Unearthed Arcana Unearthed Arcana Revisits Psionics

The latest Unearthed Arcana from WotC revisits some psionic rules! “Shine with the power of the mind in this installment of Unearthed Arcana! Today we revisit several psi-themed options that we released in the past few months. Studying your feedback on those options, we’ve crafted this new collection of subclasses, spells, and feats, found in the PDF below.“

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[doctorbadwolf]

I really strongly dislike the talent die. It's...just bad?

I can't see an upside to it, at all.

Psions are all amateurs with little control over how much power they use? No thanks.

Cool mechanic for a wild talent or as a replacement for the wild magic surge mechanic. Bad mechanic for literally anyone else.

Ditching a bunch of spells to gate their effects behind specific subclasses is garbage, IMO.

 

[Guest 6801328]

I really strongly dislike the talent die. It's...just bad?

I can't see an upside to it, at all.

Psions are all amateurs with little control over how much power they use? No thanks.

Cool mechanic for a wild talent or as a replacement for the wild magic surge mechanic. Bad mechanic for literally anyone else.

Ditching a bunch of spells to gate their effects behind specific subclasses is garbage, IMO.

As I wrote elsewhere, I’d like to see a mechanic where you can downsize your die in order to avoid some randomness.

although, for the record, I don’t interpret the mechanic as meaning “amateur”. I read it as “this is crazy difficult and exhausting”.

 

[Chaosmancer]

If you want to refluff those class features to meet the spirit of what I was intending, then I will refluff sorcerer metamagic to meet the requirements for psionics that you are describing. Fair?

Yeah, I am just against design by gating behind randomness. That is the only point I have been trying to make.

I mean, if you don’t like the sentient sword example, let’s just use the time-honored tradition of rolling for stats. Some people get lucky, roll better, and are more powerful.

You don’t have to use it, or like it. And clearly WotC sees limitations with that model. But it’s hardly some strange anomaly that exists only in old versions of psionics.

Sure, but it isn't binary.

If you roll a 10 you get psionic powers. If you roll anything else, you get nothing.

But rolling stats you always get something, it could be good or bad, but it is never nothing.

It isn't special if everyone can do it. It isn't a poor design to me, but poor is in the eyes of the beholder.

Sorry, nothing is special then.

Magic and being chosen by the Gods to fulfill a higher purpose are just mundane every day occurrences.

I really strongly dislike the talent die. It's...just bad?

I can't see an upside to it, at all.

Psions are all amateurs with little control over how much power they use? No thanks.

Cool mechanic for a wild talent or as a replacement for the wild magic surge mechanic. Bad mechanic for literally anyone else.

Ditching a bunch of spells to gate their effects behind specific subclasses is garbage, IMO.

I'd have to work with the fiction, perhaps, but I like the psi die overall. It is different and with a tiny tweak it has just as much chance to go up as to go down. I also like the idea that rolling the lowest value on the die gets a rider that you want. Usually a bad roll just sucks, but a bad roll that increases your die size for the next time is more interesting.


And I'd prefer some things be subclass abilities rather than spells. Everything being spells is just being a wizard. And at that point, we don't need to design anything new, we just need to add more spells to the game.

 

[Guest 6801328]

Fair ‘nuff.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Sure, but it isn't binary.

If you roll a 10 you get psionic powers. If you roll anything else, you get nothing.

But rolling stats you always get something, it could be good or bad, but it is never nothing.

Neither is having psionics (again, referring to 1E). Having it can be good or bad, just as not having it can be, it depends on the situation. Not having psionics means you are not vulnerable to certain attacks that having them would make you vulnerable to. Thus, in many cases you are better off without them.

Sorry, nothing is special then.

Magic and being chosen by the Gods to fulfill a higher purpose are just mundane every day occurrences.

You're right. WotC already made a lot of things not special anymore but overlapping spells and/or magical features into so many subclasses it is ridiculous. Every class has either spells or features that are mystical or magical in nature. BORING! A lot of people have complained about the crazy amount of over lap.

Even some classes used to be special because of ability score requirements. "Nah, let's just get rid of those, too." Everyone can do everything now! YEAH! We can all hold hands and be happy.

(Sorry, I think the shut-in is getting to me... stir crazy )

 

[Weiley31]

@Hussar - I know that giant balls is my first clue that I'm facing a caster. Great big balls. Of fire. Yup.

That Tanuki casting that spell is a BIG giveaway.

 

[Weiley31]

Wizard - wiggles fingers, says words, effect happens. - Spell cannot happen without wiggles and words

Fear the Arcane caster who Hokey Pokeys and turns it about.

 

[Weiley31]

Unsure of what a psionic focus is

A Psionic Focus would be something like a Psi-Crystal, a weapon made outta Crysteel, or something like an Ioun Stone.

Heck, they could being back/reflavor the Illumians from 3.5 and have the glowing letter sigils that float around their heads be the Psionic Focus for em.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

As I wrote elsewhere, I’d like to see a mechanic where you can downsize your die in order to avoid some randomness.

although, for the record, I don’t interpret the mechanic as meaning “amateur”. I read it as “this is crazy difficult and exhausting”.

In play, I doubt it’s gonna come across as anything but not being good at control.

 

[dave2008]

I really strongly dislike the talent die. It's...just bad?

I can't see an upside to it, at all.

Psions are all amateurs with little control over how much power they use? No thanks.

Cool mechanic for a wild talent or as a replacement for the wild magic surge mechanic. Bad mechanic for literally anyone else.

Ditching a bunch of spells to gate their effects behind specific subclasses is garbage, IMO.

I actually like the concept, but I don't expect it to survive in its current form. As @Elfcrusher suggested I think something you have more control over, or always gives better results (like superiority dice) is more likely in the end. I do like the idea that the abilities are exhausting and representing that with dice, which is what I think this is going for.