D&D 5E Psionics in Tasha

[DND_Reborn]

How and why?

There's already been numerous threads on the topic. But, in a nutshell, you have tons of psionic material from other editions that could be used to build a psion class and everything to go with it. My biggest gripe is that with things like conditions and exhaustion, psionics could utilize those. I started writing up a psion class over a year ago and incorporated conditions such as stunned, incapacitated, frightened, etc. as a result of failing against psionic powers.

My point is it could be more and it looks like they won't be doing much with it. But, as I said, I will reserve judgement and hopefully be pleasantly surprised.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

We already knew this. Since every attempt to make a psionicist was rejected, WotC decided their only option was to go with the simplest, least hated option - psionic spells.

Least hated? I very much doubt that. I'd really want to see some evidence, because every poll on this sort of approach I've seen, over four editions (because it is an approach some people insist on), has been pretty negative on it (it's usually either most-unpopular, or second-most after some particularly bizarre approach).

It's a simple approach, but it's a bad one. I'm not against Psionic spells existing - but to make them how Psionics works is rubbish.

 

[R_J_K75]

What they are then? That they're 'not magic' is blatantly naughty word by normal meaning of 'magic.' They're clearly supernatural abilities that a person can manifest by their will. That sounds 'magic' to me.

In my opinion Psionics are powers manifested by a creature using sheer mental training and willpower of the mind; they come from within the Psionicist, not from some outside forces they draw from. They are not magic spells or supernatural powers.

 

[Vael]

I don't know what everyone was expecting. The UAs that form the basis of Psionics in Tasha's were all subclasses of existing classes and several psionic abilities have been written out as spells before.

 

[Undrave]

Ugh; do not like. I loved the Mystic presentation of psionics from the Unearthed Arcana articles.

The Mystic is dead.

 

[dave2008]

It's a simple approach, but it's a bad one. I'm not against Psionic spells existing - but to make them how Psionics works is rubbish.

WotC said that their surveys during 5e heavily leaned to wanting psionics using the existing spell casting mechanic. Not sure that meant they are spells in the polls / surveys - but people didn't want a new mechanic.

Personally I think there is room for both. I actually think it can work fine with spells if psions use the spell point system and there spells are class specifict - but that doesn't look like what we are getting. Not a big deal to me as we never use psionics.

 

[dave2008]

In my opinion Psionics are powers manifested by a creature using sheer mental training and willpower of the mind; they come from within the Psionicist, not from some outside forces they draw from. They are not magic spells or supernatural powers.

But what you describe is magic or supernatural power, you are just not calling it that. That has basically always been true of psionics. It is magic by a different name. There is close to 0 things a psion can do with its mental abilities that is possible in reality - it is magic.

 

[Maxperson]

We already knew this. Since every attempt to make a psionicist was rejected, WotC decided their only option was to go with the simplest, least hated option - psionic spells.

If by least hated, you mean most hated, I agree. We disagreed on the exact way that psionic should be introduced as psionic, but almost no one said psionics should just be magic.

 

[Maxperson]

But what you describe is magic or supernatural power, you are just not calling it that. That has basically always been true of psionics. It is magic by a different name. There is close to 0 things a psion can do with its mental abilities that is possible in reality - it is magic.

But it wasn't spells. It's not magic in the sense that cleric, sorcerers, every other caster uses it. It was using internal mind energy, not calling upon external power to do things.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

In my opinion Psionics are powers manifested by a creature using sheer mental training and willpower of the mind; they come from within the Psionicist, not from some outside forces they draw from. They are not magic spells or supernatural powers.

Being able to manifest such effect by your will is blatantly supernatural (people can't do that in real life) and by most normal definitions would be magic. The definition of psionics in D&D has always been an incoherent mess. Psionics is just a pseudo-scientific sounding term for magic.