Tectuktitlay
Explorer
Well, at its core, I want quite a bit from psionics. There's a pretty good chance I will actually write my own psionics handbook as well.
First of all, I want it to be much more focused on at-wills. In fact, from my perspective it should be a series of classes with essentially all at-wills that uses allotted resources to periodically buff what they are already capable of. I don't really want any psionic ability in the game to require spending PPs to function, if it can be helped.
Similar to the sentiments expressed by others, I also view psionics in a more...classical sense? Classical in perhaps a non-D&D sense? Many effects that are much more...overt in nature, like teleportation, shapeshifting, summoning, and so on, shouldn't really be in the psionic repertoire, imho. I actually prefer psionics truly be something strictly produced by the mind that affects the world in ways that, while outside the bounds of the norm, aren't nearly so...radical. It is a very subtle discipline indeed, compared to magic. So much so that anyone looking in from the outside doesn't see anything all that out of the ordinary.
Making someone think you've shapeshifted with psionic illusions? Yes, and only that person sees you like that. Actually physically transforming into something else? No. And detecting illusions won't do anything, because it's not actually an illusion, either. There isn't an illusion there, the person being affected is quite literally having their own senses altered within their mind.
You're not invisible, you make people unable to sense your presence. So those five people you just used your Cloud Senses power on? They can't sense your presence or that of your chosen allies. You might very well even be able to talk out loud to one another without those whose minds are clouded having a clue. But that guy you didn't notice down the hall? He sees and hears you all completely and utterly fine.
To expand on the idea that psionics are more subtle, more hidden, by their very nature. Psionic characters come and go in fictional stories without anyone knowing, a great deal of the time, unless someone has been explicitly trained to sense and understand psionics and the psychic imprints left behind. Unlike magical compulsion, you don't know that you were charmed by a telepath. You don't know why you did what you did while you were dominated. If a telepathic power fails to work against a target? They don't actually know the attempt was made at all unless they are trained to.
Psionics is also a lot more...controlled. Psionic characters, by and large, train endlessly to hone their powers, to exert immense control over each abilities. While a mage will cast a fireball and catch everyone in a blast, a psionicist will set exactly what they want within range on fire. The more PPs they are willing to spend, the more targets they can hit, or the more damage they can do, etc.
On that note, because of this, psionic powers don't require saving throws nearly as often. Since psionics is about control, a psionic character relies much, much more on their own ability to hit their target, and much, much less on saves to avoid an effect. Saves against psionics are instead mostly there to end an effect early. While a wizard hurls a fireball and the targets make a Reflex save to take half damage, a psion makes attack rolls to hit their targets with an "area of effect" ability. If the targets then catch fire, they save to have that damage over time effect end.
Also related, since psions are about self-control and exerting their own agency, the template in the first playtest for attacking a saving throw was actually a really good idea to base things on, and I disagree with its removal: A psion doesn't attack your AC, they attack one of your passive saves (so 10 + saving throw bonus). This means a wizard with a relatively low AC would likely have a much easier time fighting against a telepath than a warrior with a high AC would. Feats and abilities related to improved willpower could explicitly buff your save vs psionic effects as added, free benefits. Yes, this potentially makes those abilities stronger against some targets, and that's ok. For the same reason that targets with higher saves of a certain type are much more effective against spellcasters using spells with that save. The only difference is who is controlling the roll. It is apropos for psionic characters to maintain control, because when push comes to shove, they are being more precise and focused about every action. The entirety of their life they've likely been honing their abilities like a sense, like muscle memory, etc. It's not rote, it's not ritual, which are different kinds of precision.
I also think the single most prevalent trope we see for psionic characters across all genres is that it taps into your physical reserves. Psionic power comes from within, not from an external source. To me, this means two things:
1) Short rest recovery of PPs is critical. Psionic characters usually just need to rest a little while before pushing their limits again
2) To me, tapping into your personal reserves translates as sacrificing hit points to gain a boost in PPs. No limits. You want to push your hit points to the very brink, even to knocking yourself unconscious? Go for it. If there is one thing you consistently see in psionic characters in every type of fantasy or sci fi setting you see them in, it's that they can physically harm themselves overusing their powers. Cause their nose to bleed. Get wobbly from pushing themselves. Falling unconscious. Having hit points as a power resource is novel, and something worthy of a mainstay defining characteristic for all psionic characters.
As far as powers, beyond what I've mentioned above? Or what's been mentioned in the thread already? The big one for me is:
Clairsentience. Clairsentient psionic abilities need to work, and they need to work more consistently than they do for any other class.
Making an astral form, especially, is probably the most ignored key ability I want to see. I want a discipline that simply turns your own senses off, and puts them into a remote sensor that looks like an astral version of yourself, invisible to anyone who can't sense psychic imprints. It moves around like you do, by default starting from your own body and moving away from it at your own speed and travel modes. You can spend PPs to make it do extras like fly, or phase through walls, or gain extra senses, or initially appear somewhere far away, etc.
The important part is that your real body is left vulnerable while your astral form is out and about. You can use your non-psychometabolic powers while you're in astral form. For all intents and purposes, it is where your mind and senses are currently located. It costs PPs to use at-wills while astral projecting, though. It takes effort just to maintain your astral form, so any other abilities used will tap into your reserves. But just wandering around in astral form? You can do that at-will, all day long. Potent? Sure! But novel, unique, and since you leave your real body incredibly vulnerable, it carries with it a profoundly deep risk.
Yeah, like I said. I will very likely end up writing my own psionic handbook for 5e, as well.
First of all, I want it to be much more focused on at-wills. In fact, from my perspective it should be a series of classes with essentially all at-wills that uses allotted resources to periodically buff what they are already capable of. I don't really want any psionic ability in the game to require spending PPs to function, if it can be helped.
Similar to the sentiments expressed by others, I also view psionics in a more...classical sense? Classical in perhaps a non-D&D sense? Many effects that are much more...overt in nature, like teleportation, shapeshifting, summoning, and so on, shouldn't really be in the psionic repertoire, imho. I actually prefer psionics truly be something strictly produced by the mind that affects the world in ways that, while outside the bounds of the norm, aren't nearly so...radical. It is a very subtle discipline indeed, compared to magic. So much so that anyone looking in from the outside doesn't see anything all that out of the ordinary.
Making someone think you've shapeshifted with psionic illusions? Yes, and only that person sees you like that. Actually physically transforming into something else? No. And detecting illusions won't do anything, because it's not actually an illusion, either. There isn't an illusion there, the person being affected is quite literally having their own senses altered within their mind.
You're not invisible, you make people unable to sense your presence. So those five people you just used your Cloud Senses power on? They can't sense your presence or that of your chosen allies. You might very well even be able to talk out loud to one another without those whose minds are clouded having a clue. But that guy you didn't notice down the hall? He sees and hears you all completely and utterly fine.
To expand on the idea that psionics are more subtle, more hidden, by their very nature. Psionic characters come and go in fictional stories without anyone knowing, a great deal of the time, unless someone has been explicitly trained to sense and understand psionics and the psychic imprints left behind. Unlike magical compulsion, you don't know that you were charmed by a telepath. You don't know why you did what you did while you were dominated. If a telepathic power fails to work against a target? They don't actually know the attempt was made at all unless they are trained to.
Psionics is also a lot more...controlled. Psionic characters, by and large, train endlessly to hone their powers, to exert immense control over each abilities. While a mage will cast a fireball and catch everyone in a blast, a psionicist will set exactly what they want within range on fire. The more PPs they are willing to spend, the more targets they can hit, or the more damage they can do, etc.
On that note, because of this, psionic powers don't require saving throws nearly as often. Since psionics is about control, a psionic character relies much, much more on their own ability to hit their target, and much, much less on saves to avoid an effect. Saves against psionics are instead mostly there to end an effect early. While a wizard hurls a fireball and the targets make a Reflex save to take half damage, a psion makes attack rolls to hit their targets with an "area of effect" ability. If the targets then catch fire, they save to have that damage over time effect end.
Also related, since psions are about self-control and exerting their own agency, the template in the first playtest for attacking a saving throw was actually a really good idea to base things on, and I disagree with its removal: A psion doesn't attack your AC, they attack one of your passive saves (so 10 + saving throw bonus). This means a wizard with a relatively low AC would likely have a much easier time fighting against a telepath than a warrior with a high AC would. Feats and abilities related to improved willpower could explicitly buff your save vs psionic effects as added, free benefits. Yes, this potentially makes those abilities stronger against some targets, and that's ok. For the same reason that targets with higher saves of a certain type are much more effective against spellcasters using spells with that save. The only difference is who is controlling the roll. It is apropos for psionic characters to maintain control, because when push comes to shove, they are being more precise and focused about every action. The entirety of their life they've likely been honing their abilities like a sense, like muscle memory, etc. It's not rote, it's not ritual, which are different kinds of precision.
I also think the single most prevalent trope we see for psionic characters across all genres is that it taps into your physical reserves. Psionic power comes from within, not from an external source. To me, this means two things:
1) Short rest recovery of PPs is critical. Psionic characters usually just need to rest a little while before pushing their limits again
2) To me, tapping into your personal reserves translates as sacrificing hit points to gain a boost in PPs. No limits. You want to push your hit points to the very brink, even to knocking yourself unconscious? Go for it. If there is one thing you consistently see in psionic characters in every type of fantasy or sci fi setting you see them in, it's that they can physically harm themselves overusing their powers. Cause their nose to bleed. Get wobbly from pushing themselves. Falling unconscious. Having hit points as a power resource is novel, and something worthy of a mainstay defining characteristic for all psionic characters.
As far as powers, beyond what I've mentioned above? Or what's been mentioned in the thread already? The big one for me is:
Clairsentience. Clairsentient psionic abilities need to work, and they need to work more consistently than they do for any other class.
Making an astral form, especially, is probably the most ignored key ability I want to see. I want a discipline that simply turns your own senses off, and puts them into a remote sensor that looks like an astral version of yourself, invisible to anyone who can't sense psychic imprints. It moves around like you do, by default starting from your own body and moving away from it at your own speed and travel modes. You can spend PPs to make it do extras like fly, or phase through walls, or gain extra senses, or initially appear somewhere far away, etc.
The important part is that your real body is left vulnerable while your astral form is out and about. You can use your non-psychometabolic powers while you're in astral form. For all intents and purposes, it is where your mind and senses are currently located. It costs PPs to use at-wills while astral projecting, though. It takes effort just to maintain your astral form, so any other abilities used will tap into your reserves. But just wandering around in astral form? You can do that at-will, all day long. Potent? Sure! But novel, unique, and since you leave your real body incredibly vulnerable, it carries with it a profoundly deep risk.
Yeah, like I said. I will very likely end up writing my own psionic handbook for 5e, as well.
Last edited:
