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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Yaarel" data-source="post: 9676990" data-attributes="member: 58172">Psion Slot 0 CantripsBlade Ward, Dancing Lights, Friends, Light, Mage Hand, Mending, Message, Mind Sliver, Minor Illusion, Prestidigitation, Telekinetic Fling*, True Strike, [Eldritch Blast], [Guidance], [Thaumaturgy], [Thunderclap], [Spare the Dying], [Vicious Mockery].Spare the Dying is Metamorph psychometabolism. Guidance is Seer navigating timelines, which I associate with Psi Warper spacetime manipulation.Telepathy and Telekinesis.The mechanics for telekinesis and telepathy have been problematic in every edition of D&D. To transmit the old school Telekinesis spell at the uselessly high slot 5 and the Telepathy spell at the absurdly high slot 8, was a less good choice.The future Psion class is also an opportunity to get the extremely important concepts of telekinesis and telepathy right. Probably the current spells relating these need to be entirely rewritten, or new spells need to be added with the intention to displace them.Regarding telepathy.The Telepath subclass must have the best player options possible for telepathy beyond any other class or playable species. The UA has the Telepathy language at a base range of only 5 feet. This weird stinginess is wrongminded. The base cannot be less than 30 feet, and perhaps should be 60 feet. Plus it should function flawlessly thru barriers, and with various requirements should do special things like detect the presence of other minds within range. Telepath telepathy must be extraordinarily excellent. It is the entire point of the subclass, and this subclass is the go-to in the D&D game.Message isnt actually telepathy, and is unable to read minds for mutual communication. Message is currently one of the less appealing cantrips that rarely gets considered when players can only pick a few cantrips. Perhaps rewrite Message to make it actually useful telepathy. In any case, whether a spell rewrite, a new spell, or a class feature, the Psion and especially the Telepath must get telepathic functionality right. It is important for the class and for the D&D game.Regarding telekinesis.The mechanics for telekinesis in the D&D game is unsatisfactory. Whether significant rewrites of spells, or an addition of new spells, or new Psion class and Psykinetic subclass features, or new features to boost new spells − whatever way this gets done, D&D needs to get telekinesis right.Telekinesis is a concept that is simple but highly versatile and potentially game-breakingly powerful. Reconciling authentic flavor and ensuring mechanical balance can be a challenge.Flavorwise, there are two concepts for telekinesis. One concept is the soul has an aura, sometimes called "ki" in Japanese (and in Norse called "hamr", "nefesh" in Hebrew, and properly the "psyche" psukhe in Greek). This aura mainly functions to animate ones own living body, and its influence in a range beyond that is normally very subtle. But for certain individuals this aura can be even stronger than the physical body, to propel objects that are within range of the soul aura. This aura can project outofbody to roam to a remote location. Ghosts and poltergeists likewise are examples of this disembodied soul aura. The second concept also involves being within range of the soul aura, whether around the body or remotely outofbody. However, the aura doesnt actually push the object. The aura attunes the object. The objects own forces (at the quantum level of the atom) synchronize simultaneously to dift or lurch in any direction. For the second concept, the amount of mass is irrelevant, it could be a handheld coin or a planet. The range of soul aura applies, but perhaps spacetime distortions extend it.Mechanically, I like the way D&D distinguishes between different kinds of telekinesis. Nonattack telekinesis is gentle, can only involve objects and willing creatures, but can lift and fly significant amounts of mass. Attack telekinesis can deal damage, and do Unarmed Strike substituting the mental ability, including Grapple and Shove to propel in any direction including up or down. The attacks concentrate the soul aura influence into a small space with heightening force. The larger Sizes are beyond the effect. Then there are telekinetic barriers, such as Mage Armor and Wall of Force, where the soul force is very strong but reactive to deflect or neutralize other forces, and generally passive.D&D a needs a kind of telekinesis that is available at level 1 (or earlier during the background) and that can scale smoothly while advancing in levels. It increments from subtle to magnificent. Importantly, the area of effect isnt the objects themselves, but rather the area of focus within ones own soul aura. So at level 1, the telekinetic character can gently focus on a nearby area that is equivalent to Tiny Size. At higher levels, this Size increases to Small, Medium, Large, Huge, and at 20 epic Gargantuan. Any soul can deny this gentle influence, so must be willing. For D&D purposes, this means any creature, since even Elemental and Construct exhibit kinds of soul.With regard to the Mage Hand cantrip, a floating glove isnt what telekinesis is. Telekinesis influences an area equivalent to Tiny size and larger, and everything within this area simultaneously. But to interact with an object, such as opening an unlocked door, or using an Action to make a Sleight of Hand skill check to try telekinetically open a lock, can only be one object at time. The Psion needs a new cantrip. Leave Mage Hand to the arcane classes.For attack telekinesis, probably the Unarmed Strike is fine as a basis. There can be ways to use the soul aura in specialized ways, such as the Eldritch Blast cantrip and Telekinetic Fling. Regarding telekinesis, players often want to say, I reach into the monsters heart and squeeze it to kill it. Well, yes, this is what happens, ... when the monster reaches zero hit points. Until then the telekinetic attacks are dealing nonphysical and physical damage. Every death strike, is by definition reducing the target to zero hit points. High level telekinetics that deal high damage can kill a low CR monsters with a single thought.The new spell, the Telekinetic Fling cantrip, is solid 1d10 damage, but a minor tweak should clarify that it is the telekinesis that does the Force damage without any 'amunition', but as a utility usage, this cantrip can also fling around handsize objects in poltergeist-style, and knock on doors and shake curtains.Thunderclap is Thunder damage in the sense of a sharp telekinetic concussive shockwave, and notable for being multi target. It is relevant to the Psion. Eldritch Blast. Either the Psion class or the Psykinetic subclass needs to have Eldritch Blast cantrip on the spell list, as the basic telekinetic Force-damage attack. It can flavor in various ways, whether as invisible missile, gravity-like torque, reinforced illusion, or other player choice. Thaumaturgy is minor telekinetic effects plus luminous glowing eyes, perhaps even add to the cantrip luminous soul aura or halo.For the telekinetic barriers, the spells are probably the best way to go mechanically: Blade Ward, Mage Armor, Shield, ... Wall of Force, ...Possibly the Psykinetic subclass might gain a telekinetic shield, which functionally is a normal shield. Its AC cannot stack with a normal shield, but it would stack with the Mage Armor spell, and doesnt require a hand. Tweak the Mage Armor spell itself so that is always on, its Duration persisting until the end of the next Long Rest. Eliminate the hastle, there is no concern about balance, and the always-on is important flavor, and other classes can have this too.Blade Ward, the cantrip is underpowered, requiring Concentration for the inflict -1d4  to the targets attack, is rarely appealing. The cantrip itself needs a rewrite to buff it.</blockquote>

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