D&D 5E Psionics in a sci-fi D&D

[Crimson Longinus]

I'll go out on a limb and say this: even if it's a spell-casting-free setting, just using the sorcerer as written probably isn't going to make for a great psychic class. It's still a little too rooted in spells as a thing.

It wouldn't take much (mostly tweaking the component rules and creating new subclasses) to make the sorcerer work, but it's more than zero changes needed.

I think most people agree it is more than zero changes needed. It just is about whether the scope is designing a new class or designing an entirely new parallel magic system.

 

[jmartkdr2]

I think most people agree it is more than zero changes needed. It just is about whether the scope is designing a new class or designing an entirely new parallel magic system.

And that, as @Aldarc mentioned, requires info not included in the OP. (namely are there sorcerers and wizards per se in the setting.)

 

[Mind of tempest]

I think most people agree it is more than zero changes needed. It just is about whether the scope is designing a new class or designing an entirely new parallel magic system.

do we have anywhere to even start for a parallel system is a more basic question?

And that, as @Aldarc mentioned, requires info not included in the OP. (namely are there sorcerers and wizards per se in the setting.)

let us say we have A5e classes as a supplement in this sci-fi game to hedge our bets.

 

[Aldarc]

I think most people agree it is more than zero changes needed. It just is about whether the scope is designing a new class or designing an entirely new parallel magic system.

Weirdly enough, Stars Without Number did. The game came with the Warrior, Expert, and Psychic classes. The Psychic's powers essentially required different skills reflecting the psionic disciplines: i.e., biopsionics, metapsionics, precognition, telekinesis, telepathy, and teleportation. Later Kevin Crawford created a new parallel magic system for incorporating more Vancian style magic and spells into the game.

Then when Crawford went about designing Worlds Without Number, the game had the Mage instead of the Psychic. The Mage could take a whole arcane tradition or two partial arcane traditions. (Some arcane traditions are only partial.) Some arcane traditions had spells with spell levels: i.e., the High Mage, Necromancer, and Elementalists. WWN also has an Invoker arcane tradition that uses spell points instead of prepared spells. However, some of the other arcane traditions didn't have spells with spell levels like the others: i.e., Healer, Vowed (i.e., monk), and Thought Noble (i.e., psionics).

Could Kevin Crawford have designed arcane magic in SWN using the pre-existing system without designing a new parallel magic system? Sure. But did he? Nope. Likewise, could he have designed psionic magic in WWN using the pre-existing spell system without designing a new parallel system? Sure. But did he? Nope.

 

[Minigiant]

I think most people agree it is more than zero changes needed. It just is about whether the scope is designing a new class or designing an entirely new parallel magic system.

I personally think the spell slot system very poorly messes with even soft sci-fi.

At the very minimum, you are looking at new classes, new spell lists, new spells, and using the spell point system in DMG 287-288.
And that's even a hodgepodge as you'd need new mechanics to boost up the limited nature of psionics in typical sci-fi.

 

[Mind of tempest]

I personally think the spell slot system very poorly messes with even soft sci-fi.

At the very minimum, you are looking at new classes, new spell lists, new spells, and using the spell point system in DMG 287-288.
And that's even a hodgepodge as you'd need new mechanics to boost up the limited nature of psionics in typical sci-fi.

okay so how would we build a new casting system?

 

[Krachek]

okay so how would we build a new casting system?

Maybe we can try at-will, encounter and daily powers,…, hum, wrong answer!

 

[Mind of tempest]

Maybe we can try at-will, encounter and daily powers,…, hum, wrong answer!

could you even do this in the 5e rule set?

 

[Krachek]

could you even do this in the 5e rule set?

We already have at-will and daily concept.
The encounter like power would be a power that recharge when you roll initiative or 5 minutes have elapse. the Challenge is to balance and adjust it.

 

[Krachek]

For what I understand, expectation for fantasy or sci-fi psionic would be features that are
Efficient, scalable, versatile, adaptable, and can be used on either active, reactive and passive mode.