a lurker here for some time, but I decided to come out of hiding given all of the recent buzz about psionics in 5e.
In short, I'm a fan of a psionics system that doesn't use spellcasting. I believe that the UA Mystic actually didn't go far enough: it had a different resource system, a new way to learn powers, and a variety of unique abilities that tend to be different from normal spells. However, each of these abilities still acts like a spell in how it is a discrete effect that you just activate normally. Not only that, but the actual execution of these abilities sometimes fell flat in terms of actually distinguishing themselves from existing spells. The goal of my homebrew is to address these problems.
In 4th edition, the main thing that linked the psionic classes together was augmentation. Instead of gaining encounter powers, psionicists gained at-will abilities that they could augment using power points. So, I took the Mystic chassis, and I split it between lesser disciplines and greater disciplines. The greater disciplines are like the Mystic: they are associated with certain orders, but this time they have no foci and are limited to three abilities each. Meanwhile, the lesser disciplines are not associated with any specific order. They each have one at-will power you can use by default, and then they also have three possible ways to augment it using your psi points. For example, you can augment a Force Punch to push the target further, or you can restrain any creature caught in your net of telekinetic force.
The base class and subclasses have also received plenty of changes compared to the UA Mystic (e.g. the Soul Knife has been removed from this class altogether). Every power taken from the Mystic have either been rebalanced or replaced altogether. And despite all of the different content that can be found in the document, it is only 23 pages long, which is a few pages shorter than the UA Mystic.
You can find a PDF of this class on Google Drive, or you can view a web version on GM Binder.
Balance Notes:
I've been a lurker here for some time, but I decided to come out of hiding given all of the recent buzz about psionics in 5e.
In short, I'm a fan of a psionics system that doesn't use spellcasting. I believe that the UA Mystic actually didn't go far enough: it had a different resource system, a new way to learn powers, and a variety of unique abilities that tend to be different from normal spells. However, each of these abilities still acts like a spell in how it is a discrete effect that you just activate normally. Not only that, but the actual execution of these abilities sometimes fell flat in terms of actually distinguishing themselves from existing spells. The goal of my homebrew is to address these problems.
In 4th edition, the main thing that linked the psionic classes together was augmentation. Instead of gaining encounter powers, psionicists gained at-will abilities that they could augment using power points. So, I took the Mystic chassis, and I split it between lesser disciplines and greater disciplines. The greater disciplines are like the Mystic: they are associated with certain orders, but this time they have no foci and are limited to three abilities each. Meanwhile, the lesser disciplines are not associated with any specific order. They each have one at-will power you can use by default, and then they also have three possible ways to augment it using your psi points. For example, you can augment a Force Punch to push the target further, or you can restrain any creature caught in your net of telekinetic force.
The base class and subclasses have also received plenty of changes compared to the UA Mystic (e.g. the Soul Knife has been removed from this class altogether). Every power taken from the Mystic have either been rebalanced or replaced altogether. And despite all of the different content that can be found in the document, it is only 23 pages long, which is a few pages shorter than the UA Mystic.
You can find a PDF of this class on Google Drive, or you can view a web version on GM Binder.
Balance Notes:
- Hit Dice: This class uses a d8, just as the Mystic did. I am ready to change it to a d6 (or to remove Psychic Barrier) if playtesting feedback indicates that it is an issue.
- OP-ness and Versatility: This class strives to avoid the "too many powers, can do too much" issue the Mystic had. So far, I've actually had to buff the class based on feedback, instead of nerfing it. Each power is also balanced around the fact that psi points are more versatile than spell slots (i.e. damage is lower across the board).
- Potent Psionics: Don't forget to take a look at the L5 class feature, as it is very important to consider when examining the class's overall damage.
