Mike Mearls on D&D Psionics: Should Psionic Flavor Be Altered?

WotC's Mike Mearls has been asking for opinions on how psionics should be treated in D&D 5th Edition. I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that he'd hinted that he might be working on something, and this pretty much seals the deal. He asked yesterday "Agree/Disagree: The flavor around psionics needs to be altered to allow it to blend more smoothly into a traditional fantasy setting", and then followed up with some more comments today.

"Thanks for all the replies! Theoretically, were I working on psionics, I'd try to set some high bars for the execution. Such as - no psionic power duplicates a spell, and vice versa. Psionics uses a distinct mechanic, so no spell slots. One thing that might be controversial - I really don't like the scientific terminology, like psychokinesis, etc. But I think a psionicist should be exotic and weird, and drawing on/tied to something unsettling on a cosmic scale.... [but]... I think the source of psi would be pretty far from the realm of making pacts. IMO, old one = vestige from 3e's Tome of Magic.

One final note - Dark Sun is, IMO, a pretty good example of what happens to a D&D setting when psionic energy reaches its peak. Not that the rules would require it, but I think it's an interesting idea to illustrate psi's relationship to magic on a cosmic level."

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Many aberrations have psionic powers. Wherever aberrations come from, it's a place where psionics are far more common. That adds to their mystique. It's cool.

What isn't cool is the idea that my psion is getting his powers from the far realm, or from aberrations, unless I write that into his backstory.

Precisely. I think Mike is confusing "What Mike thinks is cool" with "What D&D players want and what works long-term for this set of powers". The Far Realm should not be where powers that resemble those of various mystic/religious groups from Earth come from - that's pretty awful. Similarly, psionics-like magic is common in fantasy, from Robin Hobb's Assassin Trilogy, to the Jedi/Sith of Star Wars - and in no case I can think of is a Far Realm-style deal an appropriate origin.

Moving away from scientific is worthless if it's merely towards Cthulhu-esque nonsense.

Arcane magic fits the Far Realm much better, oddly enough.

 

[Desh-Rae-Halra]

I think Psionics should have its own flavor, though I understand there could be a little bit of overlap in powers.
Example: The cantrip Far Hand is essentially some form of psychokinesis. I would not be butthurt if Psionics had an equivalent.

I really liked what Dreamscarred Press has done with Ultimate Psionics. People may scream "its overpowered", but they might want to actually study the system before chastising it.

Psionics must be different. 4E killed me, because Psionics was just another power set that at 1st level had an attack that did 1d8 + (Stat bonus) and they just called it Psychic damage if I recall. There might have been a little flavor text in there, but it really didnt matter.

I actually really liked part of the OD&D modes of combat Id Insinuation vs Ego Whip, Mind Blank vs Tower of Iron Will, that sort of thing.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

The one change that separated 4Ed Psi from the other power sources were the way you could use points to change effects. Those Augmentation mechanics were non-trivial alterations from the AEDU system, IMHO.

 

[Fralex]

Meh, the only difference that I can see between the Abyss and the Far Realm is that one has Cthulhu and Psionics and the other has all the cool Demons.

I dunno, the only similarity I can see between the Abyss and the Far Realm is that both are places humans find unpleasant. The Abyss is just a plane with evil monsters on it. The Far Realm can't even be considered a real place by our standards, and the things residing in it aren't really "evil monsters" so much as incomprehensible forces far beyond anyone's power, understanding, and sanity. Cthulu isn't an enemy to be fought. It's the primal fear of being utterly insignificant to the universe at large, completely powerless to make any meaningful difference, and doomed to live out the rest of your meaningless existence knowing all this. This is the essence of the cosmic horror genre. Winning outright against the things that lurk in the Far Realm is an impossibility. Managing to cope with crippling nihilism and total madness long enough to delay their cataclysmic arrival is the best you can hope for.

I think the far realms are pretty lame. Just like I find the whole Cthulhu mythos as lame as a 1-legged horse.

Sure, but some people think it's as cool as a multilegged horse. That's why I was saying it could be best-handled as a bit of lore that's interesting and useful to those who like it, and easily ignorable to those who don't.

 

[nlghty]

If we look back ad 2e, the stuff like Gate of Firestorm Peak and the theorizing around psi orignins. I get the feeling that psi are like a reaction to the great old ones touching the world, like antibodies for a new disease. So linked to the far realms more then the greater gods.

just my 2 cents

 

[Yaarel]

If the psionic mechanics are rife with sanity checks, chances to attract the attention of Cthulhu, and powers that project the character or her foes into the Far Realms, I'll be very unhappy and find the expansion unusable.

Ditto if every other power or class ability makes reference to the Far Realms and/or there are strong ties to aberrations.

Exactly.

 

[Fralex]

Yeah, if psionics are flavored as weird power coming from an elder being, that's just the warlock's Great Old One pact all over again. Everything about psychic powers seems to point to it being a power that comes from within. Certain things bring it out of you, but nothing puts it there.

 

[Yaarel]

[MENTION=22953]SteelDragon[/MENTION].

Remember, the point of playing is to enjoy.

If branding makes the game too difficult to avoid an unwanted flavor, it means ‘cant’ enjoy the game.

 

[Nifft]

There can certainly also be "don't want to"...but that's kind of a subset of/reason for "won't". But there is no "can't." It's a make-believe game and world.

Yeah that's basically what I did last campaign.

My campaign's psionics originated in pre-history, hence why (IMO) ancient aberrations have it.

The gods try to persecute it, both to subdue all the ancient evils, and because psionics is a path to challenging their sovereignty. (Of course they have the welfare of all..and the BEST intentions for doing so...)

My previous campaign had the Gods as formerly human Psionic constructs. (Made from lots of humans, rather than just one, so you got more archetype and less ego.)

The Gods don't hate Psionics. If anything, they hate Arcane magic, which originated in the Abyss.

 

[nlghty]

It's not a pact, but a the apearance of psionic was, at first, a reaction of our world to the contact of the great old ones.