D&D 5E (2024) UA2025 Psion Spell List [+]

[Yaarel]

OTOH, some sort of "far hand" that lets me make melee attacks with my mind or grapple enemies using psychic power sounds kind of up the alley.

Balancewise, something like Telekinetic Grapple is probably fine as a cantrip. It can do an Unarmed Strike (Damage, Grapple, Shove) at a range of 30 feet, and use Intelligence (or other spellcasting ability) instead of Strength. Probably it can target objects as well as creatures.

 

[Yaarel]

Psion Slot 3
{Animate Dead}, Bestow Curse, Clairvoyance, Dispel Magic, Fear, Fly, Hypnotic Pattern, Intellect Fortress*, [{Leomunds Tiny Hut}], Major Image, {Nondetection}, [Revivify], Sending, Summon Astral Entity*, Telekinetic Crush*, {Tongues}.


TELEPATH FLAVOR
Bestow Curse, Fear, Hypnotic Pattern, Intellect Fortress.
(Shaper)
Dispel Magic, Major Image, Nondetection, Summon Astral Entity.

Ritual List (not the Spell List): Tongues.

Tongues is an interesting ritual, but is normally to situational and is a nonuseful spell. It belongs in a separate list for rituals, but not in the Psion spell list.

Note, spells like Major Image do well to target an area equivalent to a Size (Tiny, Medium, Huge, etcetera), instead of guessing weight or grid counting.

Here the Summon Astral Entity flavor is, a new reality forming from a projection from the mind of the caster.


PSI WARPER FLAVOR
(Seer)
Clairvoyance.

Ritual List (not the Spell List): Sending.

Sending is a ritual, not a useful spell. It is a trap option in a spell list. In any case, it is underpowered for its current Slot 3.


METAMORPH FLAVOR
[Revivify].

I mention adding [Revivify] here. But I feel it specifically belongs in the Metamorph subclass spell list, rather than here in the Psion base class. The target of the Revivify is not dead yet, and can still benefit from metamorphic body magic. This along with the Cure spells, allows the Metamorph to function as a dedicated healer for the party.


PSYKINETIC FLAVOR
Fly, Telekinetic Crush.

Ritual List (not the Spell List):
[Leomunds Tiny Hut].

I am happy to Fly here. It is exactly correct. I wouldnt cry if only the Psykinetic subclass has it, but it is fine here for any Psion who wants it to pick it.

I added [Leomunds Tiny Hut] to the spell list because it is a force construct, akin to Wall of Force. But then I also removed it from spell list in the sense that it works better as a ritual, than as a spell. I view a "Ritual" as not spending a spell slot, and therefore not done by the power of the mind of the Psion, personally, at least not in any direct existentialist sense. A ritual can have any weird requirement to perform it, perhaps here use up a psi crystal that took two days to grow, or whatever. It is fine if only the Psykinetic subclass has this.


CHANNELER (PLANAR MAGIC)
{Animate Dead}.

There needs to be a separate subclass for planar magic. There is an argument for extraplanar concepts being psionic, but I prefer they are separate from the flavor of the base class. Contact Other Plane, Planeshift, Banish, Speak with Dead, perhaps Summon "Astral" Entity, and other phenomena relating to the other planes of existence are in this subclass, class.

I feel the Psion base class intimately involves the Ethereal Plane, especially the Border Ethereal that is part of the Material Plane. This is where the outofbody soul goes as it roams thru the Material Plane as a subtle influence to remote locations. Moreover the ether of the Ethereal Plane is made out of forces and inherently includes the telekinetic forces that the Psion personally wields.

Beyond matter and ether, an individual Psion might have affinity with other planes of existence, but not necessarily so. Feywild, Shadowfell, Elemental, Astral, Celestial, Fiend, and Aberration, are each conceivable. But these other planes feel less about the "power of ones own mind", and more about a Warlock "channeling the power of someone elses mind". I feel they detract from the distinct psionic flavor of the Psion. It is better if a separate subclass contains and explores the "Channeler" of such entities beyond.

 

[Yaarel]

Psion Slot 4
Arcane Eye, {Banishment}, Charm Monster, Compulsion, Confusion, [Death Ward], Dimension Door, Freedom of Movement, Greater Invisibility, {Hallucinatory Terrain}, {Locate Creature}, Phantasmal Killer, Polymorph, Raulothims Psychic Lance*, {Summon Aberration}.


TELEPATH FLAVOR
Charm Monster, Compulsion, Confusion, Phantasmal Killer, Raulothims Psychic Lance.
(Shaper)
Greater Invisibility.

Ritual List (not the Spell List!): Hallucinatory Terrain is unuseful, even as a Ritual.

Note Phantasmal Killer is a telepathic effect in the mind of the target only.


METAMORPH FLAVOR
[Death Ward], Freedom of Movement, Polymorph.

The Death Ward flavor relates to Metamorph mind over body, akin to temporary hit points. But also connotes the timelines of a Seer, so feels suitable in the Psion spell list.


PSI WARPER FLAVOR
Arcane Eye, Dimension Door.
(Seer)
Locate Creature.


PSYKINETIC FLAVOR
−


CHANNELER (PLANAR MAGIC) FLAVOR
{Banishment}, {Summon Aberration}.

These Channeler spells belong in the spell list of a separate new subclass.

 

[Yaarel]

Psion Slot 5
Animate Objects, {Awaken}, {Contact Other Plane}, Dominate Person, {Dream}, Geas, Hold Monster, Legend Lore, Mislead, Modify Memory, Rarys Telepathic Bond, Scrying, Seeming, Synaptic Static, Telekinesis, Teleportation Circle.


TELEPATH FLAVOR
Dominate Person, Geas, Hold Monster, Modify Memory, Synaptic Static.
(Shaper)
Mislead, Seeming.

Ritual List (not the Spell List!): Awaken, Dream. These are good, but better as "Rituals".

Note, Rarys Telepathic Bond is simply normal telepathy but at unlimited distance. This spell is in an unhelpfully high slot, and needs designers to rethink it. The Psion class is an opportunity to rethink how telepathy and telekinesis works in D&D. These have never worked well in any edition, and I would love for the 5e to really implement these flavors, themes and tropes, of telekinesis and telepathy to feel intuitively excellent and mechanically sound. Probably new spells and updated spells are in order.


METAMORPH FLAVOR
Hold Monster.


PSI WARPER FLAVOR
Scrying, Teleportation Circle.

Ritual List (not the Spell List!): Legend Lore is in an absurdly high slot for what little more than a Take 20 for a History skill check. It is a trap option in a spell list. For many old schoolers, it hasnt sunk in yet, that the History skill mostly obsoletes Legend Lore.

Teleportation Circle is a great spell. Slot 5 (Level 9) is when the world as the characters know it starts to change. This is when "trecking thru the forest" is a choice, not a necessity.


PSYKINETIC FLAVOR
Animate Object.

Note, as mentioned above and in earlier posts, Telekinesis needs rethinking, and probably new spells and updated spells. Telekinesis as a concept needs to refer to an amount of space equivalent to a Size, and to avoid guessing how much something weights. Moreover, the telekinetic effect needs to begin at level 1, or even earlier during the background, then improve gradually while advancing across the levels.

Notice, the Bigbys Hand spell is missing from the UA Psion spell lists. It doesnt feel like telekinesis, and I approve of its absence.


CHANNELER (PLANAR) FLAVOR
{Contact Other Plane}.

This is the Warlock-like "channel the power of someone elses mind" flavor. It works best as a separate dedicated subclass.

 

[Yaarel]

Psion Slot 6
Blade Barrier, Disintegrate, Eyebite, {Find the Path}, [Heal], Mass Suggestion, {Move Earth}, Ottos Irresistible Dance, {Programmed Illusion}, True Seeing, [Word of Recall].


TELEPATH FLAVOR
Eyebite, Mass Suggestion, Ottos Irresistable Dance.
(Shaper)
Blade Barrier, True Seeing.

Ritual List (not the Spell List!): Programmed Illusion.

Note, Ottos Irresistable Dance at slot 6 isnt much better than Tashas Hideous Laughter at slot 2, and may need a buff.

I get it that Blade Barrier deals Force damage and the player can refluff how it appears. But the flavor of conjured blades feels off for some reason, so much I initially placed it in "Yellow", and even considered "Red".


METAMORPH FLAVOR
[Heal].

I intended to add Heal to the Metamorph subclass only, but it is too high a slot for the standard format for a subclass spell list, and here in the Psion spell list there are no other spells suggesting Metamorph flavor. I am ok if any Psion at this level can choose this for the prepared spells.


PSI WARPER FLAVOR
[Word of Recall].

Ritual List (not the Spell List!): Find the Path


PSYKINETIC FLAVOR
Disintegrate.

I suppose Move Earth intends to be a telekinetic effect, but it feels too Elemental and too specifically fiddly. Simply delete it from the Psion class. The concept of Move Earth is kinda cool, to magically build buildings, possibly useful for the Bastion. Overall spells like this probably work better as a Ritual rather than on a Spell List. If a separate Elemental subclass existed to handle the "pyromancy" and so on, Move Earth would be suitable in its Ritual List.

 

[Yaarel]

Psion Slot 7
Etherealness, Forcecage, {Mirage Arcane}, {Planeshift}, Powerword Fortify, Project Image, [Regenerate], Reverse Gravity, Teleport.

Generally for the whole game, the slot 7 and slot 8 spells tend toward few and less impressive.


TELEPATH FLAVOR
Powerword Fortify.
(Shaper)
Project Image.

Ritual List (not for the Spell List!): Mirage Arcane.

Like Hallucinatory Terrain, Mirage Arcane is an almost unusable spell at a perplexingly high spell slot. It is a trap option in the spell list, and even if in a hypothetically separate Ritual List, it would still rarely see use. Probably the Psion class is better without these two spells. I am considering categorizing the two as "Red".


METAMORPH FLAVOR
[Regenerate].

Regenerate is a fantastic spell for the Metamorph.


PSI WARPER FLAVOR
Teleport.


PSYKINETIC FLAVOR
Etherealness, Forcecage, Reverse Gravity.

Forcecage is notably powerful spell, (especially versus player characters where they are removed effectively removed from the game with little recourse). Reverse Gravity is ok, and the flavor of manipulating natural gravitational force is fine.

I view "becoming Ethereal" as something like becoming made out of Force. So I tend to associate ether with telekinetic themes. To enter the Ethereal Plane, especially the Border Ethereal, feels like something something that should be happening around slot 3 or 4 (levels 5 to 7). Etherealness at slot 7 feels too high a slot for what it does. Planeshift is a strictly better spell. For comparison, superheroes are 'phasing' thru walls at much lower levels.


CHANNELER (EXTRAPLANAR) FLAVOR
{Planeshift}.

Planeshift is an excellent spell and is a benchmark for multiversal travels at high levels. Even so, I prefer to see it in a separate subclass that relates to the "channeler", a psychic medium that channels otherworldly entities.

 

[Yaarel]

Psion Slot 8
Antipathy/Sympathy, Befuddlement, [Clone], [Demiplane], Dominate Monster, Glibness, Maze, Mind Blank, Powerword Stun, Telepathy.


TELEPATH FLAVOR
Antipathy/Sympathy, Befuddlement, Dominate Monster, Glibness, Mindblank, Powerword Stun.

Almost all of Psion spells at slot 8 are telepathic spells.

Telepathic abilities is something that happens at level 1. This Telepathy spell at level 15 (slot 8) is ridiculously too high. It is not ... modern D&D. Everything relating to Telepathy and Telekinesis needs serious rethinking. These concepts need to start at level 1, and gradually improve while advancing across the levels.

Antipathy/Sympathy seems fun flavor, but less clear what kinds of situations a spell like this might be useful. An update to make this spell more routinely useful would be appreciated, or else it belongs as a "Ritual".

METAMORPH FLAVOR
[Clone]

Clone is a coveted spell that belongs to the Metamorph concept. But its Costly Material component doesnt. I prefer the spell itself gets updated, so the spell description itself is balanced without assuming a gp expense. The spell is essentially the psionic character "budding" off a piece of itself, while it slowly forms and gestates into a second body under mindful influence. Both bodies share the same mind-soul. Despite the length of time to develop, it is a simple spell. Supposing only one Clone can exist at a time, there would be no need to insist on the many days, with regard to game balance.


PSI WARPER FLAVOR
[Demiplane], Maze.

A demiplane is a distortion of the spacetime fabric. It is bigger on the inside than the outside. It isnt an other plane of existence, per se. As such it is part of the Psi Warper spacetime manipulations. Maze forms a demiplane.

For the Demiplane spell, its demiplane is permanent, but the door to it isnt. It is unclear how those inside can return to their point of origin after the door disappears. Presumably, one can cast the spell again to create a door back, but the spell description doesnt actually say this. The spell probably needs a update to clarify. The spell takes an Action to cast, so it actually has some combat value as a kind of panic room to escape to, or as a place to launch a surprise attack.


PSYKINETIC FLAVOR
−

CHANNELER (EXTRAPLANAR) FLAVOR
−

 

[Yaarel]

Psion Slot 9
{Astral Projection}, Foresight, [Mass Heal], Powerword Heal, [Powerword Kill], Psychic Scream*, Shapechange, Time Stop, [True Polymorph], Weird, [Wish].


PSION CLASS FLAVOR
[Wish]

Willing reality into existence by the power of ones own mind, is the essence of the Psion class and the entire psionic power source. The Wish spell is suitable as a capstone at Psion level 20, casting Wish once innately until the end of the next Long Rest. In addition, any Psion can prepare it for their slot 9.

Wish is the most powerful spell in existence, in the entire game of D&D. But it has no Costly Material component. There is only a Verbal component to express ones mindful intention in an improvisational manner. The Costly Material component serves no game balance function. The imposition of Material components where they dont belong violates the central flavor of the power of the mind, and is a pain point that makes the game of D&D less enjoyable.


TELEPATH FLAVOR
Powerword Heal, [Powerword Kill], Psychic Scream, Weird.


(Shaper)
[True Polymorph]

Not counting slot 9, there seems to be enough Shaper spells (comprising certain relevant spells from Illusion, Conjuration, and Transmutation) to sustain a spell list for a separate Shaper subclass and its flavor of altering reality.


METAMORPH FLAVOR
[Mass Heal], Shapechange.


PSI WARPER FLAVOR
Foresight, Time Stop.

Spacetime sensing and altering.


PSYKINETIC FLAVOR
−

There are no telekinetic spells for slot 9.


CHANNELER (EXTRAPLANAR) FLAVOR
{Astral Projection}, {[Gate]}, {[True Resurrection]}

Traveling out of body is psionic flavor, but to other planes of existence elsewhere is less so. The extraplanar entities relate more to the psychic "channeler" doing seances. In this context are Gate and True Resurrection to return a soul from the Celestial Plane or elsewhere to the Material Plane. I dont see these multiversal spells that emphasize and rely on other creatures and even summoning them, as characterizing the flavor of the Psion base class doing mind magic. But these external power sources seem pertinent to the specific subclass concept of a Channeler.

 

[Yaarel]

Metamorph

All in all, I love the Metamorph concept and implementation.

Level 3 (Slots 1, 2)
Alter Self, Cure Wounds, Inflict Wounds, Lesser Restoration.

For the entry into the Metamorph subclass, these are solid spells whose flavors are spot on. They suggest the role of the Metamorph to function as a dedicated healer for the party, using the shapeshifting abilities to close wounds and restore healthy flesh.


Level 5 (Slot 3)
Aura of Vitality, Haste.

Haste is a good spell. The Psi Warper also has it. Aura of Vitality flavor is right. It is an ongoing aura of healing, where the Metamorph can heal a teammember each round (including oneself). It is ok, the 5.24 boost in healing spells helps alot here. I dont see another slot 3 that might be a must-have for here.


Level 7 (Slot 4)
Polymorph°, Stone Skin.

I worry about slot 4. Polymorph is right and good, yet it is also in the base class spell list for every Psion. I think other Psion subclasses should access Polymorph. But it leaves the Metamorph with less distinctive options for slot 4. Stone Skin is a less satisfying spell mechanically: half damage from nonmagical Pierce, Slash, Bludgeon, at levels where other damage types are increasingly likely. The tough exterior for a shapeshifter makes sense.


Level 9 (Slot 5)
Contagion, Mass Cure Wounds.

Mass Cure Wounds is fantastic, and solid flavor. An aura of flesh warping to form healthier bodies. The choice to go with Cure Wounds (and not Healing Word) is a good one for flavor. Contagion here uses the term "necrotic" in appropriate sense: killing the cells of organ tissue. The damage is good, but requires Touch and has the dreaded Constitution save. Even so its Poisoned effect can disadvantage future saves. This is a solid spell.

 

[Yaarel]

Psi Warper

The Psi Warper is a master of the fabric of spacetime, blending aspects of earlier psychoportative Teleport and clairsentient Divination.

Ideally each slot should have one spell expressing the spacial aspects, and one spell the temporal aspects.


Level 3 (Slot 1, 2)
[Augury], [Bless], Expeditious Retreat, {Feather Fall}°, Misty Step, {Shatter}.

For slot 2, Misty Step is awesome and appropriately emphasizes mastery over space.

Shatter, I understand. The flavor is dislocating the target into separates places in space. It is fine. Shatter is also on the main Psion spell list. I also added Augury to the main Psion class spell list. It is the most "psychic" spell − Spidey senses tingling. It is a contender here to express the mastery over time. The Psi Warper is aware of the timelines of the spacetime fabric while manipulating them. Obviously Augury doesnt need and wont have any Costly Material component. Where Misty Step conveys a spatial effect, Augury conveys a temporal effect. Between Shatter and Augury, I lean toward Augury to represent the Psi Warper subclass.

For slot 1, Expeditious Retreat is a fine spell, appropriate for the Psi Warper, and for the Psion Class. It hints at temporal acceleration and-or spacial contraction.

Feather Fall is also on the main Psion class spell list. My feelings and concerns about this spell there still stand. "Feather Fall. Levitate. I am less of a fan of these spells in any D&D edition. When thinking about what would actually make these spells appealing to me, I would do the following. Feather Fall gets a spell description update that allows the spellcaster and willing creatures to hover and drift upward or downward. Effectively this also absorbs all of the current Levitate spell. Then the Levitate spell rewrites to allow the target to hover and move at Speed 30 in any direction. Later in slot 3, the Fly spell is great as-is, and I consider it the benchmark for what kinds of flying and frequencies the D&D game should normally have at each tier of level advancement." Perhaps Levitate relates more to the telekinetic flight of the Psykinetic anyway.

Here the slot 1 Bless spell serves to represent how the Psi Warper foresees, optimally navigates, and dimensionally steers the future timelines. The subclass is sensitive to and responsive to the threads of the fabric of spacetime.


Level 5 (Slot 3)
Blink, Haste.

Haste makes great. It emphasizes the temporal aspects. Blink is for the spacial aspects. It has Ethereal flavor, but I consider that fine. Gravitational force is a kind of ether, and relevant to the fabric of space time. The spell seems specifically the Border Ethereal which is part of the Material Plane. Even so, Blink doesnt especially articulate spacial distortion. I dont see other contenders for the slot 3.


Level 7 (Slot 4)
{Banishment}°, [Death Ward], Dimension Door.°

Dimension Door is on the Psion list, and probably a go-to here for "every" Psi Warper.

Banishment is full-on multiversal extraplanar magic, relating elsewhere to a Channeler subclass that "channels" entities from other planes of existence. The flavor feels too dependent on external entities, rather than the existential power of ones own mind.

I am placing the Death Ward spell here for the temporal aspect. It glimpses a moment of death of the target, then alters the spacetime fabric to narrowly escape it, thus switching to a different future timeline. Note, Freedom of Movement is also on the Psion spell list, and might suggest spacetime distortion.


Level 9 (Slot 5)
Steel Wind Strike, Teleportation Circle°.

Teleportation Circle is a great spell and seems reasonable for a subclass spell. It is also on the main Psion spell list. Steel Wind Strike is a superspeed-teleportation attack dealing Force damage against chosen targets. A flavorful spacetime spell.