Unearthed Arcana New Unearthed Arcana: Psionics!

There’s a new Unearthed Arcana article out, and it’s all about psionics! "Their minds bristling with power, three new subclasses arrive in today’s Unearthed Arcana: the Psychic Warrior for the fighter, the Soulknife for the rogue, and the tradition of Psionics for the wizard."

​

News Archive | Dungeons and Dragons

Read the full archives of Dungeons & Dragons news, Sage Advice, Unearthed Arcana, and D&D Studio Blogs.

dnd.wizards.com

In this 9-page PDF, there are also some new psionics-themed spells (including versions of classic psionic powers like id insinuation and ego whip) and two new feats.

 

[mach1.9pants]

No mention of gems (well crystal is one of many options for Wiz), ectoplasm, or toher new age nonsense of 3E+, that's a really great start for me!

I like the diea of subclasses, as psionics has always been such a small part of my games. Someone who is just different from the norm. Well done WotC

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

If the warlord is a base class, I guess it will be in a sourcebook about mass battles and warbands skirmishes. I dare to say WotC would like to publish its own RTS as Warcraft III or Warhammer: Total War, maybe in the setting of Birthright, with some pieces from "Shadow of Mordor" with strongholds managing. If a D&D wargame is published, the balance of power between firearms, magic and low-level magic/tech fighters is a complete challenge for game designers.

 

[Hussar]

Re: Dark Sun

I understand why folks are having an issue with a wizard psionicist in Dark Sun, but, there's a very easy fix that already exists in DS.

All characters start at 4th level.

poof, end of problem. No more worrying about spellbooks or anything like that. 2e did it. Don't see why 5e can't. 1st-3rd (well, in 5e, we'd probably start them at 3rd level, but whatever) level just doesn't exist in that setting. So, you're never a "learning psionicist". You are just a 4th level psionicist and off you go.

 

[NaturalZero]

One of the most popular settings in DnD has a psionics as it's centerpiece power source and the major setting they just re-released for 5e has 1 of 4 iconic races as psionic in base concept, hailing from an entire continent that is based around psionics but, sure, lets just give players a fighter that can deal and extra 1d4 a round if you want a legit psychic warrior.

The 3.5 psychic warrior could transform and float and use elements. My 4e Battlemind could throw groups of enemies around with telekinesis, create a black hole, and split time to run and hit before an enemy could strike...every round. These kinds of concepts need their own class. Coming from 3.5 and 4e, this unearthed arcana feels like walking away from a fancy buffet to an old balogna sandwich.

 

[dwayne]

I think that to make it feel more like a psionics or psion class you could have traditions such as telepathy, apportation and such. To do this you take "spells" and start with ones that would fit as a progress or take one like the aforementioned mage hand and have it increase, able to lift more. Ad to this the "growth of the power" which would mean that you get better at telekinesis "mage hand" that your able to lift your self "levitate/fly" or able to effect other living things "control/hold person" just changing it to a more physical save like strength.

 

[Goemoe]

Can't read the article at wizards. Don't know if I even want to. Magic and psionics are different! Always! No psionic in my (eberron or dark sun) campaigns will ever be a wizard of some sort. The very idea makes me sick.
The real problem is, do you like psionics or not? If you don't like it, don't use it. If you do need/like it, do it right!

We (like/use psionics) have to make sure to give the following survey the real answers!

 

[Paul Farquhar]

You aint missing much. No matter how you feel about psionics*, those subclasses are just not interesting or fun to play.

Colour me paranoid, but it's almost as if they have deliberately written the worst possible subclasses, so they can collect all the negative feedback and use it as evidence for not having psionics in 5e.


*and I'm fairly neutral.

 

[paladinn]

Some of the HFH stuff was transcribed here: Mike Mearls’ Happy Fun Hour Classes

Omg thank you!! Wow, I didn't even know these existed. So are these considered on the level of UA, or just theorycraft by Mearls?

Some of these are sweet!

 

[Garthanos]

If the warlord is a base class, I guess it will be in a sourcebook about mass battles and warbands skirmishes. I dare to say WotC would like to publish its own RTS as Warcraft III or Warhammer: Total War, maybe in the setting of Birthright, with some pieces from "Shadow of Mordor" with strongholds managing. If a D&D wargame is published, the balance of power between firearms, magic and low-level magic/tech fighters is a complete challenge for game designers.

Birthright would be an automatic purchase for me. I am fond of Birthright more on flavor than any previous implementation though.

 

[dave2008]

Omg thank you!! Wow, I didn't even know these existed. So are these considered on the level of UA, or just theorycraft by Mearls?

Some of these are sweet!

I think just theorycraft by Mike. Also, he is further up the food chain now and further removed from the game design. Not sure if that makes it more or less likely to become official.