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

[Hussar]

I mean, sure, if that's what you're going for then just use the magic rules and call it psionics. But in most science fiction worlds I'm familiar with, the ones with psionic powers typically don't operate like they do in a high fantasy setting.

Really? Jedi telekinesis and throwing lightning is pretty standard - a more powerful Mage Hand would catch that. Could you be more specific?

 

[Hussar]

Sorry, but based upon past interactions regarding psionics, I'm skeptical that you have any interest whatsoever in being receptive to answers in favor of psionic (as classes or otherwise) in good faith. You don't like psionics, and that's fine, but trying to kill psionic classes and the like for those who do like it? Not cool. And it will never stop being not cool, Hussar.

Umm, what? First off, making it personal is not cool. Since when did I not like psionics?

I do think that there is no need to have psionic classes - precisely because they make too much work for the DM and require a bolt on system that impacts far too much of the game - you don't just need a class, you need an entire game - classes, races, monsters, how to adjust existing monsters, etc. That? That I do disagree with very strongly.

But that doesn't mean I dislike psionics. Why is it whenever someone points out that something might not be all roses and sweetness, they suddenly hate it. It's a bizarre approach.

 

[Minigiant]

That's my point. I'm in favor of a psionics-based class, using a system that is different from magic.

Agree. I'd prefer 1-3psionic classes with a new system. It's ironically the least amount of work for the DM while actually having psionics matter.

Overall reskin spells in 5e have a low ceiling of what a company can release without being accused of power creep.
If you do psionics as spells, the most you can do is have players reflavor their wizards and sorcerers. You can't do actually major mechanics in 5e without dismantling the classes you give them.

Past that is just house rules, trusting DM to see everything, and trusting players to not break anything.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Who said to throw away Magic? Have magic AND psionics.

It is psionics in scifi. There presumably won't be magic.

 

[Mind of tempest]

what would the sub themes even be?

 

[Micah Sweet]

It is psionics in scifi. There presumably won't be magic.

Probably not in that setting, no. But it would be compatible, and thus an option for fantasy games.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I think it should be a mixture of both, but mainly reskinned spells.

If you ask for A5e, I would say, use the warlock spell chassis and give appropriate spells which cann be cast without components. So it can't be countered by definition, but it plays nicely with other abilities.
This would cover offensive capabilities, damage and mind effecting things. Also telekinesis and probably some metamorphosises.

Then you can cover the rest with special abilities. But I am actually not so sure what the rest is.

 

[Oofta]

I'm with the "remove magic change it to psionics" crowd. Use the KISS method, Keep It Simple Stupid. I'd be tempted to limit a handful of spells such as animate dead, but that's it. Even then, just give your zombies glowing eyes and held together by some barely visible ectoplasm and it works.

Another option of course would be to forego psionics altogether and do technomancers instead. Give wizards a grenade launcher of sorts that has different ammunition based on what kind of spell they're casting. Give them nanotech for other things (such as the aforementioned animate dead) and mind-enhancing gizmos for charm related spells. Don't do magic at all, just technology so advanced that it appears to be magic. If you want, make it technology recovered from some lost civilization that we barely understand.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Probably not in that setting, no. But it would be compatible, and thus an option for fantasy games.

That's not the question being asked though. It is about scifi version of D&D, not about things you can loot for your fantasy D&D games. But it seems that a lot of people simply ignored the context and treated this as regular rehash of psionics in D&D debate.

 

[Micah Sweet]

That's not the question being asked though. It is about scifi version of D&D, not about things you can loot for your fantasy D&D games. But it seems that a lot of people simply ignored the context and treated this as regular rehash of psionics in D&D debate.

Fair enough. I believe this is about a proposed psionics system in an announced sci-fi supplement for Level Up, expected to be released sometime this year. If that is the case, it's implications for using it with the other books in Level Up are certainly relevant.