Unearthed Arcana New Psion update, Dungeons and Dragons Unearthed Arcana

A new Unearthed Arcana is up, featuring a revised version of the Psion class. Per a D&D Beyond article, the Psion has seen considerable changes. Feedback for the class focused into three main areas - Psionic Energy Dice, Psionic Modes, and Spellcasting. Psionic Energy Dice are now more flexible and easier to obtain - a new feature called Psionic Reserves allows players to regain uses of Psionic Energy Dice and Telepathic Propel and Telepathic Connection allow players to use those abilities one time each without expending energy dice. Meanwhile, Psionic Modes has been cut from the class, with various aspects of the ability being incorporated into various subclasses as new features. Finally, the Psion now has an updated and expanded playlist. The UA also contains seven brand new spells and updated versions of existing spells as well.

Additionally, the Metamorph, Psykinetic, and Telepath have all received updates. The Metamorph's abilities now often feature a roll of the Psionic Energy Die while they're being expended. The Psykinetic gains a Stronger Telekinesis feature with an improved Mage Hand spell use. Also, players can now use Telekinetic Propel without expending a Psionic Energy Dice. Finally, the Telepath has a new Telepathic Distraction feature that lets you interfere with another creature's attack roll if it's within range of your telepathy. Scramble Minds was redesigned to reduce the number of dice rolls needed to keep combat from getting bogged down.

 

[Vael]

Psion is gonna be a spellcaster. Not a fight worth fighting.

My temptation is to houserule them to use spell points for 1st to 5th level spells, and use spell slots for 6th+ level spells.

Given those design constraints... I don't mind this iteration. I think the earlier version had too many moving parts, and this, still complex, version is better for that.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Compared to the 2e Psionics, this is just a pale imitation. It screams weaksauce! And when I compare the rest of the 2e classes with D&D 5e 2024, they are much more versatile...

Why are you bothering to compare 2E to 5E? They're different games. You might as well compare the psionics of 5E to the psionics one can create in Champions when making a Professor X type of character while you're at it. There's no point.

 

[DEFCON 1]

As has been said over the last 11 years of 5E's existence... if someone wants a spell-less Psion there are countless options out there you could have been using this entire time.

Not a single person should be wasting their time waiting for WotC to make it. It is pointless.

 

[Superchunk77]

View attachment 418616

Doubt it. I'm still guessing its for some sort of sloppy Doomspace digital release.

 

[TwoSix]

Hmm. Yeah, I suppose that works. You don't get the nice extra traits the Organic Weapons come with, and you'd have to take the War Caster feat, but it'd work. Not sure it's worth it, though.

Running the numbers you gave above, accounting for Advantage they're about the same in Tier 2. But that's needing a second weapon, needing War Caster, and needing you to pay into Mutable Form for Reach. It's just so much cheaper to go for the ranged option, and you have fewer worries about catching stray melee attacks too. The only real downside is having to worry about Acid Resistance.

Why would you need War Caster? Attack with Organic Weapon, and then revert back to a free hand as a "no action".

 

[TwoSix]

The one thing that they still haven't done is balance the Psion spell list to make all four of the Spell School-paired Psionic Disciplines each worth taking. After a quick count up (my numbers may be slightly off)... the number of spells from each pairing are as follows for the first three spell levels:

BIOFEEDBACK (Necromancy/Transmutation): 1st [3] / 2nd [7] / 3rd [3]
BOLSTERING PRECOGNITION (Abjuration/Divination): 1st [7] / 2nd [5] / 3rd [6]
DESTRUCTIVE THOUGHTS (Conjuration/Evocation): 1st [3] / 2nd [1] / 3rd [2]
ID INSINUATION (Enchantment/Illusion): 1st [7] / 2nd [14] / 3rd [4]

So that's 13 spells for Necro/Trans, 18 spells for Abj/Div, 6! spells for Conj/Evo, and 25!!!!! spells for Ench/Illus. Why would ANYONE take Destructive Thoughts as a Discipline when it applies to I think only THREE of the six spells that are on the Psion spell list for Conjuration/Evocation (with the other three not requiring saving throws)? Talk about throwing away a Discipline slot, LOL!

I guess my Survey answer that went over this imbalance did not garner that much attention or concern. Oh well! Every Psion can just take Id Insinuation, as that's the most useful of all of them.

Destructive Thoughts lets you dump a lot of dice into damage at once, though; and it applies to some very solid low-level attack spells like Thunderwave and Shatter.

"Number of Spells imbalance" might matter, but often doesn't. One top-tier spell is worth 10 average options, especially for a caster that doesn't have a wizard spellbook or divine caster preparation.

 

[Kurotowa]

Why would you need War Caster? Attack with Organic Weapon, and then revert back to a free hand as a "no action".

Would that work? Hmmm, yes, it should with the revised wording. Previously the Organic Weapon lasted for the Attack action, but now you can be forming and reverting it constantly. The downside is that you wouldn't have it for off-turn Opportunity Attacks, but you've got a second weapon for that.

I don't love it from a combat aesthetic standpoint, but mechanically it should work. So noted.

 

[Mistwell]

Maybe I am missing something. But, Ego Whip looks like a completely useless spell.

EGO WHIP
Level 2 Enchantment Spell (Psion)
Casting Time: Reaction, which you take when a creature you can see within 30 feet of yourself makes a Charisma-based ability check or saving throw
Range: 120 feet (???????)
Components: V
Duration: Instantaneous
The creature makes Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, the target must subtract 1d8 from the ability check or saving throw.

OK so let's start with the range is 120 feet but you can only do it if a creature within 30 feet of you makes a charisma ability check of saving throw. So...how is it 120 feet?

Second, Charisma saves are rare. But you're expending a spell slot to make them make a second charisma save, and only if they fail this other charisma save will they subtract a d8 from the first charisma save? What?!

Same with ability check, which is again fairly rare for a foe to make since PCs are not auto-persuaded/intimidated/deceived by NPC speech using an ability check. But in any case, assuming the scenario comes up, you're again worried the check will succeed because they have a decent charisma and therefore expending a spell which again forced a charisma save (!) in hopes of decreasing the check result by a d8?

This is just a terrible, awful, rotten spell. Please tell me I am missing something here.

 

[Cergorach]

Why are you bothering to compare 2E to 5E? They're different games. You might as well compare the psionics of 5E to the psionics one can create in Champions when making a Professor X type of character while you're at it. There's no point.

I do not agree: 2e => 3e => 5e, it's an evolution. Instead here, they threw out the baby with the bathwater and started over from scratch, just trying to reuse the name. If they want to release a 5e version of Dark Sun, this is a core requirement, and honestly if this is the best they can do, I'm even more worried about whatever lip-service they're going to give to DS and F this further up then I thought possible. It's like killing the wizard spell system and replacing it with something else.

 

[mellored]

Ectoplasmic Trail doesn't seem to work.
Duration is Instant, and it gives an ongoing movement buff.

Seems like that should be at least 1 minute, possibly 10.

Edit: Never mind. I miss read it.