Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="master arminas" data-source="post: 5757996" data-attributes="member: 9287">A few comments here, to let you my thoughts behind the design of this class.First off, I know that psionics have used power points and not spell slots.  But it always made the system mechanically different--and DMs aren't really big in different in the same setting.  Perusing some of the old posts on Paizo, I found one by James Jacobs that indicates this might be the direction Pathfinder will deal with psionics, if they decide to add them to the game.  Still, I was hesitant, but gave it a try--and believe or not, it actually works better.  Not as flexible, perhaps, but it works in game far smoother.  I know some people will not like that aspect, and for that I am truely sorrowful.  But I believe it to be the direction that psionics in Pathfinder are heading.You will notice there are no (zero, zip, zilch) summoning spells on the list.  3.5 went a little too far in that direction, with the shaper being able to make Astral Constructs customized.  In fact, they went overboard with the whole ecto-thing!  It doesn't fit into the theme of psionics (in my opinion) and I just winced everytime I saw a shaper.  I wanted to back off from that take and go with a more tradtional look to the class.In a similar vein, I got rid of most of the transmutation aspects.  Shape-shifting seems (to me, at least) to be an arcane discipline, not a psionic one.  Contorting your jaws to gain a bite attack, or growing claws, or physically altering your form just doesn't fit.  Although, I nearly made a spell that duplicated the old 1st edition body weaponry, but then I decided against it.  And I am sure that some are asking the question:  why fire?  It is the most common resistance out there?  Can't we have electrokinesis, or acedokinesis (however you spell it), or cyrokinesis?  Let's face it, folks, Wizards just made those up pretty much from whole cloth.  Fire, on the other hand, is something that is very much associated with psionics in traditional literature (ala Stephen King's Firestarter and to a lesser degree Carrie).  Sure, it is not the most mechanically advantageous, but it fits.Telepathy and telekinesis are the two main powers that people think of when they see psionics, mind-mages, Jedi, what-have-you.  That's why these powers consitute much of the spell list (with things like suggestion and charm and dominate and the specific mind mage spells at the end of the list).  And it is also why so many of the special abilities the class gets concentrate on those areas.  The hand spells (interposing hand, grasping hand, etc) were included because once you strip away the description of a giant 10-foot hand floating in the air, these spells are basically different forms of telekinesis.Psychoportation is a more recent addition to the psionic regime.  But it has a been a large part of D&D psionics (and Traveler) since the first books were printed.  From simple levitation (always associated with psionics) to the old probability travel to astral projection and teleport, these fit the theme perfectly.  Which is why they are present, just not in the extreme amounts that many might want to see them.Which brings us to the question about why are all those darn clerical healing spells on the list?  Psionics is about knowing ones body and mind; and in myth and legend powerful users of the mind are often able to purge their body of disease and poisons and heal wounds.  They can't do it as effectively as a cleric, but they can still do it.  And so, I added them.  Pretty much three levels after a cleric gets them, but they have them.But why then mage armor and shield?  And jump, for god's sake?I see mage armor and shield as manifestations of protective telekinetic force--and hence very much in character for this class.  Jump (and animal affinity and others) are here because we all grew up watching Star Wars, and if a Jedi isn't psionic, then I don't know what psionics are!Grease is definately something that may not fit.  But I think it can, if you look at as the removal of friction from a surface.  Still, it can be removed with little loss to the class as a whole.  Chill metal and heat metal (with chill metal being the only cold spell on the entire list) are a nod to the old molecular agitation power from 1st edition.I kept the BAB and saving throws the same as the Wizard and Sorcerer because it seemed to fit.  Likewise, with Intelligence as a controlling attribute for their magic, 2 skill ranks per level is more than enough.  The class skills were chosen to reflect knowledge and (for want of a better term) 'attitude adjustment', which is an area where a psionicist should excel (and the assistance of his empthy ability, the mind mage does).That pretty much leaves Uncanny Dodge and Improved Uncanny Dodge as the outliers.  But let's take a look at their descriptions.  It is all about being able to react to danger before he even consciously senses it.  THAT, my friends, is what psionics is all about.  Still, the class gets these ability very, very late in the game (ten levels after a rogue!), so they should not be too game-breaking.I do hope that you enjoy my work, and continue to give your ideas and advice on how to make this class fit into the Pathfinder setting.  And Merry Christmas everyone.Master Arminas</blockquote>

Verification