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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Yaarel" data-source="post: 7415631" data-attributes="member: 58172">The psion is personal and direct. On the other hand, it is possible to have a single effect that can affect many minds? For example, Mass Suggestion creates a certain experience, then all targets together (subjectively) experience it.Psionic manipulation of elements can work. I understand the objection to psions wielding elemental magic. In the past, I objected to it. But now I have made my peace with it.Starting with the element of fire, pop culture refers to people starting fires with their mind. The archetype seems to have weight and many people find it fun.But fire by itself is a one-trick wonder. An entire class that revolves around fire only is boring. Also, if a creature happens to be immune to fire, then the entire class becomes worthless. (Telepath and enchanter also have this problem because many high-level creatures are ‘immune’ to the entire mind-affecting class. Why even design classes and spells like this?)So, combining fire with earth diversifies and deepens the gameplay experience. Not only can the psion create fire, now the psion can forge hot steel to shape a sword, and so on. Also, some spells already combine the elements of fire and earth, such as Heat Metal and Meteor Swarm.When I think of psionic earth-fire elementalists, I think of Norse nature spirits (fire jǫtnar, cliff risar, stone dvergar). I also think of the D&D elemental monk, and the elemental ‘bender’ of the tv show, Avatar: The Last Air Bender. I agree with the school of thought that hold psionics and ki to be the same thing. Albeit, ki is specifically the psionic energy that forms ‘aura’ of a persons body.As an analogy, think of the flame of a candle. All of it can be psionic.• burning wick ≈ ‘matter’• blue flame around wick ≈ ki/aura/lifeforce/soul ≈ ‘body’• yellow flame around blue ≈ identity/emotions/intellect ≈ ‘mind’• glow around the flame ≈ ideal self ≈ miracle/ether/aster ≈ ‘spirit’Psionics can animate the elements, just like the lifeforce can animate the matter of the body.So, earth-fire is a good pairing. Earth by itself just sits there. Fire brings it to life. Fire by itself is a flimsy trick. Earth brings substantiality.Air-water is good pairing. Air by itself is ... pointless. What air spells are there? Gust Of Wind? Weak. But just add water. Now all kinds of cool things happen. You get fog, snow, thunder and lightning. The air witch becomes a weather witch. And it is cool.Also, water by itself tends to be useless because water spells are so dependent on being in an aquatic or seafaring setting where you are surrounded by water. But just add air, and suddenly it is cool and useful anywhere.When I think of psionic water-air elementalists, I think of Norse nature spirits (frost þursar, eagle-shapeshifted storm jǫtnar, rain æsir, wind vanir, and so on). (The sky-dwelling alfar moreso embody radiant sunlight, and are everywhere that gleams with sunshine, sunbeams, bright areas of clouds, even blindingly bright snow). For water-air, I also think of X-Men Storm, who creates storms, winds, rains, and lightning, with her mind. In Star Wars, I think of certain jedi and sith who wield lightning. I think of X-Men Iceman, and similarly, in the tv show, DC: The Flash, Killer Frost. By extension in D&D, I think of the elemental monk. I also think of all the giants − storm, frost, fire, cliff − as being inherently psionic, and half-giants as an appropriate psionic race.So, psionics for elements does make sense. I sympathize with people who feel psionics and elementalism feel strange together. I made my peace with it. I feel there is more fun to be gained by allowing it, and more cool archetypes become possible.In this thread, the idea is to pick two tropes, so normally, fire-earth might combine with telepathy or force, so most characters will have a more psionic feel anyway. Moreover, if going for a pyro archetype then focus more on fire spells within the earth-fire trope, and downplay the earth spells.</blockquote>

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