D&D 5E Psionics in Tasha


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AdmundfortGeographer

Getting lost in fantasy maps
Since there is something of a 3-ish year cycle of “... Everything” books (3-ish years after core books comes Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, then more 3-ish years after XGtE comes Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything)

I would not be surprised to see Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything have a mental-theme Sorcerer archetype, but fall short of a psionicist role. But then a Dark Sun book, like 5e Eberron with the artificer, have the more complete psionicist class with a few archetypes and optional wild talents. Maybe a psychic combat option that uses bonus actions and reactions.

Then 3 years after Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything the psion class gets rolled into the next “... Everything” rule book.
 

Eric V

Hero
Wizards copying spells from any source as long as the spell is also on the wizard list (you know, the biggest list) is a big indication that Minigiant's observation that magic is formulaic in DnD. So is the idea that one needs the same material components, regardless of power source.

The idea that somehow psionics gets written down on paper, then ends up in a wizard's book is just too nuts. I know it's nuts that it already happens with cleric spells, but I don't see the need to compound the mistake...
 


Cadence

Legend
Supporter
I haven't played a PF psionic game, but I always kind of liked their description of 'psychic magic' in Occult Adventures from 2015. Even if it's called magic, it felt to me like it was getting at several of the wants:

"Psychic Magic

Wizards study ancient tomes to unlock arcane secrets of the universe, and clerics pray to distant deities to grant them divine power. Yet there is a third, more esoteric kind of magic, connected to every creature’s composite being, from the conscious mind to the deepest desire, from the life force to the spirit, from the very soul to the cosmic self. This third type of magic is psychic magic.

A psychic spell largely functions like any other spell. It’s another type of magic, similar to arcane or divine magic—in fact, those who use psychic magic are easily mistaken for practitioners of arcane and divine traditions. Metamagic feats and any other rules that alter or trigger from spells can usually be used with psychic spells (though see the Components section below for a few exceptions). Psychic spellcasters aren’t affected by effects that target only arcane or divine spellcasters, nor can they use arcane or divine scrolls or other items or feats that state they can be utilized by only arcane or divine spellcasters.

Components
Psychic magic originates from the distinctive qualities of the caster’s composite being, rather than through arcane formulae or rote supplication to divine entities.

Therefore, psychic spells never have verbal or somatic components, and have only expensive material components. Psychic spells are purely mental actions, and they can be cast even while the caster is pinned or paralyzed. Focus components work the same way with psychic spells as they do with other spells.

When a spell calls for an expensive material component, a psychic spellcaster can instead use any item with both significant meaning and a value greater than or equal to the spell’s component cost. For example, if a spiritualist wanted to cast raise dead to bring her dead husband back from the grave, she could use her 5,000 gp wedding ring as the spell’s material component.

Instead of verbal and somatic components, all psychic spells have components related to the caster’s inner being. The two psychic components are called emotion components and thought components. If a spell’s components line lists a somatic component, that spell instead requires an emotion component when cast by psychic spellcasters, and if it has a verbal component, it instead requires a thought component when cast by psychic spellcasters. Psychic spells cast by non-psychic arcane and divine casters use any listed somatic and verbal components as normal.

Emotion Components: Emotion components represent a particular emotional state required to cast the spell.

A psychic spellcaster marshals her desire in order to focus and release the spell’s energy. It is impossible to cast a spell with an emotion component while the spellcaster is under the influence of a non-harmless effect with the emotion or fear descriptors. Even if the effect’s emotion matches the necessary emotion to cast the psychic spell, the spellcaster is not in control of her own desires and animal impulses, which is a necessary part of providing an emotion component.

Thought Components: Thought components represent mental constructs necessary for the spell’s function, such as picturing a wolf in vivid detail—down to the saliva dripping from its jaws—in order to cast beast shape to transform into a wolf. Thought components are so mentally demanding that they make interruptions and distractions extremely challenging. The DC for any concentration check for a spell with a thought component increases by 10. A psychic spellcaster casting a spell with a thought component can take a move action before beginning to cast the spell to center herself; she can then use the normal DC instead of the increased DC.

Just as spell-like abilities never require verbal, somatic, or material components, these abilities also don’t require thought or emotion components. A psychic spellcaster can replace verbal and somatic components with thought and emotion components only for the purposes of the spell components themselves, not for the purposes of any other rules elements that relate to verbal and somatic components. She can’t use Silent Spell to ignore the thought component of a spell, for example. The new feats Intuitive Spell and Logical Spell serve a similar function for these new components."
 


SkidAce

Legend
Supporter
The holes are filled by lore and text commonly shared by the community.

Deities grant cleric magic.
Wizards use complex rituals, gestures, and words to activate their magic.
Wizards don't need to speak the language of wizards they copy spells from so the language of wizards is universal.
Power Word Kill
In a lot of my campaigns, magic is more of the mysterious sympathetic magic, it works because of its association with things.

More mysterious and equally valid.
 

Minigiant

Legend
Supporter
@Minigiant the stuff you talk about is fluff and might very well massively vary from setting to setting and your interpretation seems to have a liberal dose of headcanon in it. Which is fine, but it is unreasonable to except WotC design their mechanics based on your headcanon. It is actually better if they leave some things open to interpenetration so that people can use their preferred fluff.

All I am saying is that Spells all use the same interface.
But making Psioinic use spells, it now uses the same interface as the Arcane and wizards can write Id Isinuation, Cthulhu's Brainmelt, Force Backflip, Zen Headbutt, the Phoenix Force, and Wowowonanana in their spellbook.

I really don't think it is any weirder than them being able to copy priestly prayers in their spellbook and have them work just fine. Which, I admit, is weird. I'd be perfectly ok if wizards could only copy scrolls made by other wizards. But it is understandable that the default rules don't have such a limitation as they don't want to have to specify the source of every scroll.

aka Ease of Use making the lore nonsenisical
 

Mirtek

Hero
I actually like the idea, as mentioned before, Counter Spell having Disadvantage against Psionics. So Magic Resistance, Dispel Magic, Counter Spell, and what not should have Disadvantage when rolling against Psionics.
I would excempt the magic resistance to avoid any balance issues with existing monsters and future monsters, but could live with the diasadvantage of the explicit countering spells.

Of course the their psionic equivalents should suffer the same disadvantage when trying to counter magic (no more of that earlier editions "psions ### mages because those do not know how to deal with their powers nonesense)
 


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