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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[Paul Farquhar]

I think that we have established that psionics shouldn't need verbal, somatic, or minor material components? But that there would be indicators that they are casting a psionic spell/ability that replicates a spell?

It's that what WotC are going for with their psionic soul? It just needs a bit of clarification, especially how it interacts with "subtle spell".

I guess I don't see the fuss over "minor" material components - in our games almost everyone uses an spellcasting focus anyway, and an spellcasting focus is the same as a psionic focus, is it not?

 

[Parmandur]

It's that what WotC are going for with their psionic soul? It just needs a bit of clarification, especially how it interacts with "subtle spell".

I guess I don't see the fuss over "minor" material components - in our games almost everyone uses an spellcasting focus anyway, and an spellcasting focus is the same as a psionic focus, is it not?

It makes a pretty significant difference for the Psi Knight who has a sword and shield.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

It makes a pretty significant difference for the Psi Knight who has a sword and shield.

Wut?!

Psi Knight can't cast spells, they have no need of any kind of component or focus, nor can their abilities be dispelled or counterspelled.

 

[Aldarc]

Though I am sure it would be controversial, I would like to see WotC experiment with a psion and psionic subclasses that use Ki. Let's take the psion and put it on the other end of the monk, but make its ki focused on being a caster. It could also help reinforce the monk's "mystical/magical" abilities and contextualize its magic.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Though I am sure it would be controversial, I would like to see WotC experiment with a psion and psionic subclasses that use Ki. Let's take the psion and put it on the other end of the monk, but make its ki focused on being a caster. It could also help reinforce the monk's "mystical/magical" abilities and contextualize its magic.

I think a monk psi subclass is on the cards, but I can't see it coming close to meeting the demands of those people demanding the psion, the whole psion, and nothing but the psion.

 

[Aldarc]

I think a monk psi subclass is on the cards, but I can't see it coming close to meeting the demands of those people demanding the psion, the whole psion, and nothing but the psion.

I'm not saying that I want the psion attached to the monk as a monk subclass, but, rather, I would be interested in seeing WotC make a psion class using monk ki points, but as a caster. Ki effectively also serves as "spell points" so it's not as if we don't have a spell point using class. A psion using Ki points would also mean that it's not necessarily different for the sake of being different, since it's also using Ki points. Ki and some of their abilities that monks can spend Ki on also exist in that strange place of "is it magic?" and "it works in an anti-magic field." It would also still allow WotC to lean (at least partially) into the whole "mystic" thing. People who don't necessarily like psionics? It's a like if a monk was a full caster instead of a brawling class.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I'm not saying that I want the psion attached to the monk as a monk subclass, but, rather, I would be interested in seeing WotC make a psion class using monk ki points, but as a caster. Ki effectively also serves as "spell points" so it's not as if we don't have a spell point using class. A psion using Ki points would also mean that it's not necessarily different for the sake of being different, since it's also using Ki points. Ki and some of their abilities that monks can spend Ki on also exist in that strange place of "is it magic?" and "it works in an anti-magic field." It would also still allow WotC to lean (at least partially) into the whole "mystic" thing. People who don't necessarily like psionics? It's a like if a monk was a full caster instead of a brawling class.

You run into the same problem as the 4 elements monk - ki points increase linearly, whereas spell points increase geometrically. Thus a ki point caster will always fall behind a spell point caster.

If you make your ki points increase geometrically to match an arcane caster, then what you have just described (right down to the brawling subclass) is almost exactly The Mystic - the psionic subclass WotC designed three years ago and was roundly rejected by the community.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

I'm not saying that I want the psion attached to the monk as a monk subclass, but, rather, I would be interested in seeing WotC make a psion class using monk ki points, but as a caster. Ki effectively also serves as "spell points" so it's not as if we don't have a spell point using class. A psion using Ki points would also mean that it's not necessarily different for the sake of being different, since it's also using Ki points. Ki and some of their abilities that monks can spend Ki on also exist in that strange place of "is it magic?" and "it works in an anti-magic field." It would also still allow WotC to lean (at least partially) into the whole "mystic" thing. People who don't necessarily like psionics? It's a like if a monk was a full caster instead of a brawling class.

Since the difference between ki and psionic power points is, honestly, rather contrived anyway, I wouldn't mind if they decided they are the same thing and made the Psion class use "ki". The fluff would of course make it clear that some Psions see an affinity between their source of power and that of Monks, whereas others see subtle distinctions and prefer to call it <other stuff>, but mechanically it is the same thing.

Of course that does mean they have to take into account multi-classing with Monks rather than multi-classing with casters.

 

[Aldarc]

If you make your ki points increase geometrically to match an arcane caster, then what you have just described is almost exactly The Mystic - the psionic subclass WotC designed three years ago and was roundly rejected by the community.

I think that the reasons for that rejection amounted to more than simply spell points, but a lot of the everything else, namely - as they say in their UA article - that it could do TOO MUCH and encroach on other classes's territory a little too much.

(right down to the brawling subclass)

Huh? I don't think that you were following what I was saying there. I said nothing of a brawling subclass. I'm describing the monk as a brawler class that uses ki.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I think that the reasons for that rejection amounted to more than simply spell points, but a lot of the everything else, namely - as they say in their UA article - that it could do TOO MUCH and encroach on other classes's territory a little too much.

It could easily have been trimmed back if it had met with a less overwhelmingly negative response, and doing everything better than every other class is exactly what the 2nd edition psion that people are so fond of did.

And anyway, your own suggestion includes no significant differences to the Mystic.

Nope, The truth is it was rejected because the community is deeply divided over what it wants from psionics, and no side is prepared to give an inch.