D&D 5E What's on your psionics wishlist for 5E?

[doctorhook]

Hey gang,

Given its traction in the community and history within D&D, psionics are highly likely to get an official treatment in 5E eventually. When that happens, what kinds of things would you like to see? Let's brainstorm--mash-up your themes and settings and go wild!

I want to see:

• Power points!;
• Psion class (with six subclasses, "psionic disciplines");
• Soulknife subclass for monk or rogue (but which one?);
• Psychic warrior subclass for fighters;
• Druid and/or Ranger "aberration-killer" subclass(es);
• An alienist subclass for wizards;
• A (better) mind domain for clerics;
• Kalashtar PC race;
• Thri-Kreen PC race;
• Duergar PC race;
• Psionic mindflayers;
• Psionic couatls;

What do YOU want to see in 5E psionics?

 

[Sacrosanct]

I know a lot of people didn't like it, but I really enjoyed the way 2e handled psionics and the class.

 

[steeldragons]

OO fun!

I know some of this might not be exactly meshing with what others want, but it is my wishlist.

#1: STOP calling them Psionics and make them "Psychic" like they always should have been.

#2: Simple system: Power points seems the best way to go. Really, you could already run a psionic with the sorcerer, as is. Though it would be a bit more limited than I'd like to see psychics. Just need a decent list of powers.

#3: Simple subclasses: I would go as simple as 3: Telepath, Telekinetic and Clairvoyant/Seer.

But a Psychic Warrior/Knight subclass for all the jedi-wannabes seems a foregone conclusion. So, I could live with 4 subclasses, I guess.

#4: What I do NOT need to see: A Psionic Fighter, a Psionic Rogue, a Psionic Mage, a Psionic Cleric, a Psionic Barbarian, a Psionic Bard, a Psionic...NnnnO! <swak> Bad developer. Put the tablet DOWN! I don'wannem.

#5: Please PLEASE kill the Soulknife/-blade/Psylocke ripoff. I know it'll never happen. But it's a "wish list."

#6: A simple optional subsystem for random psychic talents/abilities for [otherwise] "normal" classes. Like the 1e random chance to have psionics. So your could have a Ranger or Druid who is actually able to mentally or empathically speak with animals. Probably why they were geared in that direction/interest in animals/nature from a young age. A mage with only a random/slight touch of precognition. A cleric who can heal minds/psychic damage as well as bodies...again, likely gearing her toward a career/interest in healing to begin with. Etc... Random talents.

#7: [which legitimately should maybe go up the list, like to #2] PSYCHIC POWERS & ABILITIES! There will be overlap with magic spells, certainly. Particularly enchantment type stuff and some illusions. But I do NOT need to see psychic cellular rearranging, shapechanging, physical combat abilities [well, I guess the telekinetic would have something applicable here, but still], etc... I don't need a 1-to-1 with stuff other classes or types of magic. They are "Psionic" powers. Make them PSYCHIC! Make them MENTAL abilities!

I should be able to stun/knockout targets with bolts of psychic energy. I should be able to make guards think they are paralyzed or make myself invisible [influence their mind to not "see" me]. Communicate/call allies over great distances. I should be able to throw/grab/manipulate physical objects and block/redirect energy types with my telekinetic force fields. I should be able to scan an area for other sentient and psychically aware/capable minds. Send out my "mind's eye" to reconnoiter, find out where the MacGuffin is and keep tabs on the BBEG's location, so we can avoid it.

And, naturally, engage in mental/psychic battle with other psychically capable beings: fight off or exorcise possessing creatures/psyches, block my (and my companions') mind(s) from intrusion or control, battle mindflayers on the astral/mental/psychic plane [however it is fluffed] and shatter their minds, maybe counter Magic Jar and/or undo Feeblemind.


I think that's all I really want out of 5e psionics. As usual, I will probably just homebrew/continue using my own psychic powers system.

 

[steeldragons]

For things like "Backgrounds".

I think...

Medium: Your mental powers allow you to see/sense/talk to (maybe all three, maybe not) spirits of the dead [and maybe other Ethereal beings].
Fortuneteller: You may not be a "seer" [or maybe you are] but you can read portents/see outcomes (through runestones, cards, bones, the stars, crystal-gazing, etc... however you want) with some accuracy.
Counselor: Some natural/heightened empathy/insight/persuasion.
Hermit already exists.
Charlatan already exists.

That would be sufficient.

 

[RangerWickett]

In modern pop culture there is no concept of a psychic who can only be psychic for a little bit each day. You have weak psychics and strong psychics, but they can use their powers all day long, unless they "push themselves" for extra strength and then are burned out for a while.

So first, no power points.

Second, our goal is to emulate Telepathy (Professor Xavier) and Telekinesis (Magneto).

Really, I want 'Psionics' to be dippable. I want you to be able to have one or three levels in it and get a super power -- or maybe a handful of related powers. But most characters wouldn't be single-classed psions. I mean, how often in pop culture do you see psychic people levitating and controlling minds and shapeshifting and creating fire and seeing the future?

 

[Mercurius]

#5: Please PLEASE kill the Soulknife/-blade/Psylocke ripoff. I know it'll never happen. But it's a "wish list."

You mean the focused totality of Psylocke's telepathic powers as Chris Claremont was always so fond of reminding us?!

Second, our goal is to emulate Telepathy (Professor Xavier) and Telekinesis (Magneto).

How dare thee!!! Magneto is NOT a telekinetic. He's the Master of Magnetism!

(Sorry folks, after 20+ years hiatus from comics, I've been re-reading the entire run of the X-Men over the last couple months)

 

[Greg K]

I want to see Green Ronin's Psychic's Handbook updated.

 

[steeldragons]

How else do you gage it then, the level of their power, how many tricks/stunts they can do with their "super power" (since that sounds like what you're going for) without power points?

I think they work fine mechanically if you give them enough points to work with. Story/fluff wise, when they run down on PP they are mentally exhausted and have trouble focusing/concentrating enough energy to manifest their powers...though, we've already agreed in other psionic threads, a "push themselves beyond their limits" is essential.

For me, when one says "Psionics/Psychics" in D&D, I think Prof. X for Telepathy and Jean Grey for Telekinetics. Magneto is, explicitly, controlling electro-magnetism and moving/shaping things and creating forcefields with electromagnetism. If you want to make the argument that that control is telekinetics, I suppose it makes sense. But Magneto is hardly a common image for telekinesis. It's like saying Pyro is a Telekinetic. Well, sure...he is when it comes to fire...but that's all.

I don't think I would want a Telekinetic class built around controlling one kind of thing...now, a Telekinetic class with it's own subclasses...well, I guess you could follow a Warlock kind of structure...?
Class: Psychic
The Subclasses: Select a "Focus" [instead of Pact]: Mind, Matter...Spirit? Time?
Select a "Discipline" [instead of Patron]: Telepathy or Telekinetics

So you could have a Telepathic Mind Psychic [your Prof. X telepath as commonly understood], a Telepathic Matter Psychic [effecting the body through manipulating the brain], or a Telepathic Spirit Psychic [mediums, astral projecting, aura reading, etc... Channeling spirits to give you different knowledge or powers?]

You could be a Matter Kinetic: selecting fire, magnetism, ice, etc..., a Mind Kinetic [Jean Grey/Jedi "force" effects], or a Spirit Kinetic [I'mmmm not sure here...something with ethereal/astral travel, maybe your 'porters/formerly "psychoportation" discipline/powers? Being able to "move yourself" seems fairly telekineticky. Not sure how "spirit" oriented it is. ]

Unlike Warlocks, as you leveled up you could maybe pick up multiple foci to gain new powers.

That gives you the "classic psychic" tropes and the mutant/superhero angle as well...though how that plays/meshes in D&D setting/game I am not sure. [I know you have that magneto guy in Zeitgeist. ]

 

[GMforPowergamers]

#1: STOP calling them Psionics and make them "Psychic" like they always should have been.

#3: Simple subclasses: I would go as simple as 3: Telepath, Telekinetic and Clairvoyant/Seer.

But a Psychic Warrior/Knight subclass for all the jedi-wannabes seems a foregone conclusion. So, I could live with 4 subclasses, I guess.

In modern pop culture there is no concept of a psychic who can only be psychic for a little bit each day. You have weak psychics and strong psychics, but they can use their powers all day long, unless they "push themselves" for extra strength and then are burned out for a while.
-snip- Second, our goal is to emulate Telepathy (Professor Xavier) and Telekinesis (Magneto).

I want the warlock as our starting ground.. you choose at will abilities, and you get power points that enhance them... there is a psychic strain when you push yourself...

I would love there to be 1 new class with 4 subclasses
Psychic (telepath) (Telekinetic) (Psychometabolic) and (Clearsentence)

then I would love to see a monk sub class or two, and a fighter and rogue one...

 

[SkidAce]

I would like the psionics to have perhaps one central class, with sub-classes, and the rest of the concepts handled by rare (wild) talents as add-ons, or multi-classing.