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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[FlyingChihuahua]

It's threads like this that make me question why feedback is requested sometimes.

 

[JPL]

Now I really want to see a fighter or monk based on the "Immortal" from the mystic playtest. The guy who can keep going with ten arrows sticking out of him, because pain don't hurt and he ain't got time to bleed.

 

[FlyingChihuahua]

Now I really want to see a fighter or monk based on the "Immortal" from the mystic playtest. The guy who can keep going with ten arrows sticking out of him, because pain don't hurt and he ain't got time to bleed.

Isn't that just a bear totem barbarian?

Of course, a Psionic barbarian is a neat idea. Could be using their psionic talents to just block sensations of pain from getting to the brain. Could stop you from taking certain amounts of damage (like 5 or less or something) until your rage ends, when you get hit with it all at once.

 

[Gadget]

Late to the party. Interesting take on psionics. More generic than previous attempts, but I think tows the line toward more a 'traditional' take, lace of a separate base class notwithstanding.

I kind of like the Psionic Talent die at first blush, though I do note that the subclass framework here is somewhat limiting in options provided and the Psionic Talent Options provide a way to offer more diversity in future publications as a way around that limit that smacks of the Battle Master's maneuvers. On a mechanical note, I see that Psi-Powered Leap has learned from the failings of the Jump spell and made note that the extra movement only costs 1 foot of your movement allotment.

Overall seems like a nice way to bring psionics into 5th edition, even though it is not as expansive as some would wish. I don't really agree that psionics should have their own system such that it should be considered wholly different such that a Psionicist could teleport into a warded area, mentally affect a Mind blanked person, operate freely in an antimagic field, etc. If such is the demand to have a truely nuanced form of psionics, I could readily make the same argument for clerics as needing their own special rules due to divine magic being "different" (and yes, I know that 5e does not distinguish between divine magic and arcane magic any longer).

 

[JPL]

That is indeed a neat idea, but the monk seems like good starting point for a sort of weaponized yogi build. That bear barbarian might reach similar results, though.

 

[Mecheon]

When it comes to Darksun it is ALSO a component of Dragon and Avangion, so Darksun won't work without the class.

I mean, let's correct that.

"Its a component of the Dragon and the Avangion in one of the two times they've ever appeared and had rules to their creation"

If they reflavoured the Avangion to be more druid inspired rather than psychic, I seriously doubt anyone would have issues

 

[Maxperson]

I mean, let's correct that.

"Its a component of the Dragon and the Avangion in one of the two times they've ever appeared and had rules to their creation"

If they reflavoured the Avangion to be more druid inspired rather than psychic, I seriously doubt anyone would have issues

Two? Every ruler of one of the city states was a dragon. At least until Tyr was freed from its dragon. So we have the full dragon that flew around. And then seven dozen other dragons.

"The sorcerer-kings of the Seven Cities are, in game terms, defiler/psionicists who have begun the transformation to dragon form."

So it happened 8 times and there are also rules for their creation. Not only has it happened 8 times, but the Dragon and the sorcerer-king dragons are central to Darksun. It's all about the hardship of the land and the oppression of the sorcerer-kings. Psions as a class are also all over the setting, so they are integral in that way as well.

 

[Mecheon]

Two? Every ruler of one of the city states was a dragon. At least until Tyr was freed from its dragon. So we have the full dragon that flew around. And then seven dozen other dragons.

Yes, two times: 2E and 4E. There might have also been a 3E version but I don't know, but "Randomly shoved in some obscure source I'm not aware of" sounds about right

It's all about the hardship of the land and the oppression of the sorcerer-kings. Psions as a class are also all over the setting, so they are integral in that way as well.

"The hardship of the land and the oppression of the sorcerer-kings" does not require a psion class to make it happen

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Two? Every ruler of one of the city states was a dragon. At least until Tyr was freed from its dragon. So we have the full dragon that flew around. And then seven dozen other dragons.

"The sorcerer-kings of the Seven Cities are, in game terms, defiler/psionicists who have begun the transformation to dragon form."

So it happened 8 times and there are also rules for their creation. Not only has it happened 8 times, but the Dragon and the sorcerer-king dragons are central to Darksun. It's all about the hardship of the land and the oppression of the sorcerer-kings. Psions as a class are also all over the setting, so they are integral in that way as well.

Only Boris, Dregoth and Kalid-Ma ever completed the transformation into a dragon. Dregoth died and was resurrected as a dracolich, and Kalid-Ma was teleported to a demiplane of Ravenloft.

All the other sorcerer kings are in the process of becoming a dragon... some of them exhibit no dragon traits at all.

Personally, I find that becoming a dragon or avangion is something that the DM should really be allowing themselves, like a PC becoming a vampire or lich. It seems way too powerful to actually be usable in any game, especially since few players actually get close to level 20 anyway.

 

[Maxperson]

Yes, two times: 2E and 4E. There might have also been a 3E version but I don't know, but "Randomly shoved in some obscure source I'm not aware of" sounds about right

Okay. I didn't understand what you meant by two times. Now that I do, I have to say so what. 2e defined what Darksun is. 3e went with it.