D&D (2024) We have Arcane, Divine, and Primal lists now. Why not Psionic?

[Staffan]

I generally agree with your thoughts on psionics. They idea of making a short rest 5 minutes and tying Warlock spells to that would be even more awful than the current Warlock.

Nah. Short rests as they are in 5e are awful. There are very few situations where a party can take a short rest but not a long rest, so you generally only get to use short rest abilities once per day anyway, two if you're really lucky. But if they're only 5-10 minutes long, they become per-encounter abilities, and that's a lot more fun. I mean, I think a warlock who could cast two fireballs per encounter would be pretty neat.

In 4e, powers were either at-will, per-encounter (meaning you recovered them on a 5-minute short rest), or daily. This created a clear delineation between what sort of power levels were appropriate for the different abilities. But with a 1-hour short rest, they become resources you may or may not be able to use again that day, and that's weird.

 

[Shiroiken]

But those of us who are psionics fans generally like it because it is different from spellcasting, and because it's an alternative magic system. Feats and sub-classes is not enough – we want 2-3 classes with a full complement of sub-classes that explore different psionic niches. Basically, what the Expanded Psionics Handbook was for 3.5e.

And that's not going to happen.

Correct. If they were going to do a psion class, it's going to be a form of spellcasting (mechanically speaking). While that doesn't fit the mold you've presented, 5E has largely been about simplification. Having another system doesn't mesh with that, so they're just not going to do it. IMO, Pact Magic was the best model to fit psionics into 5E, since it's different enough to give you the feel, while still fitting into an existing system. Invocations would be the lesser powers, while the spells would be the greater powers.

If psionics is just going to be the same as magic then who needs it?

One could make the same argument about Arcane, Divine, and Primal. Psionic could use the spellcasting system mechanically, while still providing an entirely different style of play.

 

[Charlaquin]

One could make the same argument about Arcane, Divine, and Primal. Psionic could use the spellcasting system mechanically, while still providing an entirely different style of play.

Man, I’d love it if each power source actually functioned in a unique way from the others!

 

[Clint_L]

Also, because there are a lot of us who despise psionics as a concept and don’t want that 70s soft sci-fi BS anywhere near our DnD (raises hand).

Psionics is a trigger word for me when it comes to DnD. I played 1e.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

Nah. Short rests as they are in 5e are awful. There are very few situations where a party can take a short rest but not a long rest, so you generally only get to use short rest abilities once per day anyway, two if you're really lucky. But if they're only 5-10 minutes long, they become per-encounter abilities, and that's a lot more fun. I mean, I think a warlock who could cast two fireballs per encounter would be pretty neat.

In 4e, powers were either at-will, per-encounter (meaning you recovered them on a 5-minute short rest), or daily. This created a clear delineation between what sort of power levels were appropriate for the different abilities. But with a 1-hour short rest, they become resources you may or may not be able to use again that day, and that's weird.

5 minute short rests would mean that the warlock would have virtually unlimited spell slots outside of combat. It could work if short rests were limited to 2-3 per day. Or perhaps 2 5 minute rests, and any short rests after that take the full hour.

Also, I think it's unlikely that the half-caster warlock got the 70% approval rate that WotC wants before they go forward with anything, so the 2024 PHB warlock will probably be back to Pact Magic.

 

[Staffan]

5 minute short rests would mean that the warlock would have virtually unlimited spell slots outside of combat.

Yes. That is a feature, not a bug.

Non-combat spells ought to be ritual-only anyway. Or, for a more 5e-ish way to solve the problem, remove any spells that would be problematic to cast over and over from the warlock spell list and make them 1/day invocations instead.

 

[Tonguez]

Well, same reason as for Bards or Sorcerers, I reckon.

Bards are designed to be the jack of all trades, so theres a space for it in the game. Sorcerers and Wizards however are far too similar and one of them (hopefully Wizards) should be dialled back some how. Adding a Psionicist who also does arcane spells with some ‘psionic metamagic’ just adds bloat since they’re alt-Scorcerer.

Unless the wizard gets dialled back to make space for others

 

[Emberashh]

I think the thing to remember about Psionics is that all the people that don't care about it using magic mechanics also aren't going to care if it doesn't, unless the mechanics it does use are just bad, in which case even those who care aren't going to be happy either.

As such, theres no reason to bicker over whether or not psionics uses the magic system. Nobody loses anything by simply making bespoke mechanics unless they're bad, which is a separate issue that doesn't make the idea itself undesirable.

Same basic logic with turning the Ranger into a 1/3 caster to better satisfy those of us whod rather it be spell-less. Nobody loses anything, and you can fix the crummyness of 1/3 casters.

 

[Krachek]

Fantasy psionic can do anything.
So we need a spell list with all the spells!

Unfortunately psionic fans want psionic not a spell list like other casters.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

How can I explain it? If I am creating a PC in a videogame, and I want this to wear a tribal-punk look, then I don't want to see too close to gothic-punk look. Somebody wants to play a secondary class only to feel her PC is different and unique, and not wearing the same clothing style than the rest.

Psionic powers could break the balance in stealth operations. I am not talking about using telekinesis to stop arrows or to push soldiers, but being infiltrated into a high-society dinner, and reading minds of members of noble houses, or using teletransportation to send poison to certain cup. Nobody could realises an esper is using her powers.

Ania Forger, the esper from Spy x Family can be a good example of how the power to read minds can cause a serious impact.

* WotC is going to need psionic powers for some no-fantasy setting, for example Gamma World.

* If WotC doesn't it, then it will be by one or more 3PPs.