There's a fairly long thread in general discussion about Psions and Mystics, and a lot of debate from those who don't like that most Psychic-type class concepts are basically just spellcasters. A lot of ideas were tossed around for how to address that, and whether it was even a problem in the first place. Personally I'm not against psychic powers being categorized as magic or psychic characters having spellcasting in one form or another, but a lot of the ideas that were thrown out sounded really cool, and many of them didn't feel like they would work as just a subclass to an existing class, so as a bit of an experiment I started trying to build a homebrew class that used some of the more interesting ideas that got thrown out.
A lot of this class is mostly just taking features from other classes and using them as the base for new class features. For example, I took the rules for Psionic Energy Dice from the Psi Fighter/Soulknife subclasses, although I altered them a bit to include an idea someone had to use Hit Dice as a resource. I also tried to give the class a psychic attack based on the Sun Soul Monk's Radiant Sun Bolt feature, just to see if there's a way to give this class a ranged psychic attack that isn't just a new or reflavored cantrip. I decided to focus on a single subclass... a quasi-martial class that uses telekinetic powers to animate a weapon to fight for them.
The Psion
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8
Hit Points at first level: 8+ Your Constitution Modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Your Constitution Modifier Per Psion level after the 1
Proficiencies
Armor: None
Weapons: Simple Weapons, Hand Crossbow
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
Languages: You know one additional language of your choice
You start with the following items, plus anything provided by your background
* (a) A Quarterstaff or (b) Any Simple Weapon
* (a) An Explorer’s Pack or (b) A Scholar’s Pack
Alternatively, you may start with 4d4 x 10 gp to buy your own equipment
Multiclassing
Ability Score Minimum: 13 Intelligence
Psychic Defenses
Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor, your AC equals 13+ your Dexterity modifier
Psionic Power
You Harbor a Wellspring of Psionic energy within yourself. This is represented by your Psionic Energy Dice, which are a d6. You have a number of dice equal to twice your Proficiency Bonus, and they fuel your psionic powers.
Some of your Psionic Powers expend the Psionic Energy Die, as specified in the Power’s description. If you have no available Psionic Energy Die, you can instead expend one use of your Hit Dice gained from This Class, rolling 1d8 instead of your Psionic Energy Dice size. You can’t use a power if it requires you to expend a die and you have no Psionic Energy Dice or Hit Dice. You Regain all your Psionic Energy Dice when you finish a Long Rest.
When you reach certain levels in this class, the size of your Psionic Energy Dice increases, at 5th level (d8), 11th level (d10), 17th level (d12)
Some of your Psionic Features require a target to make a saving throw to resist the feature’s effects. The Saving Throw DC is calculated as follows:
Psionic save DC = 8 + Your proficiency bonus + Your Intelligence Modifier
Psychic Force
You know the Mage Hand Cantrip. You can cast it without Verbal or Somatic components and you can make the spectral hand invisible. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
You gain a new attack option that you can use with the Attack Action. The special attack is a ranged spell attack with a range of 30 feet. You are proficient with it, and you add your Intelligence Modifier to its attack and damage rolls. Its damage is Psychic and its damage die is equal to your Psionics Energy Dice.
Psychic Communication
You can telepathically speak to any creature you can see within 30 feet of you. You can expend one use of your Psionics Energy Dice, rolling it and increasing the range of your telepathy by 10x the number rolled, you also gain the ability to communicate your messages even if you don’t share a language with the creature you are contacting, but the creature must understand at least one language.
Psionic Manipulation
Starting at 2ndlevel, your mastery over your psionic powers increases.
Psionic Strike - when you take the Attack Action on your turn and hit a creature with an attack, you can expend one use of your Psionics Energy Dice, rolling it and dealing psychic damage to the target equal to the number you rolled.
Mind Grapple – As an action, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice, rolling it and adding the number rolled to your Psionic Save DC as one creature Large or smaller of your choice within 60 feet of you must succeed on a Strength Saving throw. On a failure, its speed is reduced to Zero. The creature can attempt this Saving Throw again at the end of each of its turns, and the condition ends automatically if you use your Mind Grapple on a different target.
Psychic Studies: Kinetics
Those who study the art of Kinetics learn to utilize their psionic powers in combat to control their enemies and protect their allies. They specialize in honing their Telekinetic potential, performing feats of strength using only the power of their minds.
Bonus Proficiencies
When you specialize in Kinetics Studies at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with Martial Weapons, and Shields.
Blade Puppetry
As a bonus action, you can cause any weapon you are proficient with within 30 feet that is not being held or carried by any creature other than yourself that lacks the Two-Handed or Ammunition Property to animate under your control for 1 minute. While animated, the weapon becomes a magical object and has an AC equal to your Psionic Save DC and HP equal to 5 times your Psion level. The weapon also has a fly speed of 30 feet (hover), and is immune to poison and psychic damage and all conditions. If it is forced to make an ability check or a saving throw, treat all of its ability scores as 10 (+0). If the weapon’s HP is reduced to zero or if you choose to animate a different weapon, your weapon ceases to be animated, but is not destroyed.
While animated, when you take the attack action on your turn you can attack using the Animated weapon as though you were standing in its space. When attacking in this manner, you must use your Intelligence modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity modifier, for the attack and damage rolls.
If the animated weapon has the Light property, you can use a bonus action to make a weapon attack with it on your turn.
If the weapon has the thrown property, it can be thrown as part of any attacks made with it, but after hitting or missing its target it ceases to be animated.
If a creature attempts to grab the animated weapon, they must make a Strength Saving Throw. As a reaction to this attempt, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice, rolling the die and adding the number to your Psionic Save DC for this Saving Throw. If this causes their attempt to fail, they then take damage equal to the Psionic Energy Dice Roll of the weapon’s damage type. If they successfully grab the weapon, it ceases being animated.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you my instead take a feat.
Improved Telepathy
At 4th level, your skills with telepathy become more potent. As an action, select a number of creatures within 30 feet of yourself up to your Intelligence Modifier. For the next hour, you can communicate telepathically as long as you remain within 1 mile of each other. A creature can’t use this telepathy if it cannot speak any languages, and a creature can willingly end the telepathic connection at any time (no action required). You and the creature do not need to speak a common language to understand each other. You can use this ability once, and must finish a Long Rest before using it again. Alternatively, you can expend a use of your Psionic Energy Dice to use it again.
Extra Attack: Kinetic Feature
Starting at 5th level, you can attack twice instead of once when you take the attack action on your turn.
Defensive Blade: Kinetic Feature
When you reach 5th level, if a creature within 5 ft of a weapon animated by your Blade Puppetry feature is targeted by an attack, as a reaction you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice to make the animated weapon the target of the attack instead. Roll your Psionic Energy Die, and add the number rolled to the animated weapon’s AC until the end of the current turn.
Mental Expertise
At 6th level, choose two of your Skill Proficiencies that use your Charisma, Intelligence, or Wisdom modifier. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.
Shielded Mind
Starting at 7th level, you become resistant to Psychic damage. In addition, you have advantage on any Saving Throw to resist being Charmed or Frightened, and your thoughts cannot be read by telepathy or other means unless you allow it.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 8th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you my instead take a feat.
Blade Puppetmaster: Kinetic Feature
After reaching 9th level, when you use your Blade Puppetry feature, you can now animate 2 Weapons simultaneously, controlling both independently. Alternatively, you can instead animate a single weapon that has the Two-Handed or Ammunition property.
Mind Prisoner: Kinetic Feature
At 9th level, as a bonus action, you can move one creature held by your Mind Grapple 10 feet in any direction. Alternatively, you can expend one Psionic Energy Die, roll the die and move the creature a number of feet equal to 10 + 10x The Die Roll. If the creature collides with a solid object it stops moving and takes Bludgeoning Damage equal to your Die Roll. If it collides with another creature, the second creature must make a DEX saving throw. On a failure, both creatures stop moving and take damage equal to your Die Roll.
I'm still not sure if just using the Psionic Energy Dice is the right direction to go for the primary class resource, but I thought it would be easiest to just use a system that's already been playtested and implemented in the game rather than try to invent something on my own. I've only written it up to level 9... on average I've tried to avoid spellcasting just to see what I can create that works without turning a psionic class into a spellcaster, but I wonder if too many of my ideas are just something that could be accomplished with a spell with less hassle.
Really interesting approach. I'm generally on the "Just Reflavor Spellcasting" team, but this does feel more engaging to me personally as I'm less into full casting classes.
One thing that doesn't sell me on psionic dice is the inherent unpredictability of it. It kinda works when it's a fighter or rogue who might not have firm control of their talent, but I feel like a dedicated psion would be much more refined and precise. It's really hard to feel like a competent kineticist when your Mind Prisoner has a possible range of anywhere from 20-130 feet and you don't know what it's going to be until you use it.
I'm also not sure your animated blades need to bother with HP and AC as they're really not much different from a ranged attack. As both a DM and a player I really like the "just don't worry about it, nothing affects it" aspect of spiritual weapon as opposed to keeping track of the hp of your two swords and always having to make saving throws for them.
I went at it a different way - to me the sorceror was always the "replacement" for the Psion so I used some of the ideas from the "how to improve the sorceror" threads to go about creating the base progresson for a general psion class Psionic Paths are the subclasses (not worked out yet but...), psionic path features are the extra abilities each subclass gets at specified levels. Psionic Path Powers are the similar to the subclass spelllists for the sorceror subclasses (that all of them should have). so here is my take on the class:
Psion Class
Psions are not spellcasters. They have learned to activate portions of their mind that allows them to directly control the world around them without recourse to magical actions. At lower levels their powers are limited but as they develop the powers increase. Psions are rare, they require strong minds and bodies which means that to be a Psion you need a Strength, Wisdom, Constitution and Charisma of 13 or greater. They get a D8 for Hit Points and can wear light armor and use simple weapons.
Below is a quick guide to their development:
L1) 4L0 (at will) Powers, 2L1 Power Slots, 1 psionic attack (Mind Thrust), 1 psionic defense (Mind blank), Psionic Path Powers and 2 L1 Powers. L2) +1 L1 power and slot, Psionic Power Pool & 3 points (PPPP), Metapsionics – 3 abilities L3) +1 L1 power and Slot and 2 L2 powers and slots, a Psionic Path Power, +1PPPP L4) ABS +1 L2 Power & slot, 1 attack (Ego Whip), 1 Defense (Thought Shield), +2 PPPP L5) +1 L0 power, +2 L3 Powers and slots, a psionic path power, +1 PPPP L6) A psionic Path Feature, +1 Metapsionic ability, +1PPPP L7) 1 L4 power and slot, a psionic path power, +1 PPPP L8) ABS, 1 attack (psionic Blast), 1 defense (Mental Barrier), +1 L4 Power and slot, +2 PPPP L9) +1 L4 power and slot, 1L5 power and slot, a psionic path power, +1 PPPP L10) Psionic Path Feature, +1 Metapsionic ability, +1 L0 Power, +1 L5 power and Slot, +1 PPPP L11) 1 L6 Power and slot, +1 PPPP L12) ABS, 1 attack (Id Insinuation), 1 defense (Intellect Fortress), +2 PPPP L13) 1 L7 power and slot, +1 PPPP L14) Psionic Path Feature, +1 Metapsionic Ability, +1 PPPP L15) 1 L8 Power and slot, +1 PPPP L16) ABS, 1 attack (Psychic Crush), 1 defense (Tower of Iron Will), +2 PPPP L17) 1L9 power and Slot, +1 PPPP L18) Psionic Mastery (1 L1 and 1 L2 powers at will at base level), +1 PPPP L19) ABS, +2 PPPP L20) +1 L7 Power and Slot, Signature Power (2 L3 Powers activated once at base level without expending a slot, +1 PPPP
Really interesting approach. I'm generally on the "Just Reflavor Spellcasting" team, but this does feel more engaging to me personally as I'm less into full casting classes.
One thing that doesn't sell me on psionic dice is the inherent unpredictability of it. It kinda works when it's a fighter or rogue who might not have firm control of their talent, but I feel like a dedicated psion would be much more refined and precise. It's really hard to feel like a competent kineticist when your Mind Prisoner has a possible range of anywhere from 20-130 feet and you don't know what it's going to be until you use it.
I'm also not sure your animated blades need to bother with HP and AC as they're really not much different from a ranged attack. As both a DM and a player I really like the "just don't worry about it, nothing affects it" aspect of spiritual weapon as opposed to keeping track of the hp of your two swords and always having to make saving throws for them.
I think that's definitely the most complicated part of this build... having a magic flying sword assist in combat sounds cool, but is it worth coming up with a whole system for it, or would it be better to just give the player the Spiritual Weapon spell or let them treat any weapon they like as a Dancing Sword? Ultimately I think the purpose of giving the sword HP and AC is to justify giving it more features than you would otherwise get with a simpler alternative... The sword can accomplish more than a Spiritual Weapon could, but as a downside it can be knocked out and de-animated.
It does add a lot of bookkeeping, though. I'm gonna toy with it later today and try to simplify the sword a bit. I do like the potential for battlefield control of having the sword be another figure on the board that can occupy a space and maybe block an exit or something, so I don't want to just treat it as spectral, but it definitely needs some refining.
As for the psionic dice... I do agree that they need some work. Does anyone have an idea for an alternative class resource for this concept? I'm really only using Psionic Die because it's what already exists for psionic characters, and I'm kind of trying to shoehorn in ways for the actual roll of the die to impact the game. I wonder if it would be better to just do a resource like Ki or Sorcery Points where it's just 1-to-1 with your level and doesn't inherently include a dice roll...
If you made it more of a “choose your own class features” mechanic the way a spellcaster chooses spells, then you would have something sortakinda similar to what like what I’ve been suggesting. I have been working on my own system for a while, and went with a slightly different set of mechanics to better represent the way they used to work (Talents, Studies, Devotions), so there are three “tiers” of powers. But if you made it so the player could choose their own class & subclass features like sorcerers/bards/etc. choose spells then you would have something I would seriously consider as approximating what I feel a Psion should be.
If you made it more of a “choose your own class features” mechanic the way a spellcaster chooses spells, then you would have something sortakinda similar to what like what I’ve been suggesting. I have been working on my own system for a while, and went with a slightly different set of mechanics to better represent the way they used to work (Talents, Studies, Devotions), so there are three “tiers” of powers. But if you made it so the player could choose their own class & subclass features like sorcerers/bards/etc. choose spells then you would have something I would seriously consider as approximating what I feel a Psion should be.
Honestly, I haven't really attempted something like that because it's so complicated. Coming up with a single class with universal features is one thing... coming up with an entire set of unique abilities that a player can choose from is much more difficult and is probably a job for someone more experienced with homebrewing than me. I do agree that it's a better ideal for what a psion should be, but it's just beyond my skills to pull off something like that.
If you made it more of a “choose your own class features” mechanic the way a spellcaster chooses spells, then you would have something sortakinda similar to what like what I’ve been suggesting. I have been working on my own system for a while, and went with a slightly different set of mechanics to better represent the way they used to work (Talents, Studies, Devotions), so there are three “tiers” of powers. But if you made it so the player could choose their own class & subclass features like sorcerers/bards/etc. choose spells then you would have something I would seriously consider as approximating what I feel a Psion should be.
Honestly, I haven't really attempted something like that because it's so complicated. Coming up with a single class with universal features is one thing... coming up with an entire set of unique abilities that a player can choose from is much more difficult and is probably a job for someone more experienced with homebrewing than me. I do agree that it's a better ideal for what a psion should be, but it's just beyond my skills to pull off something like that.
Oh trust me, it is in fact difficult. You are absolutely 100% correct about that. 😓
Okay, I've made some edits to the class so far. I've drastically simplified the Blade Puppetry feature... I also changed weapon proficiencies a bit... instead of giving the class Simple Weapons by default, it instead has a limited selection of weapons, since the class will mostly rely on its Psychic Force attack. However, I also made Extra Attack a feature of the class itself, instead of the Kinetics subclass, again because of the Psychic Force attack. I also changed the Mind Prisoner feature where Psychic Energy Die doesn't influence how far a creature can be moved, but instead just how much damage they take when slammed into a wall.
The Psion
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8
Hit Points at first level: 8+ Your Constitution Modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Your Constitution Modifier Per Psion level after the 1
Proficiencies
Armor: None
Weapons: Daggers, Hand axes, Quarterstaffs, Sickles, Slings, Spears, Hand Crossbows
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
Languages: You know one additional language of your choice
You start with the following items, plus anything provided by your background
* (a) A Quarterstaff or (b) A Dagger
* (a) An Explorer’s Pack or (b) A Scholar’s Pack
Alternatively, you may start with 4d4 x 10 gp to buy your own equipment
Multiclassing
Ability Score Minimum: 13 Intelligence
Psychic Defenses
Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor, your AC equals 13+ your Dexterity modifier
Psionic Power
You Harbor a Wellspring of Psionic energy within yourself. This is represented by your Psionic Energy Dice, which are a d6. You have a number of dice equal to twice your Proficiency Bonus, and they fuel your psionic powers.
Some of your Psionic Powers expend the Psionic Energy Die, as specified in the Power’s description. If you have no available Psionic Energy Die, you can instead expend one use of your Hit Dice gained from This Class, rolling 1d8 instead of your Psionic Energy Dice size. You can’t use a power if it requires you to expend a die and you have no Psionic Energy Dice or Hit Dice. You Regain all your Psionic Energy Dice when you finish a Long Rest.
When you reach certain levels in this class, the size of your Psionic Energy Dice increases, at 5th level (d8), 11th level (d10), 17th level (d12)
Some of your Psionic Features require a target to make a saving throw to resist the feature’s effects. The Saving Throw DC is calculated as follows:
Psionic save DC = 8 + Your proficiency bonus + Your Intelligence Modifier
Psychic Force
You know the Mage Hand Cantrip. You can cast it without Verbal or Somatic components and you can make the spectral hand invisible. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
You gain a new attack option that you can use with the Attack Action. The special attack is a ranged spell attack with a range of 30 feet. You are proficient with it, and you add your Intelligence Modifier to its attack and damage rolls. Its damage is Psychic and its damage die is equal to your Psionics Energy Dice.
Psychic Communication
You can telepathically speak to any creature you can see within 30 feet of you. You can expend one use of your Psionics Energy Dice, rolling it and increasing the range of your telepathy by 10x the number rolled, you also gain the ability to communicate your messages even if you don’t share a language with the creature you are contacting, but the creature must understand at least one language.
Psionic Manipulation
Starting at 2ndlevel, your mastery over your psionic powers increases.
Psionic Strike - when you take the Attack Action on your turn and hit a creature with an attack, you can expend one use of your Psionics Energy Dice, rolling it and dealing psychic damage to the target equal to the number you rolled.
Mind Grapple – As an action, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice, rolling it and adding the number rolled to your Psionic Save DC as one creature Large or smaller of your choice within 60 feet of you must succeed on a Strength Saving throw. On a failure, its speed is reduced to Zero for one minute. The creature can attempt this Saving Throw again at the end of each of its turns, and the condition ends automatically if you use your Mind Grapple on a different target.
Psychic Studies: Kinetics
Those who study the art of Kinetics learn to utilize their psionic powers in combat to control their enemies and protect their allies. They specialize in honing their Telekinetic potential, performing feats of strength using only the power of their minds.
Bonus Proficiencies
When you specialize in Kinetics Studies at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with Simple Weapons, Longswords, Rapiers, Shortswords, Scimitars, Warhammers and Shields.
Blade Puppetry
As a bonus action, you can cause any weapon you are proficient with within 30 feet that is not being held or carried by any creature other than yourself that lacks the Two-Handed or Ammunition Property to animate under your control for 1 minute. While animated, the weapon becomes a magical object that hovers in place. During your turn, you can move this animated weapon up to 30 feet, requiring no action. If the animated weapon moves more than 60 feet from you, it stops being animated.
While animated, when you take the attack action on your turn you can make a melee Weapon Attack using the Animated Weapon and originating from the Animated Weapon’s space. When attacking in this manner, you must use your Intelligence modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity modifier, for the attack and damage rolls. If the weapon has the Versatile property, the attack is made as if being wielded in one hand.
As a bonus action, you may attack in this manner using the Animated Weapon. The damage die for this attack becomes a d4.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you my instead take a feat.
Improved Telepathy
At 4th level, your skills with telepathy become more potent. As an action, select a number of creatures within 30 feet of yourself up to your Intelligence Modifier. For the next hour, you can communicate telepathically as long as you remain within 1 mile of each other. A creature can’t use this telepathy if it cannot speak any languages, and a creature can willingly end the telepathic connection at any time (no action required). You and the creature do not need to speak a common language to understand each other. You can use this ability once, and must finish a Long Rest before using it again. Alternatively, you can expend a use of your Psionic Energy Dice to use it again.
Extra Attack
Starting at 5th level, you can attack twice instead of once when you take the attack action on your turn.
Defensive Blade: Kinetic Feature
When you reach 5th level, if a creature within 5 ft of a weapon animated by your Blade Puppetry feature is hit by an attack, as a reaction you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice to make the animated weapon protect the target of the attack. Roll your Psionic Energy Die, and add the number rolled to the target’s AC until the end of the current turn, including against the triggering attack.
Mental Expertise
At 6th level, choose two of your Skill Proficiencies that use your Charisma, Intelligence, or Wisdom modifier. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.
Shielded Mind
Starting at 7th level, you become resistant to Psychic damage. In addition, you have advantage on any Saving Throw to resist being Charmed or Frightened, and your thoughts cannot be read by telepathy or other means unless you allow it.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 8th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you my instead take a feat.
Blade Puppetmaster: Kinetic Feature
Bonus Proficiencies: Upon reaching 9th level, you become proficient in Greataxes, Greatswords, and Mauls.
Dual-Minded: After reaching 9th level, when you use your Blade Puppetry feature, you can now animate 2 Weapons simultaneously, controlling both independently. Alternatively, you can instead animate a single weapon that has the Two-Handed property.
Mind Prisoner: Kinetic Feature
At 9th level, as a bonus action, you can move onecreature held by your Mind Grapple 10 feet in any direction.
Alternatively, you can expend one Psionic Energy Die, roll the die and move the creature up to 30 feet instead.. If the creature collides with a solid object while moved in this fashion, it stops moving and takes Bludgeoning Damage equal to one roll of your Psionic Energy Die. If it collides with another creature, the second creature must make a DEX saving throw. On a failure, both creatures stop moving and take damage equal to your Die Roll.
This is actually fascinating, especially after having read the original post (or the most recent post) this was based on. Kind of surprised that the other knowledgeable folks who wanted to see this haven't provided much input (such as IamSposta who already has mentioned having a version). Would be amazing to see what you two and others could come up with since you have previously collaborated (or shared ideas) for Way of the Chan.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
#OpenD&D #ORC
"...or you can find the secret tunnel that leads to the Vault of Dickish DM which is filled with 10,000,000 copper coins and a 5,000 pound solid gold statue of a middle finger that is too big to fit through the door."
I've finished writing up my first draft for the full class from level 1-20, with the first Subclass as a semi-martial class. After going over this a dozen times or so, I'm confident that this would be a fun class to play... I am not confident that this class is balanced. I think one of the biggest problems I had with building this class was it was difficult to think of skills that would feel universal to any psionic character that also wasn't just a spell or ability that already exists. A lot of the features in this are very clearly inspired by other class features, and there's a little bit of spellcasting hard-baked into the subclass, but I tried my best to create something that accomplishes the fantasy of being a psychic warrior without just making them a spellcaster with a psychic theme. I'd love to hear feedback on the levels where each feature unlocks... are there some low level features that should be saved for later, or some higher level features that aren't strong enough to justify waiting so long to unlock them? Are there any features that would be better to just replace with a spell? I'm really open to suggestions, I think I've used just about every suggestion I've gotten in some way.
The Psion
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8
Hit Points at first level: 8+ Your Constitution Modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Your Constitution Modifier Per Psion level after the 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: None
Weapons: Daggers, Hand axes, Quarterstaffs, Sickles, Slings, Spears, Hand Crossbows
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
Languages: You know one additional language of your choice
You start with the following items, plus anything provided by your background
* (a) A Quarterstaff or (b) A Dagger
* (a) An Explorer’s Pack or (b) A Scholar’s Pack
Alternatively, you may start with 4d4 x 10 gp to buy your own equipment
Multiclassing
Ability Score Minimum: 13 Intelligence
Psychic Defenses
Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor, your AC equals 13+ your Dexterity modifier
Psionic Power
You Harbor a Wellspring of Psionic energy within yourself. This is represented by your Psionic Energy Dice, which are a d6. You have a number of dice equal to twice your Proficiency Bonus, and they fuel your psionic powers.
Some of your Psionic Powers expend the Psionic Energy Die, as specified in the Power’s description. If you have no available Psionic Energy Die, you can instead expend one use of your Hit Dice gained from This Class, rolling 1d8 instead of your Psionic Energy Dice size. You can’t use a power if it requires you to expend a die and you have no Psionic Energy Dice or Hit Dice. You Regain all your Psionic Energy Dice when you finish a Long Rest.
When you reach certain levels in this class, the size of your Psionic Energy Dice increases, at 5th level (d8), 11th level (d10), 17th level (d12)
Some of your Psionic Features require a target to make a saving throw to resist the feature’s effects. The Saving Throw DC is calculated as follows:
Psionic save DC = 8 + Your proficiency bonus + Your Intelligence Modifier
Psychic Force
You know the Mage Hand Cantrip. You can cast it without Verbal or Somatic components and you can make the spectral hand invisible. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
You gain a new attack option that you can use with the Attack Action. The special attack is called a Psychic Force Attack, and is a ranged spell attack with a range of 30 feet. You are proficient with it, and you add your Intelligence Modifier to its attack and damage rolls. Its damage is Psychic and its damage die is equal to your Psionics Energy Dice.
Psychic Communication
You can telepathically speak to any creature you can see within 30 feet of you. You can expend one use of your Psionics Energy Dice, rolling it and increasing the range of your telepathy by 10x the number rolled, you also gain the ability to communicate your messages even if you don’t share a language with the creature you are contacting, but the creature must understand at least one language.
Psionic Manipulation
Starting at 2nd level, your mastery over your psionic powers increases.
Psionic Strike - when you take the Attack Action on your turn and hit a creature with an attack, you can expend one use of your Psionics Energy Dice, rolling it and dealing psychic damage to the target equal to the number you rolled.
Mind Grapple – As an action, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice to make one creature Large or smaller of your choice within 60 feet of you must succeed on a Strength Saving throw. Roll your Psionics Energy Dice, and subtract the number rolled from the creature’s Saving Throw. On a failure, its speed is reduced to Zero for one minute. The creature can attempt this Saving Throw again at the end of each of its turns, and the condition ends automatically if you use your Mind Grapple on a different creature. You can end your Mind Grapple at any time, requiring no action.
Psychic Studies: Kinetics
Those who study the art of Kinetics learn to utilize their psionic powers in combat to control their enemies and protect their allies. They specialize in honing their Telekinetic potential, performing feats of strength using only the power of their minds.
Bonus Proficiencies
When you specialize in Kinetics Studies at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with Simple Weapons, Longswords, Rapiers, Shortswords, Scimitars, Warhammers and Shields. If you equip a shield, you still maintain the benefits of your Psychic Defenses.
Blade Puppetry
As a bonus action, you can cause any weapon you are proficient with within 30 feet that is not being held or carried by any creature other than yourself that lacks the Two-Handed or Ammunition Property to animate under your control for 1 minute. While animated, the weapon becomes a magical object that hovers in place. During your turn, you can move this animated weapon up to 30 feet, requiring no action. If the animated weapon moves more than 60 feet from you, it stops being animated.
* While animated, when you take the attack action on your turn you can make an Animated Weapon Attack. This is a melee Weapon Attack using the Animated Weapon and originating from the Animated Weapon’s space. When attacking in this manner, you use your Intelligence modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity modifier, for the attack and damage rolls. If the weapon has the Versatile property, the attack is made as if being wielded in one hand.
* As a bonus action, you may make an Animated Weapon Attack. The damage die for this attack becomes a d4.
* When a creature you can see within 5 feet of your Animated Weapon moves at least 5 feet away from it, you can use your reaction to make an Animated Weapon Attack against that creature.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you my instead take a feat.
Improved Telepathy
At 4th level, your skills with telepathy become more potent. As an action, select a number of creatures within 30 feet of yourself up to your Intelligence Modifier. For the next hour, you can communicate telepathically as long as you remain within 1 mile of each other. A creature can’t use this telepathy if it cannot speak any languages, and a creature can willingly end the telepathic connection at any time (no action required). You and the creature do not need to speak a common language to understand each other. You can use this ability once, and must finish a Long Rest before using it again. Alternatively, you can expend a use of your Psionic Energy Dice to use it again.
Extra Attack
Starting at 5th level, you can attack twice instead of once when you take the attack action on your turn.
Defensive Blade: Kinetic Feature
When you reach 6th level, if a creature you can see within 5 ft of a weapon animated by your Blade Puppetry feature is hit by an attack, as a reaction you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice to make the animated weapon protect the target of the attack. Roll your Psionic Energy Die, and add the number rolled to the target’s AC until the end of the current turn, including against the triggering attack.
Mental Expertise
At 6th level, choose two of your Skill Proficiencies that use your Charisma, Intelligence, or Wisdom modifier. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.
Shielded Mind
Starting at 7th level, you become resistant to Psychic damage. In addition, you have advantage on any Saving Throw to resist being Charmed or Frightened, and your thoughts cannot be read by telepathy or other means unless you allow it.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 8th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you may instead take a feat.
Puppetmaster: Kinetic Feature
Bonus Proficiencies: Upon reaching 9th level, you become proficient in Greataxes, Greatswords, and Mauls.
Dual-Minded: After reaching 9th level, when you use your Blade Puppetry feature, you can now animate 2 Weapons simultaneously, controlling both independently. Alternatively, you can instead animate a single weapon that has the Two-Handed property.
Mind Prisoner:As a bonus action, you can move onecreature held by your Mind Grapple 10 feet in any direction.
Alternatively, you can expend one Psionic Energy Die and move the creature up to 30 feet instead. If the creature collides with a solid object while moved in this fashion, it stops moving and takes Bludgeoning Damage equal to one roll of your Psionic Energy Die. If it collides with another creature, the second creature must make a DEX saving throw. On a failure, both creatures stop moving and take damage equal to your Die Roll.
Mind-Propelled Leaps
Beginning at 10th level, During your turn, your Jump Distance is tripled.
In addition, as a bonus action you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice to gain a fly speed equal to your walking speed for one minute.
Mental Strength
At 11th level, any skill check you make using your Strength score can be made using your Intelligence score instead. In addition, when making a Strength Saving throw, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice to make an Intelligence Saving Throw instead. Roll your Psionic Energy Dice and add the number rolled to your Saving Throw.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 12th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you my instead take a feat.
Mental Domination
Starting at level 13, as an action, you can target one creature within 30 feet and force them to make an Intelligence Saving Throw. On a failure, that creature is charmed by you for 1 minute, and has disadvantage on one saving throw of your choice during that time. If the creature takes damage, or if you use your Mental Domination on a different creature, the Charmed condition ends. The creature does not realize it was charmed during this time. A creature targeted by this feature cannot be targeted by it again for 1 hour, unless you expend a Psionic Energy Die to do so.
Psychic Force Improvement
Beginning at 14th level, The range for your Mage Hand spell and your Psychic Force Attack both increase to 60 feet.
Kinetic Master: Kinetic Feature
Starting at 15th level, your Telekinetic Skills reach their peak, granting the following features:
*You can cast Telekinesis at will, requiring no components, but can only target Objects. When casting Telekinesis with this feature, you can expend two uses of your Psionic Energy Dice to enable the spell to target creatures as well. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
*Once per turn, when you use the Attack Action on your turn to make an Animated Weapon Attack with a weapon animated by your Blade Puppetry feature, you can make one additional Animated Weapon Attack with that weapon.
* When you use your bonus action to make an Animated Weapon Attack, the damage die is now a d6.
*Your Mind Grapple feature can now target creatures Huge or smaller.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 16th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you may instead take a feat.
Thought Collector
Upon reaching level 17, You learn the Detect Thoughts spell and can cast it at will without expending a spell slot or material components. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
When you cast Detect Thoughts with this feature you can choose to expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice, which has the following effects.
*Casting the spell does not require Vocal or Somatic Components
*If you attempt to probe the target’s thoughts more deeply, roll your Psionic Energy Dice and decrease their saving throw by the number rolled. If they fail their Saving throw, they do not know that you are probing their mind.
Mind Wrestler
Upon reaching 18th level, your Mind Grapple feature improves in the following ways:
*Once per turn, when you hit a creature with an Attack Roll, you can use your Mind Grapple against that creature as a free action.
*A creature under the effects of your Mind Grapple takes Psychic Damage equal to one roll of your Psionics Energy Dice at the start of its turn.
*If a creature succeeds on its saving throw to end your Mind Grapple at the end of its turn, you can use a reaction to expend one use of your Psionics Energy Dice, rolling the die and reducing their saving throw by the number rolled.
*Two creatures can be held by your Mind Grapple simultaneously. If you attempt to use your Mind Grapple again while two creatures are already held, the condition ends for the first creature held.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you my instead take a feat.
Psionic Mastery
Starting at 20th level, when you use any feature that includes a roll of your Psionic Energy Dice, you can roll the die twice and select which die roll to use. This includes when you use your Psionic Energy Dice size to determine damage. In addition, if you expend a use of your Hit Die to roll in place of your Psionic Energy Dice, you roll a d12 instead of a d8.
It looks pretty good and balanced as a warrior but we already have a psychic warrior. How about a straight up psion not a warrior/rogue/whatever side form?
Honestly, I started with the warrior concept partly because the idea of a class that utilized a telekinetically-propelled sword sounded really fun to me... but also because a martial subclass is easier to make than a spellcasting class. I want to refine the base class concept a little more before I start trying to come up with Subclasses, but I have a few in mind.
I know that I would probably do the Mystic as a Half-Caster, similar to an Eldritch Knight or Arcane Trickster. I'd also like to do a "Firestarter" style Pyrokineticist, and a mind-control focused class with a lot of manipulation skills. All these other classes would utilize spells more and need even more tweaking and balancing, which is why I'm not ready to take them on quite yet.
I like the change to the mind grapple. Originally, in the initial thread, I recommended adding the roll to the DC but I think it’s better worded now (or maybe I just know what you were intending) so I like the subtract from their saving throw roll.
Haven’t had time to read the whole revision (on lunch and need to get back to work) but I think it looks pretty good.
Thanks :) I probably rewrote that feature a dozen times to try and make it easy to read and understand. My hope is that it's good enough to justify using a full action to perform it, but still not powerful enough that it feels unbalanced that you don't need to maintain concentration on it.
One thing that I found confusing at first is that the Psychic Studies: kinetics is a subclass option, correct? Skimming through the class description it felt as part of the main class. It might be easier if the main Psion class was first, all the way to 20th level and then the Kinetics subclass options came after it.
That's a good point, that is generally how classes are written up on DnD Beyond, and it would make it easier to read the Psion Class as it's own thing and not immediately think of the Kinetics subclass as a core part of the class. I'll take some time later to edit how everything is written up.
Okay, it took less time than I thought it would to edit it:
The Psion
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8
Hit Points at first level: 8+ Your Constitution Modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Your Constitution Modifier Per Psion level after the 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: None
Weapons: Daggers, Hand axes, Quarterstaffs, Sickles, Slings, Spears, Hand Crossbows
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
Languages: You know one additional language of your choice
You start with the following items, plus anything provided by your background
* (a) A Quarterstaff or (b) A Dagger
* (a) An Explorer’s Pack or (b) A Scholar’s Pack
Alternatively, you may start with 4d4 x 10 gp to buy your own equipment
Multiclassing
Ability Score Minimum: 13 Intelligence
Psychic Defenses
Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor, your AC equals 13+ your Dexterity modifier
Psionic Power
You Harbor a Wellspring of Psionic energy within yourself. This is represented by your Psionic Energy Dice, which are a d6. You have a number of dice equal to twice your Proficiency Bonus, and they fuel your psionic powers.
Some of your Psionic Powers expend the Psionic Energy Die, as specified in the Power’s description. If you have no available Psionic Energy Die, you can instead expend one use of your Hit Dice gained from This Class, rolling 1d8 instead of your Psionic Energy Dice size. You can’t use a power if it requires you to expend a die and you have no Psionic Energy Dice or Hit Dice. You Regain all your Psionic Energy Dice when you finish a Long Rest.
When you reach certain levels in this class, the size of your Psionic Energy Dice increases, at 5th level (d8), 11th level (d10), 17th level (d12)
Some of your Psionic Features require a target to make a saving throw to resist the feature’s effects. The Saving Throw DC is calculated as follows:
Psionic save DC = 8 + Your proficiency bonus + Your Intelligence Modifier
Psychic Force
You know the Mage Hand Cantrip. You can cast it without Verbal or Somatic components and you can make the spectral hand invisible. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
You gain a new attack option that you can use with the Attack Action. The special attack is called a Psychic Force Attack, and is a ranged spell attack with a range of 30 feet. You are proficient with it, and you add your Intelligence Modifier to its attack and damage rolls. Its damage is Psychic and its damage die is equal to your Psionics Energy Dice.
Psychic Communication
You can telepathically speak to any creature you can see within 30 feet of you. You can expend one use of your Psionics Energy Dice, rolling it and increasing the range of your telepathy by 10x the number rolled, you also gain the ability to communicate your messages even if you don’t share a language with the creature you are contacting, but the creature must understand at least one language.
Psionic Manipulation
Starting at 2nd level, your mastery over your psionic powers increases.
Psionic Strike - when you take the Attack Action on your turn and hit a creature with an attack, you can expend one use of your Psionics Energy Dice, rolling it and dealing psychic damage to the target equal to the number you rolled.
Mind Grapple – As an action, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice to force one creature Large or smaller of your choice within 60 feet of you to make a Strength Saving throw. Roll your Psionics Energy Dice, and subtract the number rolled from the creature’s Saving Throw. On a failure, its speed is reduced to Zero for one minute. The creature can attempt this Saving Throw again at the end of each of its turns, ending the condition on a success, and the condition ends automatically if you use your Mind Grapple on a different creature. You can end your Mind Grapple at any time, requiring no action.
Psychic Studies
At 3rd level, you choose an aspect of your psionic powers to focus your studies upon. Choose one of the Psychich Studies subclasses, detailed at the end of the class description. The Studies you choose grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 6th, 9th, and 15th level.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you my instead take a feat.
Improved Telepathy
At 4th level, your skills with telepathy become more potent. As an action, select a number of creatures within 30 feet of yourself up to your Intelligence Modifier. For the next hour, you can communicate telepathically as long as you remain within 1 mile of each other. A creature can’t use this telepathy if it cannot speak any languages, and a creature can willingly end the telepathic connection at any time (no action required). You and the creature do not need to speak a common language to understand each other. You can use this ability once, and must finish a Long Rest before using it again. Alternatively, you can expend a use of your Psionic Energy Dice to use it again.
Extra Attack
Starting at 5th level, you can attack twice instead of once when you take the attack action on your turn.
Mental Expertise
At 6th level, choose two of your Skill Proficiencies that use your Charisma, Intelligence, or Wisdom modifier. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.
Shielded Mind
Starting at 7th level, you become resistant to Psychic damage. In addition, you have advantage on any Saving Throw to resist being Charmed or Frightened, and your thoughts cannot be read by telepathy or other means unless you allow it.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 8th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you may instead take a feat.
Mind-Propelled Leaps
Beginning at 10th level, During your turn, your Jump Distance is tripled.
In addition, as a bonus action you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice to gain a fly speed equal to your walking speed for one minute.
Mental Strength
At 11th level, any skill check you make using your Strength score can be made using your Intelligence score instead. In addition, when making a Strength Saving throw, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice to make an Intelligence Saving Throw instead. Roll your Psionic Energy Dice and add the number rolled to your Saving Throw.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 12th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you my instead take a feat.
Mental Domination
Starting at level 13, as an action, you can target one creature within 30 feet and force them to make an Intelligence Saving Throw. On a failure, that creature is charmed by you for 1 minute, and has disadvantage on one saving throw of your choice during that time. If the creature takes damage, or if you use your Mental Domination on a different creature, the Charmed condition ends. The creature does not realize it was charmed during this time. A creature targeted by this feature cannot be targeted by it again for 1 hour, unless you expend a Psionic Energy Die to do so.
Psychic Force Improvement
Beginning at 14th level, The range for your Mage Hand spell and your Psychic Force Attack both increase to 60 feet.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 16th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you may instead take a feat.
Thought Collector
Upon reaching level 17, You learn the Detect Thoughts spell and can cast it at will without expending a spell slot or material components. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
When you cast Detect Thoughts with this feature you can choose to expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice, which has the following effects.
*Casting the spell does not require Vocal or Somatic Components
*If you attempt to probe the target’s thoughts more deeply, roll your Psionic Energy Dice and decrease their saving throw by the number rolled. If they fail their Saving throw, they do not know that you are probing their mind.
Mind Wrestler
Upon reaching 18th level, your Mind Grapple feature improves in the following ways:
*Once per turn, when you hit a creature with an Attack Roll, you can use your Mind Grapple against that creature as a free action.
*A creature under the effects of your Mind Grapple takes Psychic Damage equal to one roll of your Psionics Energy Dice at the start of its turn.
*If a creature succeeds on its saving throw to end your Mind Grapple at the end of its turn, you can use a reaction to expend one use of your Psionics Energy Dice, rolling the die and reducing their saving throw by the number rolled.
*Two creatures can be held by your Mind Grapple simultaneously. If you attempt to use your Mind Grapple again while two creatures are already held, the condition ends for the first creature held.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you my instead take a feat.
Psionic Mastery
Starting at 20th level, when you use any feature that includes a roll of your Psionic Energy Dice, you can roll the die twice and select which die roll to use. This includes when you use your Psionic Energy Dice size to determine damage. In addition, if you expend a use of your Hit Die to roll in place of your Psionic Energy Dice, you roll a d12 instead of a d8.
Psychic Studies: Kinetics
Those who study the art of Kinetics learn to utilize their psionic powers in combat to control their enemies and protect their allies. They specialize in honing their Telekinetic potential, performing feats of strength using only the power of their minds.
Bonus Proficiencies
When you specialize in Kinetics Studies at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with Simple Weapons, Longswords, Rapiers, Shortswords, Scimitars, Warhammers and Shields. If you equip a shield, you still maintain the benefits of your Psychic Defenses.
Blade Puppetry
As a bonus action, you can cause any weapon you are proficient with within 30 feet that is not being held or carried by any creature other than yourself that lacks the Two-Handed or Ammunition Property to animate under your control for 1 minute. While animated, the weapon becomes a magical object that hovers in place. During your turn, you can move this animated weapon up to 30 feet, requiring no action. If the animated weapon moves more than 60 feet from you, it stops being animated.
* While animated, when you take the attack action on your turn you can make an Animated Weapon Attack. This is a melee Weapon Attack using the Animated Weapon and originating from the Animated Weapon’s space. When attacking in this manner, you use your Intelligence modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity modifier, for the attack and damage rolls. If the weapon has the Versatile property, the attack is made as if being wielded in one hand.
* As a bonus action, you may make an Animated Weapon Attack. The damage die for this attack becomes a d4.
* When a creature you can see within 5 feet of your Animated Weapon moves at least 5 feet away from it, you can use your reaction to make an Animated Weapon Attack as an Attack of Opportunity against that creature.
Defensive Blade: Kinetic Feature
When you reach 6th level, if a creature you can see within 5 ft of a weapon animated by your Blade Puppetry feature is hit by an attack, as a reaction you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice to make the animated weapon protect the target of the attack. Roll your Psionic Energy Die, and add the number rolled to the target’s AC until the end of the current turn, including against the triggering attack.
Puppetmaster: Kinetic Feature
Bonus Proficiencies: Upon reaching 9th level, you become proficient in Greataxes, Greatswords, and Mauls.
Dual-Minded: After reaching 9th level, when you use your Blade Puppetry feature, you can now animate 2 Weapons simultaneously, controlling both independently. Alternatively, you can instead animate a single weapon that has the Two-Handed property.
Mind Prisoner:As a bonus action, you can move onecreature held by your Mind Grapple 10 feet in any direction.
Alternatively, you can expend one Psionic Energy Die and move the creature up to 30 feet instead. If the creature collides with a solid object while moved in this fashion, it stops moving and takes Bludgeoning Damage equal to one roll of your Psionic Energy Die. If it collides with another creature, the second creature must make a DEX saving throw. On a failure, both creatures stop moving and take damage equal to your Die Roll.
Kinetic Master: Kinetic Feature
Starting at 15th level, your Telekinetic Skills reach their peak, granting the following features:
*You can cast Telekinesis at will, requiring no components, but can only target Objects. When casting Telekinesis with this feature, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice to enable the spell to target creatures as well. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
*Once per turn, when you use the Attack Action on your turn to make an Animated Weapon Attack with a weapon animated by your Blade Puppetry feature, you can make one additional Animated Weapon Attack with that weapon.
* When you use your bonus action to make an Animated Weapon Attack, the damage die is now a d6.
*Your Mind Grapple feature can now target creatures Huge or smaller.
If you made it more of a “choose your own class features” mechanic the way a spellcaster chooses spells, then you would have something sortakinda similar to what like what I’ve been suggesting. I have been working on my own system for a while, and went with a slightly different set of mechanics to better represent the way they used to work (Talents, Studies, Devotions), so there are three “tiers” of powers. But if you made it so the player could choose their own class & subclass features like sorcerers/bards/etc. choose spells then you would have something I would seriously consider as approximating what I feel a Psion should be.
The way Transmorpher has it set up, the idea of choosing class feature would work better as subclass options, in my opinion. Kind of like the Hunter Ranger. At least one subclass could go more of a “jack of all trades” type while others, like the mentioned Kinetics studies would be more focus (martial in the Kinetics case) in disciplines. Well, at least that’s my two coppers. But I could see a Psion class more like you suggested as well.
That actually has me curious... what would make more sense, something like Hunter where the player makes a choice at each Subclass Feature out of 3 options, or would it be better to go with something like Battlemaster where there's a selection of "maneuvers" that can be taken at each subclass feature?
I know I said I was going to wait until I got more feedback on the Class itself before working on Subclasses, but I've had this idea for a Pyrokinetics subclass running through my head that's built heavily on the idea of igniting foes on fire. I want to get some feedback on it... this is just a first draft, but I think this does a good idea of conveying the basic premise, and includes some more spellcasting, since I still want to include some spellcasting as part of this Class.
Psychic Studies: Pyrokinetics
Your psychic forces have become more dangerous, manifesting in bursts of flame and extreme heat. Starting at 3rd level, you learn to use your psychic powers to manipulate flames in the following ways:
Flame Controller – You learn the Control Flames Cantrip. Intelligence is your sprellcasting ability for this spell.
Flaming Psychic Force Attack – When making a Psychic Force Attack, you can deal Fire damage instead of Psychic Damage. If you use fire damage to hit a flammable object that is not being worn or carried, it catches on fire.
Ignite Foe – Once per turn, when you deal fire damage to a creature, that creature becomes Ignited for one minute.
Ignited – A creature that has been Ignited is covered with non-magical flames. At the start of their turn, they take 1d6 fire damage, and any flammable objects they touch that are not being worn or carried catches on fire. The ignited condition ends early if any creature uses their action to douse the flame, or if the Ignited creature becomes fully submerged in water.
Ignited Fury – As a bonus action, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice. Roll the die, dealing the number rolled in fire damage to all Ignited Creatures within 30 feet of yourself.
Flame Thrower: Pyrokinetics Feature
Starting at 6th level, you’ve learned to direct the raging fire within, learning to control your pyrokinetics in the following ways.
Flamewalker – You become resistant to fire damage.
Flame Conjure – You learn the following spells, requiring no material component:
Burning Hands
Flaming Sphere
Heat Metal
Fireball
You can cast each of these spells a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, and cannot cast them again until you complete a Long rest, unless you expend a number of Psychic Energy Dice equal to the spell’s level.
In addition, you can expend one use of your Psychic Energy Dice when casting one of these spells in order to cast them without requiring Vocal or Somatic Components. Roll your Psychic Energy Die, and add the number rolled in fire damage to one creature damaged by that spell on the turn the spell is cast.
Fire Lock: Pyrokinetics Feature
Starting at 9th level, any creature held by your Mind Grapple becomes Ignited, and if an ignited creature you can see within 30 feet of you is reduced to Zero HP, you can use your reaction to regain one use of your Psionic Energy Dice. In Addition, when you deal fire damage to a creature using your Pyrokinetics features, you ignore resistance to fire damage.
Fire Starter: Pyrokinetics Featue
When you reach 15th level, you’ve learned to embrace the raging fire within, using the flames to punish those who stand to harm you or those you choose to protect.
Flame Master – As a bonus action, you surround yourself in flames for 1 minute. When you activate this feature, every creature within 10 feet of you must succeed on a Dexterity Saving Throw or take fire damage equal to your Psionics Energy Dice and become ignited. While Surrounded in flames, you become immune to fire damage and resistant to cold damage. Ranged Weapon Attacks have disadvantage to hit you. Any creature within 10 feet of you who hits you with a weapon attack becomes ignited. You can use this ability once, and must finish a Long Rest before using it again. Alternatively, you can expend a use of your Psionic Energy Dice to use it again.
I like the idea of the Subclass Feature with 3 options personally.
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There's a fairly long thread in general discussion about Psions and Mystics, and a lot of debate from those who don't like that most Psychic-type class concepts are basically just spellcasters. A lot of ideas were tossed around for how to address that, and whether it was even a problem in the first place. Personally I'm not against psychic powers being categorized as magic or psychic characters having spellcasting in one form or another, but a lot of the ideas that were thrown out sounded really cool, and many of them didn't feel like they would work as just a subclass to an existing class, so as a bit of an experiment I started trying to build a homebrew class that used some of the more interesting ideas that got thrown out.
A lot of this class is mostly just taking features from other classes and using them as the base for new class features. For example, I took the rules for Psionic Energy Dice from the Psi Fighter/Soulknife subclasses, although I altered them a bit to include an idea someone had to use Hit Dice as a resource. I also tried to give the class a psychic attack based on the Sun Soul Monk's Radiant Sun Bolt feature, just to see if there's a way to give this class a ranged psychic attack that isn't just a new or reflavored cantrip. I decided to focus on a single subclass... a quasi-martial class that uses telekinetic powers to animate a weapon to fight for them.
The Psion
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8
Hit Points at first level: 8+ Your Constitution Modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Your Constitution Modifier Per Psion level after the 1
Proficiencies
Armor: None
Weapons: Simple Weapons, Hand Crossbow
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
Languages: You know one additional language of your choice
Skills: Choose 2 from Animal Handling, Deception, History, Insight, Investigation, Perception
Starting Equipment
You start with the following items, plus anything provided by your background
* (a) A Quarterstaff or (b) Any Simple Weapon
* (a) An Explorer’s Pack or (b) A Scholar’s Pack
Alternatively, you may start with 4d4 x 10 gp to buy your own equipment
Multiclassing
Ability Score Minimum: 13 Intelligence
Psychic Defenses
Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor, your AC equals 13+ your Dexterity modifier
Psionic Power
You Harbor a Wellspring of Psionic energy within yourself. This is represented by your Psionic Energy Dice, which are a d6. You have a number of dice equal to twice your Proficiency Bonus, and they fuel your psionic powers.
Some of your Psionic Powers expend the Psionic Energy Die, as specified in the Power’s description. If you have no available Psionic Energy Die, you can instead expend one use of your Hit Dice gained from This Class, rolling 1d8 instead of your Psionic Energy Dice size. You can’t use a power if it requires you to expend a die and you have no Psionic Energy Dice or Hit Dice. You Regain all your Psionic Energy Dice when you finish a Long Rest.
When you reach certain levels in this class, the size of your Psionic Energy Dice increases, at 5th level (d8), 11th level (d10), 17th level (d12)
Some of your Psionic Features require a target to make a saving throw to resist the feature’s effects. The Saving Throw DC is calculated as follows:
Psionic save DC = 8 + Your proficiency bonus + Your Intelligence Modifier
Psychic Force
You know the Mage Hand Cantrip. You can cast it without Verbal or Somatic components and you can make the spectral hand invisible. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
You gain a new attack option that you can use with the Attack Action. The special attack is a ranged spell attack with a range of 30 feet. You are proficient with it, and you add your Intelligence Modifier to its attack and damage rolls. Its damage is Psychic and its damage die is equal to your Psionics Energy Dice.
Psychic Communication
You can telepathically speak to any creature you can see within 30 feet of you. You can expend one use of your Psionics Energy Dice, rolling it and increasing the range of your telepathy by 10x the number rolled, you also gain the ability to communicate your messages even if you don’t share a language with the creature you are contacting, but the creature must understand at least one language.
Psionic Manipulation
Starting at 2ndlevel, your mastery over your psionic powers increases.
Psionic Strike - when you take the Attack Action on your turn and hit a creature with an attack, you can expend one use of your Psionics Energy Dice, rolling it and dealing psychic damage to the target equal to the number you rolled.
Mind Grapple – As an action, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice, rolling it and adding the number rolled to your Psionic Save DC as one creature Large or smaller of your choice within 60 feet of you must succeed on a Strength Saving throw. On a failure, its speed is reduced to Zero. The creature can attempt this Saving Throw again at the end of each of its turns, and the condition ends automatically if you use your Mind Grapple on a different target.
Psychic Studies: Kinetics
Those who study the art of Kinetics learn to utilize their psionic powers in combat to control their enemies and protect their allies. They specialize in honing their Telekinetic potential, performing feats of strength using only the power of their minds.
Bonus Proficiencies
When you specialize in Kinetics Studies at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with Martial Weapons, and Shields.
Blade Puppetry
As a bonus action, you can cause any weapon you are proficient with within 30 feet that is not being held or carried by any creature other than yourself that lacks the Two-Handed or Ammunition Property to animate under your control for 1 minute. While animated, the weapon becomes a magical object and has an AC equal to your Psionic Save DC and HP equal to 5 times your Psion level. The weapon also has a fly speed of 30 feet (hover), and is immune to poison and psychic damage and all conditions. If it is forced to make an ability check or a saving throw, treat all of its ability scores as 10 (+0). If the weapon’s HP is reduced to zero or if you choose to animate a different weapon, your weapon ceases to be animated, but is not destroyed.
While animated, when you take the attack action on your turn you can attack using the Animated weapon as though you were standing in its space. When attacking in this manner, you must use your Intelligence modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity modifier, for the attack and damage rolls.
If the animated weapon has the Light property, you can use a bonus action to make a weapon attack with it on your turn.
If the weapon has the thrown property, it can be thrown as part of any attacks made with it, but after hitting or missing its target it ceases to be animated.
If a creature attempts to grab the animated weapon, they must make a Strength Saving Throw. As a reaction to this attempt, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice, rolling the die and adding the number to your Psionic Save DC for this Saving Throw. If this causes their attempt to fail, they then take damage equal to the Psionic Energy Dice Roll of the weapon’s damage type. If they successfully grab the weapon, it ceases being animated.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you my instead take a feat.
Improved Telepathy
At 4th level, your skills with telepathy become more potent. As an action, select a number of creatures within 30 feet of yourself up to your Intelligence Modifier. For the next hour, you can communicate telepathically as long as you remain within 1 mile of each other. A creature can’t use this telepathy if it cannot speak any languages, and a creature can willingly end the telepathic connection at any time (no action required). You and the creature do not need to speak a common language to understand each other. You can use this ability once, and must finish a Long Rest before using it again. Alternatively, you can expend a use of your Psionic Energy Dice to use it again.
Extra Attack: Kinetic Feature
Starting at 5th level, you can attack twice instead of once when you take the attack action on your turn.
Defensive Blade: Kinetic Feature
When you reach 5th level, if a creature within 5 ft of a weapon animated by your Blade Puppetry feature is targeted by an attack, as a reaction you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice to make the animated weapon the target of the attack instead. Roll your Psionic Energy Die, and add the number rolled to the animated weapon’s AC until the end of the current turn.
Mental Expertise
At 6th level, choose two of your Skill Proficiencies that use your Charisma, Intelligence, or Wisdom modifier. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.
Shielded Mind
Starting at 7th level, you become resistant to Psychic damage. In addition, you have advantage on any Saving Throw to resist being Charmed or Frightened, and your thoughts cannot be read by telepathy or other means unless you allow it.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 8th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you my instead take a feat.
Blade Puppetmaster: Kinetic Feature
After reaching 9th level, when you use your Blade Puppetry feature, you can now animate 2 Weapons simultaneously, controlling both independently. Alternatively, you can instead animate a single weapon that has the Two-Handed or Ammunition property.
Mind Prisoner: Kinetic Feature
At 9th level, as a bonus action, you can move one creature held by your Mind Grapple 10 feet in any direction. Alternatively, you can expend one Psionic Energy Die, roll the die and move the creature a number of feet equal to 10 + 10x The Die Roll. If the creature collides with a solid object it stops moving and takes Bludgeoning Damage equal to your Die Roll. If it collides with another creature, the second creature must make a DEX saving throw. On a failure, both creatures stop moving and take damage equal to your Die Roll.
I'm still not sure if just using the Psionic Energy Dice is the right direction to go for the primary class resource, but I thought it would be easiest to just use a system that's already been playtested and implemented in the game rather than try to invent something on my own. I've only written it up to level 9... on average I've tried to avoid spellcasting just to see what I can create that works without turning a psionic class into a spellcaster, but I wonder if too many of my ideas are just something that could be accomplished with a spell with less hassle.
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Really interesting approach. I'm generally on the "Just Reflavor Spellcasting" team, but this does feel more engaging to me personally as I'm less into full casting classes.
One thing that doesn't sell me on psionic dice is the inherent unpredictability of it. It kinda works when it's a fighter or rogue who might not have firm control of their talent, but I feel like a dedicated psion would be much more refined and precise. It's really hard to feel like a competent kineticist when your Mind Prisoner has a possible range of anywhere from 20-130 feet and you don't know what it's going to be until you use it.
I'm also not sure your animated blades need to bother with HP and AC as they're really not much different from a ranged attack. As both a DM and a player I really like the "just don't worry about it, nothing affects it" aspect of spiritual weapon as opposed to keeping track of the hp of your two swords and always having to make saving throws for them.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
I went at it a different way - to me the sorceror was always the "replacement" for the Psion so I used some of the ideas from the "how to improve the sorceror" threads to go about creating the base progresson for a general psion class Psionic Paths are the subclasses (not worked out yet but...), psionic path features are the extra abilities each subclass gets at specified levels. Psionic Path Powers are the similar to the subclass spelllists for the sorceror subclasses (that all of them should have). so here is my take on the class:
Psion Class
Psions are not spellcasters. They have learned to activate portions of their mind that allows them to directly control the world around them without recourse to magical actions. At lower levels their powers are limited but as they develop the powers increase. Psions are rare, they require strong minds and bodies which means that to be a Psion you need a Strength, Wisdom, Constitution and Charisma of 13 or greater. They get a D8 for Hit Points and can wear light armor and use simple weapons.
Below is a quick guide to their development:
L1) 4L0 (at will) Powers, 2L1 Power Slots, 1 psionic attack (Mind Thrust), 1 psionic defense (Mind blank),
Psionic Path Powers and 2 L1 Powers.
L2) +1 L1 power and slot, Psionic Power Pool & 3 points (PPPP), Metapsionics – 3 abilities
L3) +1 L1 power and Slot and 2 L2 powers and slots, a Psionic Path Power, +1PPPP
L4) ABS +1 L2 Power & slot, 1 attack (Ego Whip), 1 Defense (Thought Shield), +2 PPPP
L5) +1 L0 power, +2 L3 Powers and slots, a psionic path power, +1 PPPP
L6) A psionic Path Feature, +1 Metapsionic ability, +1PPPP
L7) 1 L4 power and slot, a psionic path power, +1 PPPP
L8) ABS, 1 attack (psionic Blast), 1 defense (Mental Barrier), +1 L4 Power and slot, +2 PPPP
L9) +1 L4 power and slot, 1L5 power and slot, a psionic path power, +1 PPPP
L10) Psionic Path Feature, +1 Metapsionic ability, +1 L0 Power, +1 L5 power and Slot, +1 PPPP
L11) 1 L6 Power and slot, +1 PPPP
L12) ABS, 1 attack (Id Insinuation), 1 defense (Intellect Fortress), +2 PPPP
L13) 1 L7 power and slot, +1 PPPP
L14) Psionic Path Feature, +1 Metapsionic Ability, +1 PPPP
L15) 1 L8 Power and slot, +1 PPPP
L16) ABS, 1 attack (Psychic Crush), 1 defense (Tower of Iron Will), +2 PPPP
L17) 1L9 power and Slot, +1 PPPP
L18) Psionic Mastery (1 L1 and 1 L2 powers at will at base level), +1 PPPP
L19) ABS, +2 PPPP
L20) +1 L7 Power and Slot, Signature Power (2 L3 Powers activated once at base level without expending a slot, +1 PPPP
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
I think that's definitely the most complicated part of this build... having a magic flying sword assist in combat sounds cool, but is it worth coming up with a whole system for it, or would it be better to just give the player the Spiritual Weapon spell or let them treat any weapon they like as a Dancing Sword? Ultimately I think the purpose of giving the sword HP and AC is to justify giving it more features than you would otherwise get with a simpler alternative... The sword can accomplish more than a Spiritual Weapon could, but as a downside it can be knocked out and de-animated.
It does add a lot of bookkeeping, though. I'm gonna toy with it later today and try to simplify the sword a bit. I do like the potential for battlefield control of having the sword be another figure on the board that can occupy a space and maybe block an exit or something, so I don't want to just treat it as spectral, but it definitely needs some refining.
As for the psionic dice... I do agree that they need some work. Does anyone have an idea for an alternative class resource for this concept? I'm really only using Psionic Die because it's what already exists for psionic characters, and I'm kind of trying to shoehorn in ways for the actual roll of the die to impact the game. I wonder if it would be better to just do a resource like Ki or Sorcery Points where it's just 1-to-1 with your level and doesn't inherently include a dice roll...
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If you made it more of a “choose your own class features” mechanic the way a spellcaster chooses spells, then you would have something sortakinda similar to what like what I’ve been suggesting. I have been working on my own system for a while, and went with a slightly different set of mechanics to better represent the way they used to work (Talents, Studies, Devotions), so there are three “tiers” of powers. But if you made it so the player could choose their own class & subclass features like sorcerers/bards/etc. choose spells then you would have something I would seriously consider as approximating what I feel a Psion should be.
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Honestly, I haven't really attempted something like that because it's so complicated. Coming up with a single class with universal features is one thing... coming up with an entire set of unique abilities that a player can choose from is much more difficult and is probably a job for someone more experienced with homebrewing than me. I do agree that it's a better ideal for what a psion should be, but it's just beyond my skills to pull off something like that.
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Oh trust me, it is in fact difficult. You are absolutely 100% correct about that. 😓
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Okay, I've made some edits to the class so far. I've drastically simplified the Blade Puppetry feature... I also changed weapon proficiencies a bit... instead of giving the class Simple Weapons by default, it instead has a limited selection of weapons, since the class will mostly rely on its Psychic Force attack. However, I also made Extra Attack a feature of the class itself, instead of the Kinetics subclass, again because of the Psychic Force attack. I also changed the Mind Prisoner feature where Psychic Energy Die doesn't influence how far a creature can be moved, but instead just how much damage they take when slammed into a wall.
The Psion
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8
Hit Points at first level: 8+ Your Constitution Modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Your Constitution Modifier Per Psion level after the 1
Proficiencies
Armor: None
Weapons: Daggers, Hand axes, Quarterstaffs, Sickles, Slings, Spears, Hand Crossbows
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
Languages: You know one additional language of your choice
Skills: Choose 2 from Animal Handling, Deception, History, Insight, Investigation, Perception
Starting Equipment
You start with the following items, plus anything provided by your background
* (a) A Quarterstaff or (b) A Dagger
* (a) An Explorer’s Pack or (b) A Scholar’s Pack
Alternatively, you may start with 4d4 x 10 gp to buy your own equipment
Multiclassing
Ability Score Minimum: 13 Intelligence
Psychic Defenses
Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor, your AC equals 13+ your Dexterity modifier
Psionic Power
You Harbor a Wellspring of Psionic energy within yourself. This is represented by your Psionic Energy Dice, which are a d6. You have a number of dice equal to twice your Proficiency Bonus, and they fuel your psionic powers.
Some of your Psionic Powers expend the Psionic Energy Die, as specified in the Power’s description. If you have no available Psionic Energy Die, you can instead expend one use of your Hit Dice gained from This Class, rolling 1d8 instead of your Psionic Energy Dice size. You can’t use a power if it requires you to expend a die and you have no Psionic Energy Dice or Hit Dice. You Regain all your Psionic Energy Dice when you finish a Long Rest.
When you reach certain levels in this class, the size of your Psionic Energy Dice increases, at 5th level (d8), 11th level (d10), 17th level (d12)
Some of your Psionic Features require a target to make a saving throw to resist the feature’s effects. The Saving Throw DC is calculated as follows:
Psionic save DC = 8 + Your proficiency bonus + Your Intelligence Modifier
Psychic Force
You know the Mage Hand Cantrip. You can cast it without Verbal or Somatic components and you can make the spectral hand invisible. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
You gain a new attack option that you can use with the Attack Action. The special attack is a ranged spell attack with a range of 30 feet. You are proficient with it, and you add your Intelligence Modifier to its attack and damage rolls. Its damage is Psychic and its damage die is equal to your Psionics Energy Dice.
Psychic Communication
You can telepathically speak to any creature you can see within 30 feet of you. You can expend one use of your Psionics Energy Dice, rolling it and increasing the range of your telepathy by 10x the number rolled, you also gain the ability to communicate your messages even if you don’t share a language with the creature you are contacting, but the creature must understand at least one language.
Psionic Manipulation
Starting at 2ndlevel, your mastery over your psionic powers increases.
Psionic Strike - when you take the Attack Action on your turn and hit a creature with an attack, you can expend one use of your Psionics Energy Dice, rolling it and dealing psychic damage to the target equal to the number you rolled.
Mind Grapple – As an action, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice, rolling it and adding the number rolled to your Psionic Save DC as one creature Large or smaller of your choice within 60 feet of you must succeed on a Strength Saving throw. On a failure, its speed is reduced to Zero for one minute. The creature can attempt this Saving Throw again at the end of each of its turns, and the condition ends automatically if you use your Mind Grapple on a different target.
Psychic Studies: Kinetics
Those who study the art of Kinetics learn to utilize their psionic powers in combat to control their enemies and protect their allies. They specialize in honing their Telekinetic potential, performing feats of strength using only the power of their minds.
Bonus Proficiencies
When you specialize in Kinetics Studies at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with Simple Weapons, Longswords, Rapiers, Shortswords, Scimitars, Warhammers and Shields.
Blade Puppetry
As a bonus action, you can cause any weapon you are proficient with within 30 feet that is not being held or carried by any creature other than yourself that lacks the Two-Handed or Ammunition Property to animate under your control for 1 minute. While animated, the weapon becomes a magical object that hovers in place. During your turn, you can move this animated weapon up to 30 feet, requiring no action. If the animated weapon moves more than 60 feet from you, it stops being animated.
While animated, when you take the attack action on your turn you can make a melee Weapon Attack using the Animated Weapon and originating from the Animated Weapon’s space. When attacking in this manner, you must use your Intelligence modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity modifier, for the attack and damage rolls. If the weapon has the Versatile property, the attack is made as if being wielded in one hand.
As a bonus action, you may attack in this manner using the Animated Weapon. The damage die for this attack becomes a d4.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you my instead take a feat.
Improved Telepathy
At 4th level, your skills with telepathy become more potent. As an action, select a number of creatures within 30 feet of yourself up to your Intelligence Modifier. For the next hour, you can communicate telepathically as long as you remain within 1 mile of each other. A creature can’t use this telepathy if it cannot speak any languages, and a creature can willingly end the telepathic connection at any time (no action required). You and the creature do not need to speak a common language to understand each other. You can use this ability once, and must finish a Long Rest before using it again. Alternatively, you can expend a use of your Psionic Energy Dice to use it again.
Extra Attack
Starting at 5th level, you can attack twice instead of once when you take the attack action on your turn.
Defensive Blade: Kinetic Feature
When you reach 5th level, if a creature within 5 ft of a weapon animated by your Blade Puppetry feature is hit by an attack, as a reaction you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice to make the animated weapon protect the target of the attack. Roll your Psionic Energy Die, and add the number rolled to the target’s AC until the end of the current turn, including against the triggering attack.
Mental Expertise
At 6th level, choose two of your Skill Proficiencies that use your Charisma, Intelligence, or Wisdom modifier. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.
Shielded Mind
Starting at 7th level, you become resistant to Psychic damage. In addition, you have advantage on any Saving Throw to resist being Charmed or Frightened, and your thoughts cannot be read by telepathy or other means unless you allow it.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 8th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you my instead take a feat.
Blade Puppetmaster: Kinetic Feature
Bonus Proficiencies: Upon reaching 9th level, you become proficient in Greataxes, Greatswords, and Mauls.
Dual-Minded: After reaching 9th level, when you use your Blade Puppetry feature, you can now animate 2 Weapons simultaneously, controlling both independently. Alternatively, you can instead animate a single weapon that has the Two-Handed property.
Mind Prisoner: Kinetic Feature
At 9th level, as a bonus action, you can move onecreature held by your Mind Grapple 10 feet in any direction.
Alternatively, you can expend one Psionic Energy Die, roll the die and move the creature up to 30 feet instead.. If the creature collides with a solid object while moved in this fashion, it stops moving and takes Bludgeoning Damage equal to one roll of your Psionic Energy Die. If it collides with another creature, the second creature must make a DEX saving throw. On a failure, both creatures stop moving and take damage equal to your Die Roll.
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This is actually fascinating, especially after having read the original post (or the most recent post) this was based on. Kind of surprised that the other knowledgeable folks who wanted to see this haven't provided much input (such as IamSposta who already has mentioned having a version). Would be amazing to see what you two and others could come up with since you have previously collaborated (or shared ideas) for Way of the Chan.
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"...or you can find the secret tunnel that leads to the Vault of Dickish DM which is filled with 10,000,000 copper coins and a 5,000 pound solid gold statue of a middle finger that is too big to fit through the door."
I've finished writing up my first draft for the full class from level 1-20, with the first Subclass as a semi-martial class. After going over this a dozen times or so, I'm confident that this would be a fun class to play... I am not confident that this class is balanced. I think one of the biggest problems I had with building this class was it was difficult to think of skills that would feel universal to any psionic character that also wasn't just a spell or ability that already exists. A lot of the features in this are very clearly inspired by other class features, and there's a little bit of spellcasting hard-baked into the subclass, but I tried my best to create something that accomplishes the fantasy of being a psychic warrior without just making them a spellcaster with a psychic theme. I'd love to hear feedback on the levels where each feature unlocks... are there some low level features that should be saved for later, or some higher level features that aren't strong enough to justify waiting so long to unlock them? Are there any features that would be better to just replace with a spell? I'm really open to suggestions, I think I've used just about every suggestion I've gotten in some way.
The Psion
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8
Hit Points at first level: 8+ Your Constitution Modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Your Constitution Modifier Per Psion level after the 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: None
Weapons: Daggers, Hand axes, Quarterstaffs, Sickles, Slings, Spears, Hand Crossbows
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
Languages: You know one additional language of your choice
Skills: Choose 2 from Animal Handling, Deception, History, Insight, Investigation, Perception
Starting Equipment
You start with the following items, plus anything provided by your background
* (a) A Quarterstaff or (b) A Dagger
* (a) An Explorer’s Pack or (b) A Scholar’s Pack
Alternatively, you may start with 4d4 x 10 gp to buy your own equipment
Multiclassing
Ability Score Minimum: 13 Intelligence
Psychic Defenses
Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor, your AC equals 13+ your Dexterity modifier
Psionic Power
You Harbor a Wellspring of Psionic energy within yourself. This is represented by your Psionic Energy Dice, which are a d6. You have a number of dice equal to twice your Proficiency Bonus, and they fuel your psionic powers.
Some of your Psionic Powers expend the Psionic Energy Die, as specified in the Power’s description. If you have no available Psionic Energy Die, you can instead expend one use of your Hit Dice gained from This Class, rolling 1d8 instead of your Psionic Energy Dice size. You can’t use a power if it requires you to expend a die and you have no Psionic Energy Dice or Hit Dice. You Regain all your Psionic Energy Dice when you finish a Long Rest.
When you reach certain levels in this class, the size of your Psionic Energy Dice increases, at 5th level (d8), 11th level (d10), 17th level (d12)
Some of your Psionic Features require a target to make a saving throw to resist the feature’s effects. The Saving Throw DC is calculated as follows:
Psionic save DC = 8 + Your proficiency bonus + Your Intelligence Modifier
Psychic Force
You know the Mage Hand Cantrip. You can cast it without Verbal or Somatic components and you can make the spectral hand invisible. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
You gain a new attack option that you can use with the Attack Action. The special attack is called a Psychic Force Attack, and is a ranged spell attack with a range of 30 feet. You are proficient with it, and you add your Intelligence Modifier to its attack and damage rolls. Its damage is Psychic and its damage die is equal to your Psionics Energy Dice.
Psychic Communication
You can telepathically speak to any creature you can see within 30 feet of you. You can expend one use of your Psionics Energy Dice, rolling it and increasing the range of your telepathy by 10x the number rolled, you also gain the ability to communicate your messages even if you don’t share a language with the creature you are contacting, but the creature must understand at least one language.
Psionic Manipulation
Starting at 2nd level, your mastery over your psionic powers increases.
Psionic Strike - when you take the Attack Action on your turn and hit a creature with an attack, you can expend one use of your Psionics Energy Dice, rolling it and dealing psychic damage to the target equal to the number you rolled.
Mind Grapple – As an action, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice to make one creature Large or smaller of your choice within 60 feet of you must succeed on a Strength Saving throw. Roll your Psionics Energy Dice, and subtract the number rolled from the creature’s Saving Throw. On a failure, its speed is reduced to Zero for one minute. The creature can attempt this Saving Throw again at the end of each of its turns, and the condition ends automatically if you use your Mind Grapple on a different creature. You can end your Mind Grapple at any time, requiring no action.
Psychic Studies: Kinetics
Those who study the art of Kinetics learn to utilize their psionic powers in combat to control their enemies and protect their allies. They specialize in honing their Telekinetic potential, performing feats of strength using only the power of their minds.
Bonus Proficiencies
When you specialize in Kinetics Studies at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with Simple Weapons, Longswords, Rapiers, Shortswords, Scimitars, Warhammers and Shields. If you equip a shield, you still maintain the benefits of your Psychic Defenses.
Blade Puppetry
As a bonus action, you can cause any weapon you are proficient with within 30 feet that is not being held or carried by any creature other than yourself that lacks the Two-Handed or Ammunition Property to animate under your control for 1 minute. While animated, the weapon becomes a magical object that hovers in place. During your turn, you can move this animated weapon up to 30 feet, requiring no action. If the animated weapon moves more than 60 feet from you, it stops being animated.
* While animated, when you take the attack action on your turn you can make an Animated Weapon Attack. This is a melee Weapon Attack using the Animated Weapon and originating from the Animated Weapon’s space. When attacking in this manner, you use your Intelligence modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity modifier, for the attack and damage rolls. If the weapon has the Versatile property, the attack is made as if being wielded in one hand.
* As a bonus action, you may make an Animated Weapon Attack. The damage die for this attack becomes a d4.
* When a creature you can see within 5 feet of your Animated Weapon moves at least 5 feet away from it, you can use your reaction to make an Animated Weapon Attack against that creature.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you my instead take a feat.
Improved Telepathy
At 4th level, your skills with telepathy become more potent. As an action, select a number of creatures within 30 feet of yourself up to your Intelligence Modifier. For the next hour, you can communicate telepathically as long as you remain within 1 mile of each other. A creature can’t use this telepathy if it cannot speak any languages, and a creature can willingly end the telepathic connection at any time (no action required). You and the creature do not need to speak a common language to understand each other. You can use this ability once, and must finish a Long Rest before using it again. Alternatively, you can expend a use of your Psionic Energy Dice to use it again.
Extra Attack
Starting at 5th level, you can attack twice instead of once when you take the attack action on your turn.
Defensive Blade: Kinetic Feature
When you reach 6th level, if a creature you can see within 5 ft of a weapon animated by your Blade Puppetry feature is hit by an attack, as a reaction you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice to make the animated weapon protect the target of the attack. Roll your Psionic Energy Die, and add the number rolled to the target’s AC until the end of the current turn, including against the triggering attack.
Mental Expertise
At 6th level, choose two of your Skill Proficiencies that use your Charisma, Intelligence, or Wisdom modifier. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.
Shielded Mind
Starting at 7th level, you become resistant to Psychic damage. In addition, you have advantage on any Saving Throw to resist being Charmed or Frightened, and your thoughts cannot be read by telepathy or other means unless you allow it.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 8th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you may instead take a feat.
Puppetmaster: Kinetic Feature
Bonus Proficiencies: Upon reaching 9th level, you become proficient in Greataxes, Greatswords, and Mauls.
Dual-Minded: After reaching 9th level, when you use your Blade Puppetry feature, you can now animate 2 Weapons simultaneously, controlling both independently. Alternatively, you can instead animate a single weapon that has the Two-Handed property.
Mind Prisoner:As a bonus action, you can move onecreature held by your Mind Grapple 10 feet in any direction.
Alternatively, you can expend one Psionic Energy Die and move the creature up to 30 feet instead. If the creature collides with a solid object while moved in this fashion, it stops moving and takes Bludgeoning Damage equal to one roll of your Psionic Energy Die. If it collides with another creature, the second creature must make a DEX saving throw. On a failure, both creatures stop moving and take damage equal to your Die Roll.
Mind-Propelled Leaps
Beginning at 10th level, During your turn, your Jump Distance is tripled.
In addition, as a bonus action you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice to gain a fly speed equal to your walking speed for one minute.
Mental Strength
At 11th level, any skill check you make using your Strength score can be made using your Intelligence score instead. In addition, when making a Strength Saving throw, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice to make an Intelligence Saving Throw instead. Roll your Psionic Energy Dice and add the number rolled to your Saving Throw.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 12th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you my instead take a feat.
Mental Domination
Starting at level 13, as an action, you can target one creature within 30 feet and force them to make an Intelligence Saving Throw. On a failure, that creature is charmed by you for 1 minute, and has disadvantage on one saving throw of your choice during that time. If the creature takes damage, or if you use your Mental Domination on a different creature, the Charmed condition ends. The creature does not realize it was charmed during this time. A creature targeted by this feature cannot be targeted by it again for 1 hour, unless you expend a Psionic Energy Die to do so.
Psychic Force Improvement
Beginning at 14th level, The range for your Mage Hand spell and your Psychic Force Attack both increase to 60 feet.
Kinetic Master: Kinetic Feature
Starting at 15th level, your Telekinetic Skills reach their peak, granting the following features:
*You can cast Telekinesis at will, requiring no components, but can only target Objects. When casting Telekinesis with this feature, you can expend two uses of your Psionic Energy Dice to enable the spell to target creatures as well. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
*Once per turn, when you use the Attack Action on your turn to make an Animated Weapon Attack with a weapon animated by your Blade Puppetry feature, you can make one additional Animated Weapon Attack with that weapon.
* When you use your bonus action to make an Animated Weapon Attack, the damage die is now a d6.
*Your Mind Grapple feature can now target creatures Huge or smaller.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 16th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you may instead take a feat.
Thought Collector
Upon reaching level 17, You learn the Detect Thoughts spell and can cast it at will without expending a spell slot or material components. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
When you cast Detect Thoughts with this feature you can choose to expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice, which has the following effects.
*Casting the spell does not require Vocal or Somatic Components
*If you attempt to probe the target’s thoughts more deeply, roll your Psionic Energy Dice and decrease their saving throw by the number rolled. If they fail their Saving throw, they do not know that you are probing their mind.
Mind Wrestler
Upon reaching 18th level, your Mind Grapple feature improves in the following ways:
*Once per turn, when you hit a creature with an Attack Roll, you can use your Mind Grapple against that creature as a free action.
*A creature under the effects of your Mind Grapple takes Psychic Damage equal to one roll of your Psionics Energy Dice at the start of its turn.
*If a creature succeeds on its saving throw to end your Mind Grapple at the end of its turn, you can use a reaction to expend one use of your Psionics Energy Dice, rolling the die and reducing their saving throw by the number rolled.
*Two creatures can be held by your Mind Grapple simultaneously. If you attempt to use your Mind Grapple again while two creatures are already held, the condition ends for the first creature held.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you my instead take a feat.
Psionic Mastery
Starting at 20th level, when you use any feature that includes a roll of your Psionic Energy Dice, you can roll the die twice and select which die roll to use. This includes when you use your Psionic Energy Dice size to determine damage. In addition, if you expend a use of your Hit Die to roll in place of your Psionic Energy Dice, you roll a d12 instead of a d8.
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It looks pretty good and balanced as a warrior but we already have a psychic warrior. How about a straight up psion not a warrior/rogue/whatever side form?
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
Honestly, I started with the warrior concept partly because the idea of a class that utilized a telekinetically-propelled sword sounded really fun to me... but also because a martial subclass is easier to make than a spellcasting class. I want to refine the base class concept a little more before I start trying to come up with Subclasses, but I have a few in mind.
I know that I would probably do the Mystic as a Half-Caster, similar to an Eldritch Knight or Arcane Trickster. I'd also like to do a "Firestarter" style Pyrokineticist, and a mind-control focused class with a lot of manipulation skills. All these other classes would utilize spells more and need even more tweaking and balancing, which is why I'm not ready to take them on quite yet.
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I like the change to the mind grapple. Originally, in the initial thread, I recommended adding the roll to the DC but I think it’s better worded now (or maybe I just know what you were intending) so I like the subtract from their saving throw roll.
Haven’t had time to read the whole revision (on lunch and need to get back to work) but I think it looks pretty good.
EZD6 by DM Scotty
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397599/EZD6-Core-Rulebook?
Thanks :) I probably rewrote that feature a dozen times to try and make it easy to read and understand. My hope is that it's good enough to justify using a full action to perform it, but still not powerful enough that it feels unbalanced that you don't need to maintain concentration on it.
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One thing that I found confusing at first is that the Psychic Studies: kinetics is a subclass option, correct? Skimming through the class description it felt as part of the main class. It might be easier if the main Psion class was first, all the way to 20th level and then the Kinetics subclass options came after it.
EZD6 by DM Scotty
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397599/EZD6-Core-Rulebook?
That's a good point, that is generally how classes are written up on DnD Beyond, and it would make it easier to read the Psion Class as it's own thing and not immediately think of the Kinetics subclass as a core part of the class. I'll take some time later to edit how everything is written up.
Okay, it took less time than I thought it would to edit it:
The Psion
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8
Hit Points at first level: 8+ Your Constitution Modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Your Constitution Modifier Per Psion level after the 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: None
Weapons: Daggers, Hand axes, Quarterstaffs, Sickles, Slings, Spears, Hand Crossbows
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
Languages: You know one additional language of your choice
Skills: Choose 2 from Animal Handling, Deception, History, Insight, Investigation, Perception
Starting Equipment
You start with the following items, plus anything provided by your background
* (a) A Quarterstaff or (b) A Dagger
* (a) An Explorer’s Pack or (b) A Scholar’s Pack
Alternatively, you may start with 4d4 x 10 gp to buy your own equipment
Multiclassing
Ability Score Minimum: 13 Intelligence
Psychic Defenses
Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor, your AC equals 13+ your Dexterity modifier
Psionic Power
You Harbor a Wellspring of Psionic energy within yourself. This is represented by your Psionic Energy Dice, which are a d6. You have a number of dice equal to twice your Proficiency Bonus, and they fuel your psionic powers.
Some of your Psionic Powers expend the Psionic Energy Die, as specified in the Power’s description. If you have no available Psionic Energy Die, you can instead expend one use of your Hit Dice gained from This Class, rolling 1d8 instead of your Psionic Energy Dice size. You can’t use a power if it requires you to expend a die and you have no Psionic Energy Dice or Hit Dice. You Regain all your Psionic Energy Dice when you finish a Long Rest.
When you reach certain levels in this class, the size of your Psionic Energy Dice increases, at 5th level (d8), 11th level (d10), 17th level (d12)
Some of your Psionic Features require a target to make a saving throw to resist the feature’s effects. The Saving Throw DC is calculated as follows:
Psionic save DC = 8 + Your proficiency bonus + Your Intelligence Modifier
Psychic Force
You know the Mage Hand Cantrip. You can cast it without Verbal or Somatic components and you can make the spectral hand invisible. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
You gain a new attack option that you can use with the Attack Action. The special attack is called a Psychic Force Attack, and is a ranged spell attack with a range of 30 feet. You are proficient with it, and you add your Intelligence Modifier to its attack and damage rolls. Its damage is Psychic and its damage die is equal to your Psionics Energy Dice.
Psychic Communication
You can telepathically speak to any creature you can see within 30 feet of you. You can expend one use of your Psionics Energy Dice, rolling it and increasing the range of your telepathy by 10x the number rolled, you also gain the ability to communicate your messages even if you don’t share a language with the creature you are contacting, but the creature must understand at least one language.
Psionic Manipulation
Starting at 2nd level, your mastery over your psionic powers increases.
Psionic Strike - when you take the Attack Action on your turn and hit a creature with an attack, you can expend one use of your Psionics Energy Dice, rolling it and dealing psychic damage to the target equal to the number you rolled.
Mind Grapple – As an action, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice to force one creature Large or smaller of your choice within 60 feet of you to make a Strength Saving throw. Roll your Psionics Energy Dice, and subtract the number rolled from the creature’s Saving Throw. On a failure, its speed is reduced to Zero for one minute. The creature can attempt this Saving Throw again at the end of each of its turns, ending the condition on a success, and the condition ends automatically if you use your Mind Grapple on a different creature. You can end your Mind Grapple at any time, requiring no action.
Psychic Studies
At 3rd level, you choose an aspect of your psionic powers to focus your studies upon. Choose one of the Psychich Studies subclasses, detailed at the end of the class description. The Studies you choose grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 6th, 9th, and 15th level.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you my instead take a feat.
Improved Telepathy
At 4th level, your skills with telepathy become more potent. As an action, select a number of creatures within 30 feet of yourself up to your Intelligence Modifier. For the next hour, you can communicate telepathically as long as you remain within 1 mile of each other. A creature can’t use this telepathy if it cannot speak any languages, and a creature can willingly end the telepathic connection at any time (no action required). You and the creature do not need to speak a common language to understand each other. You can use this ability once, and must finish a Long Rest before using it again. Alternatively, you can expend a use of your Psionic Energy Dice to use it again.
Extra Attack
Starting at 5th level, you can attack twice instead of once when you take the attack action on your turn.
Mental Expertise
At 6th level, choose two of your Skill Proficiencies that use your Charisma, Intelligence, or Wisdom modifier. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.
Shielded Mind
Starting at 7th level, you become resistant to Psychic damage. In addition, you have advantage on any Saving Throw to resist being Charmed or Frightened, and your thoughts cannot be read by telepathy or other means unless you allow it.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 8th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you may instead take a feat.
Mind-Propelled Leaps
Beginning at 10th level, During your turn, your Jump Distance is tripled.
In addition, as a bonus action you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice to gain a fly speed equal to your walking speed for one minute.
Mental Strength
At 11th level, any skill check you make using your Strength score can be made using your Intelligence score instead. In addition, when making a Strength Saving throw, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice to make an Intelligence Saving Throw instead. Roll your Psionic Energy Dice and add the number rolled to your Saving Throw.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 12th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you my instead take a feat.
Mental Domination
Starting at level 13, as an action, you can target one creature within 30 feet and force them to make an Intelligence Saving Throw. On a failure, that creature is charmed by you for 1 minute, and has disadvantage on one saving throw of your choice during that time. If the creature takes damage, or if you use your Mental Domination on a different creature, the Charmed condition ends. The creature does not realize it was charmed during this time. A creature targeted by this feature cannot be targeted by it again for 1 hour, unless you expend a Psionic Energy Die to do so.
Psychic Force Improvement
Beginning at 14th level, The range for your Mage Hand spell and your Psychic Force Attack both increase to 60 feet.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 16th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you may instead take a feat.
Thought Collector
Upon reaching level 17, You learn the Detect Thoughts spell and can cast it at will without expending a spell slot or material components. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
When you cast Detect Thoughts with this feature you can choose to expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice, which has the following effects.
*Casting the spell does not require Vocal or Somatic Components
*If you attempt to probe the target’s thoughts more deeply, roll your Psionic Energy Dice and decrease their saving throw by the number rolled. If they fail their Saving throw, they do not know that you are probing their mind.
Mind Wrestler
Upon reaching 18th level, your Mind Grapple feature improves in the following ways:
*Once per turn, when you hit a creature with an Attack Roll, you can use your Mind Grapple against that creature as a free action.
*A creature under the effects of your Mind Grapple takes Psychic Damage equal to one roll of your Psionics Energy Dice at the start of its turn.
*If a creature succeeds on its saving throw to end your Mind Grapple at the end of its turn, you can use a reaction to expend one use of your Psionics Energy Dice, rolling the die and reducing their saving throw by the number rolled.
*Two creatures can be held by your Mind Grapple simultaneously. If you attempt to use your Mind Grapple again while two creatures are already held, the condition ends for the first creature held.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20.
If your DM allows the use of feats, you my instead take a feat.
Psionic Mastery
Starting at 20th level, when you use any feature that includes a roll of your Psionic Energy Dice, you can roll the die twice and select which die roll to use. This includes when you use your Psionic Energy Dice size to determine damage. In addition, if you expend a use of your Hit Die to roll in place of your Psionic Energy Dice, you roll a d12 instead of a d8.
Psychic Studies: Kinetics
Those who study the art of Kinetics learn to utilize their psionic powers in combat to control their enemies and protect their allies. They specialize in honing their Telekinetic potential, performing feats of strength using only the power of their minds.
Bonus Proficiencies
When you specialize in Kinetics Studies at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with Simple Weapons, Longswords, Rapiers, Shortswords, Scimitars, Warhammers and Shields. If you equip a shield, you still maintain the benefits of your Psychic Defenses.
Blade Puppetry
As a bonus action, you can cause any weapon you are proficient with within 30 feet that is not being held or carried by any creature other than yourself that lacks the Two-Handed or Ammunition Property to animate under your control for 1 minute. While animated, the weapon becomes a magical object that hovers in place. During your turn, you can move this animated weapon up to 30 feet, requiring no action. If the animated weapon moves more than 60 feet from you, it stops being animated.
* While animated, when you take the attack action on your turn you can make an Animated Weapon Attack. This is a melee Weapon Attack using the Animated Weapon and originating from the Animated Weapon’s space. When attacking in this manner, you use your Intelligence modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity modifier, for the attack and damage rolls. If the weapon has the Versatile property, the attack is made as if being wielded in one hand.
* As a bonus action, you may make an Animated Weapon Attack. The damage die for this attack becomes a d4.
* When a creature you can see within 5 feet of your Animated Weapon moves at least 5 feet away from it, you can use your reaction to make an Animated Weapon Attack as an Attack of Opportunity against that creature.
Defensive Blade: Kinetic Feature
When you reach 6th level, if a creature you can see within 5 ft of a weapon animated by your Blade Puppetry feature is hit by an attack, as a reaction you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice to make the animated weapon protect the target of the attack. Roll your Psionic Energy Die, and add the number rolled to the target’s AC until the end of the current turn, including against the triggering attack.
Puppetmaster: Kinetic Feature
Bonus Proficiencies: Upon reaching 9th level, you become proficient in Greataxes, Greatswords, and Mauls.
Dual-Minded: After reaching 9th level, when you use your Blade Puppetry feature, you can now animate 2 Weapons simultaneously, controlling both independently. Alternatively, you can instead animate a single weapon that has the Two-Handed property.
Mind Prisoner:As a bonus action, you can move onecreature held by your Mind Grapple 10 feet in any direction.
Alternatively, you can expend one Psionic Energy Die and move the creature up to 30 feet instead. If the creature collides with a solid object while moved in this fashion, it stops moving and takes Bludgeoning Damage equal to one roll of your Psionic Energy Die. If it collides with another creature, the second creature must make a DEX saving throw. On a failure, both creatures stop moving and take damage equal to your Die Roll.
Kinetic Master: Kinetic Feature
Starting at 15th level, your Telekinetic Skills reach their peak, granting the following features:
*You can cast Telekinesis at will, requiring no components, but can only target Objects. When casting Telekinesis with this feature, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice to enable the spell to target creatures as well. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
*Once per turn, when you use the Attack Action on your turn to make an Animated Weapon Attack with a weapon animated by your Blade Puppetry feature, you can make one additional Animated Weapon Attack with that weapon.
* When you use your bonus action to make an Animated Weapon Attack, the damage die is now a d6.
*Your Mind Grapple feature can now target creatures Huge or smaller.
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The way Transmorpher has it set up, the idea of choosing class feature would work better as subclass options, in my opinion. Kind of like the Hunter Ranger. At least one subclass could go more of a “jack of all trades” type while others, like the mentioned Kinetics studies would be more focus (martial in the Kinetics case) in disciplines. Well, at least that’s my two coppers.
But I could see a Psion class more like you suggested as well.
EZD6 by DM Scotty
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397599/EZD6-Core-Rulebook?
That actually has me curious... what would make more sense, something like Hunter where the player makes a choice at each Subclass Feature out of 3 options, or would it be better to go with something like Battlemaster where there's a selection of "maneuvers" that can be taken at each subclass feature?
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I know I said I was going to wait until I got more feedback on the Class itself before working on Subclasses, but I've had this idea for a Pyrokinetics subclass running through my head that's built heavily on the idea of igniting foes on fire. I want to get some feedback on it... this is just a first draft, but I think this does a good idea of conveying the basic premise, and includes some more spellcasting, since I still want to include some spellcasting as part of this Class.
Psychic Studies: Pyrokinetics
Your psychic forces have become more dangerous, manifesting in bursts of flame and extreme heat. Starting at 3rd level, you learn to use your psychic powers to manipulate flames in the following ways:
Flame Controller – You learn the Control Flames Cantrip. Intelligence is your sprellcasting ability for this spell.
Flaming Psychic Force Attack – When making a Psychic Force Attack, you can deal Fire damage instead of Psychic Damage. If you use fire damage to hit a flammable object that is not being worn or carried, it catches on fire.
Ignite Foe – Once per turn, when you deal fire damage to a creature, that creature becomes Ignited for one minute.
Ignited – A creature that has been Ignited is covered with non-magical flames. At the start of their turn, they take 1d6 fire damage, and any flammable objects they touch that are not being worn or carried catches on fire. The ignited condition ends early if any creature uses their action to douse the flame, or if the Ignited creature becomes fully submerged in water.
Ignited Fury – As a bonus action, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice. Roll the die, dealing the number rolled in fire damage to all Ignited Creatures within 30 feet of yourself.
Flame Thrower: Pyrokinetics Feature
Starting at 6th level, you’ve learned to direct the raging fire within, learning to control your pyrokinetics in the following ways.
Flamewalker – You become resistant to fire damage.
Flame Conjure – You learn the following spells, requiring no material component:
Burning Hands
Flaming Sphere
Heat Metal
Fireball
You can cast each of these spells a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, and cannot cast them again until you complete a Long rest, unless you expend a number of Psychic Energy Dice equal to the spell’s level.
In addition, you can expend one use of your Psychic Energy Dice when casting one of these spells in order to cast them without requiring Vocal or Somatic Components. Roll your Psychic Energy Die, and add the number rolled in fire damage to one creature damaged by that spell on the turn the spell is cast.
Fire Lock: Pyrokinetics Feature
Starting at 9th level, any creature held by your Mind Grapple becomes Ignited, and if an ignited creature you can see within 30 feet of you is reduced to Zero HP, you can use your reaction to regain one use of your Psionic Energy Dice. In Addition, when you deal fire damage to a creature using your Pyrokinetics features, you ignore resistance to fire damage.
Fire Starter: Pyrokinetics Featue
When you reach 15th level, you’ve learned to embrace the raging fire within, using the flames to punish those who stand to harm you or those you choose to protect.
Flame Master – As a bonus action, you surround yourself in flames for 1 minute. When you activate this feature, every creature within 10 feet of you must succeed on a Dexterity Saving Throw or take fire damage equal to your Psionics Energy Dice and become ignited. While Surrounded in flames, you become immune to fire damage and resistant to cold damage. Ranged Weapon Attacks have disadvantage to hit you. Any creature within 10 feet of you who hits you with a weapon attack becomes ignited. You can use this ability once, and must finish a Long Rest before using it again. Alternatively, you can expend a use of your Psionic Energy Dice to use it again.
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I like the idea of the Subclass Feature with 3 options personally.
#OpenD&D #ORC
"...or you can find the secret tunnel that leads to the Vault of Dickish DM which is filled with 10,000,000 copper coins and a 5,000 pound solid gold statue of a middle finger that is too big to fit through the door."