Unearthed Arcana Why UA Psionics are never going to work in 5e.

[Maxperson]

Ki basically are spell points though. They just also use their spell points for other non-/quasi-magical abilities. One of the reasons why the 4E Monk sucks is because of how its Ki points conflict with other class features and with the action economy. But it still basically operates as a 1/3 caster with spell points that recharge on a short rest (e.g., see Warlock).

You don't even have to look at Monks for spell points to be a perfect fit for 5e rules that already exist. Just look in the DMG at the character options.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I forgot about spell points already being a 5e optional rule in the DMG. So it wouldn't even be a different rule at all for psionics to have points. Thanks for the reminder.

Did you? I thought it was pretty well known. The issue is 133 points (at 20th level) is a complicated exercise in record keeping, compared to 20 points. So not an attractive model for people who find complexity a problem. I found this irritating whilst playtesting the mystic.

It is also makes casters far more powerful, since you can spam your highest level spells in every fight. There are several accounts on these forums of people using spell points and finding this a problem.

 

[Maxperson]

Did you? I thought it was pretty well known. The issue is 133 points (at 20th level) is a complicated exercise in record keeping, compared to 20 points. So not an attractive model for people who find complexity a problem. I found this irritating whilst playtesting the mystic.

What's complicated about simple basic math? You use a spell, you subtract. You get a slot back, you add that many points back. It's simple and easy.

It is also makes casters far more powerful, since you can spam your highest level spells in every fight. There are several accounts on these forums of people using spell points and finding this a problem.

I hope they do. Long rests in my game take a week and blowing all your points in an encounter or two is a good way to sit out most of the fights or just spam cantrips over and over.

 

[Chaosmancer]

What's complicated about simple basic math? You use a spell, you subtract. You get a slot back, you add that many points back. It's simple and easy.

The same thing about rolling a die, and if it is a 1 grabbing a bigger die and if it is the highest value grabbing the smaller.

It is different

 

[Maxperson]

The same thing about rolling a die, and if it is a 1 grabbing a bigger die and if it is the highest value grabbing the smaller.

It is different

Different? Sure. Complicated? No.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

What's complicated about simple basic math? You use a spell, you subtract. You get a slot back, you add that many points back. It's simple and easy.

The same way changing your die to a D4 when you roll a 6 is complicated. Even I find doing three digit subtractions tedious, and I teach Maths.

I hope they do. Long rests in my game take a week and blowing all your points in an encounter or two is a good way to sit out most of the fights or just spam cantrips over and over.

Non-standard houserules aside, that's not the issue. Issue is low level spells may as well not exist, since you use your spell points to cast your highest level spells. Under standard rules you have 4/3/3/3/3/2/2/1/1 spells at 20th level. Under point buy you have 0/1/0/0/0/0/0/0/10 spells at level 20.

 

[Maxperson]

The same way changing your die to a D4 when you roll a 6 is complicated. Even I find doing three digit subtractions tedious, and I teach Maths.

3 digit? Don't something like 90% of campaigns end by 8th level? A PC doesn't hit 3 digits worth of points until 17th level, and you only subtract 1 or maaaaaaybe 2 digits from that total if you've gone past the vast majority of campaigns and into high levels.

Non-standard houserules aside, that's not the issue. Issue is low level spells may as well not exist, since you use your spell points to cast your highest level spells. Under standard rules you have 4/3/3/3/3/2/2/1/1 spells at 20th level. Under point buy you have 0/1/0/0/0/0/0/0/10 spells at level 20.

That's just dumb. Not you, but rather treating magic that way. You're gimping yourself horribly by using so few spells and ditching all the incredible utility spells that exist within all the lower levels, as well as ensuring that you are useless during most of the encounters in a given adventuring day. You're basically saying that it's better to use Wish to transport 30 feet than Misty Step.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

Non-standard houserules aside, that's not the issue. Issue is low level spells may as well not exist, since you use your spell points to cast your highest level spells. Under standard rules you have 4/3/3/3/3/2/2/1/1 spells at 20th level. Under point buy you have 0/1/0/0/0/0/0/0/10 spells at level 20.

That's not how it works. You aren't allowed to create more than one spell slot of each level above 5th per long rest. This actually means you have less high level spell slots than the standard rules, because you never get those extra 6th and 7th level slots.

Yes, you can convert the rest into all 5th level slots if you want. But there are plenty of useful spells that either gain little from upcasting, or just aren't worth the resource cost. If you only need to make one scout invisible, there is no reason to upcast invisibility.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

I would personally like a psionic based character to use spell points. There are limitations to the higher level "spells" as well.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Here's a video on this topic: