Non-Core Class Survivor Spin-off: Pro-psionics or anti-psionics

[Mercule]

I'm not a fanboy, but I like Psionics.

If there are actual weaknesses, or you simply dislike one of the psi classes that much, then I've got no problem with voting against it. The organized, systematic targetting, with prejudice, of the psi classes in the polls was a pretty crappy thing, though. It showed a mean-spiritedness, and a desire to turn a fun contest into a personal soapbox.

 

[Enforcer]

I voted pro-psionics, but yet I voted for the Psychic Warrior to be booted. Of the five remaining classes, it'd be the one I'd least like to play. I'd probably most want to try the Duskblade, 'cause I've never played one, or the psion--I'd love to run a single-class Telepath.

As far as heated opinions go, mine can be summed up thusly:
-I don't think psionics is overpowered (please remember that the maximum number of power points you can use on a power is equal to your manifester level, so no, a 2nd level psion cannot spend 6pp on an energy ray)
-I think psionics is cool, both flavor and rules-wise
-I don't care if anyone else likes psionics or not, or plays with psionics or not, but I think more options in a campaign is better than fewer options and would prefer psionics in my D&D

 

[Gnome]

I never liked psionics much until the latest revision. Earlier versions had too many problems IMO. There are still some problems with it now, but not too terrible.

 

[Shade]

Hi, I'm Shade and I am a reformed psi-hater/fearer.

I first came into contact with psionics in the 1E DMG, which as a young teenager, confused the out of me.

After that experience, I completely ignored them in 2E.

When the 3E system came along, I took a look at them in the SRD and was impressed at how much easier they had become. By the time the XPsiHB came out, I had seen the light and realized that the 3.5 psionics system is the superior magic system I'd been wanting all along.

I vastly prefer point-based, flexible spellcasting systems to the Vancian magic of the core.

In the core class Survivor, I'd have voted pro-psion until the final 3 if we were voting for keepers. Although we were voting to eliminate, I didn't vote anti-anything else just to keep the psionic classes alive.

 

[Particle_Man]

Oddly, the poll would not have been abusable by either side in this manner had the poll said "vote for the class you like the most, and the class with the least votes gets the boot".

Or maybe it would have been, who knows?

 

[Glyfair]

I voted pro-psionics, but yet I voted for the Psychic Warrior to be booted. Of the five remaining classes, it'd be the one I'd least like to play. I'd probably most want to try the Duskblade, 'cause I've never played one, or the psion--I'd love to run a single-class Telepath.

Not that I never had any objections to anyone voting off a psionics class. What I'm objecting to is the anti-psionics "Us psionics haters should pick one to vote off so it gets off faster." That's perverting the spirit of the game, IMO (and the counter "Let's pick a class to vote off to save the psionics classes.")

Oddly, the poll would not have been abusable by either side in this manner had the poll said "vote for the class you like the most, and the class with the least votes gets the boot".

But that's a different game The results are very different when you take that approach. That method would be the American Idol approach, compared to this Survivor approach.

 

[Psion]

But that's a different game The results are very different when you take that approach. That method would be the American Idol approach, compared to this Survivor approach.

Different, yes.

But it's still essentially a meaningless excercise. You can tell me how many people love warlock and PHBII classes and hate psionics classes all day. It's still not going to change the way I run my game, regardless of who the top III are.

If you wanted a true and pure methodology that factored out strategic voting, survivor style wasn't it.

 

[JustaPlayer]

But that's a different game The results are very different when you take that approach. That method would be the American Idol approach, compared to this Survivor approach.

Ok, pick your Non-core class Idol. Who will be the next Ameri...er Non-core class Idol? You vote, you decide.

 

[Beckett]

I may not be psionics biggest fan, but I don't hate them. It is one more thing to keep track of, so I typically don't allow them; I do, however, have them in my Eberron game. The Psion seems like a wizard with a spellpoint system, but the Psychic Warrior is a pretty cool fighter/mage (although I'm more fond of the Duskblade for this). I really love the Soulknife.

My biggest problem with psionics is the players who use the rules. Most of the people in my games who have used psionics, don't seem to understand the rules, or stop reading before they get to the end of a power description. This leads to me having to crack open my book and find what the rules actually say ("Mmm. Yeah, the multiple targets within 25 feet? That's not 25 feet from A to B, and B to C. That means 25 feet from A to B, and both of them are within 25 feet of C.") And for out least one of them, this was followed by pouting as I explained why he could not dominate the battle with his first level power. Not at all sad about seeing that one gone from my table.

 

[fusangite]

I'm not a fan of psionics for the simple reason that the term damages my suspension of disbelief. The thing that the term "psionics" describes is magic. But by labeling one particular type of magic with a sci-fi term, D&D becomes less generically coherent.

The actual powers of psionics I have no dispute with; indeed, the system for running them is superior to the spells system and, in my view, a legitimate direction to send all D&D magic in the event of a fourth edition.

My gripe is entirely with the term. The term makes D&D sound like an incoherent Sci-Fi/Fantasy mishmash that evokes such crap as AD&D's Expedition to the Barrier Peaks. Now I understand some people like that genre-mixing feel but it just doesn't work for me, as a personal preference. D&D presents quite enough challenges to suspending disbelief without adding this.