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

[Scars Unseen]

Words that have no meaning have no meaning. I tried looking up psionics in the dictionary, and guess what: no entry.

You didn't check very hard or are looking at an outdated physical copy. A quick Google search will remedy that for you.

So in other words, magic.

Not in other words at all. It's kind of a rectangle and square situation. You might be thinking of supernatural. Paranormal is broader than that. From the same dictionary as above:

paranormal
/parəˈnɔːm(ə)l/

adjective
denoting events or phenomena such as telekinesis or clairvoyance that are beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding.


Note that it claims beyond normal scientific understanding, not beyond science. Magic could qualify, but so could phenomena that is of science, but not understood, or understood and of science, but outside conventional fields of study (common in weird science types of fiction e.g. Fringe). All supernatural phenomena could be considered paranormal as well, but not all paranormal phenomena is supernatural in origin. That said, it's pretty well understood that "paranormal" is a term more closely affiliated with science fiction than with fantasy.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

You didn't check very hard or are looking at an outdated physical copy.

Concise OED, Physical.

But your bigger dictionary supports what I said - it doesn't say anything to indicate that psionics isn't shooting fireballs out of your fingers or turning people into toads.

"paranormal" is a term more closely affiliated with science fiction than with fantasy.

Most people associate "paranormal" with ghosts and seances - fantasy, not science fiction.

 

[Scars Unseen]

it doesn't say anything to indicate that psionics isn't shooting fireballs out of your fingers or turning people into toads.

Defining what words don't mean isn't exactly within the scope of a dictionary's purpose.

 

[Yaarel]

For the term "parapsychology" including "psi", "paranormal", etcetera, the definition seems to differ between the investigators and popculture.

For the investigators, it means actions of the mind that lack scientific explanation, such as telepathy, clairvoyance, etcetera.

But for popculture, it pretty much means ghosts.

 

[Aldarc]

So in other words, magic.

Such crude reductionism isn't as insightful as you think it is.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

For the term "parapsychology" including "psi", "paranormal", etcetera, the definition seems to differ between the investigators and popculture.

For the investigators, it means actions of the mind that lack scientific explanation, such as telepathy, clairvoyance, etcetera.

But for popculture, it pretty much means ghosts.

And that's exactly what Pathfinder did with it's psychic classes.

 

[Mind of tempest]

And that's exactly what Pathfinder did with it's psychic classes.

so they are all ghosts?

 

[Aldarc]

And that's exactly what Pathfinder did with it's psychic classes.

Pathfinder shifted the emphasis to 19th century occultism and spiritualism rather than the psionics of 20th century science-fantasy.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Tautologies are really getting out of hand, supernatural and paranormal are effectively synonyms. What's next, different rules for hand-to-hand combat and melee?

 

[Cadence]

Tautologies are really getting out of hand, supernatural and paranormal are effectively synonyms. What's next, different rules for hand-to-hand combat and melee?

Is paranormal generally read as being closer to the mundane than supernatural? (But then I think of X-files and I guess not).