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Message: <blockquote data-quote="I'm A Banana" data-source="post: 7673683" data-attributes="member: 2067">Well, one point: is it actually different from spellcasting mechanically? Does actually using a psionic power entail a moment of concentration and any of the following: a word, an action, or some catalyst material?There's examples that do. 3e psionics. 4e psioincs. Do we change it so it doesn't and thus doesn't use the spellcasting mechanic? Or do we use the spellcasting mechanic and say that a psionic class does this differently somehow?Okay, so it doesn't use components. Can we use spellcasting mechanics and say that psions get some feature/ability to ignore components? There's certainly precedence for this in 5e already (check out the gith races). Or do we need/want a whole new mechanic? ....sounds like you're not a fan of 3e psionics. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> Fair enough. But this is mostly an aesthetic point, not a mechanical treatment - it doesn't speak to what the character actually does to make the psionics happen.More points for not using spellcasting, but there are magical effects that don't rely on spellcasting in 5e already (the aforementioned monk's agelessness). Is it always on or does it require some action to do? If it requires some action, can the action be interrupted? Can concentration be broken? Or is psionics "unstoppable," without counter-measures? This could be a pretty rich vein to mine in how it's different from spellcasting, and though we'd need to be careful with the effects we could grant, it could be pretty deep. Potentially mechanically problematic, but possible with tight control of the effects psionics is capable of. Does that mean that I can't charm someone I know is behind a door? A skill-like system would also satisfy that - anyone can use Insight, but a psion can augment their Insight check to do things like read minds or whatever.Another aesthetic point, not really relevant to if it's spellcasting or some other mechanic.But it seems on the whole like you'd want psionics to NOT be spellcasting. Okay.What does it look like in the world when a psion uses an ability? Do they activate it with an action or is it always on? Is it something that must be concentrated on? Maybe it varies with the kind of ability used?If a human being flies due purely to their own will, it's pretty clearly magical. It might be planar energies or breaking the laws of physics or a pact with a demon or the granted ability of a god or just thinking happy thoughts - that's still magical, it's still magic, it's clearly not natural. It could also be nanobots or anti-grav boots or jetpacks, and it would still be pretty magical, though I'd probably want different mechanics to embody that (like the current magic item mechanics!). It sounds like when people say "it's not magic" what they mostly mean is "it's not like what a wizard or a cleric does" but neither is a bear totem barbarian's ability to carry twice their normal load, but that's still magical, it just doesn't involve casting a spell. "Magic" in D&D isn't just what wizards or clerics do.</blockquote>

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