Blog (A5E) Voidrunner’s Codex Playtest: Psion

Welcome to the first public playtest document for the Voidrunner’s Codex, Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition’s upcoming science fiction rulebook. This document includes a playtest candidate for our psion class, one of several new classes in the book.

Voidrunner’s Codex Playtest: Psion — Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition (A5E)

Welcome to the first public playtest document for the Voidrunner’s Codex, Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition’s upcoming science fiction rulebook.

www.levelup5e.com

The Voidrunner’s Codex is pure sci-fi—it contains no magic. The psion class (and one other class in the book) uses psionics to perform supernatural feats. However, this is fully A5E—it is 100% compatible with the material in the Adventurer’s Guide, so you can put your wizard on a starship if you wish, or mix and match for a universe of cosmic magic. However, the Codex itself is focused on the sci-fi.

If you remember the public playtests we held last year in the run-up to the Level Up Kickstarter, we’re following the same model this year—playtest documents, followed by surveys. There will be a Kickstarter later this year, so keep an eye out for that (and for the Dungeon Delver’s Guide and the To Save a Kingdom adventure path)!

We anticipate (and expect!) that our version of psionics will be polarizing, because we know that many people have their own specific ideas of how psionics should look in 5E, and many of those peoples’ ideas are different to each other. With that in mind, this is our initial take on a psion class. Take a look, and please do let us know what you think by taking the playtest survey:

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[VanguardHero]

I don't trust WotC to design anything competently at this point, so the less they touch the less disappointment there is. I deeply dread an o5e implementation of Dark Sun and the lack of meaningful Psionics content in o5e keeps that possibility at a safe distance. Meanwhile, between Journey Rules, Classes with depth that can allow barring off Arcane and Divine options and still having dynamic engaging gameplay, and the Psionics rules from Voidrunner's, Level Up seems like a fantastic system to run Dark Sun in using 4e as a lore base.

 

[Steampunkette]

I don't trust WotC to design anything competently at this point, so the less they touch the less disappointment there is. I deeply dread an o5e implementation of Dark Sun and the lack of meaningful Psionics content in o5e keeps that possibility at a safe distance. Meanwhile, between Journey Rules, Classes with depth that can allow barring off Arcane and Divine options and still having dynamic engaging gameplay, and the Psionics rules from Voidrunner's, Level Up seems like a fantastic system to run Dark Sun in using 4e as a lore base.

While I like the A5e Psion fairly well, myself... I do feel the need to rebut a portion of this:

Psionics and Dark Sun were originally introduced 1 month apart. If they do bring back Dark Sun it's likely any Psionic class, or class options, feats, etc, will be included.

And since the Artificer was introduced in Eberron: Ashes of the Last War, which is a setting book, WotC has shown they're willing to release entire classes as a setting-feature.

Of course, I'll still probably use the Level Up A5e Psion in my own games, unless their Psionics are particularly compelling. In which case I'll make an A5e add-on pack to bring the 5e Psion up to A5e character standards (Likely a selection of Exploration/Social options granted at specific levels and nothing more, but who knows?)

Assuming, of course, they release 5e Dark Sun... I'll probably just use it for set-dressing for an A5e version. I feel like Journey on Athas could be made -brutal- by creating exploration charts that winnow away supply.

 

[Rogerd1]

It seems odd to call a company "fallen" when they may be producing the most successful version of D&D ever. Personally, I have no need for psionics in my D&D and am quite happy that WotC has left this segment for 3PP to cover.

Not the least of which there are more than enough spells to double as psionic abilities - which is as it should be.