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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[Hurin70]

Actually, Mentalism is magic. Psionics has its own realm that functions identically to the 3 realms of magic (and is broken into 4 disciplines). You can find it in Spacemaster.

There are 3 realms of magic (Essence, Chanelling and Mentalism) plus the Arcane realm (the primal form of magic before it was split into 3 realms) and Psionics (which isnt magical, but mechanically works the same). A total of 4 realms of magic, and Psionics.

Andraxx for example (Shadow Worlds version of Gandalf/ Mordenkainen/Elminster etc) has Arcane, Chanelling, Mentalism and Essence spell lists, AND Psionics lists available to him.

Yes, Mentalism is magic, but it is a very psionic-type of magic with mechanical differences from the other forms. In the new RM edition for example, there are no penalties for 'casting' a Mentalism spell without making any gestures or sound. In 5e terms, Mentalism spells don't require verbal or somatic or material components. The spells also include classic psionic effects, such as Telekinesis. And of course in Rolemaster, all forms of magic cost power points to cast, similar to the Psi points mechanic we've seen in some forms of DnD. So Mentalism in Rolemaster is magic, but it is a very psionic-y form of magic with its own rules that make sense for psionics.

It sounds like 5e is going halfway towards this by saying psionics are sometimes magic or sometimes can produce magical effects. I just like the way RM goes the whole way and just says psionics are magic, but a unique branch of magic with its own specific rules. That's a lot simpler than saying psionics are sometimes magic and sometimes not.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I strongly suspect we'll see Athas before we see a Planescape-esque deal at the current rate, and it will be an Athas that is missing the key class.

Heh.. I'm the exact opposite. It seems to me like almost every single UA thing we've gotten over the last six months have been based around the different planes-- the feywild, the shadowfell, and the creatures from the elemental and outer planes (genie origins, clockwork [Mechanus] origins etc.) Throw in all the gith stuff floating around as well and I'd well predict a planar book before Athas.

I mean, at the very least we probably would have seen some "desert adventuring" UA rules presented to us if they were leading us to Athas, the same way we got ship rules to test leading up to Ghosts of Saltmarsh.

 

[jgsugden]

Dark Sun - everyone being psionic is easy to achieve. Either make subraces for each race that are psionic, or just give everyone a psionic cantrip in that setting.

There is a large population that wants a psion base class. In prior articles, they had said it was not ruled out. Here, they test the waters to see the reaction if they didn't do a psionic class.

Personally, I'd take it entirely out of class mechanics. It would be what it was in AD&D - something innate to some races (Illithid, etc...) and something that is added on to some PCs as an optional rule.

I'd release a book that was a pure 'add on' book that gave PCs added on powers outside of the existing class structure - essentially, a super hero book. Psionics, mutants, cursed, blessed … all adding onto a PC to make them more powerful. Then, you could add certain elements for certain campaigns (Dark Sun - everyone is psionic) or give them out as a reward.

If you wanted to balance them versus 'normal' PCs, you could have them take up attunement slots. Perhaps they require 2 attunement slots - and if so, consider changing it so that PCs then get to have a number of attunement slots equal to their proficiency modifier?

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Heh.. I'm the exact opposite. It seems to me like almost every single UA thing we've gotten over the last six months have been based around the different planes-- the feywild, the shadowfell, and the creatures from the elemental and outer planes (genie origins, clockwork [Mechanus] origins etc.) Throw in all the gith stuff floating around as well and I'd well predict a planar book before Athas.

I mean, at the very least we probably would have seen some "desert adventuring" UA rules presented to us if they were leading us to Athas, the same way we got ship rules to test leading up to Ghosts of Saltmarsh.

I get where you're coming from re: the UA stuff, and it is possible it's designed for planar adventures, but I also think it's possible it's for Al-Qadim or something similar. Creation Bards and Unity Clerics seem more up Al-Qadim's alley than Planescape's. As does the Way of Mercy monk (because he sure ain't the Mercykillers' version of Mercy!). Genie obviously could be AQ. Oath of the Watchers seems almost antithetical to Planar adventuring, in a sense, and certainly the fluff doesn't fit with a Planescape-style game. Beast Barbarian I guess you could like to certain planes but they don't seem to be making that link, and he could fit anywhere. Clockwork soul is the best one of Planescape-ish.

I mean, could it be planar? Sure. But if so it's a weird bunch, and suggests a very non-Planescape take on Planar stuff, which would be disappointing to say the least.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

There is a large population that wants a psion base class. In prior articles, they had said it was not ruled out. Here, they test the waters to see the reaction if they didn't do a psionic class.

This may well be correct, but the trouble is, AFAIK (correct me if I'm wrong), they've not taken direct feedback on this issue since 2017 (if even then?) or earlier (possibly never?), i.e. "Should Psionics have a class focuses primarily/solely on it?", and it I suspect the feedback form for this UA will be entirely focused on "How are these subclasses eh?".

 

[gyor]

Thanks for the heads up, I'm going to be digging into this today!

Given it's popularity I just don't know why they don't make a deal with the designer, make it official, and put in a book. I just don't get the mind set of these folks sometimes.

 

[Parmandur]

And that can't happen until WotC are willing to make Feats non-optional. Something that they are SO OPPOSED TO that they drastically re-worked the way Dragonmarks worked in the new Eberron seemingly solely to prevent this, and rendered Dragonmarks a poorly-balanced and hard-to-use mess as a result.

So this would require an unprecedented change of direction, especially as Eberron was changed in what, late 2019? So very recently. It's not like this is a 2015 thing that might be over now.

Make a series of new Subrace and variant Race options that build in Psionic Talent elements: Athasian Dwarf, Athasian Elf, Athasian Human, etc. Then say only those Races are canon in Dark Sun. Done, no Feats required.

 

[Parmandur]

I'm sorry, the reasons they gave for not going with Mystic were wholly unauthentic. They literally apply fully to Artificer, but that was apparently not a worry there. They also carefully avoided saying "Players don't want a Psion/Psionicist-type class", rather saying the problems were specific to the 2017 Mystic class.

I see no reason to believe that they are unauthentic. They've tested the concepts out: people liked the Artificers, they didn't like the Mystic. Simple enough.

 

[Parmandur]

I think it's fair to say that the percentage of players and DMs who want something to work a way it last did in 1988 (when most current D&D players were either small children/infants or not born) and earlier is probably in the low single digits.

Given the popularity of 80's adventure reprints in 5E, this is inaccurate.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Other option could be a new module but set in Kalidnay, the dark domain in the demiplane of the dread, the classic "weekend in the hell". At least I feel curiosity about how the metaplot would continue.

Or Hasbro could talk with a videogame studio, for example Epic Game, and we would see Dark Sun skins in Fortnite.

* Psionic doesn't need verbal or somatic components. This is very important when you want to do some actions hidden among the crowd.

* Psionic powers isn't only for epic fantasy, but also for sci-fi, urban fantasy and even a first step for some possible future d20 superheroes.

* Would you allow totem shaman, the incarnum soulmelder class in Dark Sun? I admit incarnum in DS would be a great retcon

* Could a 3PP publish a psionic D&D version of the Solarian, Biohacker, Vanguard and Witchwarper, classes from Starfinder? What do you think about the new psionic classes for Pathfinder? for example the aegis.

* Don't you miss the maenads and xephs PC races or do you think their background was too boring?

* I have said in the past the old lines will come back with some project linked to the media, for example Ravenloft as a special chapter in the MMOs.

* Maybe WotC could publish a new world as a spiritual succesor or Dark Sun...for Magic the Gathering, and latter to allow a little crossover between this and Athas.

* I would like the Athasian giths as third subrace, but with opposible dumbs.

* My doubt now is if spikewyrns are true dragons because I like this crazy idea.

* If there is DS you can bet somebody will aks biopunk lifeshaper organic-tech, something like the biohackers of Starfinder or the living machines by Yuuzan Vong from Star Wars Legends.