D&D General What’s The Big Deal About Psionics?

[Yaarel]

Also having the Spell groups having their own schools

The spell "schools" are useless as a methodology for taxonomy.

 

[Minigiant]

It's what D&D mechanics are. Do all classes feel the same because they use the same combat rules for their weapon attacks?

They do at level 1-3 before most warriors get combat features fully turned on.

Again I think the problem is getting the Psion to feel different when the "Jack of all trades Master of Everything but healing" wizard exists.

This is why 3e went crazy with splatbook magicians. Between the Wizard and Cleric, you couldn't make a new spellcasting class that felt different.

So we got Warlock, Binder, Shadowasyer, Incarnate, Psion, etc etc

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Let's remember now the warlock is a core class, and the sorcerer. Then why the psionic mysthic has to be only a subclass, but whose powers use a different game mechanic? Some players would rather to be "exotic", to be different, using the classes and PC races the rest doesn't to feel they are very special and unique.

What about the lurk?, a potential hybrid stealth+powers for who wants to play an ersatz of "Assasin's Creed". My bet is after the psionic powers the next step will be the (ki) martial adepts, but maybe not the same classes from "Tome of Battle: Book of the nine Swords", or not with the same names.

Other point is about players borrowing ideas from 3PPs or speculative fiction.

The (vestige) binder was enoughly special to be remember. The shadowcaster (3.5 Tome of Magic) would be recycled for an elementalist, and the "mysteries", powers, working with a game mechanic like the martial maneuvers, in the middle between at-will and once-encounter. Soulborn and incarnate were too "paladin with incarnum soulmelds" but the (incarnum) totemist shaman deserver an opportunity to return with its own style. Why not to fuse the vestige binder and the incarnum (totemist) shaman? The truenamer was an interesting concept, but too limited in the options, not enough flexible.

 

[James Gasik]

I'm sensing a little hyperbole here, Crimson Longinus, so let's discuss how something can be different but not so wildly different that it feels like a piece of another game. Set the wayback machine to 2004, and Complete Arcane drops. In it is a new base class, the Warlock. The Warlock is a magic user, but he doesn't prepare spells. He doesn't have spell slots. He uses spell-like abilities which resemble spells, can have unique effects. For example, when he dispels magic using his Voracious Dispelling Invocation, he can also deal damage to targets of his Dispel Magic.

His Spell-Like Abilities have no usage limit per diem, his buffs last for 24 hours. He later gains an impressive ability to emulate being a true spellcaster so that he can use all manner of magical items, such as scrolls or wands, and can later even create his own, despite not having the traditional spell requirements to do so.

Despite some early hullaballoo about his Eldritch Blast providing day-long blasting power, he was no more effective than a 5e Rogue (and perhaps a little less so) in combat. The class had a low ceiling of optimization (by itself), the floor was decently high, as, no matter what you did, you could always Eldritch Blast, and while it was never an all star, it was fun to play, unique, and most importantly, didn't destroy the game's balance. In fact, a modified (and in many ways improved) version, the Dragonfire Adept was later printed, and it didn't make that much of a splash either.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

There is other option, the martial maneuvers and a "mysteries", powers in the middle between at-will and once-encounters. These are spent after to be used or casted, but they can be used more once in an encounter if the character does special actions to "reload". Then here we could be the psionic wilder like a "psionic warlock". About the lore these could work like the mutants from Mavels comics, cursed with a gift they didn't ask and feared by the people.

 

[Mind of tempest]

There is other option, the martial maneuvers and a "mysteries", powers in the middle between at-will and once-encounters. These are spent after to be used or casted, but they can be used more once in an encounter if the character does special actions to "reload". Then here we could be the psionic wilder like a "psionic warlock". About the lore these could work like the mutants from Mavels comics, cursed with a gift they didn't ask and feared by the people.

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sorcerer eat the marvel mutant, I would go for the overlap between the lore of wizards and monks as that is an untaped area and I just really like that area.

 

[MoonSong]

About the lore these could work like the mutants from Mavels comics, cursed with a gift they didn't ask and feared by the people.

This is also a sorcerer lore-wise.

 

[Bill Zebub]

They’re just different spells. They’re spells, but from a different source and maybe a lil weird, but not really that special. Near as I can tell. I am sure I’m missing something because every time Dark Sun comes up there’s a grip ton of hand wringing about getting Psionics right. It just seems like spells to me. Spells with a different but not much different rule system. Sorcerer, but with unique spells. I don’t get why it’s a big deal and why it’s not just a different spell list. Help me understand. Or confirm, it’s just spells With a new name.

Replace “psionics” with “guns”.

 

[Undrave]

I mean if we're making wishes like a new base class, can't we also wish for a worlds where wizard players weren't the center of the universe.

Augh seriously...

Psionic isn't a problem, even if it was just themed spells... the problem is that the Wizard gets all of those spells! They need to just stop making the Wizard a kitchen sink caster!

 

[Weiley31]

On an interesting note: As a backer of the Kickstarter, I have just received today, via Email, an early release of the Squeaks in the Deep PDF. (This basically gives you rules to play as Rats and Mice within the overall setting that is Pugmire/Monarchies of Mau.) The book is pretty much completed according to the email, but backers are given an early PDF copy for our enjoyment/to help out with errata/spelling errors. We won't get our Physical Books/Backer Rewards until later in the year

Now a clear distinction, that the book/PDF makes, is that Dogs/Cats cast Magic Spells. Mice/Rats, however, do not practice the art of performing magic. Instead, Mice/Rats are Psionics users that derive their Psionics from four overall colleges.

Editor's Note: While doing my taxes, the thought occured to me that the rest of the original post may not be kosher according to board guidelines, as I learned the lesson the hard way when I made a statement many moons ago on here about the Love Domain cleric. I will ask a mod just in case, but until then, the post as been edited. Apologies for any offences/sadness as common sense is not one of my strong suites. And even though it wasn't playtest stuff, going by the email, I shall be respectful until I get an answer, in which case the rest of the post will be restored to its original info