D&D 5E Let's Build A Better Psion

[CleverNickName]

My issue with this take is that if there was no Ranger or Paladin or Berserker, there'd be just as many attempts at those classes too. Psion is not unique in this aspect.

Heck, the ranger is an official class and there are still more takes on it than the psionic.

The idea that Wizards didn't release something "because it would get torn apart on the boards" is preposterous.

All of this is beside the point, though. The point of this thread is to design a Psion class, not to debate whether one should exist or not. Everyone posting here should be doing so under the assumptions that (1) you want a Psion class, and (2) you want to help build it.

 

[NotAYakk]

So Psion fans tend to like points.

What if we gave then warlock like spell slots with sorcerer like metamagic "psi points"?

Disciplines as pseudo-subclasses is tempting; both determining "spells known" and giving features (to spend psi points on).

So you'd start with a Discipline at level 1, and get another 2-4 of them as you reach L 20.

 

[CleverNickName]

So Psion fans tend to like points.

What if we gave then warlock like spell slots with sorcerer like metamagic "psi points"?

Disciplines as pseudo-subclasses is tempting; both determining "spells known" and giving features (to spend psi points on).

So you'd start with a Discipline at level 1, and get another 2-4 of them as you reach L 20.

Yessss, this would be pretty good if we go with the warlock for our template. (I was trying to figure out how to do this since the fourth post in this thread.) Metamagic might make a pretty good substitution for the warlock's invocations...provided they are very different from those offered by the sorcerer class. I don't think anybody wants to see a Sorlock Core Class here.

 

[NotAYakk]

1. Warlock slot/spell level progression.
2. Disciplines Known instead of Spells Known. Each Discipline grants a Cantrip and Psionic Focus Feature, and related spells known.
3.You get one Psionic Focus at a time. It can be changed as part of a short rest. It can be exoended for some benefits. It can be regained by casting a Discipline Spell.
4. Small pool of daily recharge Psi Points. These fuel discipline abilities.
5. Psionic Thesis abilities past 10. These are once/day abilities similar in power to level 6+ spells (some may be level 6+ spells)

Discipline Abilities and Psi Points replace Invocations and Pact features balance-wise.

While Disciplines grant more spells known than a Warlock, they are related so choice breadth isn't as large. While knowing both misty step and dimension door is nice, the 2nd isn't as useful as the first.

 

[Enrico Poli1]

PSIONICIST 5e



as a modified Warlock

LVL	Prof. Bonus	Features	Base Powers	Devotions	Devotions Slots	Slot Level	Metapsionic Powers Known
1	+2	Primary Discipline, Psionics	2	2	1	1	-
2	+2	Metapsionic Powers	2	3	2	1	2
3	+2	Psionic Way	2	4	2	2	2
4	+2	ASI	3	5	2	2	2
5	+3	-	3	6	2	3	3
6	+3	Primary Discipline Feature	3	7	2	3	3
7	+3	-	3	8	2	4	4
8	+3	ASI	3	9	2	4	4
9	+4	-	3	10	2	5	5
10	+4	Primary Discipline Feature	4	10	2	5	5
11	+4	Science (6th Level)	4	11	3	5	5
12	+4	ASI	4	11	3	5	6
13	+5	Science (7th Level)	4	12	3	5	6
14	+5	Primary Discipline Feature	4	12	3	5	6
15	+5	Science (8th Level)	4	13	3	5	7
16	+5	ASI	4	13	3	5	7
17	+6	Science (9th Level)	4	14	4	5	7
18	+6	-	4	14	4	5	8
19	+6	ASI	4	15	4	5	8
20	+6	High Science	4	15	4	5	8

CLASS FEATURES

Hit Dice: 1d8

Proficiences:

Armor: Light Armor

Weapons: Simple Weapons

Tools: None

Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom

Skills: Choose Two from: Athletics, Arcana, Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Perception, Survival







PRIMARY DISCIPLINE

At 1st Level, you choose a Psionic Primary Discipline in which you specialize. The Primary Disciplines are Clairsentience, Psychokinesis, Psychometabolism, Psychoportation and Telepathy. Your choice grants you features at 1st Level and again at 6th, 10th and 14th Level.



PSIONICS

You can use psionic powers.

Base Powers

You know 2 Base Powers (the Psionicist’s “cantrips”) from your Psionicist Powers List. You learn additional Base Powers at higher levels, as shown in the table.

Devotions

The table shows how many Devotions (the Psionicist’s “spells”) you have. It also shows their level. To use a devotion, you must use a slot. The slots are recovered with a short rest.

Devotions known of 1st Level and higher

At 1st Level, you know 2 Devotions from the Psionicist’s List.

The number of Devotions you know from a secondary Discipline must be inferior to the number of Devotions you know from your Primary Discipline.

Psionic Ability

Wisdom

Psionic Focus

A gem, crystal or equivalent (obsidian orb etc.)

Metapsionic powers

At 2nd Lvl, you gain 2 Metapsionic Powers of your choice.

Sciences

At 11th Lvl, chose a 6th Lvl Psionic Power of your Primary Discipline. You can use it once per rest.



Kineticist (Psychokinesis specialist)

You move things and manipulate energy with your thought.

As Primary Requisite can freely choose Int, Wis or Con



Psionic Tradition:

1) – gains the Telekinetic Hand Cantrip (as Mage Hand but invisible)

- Telekinetic Push: as a bonus action, you can force a Large or smaller creature within 30’ to pass a Strenght save (DC = your Power DC) or be pushed back 15’. Can use a number of times equal to your Primary Requisite bonus before a long rest.

- Telekinetic Deflect: as a reaction, you can impose disadvantage on an attack (against you or not) within 60’. Can use a number of times equal to your Primary Requisite bonus before a long rest.

6) – Inertial Barrier: as a reaction, creates a semipermeable, mobile bubble of force around you in 10’. The bubble halves the Dmg from missiles and energy attacks (for example Breath Weapons) that cross the barrier, and falling Dmg is also halved for all creatures inside. You must use Concentration (up to 1 min) to maintain the bubble for more then 1 round. After a use, it recharges with a long rest.

10) – Control Body: as an action, you can try to control the body of a Large or smaller creature within 30’, as a puppeteer. The creature can resist with a Str save and can repeat it at the end of each round. When the creature is controlled, you can make it move and attack physically, but you must maintain Concentration (up to 1 minute) and must use 1 bonus action each round to control the creature.

- Gains Telekinesis as a bonus known power. You can use it for free once for long rest.

14) Megakinesis: you can use Telekinesis on one Gargantuan creature, or two Huge, four Large, eight Medium, sixteen Small; or Objects with a total weight of 100,000 pounds or less. When you use this power, you recover it with a long rest.





Telepath (Telepathy specialist)

You communicate with and control the minds of other creatures.

Primary Requisite is Wis.



Psionic Tradition:

1) – Contact: can communicate via telepathy with any one intelligent creature within 60’. No shared language is necessary, but creature has to know at least a language.

- Mind Thrust: you can force Disadvantage on an Int, Wis or Cha regarding a Telepathic power originating from you. Mind Thrust doesn’t take an action to use. Can use a number of times equal to your Wis bonus before a long rest.

- Mental Barrier: as a reaction, you can gain Advantage for an Int, Wis or Cha saving throw. Can use a number of times equal to your Wis bonus before a long rest.

6) – Piercing Mind: whenever the Telepath inflicts Psychic Dmg, he adds his Wis bonus (once per effect). He also automatically pierces Psychic damage resistence.

10) – Thought Shield: exactly as the Goo Warlock power of the same level.

14) - Mass Contact: can communicate simultaneously via telepathy with any number of intelligent creatures within 120’. No shared language is necessary. Once for long rest, the Telepath can try to Charm any number of these creatures. Each one saves individually. Those who fail are charmed for 8 hours (the same effect as a Rod of Rulership).





Psychometabolist (Psychometabolism specialist)

You act on your body to strengthen or modify it.

Primary Requisite is Con.



Psionic Tradition:

1) – Alter Features: the Psychometabolist can change some minor features of his body, such as skin and hair color, hair length, facial features, height (within the same size category) etc., and he can pass as a member of a race of similar size; he gains Advantage to disguise.

- Body Weaponry: as a bonus action, the Psychometabolist can change its body parts to inflict more dmg. For example, he can transform one or both hands into beast claws (1d6 piercing and slashing dmg plus Str or Dex bonus); or can transform them into melee one-handed weapons (1d6 dmg plus Str or Dex bonus; piercing, slashing or blunt dmg depending on the type of weapon); or he can grow fangs and gain a bite attack (1d6 piercing plus Str).

6) – Metamorphosis: the Psychometabolist can transform into a Beast. The effect is the same as the Wild Shape power of a Druid of the same level. The Psychometabolist cannot use Psionic Powers during Metamorphosis.

– Perfect Health: gains Proficiency in Con saves

10) – Energy Containment: as a reaction, the Psychometabolist can automatically negate all damage to himself from an energy attack (Fire, Cold, Electricity, Acid, Thunder, Necrotic, Radiant, Force). He can regain the use of this power with a short rest.

- Purity of Body: as the Monk power of the same name and level.

14) - Elemental Composition: the Psychometabolist can transform into a Large Elemental. The effect is the same as the Elemental Wild Shape of the Druid class, except that the Psychometabolist can change form each round as a bonus action. The Psychometabolist can now use Psionic Powers during Metamorphosis and Elemental Composition.

 

[NotAYakk]

Pison
               Disiplines    Spell    Slot      Psi    
   Features                  Slots    Level    Points    Augments      Thesis
1  Psionic Magic    1          1       1         -
   Psionic Focus
2  Psionic Augments 1          2       1         1           2

3                   2          2       2         2           2

4  ASI              2          2       2         3           2

5                   2          2       3         4           2

6                   2          2       3         5           3

7                   3          2       4         6           3

8  ASI              3          2       4         7           3

9                   3          2       5         8           3

10                  3          2       5         9           4

11                  4          3       5        10           4            6

12 ASI              4          3       5        11           4

13                  4          3       5        12           4            7

14                  4          3       5        13           6

15                  4          3       5        14           6            8

16 ASI              4          3       5        15           6

17                  4          4       5        16           6            9

18                  4          4       5        17           8

19 ASI              4          4       5        18           8

20 Unity            4          4       5        19          10

Psionic Magic

You can create magic Psionically. Psionic magic does not require verbal, somatic or material components other than those described by the Discipline it belongs to. For example, Tarot discipline powers requires a Tarot deck or other Prophesy tools as a focus.

You gain a certain number of spell slots (from the table), all of which are the same slot level. You can use these slots to cast Psionic spells, and regain their use after meditating during a short rest.

The Psionic Spells you know are determined by your Disiplines. At level 1 you know one Discipline.

Thesis
You gain level 6, 7, 8 and 9 spell slots. These can be used once, and regained if you take a long rest.

Psionic Focus
At the end of a 30 minute meditation as part of a long or short rest, you gain Psionic Focus. Each Disipline provides something you can focus on. While you have Psionic Focus, you have advantage on Concentration saves.

Various abilities can expend your Focus. If your Focus is not active when you cast a Psionic Spell you may choose to Focus on an ability in the Discipline the spell belongs to as a bonus action by spending a Psi Point.

Psionic Augments
This is how many Augments you know. When you pick an Augment, you choose it from one of your Disciplines. Augments are powered by spending Psi Points.

Disiplines
TODO. Each grants cantrips and features and psionic spells known and provides a pool of Augments.

Unity
TODO. Capstone.

So I went over the spell list and invented Psionic Disciplines. Each one gets 2 spells from level 1 to 5, plus 1 spell from level 6 to 9.

Discipline of the Nightmare

The following spells are added to your Psion spells known:
Cause Fear (1)
Dissonant Whispers (1)
Mind Spike (2)
Shadow Blade (2)
Enemies Abound (3)
Fear (3)
Phantasmal Killer (4)
Shadow of Moil (4)
Dream (5)
Geas (5)
Eyebite (6)
Finger of Death (7)
Maddening Darkness (8)
Psychic Scream (9)

Discipline of the Mystic

The following spells are added to your Psion spells known:
Charm Person (1)
Command (1)
Suggestion (2)
Enthrall (2)
Hypnotic Pattern (3)
Clairvoyance (3)
Charm Monster (4)
Arcane Eye (4)
Symaptic Static (5)
Rary's Telepathic Bond (5)
Mass Suggestion (6)
Prismatic Spray (7)
Telepathy (8)
Astral Projection (9)

Discipline of the Immortal

The following spells are added to your Psion spells known:
Absorb Elements (1)
Mage Armor (1)
Alter Self (2)
Enlarge/Reduce (2)
Life Transerence (3)
Feign Death (3)
Freedom of Movement (4)
Stoneskin (4)
Destructive Wave (5)
Awaken (5)
Tenser's Transformation (6)
Regenerate (7)
Clone (8)
Shapechange (9)

Discipline of Tarot

The following spells are added to your Psion spells known:
Healing Word (1)
Heroism (1)
Aid (2)
Healing Spirit (2)
Remove Curse (3)
Mass Healing Word (3)
Divination (4)
Death Ward (4)
Contact Other Plane (5)
Mass Cure Wound (5)
Find the Path (6)
Divine Word (7)
Power Word Stun (8)
Foresight (9)

Discipline of the Empath

The following spells are added to your Psion spells known:
Detect Magic (1)
Detect Evil and Good (1)
Detect Thoughts (2)
Calm Emotions (2)
Catnap (3)
Counterspell (3)
Aura of Life (4)
Confusion (4)
Legend Lore (5)
Dispel Evil and Good (5)
Scatter (6)
Power Word Pain (7)
Glibness (8)
Power Word Heal (9)

Discipline of the Ghost

The following spells are added to your Psion spells known:
Disguise Self (1)
Silent Image (1)
Pass Without Trace (2)
Invisibility (2)
Nondetection (3)
Major Image (3)
Greater Invisibility (4)
Hallucinatory Terrain (4)
Mislead (5)
Seeming (5)
Mental Prison (6)
Etherealness (7)
Mind Blank (8)
Time Stop (9)

Discipline of the Telekinetic

The following spells are added to your Psion spells known:
Shield (1)
Magic Missile (1)
Levitate (2)
Spiritual Weapon (2)
Erupting Earth (3)
Fly (3)
Control Water (4)
Stone Shape (4)
Animate Objects (5)
Telekinesis (5)
Globe of Invulnerability (6)
Forcecage (7)
Earthquake (8)
Meteor Storm (9)

Discipline of the Folder

The following spells are added to your Psion spells known:
Feather Fall (1)
Jump (1)
Misty Step (2)
Locate Object (2)
Blink (3)
Thunder Step (3)
Dimension Door (4)
Locate Creature (4)
Teleportation Circle (5)
Far Step (5)
Arcane Gate (6)
Teleport (7)
Demiplane (8)
Gate (9)

They aren't at all balanced, but 9/10 of them actually have the right feel for a psionic ability.

Nightmare brings nightmares to life.
Mystic is a traditional mentalist.
Immortal reshapes mainly their own body.
Tarot reads the threads of fate.
Empath sees auras and can sometimes manipulate them.
Ghost hides.
Telekenetic projects and controls force with their mind.
Folder bends space-time.

 

[DND_Reborn]

I've been toying around with an idea, and I don't know if anyone has suggested it yet or not.

Psion Subclasses: developing 3 or 4 subclasses based on a psionic influence, but the difference is, and what makes them unique, is these subclasses can be applied to any class. For example, one subclass is the Empath. So, you could have a Paladin (Empath) as your Oath, so to speak.

I sort of like the idea, but I am curious if other people like the concept? I know it breaks a lot of the flavor for subclasses, so I am not completely sold on the idea.

Beyond that, I am writing rules for what I call Latents, based heavily on 1E Psionics (at least for the first draft). Latents are any race or class which by chance happens to have some psionic ability.

 

[Shardstone]

I've finished my class, which I call the Disciple. After I proofread it and do a little tinkering, I will share it here via google doc for cross referencing what you guys have made.

 

[Shardstone]

Copy/pasting what I put into my facebook group.

Behold - the Disciple Class!
The Disciple is a psionic character who casts spells through their psionic abilities. Augmenting their powers are paranormal sciences - a host of techniques, thought-patterns, and abilities similar to a warlock's eldritch invocations. What makes these paranormal sciences so unique is that many of them can be empowered beyond their limits with psi points, the internal and mental well of energy all psions have.

LINK: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oHHElizJAxXTKVLStMHABbt2uaRiiRVWdrBWLW4wGn4/edit?usp=sharing

A quick FAQ!

Why spellcasting?
I wanted this class to fit perfectly into the D&D framework. So far in this edition, psionic powers have been represented as spellcasting (see: Illithids, GIth, etc). Additionally, I didn't want to have to rewrite a whole bunch of spells as "psionic powers."

Why can't this be a sub-class for Wizard or Sorcerer?
It could be, but I felt that the idea space here was big enough that it deserved its own class. Also note that WotC has Unearthed Arcana with psionic archetypes for other classes if that's your jam!
How does this fit into a Fantasy world?

There are a few possible origin stories given in the document text. More than likely, your disciple was born different, encountered an aberrant creature, or had their powers awakened by another. You can easily fit disciples into your worlds by treating them as you would monks, but with more spellcasting and lest cultural baggage.

Do psionics break magic rules?
Psionics are still spells, and so you can counterspell them if you know they are being cast. The Disciple has some tricks for this, however.

What kind of characters can I play as a disciple?
Every sub-class is based off of something from popular media, fantasy, or cultural reference. You have a sub-class for Jedi, one for Sith, one for more new age meditation-mysticism, some stuff from Carl Jung if you want some psuedo-science, and even crafty illusionists/mind manipulators! Future sub-classes will cover the psychic medium/seer/fortune teller, and something to emulate Prof. X/Jean Grey.

Will there be new spells?
Eventually, yes! After I have the core balanced how I want it to be, I'll workshop 5 new spells, including 1 new cantrip for the Disciple to use. These new spells will fill some gaps in the Disciple spell list and add a bit more identity/flavor to the class.

Will there be NPC stat blocks?
Yep! Eventually, at least, haha.

 

[Shardstone]

One more thing: this is not the Psion people in this thread are looking for.

This thread inspired my take on the Psion 100%, and I wanted to share it for cross-referencing with others.