Quote from Dreadflix >>

Hi im in the same boat here but does DnD beyond actually let you swap the spells out for the psionic spells feature? I wanna add some different ones in and I can't for the life of me figure out how to do it on my character builder. 

 I've been having the same problem

I like catapult for a damage spell. Its very telekinetic.

Also like Crown of Madness, that has a very mind control vibe to it.

Tasha's mind whip is good too.

You can also reflavor spells to make them more psionic. Like instead of slow changing the flow of time, you reach into their minds and slow their mental processing or sense of time. Or instead of conjuring a fireball you use your telekinetic ability to warp and twist a point in space until it snaps and explodes outward. The effects can be the same just psi up the way it happens.

Been looking at this class and wonder the same as the OP.

Level:

1- Arms of Hadar, Dissonant Whispers.  Replace Arms of Hadar with Tasha's Hideous Laughter, keep DW.

3- Calm Emotions, Detect Thoughts. Replace Calm Emotions and Detect Thoughts with Suggestion, Tasha's Mind Whip probably pick up Detect Thoughts to use with spell slots. It's a good spell, but situational so would rather have something else to use sorcery points on with the 6th level ability instead of a spell slot.

5- Hunger of Hadar, Sending. Would Enemies Abound be worth a pick up here? I'm not sure.

7- Evard's Black Tentacles, Summon Aberration. Arcane Eye is a good pick here, but what to replace? Might be nice to have a summon, so keep it?

9- Rary's Telepathic Bond, Telekinesis. Synaptic Static looks like a go to spell. It's a Psychic Damage Fireball with a good Debuff for 1 minute. Plus, you can sack lower spell slots to cast it multiple times via Psionic Sorcery at level 6, if needed. Scrying looks good too.

Any thoughts on these selections? Any better ideas?

Quote from ThriKreenWarrior >>

Been looking at this class and wonder the same as the OP.

Level:

1- Arms of Hadar, Dissonant Whispers.  Replace Arms of Hadar with Tasha's Hideous Laughter, keep DW.

3- Calm Emotions, Detect Thoughts. Replace Calm Emotions and Detect Thoughts with Suggestion, Tasha's Mind Whip probably pick up Detect Thoughts to use with spell slots. It's a good spell, but situational so would rather have something else to use sorcery points on with the 6th level ability instead of a spell slot.

5- Hunger of Hadar, Sending. Would Enemies Abound be worth a pick up here? I'm not sure.

7- Evard's Black Tentacles, Summon Aberration. Arcane Eye is a good pick here, but what to replace? Might be nice to have a summon, so keep it?

9- Rary's Telepathic Bond, Telekinesis. Synaptic Static looks like a go to spell. It's a Psychic Damage Fireball with a good Debuff for 1 minute. Plus, you can sack lower spell slots to cast it multiple times via Psionic Sorcery at level 6, if needed. Scrying looks good too.

 

Any thoughts on these selections? Any better ideas?

 Detect Thoughts is a good spell to use with subtle since no one would realize you are casting it. I think it's up to the DM to rule on whether or not succeeding the Wisdom save if you dig deeper could be traced back to you. Tasha's doesn't scale well. You can target an extra creature starting at Level 3 but the damage doesn't increase. I'd keep Detect Thoughts and add Mind Spike. I've gotten a lot of use out of Detect Thoughts.

I don't find Enemies Abound useful unless you are up against a hoard of enemies. I'd go utility and take Tongues. Or if you have a party that would really benefit from it, Catnap. 

I think Modify Memory is available at the same level as Rary's. That has good psychic flavor and it's useful. I've used Synaptic Static in other campaigns with different sorcerers and did not find it as effective as I thought it would be - even with Heighten to guarantee a failed saving throw but it could be different for you. I'd leave scrying to the cleric.

Quote from MorriganMacha >

Tasha's doesn't scale well. You can target an extra creature starting at Level 3 but the damage doesn't increase.

 

 
Tasha's Mind Whip does scale well.  You're casting it for the crowd control, not for the damage.  Leave the single target damage dealing to the martial classes and the Agonizing Blast spamming Warlocks.  Spellcasters like the Sorcerer are better at crowd control and area of effect damage.

Quote from MorriganMacha >>

Quote from ThriKreenWarrior >>

Been looking at this class and wonder the same as the OP.

Level:

1- Arms of Hadar, Dissonant Whispers.  Replace Arms of Hadar with Tasha's Hideous Laughter, keep DW.

3- Calm Emotions, Detect Thoughts. Replace Calm Emotions and Detect Thoughts with Suggestion, Tasha's Mind Whip probably pick up Detect Thoughts to use with spell slots. It's a good spell, but situational so would rather have something else to use sorcery points on with the 6th level ability instead of a spell slot.

5- Hunger of Hadar, Sending. Would Enemies Abound be worth a pick up here? I'm not sure.

7- Evard's Black Tentacles, Summon Aberration. Arcane Eye is a good pick here, but what to replace? Might be nice to have a summon, so keep it?

9- Rary's Telepathic Bond, Telekinesis. Synaptic Static looks like a go to spell. It's a Psychic Damage Fireball with a good Debuff for 1 minute. Plus, you can sack lower spell slots to cast it multiple times via Psionic Sorcery at level 6, if needed. Scrying looks good too.

 

Any thoughts on these selections? Any better ideas?

 Detect Thoughts is a good spell to use with subtle since no one would realize you are casting it. I think it's up to the DM to rule on whether or not succeeding the Wisdom save if you dig deeper could be traced back to you. Tasha's doesn't scale well. You can target an extra creature starting at Level 3 but the damage doesn't increase. I'd keep Detect Thoughts and add Mind Spike. I've gotten a lot of use out of Detect Thoughts.

I don't find Enemies Abound useful unless you are up against a hoard of enemies. I'd go utility and take Tongues. Or if you have a party that would really benefit from it, Catnap. 

I think Modify Memory is available at the same level as Rary's. That has good psychic flavor and it's useful. I've used Synaptic Static in other campaigns with different sorcerers and did not find it as effective as I thought it would be - even with Heighten to guarantee a failed saving throw but it could be different for you. I'd leave scrying to the cleric.

 

 Thanks for the comments. I see scrying as kind of a Remote Viewing psychic/psionic ability that would be thematic. And, of course, if you don't have someone in the party that can take that spell, it would be more valuable.

I do think Detect Thoughts would be useful, just didn't know if it was worth saving for the Psionic Sorcery ability, or if it would be better replacing it and then taking it as a regular spell that could be Subtled via metamagic when needed. Seems kind of a backwards way of doing it, but Psionic Sorcery is powerful and want to use it to best advantage. Mind Spike is a good spell and damage does scale, but with Psionic Sorcery, I don't think you can upcast it anyway. I could just take it as a regular spell.

Also, about the Psionic Spells list, I assume that when you gain a level that grants you these spells you cannot swap them out that level, you have to wait until the next level up to replace one. Is this how others read it?

Synaptic Static on the Psionic Spells list would increase how often you could cast it. At level 10, when you could swap it in, you have 2 5th level spell slots. If you want to cast it again, or you are saving the slots for other 5th level spells, a regular sorcerer would need to spend 7 sorcery points to create a 5th level slot. Aberrant Mind can spend only 5 sorcery points to cast a 5th level spell if it is on the Psionic Spell list, via the Psionic Sorcery feature at 6th level. That's quite powerful. Maybe a different spell would be better, that's why I'm asking.

Edit: Dominate Person or Hold Monster might be good alternatives possibly?

Or magic missile

Quote from TimmertheTerrible >>

Or magic missile

 

 Assuming you're replying to my comment from two years ago regarding Hex's interaction with Scorching Ray (tip, always use the Quote button, never use the Reply button), no, Hex doesn't stack with Magic Missile at all.  Hex only deals damage when you hit the target with an attack.  Magic Missile doesn't use an attack roll so it doesn't trigger Hex's effect.

It would work with Jim’s magic missile however.

Assuming GMs even allow you to use content from Acquisitions Inc in the first place, given that it's basically an April Fools book.

I am in the same boat as you.  Have been playing an aberrant mind sorlock and having some difficulty planning spell selection and progression.  Here is what I came up with:

Some points for discussion.  

1. Silvery Barbs would be a better selection for a psionic spell than Hideous Laughter.  However, the latter is not on the sorcerer spell list, and I feel HL is ultimately needed as a low-cost CC and legendary resistance burner.

2. The Lvl 3 psionic spell options truly suck. 

a. The description for Enemies Abound is very poorly written.  My DM has filled in the gaps in interpretation logically.  However, mileage will vary. 

b. Tongues can improve the effectiveness of Suggestion, Mass Suggestion, and Charm Monster.  However, its duration is only an hour (2 with extended spell meta-magic).  Given the dubious wording of the spell's description, it may also have zero value for use in subterfuge.  It is a tough sell as a utility spell for a sorcerer, a class for which utility spells are in general a tough sell.

c. Hunger of Hadar is frankly a worse version of Black Tentacles.  There is no easy means to keep targets in the AoE, it is prone to collateral damage, and no one, including the caster, can see into it without blindsight.  There would be some synergy with Psychic Lance if the caster knows the target's name.  Nevertheless, it's another spell that arguably suffers from a poorly worded description (or at least ambiguous developer intentions).  In a campaign where most NPCs speak common, I would be inclined to keep HoH as an extra AoE damage capability (and lower cost than Black Tentacles).  However, if your DM interprets Tongues as enabling you to communicate in other languages (improving the functionality of Telepathic Speech and disguise abilities/spells), then I would take Tongues over HoH.

3. The Lvl 4 psionic spell options are not that much better than those for Lvl 3. 

a. Black Tentacles is okay CC. 

b. Psychic Lance is questionable on an AM sorlock.  The damage is pitiful compared to what a sorlock and dish out using Eldritch Blast.  The ability to target invisible mobs becomes moot at level 14 when the AM sorcerer can spend 1 sorcery point to see invisible mobs.  The main utility of the spell is in providing a single round of concentration-free incapacitation (which includes the potential to break spellcaster concentration).  Not irrelevant, but expensive when compared to the effects of other Lvl 4 spells.

c. Confusion is an expensive (and generally inferior) version of Hypnotic Pattern. 

d. The need to concentrate on Summon Aberration limits its usefulness as it conflicts with the many other concentration spells I've listed above.  A sorlock is in no need of extra damage.  The slaad cannot damage creatures that can only be hit by magic weapons, and the starspawn, while thematically cool, will die in a heartbeat as NPCs target it to eliminate the AoE threat.   

d. Charm Monster may be a reasonable alternative to Psychic Lance.  However, charm is a very limited condition in 5e, and the usefulness of the spell varies largely with DM prerogative.

My list uses all of the books so may not be appropriate for your campaign.  It is built on the following premises:

1. Low level spells that you want to spam.
2. Things that you likely want to subtle cast.
3. Spells that aren't sorcerer spells.
4. Spells you want to combine subtle spell with other metamagic features.

Silvery Barbs is the canonical example of (1).  All of the spells I like have saves, and Silvery Barbs lets you (at the low cost of 1 sorcery point and a reaction) give disadvantage on those saves.  This means your spells are much more likely to land.  Against foes that resist semi-regularly, this means you are going to be casting a *lot* of Silvery Barbs, and being able to do two of them for every 2nd level spell slot (via flexible casting conversion) instead of 1 of them via upcast to 2 means you can spam significantly harder.  If you burn through 10 in a day, you start converting level 3 slots at a 3:1 ratio, which means those 3 level 3 slots turn into 9 Silvery Barbs.

Suggestion, Fast Friends, and Charm Monster are examples of (2) as you likely will want to use them out of combat, or before combat, where casting a spell may be considered a hostile action.  By casting them with sorcery points, you effectively get subtle spell for free.  Plus, you can add other metamagic effects to them like Heightened Spell if you really need it to land (triple disadvantage if combined with Silvery Barbs).

Hideous Laughter, Geas, and Modify Memory are examples of (3).  The latter two are extremely powerful mind affecting spells that were silly to not be included in the sorcerer spell list in the first place IMO.  They are also both spells that strongly qualify for (2) as they are the type of thing you would use on a shopkeeper, king, etc. and you definitely don't want to get caught casting them in the open.

Confusion is an example of (4) and is great for starting bar fights (psionic cast + careful spell so your party is unaffected).

This list is designed for a campaign that has a good amount of RP in it, but it can do OK in combat with Hideous Laughter, Silvery Barbs and Confusion.  Plus you have 15 Sorcerer spells you can spend on nukes.  If you are in a pure dungeon crawl, you may not get many opportunities to use a lot of these effectively.