D&D 5E What are you looking for in Psionics (Magic/Non-Magic)

[DND_Reborn]

With all the recent revival of Psionic threads, I was curious just what people are most interested in.

I will be making additional polls during the day. I am interested in how Psionics can be represented in the following areas:

1. Should it be a class with unique subclasses or not a core class but with subclasses under core classes or both or neither?

D&D 5E - What are you looking for in Psionics (class/subclasses/etc.)?

With all the recent revival of Psionic threads, I was curious just what people are most interested in. I will be making additional polls during the day. I am interested in how Psionics can be represented in the following areas: 1. Should it be a class with unique subclasses or not a core class...

www.enworld.org

2. Should it use spell slots (caster-based), ki or sorcery points (monk or sorcerer), invocation powers (warlock), feats, or something unique (psi-die, etc.)?

D&D 5E - What are you looking for in Psionics (mechanic structure)

With all the recent revival of Psionic threads, I was curious just what people are most interested in. I will be making additional polls during the day. I am interested in how Psionics can be represented in the following areas: 1. Should it be a class with unique subclasses or not a core class...

www.enworld.org

3. Should it be another form of magic (so it can be dispelled and countered) or non-magical? (this poll)

Thanks to all who contribute. If you have another aspect you want polled, please let me know or if you do it yourself I'll link it here.

 

[Perun]

I voted for #1, even though I'd actually prefer #2. Unfortunately, I believe 'psi is different' is way too complex to implement, and WotC would never go for it.

 

[Kinematics]

I don't think it's magic, per se, but it definitely should be subject to things like dispel and counterspell. Any fictional psionic fight I can think of has those sorts of parry and disrupt mechanics.

Any argument in the line if, "I can use psionics, so you can't do anything about it! (because everything's happening in my mind, and you can't detect that)" is just childish and trite.

Of course, I'll also qualify that most fictional psionics also have some sort of variant of Detect Magic as an at-will/always-on trait, so that the users don't need to base their reactions on things like a person waving his arms around and chanting. Rather, they can see the magical effects directly. So there's some conflict with the way D&D treats the sacred cow of magical detection.

 

[Ogre Mage]

Strictly for game balance reasons, I would say abilities which affect magic can affect psionics and vice versa (dispel magic, anti-magic field, detect spells, etc.). However, I think psionics should have no verbal, somatic or material components. While they could technically be counterspelled it would be very hard to realistically do that.

 

[R_J_K75]

Psionics as I see them are not magic and should not be treated as such. What I am looking for in Psionics is the ability to make my players piss their pants when they realize what they are up against.

 

[Mistwell]

Other: I just want psionics to play with. I don't care if it's magic or metaphysical. I don't care if it's a single dedicated class or sub-classes. I just want psionics to play with. That's it.

I have some minor preferences, but as my minor preferences won't be represented (Deryni) I don't much care about it other than I hope it's balanced OK and playtested.

 

[SkidAce]

Other: I just want psionics to play with. I don't care if it's magic or metaphysical. I don't care if it's a single dedicated class or sub-classes. I just want psionics to play with. That's it.

I have some minor preferences, but as my minor preferences won't be represented (Deryni) I don't much care about it other than I hope it's balanced OK and playtested.

Quoted for truth and the Deryni reference!

 

[Fenris-77]

Who doesn't love a good Deryni reference? Long live King Kelson.

 

[Tallifer]

I want Bene Gesserit, Jedi and Deryni. Psionics should somehow have different mechanics to reflect different fluff. However, not too different, such that they circumvent limitations. Concentration and magical resistance etc have to apply otherwise the whole Monster Manual has to be rewritten.

Of course, if 5E had just kept the traditions of 2E, 3E or 4E in the core, there would be no need for these complications. But that ship has sailed. (Which is why I have gone back to running 4E for my own campaign, although I will play 5E.)

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

I will probably annoy some people, but I don't give a crap for any previous Psionics version as a whole. There may be bits and pieces from them that can be reused, but 5E needs something fresh. Now, because there is already a bunch of stuff in 5E with the "Psychic" tag, make a magical, supernatural version that builds on that. But I would also like a separate Psionic system that is not magic, though I know two separate classes, one magic and one not, would probably never happen in the "simpler is better" 5E system.

But anyway, give the existing classes a Psychic, magic-based subclass and make a separate Psionicist class that has nothing to do with magic and perhaps make a power point system that is built using the ki system from the monk.

Basically, give me both.