6.1.0 si out and added back 20th level abilities like Spreading Flames, Mass Levitation, and a new Cryo skill called Absolute Zero. Links below: DM Cryo Pyro Psycho
Now, I know I missed the buss with a in-depth changelog for 6.0.0, so I provide it here for 6.1.0:
Kinetic Vanguard — Changelog: v5.37.1 → v6.1.0
This document details every change between v5.37.1 (final 5.x release) and v6.1.0 (current). The v6.x line is a structural redesign — the most significant overhaul since v5.0.
Summary
10 features cut across all three disciplines
9 features moved to different levels
3 new features added (discipline-specific 20th-level capstones)
4 mechanical changes to core systems
Cheatsheets condensed from multi-page breakdowns to compact reference + separate player sheets with play examples
Net result: document went from 628 paragraphs to 468, each discipline now has exactly 5 features in a clean 3/7/10/15/20 progression
I. Features Cut
All three Piercing passives (were 7th-level)
Piercing Cold — "Your cold damage from subclass features ignores resistance."
Piercing Flame — "Your fire damage from subclass features ignores resistance."
Piercing Force — "Your force damage from subclass features ignores resistance."
Rationale: Resistance-ignoring at 7th was too powerful for the level. Stripping all three keeps the disciplines symmetric and removes a passive that players rarely thought about but which compressed the design space for damage-type balance.
All three Supremacy passives (were 10th-level)
Cold Supremacy — Resistance to cold, bonus cold damage (PB per turn), Creeping Cold (cumulative −1/−2 to Con saves per Glacial Spike hit), ribbon (chill objects, cold comfort), and Overload tiers (bonus damage to all hits, speed reduction on save fail).
Fire Supremacy — Resistance to fire, bonus fire damage (PB per turn), ribbon (ignite/extinguish by thought, heat comfort), and Overload tiers (bonus damage to all hits, Burning on save fail).
Force Supremacy — Resistance to force, bonus force damage (PB per turn), ribbon (minor telekinesis at will), and Overload tiers (bonus damage to all hits, 5-ft push on save fail).
Rationale: These were the single most complex features in the subclass — each packed resistance, bonus damage, a ribbon, a unique mechanic (Creeping Cold), and two Overload tiers into one passive. Cutting them dramatically simplifies the per-turn decision tree and removes three damage-type resistances from the chassis. The ribbons (chill objects, ignite fires, minor TK) are lost but were rarely load-bearing in play.
Mass Levitation (was Psychokinesis 15th)
Cut from 15th, reworked and returned at 20th in v6.1.0. See "Features Added" below.
Spreading Flames (was Pyrokinesis 15th)
Cut from 15th, reworked and returned at 20th in v6.1.0. See "Features Added" below.
7th-level discipline sub-headers
The colored "7TH LEVEL" dividers added in v5.37.1 were removed since the Piercing passives they grouped no longer exist.
II. Features Moved
Psychic Resistance: 20th → 3rd
Was part of Psionic Apex (20th). Now a standalone 3rd-level passive.
Every Vanguard gets psychic resistance from the start. Overload self-damage still bypasses it.
Steeled Mind: 11th → 10th
Was a standalone 11th-level feature. Now shares 10th level with the discipline signature and Phase Step.
Landing at 10th means concentration features (Frozen Ground, Vectored Thrust, Firestorm) are protected one level earlier.
Snow Chains: 15th → 10th (Cryokinesis)
Was Cryo's 15th-level feature. Now the 10th-level "signature" alongside Steeled Mind and Phase Step.
Header updated from "15th · 3 Psi" to "10th · 3 Psi". Mechanics unchanged.
Vectored Thrust: 11th → 10th (Psychokinesis)
Was moved to 11th in v5.37.0, now moves again to 10th as Psycho's signature.
Landing alongside Steeled Mind (which protects its concentration) preserves the design intent.
Flare: stays at 10th (Pyrokinesis)
Was already at 10th. No move, but now explicitly framed as Pyro's "signature" feature at that level since Fire Supremacy (which shared 10th) is cut.
Arctic Tempest: 18th → 15th (Cryokinesis)
Was Cryo's 18th-level capstone. Now the 15th-level "nova."
Header updated from "18th · 4 Psi" to "15th · 4 Psi". Mechanics unchanged.
Firestorm: 18th → 15th (Pyrokinesis) + full rework
Was Pyro's 18th-level capstone (one-shot 8d10 AoE). Now a 15th-level sustained concentration zone.
Complete mechanical rework — see "Mechanical Changes" below.
Telekinetic Slam: 18th → 15th (Psychokinesis)
Was Psycho's 18th-level capstone. Now the 15th-level "nova."
Header updated from "18th · 4 Psi" to "15th · 4 Psi". Mechanics unchanged.
Overload Mastery + Mental Fortitude: 20th → 18th
Were part of Psionic Apex at 20th. Psionic Apex now lives at 18th.
Psychic Resistance was extracted to 3rd (see above), so Psionic Apex at 18th contains only Overload Mastery and Mental Fortitude.
Advanced Training IV: 20th → 18th
Was granted at 20th. Now shares 18th with Psionic Apex.
Players get their second AT pick two levels earlier.
III. Features Added (v6.1.0)
Absolute Zero — Cryokinesis 20th · 4 Psi · Action
New single-target cold nuke. CC ladder mirrors Cryo's core identity.
T0: 10d10 cold damage (Con save half). Failed save = speed 0 until end of your next turn.
T1 Overload: 12d10 damage. Failed = also Restrained.
T2 Overload: 15d10 damage. Failed = Stunned instead of Restrained. Speed 0 even on success.
Reworked kill-trigger AoE. Upgraded from v5.37.1 version (was 15th, 2 MS dice, 15-ft radius).
T0: First kill per Attack action via MS → 3 MS dice fire damage to all within 20 ft (Dex save half). One eruption per Attack action.
T1 Effect: If a T1+ Overloaded Pyro feature hit landed this turn, failed saves also gain Burning.
T2 Effect: If a T2 Overloaded Pyro feature hit landed this turn, radius expands to 30 ft + no reactions until start of next turn.
Changes from v5.37.1: Damage 2→3 MS dice. Radius 15→20 ft. T1 now grants Burning (was: ignores resistance). T2 now expands radius + reaction denial (was: also Burning). Psi cost added (2, was free). Eruption tier matching rule unchanged.
Mass Levitation — Psychokinesis 20th · 4 Psi · Action · Concentration, up to 1 minute
Reworked area lockdown. Upgraded from v5.37.1 version (was 15th, 3 targets, 20 ft lift).
T0: Up to 5 Medium/smaller or 2 Large within 60 ft. Str save or lifted 30 ft and Restrained. Repeat Str save each turn. While levitated, first MS hit each turn = bonus force damage equal to Psionic Ability mod (automatic, not a rider).
T1 Overload: Failed Str save = also Con save or Incapacitated. Disadvantage on repeat Str saves.
T2 Overload: Failed = 2× Psionic Ability mod force damage at start of each turn while levitated.
Changes from v5.37.1: Targets 3→5 (or 1→2 Large). Lift height 20→30 ft. T1 adds disadvantage on escape saves (new). T2 damage doubled (mod → 2×mod). Psi cost unchanged (4).
IV. Mechanical Changes
Riders now unlimited (Psi-gated)
v5.37.1: Telekinetic Shove was "Once per Attack Action." Glacial Spike and Ember Lance had no explicit frequency cap but Psionic Instinct implied once-free-then-pay.
v6.1.0: All three 3rd-level riders (Glacial Spike, Ember Lance, Telekinetic Shove) can be used on every hit, paying Psi each time after the first free activation via Psionic Instinct. TK Shove "Once per Attack Action" restriction removed from header.
Telepathy: two-way, shared language
v5.37.1: "...provided it understands at least one language."
v6.1.0: "...provided you share a common language. The communication is two-way."
Rationale: The old soak was eaten by Blood Tax — you'd Overload DS to reduce 8 damage and take 4–6 BT, netting almost nothing. The 3d8 base gives meaningful absorption even after BT.
Firestorm: one-shot nuke → sustained concentration zone
T2: Failed = also Burning. Radius expands to 30 ft.
Rationale: Pyrokinesis was the only discipline with zero concentration features. Firestorm as a sustained fire zone fills that gap and creates a distinct nova shape — Arctic Tempest (one-shot burst), Firestorm (sustained zone), TK Slam (single-target nuke).
AT IV, Psionic Apex (OL Mastery + Mental Fortitude)
20th
AT IV, Psionic Apex (Psychic Res + OL Mastery + Mental Fort)
Discipline 20th Feature
Discipline feature progression
Level
v5.37.1 Cryo
v6.1.0 Cryo
3rd
Glacial Spike
Glacial Spike (unlimited)
7th
Piercing Cold + Frozen Ground
Frozen Ground
10th
Cold Supremacy
Snow Chains (from 15th)
15th
Snow Chains
Arctic Tempest (from 18th)
18th
Arctic Tempest
(universal features)
20th
(universal features)
Absolute Zero (new)
Level
v5.37.1 Pyro
v6.1.0 Pyro
3rd
Ember Lance
Ember Lance (unlimited)
7th
Piercing Flame + Fiery Blast
Fiery Blast
10th
Flare + Fire Supremacy
Flare
15th
Spreading Flames
Firestorm (from 18th, reworked)
18th
Firestorm
(universal features)
20th
(universal features)
Spreading Flames (reworked)
Level
v5.37.1 Psycho
v6.1.0 Psycho
3rd
Telekinetic Shove (1×/action)
Telekinetic Shove (unlimited)
7th
Piercing Force + Implosion
Implosion
10th
Force Supremacy
Vectored Thrust (from 11th)
11th
Steeled Mind + Vectored Thrust
(dissolved)
15th
Mass Levitation
Telekinetic Slam (from 18th)
18th
Telekinetic Slam
(universal features)
20th
(universal features)
Mass Levitation (reworked)
Section 04 intro
v5.37.1: "...grants features at 3rd, 7th, 10th, 15th, and 18th level. Psychokinesis gains one additional feature at 11th (Vectored Thrust)."
v6.1.0: "...grants features at 3rd, 7th, 10th, and 15th level."
Section 05 (Advanced Training)
AT III/IV references updated from "15th and 20th" to "15th and 18th" throughout.
Section 07 (Cheatsheets)
Full multi-page cheatsheets with sample turns, resource tips, and level 11/20 breakdowns replaced with compact one-line-per-discipline quick reference.
Detailed play patterns moved to individual discipline player sheets (Section 04 in each sheet).
How to Play (front matter)
"five features" → "four features"
"15th and 20th" → "15th and 18th"
All example turns stripped of Supremacy references (Cold/Fire/Force Supremacy declarations removed from attack sequences).
With 6.1.1 I hope that the dust has mostly settled from the 6.xre-org. I wanted to do this to balance the disciplines out, especially cryo vs pyro; pyro and psycho always got the best toys (spreading flames and mass levitation) and cryo had to centnt itself with crowd control. I also wanted to tighten the class up as a whole and fix the weird one out stuff at weird tiers. In other words, 6.x is a standardization and rebalance across the discipline trees.
With all that out of the way I present 6.1.1: DM Cryo Pyro Psycho
Changlog:
Spreading Flames — "Passive" → "On Kill" (feature and cheatsheet and changelog)
Cliff Notes — "Five features across eighteen levels" → "twenty levels"
How to Play — "four features" → "five features"
AT IV note — "four-feature" → "five-feature"
Section 04 intro — added "and 20th level" to feature list
Cheatsheet reference — clarified sheets are "not included in this document"
Mass Levitation T1 — "repeat Str save against this feature"
Psionic Instinct — confirmed still fully defined and operational (was never removed, just needed verification)
Hopefully this is the final rework of Spreading Fflames. I am now treating it as a rider on top of other Pyro features including other riders. Mechanically, this cleans up some rule ambiguities and simplifies tabler play. Essentially, on kill you get to optionally spend 2Psi Points to proc the explosion. Sadly Psycho and Cryo have no updates again. Below is the final text:
Spreading Flames · 20th · On Kill - 2 Psi Pointa
Exception: Spreading Flames stacks on top of any Pyro rider on the killing hit. The one-rider-per-hit rule does not apply to this feature.
T0: When you reduce a creature to 0 HP with Manifested Strike, you may trigger an eruption. All creatures within 20 ft make a Dex save or take 3 Manifested Strike dice of fire damage (half on success). One eruption per Attack action. Delayed burn damage from Ember Lance does not trigger Spreading Flames.
T1 Overload: Creatures that fail the save also gain the Burning condition.
T2 Overload: The eruption radius expands to 30 ft and creatures that fail the save cannot take reactions until the start of their next turn.
Unfortunately I missed another exception for Spreading Flames. Currently as written, Spreading Flames violates the Declare Before Roll rule; unfortunately, you cannot reliably declare a death blow before it lands so an exception must be made. That is all, Psycho and Cryo players have no updates again. I consider that a mark of subclass maturity.
Phase Step: 1→2 (both Section 02 and Section 05) ✓
Spreading Flames: 2→4 (header + body) ✓
Spreading Flames reframe:
All 5 exception notes stripped ✓
T0 rewritten as special passive with "you choose the OL tier at the moment of the kill" ✓
Clarification note: "not a rider, separate proc window (enemy death), does not compete with your rider"
Psi cost standardization:
Level
Cost
Features
Current → New
3rd
1
GS, EL, TKS
already 1 ✓
7th
2
FG, FB, Imp
already 2 ✓
10th
3
Snow Chains, Flare, VT
SC already 3, Flare 2→3, VT 2→3
15th
3
AT, FS, TKS
AT 4→3, FS 4→3, TKS 4→3
20th
4
AZ, SF, ML
AZ already 4, SF 2→4, ML already 4
AT I
1
DS
already 1 ✓
AT II
2
Phase Step
PS 1→2
AT III/IV
3
MC, Dazzle, Burst
already 3 ✓
Basically the spreading flames change makes no difference in play, it just cleans and tightens the rules a bit. The big win for this version is the Psi Point cost normalization between disciplines; instead of ad-hoc Psi Point costs they are now standardized across both levels and disciplines. I hope this facilitates better play and faster table pick-up speed. Enjoy!
T2 Overload: 11th → 10th — no more orphan levels. The full KV level grid is now a clean 3/5/7/10/15/18/20 with zero gaps.
Psi Cost Reference table — standalone section between the Feature Table and Disciplines, 19 rows covering every Psi-costed feature with level, name, discipline, cost, and action type. Smaller filtered tables were created for each Discipline cheatsheet as well.
v6.4.0 shipped — all four docs validated and in sync. Here's what landed: DM, Cryo, Pyro, Psycho
Dazzle split — the dual-mode headache is gone. Dazzle is now a pure social/control Action (charm → suggestion → hold monster, escalating with OL tiers, no MS needed). Mind Blast is a clean combat rider (2d8/3d8/4d8 psychic + Blind → Incapacitated → Stunned, requires MS hit). No ambiguity about which mode you're in.
AT pool expanded — 2 of 4 picks (Mind Crush, Dazzle, Mind Blast, Burst). More build variety, same pick count.
Psi cost curve smoothed — 1/1/2/2-1/3/3/4. No more jarring jump from 2 to 3 at 10th.
This represents another big fix release, biggest change is reverting T2 Overload unlock to 11th level instead of 10th. fixes an issue with Manifested Stroke power scaling. Beyond that, just minor cleanups and clarifications.
T2 Overload restored to 11th — MS progression table now matches perfectly (T2 first appears in the 11–14 band, no contradiction)
Dazzle T0: "one creature" → "one humanoid" — explicit humanoid restriction aligns with charm person reference, plus Charmed-immune clause added
Cheatsheet: "1 of 3" → "1 of 4" — last stale AT pool reference caught
v6.5.0 shipped — all four docs validated and in sync. Three structural changes:
Dazzle — no more custom conditions. You cast the actual spells (charm person → suggestion → hold monster), all with Concentration, XOR tiers. Players already know the spells, DMs already know the rulings. Zero invented mechanics.
Psychic Lance (was Mind Crush) — clean Int-save nuke rider. 4d8/5d8+PAM/6d8+2×PAM with Incap → speed 0 → Stunned. Hits harder than Mind Blast, targets the weaker save, but no sensory CC (no Blind setup for allies). Clear niche.
Capstones → 5 Psi — at 16 Psi pool (20th level), that's exactly 3 uses at full charge. Feels like an ultimate.
I have restructured the class a bit in 7.0.0, swapping 7th and 10th discipline skills to give better early play and a smoother power curve. I hope you all emjoy.
Key wins: Cryo gets hard CC (Restrained/Stunned) at 7th. Frozen Ground at 10th pairs with Steeled Mind for concentration safety. Psycho gets hover/flight at 7th. Pyro gets Blind at 7th for immediate debuff identity.
At this point I feel like 6.5.0 is complete subclass but I want to continue experimenting with 7.x. With that in mind I am freezing 6.5.0 for now. I cannot afford to keep two branches current so I am keeping 7.x as current. I hope 6.5.0 gets a lot of play. It feels fun, tight, and stable now, there is nothing more I can do to it.
With all that saaid, I present 71.0:
Explosion/Implosion — player declares push or pull on each activation. Same Str save, same Prone, same tier ladder. At the table it's just "I Explode" or "I Implode."
Gravitic Press — replaces Burst in the AT pool. Concentration zone that degrades everything standing in it: difficult terrain + Prone → +no reactions → +disadvantage on attacks. The "hold and punish" complement to Explosion/Implosion's "move and reposition."
Burst cut — dead weight gone. AT pool stays at 2 of 4 with four distinct identities: nuke (Psychic Lance), spells (Dazzle), sensory CC (Mind Blast), gravity zone (Gravitic Press).
Explosion/Implosion T1 — "pull distance" → "push or pull distance." Now matches the polarity switch in T0.
Psionic Instinct contradiction — Pyro example Attack 1 was showing T2 Ember Lance for free (0 Psi, 12 BT). Fixed to T0 MS + T0 Ember Lance (Instinct free, 0 Psi, 0 BT). Turn totals updated: 2 Psi / 20 BT (was 3 / 36). Rules text and examples now agree — Instinct is T0 only, full stop.
I am backporting the Burning removal to 6.x, I don't expect to do this all the time but the QoL improvement by reducing tracking requirements makes it worth it.
One targeted change this version: Tier 2 Overload moves from 11th level to 10th.
The 10th-level cluster already hands you Steeled Mind, your discipline's signature feature, and Phase Step all at once — it's the biggest single-level power moment in the subclass. T2 sitting at 11th always felt like an orphan, one level late for no structural reason. Moving it to 10th collapses that gap and gives the 10th-level moment the weight it deserves. The MS table now splits cleanly at 9/10 rather than 10/11, and every discipline cheatsheet reflects the updated power spike header.
No mechanical content changed. If you're mid-campaign on 7.2.0, the only thing that shifts is when T2 unlocks.
Manifested Strike now adds half your Proficiency Bonus (rounded down) to attack rolls. This was always a quiet gap — physical fighters naturally accumulate +1/+2/+3 from magic weapons over a campaign, and a psionic striker had no equivalent. Folding it into the chassis rather than making it an Advanced Training pick keeps the AT pool clean and means every Vanguard gets it regardless of build. It scales cleanly: +1 at 3rd, +1 at 5th, +2 at 9th, +2 at 13th, +3 at 17th.
Pyrokinesis identity language has been rewritten. Without the Burning condition and its damage-over-time ticks, Pyro no longer plays like an attrition machine. The old flavor text said as much and it was wrong. Pyro is now framed correctly as a front-loaded burst discipline — sequence the primer with Ember Lance T2, cash in the doubling hit, scatter with Fiery Blast, zone with Firestorm. High impact, immediate pressure, no tracking.
Two doc polish items. The rider definition now explicitly notes that passive bonus damage features are never riders, covering any future features without ambiguity. The Concentration Startup Exception has been pulled out of body text and promoted to a styled callout box — it's an important enough rule that it deserves to be easy to find at the table.
Reactive Barrier joins the Advanced Training pool as the fifth option. Spend 2 Psi as a bonus action to raise a THP shell equal to 4× your Proficiency Bonus. While it holds, every melee attacker that connects triggers a free reaction blast — Str save or pushed 10 ft. T1 bumps the shell to 6×PB. T2 adds Prone on a failed save. The shell is the resource: once the THP is gone, the reaction window closes naturally. At 20th level PB is 6, so you're looking at 24 or 36 THP depending on tier. Meaningful without being absurd.
A third Advanced Training slot opens at 20th level. Players now hold 3 of 5 picks across 15th, 18th, and 20th. The existing four options (Psychic Lance, Dazzle, Mind Blast, Gravitic Press) are still there — Reactive Barrier just joins them. No one is forced into the new pick, but the slot is there.
Both of these are folded in alongside the v7.4.x changes (½ PB to MS attack rolls, Pyro identity rewrite, MS attack bonus design note, Concentration Startup Exception callout box), which are shipping here as part of this release.
One addition: Concussive Surge joins the Advanced Training pool as the sixth option.
It's a returning feature from the 5.x era that got cut for pool size rather than balance reasons, and now that the pool is deeper it earns its place. On a Manifested Strike hit, spend 3 Psi — the target makes a Constitution saving throw or takes 2 MS dice of force damage and loses reactions until the end of its next turn. T1 adds Restrained on a failed save. T2 upgrades to Stunned instead.
The pool now covers six distinct identities: Int nuke (Psychic Lance), Wis sensory (Mind Blast), spell control (Dazzle), gravity zone (Gravitic Press), THP barrier (Reactive Barrier), and Con shutdown (Concussive Surge). Players hold 3 of 6.
Fighter · Martial Archetype · 5e HomebrewBy NixNinja
What changed
v7.6.1 is a rules-clarification patch. No features were added or removed — this cleans up an ambiguity in how critical hits interact with Overloaded Manifested Strikes, and fixes a structural issue in the class document.
Critical Hit Ruling (Clarified)
The old wording said crits "double the Manifested Strike damage dice per normal 5e rules, including any Overloaded die steps." That was ambiguous when Overload steps up the die — does the extra crit die match the stepped-up die, or the base die?
New ruling: On a critical hit, add one die equal to your base (non-Overloaded) Manifested Strike die for your level. The Overloaded die stays as-is; the crit bonus is always the base.
Example — Level 11, Tier 2 Overload: Your base MS die is 1d8. T2 Overload steps it up twice to 1d12. On a crit, you add one d8 (the base), not another d12. Total: 1d12 + 1d8, not 2d12.
This is consistent with the existing T2 19–20 footnote, which already showed 1d20 + 2d12 (base d12 added on crit, not another d20).
Non-Overloaded crits work exactly the same as before — base die doubled as normal.
Structural Fix
Advanced Training V's feature text was accidentally orphaned inside the changelog section (between the v7.6.0 and v7.5.0 entries) instead of living in the class body. It's been relocated to its proper position after Psionic Apex. No mechanical change — just a formatting fix so the document reads correctly.
License Added
All four documents now carry a simple attribution license: free for non-commercial use with credit to NixNinja. Commercial use requires permission.
Documents
📄 Kinetic Vanguard v7.6.1 — Master Document The full class write-up: all features, Overload system, examples, discipline summaries, Advanced Training pool, and changelog.
6.1.0 si out and added back 20th level abilities like Spreading Flames, Mass Levitation, and a new Cryo skill called Absolute Zero. Links below:
DM
Cryo
Pyro
Psycho
Now, I know I missed the buss with a in-depth changelog for 6.0.0, so I provide it here for 6.1.0:
Kinetic Vanguard — Changelog: v5.37.1 → v6.1.0
This document details every change between v5.37.1 (final 5.x release) and v6.1.0 (current). The v6.x line is a structural redesign — the most significant overhaul since v5.0.
Summary
I. Features Cut
All three Piercing passives (were 7th-level)
All three Supremacy passives (were 10th-level)
Mass Levitation (was Psychokinesis 15th)
Spreading Flames (was Pyrokinesis 15th)
7th-level discipline sub-headers
II. Features Moved
Psychic Resistance: 20th → 3rd
Steeled Mind: 11th → 10th
Snow Chains: 15th → 10th (Cryokinesis)
Vectored Thrust: 11th → 10th (Psychokinesis)
Flare: stays at 10th (Pyrokinesis)
Arctic Tempest: 18th → 15th (Cryokinesis)
Firestorm: 18th → 15th (Pyrokinesis) + full rework
Telekinetic Slam: 18th → 15th (Psychokinesis)
Overload Mastery + Mental Fortitude: 20th → 18th
Advanced Training IV: 20th → 18th
III. Features Added (v6.1.0)
Absolute Zero — Cryokinesis 20th · 4 Psi · Action
New single-target cold nuke. CC ladder mirrors Cryo's core identity.
Spreading Flames — Pyrokinesis 20th · 2 Psi · Passive
Reworked kill-trigger AoE. Upgraded from v5.37.1 version (was 15th, 2 MS dice, 15-ft radius).
Mass Levitation — Psychokinesis 20th · 4 Psi · Action · Concentration, up to 1 minute
Reworked area lockdown. Upgraded from v5.37.1 version (was 15th, 3 targets, 20 ft lift).
IV. Mechanical Changes
Riders now unlimited (Psi-gated)
Telepathy: two-way, shared language
Deflection Screen: 1d10 → 3d8 base soak
Firestorm: one-shot nuke → sustained concentration zone
V. Structural Changes
Feature table (Section 03)
Discipline feature progression
Section 04 intro
Section 05 (Advanced Training)
Section 07 (Cheatsheets)
How to Play (front matter)
Cliff Notes
Blood Tax reference table
VI. What Stayed the Same
Generated from diff analysis of v5.37.1 and v6.1.0 master documents.
With 6.1.1 I hope that the dust has mostly settled from the 6.xre-org. I wanted to do this to balance the disciplines out, especially cryo vs pyro; pyro and psycho always got the best toys (spreading flames and mass levitation) and cryo had to centnt itself with crowd control. I also wanted to tighten the class up as a whole and fix the weird one out stuff at weird tiers. In other words, 6.x is a standardization and rebalance across the discipline trees.
With all that out of the way I present 6.1.1:
DM
Cryo
Pyro
Psycho
Changlog:
v6.2.0 addresses some last minute issues with Spreading Flames. Cryo and Psycho players can safely pass on this version.
DM
Cryo
Pyro
Psycho
Hopefully this is the final rework of Spreading Fflames. I am now treating it as a rider on top of other Pyro features including other riders. Mechanically, this cleans up some rule ambiguities and simplifies tabler play. Essentially, on kill you get to optionally spend 2Psi Points to proc the explosion. Sadly Psycho and Cryo have no updates again. Below is the final text:
Spreading Flames · 20th · On Kill - 2 Psi Pointa
Exception: Spreading Flames stacks on top of any Pyro rider on the killing hit. The one-rider-per-hit rule does not apply to this feature.
T0: When you reduce a creature to 0 HP with Manifested Strike, you may trigger an eruption. All creatures within 20 ft make a Dex save or take 3 Manifested Strike dice of fire damage (half on success). One eruption per Attack action. Delayed burn damage from Ember Lance does not trigger Spreading Flames.
T1 Overload: Creatures that fail the save also gain the Burning condition.
T2 Overload: The eruption radius expands to 30 ft and creatures that fail the save cannot take reactions until the start of their next turn.
DM
Cryo
Pyro
Psycho
Unfortunately I missed another exception for Spreading Flames. Currently as written, Spreading Flames violates the Declare Before Roll rule; unfortunately, you cannot reliably declare a death blow before it lands so an exception must be made. That is all, Psycho and Cryo players have no updates again. I consider that a mark of subclass maturity.
v6.3.1
DM
Cryo
Pyro
Psycho
v6.3.2 is out with another set of bug squashes for spreading flames (again) and some general cleanups across the board for Psi Point costs:
DM
Cryo
Pyro
Psycho
Psi cost standardization (8 changes):
Spreading Flames reframe:
Psi cost standardization:
Basically the spreading flames change makes no difference in play, it just cleans and tightens the rules a bit. The big win for this version is the Psi Point cost normalization between disciplines; instead of ad-hoc Psi Point costs they are now standardized across both levels and disciplines. I hope this facilitates better play and faster table pick-up speed. Enjoy!
T2 Overload: 11th → 10th — no more orphan levels. The full KV level grid is now a clean 3/5/7/10/15/18/20 with zero gaps.
Psi Cost Reference table — standalone section between the Feature Table and Disciplines, 19 rows covering every Psi-costed feature with level, name, discipline, cost, and action type. Smaller filtered tables were created for each Discipline cheatsheet as well.
DM
Cryo
Pyro
Psycho
v6.4.0 shipped — all four docs validated and in sync. Here's what landed: DM, Cryo, Pyro, Psycho
Dazzle split — the dual-mode headache is gone. Dazzle is now a pure social/control Action (charm → suggestion → hold monster, escalating with OL tiers, no MS needed). Mind Blast is a clean combat rider (2d8/3d8/4d8 psychic + Blind → Incapacitated → Stunned, requires MS hit). No ambiguity about which mode you're in.
AT pool expanded — 2 of 4 picks (Mind Crush, Dazzle, Mind Blast, Burst). More build variety, same pick count.
Psi cost curve smoothed — 1/1/2/2-1/3/3/4. No more jarring jump from 2 to 3 at 10th.
v6.4.1 is out: DM, Cryo, Pyro, Psycho
This represents another big fix release, biggest change is reverting T2 Overload unlock to 11th level instead of 10th. fixes an issue with Manifested Stroke power scaling. Beyond that, just minor cleanups and clarifications.
v6.5.0 shipped — all four docs validated and in sync. Three structural changes:
Dazzle — no more custom conditions. You cast the actual spells (charm person → suggestion → hold monster), all with Concentration, XOR tiers. Players already know the spells, DMs already know the rulings. Zero invented mechanics.
Psychic Lance (was Mind Crush) — clean Int-save nuke rider. 4d8/5d8+PAM/6d8+2×PAM with Incap → speed 0 → Stunned. Hits harder than Mind Blast, targets the weaker save, but no sensory CC (no Blind setup for allies). Clear niche.
Capstones → 5 Psi — at 16 Psi pool (20th level), that's exactly 3 uses at full charge. Feels like an ultimate.
DM
Cryo
Pyro
Psycho
I have restructured the class a bit in 7.0.0, swapping 7th and 10th discipline skills to give better early play and a smoother power curve. I hope you all emjoy.
DM
Cryo
Pyro
Psycho
New discipline progression:
Key wins: Cryo gets hard CC (Restrained/Stunned) at 7th. Frozen Ground at 10th pairs with Steeled Mind for concentration safety. Psycho gets hover/flight at 7th. Pyro gets Blind at 7th for immediate debuff identity.
At this point I feel like 6.5.0 is complete subclass but I want to continue experimenting with 7.x. With that in mind I am freezing 6.5.0 for now. I cannot afford to keep two branches current so I am keeping 7.x as current. I hope 6.5.0 gets a lot of play. It feels fun, tight, and stable now, there is nothing more I can do to it.
With all that saaid, I present 71.0:
Explosion/Implosion — player declares push or pull on each activation. Same Str save, same Prone, same tier ladder. At the table it's just "I Explode" or "I Implode."
Gravitic Press — replaces Burst in the AT pool. Concentration zone that degrades everything standing in it: difficult terrain + Prone → +no reactions → +disadvantage on attacks. The "hold and punish" complement to Explosion/Implosion's "move and reposition."
Burst cut — dead weight gone. AT pool stays at 2 of 4 with four distinct identities: nuke (Psychic Lance), spells (Dazzle), sensory CC (Mind Blast), gravity zone (Gravitic Press).
DM
|Cryo
Pyro
Psycho
v7.1.1 shipped. Two fixes:
Explosion/Implosion T1 — "pull distance" → "push or pull distance." Now matches the polarity switch in T0.
Psionic Instinct contradiction — Pyro example Attack 1 was showing T2 Ember Lance for free (0 Psi, 12 BT). Fixed to T0 MS + T0 Ember Lance (Instinct free, 0 Psi, 0 BT). Turn totals updated: 2 Psi / 20 BT (was 3 / 36). Rules text and examples now agree — Instinct is T0 only, full stop.
DM
Cryo
Pyro
Psycho
v7.2.0 is out and so is the Burning condition and DoT in general.
Ember Lance — all damage resolves on hit. T0: 2×PB. T1: 4×PB. T2: primer unchanged. Zero tracking between turns.
Burning condition — deleted entirely. Box gone from master and Pyro sheet.
Replacements:
Pyro example math verified: 2 Psi, 20 BT, ~84 fire. All damage on-hit, no pennies needed.
DM
Cryo
Pyro
Psycho
I am backporting the Burning removal to 6.x, I don't expect to do this all the time but the QoL improvement by reducing tracking requirements makes it worth it.
DM
Cryo
Pyro
Psycho
v7.3.0 is out.
One targeted change this version: Tier 2 Overload moves from 11th level to 10th.
The 10th-level cluster already hands you Steeled Mind, your discipline's signature feature, and Phase Step all at once — it's the biggest single-level power moment in the subclass. T2 sitting at 11th always felt like an orphan, one level late for no structural reason. Moving it to 10th collapses that gap and gives the 10th-level moment the weight it deserves. The MS table now splits cleanly at 9/10 rather than 10/11, and every discipline cheatsheet reflects the updated power spike header.
No mechanical content changed. If you're mid-campaign on 7.2.0, the only thing that shifts is when T2 unlocks.
DM Master Cryo Player Pyro Player Psycho Player
v7.4.0 is out.
Three things this version.
Manifested Strike now adds half your Proficiency Bonus (rounded down) to attack rolls. This was always a quiet gap — physical fighters naturally accumulate +1/+2/+3 from magic weapons over a campaign, and a psionic striker had no equivalent. Folding it into the chassis rather than making it an Advanced Training pick keeps the AT pool clean and means every Vanguard gets it regardless of build. It scales cleanly: +1 at 3rd, +1 at 5th, +2 at 9th, +2 at 13th, +3 at 17th.
Pyrokinesis identity language has been rewritten. Without the Burning condition and its damage-over-time ticks, Pyro no longer plays like an attrition machine. The old flavor text said as much and it was wrong. Pyro is now framed correctly as a front-loaded burst discipline — sequence the primer with Ember Lance T2, cash in the doubling hit, scatter with Fiery Blast, zone with Firestorm. High impact, immediate pressure, no tracking.
Two doc polish items. The rider definition now explicitly notes that passive bonus damage features are never riders, covering any future features without ambiguity. The Concentration Startup Exception has been pulled out of body text and promoted to a styled callout box — it's an important enough rule that it deserves to be easy to find at the table.
DM Master Cryo Player Pyro Player Psycho Player
v7.5.0 is out.
Two additions this version.
Reactive Barrier joins the Advanced Training pool as the fifth option. Spend 2 Psi as a bonus action to raise a THP shell equal to 4× your Proficiency Bonus. While it holds, every melee attacker that connects triggers a free reaction blast — Str save or pushed 10 ft. T1 bumps the shell to 6×PB. T2 adds Prone on a failed save. The shell is the resource: once the THP is gone, the reaction window closes naturally. At 20th level PB is 6, so you're looking at 24 or 36 THP depending on tier. Meaningful without being absurd.
A third Advanced Training slot opens at 20th level. Players now hold 3 of 5 picks across 15th, 18th, and 20th. The existing four options (Psychic Lance, Dazzle, Mind Blast, Gravitic Press) are still there — Reactive Barrier just joins them. No one is forced into the new pick, but the slot is there.
Both of these are folded in alongside the v7.4.x changes (½ PB to MS attack rolls, Pyro identity rewrite, MS attack bonus design note, Concentration Startup Exception callout box), which are shipping here as part of this release.
DM Master Cryo Player Pyro Player Psycho Player
v7.6.0 is out.
One addition: Concussive Surge joins the Advanced Training pool as the sixth option.
It's a returning feature from the 5.x era that got cut for pool size rather than balance reasons, and now that the pool is deeper it earns its place. On a Manifested Strike hit, spend 3 Psi — the target makes a Constitution saving throw or takes 2 MS dice of force damage and loses reactions until the end of its next turn. T1 adds Restrained on a failed save. T2 upgrades to Stunned instead.
The pool now covers six distinct identities: Int nuke (Psychic Lance), Wis sensory (Mind Blast), spell control (Dazzle), gravity zone (Gravitic Press), THP barrier (Reactive Barrier), and Con shutdown (Concussive Surge). Players hold 3 of 6.
DM Master Cryo Player Pyro Player Psycho Player
Kinetic Vanguard v7.6.1 — Patch Notes
Fighter · Martial Archetype · 5e Homebrew By NixNinja
What changed
v7.6.1 is a rules-clarification patch. No features were added or removed — this cleans up an ambiguity in how critical hits interact with Overloaded Manifested Strikes, and fixes a structural issue in the class document.
Critical Hit Ruling (Clarified)
The old wording said crits "double the Manifested Strike damage dice per normal 5e rules, including any Overloaded die steps." That was ambiguous when Overload steps up the die — does the extra crit die match the stepped-up die, or the base die?
New ruling: On a critical hit, add one die equal to your base (non-Overloaded) Manifested Strike die for your level. The Overloaded die stays as-is; the crit bonus is always the base.
Example — Level 11, Tier 2 Overload: Your base MS die is 1d8. T2 Overload steps it up twice to 1d12. On a crit, you add one d8 (the base), not another d12. Total: 1d12 + 1d8, not 2d12.
This is consistent with the existing T2 19–20 footnote, which already showed
1d20 + 2d12(base d12 added on crit, not another d20).Non-Overloaded crits work exactly the same as before — base die doubled as normal.
Structural Fix
Advanced Training V's feature text was accidentally orphaned inside the changelog section (between the v7.6.0 and v7.5.0 entries) instead of living in the class body. It's been relocated to its proper position after Psionic Apex. No mechanical change — just a formatting fix so the document reads correctly.
License Added
All four documents now carry a simple attribution license: free for non-commercial use with credit to NixNinja. Commercial use requires permission.
Documents
📄 Kinetic Vanguard v7.6.1 — Master Document The full class write-up: all features, Overload system, examples, discipline summaries, Advanced Training pool, and changelog.
❄️ Cryokinesis Player Sheet v7.6.1 Escalating Lockdown · Cold damage
🔥 Pyrokinesis Player Sheet v7.6.1 Compounding Pressure · Fire damage
🟣 Psychokinesis Player Sheet v7.6.1 Tactical Space Control · Force damage