D&D 5E Psionic Spells

[Yaarel]

I now strongly associate the word ‘evocation’ with elemental magic, including psionic elemental kinesis like pyrokinesis. It evokes the mystical properties within each element.

Evocation - especially in the form of elemental energies (Air lightning thunder, Water cold, Fire fire acid, often with Earth as metal weapon) is a feature of 3e psionics.

Evocation (Elemental Kinesis) feels saliently different from the invisible Force of Telekinesis. In modern pop-parapsychology, the trope of moving an object invisibly with gravity-like Telekinesis, is vibrant. For a psionic setting, Telekinesis is often central, and it deserves some plot protection to emphasize its feel. Keep telekinetic Force separate from elemental Evocations, as different disciplines.

The Force discipline includes Fly, and other gravity altering effects. It includes force fields, like Mage Armor. It includes force damage, like Magic Missile and Eldritch Blast. Because force damage is defined as ‘pure magical energy’, personal telekinesis seems to be the essence of magical energy. Thus the Force discipline, by logical necessity, also includes things related to magical auras, like Detect Magic, and is also the go-to place for Dispel Magic. The Force discipline is flavorful. It feels different from the elemental flavor of the Evocation discipline.

 

[Yaarel]

Nicely done. This is something that I have been looking to do.

Glad the list helps.

The psionic disciplines are:
Clairsentience (Divination) - this is a really weak one. it might make the most sense to combine this with another one.
Telepathy (Enchantment)
Metacreativity (Illusion)
Psychometabolism (Transmutation)
Telekinesis (Evocation)

All the other ones are a bit reaching in my mind:
Travel, Elementalism, Summoning, and Necromancy have nothing to do with psionics. Some of the spells in these areas could appear in the above five but for the most part this is what I think of as psionics in D&D. I don't know, there are a million ways you could do it. YMMV.

My point was not that those powers did not exist, more that they can be a part of another discipline/science. For instance, Teleport like powers can be a part of metacreativity as pulling stuff from another realm and sculpting is similar to transporting through that realm. Or you could say Clairsentience by folding time and space to allow the passage of spirits and body. That certainly would make Clairsentience better. You could also define it as psychometabolism. Ripping apart your body and reforming it elsewhere. I am a fan of going to Clairsentience, for balance reasons and I think the idea of spiirt/dream travel is pretty awesome.

I agree the Divination discipline is weak, and it is a good idea to combine it with an other discipline. Yet there are several disciplines that it combines well with.

Divination-Illusion means you can create illusions and see thru illusions.
Divination-Travel means you can see a remote location then teleport there.
Divination-Enchantment means you can locate a remote target, then charm it.

It is tempting to split Divination up into the other disciplines. For examples, Comprehend Languages is a mental effect so goes to Enchantment (Telepathy). Arcane Eye looks at a distant location, thus goes to Travel (Psychoportation). And so on.

Still, Divination is a salient concept for psychic themes. This discipline has enough spells to customize character concepts. At least some spells are good (True Strike, Bless, Foresight), but it seems too focused on exploration, thus less useful in a combat-heavy game.

Your suggestion of merging, the Travel discipline into Divination (Clairsentience), so that seers can teleport, is an interesting way to beef up Divination. I also tend to correlate Travel with Shapeshift. Travel can even split up teleport effects from planar effects. Thus the quirky dimensional spells like Ropetrick (plausible but the rope itself is odd), can categorize with Planeshift.

These are some of my considerations. I have been thinking about the posts of yours and others for a day or two. Let me know if you have further thoughts.

For now, I am leaning toward keeping separate themes in separate categories. Then the psi themes are easier to find and to mix-and-match.

In 3e, a Psion specialist would only choose one discipline to master. But I feel strongly, it is necessary to pick two disciplines to fully master. Maybe even three. Then the combo defines the psionic character concept. One Psion can be very different from an other Psion, depending on the combo. Meanwhile, a utilitarian discipline like Divination gets beefed up by pairing with a more aggressive disciplines like Enchantment or Shapeshift.

Also the terminology of 'Disciplines' and 'Sciences.' The latter were more powerful psionic abilities.
Mapping attack/defense modes, disciplines & sciences to the existing spell lists, might go: Attack/Defense Modes (that only work on other psionics): Cantrips. Augmented Attack Modes (vs non-psionics): Cantrip cast using a spell Slot. Disciplines: Spells level 1-5, Sciences: Spells level 6-9.

Can the psi attack defense modes work as a skill? This mechanic might help keep it from becoming cumbersome. Use an action to perform a skill. The skill comes with DC versus enemy attacks. It is also easier to opt into or opt out of, depending on whether they choose the skill or not.

Is it necessary to distinguish between ‘disciplines’ and ‘sciences’? Sciences would simply be higher level spells. Meanwhile the highest level spell slots available can only be used for the two disciplines that the character specializes in. Something like that.

You could make an argument for psionic necromancy under the umbrella of spiritualism, seances, and possession. I would put these in the clairsentience category, personally.

Yeah, it is very easy to explain psionically, Summoning, Necromancy, and so on. That is why I included them in the list. But because they are in separate categories - separate disciplines - it is easy for the players (DM and adventurers) to decide which disciplines are most appropriate for the mood of the setting.

Assuming a Psion specializes in two disciplines, one can choose a more common psi discipline, like Enchantment (Telepathy) while adding a less common twist like Summoning, if that is what makes sense in a particular setting.

Personally, for me, the essence of psionics is the personal internal power of ones own mind. Therefore dependence on external creatures who are summoned or dependence on undead or on negative energy, feels wrong for psionics. Nevertheless, it can make sense in certain contexts, so the disciplines are there for players who need it.

Evocations were generally (over a number of early editions) ex nillo creation (mostly of energy), as distinct from conjuration which brought matter or energy from elsewhere, or summoning which called forth beings of some sort. FWIW.

Thanks for the reminder. Its been a while since I played a mash-up of 1e-2e.

Since the word, ‘evoke’, literally means ‘call out’ something that is contained elsewhere, I am glad the school using the word evolved with a spell list that makes more sense.

Fortuitously, the Evocation school evolved to include the bulk of the elemental spells. So Evocation becomes the go to discipline for Elemental Kinesis, such as Pyrokinesis.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Can the psi attack defense modes work as a skill? This mechanic might help keep it from becoming cumbersome. Use an action to perform a skill. The skill comes with DC versus enemy attacks. It is also easier to opt into or opt out of, depending on whether they choose the skill or not.

I don't see how, given how skills (actually, proficiencies) work in 5e. A psionic-exclusive thing that technically anyone could do with an ability check sounds a little off.

I'd picture them as being on the level of cantrips: at-will, with a small write-up and scaling with level.

Is it necessary to distinguish between ‘disciplines’ and ‘sciences’? Sciences would simply be higher level spells. Meanwhile the highest level spell slots available can only be used for the two disciplines that the character specializes in. Something like that.

It's not necessary to call psionic spells anything but spells (afterall, the other 30 sub-classes that cast spells just call them spells, whether they come from book learnin, draconic blood, nature, a god, or a great old one). It's also not necessary to call them 'psionics' they could be a ninth wizard school of 'mysticism' or 'psychomancy' or whatever.

But it'd differentiate them and call back to prior eds.

Personally, for me, the essence of psionics is the personal internal power of ones own mind. Therefore dependence on external creatures who are summoned or dependence on undead or on negative energy, feels wrong for psionics. Nevertheless, it can make sense in certain contexts, so the disciplines are there for players who need it.

I could see psionics 'faking' summoned creatures via illusion (projecting sensory experience), or undead by using TK to animate a body.

Fortuitously, the Evocation school evolved to include the bulk of the elemental spells. So Evocation becomes the go to discipline for Elemental Kinesis, such as Pyrokinesis.

Dividing spells by elements is more intuitive, but they generally ended up split among evocation, conjuration/summoning, and alteration...

 

[Yaarel]

I don't see how, given how skills (actually, proficiencies) work in 5e. A psionic-exclusive thing that technically anyone could do with an ability check sounds a little off.

I'd picture them as being on the level of cantrips: at-will, with a small write-up and scaling with level.

Re the psionic combat minigame. The psi attack-defense modes can work as one or more cantrips. But a spell that can only target a psionic seems a less useful choice of spell - especially if it invites a vulnerability that one wouldnt have had otherwise. If I remember correctly, 3e and 4e converted the psi minigame into normal spells that can target a nonpsionic as well. Thus there is no special vulnerability, in the sense anyone is vulnerable whether psionic or nonpsionic.

Would it be terrible to reduce the psi minigame to something like a ‘grapple check’, except with a ‘mental’ grapple and hold?

I could see psionics 'faking' summoned creatures via illusion (projecting sensory experience), or undead by using TK to animate a body.

It can work that way.

Dividing spells by elements is more intuitive, but they generally ended up split among evocation, conjuration/summoning, and alteration...

I view the use of a mystical property of an element to be a magical process. In other words, the discipline of Evocation trumps the other disciplines. For example, transmuting ones arm into a metal blade, is Earth magic, thus Evocation. Similarly, Gaseous Form is Air magic.

In parallel, any use of undead, ghost, necrotic damage, or negative energy, automatically makes it part of Necromancy. Necromancy trumps Evocation, so a spell like Destructive Wave dealing ‘necrotic thunder’ locates in the Necromancy school.

I have mixed feelings about Conjure Elemental. Essentially, elementals are elemental spirits, the spirit of an element. Treating them as the element itself, makes it an Evocation to pull them out into this world. On the other hand, dependence on an external creature has a nonpsionic feel, so maybe let Summon trump Evocation?

 

[Tony Vargas]

The psi attack-defense modes can work as one or more cantrips. But a spell that can only target a psionic seems a less useful choice of spell - especially if it invites a vulnerability that one wouldnt have had otherwise.

I assume just 'being' psionic invites that, whether you take any attack/defense modes, at all.

If I remember correctly, 3e and 4e converted the psi minigame into normal spells that can target a nonpsionic as well, without any vulnerability in the sense anyone was vulnerable including a nonpsionic.

I think they did away with it entirely, yes.

It was one of the things that made psionics distinct, of course, which is something you have to work at with a spell-based solution instead of a novel mechanic that gets to be arbitrarily distinct.

Would it be terrible to reduce the psi minigame to something like a ‘grapple check’, except with a ‘mental’ grapple and hold?

Heh. I guess not terrible. It wouldn't be as evocative & anachronistic as the Freudian-sounding attack/defense modes, like Id Insinuation. But it could be a way of keeping it from eating up time at the table. A psionic can block another from using his powers in a grapple-like contest, and is similarly prevented from using his while he concentrates on doing so, for instance. So, opposed check, if the attacker wins, neither can use psionics until the attacker drops it or the defender breaks out (an action on his turn). If the attacker fails, he's used his action, but both can use their powers.

I have mixed feelings about Conjure Elemental. Essentially, elementals are elemental spirits. Treating them as the Element itself, makes it an Evocation to pull them out into this world. On the other hand, dependence on an external creature has a nonpsionic feel, so maybe let Summon trump Evocation?

Credit to Jim Butcher's Chronicles of Allera for this idea: the psionic could conjure up the element, and project an animating force on it, that seems to have a personality of it's own, but which could just be a manifestation of the psionic's subconsciousness or latent personality traits or whatever - or could be a real animating spirit. It could be one of those things psionicists, arcanists, and priests debate.

 

[Yaarel]

I assume just 'being' psionic invites that, whether you take any attack/defense modes, at all.

In this case, a psionic character is using normal mechanics and normal spells. So, in certain settings, even an Enchanter Wizard might flavor as a Telepath.

So there needs to be a mechanism that serves as a prerequisite for doing a ‘mental grapple’.

Maybe taking the Telepathy cantrip invites the possibility of psionic combat? The psionic combat seems to presuppose telepathic abilities - but not all psionic characters have telepath

Or maybe a ‘psionic’ tag means a person casts spells without material and somatic components - and this invites the possibility of psionic combat?

Heh. I guess not terrible. It wouldn't be as evocative & anachronistic as the Freudian-sounding attack/defense modes, like Id Insinuation. But it could be a way of keeping it from eating up time at the table. A psionic can block another from using his powers in a grapple-like contest, and is similarly prevented from using his while he concentrates on doing so, for instance. So, opposed check, if the attacker wins, neither can use psionics until the attacker drops it or the defender breaks out (an action on his turn). If the attacker fails, he's used his action, but both can use their powers.

Something like that. That exactly would be fine with me.

Preventing time loss at the table is the highest goal.

It is possible to continue to (mis)use the Freudian flavor. So, escaping a grapple using a Wisdom bonus instead of a Charisma or Intelligence bonus is a ‘Tower of Iron Will’ maneuver. But it seems unnecessary?

Credit to Jim Butcher's Chronicles of Allera for this idea: the psionic could conjure up the element, and project an animating force on it, that seems to have a personality of it's own, but which could just be a manifestation of the psionic's subconsciousness or latent personality traits or whatever - or could be a real animating spirit. It could be one of those things psionicists, arcanists, and priests debate.

I tend to view these kinds of phenomena the same way.

I guess it boils down to whether a player feels comfortable with their Pyrokineticists producing Fire Elementals. Probably it seems fine, if the Pyrokineticist is projecting ones own mind onto the conflagration.

 

[Tony Vargas]

In this case, a psionic character is using normal mechanics and normal spells. So, in certain settings, even an Enchanter Wizard might flavor as a Telepath.

So there needs to be a mechanism that serves as a prerequisite for doing a ‘mental grapple’.

Hmmm. So, there's no precedent (or there is a problem with creating one) for choosing a 'psionic' sub-class or feat or otherwise gaining access to spells via psionics opening up some other option or being a quality (no keywords, I guess) of the character that could have a bearing on such a thing?

Maybe taking the Telepathy cantrip invites the possibility of psionic combat? The psionic combat seems to presuppose telepathic abilities - but not all psionic characters have telepath

But, in the olden days, they all had at least some (randomly determined) attack/defense modes...

Or maybe a ‘psionic’ tag means a person casts spells without material and somatic components - and this invites the possibility of psionic combat?

There you go. Also, perhaps substitute concentration for components.

 

[Yaarel]

Monsters might also be psionic, obviously Mindflayer, but potentially including a telepathic Faerie Dragon. Psi grapple for them?

I guess this isnt too problematic. The Mindflayer already has the ‘Psionic’ tag. (But the MM lists Aboleth as a nonpsionic and flavors it as a kind of Water Elemental.) The Psionic tag has no mechanics of its own, but interacts with other mechanics that pertain to Psionics. So it seems easy for a DM to put the Psionic tag on anything that seems psionic, including a Faerie Dragon.

Likewise certain Adventurer mechanics gain the ‘Psionic’ tag.

Heh. Personally, I like the suggestion that all cantrips and spell-like abilities are psionic by definition.



The purpose of the Concentration mechanic is to ensure gaming balance to prevent spellcasters from outmoding other classes at higher levels. Decreasing need for concentration makes it unable to keep balance. Increasing the need for concentration makes it too severe.

 

[Yaarel]

So in sum?

When a player chooses to gain the ‘Psionic’ tag for ones spellcaster, it means, one can cast the class spells as spell-like abilities.

This mostly flavorful benefit, comes with a mechanical price. The ‘Psionic’ tag enables other creatures with a ‘Psionic’ tag to mentally grapple them, and viceversa.



The ‘Psionic’ tag cannot eschew a costly component. Spells with one still need a different solution for a psionic.



If two psionics gain the ability to engage each others minds, does this mean a psionic can ‘detect’ if an other psionic is nearby?

Does this mean any two psionics can communicate telepathically?

 

[Tony Vargas]

The ‘Psionic’ tag cannot eschew a costly component. Spells with one still need a different solution for a psionic.

Probably some sort of investure? Put PPs or exp or something into it? Or have the spell count as an 'attunement' slot while it lasts.

If two psionics gain the ability to engage each others minds, does this mean a psionic can ‘detect’ if an other psionic is nearby?

That doesn't sound unreasonable.

Does this mean any two psionics can communicate telepathically?

I wouldn't think so. But, I'm just going on how I remember it working In The Olden Days - which I don't pretend to remember all that well.