D&D (2024) Psionics: What Do You Want?

[jgsugden]

100% with you here... and you lost me.

IMNSHO, this sounds like yet another reskinned gish, which is just as bad as making it feel like a reskinned wizard or sorcerer. Just another fighter/magic hybrid. Again. Yawn. I may stand alone on this, but I really want my psion to be much more of a pure caster...

The idea of them working more like comic characters isn't intended to be a reference to melee versus magic, but instead to suggest how their powers should work. After all, Prof X is not exactly a physical force. In the end, the Human Torch is not besting you with physical force, either.

So what did I mean? More specifically, they should have a specific "set" of related powers that make sense together. Some Super Heroes, like Superman, have a random assortment of abilities. However, most are very thematic. The Human Torch has fire abilities. Xavier is all about mental powers. Nightcrawler can move around and capitalize upon it. Spider-man has spider themed powers. Green Lantern does one thing, but itis highly versatile.

I don't want a psion that feels like a reskinned wizard ... I want one that feels like a reskinned super hero because we do not have that in D&D right now, generally. You can pick particular heroes and call out similarities, but the idea of a narrow band of thematic powers that are highly versatile is not present.

 

[Scribe]

For a system that requires 3 large books (5.5) I want a bespoke system.

For a system that requires 1 book (Shadowdark) I want to leverage what exists with a small addition, which I have done.

Ultimately, I want it to feel different from Spellcasting.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

The idea of them working more like comic characters isn't intended to be a reference to melee versus magic, but instead to suggest how their powers should work. After all, Prof X is not exactly a physical force. In the end, the Human Torch is not besting you with physical force, either.

So what did I mean? More specifically, they should have a specific "set" of related powers that make sense together. Some Super Heroes, like Superman, have a random assortment of abilities. However, most are very thematic. The Human Torch has fire abilities. Xavier is all about mental powers. Nightcrawler can move around and capitalize upon it. Spider-man has spider themed powers. Green Lantern does one thing, but itis highly versatile.

I don't want a psion that feels like a reskinned wizard ... I want one that feels like a reskinned super hero because we do not have that in D&D right now, generally. You can pick particular heroes and call out similarities, but the idea of a narrow band of thematic powers that are highly versatile is not present.

I think the mention of superheroes/use of them as an example is what's upsetting people.

Fundamentally the underlying concept that psions should have an array of thematically-connected powers is pretty sound and I don't think it's terribly far from how psions were implemented in earlier editions either.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

Still don't like the spells. They make sense for the wizard whose fiction involves having a grab-bag of abilities, but I think the psion should be built around at-wills that you can juice with some type of game currency. Probably in the minority, but I don't really have a problem with slots as that currency.

 

[SkidAce]

View attachment 406786

 

[Reynard]

Still don't like the spells. They make sense for the wizard whose fiction involves having a grab-bag of abilities, but I think the psion should be built around at-wills that you can juice with some type of game currency. Probably in the minority, but I don't really have a problem with slots as that currency.

How is it different than all non wizard casters?

 

[Zaukrie]

I think less powers, but they can be powered up with points or dice or something. I think. I'll admit, I'm not in the mood for the complexity of the past, even if I'm nostalgic for it.

I posted in the main thread I wanted points, but I'm not sure that's actually true. Really, really, good fiction and theme might be enough even with regular spellcasting.

but I THINIK I want abilities you can scale up and down....but I don't want it as complicated as the past was (just my opinion, yours may vary).

 

[THEMNGMNT]

I’m in the same boat as you. I don’t have any real investment in the psion class, but I do think it would be great if each type of magic functioned differently. But, I don’t think the 5e designers have any interest in designing different casting systems for different types of magic, and I accept that.

I distinctly remember someone (Jeremy Crawford?) saying that UA feedback indicated 5E players did not want to learn a unique subsystem for psionics. That's likely why we ended up with this expression of psionics.

 

[Distracted DM]

I distinctly remember someone (Jeremy Crawford?) saying that UA feedback indicated 5E players did not want to learn a unique subsystem for psionics. That's likely why we ended up with this expression of psionics.

That makes sense... it's enough of a PITA to make sure everyone knows their spells and features when everyone's working off of the same basics- to make a unique system with new powers/spells and such would probably result in a lukewarm reception from most players.

Leave it to 3pp to push the envelope, better to iterate on what everyone already knows for the 1pp.

 

[Steampunkette]

Mechanical identity separation from spellcasting.

Narrow selection of thematic powers that possess great individual flexibility.

A method of utilizing that flexibility to improve aspects of the powers to make them more useful in the current situation.

The ability to always tap into the basic powers, themselves, independent of current reserves of power.

A broad class-based focus on information gathering from people, places, and things which does not require specific power selection to accomplish to represent the sixth sense in general.

Insight proficiency as a keystone identifier, rather than Arcana. Understanding yourself and the people around you is a potent characteristic of psionic characters who 'just seem to know' what people around them are thinking and feeling, even without reading their minds.