Unearthed Arcana Unearthed Arcana Revisits Psionics

The latest Unearthed Arcana from WotC revisits some psionic rules! “Shine with the power of the mind in this installment of Unearthed Arcana! Today we revisit several psi-themed options that we released in the past few months. Studying your feedback on those options, we’ve crafted this new collection of subclasses, spells, and feats, found in the PDF below.“

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[Parmandur]

It's not. I said, "They are giving a lot of thought to psionics right now, which shows that they are aware that a lot of players want psionics, and I'd wager the vast majority of those players want a full psionic class "

It helps if you don't cut out the context.



I don't think a majority of players want psionics, and a bunch would probably rather not have it all and get something else.

Thing is, they aren't designing this just for hardcore Paionit fans (who would fall into incompatible 1E, 2E, 3.x and 4E camps anyways), but for all enfranchised players.

 

[Mistwell]

It's not. I said, "They are giving a lot of thought to psionics right now, which shows that they are aware that a lot of players want psionics, and I'd wager the vast majority of those players want a full psionic class "

It helps if you don't cut out the context.

A lot of players want "new stuff which could include psionics". As in they'd be happy with psionics, but it's not specifically psionics that they're looking for as much as it's just "new stuff" of which psionics is a fine option for new stuff.

And then there are I think plenty of new players who have heard of psionics, see it as an existing element already in the game, and so want it because they know it's part of the history of the game and something already in the game that could be expanded on, but they don't care what format that expansion comes in.

If you add up all the people who would be cool with more psionics, I don't think a majority of that group cares if it's a class or a series of subclasses.

 

[gyor]

I'm leaning between Planescape and Dark Sun... probably Planescape, bit if these options win out, there's really not too much more to Dark Sun that needs mechanical expression.

Races, defiling vs Preserving, ect...

Be on the look out for any UA races or UA odd mechanics that resemble defiling.

 

[Hurin70]

So on further reflection, I think the dream of a unique full psionics system is dead. WotC is borrowing a page from Paizo, who famously ignored psionics and only dipped thier toe in with occult classes. They left true psionics to Dreamscarred Press.

I like what Rolemaster has always done/is doing with Psionics: they are an entire third realm of spellcasting (beyond what DnD calls Arcane/Divine) called Mentalism. They have Mentalism half casters (the Rogue-ish Nightblade and Monk) and full casters (Mentalist and Lay Healer). Mentalism works well as an entirely separate realm of 'casting'.

 

[grimslade]

I like the Psychic Maneuvers for psionic subclasses. I agree that the randomness of the die roll to the die size is clunky. The players already have a reboot feature under their control, why not an 'Over 9000' ability to max a die at a cost of one die size?
I don't know that the Psionic Soul precludes a more scholarly Psion subclass using Intelligence and a wizard school scaffold. Maybe with a more robust list of psychic maneuvers requiring the expenditure of the psychic talent die.
Dark Sun hype intensifies, almost eclipsing Spelljammer hype.

 

[ZeshinX]

At this point it seems and feels clear to me Psionics just don't belong in 5e. If they cannot be made their own thing and just act as already existing things with different names, then I'm content to just go on with the pretense that when a manual rule or monster ability says it's psionic, then it's just magic with a different name.

I've honestly found every approach they've attempted with psionics in 5e to be mostly rubbish (some interesting things, but nothing that felt distinctly 'Yes, this is it!' to me).

The psionic talent die is...just friggin' weird. Since 3e, D&D has been determined to ensure its systems follow the "roll higher is better, always" approach....and yet here we have an ability where to make it better, you have to hope you get the worst possible result first...and if you get the best possible result, whoopsie, it's now worse. That's not clever...that's just idiotic (reward failure and punish success). Interesting it may be, but interesting does not equal good.

Honestly WotC, just keep pretending psionics exist in 5e. It's worked this long, you might as well just leave it as such. You're not going to get this right or balanced in 5e (after this many attempts and still getting it almost all wrong in my opinion, it seems/feels pretty clear to me). To do it right so it works within the game without upsetting the base balance, it needs to be there from Day 1.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

It seems to me it is better to start with fairly simple psychic subclasses and work up to a more complicated psychic class than to do the opposite.

But no more ego whip? I don't even care what the spell did, but how could you give up a spell with a name like that? Darn you, darn you to heck 5e!!!!!

 

[Weiley31]

It seems to me it is better to start with fairly simple psychic subclasses and work up to a more complicated psychic class than to do the opposite.

But no more ego whip? I don't even care what the spell did, but how could you give up a spell with a name like that? Darn you, darn you to heck 5e!!!!!

Oh trust me, you can still use the psychic spells from the previous UA. Why let them go to waste?

 

[Weiley31]

Well if ya want Psionics that bad, this maybe the closet thing for now. The Korranberg Chronicles: Psion's Primer.

Dungeon Masters Guild

www.dmsguild.com

 

[Parmandur]

Races, defiling vs Preserving, ect...

Be on the look out for any UA races or UA odd mechanics that resemble defiling.

They put in the Dunamancy material in Wildemount because it is important to the world: I could see them not necessarily testing Defiling, or leaving it really late in their rotation. Races they left to the last possible moment with Ravnica, too...