Psionics--the Poll!

[Scribe]

Ki was folded into psionic.

Which is, surprisingly appropriate actually.

 

[James Gasik]

Which is, surprisingly appropriate actually.

I thought so, but I was surprised how many people I was playing with at the time turned up their noses at the idea.

 

[Scribe]

I thought so, but I was surprised how many people I was playing with at the time turned up their noses at the idea.

If I had to guess they would be in the psionics as science camp.

 

[Corinnguard]

Which is, surprisingly appropriate actually.

Emphasis on the surprise part until it was realized that a Monk's Ki abilities function a bit like 3e's psychometabolism. Monks give themselves a bit of a psychic buff whenever they use a ki-related ability.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

If I had to guess they would be in the psionics as science camp.

Or monks in the magic camp.

 

[aramis erak]

In a sci-fi setting, at least, what should distinguish psi-powers/psionics is that they are not supernatural, but rather have a scientific explanation. Traveller presents psionics in this way.

No, Traveller does NOT present them as having a scientific explanation. It doesn't explain them much; it just presents them as rules.

I agree, despite my love of psionics, that the name and naming of powers, is very 70's new age and pop psychology.

Psionics has been solidly part of Science Fiction since the 1950's.
Oxford Languages attributes the term to 1950's, as do several other etymological references.
The oldest reference I can find is a novellette by Murray Leinster (Will Fitzgerald Jenkins), titled The Psionic Mousetrap.
Doc Smith's Lensmen (1966) is one of the most well known of the Psionics as Sci-Fi... and is obliquely referenced in the Traveller psionics rules, and less so in the supplements... but also McCaffrey's Pern (1967), Star Trek (Spock is shown to be psionic. Hell, the second pilot, Where No Man Has Gone Before is all about a psionic boosting event... but the term used is ESPer in Mitchell's service record. Psionic comes into use later in Trek - 1973 in TAS).

Psychic abilities in Sci-Fi also predate 1950... just not the term "Psionic"...
here's a nice summary: SFE: Psi Powers

 

[Corinnguard]

Doc Smith's Lensmen (1966) is one of the most well known of the Psionics as Sci-Fi...

This reminded me of the 1984 animated Lensmen movie.

Lensman (1984 film) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[CreamCloud0]

But "magic" and "supernatural" are largely synonyms!

only because of a lack of nuance, there can be so many supernatural things that don't need to be connected to magic and spellcasting, like i said, distilling everything down to just being 'magic' is boring

it's like, imagine the avengers where they're all just wizards, tony doesn't have his suit he just knows fly and scorching ray, cap isn't a peak human or have his shield he just knows heroism and shield, thor isn't a god he just knows call lightning and spiritual weapon, black widow isn't a superspy she just knows pass without trace and charm person, hulk isn't a rage monster he just knows tenser's transformation and earth tremmor, hawkeye isn't a sharpshooter he just knows guiding bolt and swift quiver,

this is how it feels when people say 'it can all just be labelled magic'

 

[Corinnguard]

cap isn't a peak human or have his shield he just knows heroism and shield,

Or he could be a Fighter from Level Up and have the Charging Shield archetype.

Charging Shield | Level Up

a5e.tools

There are many ways of looking at a particular character without getting into magic.

 

[CreamCloud0]

Or he could be a Fighter from Level Up and have the Charging Shield archetype.

Charging Shield | Level Up

a5e.tools

There are many ways of looking at a particular character without getting into magic.

while true, i think you missed the point i was actually making.