Psionics Survey Results: Generally Positive But More Work Needed

WotC has published the results of last month's psionics survey. They indicate a generally positive reaction to the playtest psionics rules, with some aspects proving less popular, especially the way psionics and magic interact, and the mystic class itself getting lower scores. The general conclusion is that more work is needed on the psionics rules, and that there will be another draft in a couple of months.

Find the survey resuts here.

 

[Aldarc]

I'm not a fan of the Far Realms being locked in either, and the name hasn't grown on me, but I felt the different "subclasses" were a good start to fit in the base class along with a more psychic warrior type. Not there, but a good start.

I'm not opposed to maybe one more psionic class (or subclasses to fighter & rogue) to fit the more weapon based psions in addition to the typical "mystic" psionicist, but I think combining the myriad of psion classes into one class is less a problem than forcing every arcanist into the mage like they almost tried in the playtest. I like a psion who does one or only a few disciplines really well and flexibly, instead trying to make a psionic wizard, which is what 3x psions can feel like at times.

And that's where I, as a fan of psionics, disagree.

Well, that only really helps if one plays Pathfinder, and I don't, so I'd still like a 5e system.

I'm curious, though. What about Dreamscarred's take on Psionics is so good? I thought it was a fairly straightforward port of 3.5 Psionics.

It initially was mostly a port of 3.5 Psionics, albeit rebalanced so that it was mostly on par with other systems and classes. Then they expanded psionics in conceptually new and interesting ways, including new psionic classes. Check out their Ultimate Psionics book.

 

[bogmad]

And that's where I, as a fan of psionics, disagree.

It initially was mostly a port of 3.5 Psionics, albeit rebalanced so that it was mostly on par with other systems and classes. Then they expanded psionics in conceptually new and interesting ways, including new psionic classes. Check out their Ultimate Psionics book.

As a fan of psionics, I think I would like a telepath, psychokineticist, and even the nomad to have distinct feels, and a psychic warrior perhaps as a separate class (or subclass of fighter, etc), but also, as a fan of psionics, I'd like something more akin to the 2e take (but better balanced!) rather than 3.x psionics with crystal pets replacing familiars and a default assumption of magic=psionics equivalency.

With all the disagreement though I think the best I can hope for is a mashup of 2e and 3x psionics that doesn't give any one fan of psionics a version with all of what he or she wants.
I didn't hate 3e psionics; I liked a lot of it and enjoyed playing it. I just thought it lost something, so I could probably live with that compromise.

Also, with the simplification and less proliferation of classes in 5e I don't expect anything with the range of options of Psionics Unleashed.

 

[procproc]

Well, that only really helps if one plays Pathfinder, and I don't, so I'd still like a 5e system.

I'm curious, though. What about Dreamscarred's take on Psionics is so good? I thought it was a fairly straightforward port of 3.5 Psionics.

To add on to that question, TwoSix, is their take on psionics just Ultimate Psionics, or are there supplementary books you'd suggest looking at as well? While I responded to the 5e psionics survey, I haven't really looked at anything since the 3.5 XPH, which I thought was really well done.

 

[Aldarc]

As a fan of psionics, I think I would like a telepath, psychokineticist, and even the nomad to have distinct feels, and a psychic warrior perhaps as a separate class (or subclass of fighter, etc), but also, as a fan of psionics, I'd like something more akin to the 2e take (but better balanced!) rather than 3.x psionics with crystal pets replacing familiars and a default assumption of magic=psionics equivalency.

With all the disagreement though I think the best I can hope for is a mashup of 2e and 3x psionics that doesn't give any one fan of psionics a version with all of what he or she wants.
I didn't hate 3e psionics; I liked a lot of it and enjoyed playing it. I just thought it lost something, so I could probably live with that compromise.

Also, with the simplification and less proliferation of classes in 5e I don't expect anything with the range of options of Psionics Unleashed.

I would like the psion's disciplines to be much like the wizard's schools, so that the telepath, psychokineticist, nomad, et al could have distinct feels.

I am worried about creating a psionic sub-class of the rogue or fighter since there is often a lot of unique flavor lost in that forced translation. For example, I'm afraid that the psionic rogue would just come across as the 3E dud class Lurk or Psychic Rogue, as opposed to being as flavorful as Dreamscarred Press's Cryptic. The psychic warrior went to sixth level powers, but most of the rogue/fighter magical sub-classes just go up to 4th level spells.

(I liked the crystal pets. )

To add on to that question, TwoSix, is their take on psionics just Ultimate Psionics, or are there supplementary books you'd suggest looking at as well? While I responded to the 5e psionics survey, I haven't really looked at anything since the 3.5 XPH, which I thought was really well done.

Ultimate Psionics includes Psionics Unleashed - their initial port to Pathfinder - along with their later Psionics Expanded and Psionics Augmented supplements.

 

[bogmad]

(I liked the crystal pets. )

I had one I refluffed into a Cronenbergian little thing I grew out of my brain (not as monstrous as an I.Devourer) that I quite liked.

Overall I just didn't understand why crystals = psionics other than as a new agey kinda thing, but that fits just fine with regular magic too. How's that different than a spell storing gem?
Though now that it's a precedent I don't want to tell anyone his psion can't be super into crystals; I just don't want it being a base assumption or standard psionic focus any more than I want the Far Realm baked in.

 

[SkidAce]

Crystals give me a kinda Stargate vibe, with all those crystal computers and such. I like it for psionics.

 

[Lucius Drake]

I think the lack of presence at GenCon relates to the lack of things they have to say. I do not like their strategy of not informing consumers on what they are working on until it's almost ready. The fact that they get harassed when something is cancelled should be expected instead of reason to clam up. I've stated this opinion in the survey.

I understand your viewpoint, but I take the opposite approach after too many disappointments seeing interesting products fall into development hell or get overhyped to the point that they cannot help but disappoint in the end.

With a few rather nice exceptions (D&D Next Playtest and some video game projects showcasing the development over time) I'd much rather not hear about a product until it's ready.

 

[Zaran]

I understand your viewpoint, but I take the opposite approach after too many disappointments seeing interesting products fall into development hell or get overhyped to the point that they cannot help but disappoint in the end.

With a few rather nice exceptions (D&D Next Playtest and some video game projects showcasing the development over time) I'd much rather not hear about a product until it's ready.

Maybe I'm fooling myself and just I want to buy more D&D but don't have anything to buy. Knowing what's coming later gives me the satisfaction of saying: "Hey I can buy that soon" A dumb way to feel about things but I like the edition enough to want to spend money on it.

I'm not saying I want dozens of character books but if they started putting out a book for every country in Eberron (or a bunch of GM tools) like they did for 3rd edition I would buy them all up.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I'm not saying I want dozens of character books but if they started putting out a book for every country in Eberron (or a bunch of GM tools) like they did for 3rd edition I would buy them all up.

Heh... you might be the only one. Especially if they didn't advance the timeline... none of the Eberron books for the Five Nations for 5E would have any new information you couldn't already get from the 3E books except for any NPC statblocks. As a result, the number of people who'd buy them wouldn't probably cover the cost of rewriting, remapping, reediting and republishing them.

If a person already owns all the Eberron 3E books... there's really no reason not to just use them as-is in a 5E game. Everything within them is still immensely useful.

 

[Zaran]

Heh... you might be the only one. Especially if they didn't advance the timeline... none of the Eberron books for the Five Nations for 5E would have any new information you couldn't already get from the 3E books except for any NPC statblocks. As a result, the number of people who'd buy them wouldn't probably cover the cost of rewriting, remapping, reediting and republishing them.

If a person already owns all the Eberron 3E books... there's really no reason not to just use them as-is in a 5E game. Everything within them is still immensely useful.

It's up to WotC to make any product worth purchasing. Eberron was just an example. If they created a whole new setting, I'd buy that too. I like setting material and new monsters, as well as different takes on the standard fantasy worlds.