D&D General [Poll] How do you prefer psionics to work?

[hopeless]

Probably a comparison.

 

[Mind of tempest]

Psionics should be Psychokineticists like Magneto or Telepaths like Charles Xavier. A psychometabolist like Colossus or Kitty Pryde. The wizard directs arcane energy through precise patterns of language, movement, and ritual objects. The cleric focuses the energy of their faith through prayers and holy items to invoke divine effects. The druid channels nature. The bard taps into the power of creation. The psion is the power.
I am taking another look at 2E Complete Psionics with fresh eyes, less clouded by nostalgia. The power scope of 2E psionic was way off compared to the rest of the classes. The system needs an overhaul to sync up with 5E and its expectations. PSPs regained by short or long rest instead of per hour.

Your psychometabolist options are kind of basic I can think of a lot more use from basic healing to full-on biomanipulation as then I could pull off full grand karcist ion.

telepath I would merge all 4e ardent like stuff in to there as well given that messing with the mind directly is its goal.

someone elaborate more on what Psychokineticists are going to be about as over than move stuff with the mind I am not seeing alot.

what about the other options the none Psychokineticists and none Telepath options we had some of those in 2e?

 

[hopeless]

I know telekinesis was used as an explanation for Superman and Superboy's super strength as a form of tactile telekinesis thereby explaining how they could move massive objects without them breaking.
The best example of psychokinesis is a Richard Burton movie where he had the ability to cause catastrophes and even dead reanimated to cause another as the end of that movie.

 

[Mind of tempest]

I know telekinesis was used as an explanation for Superman and Superboy's super strength as a form of tactile telekinesis thereby explaining how they could move massive objects without them breaking.
The best example of psychokinesis is a Richard Burton movie where he had the ability to cause catastrophes and even dead reanimated to cause another as the end of that movie.

I mean what definitions are we going for and who or what are our major inspirations?

 

[houser2112]

3.5/Dreamscarred Press' Pathfinder psionic rules were the perfect implementation of the idea.

 

[grimslade]

Your psychometabolist options are kind of basic I can think of a lot more use from basic healing to full-on biomanipulation as then I could pull off full grand karcist ion.

telepath I would merge all 4e ardent like stuff in to there as well given that messing with the mind directly is its goal.

someone elaborate more on what Psychokineticists are going to be about as over than move stuff with the mind I am not seeing alot.

what about the other options the none Psychokineticists and none Telepath options we had some of those in 2e?

Yeah the example were sticking to the X-men theme and just easily recognizable. I originally had Logan/Wolverine instead of Kitty Pryde, but he has a lot of different abilities that don't translate. I would definitely put healing and polymorph into psychometabolism. Also ability buffs.
Psychokineticist is more than telekinesis, although that is probably enough. Molecular agitation in all its forms. Pyrokineticist, Cryokineticist, and Density manipulation of objects.

 

[Mind of tempest]

Molecular agitation is far too esotecric and ends up being use for a whole bunch of stuff that would be easier to put in a separate category.
look over some of mass effects biotic powers as they are more or less all Psychokineticist based and could work well as inspiration?

past the big three do we have any more subclasses?

 

[Eyes of Nine]

I personally like 4e's way of handling psionics. It's just another source of power, just like martial training, arcane energy, gifts of the divine, or the force of nature. And then the actual mechanical system(s) of how the various powers are implemented are divorced from the narrative positioning of the power itself.

 

[Mind of tempest]

I personally like 4e's way of handling psionics. It's just another source of power, just like martial training, arcane energy, gifts of the divine, or the force of nature. And then the actual mechanical system(s) of how the various powers are implemented are divorced from the narrative positioning of the power itself.

true but we are working with 5e so we are a bit limited in that capacity unless you have ideas?

 

[Sacrosanct]

true but we are working with 5e so we are a bit limited in that capacity unless you have ideas?

Not entirely true. I labeled this thread "general" because I wanted to talk about every edition, and perhaps look at best practices from each. Also, some of the ideas I'm tossing around aren't 5e specific, but more generic in scope, so it can be modified/adjusted relatively easy depending on what edition you want to apply them to.

for example, here's where I'm at based on the comments above. I went from 6 down to 3 disciplines instead. Forgive the several image attachments, but I find it's easier to get the idea from looking how it would look from a book, rather than tables and walls of text in a forum post. Just breaking it up into white space is easier on the eyes. Also this is just two powers from each, just to give you a rough idea (and as always, it's just a rough idea, the actual power affect could change)