I'm a very new dm, only been dming for about 4 months. As the title says, I'm making a new class from scratch, and have hit a wall.
I was wondering if ya'll have any tips and tricks for how to homebrew and playtest a fun and balanced class, as it's a much more difficult/different experience than subclass homebrewing.
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Idk I'm just a guy ig
I like Warlocks
I like guitars (coming up on my fifth year of playing!)
I want to be a musician/stay-at-home dad when I grow up
Recently obsessing over Warhammer 40k, specifically the T’au empire
So, one thing I've started to realize is that, if you're going to create a new Class, you need to first ask yourself, "Why can't this just be a subclass of an existing class?" Although the mechanics aren't always 100% perfect, it's still possible to accomplish most concepts through one of the existing classes.
What is the theme of the class? What do you want the class to do that isn’t covered by another?
The idea came around simply because I was wanting to homebrew a class. So I was thinking on what D&D classes are lacking, and found a severe lack of classes focused on psychic power, like the Psi Warrior but without the Warrior part. Thus came the Psion from the depths of my mind.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Idk I'm just a guy ig
I like Warlocks
I like guitars (coming up on my fifth year of playing!)
I want to be a musician/stay-at-home dad when I grow up
Recently obsessing over Warhammer 40k, specifically the T’au empire
Oh, maybe you can help me! I've been building a Psion class for a while inspired by some conversations on these forums, with a focus on creating a psion class that doesn't rely quite so much on spellcasting. Here's what I've created so far:
The Psion
Formal wear ripped and torn, a mistreated half-elf erupts with unseen force, foes falling, clutching their head in pain as they’re wracked with psionic forces.
Voices scream in pain as a young human conjures magical flame with nothing but a thought, explosions sending attackers flying and engulfing them in flames.
Wine spills as silver goblets clink in toast. Nobles mingle, never suspecting that the Dwarven man disguised as a servant is silently probing their minds, unlocking secrets that could shatter kingdoms.
Whether through a quirk of genetics, exposure to otherworldly forces, or intense training, Psions are uniquely blessed to tap into magical forces using the sheer power of their minds. While they may not show any outward sign of the power they possess, these mental warriors are never unarmed, never defenseless, as their minds are more powerful than any equipment they could find.
Awakened Minds
While some adventurers with latent psychic powers utilize them in combat, it is only those who nurture and train those powers who become true Psions. While some may believe one must be born with these powers, it’s possible for anyone with the mental fortitude, patience, and drive to unlock these powers through meditation and training.
Psions at first seem to share many traits with Sorcerers, but Psions have no need for spellcasting focuses or traditional spellcasting. Instead they utilize their psionic powers to manipulate others, and battle performing feats of strength without muscles or athleticism, but instead the sheer force of their minds.
Focused Mentalists
All living creatures have the potential for Psionic Powers, although a rare few are born with innate psychic powers. Across the planes, there are some people whose races are natively psychic, with telepathy as common as speech, and telekinetics used for daily, mundane chores. However, even among these societies, it is only those who hone and focus the power deep within who unlock their mind’s full potential, and attain the unmatched psychic power of a true Psion.
Level
Proficiency Bonus
Features
Psionic Energy Die
Psionic Energy Dice Uses
1
+2
Psychic Defenses, Psionic Power, Psychic Force, Psychic Communication
d6
4
2
+2
Psionic Manipulation
d6
4
3
+2
Psychic Conditioning, Psychic Studies
d6
4
4
+2
Ability Score Improvement, Improved Telepathy
d6
4
5
+3
Extra Attack
d8
6
6
+3
Psychic Studies Feature, Mental Expertise
d8
6
7
+3
Shielded Mind
d8
6
8
+3
Ability Score Improvement
d8
6
9
+4
Psychic Studies Feature
d8
8
10
+4
Mind Propelled Leaps
d8
8
11
+4
Mental Strength
d10
8
12
+4
Ability Score Improvement
d10
8
13
+5
Mental Domination
d10
10
14
+5
Psychic Force Improvement
d10
10
15
+5
Psychic Studies Feature
d10
10
16
+5
Ability Score Improvement
d10
10
17
+6
Thought Collector
d12
12
18
+6
Mind Wrestler
d12
12
19
+6
Ability Score Improvement
d12
12
20
+6
Psionic Mastery
d12
12
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. You can’t use a power if it requires you to expend a die and you have no Psionic Energy 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 Conditioning
Beginning at 2nd level, you gain the following features:
Improved Psychic Defenses - You gain resistance to psychic damage.
Mind Link - You can telepathically speak to any creature you can see within 30 feet of you, but they are unable to respond to you in kind.
Psionic Strike - when you 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 – When attacking, you can replace one of the attacks with a Mind Grapple attempt. 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 half of the number rolled (rounded up) from the creature’s Saving Throw. On a failure, its speed is reduced to Zero for one minute. The creature can attempt a 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, or if you become incapacitated. 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 Psychic 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, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 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 may instead take a feat.
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.
Empowered Mind
Starting at 7th level, you gain the following features:
*Shielded Mind - 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.
* Improved Telepathy - As an action, select a number of creatures within 30 feet of yourself up to your Intelligence Modifier, in addition to yourself. 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.
Mind-Propelled Leaps
Beginning at 10th level, your Jump Distance is doubled.
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 modifier can be made using your Intelligence modifier 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.
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.
Thought Collector
Upon reaching level 17, You learn the Detect Thoughts spell and can cast it at will without requiring 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 half of the number rolled (rounded up). 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 half of the number rolled (rounded up), potentially turning that success into a failure.
*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 one of the creatures of your choice.
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, you ignore resistance and immunity when dealing Psychic damage to a creature.
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. Starting at 3rd level, you gain the following features:
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 is more than 60 feet from you at the end of your turn, 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.
* When you take the Attack Action, you can use a bonus action to 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, or a Versatile weapon as if wielded with two hands.
Mind Prisoner:As a bonus action, you can move onecreature held by your Mind Grapple 10 feet in any direction in a straight line.
Alternatively, you can expend one Psionic Energy Die and move the creature up to 30 feet in a straight line 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 to make an Animated Weapon Attack, 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.
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 spellcasting 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, you can choose to Ignite that creature for one minute.
Ignited – A creature that has been Ignited is covered with non-magical flames. At the start of their turn, they take 1d4 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. After taking this damage, those creatures are no longer Ignited.
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. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
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 Fighter: Pyrokinetics Feature
Starting at 9th level, your control of fire becomes more deadly. You gain the following features:
Fire Lock - Any creature held by your Mind Grapple becomes Ignited.
Ignited Blast – When using your Ignited Fury, you can choose to have the Ignited Creatures also erupt with a 5 foot radius blast of flame. Any flammable objects that are not being held or carried in that blast radius catch fire, and any creature that isn’t already ignited must make a DEX saving throw. On a failure, they take the same amount of fire damage rolled for your Ignited Fury and become Ignited. On a success, they take half damage and are not ignited.
Overwhelming Heat - When you deal fire damage to a creature using your Pyrokinetics features, you ignore resistance to fire damage.
Fire Starter: Pyrokinetics Feature
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, casting bright light in a 30 foot radius, and dim light an additional 30 feet. 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. You can end your Flame Master transformation at any time, requiring no action.
Flame Burst – At the start of your turn, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice. During this turn, when you roll to deal fire damage, every die automatically rolls its highest value. You can use this feature once, and cannot use it again until completing a Long Rest.
Psychic Studies: Psychoanalyst
As you’ve grown in your understanding of your psionic powers, you’ve learned to focus them and adapt to the challenges you face, forging your own psychic path.
First Analysis
At 3rd level, you gain one of the following features of your choice. You can change your Analysis choice whenever you gain a level in this class.
Aggressive – Once per turn, you can use your Psionic Strike feature without expending a use of your Psionic Energy Dice, however, when used with this feature the Die Size is always a d6.
Controlling – You can use your Mind Grapple as a Bonus Action. In addition, when you roll your Psionic Energy Dice as part of your Mind Grapple Feature, if the number rolled is a 6 or higher you do not expend a use of your Psionic Energy Dice.
Manipulative – You know the following Spells, requiring no Material Components:
Guidance
Charm Person
Command
Detect Thoughts
You can cast each of these spells of first level or higher a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, and regain the ability to cast them upon completing a Long Rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells. In addition, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice when casting one of these spells in order to cast the spell without Vocal or Somatic Components. Roll your Psionic Energy Dice, and subtract half the number rolled (rounded up) from one creature’s Saving Throw against this spell. If the creature fails their saving throw, they do not realize you had cast this spell upon them.
Second Analysis
Beginning at 6th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice. You can change your Analysis choice whenever you gain a level in this class.
Precise – Before you make a Psychic Force Attack, you can choose to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If the attack hits, you add +10 to the attack’s damage.
Defensive – As a reaction to you or another creature you can see within 30 feet taking damage, you can expend one use of your Psionics Energy Dice. Roll the die and reduce the damage taken by the number rolled, or double the number rolled if the damage that triggers this reaction is Psychic.
Curious - You know the following Spells, requiring no Material Components:
Levitate
Pass Without Trace
Clairvoyance
You can cast each of these spells a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, and regain the ability to cast them upon completing a Long Rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells. In addition, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice when casting one of these spells in order to cast the spell without Vocal or Somatic Components.
Third Analysis
Starting with 9th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice. You can change your Analysis choice whenever you gain a level in this class.
Forceful – When you hit a creature with your Psychic Force Attack, you can push them away from you in a straight line by 10 feet.
Deflective – When you roll initiative, for one minute you are protected by a psychic shield. When a creature targets you with an attack, they must make an Intelligence Saving throw. On a failure, they must target a different creature of their choice within range of their attack. If there is no other creature within range their attack is wasted. On a Success, you lose your psychic shield and they target you as normal.
Confounding - You know the following Spells, requiring no Material Components:
Hypnotic Pattern
Confusion
Phantasmal Killer
You can cast each these spells a number of times equal to half your Proficiency Bonus (rounded down), and regain the ability to cast them upon completing a Long Rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells. In addition, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice when casting one of these spells in order to cast the spell without Vocal or Somatic Components. Roll your Psionic Energy Dice, and subtract half the number rolled (rounded up) from one creature’s Saving Throw against this spell.
Fourth Analysis
Starting with 15th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice. You can change your Analysis choice whenever you gain a level in this class.
Combative – You gain a +2 bonus to the attack and damage rolls of your Psychic Force Attack. In addition, when you take the attack action on your turn, you can make one Psychic Force Attack as a bonus action.
Self-Preserving – When you expend a use of Psionic Energy Dice and roll the die as part of a class feature, you gain Temporary HP equal to the number rolled.
Demanding - You know the following Spells, requiring no Material Components:
Feeblemind
Reverse Gravity
Mental Prison
You can cast each of these spells once, and regain the ability to cast them upon completing a Long Rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells. In addition, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice when casting one of these spells in order to cast the spell without Vocal or Somatic Components. Roll your Psionic Energy Dice, and subtract half the number rolled (rounded up) from one creature’s Saving Throw against this spell.
Psychic Studies: Mysticism
Your psychic powers have opened your mind to the complex weave of mysticism. Those who combine the forces of psionics and arcana are known as Mystics. Through careful study, you’ve learned to use these powers to perform spells, and augment them with your psionic powers.
Level
Cantrips Known
Spells Known
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
3
2
3
2
-
-
-
4
2
4
3
-
-
-
5
2
4
3
-
-
-
6
2
4
3
-
-
-
7
2
5
4
2
-
-
8
2
6
4
2
-
-
9
2
6
4
2
-
-
10
3
7
4
3
-
-
11
3
8
4
3
-
-
12
3
8
4
3
-
-
13
3
9
4
3
2
-
14
3
10
4
3
2
-
15
3
10
4
3
2
-
16
3
11
4
3
3
-
17
3
11
4
3
3
-
18
3
11
4
3
3
-
19
3
12
4
3
3
1
20
3
13
4
3
3
1
Spellcasting -When you reach 3rd level, you expand your powers to include spellcasting.
Mental Casting – You do not need to provide a material component for any spells learned through this feature, unless that component has a GP cost. However, you cannot learn any spells that consume their material component.
Cantrips - You learn two cantrips of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. You learn an additional sorcerer cantrip of your choice at 10th level.
Spell slots - The Mystic Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your sorcerer spellsof 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
Spells known of first level and higher - You know three 1st-level sorcerer spells of your choice, two of which you must choose from the divination, enchantment, or illusion spells on the sorcerer spell list.
The Spells Known column of the Mystic Spellcasting table shows when you learn more sorcerer spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be a divination, enchantment, or illusion spell of your choice, and must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
The spells you learn at 8th, 14th, and 20th level can come from any school of magic.
Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the sorcerer spells you know with another spell of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots, and it must be a divination, enchantment, or illusion spell, unless you're replacing the spell you gained at 3rd, 8th, 14th, or 20th level from any school of magic.
Spellcasting Ability - Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your sorcerer spells, since you learn your spells utilizing your mental connection to the weave. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a sorcerer spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC= 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
Spell attack modifier= your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
Mystic Spells – You learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Mystic Spells table. Each of these spells count as a sorcerer spell for you, but it doesn’t count against your number of spells known. You can cast each spell of 1st level or higher on your Mystic Spells table once without consuming a spell slot, and cannot cast them again without consuming a spell slot until you complete a long rest.
3rd
Thaumaturgy, Catapult, Charm Person
5th
Tasha’s Hideous Laughter, Calm Emotions
7th
Suggestion, Phantasmal Force
9th
Sending, Zone of Truth
15th
Compulsion, Animate Objects
19th
Psychic Scream
Mental Magical Modifications
When you reach 6th level, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice when casting a spell, creating one of the following modifications:
*When you roll damage for a spell, you can roll your Psionic Energy Die, dealing the number rolled plus your Intelligence Modifier in psychic damage to one target of this spell on the turn it is cast.
*Roll your Psionic Energy Die, and subtract half the number rolled (rounded up) from the Saving Throw of one Creature against this spell.
*You do not require Vocal or Somatic Components for this spell. In addition, if this is an enchantment spell to charm one or more creature, you can alter one creature’s understanding so that it remains unaware of being charmed.
Psychic Attacker
Starting at 9th level, when you use your action to cast a cantrip, you can make one Psychic Force Attack as a bonus action.
Mystic Mastery
Beginning at 15th level, select one first level spell from the Sorcerer Spell List with a casting time of one action. You learn that spell, which does not count against your number of spells known, and can cast it at first level without expending a spell slot.
Well, there were some UAs for bringing the Mystic (basically a psion) to 5e. I think this is the most recent one. I'm not sure how good or balanced it is, but you might at least find some ideas there.
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Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny. Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
Oh, maybe you can help me! I've been building a Psion class for a while inspired by some conversations on these forums, with a focus on creating a psion class that doesn't rely quite so much on spellcasting. Here's what I've created so far:
The Psion
Formal wear ripped and torn, a mistreated half-elf erupts with unseen force, foes falling, clutching their head in pain as they’re wracked with psionic forces.
Voices scream in pain as a young human conjures magical flame with nothing but a thought, explosions sending attackers flying and engulfing them in flames.
Wine spills as silver goblets clink in toast. Nobles mingle, never suspecting that the Dwarven man disguised as a servant is silently probing their minds, unlocking secrets that could shatter kingdoms.
Whether through a quirk of genetics, exposure to otherworldly forces, or intense training, Psions are uniquely blessed to tap into magical forces using the sheer power of their minds. While they may not show any outward sign of the power they possess, these mental warriors are never unarmed, never defenseless, as their minds are more powerful than any equipment they could find.
Awakened Minds
While some adventurers with latent psychic powers utilize them in combat, it is only those who nurture and train those powers who become true Psions. While some may believe one must be born with these powers, it’s possible for anyone with the mental fortitude, patience, and drive to unlock these powers through meditation and training.
Psions at first seem to share many traits with Sorcerers, but Psions have no need for spellcasting focuses or traditional spellcasting. Instead they utilize their psionic powers to manipulate others, and battle performing feats of strength without muscles or athleticism, but instead the sheer force of their minds.
Focused Mentalists
All living creatures have the potential for Psionic Powers, although a rare few are born with innate psychic powers. Across the planes, there are some people whose races are natively psychic, with telepathy as common as speech, and telekinetics used for daily, mundane chores. However, even among these societies, it is only those who hone and focus the power deep within who unlock their mind’s full potential, and attain the unmatched psychic power of a true Psion.
Level
Proficiency Bonus
Features
Psionic Energy Die
Psionic Energy Dice Uses
1
+2
Psychic Defenses, Psionic Power, Psychic Force, Psychic Communication
d6
4
2
+2
Psionic Manipulation
d6
4
3
+2
Psychic Conditioning, Psychic Studies
d6
4
4
+2
Ability Score Improvement, Improved Telepathy
d6
4
5
+3
Extra Attack
d8
6
6
+3
Psychic Studies Feature, Mental Expertise
d8
6
7
+3
Shielded Mind
d8
6
8
+3
Ability Score Improvement
d8
6
9
+4
Psychic Studies Feature
d8
8
10
+4
Mind Propelled Leaps
d8
8
11
+4
Mental Strength
d10
8
12
+4
Ability Score Improvement
d10
8
13
+5
Mental Domination
d10
10
14
+5
Psychic Force Improvement
d10
10
15
+5
Psychic Studies Feature
d10
10
16
+5
Ability Score Improvement
d10
10
17
+6
Thought Collector
d12
12
18
+6
Mind Wrestler
d12
12
19
+6
Ability Score Improvement
d12
12
20
+6
Psionic Mastery
d12
12
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. You can’t use a power if it requires you to expend a die and you have no Psionic Energy 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 Conditioning
Beginning at 2nd level, you gain the following features:
Improved Psychic Defenses - You gain resistance to psychic damage.
Mind Link - You can telepathically speak to any creature you can see within 30 feet of you, but they are unable to respond to you in kind.
Psionic Strike - when you 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 – When attacking, you can replace one of the attacks with a Mind Grapple attempt. 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 half of the number rolled (rounded up) from the creature’s Saving Throw. On a failure, its speed is reduced to Zero for one minute. The creature can attempt a 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, or if you become incapacitated. 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 Psychic 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, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 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 may instead take a feat.
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.
Empowered Mind
Starting at 7th level, you gain the following features:
*Shielded Mind - 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.
* Improved Telepathy - As an action, select a number of creatures within 30 feet of yourself up to your Intelligence Modifier, in addition to yourself. 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.
Mind-Propelled Leaps
Beginning at 10th level, your Jump Distance is doubled.
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 modifier can be made using your Intelligence modifier 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.
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.
Thought Collector
Upon reaching level 17, You learn the Detect Thoughts spell and can cast it at will without requiring 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 half of the number rolled (rounded up). 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 half of the number rolled (rounded up), potentially turning that success into a failure.
*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 one of the creatures of your choice.
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, you ignore resistance and immunity when dealing Psychic damage to a creature.
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. Starting at 3rd level, you gain the following features:
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 is more than 60 feet from you at the end of your turn, 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.
* When you take the Attack Action, you can use a bonus action to 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, or a Versatile weapon as if wielded with two hands.
Mind Prisoner:As a bonus action, you can move onecreature held by your Mind Grapple 10 feet in any direction in a straight line.
Alternatively, you can expend one Psionic Energy Die and move the creature up to 30 feet in a straight line 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 to make an Animated Weapon Attack, 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.
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 spellcasting 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, you can choose to Ignite that creature for one minute.
Ignited – A creature that has been Ignited is covered with non-magical flames. At the start of their turn, they take 1d4 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. After taking this damage, those creatures are no longer Ignited.
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. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
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 Fighter: Pyrokinetics Feature
Starting at 9th level, your control of fire becomes more deadly. You gain the following features:
Fire Lock - Any creature held by your Mind Grapple becomes Ignited.
Ignited Blast – When using your Ignited Fury, you can choose to have the Ignited Creatures also erupt with a 5 foot radius blast of flame. Any flammable objects that are not being held or carried in that blast radius catch fire, and any creature that isn’t already ignited must make a DEX saving throw. On a failure, they take the same amount of fire damage rolled for your Ignited Fury and become Ignited. On a success, they take half damage and are not ignited.
Overwhelming Heat - When you deal fire damage to a creature using your Pyrokinetics features, you ignore resistance to fire damage.
Fire Starter: Pyrokinetics Feature
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, casting bright light in a 30 foot radius, and dim light an additional 30 feet. 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. You can end your Flame Master transformation at any time, requiring no action.
Flame Burst – At the start of your turn, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice. During this turn, when you roll to deal fire damage, every die automatically rolls its highest value. You can use this feature once, and cannot use it again until completing a Long Rest.
Psychic Studies: Psychoanalyst
As you’ve grown in your understanding of your psionic powers, you’ve learned to focus them and adapt to the challenges you face, forging your own psychic path.
First Analysis
At 3rd level, you gain one of the following features of your choice. You can change your Analysis choice whenever you gain a level in this class.
Aggressive – Once per turn, you can use your Psionic Strike feature without expending a use of your Psionic Energy Dice, however, when used with this feature the Die Size is always a d6.
Controlling – You can use your Mind Grapple as a Bonus Action. In addition, when you roll your Psionic Energy Dice as part of your Mind Grapple Feature, if the number rolled is a 6 or higher you do not expend a use of your Psionic Energy Dice.
Manipulative – You know the following Spells, requiring no Material Components:
Guidance
Charm Person
Command
Detect Thoughts
You can cast each of these spells of first level or higher a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, and regain the ability to cast them upon completing a Long Rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells. In addition, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice when casting one of these spells in order to cast the spell without Vocal or Somatic Components. Roll your Psionic Energy Dice, and subtract half the number rolled (rounded up) from one creature’s Saving Throw against this spell. If the creature fails their saving throw, they do not realize you had cast this spell upon them.
Second Analysis
Beginning at 6th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice. You can change your Analysis choice whenever you gain a level in this class.
Precise – Before you make a Psychic Force Attack, you can choose to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If the attack hits, you add +10 to the attack’s damage.
Defensive – As a reaction to you or another creature you can see within 30 feet taking damage, you can expend one use of your Psionics Energy Dice. Roll the die and reduce the damage taken by the number rolled, or double the number rolled if the damage that triggers this reaction is Psychic.
Curious - You know the following Spells, requiring no Material Components:
Levitate
Pass Without Trace
Clairvoyance
You can cast each of these spells a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, and regain the ability to cast them upon completing a Long Rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells. In addition, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice when casting one of these spells in order to cast the spell without Vocal or Somatic Components.
Third Analysis
Starting with 9th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice. You can change your Analysis choice whenever you gain a level in this class.
Forceful – When you hit a creature with your Psychic Force Attack, you can push them away from you in a straight line by 10 feet.
Deflective – When you roll initiative, for one minute you are protected by a psychic shield. When a creature targets you with an attack, they must make an Intelligence Saving throw. On a failure, they must target a different creature of their choice within range of their attack. If there is no other creature within range their attack is wasted. On a Success, you lose your psychic shield and they target you as normal.
Confounding - You know the following Spells, requiring no Material Components:
Hypnotic Pattern
Confusion
Phantasmal Killer
You can cast each these spells a number of times equal to half your Proficiency Bonus (rounded down), and regain the ability to cast them upon completing a Long Rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells. In addition, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice when casting one of these spells in order to cast the spell without Vocal or Somatic Components. Roll your Psionic Energy Dice, and subtract half the number rolled (rounded up) from one creature’s Saving Throw against this spell.
Fourth Analysis
Starting with 15th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice. You can change your Analysis choice whenever you gain a level in this class.
Combative – You gain a +2 bonus to the attack and damage rolls of your Psychic Force Attack. In addition, when you take the attack action on your turn, you can make one Psychic Force Attack as a bonus action.
Self-Preserving – When you expend a use of Psionic Energy Dice and roll the die as part of a class feature, you gain Temporary HP equal to the number rolled.
Demanding - You know the following Spells, requiring no Material Components:
Feeblemind
Reverse Gravity
Mental Prison
You can cast each of these spells once, and regain the ability to cast them upon completing a Long Rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells. In addition, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice when casting one of these spells in order to cast the spell without Vocal or Somatic Components. Roll your Psionic Energy Dice, and subtract half the number rolled (rounded up) from one creature’s Saving Throw against this spell.
Psychic Studies: Mysticism
Your psychic powers have opened your mind to the complex weave of mysticism. Those who combine the forces of psionics and arcana are known as Mystics. Through careful study, you’ve learned to use these powers to perform spells, and augment them with your psionic powers.
Level
Cantrips Known
Spells Known
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
3
2
3
2
-
-
-
4
2
4
3
-
-
-
5
2
4
3
-
-
-
6
2
4
3
-
-
-
7
2
5
4
2
-
-
8
2
6
4
2
-
-
9
2
6
4
2
-
-
10
3
7
4
3
-
-
11
3
8
4
3
-
-
12
3
8
4
3
-
-
13
3
9
4
3
2
-
14
3
10
4
3
2
-
15
3
10
4
3
2
-
16
3
11
4
3
3
-
17
3
11
4
3
3
-
18
3
11
4
3
3
-
19
3
12
4
3
3
1
20
3
13
4
3
3
1
Spellcasting -When you reach 3rd level, you expand your powers to include spellcasting.
Mental Casting – You do not need to provide a material component for any spells learned through this feature, unless that component has a GP cost. However, you cannot learn any spells that consume their material component.
Cantrips - You learn two cantrips of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. You learn an additional sorcerer cantrip of your choice at 10th level.
Spell slots - The Mystic Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your sorcerer spellsof 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
Spells known of first level and higher - You know three 1st-level sorcerer spells of your choice, two of which you must choose from the divination, enchantment, or illusion spells on the sorcerer spell list.
The Spells Known column of the Mystic Spellcasting table shows when you learn more sorcerer spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be a divination, enchantment, or illusion spell of your choice, and must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
The spells you learn at 8th, 14th, and 20th level can come from any school of magic.
Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the sorcerer spells you know with another spell of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots, and it must be a divination, enchantment, or illusion spell, unless you're replacing the spell you gained at 3rd, 8th, 14th, or 20th level from any school of magic.
Spellcasting Ability - Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your sorcerer spells, since you learn your spells utilizing your mental connection to the weave. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a sorcerer spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC= 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
Spell attack modifier= your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
Mystic Spells – You learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Mystic Spells table. Each of these spells count as a sorcerer spell for you, but it doesn’t count against your number of spells known. You can cast each spell of 1st level or higher on your Mystic Spells table once without consuming a spell slot, and cannot cast them again without consuming a spell slot until you complete a long rest.
3rd
Thaumaturgy, Catapult, Charm Person
5th
Tasha’s Hideous Laughter, Calm Emotions
7th
Suggestion, Phantasmal Force
9th
Sending, Zone of Truth
15th
Compulsion, Animate Objects
19th
Psychic Scream
Mental Magical Modifications
When you reach 6th level, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice when casting a spell, creating one of the following modifications:
*When you roll damage for a spell, you can roll your Psionic Energy Die, dealing the number rolled plus your Intelligence Modifier in psychic damage to one target of this spell on the turn it is cast.
*Roll your Psionic Energy Die, and subtract half the number rolled (rounded up) from the Saving Throw of one Creature against this spell.
*You do not require Vocal or Somatic Components for this spell. In addition, if this is an enchantment spell to charm one or more creature, you can alter one creature’s understanding so that it remains unaware of being charmed.
Psychic Attacker
Starting at 9th level, when you use your action to cast a cantrip, you can make one Psychic Force Attack as a bonus action.
Mystic Mastery
Beginning at 15th level, select one first level spell from the Sorcerer Spell List with a casting time of one action. You learn that spell, which does not count against your number of spells known, and can cast it at first level without expending a spell slot.
I took a similar approach, not really feeling like any of the normal spellcasting fit it very well. However, mine was more similar to a monk in its number of abilities while also having pretty solid armor and weapons proficiencies
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Idk I'm just a guy ig
I like Warlocks
I like guitars (coming up on my fifth year of playing!)
I want to be a musician/stay-at-home dad when I grow up
Recently obsessing over Warhammer 40k, specifically the T’au empire
I used Monk as my primary inspiration as well. I only made one subclass with a focus on armor and weapon proficiencies... for the base class I gave a very limited number of weapon proficiencies focused on stuff that feels more like what a person with no formal training might utilize as a weapon, such as tools like hammers and sickles.
The way I approached the base class, I thought of the way you become a psion kinda like a mish-mash of wizard and cleric. Like intense study in some kind of Psion sanctum, in which you'd probably have training in a little bit of weapons and armor as well.
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Idk I'm just a guy ig
I like Warlocks
I like guitars (coming up on my fifth year of playing!)
I want to be a musician/stay-at-home dad when I grow up
Recently obsessing over Warhammer 40k, specifically the T’au empire
That's interesting, I kind of went the opposite... I tried to build the class with the mindset that they might not necessarily have any training, and this could be explained as just suddenly gaining psychic powers. In that sense I drew more from sorcerers. I'd love to actually see your take on this class concept.
That's interesting, I kind of went the opposite... I tried to build the class with the mindset that they might not necessarily have any training, and this could be explained as just suddenly gaining psychic powers. In that sense I drew more from sorcerers. I'd love to actually see your take on this class concept.
Sorry I can't use the spoilers to make this any shorter, but here's the rough draft for my Psion...
Psion
A Psion is a master of the psychic arts. As a Psion, you have control over four Psionic Aspects, Internal Physical, Internal Mental, External Physical, and External Mental. Each of these can influence a different aspect of psychic power, internal affecting the Psion itself, external affecting both objects and beings other than the Psion. Physical affects the bodies and physical capabilities of the target, and mental affects the minds and mental capabilities of the target. Psions receive their powers through intense study of the psychic arts, usually as an apprentice of a psionic master. The greatest enemies of all Psions are the Illithids, who they belive to be corrupting the fine art of psionics. Some evil Psions worship Illithids as the original masters of the psychic arts, but they are shunned, hated, and sometimes even hunted down by the Psions opposed to those beliefs.
Class Features
As a Psion, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per Psion level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per Psion level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, medium armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, shortswords
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Intelligence
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Insight, Investigation, Perception, and Persuasion
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
• (a) a shortsword or (b) any simple weapon
• (a) scale mail or (b) leather armor
• (a) a shortbow and a quiver of 20 arrows or (b) a shortsword or (c) any simple weapon
• (a) an explorer’s pack or (b) a scholar’s pack
Psionic Aspects Overview:
Internal:
Physical – The Internal Physical Aspect affects the body and physical capabilities of the Psion.
Mental – The Internal Mental Aspect affects the mind and mental acuity of the Psion.
External:
Physical – The External Physical Aspect affects the bodies and physical capabilities of targets other than the Psion. It is also the only Psionic Aspect that can affect inanimate objects (Telekinetic movement).
Mental – The External Mental Aspect affects the minds and mental acuity of targets other than the Psion.
Psionic Ability
Wisdom is your psionic ability. Your psychic abilities come from a life of study and adventure. You use you Wisdom modifier when an ability refers to your psionic ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC and making an attack roll with a Psion ability.
Psionics save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Psionics attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Willpower
Willpower represents how powerful a Psion is. It is used for abilities that are harder to master, unlike the starting Psionic Aspects, which are the easiest abilities to use, and take no Willpower. The amount of Willpower a Psion has is equal to their level beginning at level three. You regain all expended Willpower on a long rest.
Telekinetic Absorption - As a reaction, subtract 1d4 + your wisdom modifier from any damage taken other than psychic (you can do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, resets on a short or long rest).
Internal Mental:
Indomitable Mind - You have advantage on saving throws to avoid or end the frightened or charmed conditions on yourself.
External Physical:
Psionic Healing - As an action you can replenish your or your allies health for 1d4 + Wisdom modifier (You can do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, resets on a short or long rest).
External Mental:
Psychic Ray - As an action you can lash out with your mind to attack the consciousness of an enemy. The range is 30 feet. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or take 1d4 + Wisdom modifier psychic damage. (You can use this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, resets on a short or long rest).
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by one. As normal, you can’t increase any ability score above 20 using this feature.
Psionic Aspects
(Choose one at level 3 and again at level 10)
Internal Physical:
Telekinetic Strike - At 3rd level, when you use Telekinetic Absorption, you can spend 1 Willpower to add extra damage to your next melee attack. It deals force damage equal to the amount Telekinetic Absorption reduced the last attack by.
Charge/Retreat – At 7th level you can spend 2 Willpower to take the Dash or Disengage actions as a bonus action by telekinetically moving yourself into or out of harms way.
Psychic Flight – At 11th level you can spend 2 Willpower to gain a flight speed equal to your walking speed for 1 minute. You can move yourself in any direction, using telekinetic movement to float through the air. Ending your turn in midair does not cause you to fall as you are hovering.
Quickness of Body – At 15th level you can spend 3 Willpower to make two extra attack as a bonus action. Channeling the speed and agility of your mind into your body, you reach blinding speeds with your weapons.
Increased Physical Capacity – at 18th level your Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution are able to be increased to a score of up to 22 and you can choose one to increase by one.
Bodily Perfection – At 20th level you can spend 5 Willpower as a reaction to automatically succeed on any Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution saving throw or check.
Internal Mental:
Unbreakable Will – At 3rd level you can spend 1 Willpower as a reaction to automatically succeed saving throws to avoid or end the charmed and frightened conditions.
Scrying – At 7th level you can spend 2 Willpower and 10 minutes meditating to find the general location of any creature. You must have a personal item belonging to the target.
Mental Retreat – At 11th level you can spend 2 Willpower to use your reaction to retreat into your mind along with any creatures you are touching. If the creature is hostile or unwilling, it must make a wisdom save against your Psionic ability DC. Time passes differently in your mind, and half an hour is roughly equal to a second in real time. In your Mindscape, you can talk and take actions except attacks normally but only in your mind, as your physical body is frozen during the Mental Retreat. You cannot take rests in your Mindscape.
Quickness of Mind – At 15th level, as a bonus action, you can spend 3 Willpower to gain advantage on a Wisdom or Intelligence saving throw or check.
Increased Mental Capacity – At 18th level your Wisdom, Intelligence, and Charisma scores are able to be increased up to 22 and you can choose one to increase by one.
Mental Perfection – At 20th level you can spend 5 Willpower as a reaction to automatically succeed on any Wisdom, Intelligence, or Charisma saving throw or check.
External Physical:
Bolster Strength – At 3rd level, as a bonus action, You can spend 1 Willpower to temporarily boost the strength of others around you. The target has advantage on Strength and Constitution checks and saving throws for 2 rounds. (Range: Touch)
Telekinetic Movement - At 7th level, you can spend 2 Willpower as an action to move a Large or smaller object up to 30 feet. If you target a creature, they must make a Strength saving throw against your Psionic ability DC. If they fail, you can move them up to 30 feet in any direction or knock them prone.
Dancing Weapons - At 11th level you can telekinetically wield weapons equal to the number of Willpower you spend as an action. For 1 minute, Each weapon can fly out in a 20 foot radius and make a single attack. The modifier for all the weapons, no matter size or type, is Wisdom instead of Strength or Dexterity.
Psionic Projectile – At 15th level, As an action, you can spend 3 Willpower to fire an object that is small or smaller with the force of a bullet. You can make a ranged Psionic attack, dealing 4d8 piercing damage on a hit.
Aura of Strength – At 20th level, you can spend 5 Willpower to create an invigorating aura in a 15 foot radius around yourself, which lasts for 1 minute. Any allies inside of the aura have advantage on Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity checks as well as Strength and Dexterity based attack rolls.
I find it interesting that you went with WIS as the primary stat for this class... I think it makes sense, since Wisdom is meant to represent more instinctive and internal, while INT is really just supposed to represent how good you are at memorizing information... yet most attempts at psions tend to have them use INT as their primary stat. I use INT as well in mine, but mostly because that's kind of expected.
I will say that splitting all the different features of this class into internal/external/mental/physical is EXTREMELY confusing. Are those meant to be the subclasses? Do you pick just one category and get all the features in that category? Can you mix and match? I think I'd rather have one solid "Core" class that proceeds predictably from level 1 to level 20, and split all these themed ability sets into subclasses. Alternatively I'd rather just take the restrictions off and take inspiration more from Warlock Eldritch Invocations and be able to just build a character with all these features without having to worry about everything being split into those weird categories.
It's interesting... I like the fact that it's so different from all the other classes, but it feels a bit confusing. I think a lot of that is because this is a rough draft, so exactly how it's meant to work isn't very clear. I'd have to see a more cleaned up breakdown of how this is meant to work, but for now at least I still feel like I'd rather treat these as dedicated subclasses instead of this sort of... half-subclass, half-base class.
I can’t post it from this iPad but tomorrow I’ll post my, fairly different, take on the psion class. It’s not based around the monk but around the 1/2e psion class with some of the comments from discussions here worked in. Even with a spell point system like the sorceror (& 1/2e psion) you are effectively tied to the 10 level power structure of magic simply because that is the way the rest of the game mechanic is built. Yes you can do something like the monk with abilities that grow in power like cantrips but that actually leaves you very limited - basically a 1 trick pony - it could be interesting to play for a while but overall not much different from a fighter/sorceror multiclass that specializes in a particular type or two of spells. As transmorpher first said ( paraphrasing) think hard about whether or not it could be done as a subclass (my addition - or a multiclass). Psion is one of the few places where it might be interesting but for most cases it could probably just be a reflavoring sorceror for the “psionic” abilities and one or two levels in fighter/ranger/Paladin for martial abilities.
Sorry I'm late with this some things came up that needed my attention first. here is my take on psionics and the psion class:
Psionics and Psions (class)
Psionics is the very rare ability to directly manipulate the universe around the character by the direct application of “mental force”. The Awakened mind has learned to manipulate its surroundings as simply and directly as it manipulates its body. This manipulation does not involve the use of Mana or a magical “Weave”. Therefore it can act even in zones of suppressed, canceled or null magic. It is however possible to establish psionic or magical fields that suppress the use of Psionics as well. However this is seldom done as many (perhaps most) people (even magic wielders) don’t realize that psionics is separate from magic due to its rarity. Many psionic abilities have been mimicked by magic spells and so carry similar or the same names despite their very different sources. Once the mind has been awakened to psionics it requires self discipline and training to develop and enhance a person’s abilities to their fullest. Psionic abilities fall into 5 broad groups known as disciplines based on their area or style of effect and most psions focus on a single discipline. This does not mean that they can’t have developed specific abilities from any of the disciplines however. These disciplines are:
1) Clairsentience – the ability to use various senses at distant and/or remote locations.
2) Psychokinesis – the ability to control objects or energies outside the body.
3) Psychometabolism – the ability to enhance or temporarily modify the body to make it heal or function effectively in different environments.
4) Telepathy – the ability to communicate directly, brain to brain, without the use of language and with essentially any creature or being.
5) Psychoportation – the ability to warp space in such a way as to jump instantly from one location to another or even (for highly skilled practioners) from one plane to another.
There is also the realm of Metapsionics which covers the ways a psionicist can adapt or modify their abilities on the fly to meet novel situations or to link abilities to create unusual or enhanced effects.
Psions are those individuals who, having awakened their minds, have chosen to focus on their abilities mastering the direct manipulation of their world rather than developing their abilities as a means of focusing on combat/roguery/spell casting or other areas of concentration. In some respects they resemble various types of spell casters but they normally do not need more than a quiet word and their will to create their effects. To become a Psion an individual needs an intelligence, wisdom and constitution of 13 or higher. Because of their unspecialized background before the awakening of their mind they are proficient in common, an appropriate racial language, simple weapons and any appropriate racial weapons, and with light armors. They can have any background and have a D8 for hit dice. At level 1 they get 8 + constitution bonus hit points. They get Constitution and Wisdom Save Proficiencies. They get 3 skills or tool proficiencies of their choice.
Psion Progression
Level
Features
PPP
L0Ps
L1Ps
L2Ps
L3Ps
L4Ps
L5Ps
L6Ps
L7Ps
L8Ps
L9Ps
1
Psionics
Disciplines
0
4
2
2
Willspring
2+
4
3
3
MetaPsionics
3+
4
4
2
4
ASI
4+
5
4
3
5
5+
5
4
3
2
6
Discipline
6+
5
4
3
3
7
7+
5
4
3
3
1
8
ASI
8+
5
4
3
3
2
9
9+
5
4
3
3
3
1
10
MetaPsionics
10+
6
4
3
3
3
2
11
11+
6
4
3
3
3
2
1
12
ASI
12+
6
4
3
3
3
2
1
13
13+
6
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
14
Discipline
14+
6
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
15
15+
6
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
16
ASI
16+
6
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
17
MetaPsionics
17+
6
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
1
18
Discipline
18+
6
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
1
19
ASI
19+
6
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
1
20
Capstone
20+
6
4
3
3
3
3
1
1
1
1
Psionics – the character’s mind is awakened (how this happen should be described in the background/Personality section) and they become a psion and are able to use psionics.
Discipline – The Psion chooses a primary and secondary discipline to begin their training. They then get the basic abilities of the discipline which are available for use Proficiency bonus times per short rest. At each Discipline enhancement level they may either add the enhanced abilities for their disciplines or add the basic abilities of an additional discipline. These abilities are listed below:
Clairsentience: L1: you are able to extend your point of view out of your body to any point within 30’ of you that you have line of effect to (ie. You cannot see or hear through a sealed solid door but openings as small as a keyhole, cracks at the edges that light can come through etc would allow you to extend your point of sight or hearing to any point up to 30’ into the room.) You are able to grant yourself darkvision 60’ range, tremorsense 30’ range or blindsight 10’ range for one hour. L6: The range of your extended senses becomes 60’ with Darkvision extending to 90’, tremorsense to 60’ and blindsight to 20’. On a successful activation roll (8+PB+IB) you are able to jump your senses to any physical location you can specify. However there is a cumulative -1/250 miles penalty for any location you have not visited. L14: The ranges of your extended and extra senses increases again – extended senses and darkvision to 120’, Tremor sense to 90’ and Blindsight to 30’. The penalty for clairsentience changes to -1/1000 miles. L18: The time for your Darkvision/Tremorsense/Blindsight extends from 1 hour to 8 hours on each activation. In addition you can activate a dangersense that lasts for 6 hours per activation. This danger sense grants you advantage on Initiative rolls, you cannot be surprised while you are conscious, other creatures don’t gain advantage against you for being unseen by you, and you gain advantage on saves vs spells that would affect you.
Psychokinesis: L1: You are able to lift and move an unattached object of up to 10 pounds within a 30’ radius of you. This object can be used as a weapon doing 1D4 damage on a successful weapon attack roll. On a successful activation you are able to control free objects such as dice so they land as you desire. L6: the range of this effect increases to 60’, you gain fine manipulation with the ability (locks etc) and, as a bonus action you can push or pull one creature within range if they fail a strength save (DC= 8+PB+WB) up to 5’ towards or away from you. In addition the damage from this ability increases to 1D6. L14: You are able to generate a blade or ball shaped zone of energy of your choice. This energy zone does 1D6 damage of the appropriate type if it hits an individual. You can safely wrap the energy zone around a weapon you wield doing no dmage to the weapon but adding the field’s damage to the weapon’s on a successful hit with the weapon. Alternatively you can use a bonus action to move the field up to 30’ within a 60’ radius of you as a bonus action. If the field hits an individual they must make a dexterity save (8+PB=WB) or take the damage of the field L18: The range of action for this field increases to 90’ radius and the damage increases to 3D6.
Psychometabolism: L1: You are able to accelerate your healing abilities healing 1D8 +WB damage to yourself Proficiency bonus times per short rest L6: Your healing ability increases to 3D8+WB or you are able to clear 1 disease or poison you suffer from with each activation. L14: Your healing factor increases to 6D8+WB or you are able to remove the blindness or deafness condition from yourself. L18: Your healing ability increases to 8D8+WB per activation. Your abilities to remove diseases, poisons, blindness and deafness extend to others of your choice as well as yourself (one individual and one condition for each activation).
Telepathy: L1: You can speak telepathically with any creature you can detect with in 60’ of yourself. The creature understands you even if it doesn’t share a language with you. The creature cannot respond telepathically. Once per long rest you can activate the Read Mind Ability – this is essentially the Detect Thoughts spell as a psionics ability L6: The range of your telepathy increases to 120’, the individual you communicate with is able to respond telepathically also. L14:the range of your telepathy increases to 1 mile and you are able to communicate with up to 5 other individuals. You gain a second Read Mind ability for each long rest L18: Your telepathic range, with those you know the mind of, becomes unlimited as long as you are on the same planet and plane. You gain a third Read Minds ability per long rest.
Psychoportation: L1: When you activate this power you begin rapidly shifting position within the 5’ space you occupy. This causes your image to blur to those viewing you giving them disadvantage on attacks against you. This disadvantage continues as long as you maintain concentration or up to 1 hour. L6: you gain the ability to warp space locally so that you can step up to 30’ away from your location as a single step. This step is not subject to opportunity attacks at either end. L14:the range of your warp step increases to 60’ L18: the range of your warp step increases to 120’
WillSpring – this ability allows you to tap into the deeper resources of your mind to alter or enhance your abilities in various ways. It is represented by your psionics power points. You gain 1 point per level and one point for each intelligence and wisdom bonus point you have (normal max = 30). These points can be used to improve the DC of a power, increase the damage of some powers (typically +1D6/point, max 3 points) or activate metapsionic effects on powers or metapsionic powers. You regain all expended psionics power points on a long rest.
MetaPsionics – This represents the Psion’s ability to alter or twist their powers to fit the needs of the moment. A psion gains 3 Metapsionic abilities at level 1 and 2 more each at level 10 and level 17. You can use only one metapsionic ability on a power unless noted differently below. The psionics power points needed to activate a metapsionic ability are noted in the descriptions.
1) Careful Power (1PPP) when you activate an area effect power requiring a saving throw this ability allows you to create pockets of safety within the area. Choose a number of those affected up to your Intellegence Bonus. Those individuals automatically save and take no damage from the power.
2) Distant Power (1PPP) allows you to either double the range of the power or grant a touch power a range of 30’.
3) Extended Power allows you to extend the time of effect of a power. Each psionics power point expended doubles the time (doesn’t work on instantanteous or 1 round duration spells) of effect up to 24 hours.
4) Quickened Power allows you to speed up the activation time of a power. It only works on powers that have a 1 action activation time. 2 psionic power points expended allow it to be activated in a bonus action while 3 expended allow it to be activated as a reaction.
5) Twinned Power allows you to duplicate the power attacking a second individual. The power must meet the following requirements: A) it targets a single creature, B) it is incapable of targeting more than 1 creature, C) it doesn’t have a range of self or touch
6) Transmuted power allows you to change the type of energy/damage the power does for 1 psionic power point.
7) Seeking power can be used even if you have already used a different metapsionic power. It allows you to reroll the attack roll of the power for 2 psionic power points.
8) Cannibalize allows the psion who is out of power points to sacrifice one of his hit dice using the roll to restore that many power points instead of hit points.
9) Gird allows a psion to maintain a concentration based power without concentration. This costs 2 power points.
10) Splice allows the psion to link 2 powers together activating both at once for 3 power points.
Powers
A Psion learns a total of 26 powers and gains a total of 20 activation slots by level 20. They can forgo using a higher level power to use a lower level power in a higher level slot. Doing so increases the damage of the lower level power by 1 D6 for each slot level it is raised. If a power doesn’t do damage but does have an extended duration then each increased level doubles the duration up to 24 hours. There are 10 levels of powers (corresponding to the 10 levels of magic (Cantrips and L1-9) as that is the mechanic of such abilities in these worlds) Many of these powers are mimicked by spells of similar or the same name at roughly the same power levels. In addition there are a large number of powers that have not been duplicated by magic (yet). Some are specific to a particular Psionic Discipline but most are available for any discipline.
Discipline Powers:
Psychometabolism:
L1) Thicken Skin: +1 enhancement bonus to base AC for 1 hour
L2) Animal Affinity: +2 enhancement bonus to Strength/Dex/Con for 8 hours
L2) Empathic Transfer: transfers 1D8 +con bonus HP from you to another person healing them while you take the damage.
L2) Chameleon: Gain a +5 bonus to hide attempts
L3) Ectoplasmic Form: become insubstantial, able to pass through walls and fly (10’/r) for 1 minute
L3) Hustle: gain an extra move action this round.
L4) Metamorphosis: transform into a creature of CR1 or less for 10 minutes
L4) Psychic Vampire: touch attack drains 2 hit points/Level from target giving the Psion 2 power points per level.
L5) Psionic Revivify – restores life to a recently (10’ or less) dead individual.
L5) Biofeedback: Boosts 1-3 stats by draining 1-3 stats
L5) Restore Extremity: reattaches a severed limb or appendage to an individual if lost within 10’.
L6) Psionic Restoration: Restores level and ability drains
L7) Fission: create a duplicate of yourself for 10 minutes.
L8) Fusion: combine the abilities and forms of yourself and one other individual into a single being for 10 minutes.
L9) Greater Metamorphosis: Assume the shape of any nonunique creature or being of your CR or less for 1 hour.
Psychokinesis
L1) Control Object: Telekinetically animate a small a small object for 1 minute
L2) Control Air: Control the wind speed and direction in a 30’ radius for 1 minute.
L2) Energy Missile: Deal 2 D4+1 Energy damage of your choice to up to 5 subjects.
L3) Energy Cone: Deal 5D6 Energy damage of your choice to all in a 60’ cone.
L4) Control Body: Will vs Will contest – if you win you get rudimentary control of subject’s limbs for up to 1 minute, contest each round until they succeed.
L4) Energy Ball: deal 7D6 damage of your choice in a 20’r, 120’ range.
L4) Inertial Barrier: Gain +4 AC for 8 hours
L5) Energy Current: Deal 5D6 damage of your choice to first foe and half damage to second if within 10’ of first, 30’ range.
L5) Fiery Discorporation: Cheat death by Discorporating into a nearby (60’ range) fire for 1 day.
L6) Null Psionics Field: create a region where psionics doesn’t work 60’ radius.
L7) Redoppsi: Powers targeting you rebound onto manifestor. (Reaction)
L7) Spell Redoppsi: Spells targeting only you rebound onto caster (Reaction)
L8) Telekinetic Sphere: 10’ radius globe of telekinetic force blocks attacks for 10 minutes and moves with you.
L9) Tornado Blast: vortex of air subjects your foes to 17D6 force damage and moves them 20’ in a random direction
Psychoportation
L1) Burst: gain 10’ of speed for 1 minute
L1) Detect Teleportation: Detect portals and teleports if done within 120’.
L2) Dimensional Swap: you and an ally, or 2 allies within 30’ of each other swap places – no opportunity attacks.
L2) Levitate Subject moves up or down, and/or forward/back/sideways up to 30’/ round at your control for up to 1 minute.
L3) Astral Caravan: You lead astral travel enabled group to a destination via the astral plane.
L4) Dimensional Anchor: Bars extra dimensional travel while concentrating (1 hour max).
L4) Dismissal: forces a planar creature back to its home plane.
L4) Fly: Fly at 60/round for 1 hour
L5) Baleful Teleport: Forces subject (s) to teleport into a solid object doing 9D6 damage to subject(s) and object.
L5) Tesseract: warps space on this plane such that the subject(s) can step through to a distant (known) location.
L5) Tesseract Trigger: predetermined event triggers a tesseract.
L6) Banishment: Banishes extraplanar creatures to their home plane.
L7) Ethereal Jaunt: become Ethereal for 1 round per level
L8) Mass Time Hop: Willing subjects hop forward in time 1 round/level
L9) Teleportation Circle: circle teleports all inside it to a destination of your choosing.
L9) Time Regression: Relive the last round.
Clairsentience
L1) Destiny Dissounance: your touch sickens a foe (poisoned status for 1 minute)
L1) Precognition: Gain a +2 Insight bonus to one roll.
L2) Clairsentience: See and hear a distant location for up to 1 hour.
L2) Object Reading: Learn properties and information about an item.
L2) Sensitivity to Psychic Impressions: learn about events and history of a location.
L3) Escape Detection: those attempting to locate you with clairsentience or scrying type powers/ spells or abilities do so at disadvantage.
L4) Anchored navigation: establish a mishap free teleport/tesseract beacon.
L4) Remote viewing: See/hear/smell/ and potentially interact with subjects at a distance.
L5) Clairtangent Hand: able to see and reach into distant locations handling objects there.
L5) Second Chance: reroll last roll (Reaction)
L6) Greater Precognition: Gain a +4 enhancement bonus to a roll.
L7) Fate of One: Reroll the last (failed) roll.
L8) Hypercognition: +6 enhancement bonus to an intelligence check.
L9) Reality Revision: As with Wish.
Telepathy
L1) Charm: Wisdom save fail of foe makes them your friend (Psionic Charm Person)
L1) Forge Link: form a limited mental bond with subject.
L2) Aversion: Subject is averse to dealing with you or object/individual you specify (Psionic Fear)
L2) Brain Lock: Wisdom save or subject cannot move or take actions (Psionic Hold Person)
L2) Read Thoughts: Psionic Detect Thoughts.
L2) Suggestion: Wisdom Save or subject is compelled to follow stated course of action.
L3) Crisis of Breath: Constitution Save or subject’s breathing and speaking is disrupted.
L3) Hostile Empathic Transfer: touch attack transfers 3D8+Con Bonus damage to target while healing same amount of manifestor’s damage.
L3) False Sensory Input: Subject senses what isn’t there – (Psionic Illusion)
L4) Dominate: Psionic Dominate person
L4) Thieving Mindlink: Borrow knowledge of another psion’s power for 1 minute.
L4) Modify Memory: Change up to 5 minutes of the target’s memory.
L5) Schism: You are able to concentrate on 2 powers of different levels at the same time.
L6) Mindprobe: You discover target’s deepest thoughts.
L7) Mind Switch: You switch minds with target.
L8) Crisis of Life: Con save or subject dies of a heart attack. Save does 7D10 damage
L9) Psychic Churchery: repair psychic damage or psionically awaken target’s mind or teach Trget a new ability.
Metacreativity
L1) Astral Construct: creates an astral construct to fight for you.
L1) Minor Creation: one cloth or wood object
L2) Repair Damage: repairs 3D8 + 1HP/L to constructs
L3) Concealing Amorpha: Quasi real membrane grants you concealment
L3) Ectoplasmic Cocoon: save or foe is restrained.
L4) Fabricate (as the spell)
L5) Hail of Crystals: a crystal explodes sending shards doing 9D4 to all in area (20’ sphere)
L6) Crystalize: Com save or Petrified into a crystal statue.
L6) Create Dorje: Copy a Fragment of your personality and power(s) into an item
L7) Mass Ectoplassmic Cocoon: 20’radius effect – save or restrained
L8) Astral Seed: Create a seed of your person on the astral that will grow into a second you (Psionic Clone)
L9) True Creation: Form a permanent demiplane.
General Powers
Level 0: (I’ve used the cantrips to preserve the relative power level, as with cantrips these 0 level powers increase in damage with the manefestor’s level. * L1 Psionic powers converted to Cantrips)
Acid Splash, Blade Ward, Booming Blade, Chill Touch, Control Flames, Control Lights*, Create Bonfire, Create Sound*, Curtain of Light (Word of Radiance), Dancing Lights, Fire Bolt, Force Blast (Eldritch Blast), Friends, Frostbite, Green-Flame Blade, Guidance, Gust, Infestation, Light, Lightning Lure, Mage Hand, Magic Stone, Mending, Message, Mind Sliver, Minor Illusion, Mold Earth, Naturecraft (Druidcraft), Poison Spray, Prestidigitation, Primal Savagery, Produce Flame, Ray of Frost, Resistance, Searing Light (Sacred Flame), Shape Water, “Magic” Staff (Shillelagh), Shocking Grasp, Spare the Dying, Sword Burst, Thaumaturgy, Thorn Whip, Thunderclap, Bells of Death (Toll the Dead), True Strike, Vicious Mockery
Most spells from the published lists can be duplicated as powers of equivalent level, In addition are the following powers from the 1e & 2e Psionics books. I am listing only the names as I haven’t started trying to convert them to 5e. They are listed at the power level they are at in the 1e/2e books, converting them may alter their level.
Level 1: Astral Traveler, Attraction, Bolt, Call to Mind, Catfall, Conceal Thoughts, Crystal Shard, Daze, Decelerate, Deflection Field, Déjà vu, Demoralize, Detect Psionics, Disable, Dissipating Touch, Distract, Ecto Protection, Eidetic Lock, Empathy, Empty Mind,Endure Elements, Energy Arc, Energy Ray, Entangling Ectoplasm, Float, Force Screen (+2 AC), Grease, Hammer, Inertial Armor, Know Direction/location, Matter Agitation, Mind Thrust (1D10 psychic Damage), Missive, My Light, Defensive Precognition (Reaction), Offensive Precognition (Bonus Action), Offensive Prescience, Primal Fear, Sense Link, Slow Breathing, Skate, Stone Mind, Stygian Descernment, Synesthete, Telempathic Projection, Urban Strider, Vigor
Level 2: Bestow Power, Biofeedback, Body Equilibrium, Cloud Mind, Concealing Amorpha, Concussion Blast, Control Sounds, Crystal Storm, Damp Power, Detect Hostiles, Earth Walk, Ego Whip, Elemental Steward, Elf sight, Energy Adaptation – Minor, Energy Emanation, Energy Push, Energy Stun, Feat Leech, Id Insinuation, Psionic Identify, Inflict Pain, Larval Flayers, Levitate, Mental Disruption, Mass Missive, Psychic Scimitar, Psychoportive Shelter, Recall Agony, Forced sense link, Serenity, Stygian Ray, Sustenance, Swarm of Crystals, Thought Shield, Communicate (Psionic Tongues), Zone of Alertness
Level 3: Body Adjustment, Body Purification, Cerebral Phantasm, Danger Sense, Darkvision, Dimension Twister, Dismiss Ectoplasm, Dispel Psionics, Energy Bolt, Energy Burst, Energy Lance, Energy Retort, Energy Wall, Negate Invisibility, Exhalation of the Bronze Dragon, Heavy Earth, Keen edge, Mental Barrier, Mindfire, Mind Trap, Psionic Blast, Psi Trap (Glyph of Warding),Psychic Containment, Realized Potential, Forced Share Pain (reaction), Telekinetic Force, Telekinetic Thrust, Time Hop, Telekinetic Sight, Ubiquitous Vision
Level 4: Aura Sight, Correspond, Death Urge, Detect Remote sensing, Minor Tesseract (Dimension Door), Divination, Empathic Feedback, Energy Adaptation, Energy Flash, Freedom of Movement, Intellect Fortress, Mind Wipe, Personality Parasite, Planar Apothosis, Power Leech, Psychic Reformation, Shadow Eft, Suggestion Implant, Telekinetic Maneuver, Trace Teleport, Wall of Ectoplasm
Level 6: Aura Alteration, Breath of the Black Dragon, Mass Cloud Mind, Contingency, Co-opt Concentration, Disentegrate, Energy Barrage, Energy Nullification, Ethereal Abduction, Fuse Flesh, Inconstant Location, Mind over Energy, Overland Flight, Psychometry, Remote view Trap, Retrieve, Stygian Bolt, Suspend Life, Temporal Acceleration
Level 7: Decerebrate, Divert Teleport (reaction), *Energy Absorption, Energy Claw, Energy Conversion, Energy Wave, Evade Burst (reaction),Eyes of the Basilisk, Insanity, Mind Blank (Personal), Moment of Prescience, Oak Body, Phase Door, Planar Champion, Sequester, Ultrablast
Level 8: Bend reality, Iron Body, Matter manipulation, Mind Blank, Planar Embrace, Recall Death, Shadow Body, Stygian Veil, Greater Tesseract (teleport), True Metabolism
Sorry I'm late with this some things came up that needed my attention first. here is my take on psionics and the psion class:
Psionics and Psions (class)
Psionics is the very rare ability to directly manipulate the universe around the character by the direct application of “mental force”. The Awakened mind has learned to manipulate its surroundings as simply and directly as it manipulates its body. This manipulation does not involve the use of Mana or a magical “Weave”. Therefore it can act even in zones of suppressed, canceled or null magic. It is however possible to establish psionic or magical fields that suppress the use of Psionics as well. However this is seldom done as many (perhaps most) people (even magic wielders) don’t realize that psionics is separate from magic due to its rarity. Many psionic abilities have been mimicked by magic spells and so carry similar or the same names despite their very different sources. Once the mind has been awakened to psionics it requires self discipline and training to develop and enhance a person’s abilities to their fullest. Psionic abilities fall into 5 broad groups known as disciplines based on their area or style of effect and most psions focus on a single discipline. This does not mean that they can’t have developed specific abilities from any of the disciplines however. These disciplines are:
1) Clairsentience – the ability to use various senses at distant and/or remote locations.
2) Psychokinesis – the ability to control objects or energies outside the body.
3) Psychometabolism – the ability to enhance or temporarily modify the body to make it heal or function effectively in different environments.
4) Telepathy – the ability to communicate directly, brain to brain, without the use of language and with essentially any creature or being.
5) Psychoportation – the ability to warp space in such a way as to jump instantly from one location to another or even (for highly skilled practioners) from one plane to another.
There is also the realm of Metapsionics which covers the ways a psionicist can adapt or modify their abilities on the fly to meet novel situations or to link abilities to create unusual or enhanced effects.
Psions are those individuals who, having awakened their minds, have chosen to focus on their abilities mastering the direct manipulation of their world rather than developing their abilities as a means of focusing on combat/roguery/spell casting or other areas of concentration. In some respects they resemble various types of spell casters but they normally do not need more than a quiet word and their will to create their effects. To become a Psion an individual needs an intelligence, wisdom and constitution of 13 or higher. Because of their unspecialized background before the awakening of their mind they are proficient in common, an appropriate racial language, simple weapons and any appropriate racial weapons, and with light armors. They can have any background and have a D8 for hit dice. At level 1 they get 8 + constitution bonus hit points. They get Constitution and Wisdom Save Proficiencies. They get 3 skills or tool proficiencies of their choice.
Psion Progression
Level
Features
PPP
L0Ps
L1Ps
L2Ps
L3Ps
L4Ps
L5Ps
L6Ps
L7Ps
L8Ps
L9Ps
1
Psionics
Disciplines
0
4
2
2
Willspring
2+
4
3
3
MetaPsionics
3+
4
4
2
4
ASI
4+
5
4
3
5
5+
5
4
3
2
6
Discipline
6+
5
4
3
3
7
7+
5
4
3
3
1
8
ASI
8+
5
4
3
3
2
9
9+
5
4
3
3
3
1
10
MetaPsionics
10+
6
4
3
3
3
2
11
11+
6
4
3
3
3
2
1
12
ASI
12+
6
4
3
3
3
2
1
13
13+
6
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
14
Discipline
14+
6
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
15
15+
6
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
16
ASI
16+
6
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
17
MetaPsionics
17+
6
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
1
18
Discipline
18+
6
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
1
19
ASI
19+
6
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
1
20
Capstone
20+
6
4
3
3
3
3
1
1
1
1
Psionics – the character’s mind is awakened (how this happen should be described in the background/Personality section) and they become a psion and are able to use psionics.
Discipline – The Psion chooses a primary and secondary discipline to begin their training. They then get the basic abilities of the discipline which are available for use Proficiency bonus times per short rest. At each Discipline enhancement level they may either add the enhanced abilities for their disciplines or add the basic abilities of an additional discipline. These abilities are listed below:
Clairsentience: L1: you are able to extend your point of view out of your body to any point within 30’ of you that you have line of effect to (ie. You cannot see or hear through a sealed solid door but openings as small as a keyhole, cracks at the edges that light can come through etc would allow you to extend your point of sight or hearing to any point up to 30’ into the room.) You are able to grant yourself darkvision 60’ range, tremorsense 30’ range or blindsight 10’ range for one hour. L6: The range of your extended senses becomes 60’ with Darkvision extending to 90’, tremorsense to 60’ and blindsight to 20’. On a successful activation roll (8+PB+IB) you are able to jump your senses to any physical location you can specify. However there is a cumulative -1/250 miles penalty for any location you have not visited. L14: The ranges of your extended and extra senses increases again – extended senses and darkvision to 120’, Tremor sense to 90’ and Blindsight to 30’. The penalty for clairsentience changes to -1/1000 miles. L18: The time for your Darkvision/Tremorsense/Blindsight extends from 1 hour to 8 hours on each activation. In addition you can activate a dangersense that lasts for 6 hours per activation. This danger sense grants you advantage on Initiative rolls, you cannot be surprised while you are conscious, other creatures don’t gain advantage against you for being unseen by you, and you gain advantage on saves vs spells that would affect you.
Psychokinesis: L1: You are able to lift and move an unattached object of up to 10 pounds within a 30’ radius of you. This object can be used as a weapon doing 1D4 damage on a successful weapon attack roll. On a successful activation you are able to control free objects such as dice so they land as you desire. L6: the range of this effect increases to 60’, you gain fine manipulation with the ability (locks etc) and, as a bonus action you can push or pull one creature within range if they fail a strength save (DC= 8+PB+WB) up to 5’ towards or away from you. In addition the damage from this ability increases to 1D6. L14: You are able to generate a blade or ball shaped zone of energy of your choice. This energy zone does 1D6 damage of the appropriate type if it hits an individual. You can safely wrap the energy zone around a weapon you wield doing no dmage to the weapon but adding the field’s damage to the weapon’s on a successful hit with the weapon. Alternatively you can use a bonus action to move the field up to 30’ within a 60’ radius of you as a bonus action. If the field hits an individual they must make a dexterity save (8+PB=WB) or take the damage of the field L18: The range of action for this field increases to 90’ radius and the damage increases to 3D6.
Psychometabolism: L1: You are able to accelerate your healing abilities healing 1D8 +WB damage to yourself Proficiency bonus times per short rest L6: Your healing ability increases to 3D8+WB or you are able to clear 1 disease or poison you suffer from with each activation. L14: Your healing factor increases to 6D8+WB or you are able to remove the blindness or deafness condition from yourself. L18: Your healing ability increases to 8D8+WB per activation. Your abilities to remove diseases, poisons, blindness and deafness extend to others of your choice as well as yourself (one individual and one condition for each activation).
Telepathy: L1: You can speak telepathically with any creature you can detect with in 60’ of yourself. The creature understands you even if it doesn’t share a language with you. The creature cannot respond telepathically. Once per long rest you can activate the Read Mind Ability – this is essentially the Detect Thoughts spell as a psionics ability L6: The range of your telepathy increases to 120’, the individual you communicate with is able to respond telepathically also. L14:the range of your telepathy increases to 1 mile and you are able to communicate with up to 5 other individuals. You gain a second Read Mind ability for each long rest L18: Your telepathic range, with those you know the mind of, becomes unlimited as long as you are on the same planet and plane. You gain a third Read Minds ability per long rest.
Psychoportation: L1: When you activate this power you begin rapidly shifting position within the 5’ space you occupy. This causes your image to blur to those viewing you giving them disadvantage on attacks against you. This disadvantage continues as long as you maintain concentration or up to 1 hour. L6: you gain the ability to warp space locally so that you can step up to 30’ away from your location as a single step. This step is not subject to opportunity attacks at either end. L14:the range of your warp step increases to 60’ L18: the range of your warp step increases to 120’
WillSpring – this ability allows you to tap into the deeper resources of your mind to alter or enhance your abilities in various ways. It is represented by your psionics power points. You gain 1 point per level and one point for each intelligence and wisdom bonus point you have (normal max = 30). These points can be used to improve the DC of a power, increase the damage of some powers (typically +1D6/point, max 3 points) or activate metapsionic effects on powers or metapsionic powers. You regain all expended psionics power points on a long rest.
MetaPsionics – This represents the Psion’s ability to alter or twist their powers to fit the needs of the moment. A psion gains 3 Metapsionic abilities at level 1 and 2 more each at level 10 and level 17. You can use only one metapsionic ability on a power unless noted differently below. The psionics power points needed to activate a metapsionic ability are noted in the descriptions.
1) Careful Power (1PPP) when you activate an area effect power requiring a saving throw this ability allows you to create pockets of safety within the area. Choose a number of those affected up to your Intellegence Bonus. Those individuals automatically save and take no damage from the power.
2) Distant Power (1PPP) allows you to either double the range of the power or grant a touch power a range of 30’.
3) Extended Power allows you to extend the time of effect of a power. Each psionics power point expended doubles the time (doesn’t work on instantanteous or 1 round duration spells) of effect up to 24 hours.
4) Quickened Power allows you to speed up the activation time of a power. It only works on powers that have a 1 action activation time. 2 psionic power points expended allow it to be activated in a bonus action while 3 expended allow it to be activated as a reaction.
5) Twinned Power allows you to duplicate the power attacking a second individual. The power must meet the following requirements: A) it targets a single creature, B) it is incapable of targeting more than 1 creature, C) it doesn’t have a range of self or touch
6) Transmuted power allows you to change the type of energy/damage the power does for 1 psionic power point.
7) Seeking power can be used even if you have already used a different metapsionic power. It allows you to reroll the attack roll of the power for 2 psionic power points.
8) Cannibalize allows the psion who is out of power points to sacrifice one of his hit dice using the roll to restore that many power points instead of hit points.
9) Gird allows a psion to maintain a concentration based power without concentration. This costs 2 power points.
10) Splice allows the psion to link 2 powers together activating both at once for 3 power points.
Powers
A Psion learns a total of 26 powers and gains a total of 20 activation slots by level 20. They can forgo using a higher level power to use a lower level power in a higher level slot. Doing so increases the damage of the lower level power by 1 D6 for each slot level it is raised. If a power doesn’t do damage but does have an extended duration then each increased level doubles the duration up to 24 hours. There are 10 levels of powers (corresponding to the 10 levels of magic (Cantrips and L1-9) as that is the mechanic of such abilities in these worlds) Many of these powers are mimicked by spells of similar or the same name at roughly the same power levels. In addition there are a large number of powers that have not been duplicated by magic (yet). Some are specific to a particular Psionic Discipline but most are available for any discipline.
Discipline Powers:
Psychometabolism:
L1) Thicken Skin: +1 enhancement bonus to base AC for 1 hour
L2) Animal Affinity: +2 enhancement bonus to Strength/Dex/Con for 8 hours
L2) Empathic Transfer: transfers 1D8 +con bonus HP from you to another person healing them while you take the damage.
L2) Chameleon: Gain a +5 bonus to hide attempts
L3) Ectoplasmic Form: become insubstantial, able to pass through walls and fly (10’/r) for 1 minute
L3) Hustle: gain an extra move action this round.
L4) Metamorphosis: transform into a creature of CR1 or less for 10 minutes
L4) Psychic Vampire: touch attack drains 2 hit points/Level from target giving the Psion 2 power points per level.
L5) Psionic Revivify – restores life to a recently (10’ or less) dead individual.
L5) Biofeedback: Boosts 1-3 stats by draining 1-3 stats
L5) Restore Extremity: reattaches a severed limb or appendage to an individual if lost within 10’.
L6) Psionic Restoration: Restores level and ability drains
L7) Fission: create a duplicate of yourself for 10 minutes.
L8) Fusion: combine the abilities and forms of yourself and one other individual into a single being for 10 minutes.
L9) Greater Metamorphosis: Assume the shape of any nonunique creature or being of your CR or less for 1 hour.
Psychokinesis
L1) Control Object: Telekinetically animate a small a small object for 1 minute
L2) Control Air: Control the wind speed and direction in a 30’ radius for 1 minute.
L2) Energy Missile: Deal 2 D4+1 Energy damage of your choice to up to 5 subjects.
L3) Energy Cone: Deal 5D6 Energy damage of your choice to all in a 60’ cone.
L4) Control Body: Will vs Will contest – if you win you get rudimentary control of subject’s limbs for up to 1 minute, contest each round until they succeed.
L4) Energy Ball: deal 7D6 damage of your choice in a 20’r, 120’ range.
L4) Inertial Barrier: Gain +4 AC for 8 hours
L5) Energy Current: Deal 5D6 damage of your choice to first foe and half damage to second if within 10’ of first, 30’ range.
L5) Fiery Discorporation: Cheat death by Discorporating into a nearby (60’ range) fire for 1 day.
L6) Null Psionics Field: create a region where psionics doesn’t work 60’ radius.
L7) Redoppsi: Powers targeting you rebound onto manifestor. (Reaction)
L7) Spell Redoppsi: Spells targeting only you rebound onto caster (Reaction)
L8) Telekinetic Sphere: 10’ radius globe of telekinetic force blocks attacks for 10 minutes and moves with you.
L9) Tornado Blast: vortex of air subjects your foes to 17D6 force damage and moves them 20’ in a random direction
Psychoportation
L1) Burst: gain 10’ of speed for 1 minute
L1) Detect Teleportation: Detect portals and teleports if done within 120’.
L2) Dimensional Swap: you and an ally, or 2 allies within 30’ of each other swap places – no opportunity attacks.
L2) Levitate Subject moves up or down, and/or forward/back/sideways up to 30’/ round at your control for up to 1 minute.
L3) Astral Caravan: You lead astral travel enabled group to a destination via the astral plane.
L4) Dimensional Anchor: Bars extra dimensional travel while concentrating (1 hour max).
L4) Dismissal: forces a planar creature back to its home plane.
L4) Fly: Fly at 60/round for 1 hour
L5) Baleful Teleport: Forces subject (s) to teleport into a solid object doing 9D6 damage to subject(s) and object.
L5) Tesseract: warps space on this plane such that the subject(s) can step through to a distant (known) location.
L5) Tesseract Trigger: predetermined event triggers a tesseract.
L6) Banishment: Banishes extraplanar creatures to their home plane.
L7) Ethereal Jaunt: become Ethereal for 1 round per level
L8) Mass Time Hop: Willing subjects hop forward in time 1 round/level
L9) Teleportation Circle: circle teleports all inside it to a destination of your choosing.
L9) Time Regression: Relive the last round.
Clairsentience
L1) Destiny Dissounance: your touch sickens a foe (poisoned status for 1 minute)
L1) Precognition: Gain a +2 Insight bonus to one roll.
L2) Clairsentience: See and hear a distant location for up to 1 hour.
L2) Object Reading: Learn properties and information about an item.
L2) Sensitivity to Psychic Impressions: learn about events and history of a location.
L3) Escape Detection: those attempting to locate you with clairsentience or scrying type powers/ spells or abilities do so at disadvantage.
L4) Anchored navigation: establish a mishap free teleport/tesseract beacon.
L4) Remote viewing: See/hear/smell/ and potentially interact with subjects at a distance.
L5) Clairtangent Hand: able to see and reach into distant locations handling objects there.
L5) Second Chance: reroll last roll (Reaction)
L6) Greater Precognition: Gain a +4 enhancement bonus to a roll.
L7) Fate of One: Reroll the last (failed) roll.
L8) Hypercognition: +6 enhancement bonus to an intelligence check.
L9) Reality Revision: As with Wish.
Telepathy
L1) Charm: Wisdom save fail of foe makes them your friend (Psionic Charm Person)
L1) Forge Link: form a limited mental bond with subject.
L2) Aversion: Subject is averse to dealing with you or object/individual you specify (Psionic Fear)
L2) Brain Lock: Wisdom save or subject cannot move or take actions (Psionic Hold Person)
L2) Read Thoughts: Psionic Detect Thoughts.
L2) Suggestion: Wisdom Save or subject is compelled to follow stated course of action.
L3) Crisis of Breath: Constitution Save or subject’s breathing and speaking is disrupted.
L3) Hostile Empathic Transfer: touch attack transfers 3D8+Con Bonus damage to target while healing same amount of manifestor’s damage.
L3) False Sensory Input: Subject senses what isn’t there – (Psionic Illusion)
L4) Dominate: Psionic Dominate person
L4) Thieving Mindlink: Borrow knowledge of another psion’s power for 1 minute.
L4) Modify Memory: Change up to 5 minutes of the target’s memory.
L5) Schism: You are able to concentrate on 2 powers of different levels at the same time.
L6) Mindprobe: You discover target’s deepest thoughts.
L7) Mind Switch: You switch minds with target.
L8) Crisis of Life: Con save or subject dies of a heart attack. Save does 7D10 damage
L9) Psychic Churchery: repair psychic damage or psionically awaken target’s mind or teach Trget a new ability.
Metacreativity
L1) Astral Construct: creates an astral construct to fight for you.
L1) Minor Creation: one cloth or wood object
L2) Repair Damage: repairs 3D8 + 1HP/L to constructs
L3) Concealing Amorpha: Quasi real membrane grants you concealment
L3) Ectoplasmic Cocoon: save or foe is restrained.
L4) Fabricate (as the spell)
L5) Hail of Crystals: a crystal explodes sending shards doing 9D4 to all in area (20’ sphere)
L6) Crystalize: Com save or Petrified into a crystal statue.
L6) Create Dorje: Copy a Fragment of your personality and power(s) into an item
L7) Mass Ectoplassmic Cocoon: 20’radius effect – save or restrained
L8) Astral Seed: Create a seed of your person on the astral that will grow into a second you (Psionic Clone)
L9) True Creation: Form a permanent demiplane.
General Powers
Level 0: (I’ve used the cantrips to preserve the relative power level, as with cantrips these 0 level powers increase in damage with the manefestor’s level. * L1 Psionic powers converted to Cantrips)
Acid Splash, Blade Ward, Booming Blade, Chill Touch, Control Flames, Control Lights*, Create Bonfire, Create Sound*, Curtain of Light (Word of Radiance), Dancing Lights, Fire Bolt, Force Blast (Eldritch Blast), Friends, Frostbite, Green-Flame Blade, Guidance, Gust, Infestation, Light, Lightning Lure, Mage Hand, Magic Stone, Mending, Message, Mind Sliver, Minor Illusion, Mold Earth, Naturecraft (Druidcraft), Poison Spray, Prestidigitation, Primal Savagery, Produce Flame, Ray of Frost, Resistance, Searing Light (Sacred Flame), Shape Water, “Magic” Staff (Shillelagh), Shocking Grasp, Spare the Dying, Sword Burst, Thaumaturgy, Thorn Whip, Thunderclap, Bells of Death (Toll the Dead), True Strike, Vicious Mockery
Most spells from the published lists can be duplicated as powers of equivalent level, In addition are the following powers from the 1e & 2e Psionics books. I am listing only the names as I haven’t started trying to convert them to 5e. They are listed at the power level they are at in the 1e/2e books, converting them may alter their level.
Level 1: Astral Traveler, Attraction, Bolt, Call to Mind, Catfall, Conceal Thoughts, Crystal Shard, Daze, Decelerate, Deflection Field, Déjà vu, Demoralize, Detect Psionics, Disable, Dissipating Touch, Distract, Ecto Protection, Eidetic Lock, Empathy, Empty Mind,Endure Elements, Energy Arc, Energy Ray, Entangling Ectoplasm, Float, Force Screen (+2 AC), Grease, Hammer, Inertial Armor, Know Direction/location, Matter Agitation, Mind Thrust (1D10 psychic Damage), Missive, My Light, Defensive Precognition (Reaction), Offensive Precognition (Bonus Action), Offensive Prescience, Primal Fear, Sense Link, Slow Breathing, Skate, Stone Mind, Stygian Descernment, Synesthete, Telempathic Projection, Urban Strider, Vigor
Level 2: Bestow Power, Biofeedback, Body Equilibrium, Cloud Mind, Concealing Amorpha, Concussion Blast, Control Sounds, Crystal Storm, Damp Power, Detect Hostiles, Earth Walk, Ego Whip, Elemental Steward, Elf sight, Energy Adaptation – Minor, Energy Emanation, Energy Push, Energy Stun, Feat Leech, Id Insinuation, Psionic Identify, Inflict Pain, Larval Flayers, Levitate, Mental Disruption, Mass Missive, Psychic Scimitar, Psychoportive Shelter, Recall Agony, Forced sense link, Serenity, Stygian Ray, Sustenance, Swarm of Crystals, Thought Shield, Communicate (Psionic Tongues), Zone of Alertness
Level 3: Body Adjustment, Body Purification, Cerebral Phantasm, Danger Sense, Darkvision, Dimension Twister, Dismiss Ectoplasm, Dispel Psionics, Energy Bolt, Energy Burst, Energy Lance, Energy Retort, Energy Wall, Negate Invisibility, Exhalation of the Bronze Dragon, Heavy Earth, Keen edge, Mental Barrier, Mindfire, Mind Trap, Psionic Blast, Psi Trap (Glyph of Warding),Psychic Containment, Realized Potential, Forced Share Pain (reaction), Telekinetic Force, Telekinetic Thrust, Time Hop, Telekinetic Sight, Ubiquitous Vision
Level 4: Aura Sight, Correspond, Death Urge, Detect Remote sensing, Minor Tesseract (Dimension Door), Divination, Empathic Feedback, Energy Adaptation, Energy Flash, Freedom of Movement, Intellect Fortress, Mind Wipe, Personality Parasite, Planar Apothosis, Power Leech, Psychic Reformation, Shadow Eft, Suggestion Implant, Telekinetic Maneuver, Trace Teleport, Wall of Ectoplasm
Level 6: Aura Alteration, Breath of the Black Dragon, Mass Cloud Mind, Contingency, Co-opt Concentration, Disentegrate, Energy Barrage, Energy Nullification, Ethereal Abduction, Fuse Flesh, Inconstant Location, Mind over Energy, Overland Flight, Psychometry, Remote view Trap, Retrieve, Stygian Bolt, Suspend Life, Temporal Acceleration
Level 7: Decerebrate, Divert Teleport (reaction), *Energy Absorption, Energy Claw, Energy Conversion, Energy Wave, Evade Burst (reaction),Eyes of the Basilisk, Insanity, Mind Blank (Personal), Moment of Prescience, Oak Body, Phase Door, Planar Champion, Sequester, Ultrablast
Level 8: Bend reality, Iron Body, Matter manipulation, Mind Blank, Planar Embrace, Recall Death, Shadow Body, Stygian Veil, Greater Tesseract (teleport), True Metabolism
Hopefully it helps someone besides myself. I use it in my campaign as I have several NPCs that there once my 1/2e PCs that are psionic.
Wow that's uh... confusing. It definitely has the feel of something that you wrote for your own reference, knowing all the rules and intent of the stuff you wrote down and mostly just having this as reference, so it's a little hard to read and figure out how, exactly, it's meant to work. I think it makes it a bit confusing since this doesn't really feel like a 5e class... it doesn't proceed through levels in the linear way that most classes do, and it seems to rely a lot more on subclass choice than any of the official 5e classes.
I'm sorry you found it confusing - Its based off the 1/2 e psionics system and psion class. That was a point based system not a leveled spell slot/spell system really. Higher "level" powers took more points to generate and use with additional point costs to maintain (think concentration cost/round(/time). Each of the Disciplines effectively represents a "pure" subclass. To some extent the 3e+ sorceror replaced the psion so I have used the sorceror as a base rather than the monk You get the base abilities for the class(es) you select and powers from either the class list or the general powers lists so it's generally more a free form class which is why I didn't try to specify official subclasses. its a full "caster" so it has a powers progression somewhat similar to the sorceror's but with more known powers (just as the sorceror should have more known spells to match its slots). The Discipline abilities grow in power roughly where subclass abilities are gained with the player having the option to either take the increased abilities of a Discipline they already have or take the L1 abilities of a Discipline they don't have also gaining access to that that discipline's unique powers list. Yes that means that the psion can "multiclass" between its subclasses which would be unique for 5e. The trick there is that if you do very much of it you have a bunch of fairly weak abilities instead of growing the power (s) of a limited set of abilities.
I'm a very new dm, only been dming for about 4 months. As the title says, I'm making a new class from scratch, and have hit a wall.
I was wondering if ya'll have any tips and tricks for how to homebrew and playtest a fun and balanced class, as it's a much more difficult/different experience than subclass homebrewing.
Idk I'm just a guy ig
I like Warlocks
I like guitars (coming up on my fifth year of playing!)
I want to be a musician/stay-at-home dad when I grow up
Recently obsessing over Warhammer 40k, specifically the T’au empire
What is the theme of the class? What do you want the class to do that isn’t covered by another?
Very carefully and with great trepidation.
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So, one thing I've started to realize is that, if you're going to create a new Class, you need to first ask yourself, "Why can't this just be a subclass of an existing class?" Although the mechanics aren't always 100% perfect, it's still possible to accomplish most concepts through one of the existing classes.
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The idea came around simply because I was wanting to homebrew a class. So I was thinking on what D&D classes are lacking, and found a severe lack of classes focused on psychic power, like the Psi Warrior but without the Warrior part. Thus came the Psion from the depths of my mind.
Idk I'm just a guy ig
I like Warlocks
I like guitars (coming up on my fifth year of playing!)
I want to be a musician/stay-at-home dad when I grow up
Recently obsessing over Warhammer 40k, specifically the T’au empire
Oh, maybe you can help me! I've been building a Psion class for a while inspired by some conversations on these forums, with a focus on creating a psion class that doesn't rely quite so much on spellcasting. Here's what I've created so far:
The Psion
Formal wear ripped and torn, a mistreated half-elf erupts with unseen force, foes falling, clutching their head in pain as they’re wracked with psionic forces.
Voices scream in pain as a young human conjures magical flame with nothing but a thought, explosions sending attackers flying and engulfing them in flames.
Wine spills as silver goblets clink in toast. Nobles mingle, never suspecting that the Dwarven man disguised as a servant is silently probing their minds, unlocking secrets that could shatter kingdoms.
Whether through a quirk of genetics, exposure to otherworldly forces, or intense training, Psions are uniquely blessed to tap into magical forces using the sheer power of their minds. While they may not show any outward sign of the power they possess, these mental warriors are never unarmed, never defenseless, as their minds are more powerful than any equipment they could find.
Awakened Minds
While some adventurers with latent psychic powers utilize them in combat, it is only those who nurture and train those powers who become true Psions. While some may believe one must be born with these powers, it’s possible for anyone with the mental fortitude, patience, and drive to unlock these powers through meditation and training.
Psions at first seem to share many traits with Sorcerers, but Psions have no need for spellcasting focuses or traditional spellcasting. Instead they utilize their psionic powers to manipulate others, and battle performing feats of strength without muscles or athleticism, but instead the sheer force of their minds.
Focused Mentalists
All living creatures have the potential for Psionic Powers, although a rare few are born with innate psychic powers. Across the planes, there are some people whose races are natively psychic, with telepathy as common as speech, and telekinetics used for daily, mundane chores. However, even among these societies, it is only those who hone and focus the power deep within who unlock their mind’s full potential, and attain the unmatched psychic power of a true Psion.
Level
Proficiency Bonus
Features
Psionic Energy Die
Psionic Energy Dice Uses
1
+2
Psychic Defenses, Psionic Power, Psychic Force, Psychic Communication
d6
4
2
+2
Psionic Manipulation
d6
4
3
+2
Psychic Conditioning, Psychic Studies
d6
4
4
+2
Ability Score Improvement, Improved Telepathy
d6
4
5
+3
Extra Attack
d8
6
6
+3
Psychic Studies Feature, Mental Expertise
d8
6
7
+3
Shielded Mind
d8
6
8
+3
Ability Score Improvement
d8
6
9
+4
Psychic Studies Feature
d8
8
10
+4
Mind Propelled Leaps
d8
8
11
+4
Mental Strength
d10
8
12
+4
Ability Score Improvement
d10
8
13
+5
Mental Domination
d10
10
14
+5
Psychic Force Improvement
d10
10
15
+5
Psychic Studies Feature
d10
10
16
+5
Ability Score Improvement
d10
10
17
+6
Thought Collector
d12
12
18
+6
Mind Wrestler
d12
12
19
+6
Ability Score Improvement
d12
12
20
+6
Psionic Mastery
d12
12
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. You can’t use a power if it requires you to expend a die and you have no Psionic Energy 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 Conditioning
Beginning at 2nd level, you gain the following features:
Improved Psychic Defenses - You gain resistance to psychic damage.
Mind Link - You can telepathically speak to any creature you can see within 30 feet of you, but they are unable to respond to you in kind.
Psionic Strike - when you 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 – When attacking, you can replace one of the attacks with a Mind Grapple attempt. 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 half of the number rolled (rounded up) from the creature’s Saving Throw. On a failure, its speed is reduced to Zero for one minute. The creature can attempt a 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, or if you become incapacitated. 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 Psychic 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, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 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 may instead take a feat.
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.
Empowered Mind
Starting at 7th level, you gain the following features:
*Shielded Mind - 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.
* Improved Telepathy - As an action, select a number of creatures within 30 feet of yourself up to your Intelligence Modifier, in addition to yourself. 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.
Mind-Propelled Leaps
Beginning at 10th level, your Jump Distance is doubled.
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 modifier can be made using your Intelligence modifier 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.
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.
Thought Collector
Upon reaching level 17, You learn the Detect Thoughts spell and can cast it at will without requiring 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 half of the number rolled (rounded up). 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 half of the number rolled (rounded up), potentially turning that success into a failure.
*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 one of the creatures of your choice.
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, you ignore resistance and immunity when dealing Psychic damage to a creature.
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. Starting at 3rd level, you gain the following features:
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 is more than 60 feet from you at the end of your turn, 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.
* When you take the Attack Action, you can use a bonus action to 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, or a Versatile weapon as if wielded with two hands.
Mind Prisoner:As a bonus action, you can move onecreature held by your Mind Grapple 10 feet in any direction in a straight line.
Alternatively, you can expend one Psionic Energy Die and move the creature up to 30 feet in a straight line 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 to make an Animated Weapon Attack, 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.
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 spellcasting 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, you can choose to Ignite that creature for one minute.
Ignited – A creature that has been Ignited is covered with non-magical flames. At the start of their turn, they take 1d4 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. After taking this damage, those creatures are no longer Ignited.
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. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
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 Fighter: Pyrokinetics Feature
Starting at 9th level, your control of fire becomes more deadly. You gain the following features:
Fire Lock - Any creature held by your Mind Grapple becomes Ignited.
Ignited Blast – When using your Ignited Fury, you can choose to have the Ignited Creatures also erupt with a 5 foot radius blast of flame. Any flammable objects that are not being held or carried in that blast radius catch fire, and any creature that isn’t already ignited must make a DEX saving throw. On a failure, they take the same amount of fire damage rolled for your Ignited Fury and become Ignited. On a success, they take half damage and are not ignited.
Overwhelming Heat - When you deal fire damage to a creature using your Pyrokinetics features, you ignore resistance to fire damage.
Fire Starter: Pyrokinetics Feature
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, casting bright light in a 30 foot radius, and dim light an additional 30 feet. 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. You can end your Flame Master transformation at any time, requiring no action.
Flame Burst – At the start of your turn, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice. During this turn, when you roll to deal fire damage, every die automatically rolls its highest value. You can use this feature once, and cannot use it again until completing a Long Rest.
Psychic Studies: Psychoanalyst
As you’ve grown in your understanding of your psionic powers, you’ve learned to focus them and adapt to the challenges you face, forging your own psychic path.
First Analysis
At 3rd level, you gain one of the following features of your choice. You can change your Analysis choice whenever you gain a level in this class.
Aggressive – Once per turn, you can use your Psionic Strike feature without expending a use of your Psionic Energy Dice, however, when used with this feature the Die Size is always a d6.
Controlling – You can use your Mind Grapple as a Bonus Action. In addition, when you roll your Psionic Energy Dice as part of your Mind Grapple Feature, if the number rolled is a 6 or higher you do not expend a use of your Psionic Energy Dice.
Manipulative – You know the following Spells, requiring no Material Components:
Guidance
Charm Person
Command
Detect Thoughts
You can cast each of these spells of first level or higher a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, and regain the ability to cast them upon completing a Long Rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells. In addition, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice when casting one of these spells in order to cast the spell without Vocal or Somatic Components. Roll your Psionic Energy Dice, and subtract half the number rolled (rounded up) from one creature’s Saving Throw against this spell. If the creature fails their saving throw, they do not realize you had cast this spell upon them.
Second Analysis
Beginning at 6th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice. You can change your Analysis choice whenever you gain a level in this class.
Precise – Before you make a Psychic Force Attack, you can choose to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If the attack hits, you add +10 to the attack’s damage.
Defensive – As a reaction to you or another creature you can see within 30 feet taking damage, you can expend one use of your Psionics Energy Dice. Roll the die and reduce the damage taken by the number rolled, or double the number rolled if the damage that triggers this reaction is Psychic.
Curious - You know the following Spells, requiring no Material Components:
Levitate
Pass Without Trace
Clairvoyance
You can cast each of these spells a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, and regain the ability to cast them upon completing a Long Rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells. In addition, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice when casting one of these spells in order to cast the spell without Vocal or Somatic Components.
Third Analysis
Starting with 9th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice. You can change your Analysis choice whenever you gain a level in this class.
Forceful – When you hit a creature with your Psychic Force Attack, you can push them away from you in a straight line by 10 feet.
Deflective – When you roll initiative, for one minute you are protected by a psychic shield. When a creature targets you with an attack, they must make an Intelligence Saving throw. On a failure, they must target a different creature of their choice within range of their attack. If there is no other creature within range their attack is wasted. On a Success, you lose your psychic shield and they target you as normal.
Confounding - You know the following Spells, requiring no Material Components:
Hypnotic Pattern
Confusion
Phantasmal Killer
You can cast each these spells a number of times equal to half your Proficiency Bonus (rounded down), and regain the ability to cast them upon completing a Long Rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells. In addition, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice when casting one of these spells in order to cast the spell without Vocal or Somatic Components. Roll your Psionic Energy Dice, and subtract half the number rolled (rounded up) from one creature’s Saving Throw against this spell.
Fourth Analysis
Starting with 15th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice. You can change your Analysis choice whenever you gain a level in this class.
Combative – You gain a +2 bonus to the attack and damage rolls of your Psychic Force Attack. In addition, when you take the attack action on your turn, you can make one Psychic Force Attack as a bonus action.
Self-Preserving – When you expend a use of Psionic Energy Dice and roll the die as part of a class feature, you gain Temporary HP equal to the number rolled.
Demanding - You know the following Spells, requiring no Material Components:
Feeblemind
Reverse Gravity
Mental Prison
You can cast each of these spells once, and regain the ability to cast them upon completing a Long Rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells. In addition, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice when casting one of these spells in order to cast the spell without Vocal or Somatic Components. Roll your Psionic Energy Dice, and subtract half the number rolled (rounded up) from one creature’s Saving Throw against this spell.
Psychic Studies: Mysticism
Your psychic powers have opened your mind to the complex weave of mysticism. Those who combine the forces of psionics and arcana are known as Mystics. Through careful study, you’ve learned to use these powers to perform spells, and augment them with your psionic powers.
Level
Cantrips Known
Spells Known
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
2
-
-
-
-
-
-
3
2
3
2
-
-
-
4
2
4
3
-
-
-
5
2
4
3
-
-
-
6
2
4
3
-
-
-
7
2
5
4
2
-
-
8
2
6
4
2
-
-
9
2
6
4
2
-
-
10
3
7
4
3
-
-
11
3
8
4
3
-
-
12
3
8
4
3
-
-
13
3
9
4
3
2
-
14
3
10
4
3
2
-
15
3
10
4
3
2
-
16
3
11
4
3
3
-
17
3
11
4
3
3
-
18
3
11
4
3
3
-
19
3
12
4
3
3
1
20
3
13
4
3
3
1
Spellcasting - When you reach 3rd level, you expand your powers to include spellcasting.
Mental Casting – You do not need to provide a material component for any spells learned through this feature, unless that component has a GP cost. However, you cannot learn any spells that consume their material component.
Cantrips - You learn two cantrips of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. You learn an additional sorcerer cantrip of your choice at 10th level.
Spell slots - The Mystic Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your sorcerer spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
Spells known of first level and higher - You know three 1st-level sorcerer spells of your choice, two of which you must choose from the divination, enchantment, or illusion spells on the sorcerer spell list.
The Spells Known column of the Mystic Spellcasting table shows when you learn more sorcerer spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be a divination, enchantment, or illusion spell of your choice, and must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
The spells you learn at 8th, 14th, and 20th level can come from any school of magic.
Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the sorcerer spells you know with another spell of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots, and it must be a divination, enchantment, or illusion spell, unless you're replacing the spell you gained at 3rd, 8th, 14th, or 20th level from any school of magic.
Spellcasting Ability - Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your sorcerer spells, since you learn your spells utilizing your mental connection to the weave. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a sorcerer spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC= 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
Spell attack modifier= your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
Mystic Spells – You learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Mystic Spells table. Each of these spells count as a sorcerer spell for you, but it doesn’t count against your number of spells known. You can cast each spell of 1st level or higher on your Mystic Spells table once without consuming a spell slot, and cannot cast them again without consuming a spell slot until you complete a long rest.
3rd
Thaumaturgy, Catapult, Charm Person
5th
Tasha’s Hideous Laughter, Calm Emotions
7th
Suggestion, Phantasmal Force
9th
Sending, Zone of Truth
15th
Compulsion, Animate Objects
19th
Psychic Scream
Mental Magical Modifications
When you reach 6th level, you can expend one use of your Psionic Energy Dice when casting a spell, creating one of the following modifications:
*When you roll damage for a spell, you can roll your Psionic Energy Die, dealing the number rolled plus your Intelligence Modifier in psychic damage to one target of this spell on the turn it is cast.
*Roll your Psionic Energy Die, and subtract half the number rolled (rounded up) from the Saving Throw of one Creature against this spell.
*You do not require Vocal or Somatic Components for this spell. In addition, if this is an enchantment spell to charm one or more creature, you can alter one creature’s understanding so that it remains unaware of being charmed.
Psychic Attacker
Starting at 9th level, when you use your action to cast a cantrip, you can make one Psychic Force Attack as a bonus action.
Mystic Mastery
Beginning at 15th level, select one first level spell from the Sorcerer Spell List with a casting time of one action. You learn that spell, which does not count against your number of spells known, and can cast it at first level without expending a spell slot.
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Well, there were some UAs for bringing the Mystic (basically a psion) to 5e. I think this is the most recent one. I'm not sure how good or balanced it is, but you might at least find some ideas there.
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I took a similar approach, not really feeling like any of the normal spellcasting fit it very well. However, mine was more similar to a monk in its number of abilities while also having pretty solid armor and weapons proficiencies
Idk I'm just a guy ig
I like Warlocks
I like guitars (coming up on my fifth year of playing!)
I want to be a musician/stay-at-home dad when I grow up
Recently obsessing over Warhammer 40k, specifically the T’au empire
I used Monk as my primary inspiration as well. I only made one subclass with a focus on armor and weapon proficiencies... for the base class I gave a very limited number of weapon proficiencies focused on stuff that feels more like what a person with no formal training might utilize as a weapon, such as tools like hammers and sickles.
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The way I approached the base class, I thought of the way you become a psion kinda like a mish-mash of wizard and cleric. Like intense study in some kind of Psion sanctum, in which you'd probably have training in a little bit of weapons and armor as well.
Idk I'm just a guy ig
I like Warlocks
I like guitars (coming up on my fifth year of playing!)
I want to be a musician/stay-at-home dad when I grow up
Recently obsessing over Warhammer 40k, specifically the T’au empire
That's interesting, I kind of went the opposite... I tried to build the class with the mindset that they might not necessarily have any training, and this could be explained as just suddenly gaining psychic powers. In that sense I drew more from sorcerers. I'd love to actually see your take on this class concept.
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Sorry I can't use the spoilers to make this any shorter, but here's the rough draft for my Psion...
Psion
A Psion is a master of the psychic arts. As a Psion, you have control over four Psionic Aspects, Internal Physical, Internal Mental, External Physical, and External Mental. Each of these can influence a different aspect of psychic power, internal affecting the Psion itself, external affecting both objects and beings other than the Psion. Physical affects the bodies and physical capabilities of the target, and mental affects the minds and mental capabilities of the target. Psions receive their powers through intense study of the psychic arts, usually as an apprentice of a psionic master. The greatest enemies of all Psions are the Illithids, who they belive to be corrupting the fine art of psionics. Some evil Psions worship Illithids as the original masters of the psychic arts, but they are shunned, hated, and sometimes even hunted down by the Psions opposed to those beliefs.
Class Features
As a Psion, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per Psion level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per Psion level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, medium armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, shortswords
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Intelligence
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Insight, Investigation, Perception, and Persuasion
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
• (a) a shortsword or (b) any simple weapon
• (a) scale mail or (b) leather armor
• (a) a shortbow and a quiver of 20 arrows or (b) a shortsword or (c) any simple weapon
• (a) an explorer’s pack or (b) a scholar’s pack
Psionic Aspects Overview:
Internal:
Physical – The Internal Physical Aspect affects the body and physical capabilities of the Psion.
Mental – The Internal Mental Aspect affects the mind and mental acuity of the Psion.
External:
Physical – The External Physical Aspect affects the bodies and physical capabilities of targets other than the Psion. It is also the only Psionic Aspect that can affect inanimate objects (Telekinetic movement).
Mental – The External Mental Aspect affects the minds and mental acuity of targets other than the Psion.
Psionic Ability
Wisdom is your psionic ability. Your psychic abilities come from a life of study and adventure. You use you Wisdom modifier when an ability refers to your psionic ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC and making an attack roll with a Psion ability.
Psionics save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Psionics attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Willpower
Willpower represents how powerful a Psion is. It is used for abilities that are harder to master, unlike the starting Psionic Aspects, which are the easiest abilities to use, and take no Willpower. The amount of Willpower a Psion has is equal to their level beginning at level three. You regain all expended Willpower on a long rest.
Starting Psionic Aspects
Die increases with level – Lvl 1: 1d4, Lvl 4: 1d6, Lvl 8: 1d8, Lvl 13: 1d10, Lvl 16: 2d6, Lvl 20: 2d8
Internal Physical:
Telekinetic Absorption - As a reaction, subtract 1d4 + your wisdom modifier from any damage taken other than psychic (you can do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, resets on a short or long rest).
Internal Mental:
Indomitable Mind - You have advantage on saving throws to avoid or end the frightened or charmed conditions on yourself.
External Physical:
Psionic Healing - As an action you can replenish your or your allies health for 1d4 + Wisdom modifier (You can do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, resets on a short or long rest).
External Mental:
Psychic Ray - As an action you can lash out with your mind to attack the consciousness of an enemy. The range is 30 feet. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or take 1d4 + Wisdom modifier psychic damage. (You can use this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, resets on a short or long rest).
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by one. As normal, you can’t increase any ability score above 20 using this feature.
Psionic Aspects
(Choose one at level 3 and again at level 10)
Internal Physical:
Telekinetic Strike - At 3rd level, when you use Telekinetic Absorption, you can spend 1 Willpower to add extra damage to your next melee attack. It deals force damage equal to the amount Telekinetic Absorption reduced the last attack by.
Charge/Retreat – At 7th level you can spend 2 Willpower to take the Dash or Disengage actions as a bonus action by telekinetically moving yourself into or out of harms way.
Psychic Flight – At 11th level you can spend 2 Willpower to gain a flight speed equal to your walking speed for 1 minute. You can move yourself in any direction, using telekinetic movement to float through the air. Ending your turn in midair does not cause you to fall as you are hovering.
Quickness of Body – At 15th level you can spend 3 Willpower to make two extra attack as a bonus action. Channeling the speed and agility of your mind into your body, you reach blinding speeds with your weapons.
Increased Physical Capacity – at 18th level your Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution are able to be increased to a score of up to 22 and you can choose one to increase by one.
Bodily Perfection – At 20th level you can spend 5 Willpower as a reaction to automatically succeed on any Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution saving throw or check.
Internal Mental:
Unbreakable Will – At 3rd level you can spend 1 Willpower as a reaction to automatically succeed saving throws to avoid or end the charmed and frightened conditions.
Scrying – At 7th level you can spend 2 Willpower and 10 minutes meditating to find the general location of any creature. You must have a personal item belonging to the target.
Mental Retreat – At 11th level you can spend 2 Willpower to use your reaction to retreat into your mind along with any creatures you are touching. If the creature is hostile or unwilling, it must make a wisdom save against your Psionic ability DC. Time passes differently in your mind, and half an hour is roughly equal to a second in real time. In your Mindscape, you can talk and take actions except attacks normally but only in your mind, as your physical body is frozen during the Mental Retreat. You cannot take rests in your Mindscape.
Quickness of Mind – At 15th level, as a bonus action, you can spend 3 Willpower to gain advantage on a Wisdom or Intelligence saving throw or check.
Increased Mental Capacity – At 18th level your Wisdom, Intelligence, and Charisma scores are able to be increased up to 22 and you can choose one to increase by one.
Mental Perfection – At 20th level you can spend 5 Willpower as a reaction to automatically succeed on any Wisdom, Intelligence, or Charisma saving throw or check.
External Physical:
Bolster Strength – At 3rd level, as a bonus action, You can spend 1 Willpower to temporarily boost the strength of others around you. The target has advantage on Strength and Constitution checks and saving throws for 2 rounds. (Range: Touch)
Telekinetic Movement - At 7th level, you can spend 2 Willpower as an action to move a Large or smaller object up to 30 feet. If you target a creature, they must make a Strength saving throw against your Psionic ability DC. If they fail, you can move them up to 30 feet in any direction or knock them prone.
Dancing Weapons - At 11th level you can telekinetically wield weapons equal to the number of Willpower you spend as an action. For 1 minute, Each weapon can fly out in a 20 foot radius and make a single attack. The modifier for all the weapons, no matter size or type, is Wisdom instead of Strength or Dexterity.
Psionic Projectile – At 15th level, As an action, you can spend 3 Willpower to fire an object that is small or smaller with the force of a bullet. You can make a ranged Psionic attack, dealing 4d8 piercing damage on a hit.
Aura of Strength – At 20th level, you can spend 5 Willpower to create an invigorating aura in a 15 foot radius around yourself, which lasts for 1 minute. Any allies inside of the aura have advantage on Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity checks as well as Strength and Dexterity based attack rolls.
External Mental is still a work in progress
Idk I'm just a guy ig
I like Warlocks
I like guitars (coming up on my fifth year of playing!)
I want to be a musician/stay-at-home dad when I grow up
Recently obsessing over Warhammer 40k, specifically the T’au empire
I find it interesting that you went with WIS as the primary stat for this class... I think it makes sense, since Wisdom is meant to represent more instinctive and internal, while INT is really just supposed to represent how good you are at memorizing information... yet most attempts at psions tend to have them use INT as their primary stat. I use INT as well in mine, but mostly because that's kind of expected.
I will say that splitting all the different features of this class into internal/external/mental/physical is EXTREMELY confusing. Are those meant to be the subclasses? Do you pick just one category and get all the features in that category? Can you mix and match? I think I'd rather have one solid "Core" class that proceeds predictably from level 1 to level 20, and split all these themed ability sets into subclasses. Alternatively I'd rather just take the restrictions off and take inspiration more from Warlock Eldritch Invocations and be able to just build a character with all these features without having to worry about everything being split into those weird categories.
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Yes, these are the subclasses - kind of. You have two choices, one at lv 3 and another at lv 10.
Idk I'm just a guy ig
I like Warlocks
I like guitars (coming up on my fifth year of playing!)
I want to be a musician/stay-at-home dad when I grow up
Recently obsessing over Warhammer 40k, specifically the T’au empire
It's interesting... I like the fact that it's so different from all the other classes, but it feels a bit confusing. I think a lot of that is because this is a rough draft, so exactly how it's meant to work isn't very clear. I'd have to see a more cleaned up breakdown of how this is meant to work, but for now at least I still feel like I'd rather treat these as dedicated subclasses instead of this sort of... half-subclass, half-base class.
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I can’t post it from this iPad but tomorrow I’ll post my, fairly different, take on the psion class. It’s not based around the monk but around the 1/2e psion class with some of the comments from discussions here worked in. Even with a spell point system like the sorceror (& 1/2e psion) you are effectively tied to the 10 level power structure of magic simply because that is the way the rest of the game mechanic is built. Yes you can do something like the monk with abilities that grow in power like cantrips but that actually leaves you very limited - basically a 1 trick pony - it could be interesting to play for a while but overall not much different from a fighter/sorceror multiclass that specializes in a particular type or two of spells. As transmorpher first said ( paraphrasing) think hard about whether or not it could be done as a subclass (my addition - or a multiclass). Psion is one of the few places where it might be interesting but for most cases it could probably just be a reflavoring sorceror for the “psionic” abilities and one or two levels in fighter/ranger/Paladin for martial abilities.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
Sorry I'm late with this some things came up that needed my attention first. here is my take on psionics and the psion class:
Psionics and Psions (class)
Psionics is the very rare ability to directly manipulate the universe around the character by the direct application of “mental force”. The Awakened mind has learned to manipulate its surroundings as simply and directly as it manipulates its body. This manipulation does not involve the use of Mana or a magical “Weave”. Therefore it can act even in zones of suppressed, canceled or null magic. It is however possible to establish psionic or magical fields that suppress the use of Psionics as well. However this is seldom done as many (perhaps most) people (even magic wielders) don’t realize that psionics is separate from magic due to its rarity. Many psionic abilities have been mimicked by magic spells and so carry similar or the same names despite their very different sources. Once the mind has been awakened to psionics it requires self discipline and training to develop and enhance a person’s abilities to their fullest. Psionic abilities fall into 5 broad groups known as disciplines based on their area or style of effect and most psions focus on a single discipline. This does not mean that they can’t have developed specific abilities from any of the disciplines however. These disciplines are:
1) Clairsentience – the ability to use various senses at distant and/or remote locations.
2) Psychokinesis – the ability to control objects or energies outside the body.
3) Psychometabolism – the ability to enhance or temporarily modify the body to make it heal or function effectively in different environments.
4) Telepathy – the ability to communicate directly, brain to brain, without the use of language and with essentially any creature or being.
5) Psychoportation – the ability to warp space in such a way as to jump instantly from one location to another or even (for highly skilled practioners) from one plane to another.
There is also the realm of Metapsionics which covers the ways a psionicist can adapt or modify their abilities on the fly to meet novel situations or to link abilities to create unusual or enhanced effects.
Psions are those individuals who, having awakened their minds, have chosen to focus on their abilities mastering the direct manipulation of their world rather than developing their abilities as a means of focusing on combat/roguery/spell casting or other areas of concentration. In some respects they resemble various types of spell casters but they normally do not need more than a quiet word and their will to create their effects. To become a Psion an individual needs an intelligence, wisdom and constitution of 13 or higher. Because of their unspecialized background before the awakening of their mind they are proficient in common, an appropriate racial language, simple weapons and any appropriate racial weapons, and with light armors. They can have any background and have a D8 for hit dice. At level 1 they get 8 + constitution bonus hit points. They get Constitution and Wisdom Save Proficiencies. They get 3 skills or tool proficiencies of their choice.
Psion Progression
Level
Features
PPP
L0Ps
L1Ps
L2Ps
L3Ps
L4Ps
L5Ps
L6Ps
L7Ps
L8Ps
L9Ps
1
Psionics
Disciplines
0
4
2
2
Willspring
2+
4
3
3
MetaPsionics
3+
4
4
2
4
ASI
4+
5
4
3
5
5+
5
4
3
2
6
Discipline
6+
5
4
3
3
7
7+
5
4
3
3
1
8
ASI
8+
5
4
3
3
2
9
9+
5
4
3
3
3
1
10
MetaPsionics
10+
6
4
3
3
3
2
11
11+
6
4
3
3
3
2
1
12
ASI
12+
6
4
3
3
3
2
1
13
13+
6
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
14
Discipline
14+
6
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
15
15+
6
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
16
ASI
16+
6
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
17
MetaPsionics
17+
6
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
1
18
Discipline
18+
6
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
1
19
ASI
19+
6
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
1
20
Capstone
20+
6
4
3
3
3
3
1
1
1
1
Psionics – the character’s mind is awakened (how this happen should be described in the background/Personality section) and they become a psion and are able to use psionics.
Discipline – The Psion chooses a primary and secondary discipline to begin their training. They then get the basic abilities of the discipline which are available for use Proficiency bonus times per short rest. At each Discipline enhancement level they may either add the enhanced abilities for their disciplines or add the basic abilities of an additional discipline. These abilities are listed below:
WillSpring – this ability allows you to tap into the deeper resources of your mind to alter or enhance your abilities in various ways. It is represented by your psionics power points. You gain 1 point per level and one point for each intelligence and wisdom bonus point you have (normal max = 30). These points can be used to improve the DC of a power, increase the damage of some powers (typically +1D6/point, max 3 points) or activate metapsionic effects on powers or metapsionic powers. You regain all expended psionics power points on a long rest.
MetaPsionics – This represents the Psion’s ability to alter or twist their powers to fit the needs of the moment. A psion gains 3 Metapsionic abilities at level 1 and 2 more each at level 10 and level 17. You can use only one metapsionic ability on a power unless noted differently below. The psionics power points needed to activate a metapsionic ability are noted in the descriptions.
1) Careful Power (1PPP) when you activate an area effect power requiring a saving throw this ability allows you to create pockets of safety within the area. Choose a number of those affected up to your Intellegence Bonus. Those individuals automatically save and take no damage from the power.
2) Distant Power (1PPP) allows you to either double the range of the power or grant a touch power a range of 30’.
3) Extended Power allows you to extend the time of effect of a power. Each psionics power point expended doubles the time (doesn’t work on instantanteous or 1 round duration spells) of effect up to 24 hours.
4) Quickened Power allows you to speed up the activation time of a power. It only works on powers that have a 1 action activation time. 2 psionic power points expended allow it to be activated in a bonus action while 3 expended allow it to be activated as a reaction.
5) Twinned Power allows you to duplicate the power attacking a second individual. The power must meet the following requirements: A) it targets a single creature, B) it is incapable of targeting more than 1 creature, C) it doesn’t have a range of self or touch
6) Transmuted power allows you to change the type of energy/damage the power does for 1 psionic power point.
7) Seeking power can be used even if you have already used a different metapsionic power. It allows you to reroll the attack roll of the power for 2 psionic power points.
8) Cannibalize allows the psion who is out of power points to sacrifice one of his hit dice using the roll to restore that many power points instead of hit points.
9) Gird allows a psion to maintain a concentration based power without concentration. This costs 2 power points.
10) Splice allows the psion to link 2 powers together activating both at once for 3 power points.
Powers
A Psion learns a total of 26 powers and gains a total of 20 activation slots by level 20. They can forgo using a higher level power to use a lower level power in a higher level slot. Doing so increases the damage of the lower level power by 1 D6 for each slot level it is raised. If a power doesn’t do damage but does have an extended duration then each increased level doubles the duration up to 24 hours. There are 10 levels of powers (corresponding to the 10 levels of magic (Cantrips and L1-9) as that is the mechanic of such abilities in these worlds) Many of these powers are mimicked by spells of similar or the same name at roughly the same power levels. In addition there are a large number of powers that have not been duplicated by magic (yet). Some are specific to a particular Psionic Discipline but most are available for any discipline.
Discipline Powers:
Psychometabolism:
L1) Thicken Skin: +1 enhancement bonus to base AC for 1 hour
L2) Animal Affinity: +2 enhancement bonus to Strength/Dex/Con for 8 hours
L2) Empathic Transfer: transfers 1D8 +con bonus HP from you to another person healing them while you take the damage.
L2) Chameleon: Gain a +5 bonus to hide attempts
L3) Ectoplasmic Form: become insubstantial, able to pass through walls and fly (10’/r) for 1 minute
L3) Hustle: gain an extra move action this round.
L4) Metamorphosis: transform into a creature of CR1 or less for 10 minutes
L4) Psychic Vampire: touch attack drains 2 hit points/Level from target giving the Psion 2 power points per level.
L5) Psionic Revivify – restores life to a recently (10’ or less) dead individual.
L5) Biofeedback: Boosts 1-3 stats by draining 1-3 stats
L5) Restore Extremity: reattaches a severed limb or appendage to an individual if lost within 10’.
L6) Psionic Restoration: Restores level and ability drains
L7) Fission: create a duplicate of yourself for 10 minutes.
L8) Fusion: combine the abilities and forms of yourself and one other individual into a single being for 10 minutes.
L9) Greater Metamorphosis: Assume the shape of any nonunique creature or being of your CR or less for 1 hour.
Psychokinesis
L1) Control Object: Telekinetically animate a small a small object for 1 minute
L2) Control Air: Control the wind speed and direction in a 30’ radius for 1 minute.
L2) Energy Missile: Deal 2 D4+1 Energy damage of your choice to up to 5 subjects.
L3) Energy Cone: Deal 5D6 Energy damage of your choice to all in a 60’ cone.
L4) Control Body: Will vs Will contest – if you win you get rudimentary control of subject’s limbs for up to 1 minute, contest each round until they succeed.
L4) Energy Ball: deal 7D6 damage of your choice in a 20’r, 120’ range.
L4) Inertial Barrier: Gain +4 AC for 8 hours
L5) Energy Current: Deal 5D6 damage of your choice to first foe and half damage to second if within 10’ of first, 30’ range.
L5) Fiery Discorporation: Cheat death by Discorporating into a nearby (60’ range) fire for 1 day.
L6) Null Psionics Field: create a region where psionics doesn’t work 60’ radius.
L7) Redoppsi: Powers targeting you rebound onto manifestor. (Reaction)
L7) Spell Redoppsi: Spells targeting only you rebound onto caster (Reaction)
L8) Telekinetic Sphere: 10’ radius globe of telekinetic force blocks attacks for 10 minutes and moves with you.
L9) Tornado Blast: vortex of air subjects your foes to 17D6 force damage and moves them 20’ in a random direction
Psychoportation
L1) Burst: gain 10’ of speed for 1 minute
L1) Detect Teleportation: Detect portals and teleports if done within 120’.
L2) Dimensional Swap: you and an ally, or 2 allies within 30’ of each other swap places – no opportunity attacks.
L2) Levitate Subject moves up or down, and/or forward/back/sideways up to 30’/ round at your control for up to 1 minute.
L3) Astral Caravan: You lead astral travel enabled group to a destination via the astral plane.
L4) Dimensional Anchor: Bars extra dimensional travel while concentrating (1 hour max).
L4) Dismissal: forces a planar creature back to its home plane.
L4) Fly: Fly at 60/round for 1 hour
L5) Baleful Teleport: Forces subject (s) to teleport into a solid object doing 9D6 damage to subject(s) and object.
L5) Tesseract: warps space on this plane such that the subject(s) can step through to a distant (known) location.
L5) Tesseract Trigger: predetermined event triggers a tesseract.
L6) Banishment: Banishes extraplanar creatures to their home plane.
L7) Ethereal Jaunt: become Ethereal for 1 round per level
L8) Mass Time Hop: Willing subjects hop forward in time 1 round/level
L9) Teleportation Circle: circle teleports all inside it to a destination of your choosing.
L9) Time Regression: Relive the last round.
Clairsentience
L1) Destiny Dissounance: your touch sickens a foe (poisoned status for 1 minute)
L1) Precognition: Gain a +2 Insight bonus to one roll.
L2) Clairsentience: See and hear a distant location for up to 1 hour.
L2) Object Reading: Learn properties and information about an item.
L2) Sensitivity to Psychic Impressions: learn about events and history of a location.
L3) Escape Detection: those attempting to locate you with clairsentience or scrying type powers/ spells or abilities do so at disadvantage.
L4) Anchored navigation: establish a mishap free teleport/tesseract beacon.
L4) Remote viewing: See/hear/smell/ and potentially interact with subjects at a distance.
L5) Clairtangent Hand: able to see and reach into distant locations handling objects there.
L5) Second Chance: reroll last roll (Reaction)
L6) Greater Precognition: Gain a +4 enhancement bonus to a roll.
L7) Fate of One: Reroll the last (failed) roll.
L8) Hypercognition: +6 enhancement bonus to an intelligence check.
L9) Reality Revision: As with Wish.
Telepathy
L1) Charm: Wisdom save fail of foe makes them your friend (Psionic Charm Person)
L1) Forge Link: form a limited mental bond with subject.
L2) Aversion: Subject is averse to dealing with you or object/individual you specify (Psionic Fear)
L2) Brain Lock: Wisdom save or subject cannot move or take actions (Psionic Hold Person)
L2) Read Thoughts: Psionic Detect Thoughts.
L2) Suggestion: Wisdom Save or subject is compelled to follow stated course of action.
L3) Crisis of Breath: Constitution Save or subject’s breathing and speaking is disrupted.
L3) Hostile Empathic Transfer: touch attack transfers 3D8+Con Bonus damage to target while healing same amount of manifestor’s damage.
L3) False Sensory Input: Subject senses what isn’t there – (Psionic Illusion)
L4) Dominate: Psionic Dominate person
L4) Thieving Mindlink: Borrow knowledge of another psion’s power for 1 minute.
L4) Modify Memory: Change up to 5 minutes of the target’s memory.
L5) Schism: You are able to concentrate on 2 powers of different levels at the same time.
L6) Mindprobe: You discover target’s deepest thoughts.
L7) Mind Switch: You switch minds with target.
L8) Crisis of Life: Con save or subject dies of a heart attack. Save does 7D10 damage
L9) Psychic Churchery: repair psychic damage or psionically awaken target’s mind or teach Trget a new ability.
Metacreativity
L1) Astral Construct: creates an astral construct to fight for you.
L1) Minor Creation: one cloth or wood object
L2) Repair Damage: repairs 3D8 + 1HP/L to constructs
L3) Concealing Amorpha: Quasi real membrane grants you concealment
L3) Ectoplasmic Cocoon: save or foe is restrained.
L4) Fabricate (as the spell)
L5) Hail of Crystals: a crystal explodes sending shards doing 9D4 to all in area (20’ sphere)
L6) Crystalize: Com save or Petrified into a crystal statue.
L6) Create Dorje: Copy a Fragment of your personality and power(s) into an item
L7) Mass Ectoplassmic Cocoon: 20’radius effect – save or restrained
L8) Astral Seed: Create a seed of your person on the astral that will grow into a second you (Psionic Clone)
L9) True Creation: Form a permanent demiplane.
General Powers
Level 0: (I’ve used the cantrips to preserve the relative power level, as with cantrips these 0 level powers increase in damage with the manefestor’s level. * L1 Psionic powers converted to Cantrips)
Acid Splash, Blade Ward, Booming Blade, Chill Touch, Control Flames, Control Lights*, Create Bonfire, Create Sound*, Curtain of Light (Word of Radiance), Dancing Lights, Fire Bolt, Force Blast (Eldritch Blast), Friends, Frostbite, Green-Flame Blade, Guidance, Gust, Infestation, Light, Lightning Lure, Mage Hand, Magic Stone, Mending, Message, Mind Sliver, Minor Illusion, Mold Earth, Naturecraft (Druidcraft), Poison Spray, Prestidigitation, Primal Savagery, Produce Flame, Ray of Frost, Resistance, Searing Light (Sacred Flame), Shape Water, “Magic” Staff (Shillelagh), Shocking Grasp, Spare the Dying, Sword Burst, Thaumaturgy, Thorn Whip, Thunderclap, Bells of Death (Toll the Dead), True Strike, Vicious Mockery
Most spells from the published lists can be duplicated as powers of equivalent level, In addition are the following powers from the 1e & 2e Psionics books. I am listing only the names as I haven’t started trying to convert them to 5e. They are listed at the power level they are at in the 1e/2e books, converting them may alter their level.
Level 1: Astral Traveler, Attraction, Bolt, Call to Mind, Catfall, Conceal Thoughts, Crystal Shard, Daze, Decelerate, Deflection Field, Déjà vu, Demoralize, Detect Psionics, Disable, Dissipating Touch, Distract, Ecto Protection, Eidetic Lock, Empathy, Empty Mind,Endure Elements, Energy Arc, Energy Ray, Entangling Ectoplasm, Float, Force Screen (+2 AC), Grease, Hammer, Inertial Armor, Know Direction/location, Matter Agitation, Mind Thrust (1D10 psychic Damage), Missive, My Light, Defensive Precognition (Reaction), Offensive Precognition (Bonus Action), Offensive Prescience, Primal Fear, Sense Link, Slow Breathing, Skate, Stone Mind, Stygian Descernment, Synesthete, Telempathic Projection, Urban Strider, Vigor
Level 2: Bestow Power, Biofeedback, Body Equilibrium, Cloud Mind, Concealing Amorpha, Concussion Blast, Control Sounds, Crystal Storm, Damp Power, Detect Hostiles, Earth Walk, Ego Whip, Elemental Steward, Elf sight, Energy Adaptation – Minor, Energy Emanation, Energy Push, Energy Stun, Feat Leech, Id Insinuation, Psionic Identify, Inflict Pain, Larval Flayers, Levitate, Mental Disruption, Mass Missive, Psychic Scimitar, Psychoportive Shelter, Recall Agony, Forced sense link, Serenity, Stygian Ray, Sustenance, Swarm of Crystals, Thought Shield, Communicate (Psionic Tongues), Zone of Alertness
Level 3: Body Adjustment, Body Purification, Cerebral Phantasm, Danger Sense, Darkvision, Dimension Twister, Dismiss Ectoplasm, Dispel Psionics, Energy Bolt, Energy Burst, Energy Lance, Energy Retort, Energy Wall, Negate Invisibility, Exhalation of the Bronze Dragon, Heavy Earth, Keen edge, Mental Barrier, Mindfire, Mind Trap, Psionic Blast, Psi Trap (Glyph of Warding),Psychic Containment, Realized Potential, Forced Share Pain (reaction), Telekinetic Force, Telekinetic Thrust, Time Hop, Telekinetic Sight, Ubiquitous Vision
Level 4: Aura Sight, Correspond, Death Urge, Detect Remote sensing, Minor Tesseract (Dimension Door), Divination, Empathic Feedback, Energy Adaptation, Energy Flash, Freedom of Movement, Intellect Fortress, Mind Wipe, Personality Parasite, Planar Apothosis, Power Leech, Psychic Reformation, Shadow Eft, Suggestion Implant, Telekinetic Maneuver, Trace Teleport, Wall of Ectoplasm
Level 5: Adapt Body, Anticipatory Strike, Catepsi, Celestial Conduit, Cranial Deluge, Detain Ectoplasm, Ectoplasmic Shambler, Ethereal Agent, Incarnate (Psionic Permanency), Leech Field, Psionic Plane Shift, Power Resistance, Psychic Crush, Shatter Mind Blank, Greater Stomp, Stygian Dominion, Suppress Schism, Telekinetic Buffer, Tower of Iron Will, True Seeing
Level 6: Aura Alteration, Breath of the Black Dragon, Mass Cloud Mind, Contingency, Co-opt Concentration, Disentegrate, Energy Barrage, Energy Nullification, Ethereal Abduction, Fuse Flesh, Inconstant Location, Mind over Energy, Overland Flight, Psychometry, Remote view Trap, Retrieve, Stygian Bolt, Suspend Life, Temporal Acceleration
Level 7: Decerebrate, Divert Teleport (reaction), *Energy Absorption, Energy Claw, Energy Conversion, Energy Wave, Evade Burst (reaction),Eyes of the Basilisk, Insanity, Mind Blank (Personal), Moment of Prescience, Oak Body, Phase Door, Planar Champion, Sequester, Ultrablast
Level 8: Bend reality, Iron Body, Matter manipulation, Mind Blank, Planar Embrace, Recall Death, Shadow Body, Stygian Veil, Greater Tesseract (teleport), True Metabolism
Level 9: Affinity Field, Aposi, Assimilate, Etherealness, Microcosm, Reality revision, Stygian Conflagration, Timeless Body, Urge Extermination
Hopefully it helps someone besides myself. I use it in my campaign as I have several NPCs that there once my 1/2e PCs that are psionic.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
Wow that's uh... confusing. It definitely has the feel of something that you wrote for your own reference, knowing all the rules and intent of the stuff you wrote down and mostly just having this as reference, so it's a little hard to read and figure out how, exactly, it's meant to work. I think it makes it a bit confusing since this doesn't really feel like a 5e class... it doesn't proceed through levels in the linear way that most classes do, and it seems to rely a lot more on subclass choice than any of the official 5e classes.
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I'm sorry you found it confusing - Its based off the 1/2 e psionics system and psion class. That was a point based system not a leveled spell slot/spell system really. Higher "level" powers took more points to generate and use with additional point costs to maintain (think concentration cost/round(/time). Each of the Disciplines effectively represents a "pure" subclass. To some extent the 3e+ sorceror replaced the psion so I have used the sorceror as a base rather than the monk You get the base abilities for the class(es) you select and powers from either the class list or the general powers lists so it's generally more a free form class which is why I didn't try to specify official subclasses. its a full "caster" so it has a powers progression somewhat similar to the sorceror's but with more known powers (just as the sorceror should have more known spells to match its slots). The Discipline abilities grow in power roughly where subclass abilities are gained with the player having the option to either take the increased abilities of a Discipline they already have or take the L1 abilities of a Discipline they don't have also gaining access to that that discipline's unique powers list. Yes that means that the psion can "multiclass" between its subclasses which would be unique for 5e. The trick there is that if you do very much of it you have a bunch of fairly weak abilities instead of growing the power (s) of a limited set of abilities.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
Ohhhhh okay that's pretty interesting. Less of a class unto itself than a modifier that can be applied to existing classes.
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And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium