What Should Be Done With Psionics?

[Enforcer]

I saw the latest Design and Development article, but you are just guessing that each class will use only one implement, correct? If not, could you please provide a source for your statements?

The article I read (http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/drdd/20070917a) simply said that the Wizard would use all four of these implements, hence my confusion with your post.

 

[Bacris]

Less Uri Geller, more Tibetan mystic, I guess. I'd love it if Psions, Soulknives, and Monks all had the same power source...

I agree with this.

However, the whole "they should each have their own area" argument from earlier in the thread is a great idea - as long as the wizard doesn't get the current incarnation of "anything you can do, I can do better." You have to scale down what the wizard gets if you want to differentiate while still making each section viable.

That's part of the reason psionics has some of the same aspects of wizards - they get so freaking much, it's virtually impossible to NOT get some overlap. If psionics ONLY had things wizards could NOT do, the psionic rules would be about 40 pages... Instead of the 200 of the XPH, plus the additional in Complete Psionic

Oh, and psionics NOT blowing things up? Firestarter, much?

 

[Sadrik]

A psion's theme/niche in my mind is is three things:
1. Telepathy (mind control, astral projection, mind reading, psychic blasts, improved mental capabilities, mind-blade etc)
2. Telekinesis (force like effects: shields, walls, blasts, bigby's hands, "mage" hand, teleportation, levitate himself, fly himself etc.)
3. Body control (heal self, physical improvements, improved senses, monk-like abilities, transform arm into a weapon, make himself light as a feather, shapechange, bio-electric shocks, energy absorption etc.).

As long as those three things make it in I am happy.

However, I wont be happy if they can: blast things (like they can in 3.5), raise undead, make illusions, or do other things that other classes should be doing. I dont want the psion spoiling other class niches.

The telepath and the enchanter are going to be very similar mechanically, I would prefer to give the stuff to the telepath and call it a day.

The telekinetic and the new "staff" wizard would have some overlap too with the whole telekinetic thing. Some really thought would have to go in to make sure the telekinetic is not the red headed step child of the "staff" wizard.

 

[Rechan]

I do respect this position, but, if anything, I want more of that. I think D&D psionics should be more than the modern concept of psychic powers transplanted into a fantasy setting.

I can't disagree more.

The second complaint that people have about psionics (the first being: It's psionic, thus overpowered) is: "It's Sci-Fi, get it out of my fantasy!"

I'm indifferent towards the crystals and ectoplasm, to tell you the truth, but the thing that I hate with an utter passion is the contemporary-sounding powers. "Matter Agitation", "Id Insinuation" "Biofeedback". No, no no no. Give me "Boil the Core" "Thief of Clarity" and "Flesh of the Troll" if you must. Make the powers sound cool, not like I'm reading a text book.

And I agree, very little if no psionic/magic overlap. I think that psions and mages should be able to do Similar things, but the Effects should be distinctly different. Where the wizard fireballs something, the psion reduces everyone in a 20' radius to a gibbering heap of uselessness, or makes them bleed out their nose and ears as they stab themselves compulsively. The Wizard polymorphs himself into a monster; the Psion creates own forms from his inner anger/his nightmares/a combination of materials around him. The wizard casts "Resist Fire"; the Psion converts the fire damage to healing energy. The Wizard throws a torrent of fire; the Psion reduces the ambiant temperature to freezing (Cold damage in x radius around him) while he uses the heat for a pin-point ray of flame. The Wizard dimensional doors, the Psion turns himself into a shadow/incorporeal/liquid. The Wizard can use Clairvoyance, the Psion sees through the eyes of his target. The Wizard casts Whispering Wind/Sending, the Psion uses Telepathy/appears before the individual (In their mind) and they have a conversation.

I prefer the psion to be a combination of Yogi, Jedi, and The Shadow.

That said, I think that there is room for the Nomad/Seer. I like those power setups a lot, in all honesty. I just don't know how to work'm.

Also, I think there needs to be some good telekinetic powers beyond 3rd level powers. I should be able to be a telekinetic guy from level 1 - it just gets better as I go. Like Burning Hands, then Flaming Sphere/Scorching Ray, then Fireball.

 

[Enforcer]

Sign me up for Sadrik's niches/themes. This is what (in my opinion) a psion should be doing.

 

[Samuel Leming]

I'd like to see a skills and feats implementation of psionics. Psions would gain their basic powers by taking the base level feats(for example: telekinesis, telepathy) and what the psion can do with them will depend upon their skill levels and maybe some additional specific feats.

Sam

 

[Sadrik]

Oh, and psionics NOT blowing things up? Firestarter, much?

And there are countless sources where wizards are doing very psionic like things (mind reading, mind control, telekinesis etc.) Just because there is a source for a fire-starting psychic personality doesn't mean they should be in the D&D framework. Leave throwing fireballs and launching cold cones etc for the wizard. The 3.5 psionic rules left much to be desired thematically.

 

[Bacris]

The 3.5 psionic rules left much to be desired thematically.

I'll agree with that. My thought process has always been that 2E had some of the best psionic flavor, worst rules, while 3.5 has the best rules, but not the best flavor.

However, the point I'm trying to make is there's niche and then there's niche. The psion niche should be able to do something needed for the party - not just something nobody else does.

 

[GreatLemur]

AHowever, I wont be happy if they can: blast things (like they can in 3.5), raise undead, make illusions, or do other things that other classes should be doing.

I dunno; I think illusions of a sort could fit pretty well with the telepath archetype. You've just gotta make it clear that these images aren't actual like being projected into the room and seen by anyone there, but ideas planted in specific individuals' minds. The obvious mechanical differences, of course, would be that psionic illusions would be target-specific effects that are useless against mindless entities. And, of course, any observer the psion is unaware of (or, for whatever reason, doesn't bother to target) isn't going to see the illusions.

I prefer the psion to be a combination of Yogi, Jedi, and The Shadow.

Now that's a really cool way to put it.

I'll just be happy if we can ditch the freaking crystals, personally. I don't care if they look like sci-fi or fantasy trappings; they're just lame.

 

[Rechan]

However, the point I'm trying to make is there's niche and then there's niche. The psion niche should be able to do something needed for the party - not just something nobody else does.

What you are describing is Role.

What is the Role of the Psion? Is he a controller? Leader? Striker? Defender?

Just like a Paladin and a Fighter have different options for Defending, a Psion should have a different way of controlling than a Wizard.