D&D General So, how much did/do you use psionics?

[Aldarc]

I enjoy psionic characters. I have played at least one across a variety of D&D and D&D-adjacent games: e.g., 3e D&D, d20 Modern, Arcana Unearthed/Evolved, Blue Rose (True 20), PF1 (Dreamscarred Press), 4e D&D, etc. Nothing in D&D 5e, however, has grabbed my attention when it comes to that psychic/psionic itch.

 

[fuindordm]

Psionics were prominent (integral to the setting) in one 1e campaign that I ran and one 2e campaign that I played in. I admittedly never used the full psionic-on-psionic combat rules in either, but for both 1e and 2e the system of powers and power points are fine.
I've seen a smattering of PCs with psionics in other campaigns. I don't find them game-breaking in the least. The only control I put on it as a DM was a mild XP penalty (5% to 20%) to represent the extra effort needed to master those powers.

 

[Voadam]

For psionic monsters in 2e and 3e I generally preferred the straight versions out of the MM that say psionics but use the magic rules with some straightforward one off psionic powers. The option in the 2e psionic handbook to redo the mind flayer as a full psion with specific power points to track was just too fiddly for my purposes as a DM when the option to use a more straightforward monster stat block was right there. Same with 3e and aboleths and such. I also used some psionic/3rd party psychic monsters straight when they were the only statblock for them.

I was fine with psionics as a concept in D&D and mostly fine with the mechanics for PCs in 2e and 3e, I just wanted to use easier to run mechanics as a DM and I was fine narratively calling stuff psionics.

 

[Yaarel]

For psionic monsters in 2e and 3e I generally preferred the straight versions out of the MM that say psionics but use the magic rules with some straightforward one off psionic powers. The option in the 2e psionic handbook to redo the mind flayer as a full psion with specific power points to track was just too fiddly for my purposes as a DM when the option to use a more straightforward monster stat block was right there. Same with 3e and aboleths and such. I also used some psionic/3rd party psychic monsters straight when they were the only statblock for them.

I was fine with psionics as a concept in D&D and mostly fine with the mechanics for PCs in 2e and 3e, I just wanted to use easier to run mechanics as a DM and I was fine narratively calling stuff psionics.

Started playing just before 4e came out. I love the 3e (3.5) Psion. During 3e, the Psion was breath of fresh air escaping vancian casting.

But in 5e, vancian casting is (mostly) gone.

It is the flavor of Psionic that I care most about, namely the personal magic of a soul/mind.

I am fine with the 5e decent normal mechanics for the Psionic flavor.

(That said, I am now very fond of the Short Rest spell point mechanics, but as a normal mechanic, not just for Psionic.)

 

[Misanthrope Prime]

I haven't run a lot of AD&D games and when I have the players have wanted to be very conservative with the classes, characters and overall fantasies they want to enact. I wouldn't ban anyone from using psionics at my table in a 1e game, but I've never had a player want to use them, so the few times they come into play is when I'm using psionic monsters as a DM

 

[steeldragons]

Very early in 1e, I had a female illusionist (human, obviously, since that or gnome were your only options, then). She had some levels and then the DM/group wanted randomly decided to roll everyone's psionics (which we just didn't do, normally, bitd). She made the impossibly high cut!

What began as a bunch of random, sort of pointless, powers -she could levitate, which was kinda a huge deal without a spell at the time and was -for a bunch of comic book/fantasy/sci-fi/X-men nerds - obviously skinned as a limited telekinetic ability.

Eventually, over the years, into 2e, she was pulled out from time to time (and I would use her as an NPC when I dm'd) more and more retconned and reskinned that, while she had trained as an illusionist/had studied magic and knew about sorcery and spellcasting and such, her "illusionist spells" were all explained - and purposely chosen to be able to explain - as various psionic/psychic powers. Telepathy: visual illusions, mirror image, invisibility, phantasmal killer, dazing/knocking people out with "Color Spray," etc... Empathic powers: charm person, confusion, fear, et al. And minor telekinetic abilities: kept her levitation, "wall of fog" with ambient atmosphere/moisture, "shadow magic" became stuff that was semi-real psychic(what we'd now call "force")/telekinetic effects, etc... And thus, my first D&D "psychic" character was...well, not so much "born," as "evolved into."

 

[CleverNickName]

I really do love when I wake up in the morning and check EN World and there's another ping about Paranormal Power.

I'm so happy I wrote that book. <3

It's one of my favorite Kickstarters. If it ever gets added to Roll20, call Cirque de Solei because I will FLIP.

 

[Micah Sweet]

It's one of my favorite Kickstarters. If it ever gets added to Roll20, call Cirque de Solei because I will FLIP.

Personally I'm hoping for Paranormal Power 2! Electric Bugaloo would actually be appropriate.

 

[jolt]

We did use them in 1E though only a few characters ever had them (I had one of them). In 2E, we did have one player who ran a Psionicist after that handbook came out. I personally never played one in 2E.

 

[Vael]

I started with 3.5, and can't recall any psionics. Pretty sure my 3.5 DMs were anti-psionics and I only DMed once and didn't have a good time, but no psionic PCs were involved.

4e ... once Psionic classes were around, we used them. I played the Thri-Kreen Battlemind in the Dark Sun organized play campaign, regularly saw a psionic class or two whether I DMed or played..

5e ... I have played a Mystic, twice. Thought it was a solid step towards a good class, was quite disappointed it was abandoned. All three psionic themed subclasses have been in games I've played in.