D&D 5E What is the appeal of psionic characters for players?

[Phion]

I am currently reading the Soulknife rogue and psi warrior fighter from Tasha's cauldron of everyhting and I am just curious as to what draws a player to these psionic characters from a roleplaying persepctive. Does anyone have positive experience with these subclasses? I find the concept of psionics a little jarring personally and I am not quite sure how my characters would roleplay with them; they seem to either train their mind like monks, learn in academies like wizards or gain it from more stressful/natural situations like the sorcerer (why not all 3?). I am sure that there are players that could make this character interesting (one that pretends to just be a wizard or monk because it is easier to explain to others comes to mind); but I mostly just anticpate players using the subclass because it sounds cool but not doing anything with their character to give myself and others anything to bounce off so they end up just sat their at the table rolling dice.

 

[tetrasodium]

There are two components to answering your question. Mechanically they are pretty neat & it doesn't matter if the fluff is psionics or magic. Lorewise however psionics are a major components of darksun, one of eberron's continents, & probably other stuff. Without having at least some psionic classes/archetypes it makes running games in those settings/areas extremely difficult.
As to darksun specifically Arcane magic is responsible for the post apocalyptic state of the world deeply feared & restricted to the point that the sorcerer kings devote resources to making sure arcane casters are hunted & killed. Psionics practitioners aren't defilers

 

[cbwjm]

I just like psionics as an alternate power source. The thought of orders of mind warriors is cool.

 

[Phion]

There are two components to answering your question. Mechanically they are pretty neat & it doesn't matter if the fluff is psionics or magic. Lorewise however psionics are a major components of darksun, one of eberron's continents, & probably other stuff. Without having at least some psionic classes/archetypes it makes running games in those settings/areas extremely difficult.
As to darksun specifically Arcane magic is responsible for the post apocalyptic state of the world deeply feared & restricted to the point that the sorcerer kings devote resources to making sure arcane casters are hunted & killed. Psionics practitioners aren't defilers

I had not considered specfic settings, in a world with lore this subclass would be easier to roleplay with. I mostly do homebrew campaigns so on my end it just does not seem to fit in

 

[TwoSix]

I had not considered specfic settings, in a world with lore this subclass would be easier to roleplay with. I mostly do homebrew campaigns so on my end it just does not seem to fit in

I guess I have trouble seeing how mental powers don't fit pretty easily into most fantasy world settings? Telepathy and telekinesis seem like fantasy staples to me.

 

[grimslade]

How would you roleplay with a Jedi-like character? Or any of the comic book heroes with mental powers? Psionics have always intrigued me in play. I have a harder time suspending disbelief with Vancian spell casting than psionics.

 

[Ace]

Psionics are fun and have more of a sense of versimilitude than D&D style magic. This kind of magic is very suited to "second sight", "Medium" and romantic fantasy settings like Blue Rose

Rules wise don't know how good they are with 5E but back in 3e and especially 2e the psion was really a good class mechanically as wel. A solid D&D game could be made with the psionic classes alone giving a nice mix of epic and low fantasy all at once.

 

[aco175]

I never cared for psionics, but I know a lot of others like them fine. I think most of the problem I have is that their spells could not be dispelled with 'normal' magic like everything else. I guess if felt more power gamey. Not sure if Tasha's is the same in terms of my problems.

 

[Wolfram stout]

While I have not players with psionics since 2nd edition, the allure for me can be summed up in two words: Katherine Kurtz.

 

[Ace]

While I have not players with psionics since 2nd edition, the allure for me can be summed up in two words: Katherine Kurtz.

You are a man of impeccable taste. BTW if you don't mind the FUDGE system there is a Deryni RPG . Its good though you probably don't need it if you have the Codex Derynianus and just want to convert it. Blue Rose True20 and the Psychics Handbook by Green Ronin have extremely fitting magic systems.