D&D 5E Should Psion be a Class or Subclass?

[Ruin Explorer]

Here is an alternative: Psychic as a race/subrace, modelled on the Eberron Dragonmarks.

That would work to replace Wild Talents really well, but can't replace the entire class any more than giving each race a version which had a couple of cantrips could replace Wizards.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

That would work to replace Wild Talents really well, but can't replace the entire class any more than giving each race a version which had a couple of cantrips could replace Wizards.

I'm a 1st edition vet, so I'm more inclined to prefer wild talent psychics to a full class.

An option missing from the poll.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

I'm a 1st edition vet, so I'm more inclined to prefer wild talent psychics to a full class.

Sure, and I'm a 2E grognard and Dark Sun devotee so class is non-negotiable for me! I'd sooner lose Warlock, Sorcerer, Barbarian (I know it's a good class in 5E, but in 1E through 3E it was terrible, and 2E it was THE WORST) and the poor, confused Ranger than not have Psion/Psionicist.

It is interesting how edition origin can influence us!

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Yup, I would happly lose sorcerer and barbarian, as well as psion.

Warlock is the only Johnny-come-lately class I think adds much to the game.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Yup, I would happly lose sorcerer and barbarian, as well as psion.

Warlock is the only Johnny-come-lately class I think adds much to the game.

Definitely Warlock is the class I've seen get the most play and most interesting play too, of those I mentioned. Rangers have been dead in every campaign I've played in since 2E style MCing died. We've seen a couple of players actually create new characters to stop being them!

 

[NaturalZero]

There's so much they've done to appeal to tradition over going in new directions with 5e, why do they have to kill the psion class of all things?

 

[Ruin Explorer]

There's so much they've done to appeal to tradition over going in new directions with 5e, why do they have to kill the psion class of all things?

Yeah it's a bizarre approach and one that doesn't jive at all well with the general thrust of 5E. Personally, and I know this isn't a broad thing that is true of many so hopefully people can avoid "correcting" me on this, never having Psionic classes/subclasses (which aren't just cheap flavourings) would make me want to play a game that did (I presume PF2E does/will), and come 6th edition would have me considering WotC's offering in a dimmer light (that said, if 5E skips Psionics it's almost a sure thing 6E will include them).

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Both, because psi subclasses are a good way to introduce the psionic powers.

When a concept can have got its own subclasses or prestige classes has to be a class.

If the wilder becomes a sorcerer subclass I suggest the penalty for failing psychic enervation should be temporarily dazed condition.

The ardent, something like the psionic cousin of paladin, is an interesting concept, to be used in stories about conflicts and love-hate relations with clerics and other divine spellcasters.

The psionic rogue should be the lurker

I suggest the name "mentalist" for the psionic wizard subclass. In 3.5 the name was cerebromancer.

Now I miss some classes by Pathfinder, the Aegis (he creates an exoskeleton of ectoplasm, like wearing an astral construct as a powered armor), the medium and the spiritualist.

 

[Blue]

I'd like to see the equivalent of a "full-caster" psion class that most importantly introduces something like the spell slot system - something that can be improved by other classes. Then I'd like to see subclasses for existing classes that take advantage of it. Half-caster subclasses that advance the psionic model instead of spells. Subclasses like the Eldritch Knight and Arcane Trickster that advance it and give a lot of class-role specific enhancements just like those classes do. Especially for Monk. And possibly even a subclass for a full-caster class that subs int he psion system for spells but has a very different feel than the psion class - maybe bard or warlock.