D&D General The Crab Bucket Fallacy

[Minigiant]

So has Walmart.

Successful doesn't mean good quality.

The original 5e designers did a halfway job on almost everything non-traditional in the PHB and DMG.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Traditionally psionics has never been part of the original PHB. I think in 4e it was part of the 3rd PHB if I'm not mistaken.

Psionics was an appendix of the 1e AD&D PH, it was in the book, but, essentially optional.. y'know, like feats & MCing in 5e.
Psionics were in a Complete book fairly early on in 2.
Psionics waited for 3.5 to re-appear, but they got multiple classes and the choice between magic or different.
Psionics were in the 4e PH3, 2010, two years into the game's run.

I am now unsure what the state of psionics in 5e actually is, at this point. A long while back there were several itterations or UA material. That much I followed myelf. More recently, I'd heard they'd all been dropped for some fairly anemic psionics-as-spellcasting sub-classes? No psionic class(es), psionics is unavoidably magic?

We need to bury the idea that the warlord's healing was just 'shouting' under a concrete slab so thick it unbalances the rotation of the Earth.

Now, wait, we need Earth's rotation on a daily basis.

But, yeah, any form of communication or human connection could be used to inspire, and, reasonably, it needn't be right then, but could be banked (that is how extant 5e mechanics called inspiration work, actually, you get inspiration and use it later...)

In 4e, the Skald's (hybrid Martial/Arcane Bard in Heroes o/t Feywild) Aura could be used by the Skald to heal allies, but allies could also access the skald's healing, themselves, or on behalf of an adjacent ally. The Aura had the Martial, not Arcane keyword, though Skald Arcane powers could work through the Aura.
I think the main difference was the Skald had to be on key.

That is both powerful and effective at all levels (unlike the Fighter)

And that's why the discussion is in this thread.

 

[Neonchameleon]

I am now unsure what the state of psionics in 5e actually is, at this point. A long while back there were several itterations or UA material. That much I followed myelf. More recently, I'd heard they'd all been dropped for some fairly anemic psionics-as-spellcasting sub-classes? No psionic class(es), psionics is unavoidably magic?

The state of psionics in 5e is solid. Psionics are connected to the far realm where the walls between minds break down. Not all psionics are spells - and there are a range of psychics from different classes representing different approaches to psionics, some of which

• The Great Old One warlock is doubling down as a Psionicist in One D&D, including the ability to bombard the enemy with horrifying images as a subclass feature.
• The Aberrant Mind is pretty close to a psion, with orthodox spells cast in a psionic manner, and some far realm stuff.
• Arguably there's a couple of liminal bardic subclass (almost certainly Whispers, probably also Glamour and Eloquence) that may be psionic or might just be ultra-persuasive. Because bards
• The Soulknife Rogue is a spy-psion rogue class with psychic bolts (based on 90s Psylocke) but no hint of a spell anywhere.
• The Psi Warrior Fighter is a telekineticist fighter that can do things like psychically shield themselves or others against blows, move large objects with the power of their mind, and leap small buildings in a single bound
• The Astral Self monk is a telekineticist who again doesn't cast any spells. They are however able to summon spectral arms and use their mind for combat

Psionics are more deeply and coherently integrated into D&D settings in 5e than in any other edition. But they just aren't what they used to be because of it. I've always been a fan of psionics - and never one of D&D psionics. But like the current set.

 

[Scribe]

Now there is a case that the Aberrant Mind doesn't go far enough to be a Psion, but there is a thousand times more love, care, attention, and replication of previous editions put into it than there has been the Battlemaster "Warlord".

We are just going to have to agree to disagree. I'm looking over the Aberrant Mind right now, and absolutely do not believe its an acceptable substitute.

It is amusing however, that MtG has a phrase that 'All mechanics are really just Kicker'.

So much of 5e design, is just 'a pool of dice'. Refluffed.

 

[Tony Vargas]

The state of psionics in 5e is solid. Psionics are connected to the far realm where the walls between minds break down. Not all psionics are spells - and there are a range of psychics from different classes representing different approaches to psionics, some of which

• The Great Old One warlock is doubling down as a Psionicist in One D&D, including the ability to bombard the enemy with horrifying images as a subclass feature.
• The Aberrant Mind is pretty close to a psion, with orthodox spells cast in a psionic manner, and some far realm stuff.
• Arguably there's a couple of liminal bardic subclass (almost certainly Whispers, probably also Glamour and Eloquence) that may be psionic or might just be ultra-persuasive. Because bards
• The Soulknife Rogue is a spy-psion rogue class with psychic bolts (based on 90s Psylocke) but no hint of a spell anywhere.
• The Psi Warrior Fighter is a telekineticist fighter that can do things like psychically shield themselves or others against blows, move large objects with the power of their mind, and leap small buildings in a single bound
• The Astral Self monk is a telekineticist who again doesn't cast any spells. They are however able to summon spectral arms and use their mind for combat

Psionics are more deeply and coherently integrated into D&D settings in 5e than in any other edition. But they just aren't what they used to be because of it. I've always been a fan of psionics - and never one of D&D psionics. But like the current set.

Is Aberrant Mind a class? I still hear people saying Artificer is the only post-PH class?
Which books were those published in?

 

[Scribe]

Which books were those published in?

Most of the Psi stuff is Tashas. GOO updates are in the latest One D&D UA.

While the claim of 'there is more psionic stuff now' is true, its all just refluffed spells. Its not a unique system.

Then again as I've mentioned elsewhere I believe, a melee attack is just a 'type of spell' with range of melee. 5e is really quite basic.

 

[Umbran]

It's irresponsible thinking like that which brought us Global Warming.

Mod Note:
I expect this sounded funny to you, but analogizing "people disagree on a matter of a game" and "people deny climate science" is pretty insulting. How about we try to avoid insulting people, please and thanks?"

 

[Vaalingrade]

Is Aberrant Mind a class? I still hear people saying Artificer is the only post-PH class?
Which books were those published in?

It's a sorcerer subclass.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Most of the Psi stuff is Tashas. GOO updates are in the latest One D&D UA.

While the claim of 'there is more psionic stuff now' is true, its all just refluffed spells. Its not a unique system.

Then again as I've mentioned elsewhere I believe, a melee attack is just a 'type of spell' with range of melee. 5e is really quite basic.

Besides, playing an aberrant mind as a psion requires that you intentionally limit what your sorcerer character would otherwise be capable of to fit a theme with no compensation for doing so. That never feels good.

 

[Tony Vargas]

It was entirely a joke, yes. Not about denying global warming, at all, and I can't see how it could be, but I know I am not the best at reading & understanding people, so NP - different joke! If it's not acceptable, I'll take it down, entirely. I want to be amusing, not insulting.