D&D 5E Psionics in Tasha

[Maxperson]

The DM is the only one with the authority to define right and wrong in game, though players can decide to negotiate with the all mighty DM or decide leave the table (by joining another table, starting a new table, or leaving the hobby, which are all fine options, in my opinion).

This is the same logic dictators have used for centuries as they abuse those under their authority and commit genocide.

 

[Minigiant]

WotC make psionics spells. We know that. What is your goal, if not to fix the problem yourself?

The problem is I don't have time to rewrite 30 pages of spells into powers.

So WOTC won't get my money if they make a Dark Sun book.

Their loss. Some designer on DMGuild will get my money.

 

[Mistwell]

Sure. Now back up your statement with something other than veiled insults.

No. We've played this game for years and both know how it ends. It surely was not an insult to call you a gadfly - your very next post started with the words, "Sure, I like to argue". We both know you are in fact one and I don't see why that would be an insult to you as you normally wear it proudly. And despite your objections, you KNOW your predictions about 5e have not gone well and nobody needs to "back up" that allegation. Your latest prediction is now "WotC may still create a workable psionics system down the road when this one bombs". Right, this one isn't going to bomb. But you think it will. So OK, we will see how that new prediction plays out. I have a prediction too, and that is that your newest prediction will turn out like most of your past predictions: wrong.

 

[Mistwell]

Maybe read the post instead of responding to some presumed post?

Evidence etc. was directed at the poster making the claims, not at WotC. WotC haven't claimed this is the "least hated" approach. That's a fan claim.

I read the post. It was directly responsive to you. And you appear to have ignored most of it. Which is fine if this is your way of saying "I don't want to talk about my allegation about prior editions being relevant to now". We don't need to debate that back and forth.

WOTC have claimed this is the leased objectionable approach because ALL their decisions are based on the least objectionable approach, even if it's described in different words like "This is the one the most people found awesome!"

 

[Wolfram stout]

I'm not settling. I'm very happy with the system. It provides me framework. I can improvise the rest.

Agreed. Making small tweaks that make the game fit me and my group is one of the fun aspects of DM'ing. If I wanted strict adherence to a set of rules, I would play a board game or war game.

 

[SkidAce]

But what the hell does that even mean in a world that runs on magic? If magic is real you can science the magic, and that's exactly what wizards and artificers do.

It means that both work in the same universe, and you use what you like for your settings in various amounts.

I prefer both.

Science itself hasn't taken hold (yet) because of the prevalence if magic...but if we drove a tank through a wormhole into that fantasy world it would work, and could shoot at the dragon.

Psionics does exist, although it is very very rare. (mindflayers, gith races, ancient elder humans etc. And Chthulhu)

So for you it HAS to be magic if it exists, but everything we do in this game is made up, superimposed over a framework of reality for reference. For me its science...and based on stories I've read, and the flavor of shows I watch, psionics is not magic. And that is not absurd to me at all.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Wizards is the Nickelback of gaming.

And apparently you are a fan of Nickelback, because you follow the band along and keep listening to their music, but for some reason continue to hope they will change their sound down the line.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with liking Nickelback. Hundreds of thousands of us like Nickelback. But at some point you should accept them for who they are and the music they make, or else stop listening and try a different band.

 

[SkidAce]

The problem is we don't agree on what psionics is.

To me, the most iconic psionics in fiction is the Deryni series. Which is, in no way at all, sciencey.

Dragon Magazine agreed the Deryni series was psionics. So we have clear precedent for psionics as not sciencey.

So what do we do with diametrically opposed views on what psionics even is?

I loved the Deryni series, you could use it as inspiration and call it magic in your world if you like.

I am middle ground on the mechanics issue. It doesnt matter to me whether they have separate mechanics or not, although I like several of the suggestions above and would prefe it to be at least slightlly mechanically different.


It just that I do not agree with the posters that say "it has to be magic, and if its magic its redundant".

No, these are our stories, it can be magic or science.

 

[Mistwell]

well i hated the subclass / dice thing. It was absolutely not what was needed for e.g. Darksun.
What i like and what is really a sound concept for me is UA mystic 3.
It has everything you need to model a 2e darksun Psion in 5e, you just have to limit it to the immortal, avatar and awakened subclasses and you are good to go.
also the talents as a featlike gimmick for non psion darksun chars is totally sufficient.

But they just don't appear to have gotten positive input like that about those things enough to decide to go with them.

I wanted something a bit different than just spells too. But, mostly I am just happy they finally settled on something and will put out psionics stuff finally. I can work with whatever it is and make it my own. But the basic rules being out will be helpful to doing that.

 

[SkidAce]

I can live with psionics as spells, and even as psionics as a sorcerer subclass, but i really hope that they do it this way, they give the psion its own spell list rather than just defaulting to the sorcerer list. There's stuff there that just doesn't fit the psionic flavour, and that's much more of a concern to me than power sources, or even the interaction with dispel etc between psionics and non-psionic magic. ...

quoted for truth