Hmm ... I'm finding your writing to be somewhat unclear. I think people are complicating things unnecessarily by giving psionics some kind of special exceptions that it does not.
If I remember correctly, in past editions psionics were treated as separate from magic. I think that's partly why introducing psionics into 5e has been fairly lackluster... to recapture the feel that psionics had before would basically require coming up with a whole new set of rules just for them. So to simplify things, WoTC seems to have just decided that, in 5th edition, psionics is just a flavor of magic. Psychic Blades are overtly considered magical, telekinetic powers manifest as the Mage Hand spell, psychic mind probing is just being able to cast Detect Thoughts.
Hmm ... I'm finding your writing to be somewhat unclear. I think people are complicating things unnecessarily by giving psionics some kind of special exceptions that it does not.
If I remember correctly, in past editions psionics were treated as separate from magic. I think that's partly why introducing psionics into 5e has been fairly lackluster... to recapture the feel that psionics had before would basically require coming up with a whole new set of rules just for them. So to simplify things, WoTC seems to have just decided that, in 5th edition, psionics is just a flavor of magic. Psychic Blades are overtly considered magical, telekinetic powers manifest as the Mage Hand spell, psychic mind probing is just being able to cast Detect Thoughts.
They’re still trying to embrace the exclusion based rules mindset without having a general rule regarding what Psionics is, which doesn’t seem to be working.
psionics when dealing with NPCs or creatures from a monster stat block are described as an extension of spellcasting.
Psionic abilities when it comes to player choices seem to be thoroughly mixed up. There are casting subclasses like the aberrant mind that seem to very firmly rely on spells and magic for their Psionic powered to manifest. Race options can be an augmented mage hand, or different variations of telepathy that may or may not be magical or spell based. The soul knife rogue has a plethora of features that are described as magical in nature, but none of those are spells. The Psi warrior fighter has an extensive suite of Psionic abilities and only the highest level feature which is literally casting a spell is considered magical.
The blades are; the sneak attack that comes with it, may not be. :)
But the "design issue" here is this constant debate if Psionics are/should be considered magical abilities and the inconsistent labeling of them. Anitmagic field is one, and soul cage has another long thread and the psychic teleportation. Can you counterspell it if you see it?
Counterspell never, ever works on non-spell magic. This has absolutely nothing to do with Psionics - you could assume all Psionics are magical and that would have no interaction whatsoever with Counterspell. Likewise, there's no interaction with Counterspell if no Psionics are magical. It's almost completely irrelevant to the design issues in Soulknives whether or not their various abilities are magical, partially because antimagic field is hardly very common. The core design issues stem around how the psychic blades don't interact properly with the rules the rest of the game has to interacting with weapons, so a Soulknife trying to outperform daggers (let alone other real weapons) with their Psychic Blades is often in for a bad time.
Psychic Veil states you magically become invisible. That's clear RAW. Psychic Teleportation does not say this which leads a lot people to make a decision:
All psionics are considered magical. (based on the anecdotes)
All psionics that aren't labeled magical, are not magical. (based on perceptions that psionics aren't magic because mind powers)
Only the second one there is consistent with the RAW; the former violates it.
Psionics is a tag. As a practical matter, WOTC has never actually assigned this tag to any monsters (or their traits) that I know of, but the tag does explicitly lack rules beyond existing as a tag, so assigning rules to it is intrinsically invalid, just like assigning rules to type.
The various interpretations it makes judging a mess. I get why some rules were stated, like the psychic veil one, because of balance. But the inconsistency (perceived or real) is a design problem because it gets away from a goal to streamline D&D. Any time the rules lawyers are summoned, it slows things to a crawl.
It's a significantly bigger design problem that elemental weapon can't be cast on your psychic blades. To put this another way, Psychic Blades are a step forward from the disaster that is a Way of the Sun Soul Monk's Radiant Sun Bolt, but it's not enough steps forward to fix the underlying design flaws.
By comparison, this fixes it:
You have 2 psychic blades, each of which counts as a simple melee weapon with which you are proficient that has the light, finesse, and reach properties, but its reach property adds 55 feet to your reach, rather than 5. It deals 1d4 psychic damage on a hit.
In your fix, you would allow OA's at 60 feet, but not at melee? OA triggers when they leave your range, so by your method you don't fix OA in melee and only allow it at range. A simpler fix would be to allow the psychic blades to trigger when you make an attack. It says you can generate them, just changing the trigger is the simplest fix.
If you have the thrown weapon property, just carry a supply of regular daggers. With your hands empty from having no psychic daggers, you can draw and attack with a regular physical dagger to make an opportunity attack then drop it if needed. Rinse and repeat, pick up daggers after combat.
Completely up to the GM. I agree that technically the RAW would indicate the answer is now. The RAI are less clear, and I'd lean 'sure, why not'. The RAF are clearly HELL YES!
Again, all the rules talk aside this is clearly up to your GM. If you are the GM as yourself 1) Will the player have fun with it? And 2) will it break the game, or be easily abuse to break the game. Then make your ruling.
Again for me, #1 Yes it would be fun. For #2 I don't think its more powerful than a monk's unarmed strike or a small weapon like a dagger easily concealed in a palm, and I doubt it would be abused (by my players. So my ruling would be 'Sure, go for it'.
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Remember there are Rules as Written (RAW), Rules as Intended (RAI), and Rules as Fun (RAF). There's some great RAW, RAI, and RAF here... please check in with your DM to determine how they want to adjudicate the RAW/RAI/RAF for your game.
Sorry I’m late to this thread, but I’ve just started playing a Soulknife and have some disagreement with the interpretation that many are taking with the ability description of psychic blades. So please let me weigh in.
First off, the very first sentence of the psychic blades ability is definitive,
“You can manifest your psionic power as shimmering blades of psychic energy.”
and then goes on to explain the attack action,
”Whenever you take the Attack action, you can manifest a psychic blade from your free hand and make the attack with that blade. This magic blade is a simple melee weapon with the finesse and thrown properties”
I’d like everyone to take notice that the description doesn’t restrict the manifestation of the blades to the attack action. It simply specifies how the ability works “whenever you take the attack action”. Note this doesn’t state that the blades can ONLY be manifest with the attack action, just that they can. I point this out because people are reading into a restriction that simply isn’t there. So the real question is, what is the cost of manifesting the blades outside of the attack action since this is not specified. Due to the lack of specificity the safest answer is DM discretion.
Now for OA,
“you use your reaction to make one MELEE ATTACK against the provoking creature.The ATTACK occurs right before the creature leaves your reach”
Melee Attack reads,
“Used in hand-to-hand combat, a melee attack allows you to ATTACK a foe within your reach. A melee attack typically uses a handheld weapon such as a sword, a warhammer, or an axe…”
I’ve emphasized attack in these descriptions because the term “attack” is only referenced definitively under actions. So we can deduce that an OA (RAW) allows for one ATTACK ACTION restricted to melee within your reach, and by extension includes psychic blades which can be used as an attack action.
So we can deduce that an OA (RAW) allows for one ATTACK ACTION restricted to melee within your reach, and by extension includes psychic blades which can be used as an attack action.
No, its long been established that the "Attack Action" is not equivalent to the "Opportunity Attack" nor that "Opportunity Attack" allows a single use of the "Attack Action"
An "Attack Action" lets you make one Melee or Ranged attack. We then need to read on to the specific "Melee Attacks" section to discover the "Opportunity Attacks" sub section which specifically notes that "Such a strike is called an opportunity attack" then you use your reaction to make one melee attack against the provoking creature"
There are various other headings under "Melee Attack" for "Two-Weapon Fighting" which specify "When you take the Attack action" and "Grappling" which notes "you can use the Attack action" along with "Shoving a Creature" which specifies "Using the Attack action". But you'll note the term "Attack action" is purposely missing from the "Opportunity Attacks" section.
I really think the Psychic Blades feature was written with the assumption that you'd always be throwing the blade. Typically with conjured weapons, they stick around if you hold them and vanish if you let them go. But for some reason that's not how this one works lol. It vanishes even if you make a melee attack.
I hadn't actually realized that. I just assumed it worked the same way as do other similar effects.
I think its worth remembering the other features that come along with the psychic blades.
Consider the "Soul Blades" feature at 9th level. This notes that you now have Homing Strikes which occur when you make an attack roll with your Psychic Blades. This means you could use this feature with the Opportunity Attack if Psychic Blades worked with that.
Also the "Rend Mind" feature at 17th level. This notes that it occurs when you use your Psychic Blades to deal Sneak Attack damage. Sneak Attack IS actually a feature which can work with any attack since it only specifies that it occurs once per turn.
Honestly, I don't think its an oversight, I think its intentional. They didn't give the Psychic Blades the "Light" property either, so if a rogue wants to use a dagger in their off-hand and rely on regular Two-Weapon fighting for their bonus action, they can't. If they take the Dual Wielder feat they won't get the "+1 bonus to AC" because it only occurs while they're wielding a separate melee weapon in each hand and the Psychic Blades disappear. However it notes that you can draw or stow TWO one-handed weapons rather than one and I don't believe it's too liberal a reading to suggest a rogue could stow a rapier, use their psychic blades then draw the rapier again. If not, they could certainly create and use both psychic blades then draw a rapier and a whip or two other weapons.
Thematically, I think it also shows that the psychic blades are something created in the moment by the mind as a focused attack while an Opportunity attack is something done suddenly in response to an opponent's unexpected move.
Regardless the Psychic Blades are NOT a bad feature. You can go places that disallow weapons, you can kill with them and leave no marks on the body, you don't need to retrieve thrown weapons or buy replacements, they bypass resistance to non-magical bludgeoning, slashing, piercing, it has twice range without disadvantage of any thrown weapon, psychic damage has very few immune or resistant creatures and they have the additional features afforded to the class later.
Even then, if Opportunity Attacks with a weapon is a big deal to a rogue because (for whatever reason) opponents are always trying to run away without disengaging, all a rogue has to do is forgo their bonus action attack by holding a weapon in one hand and they will be able to swing that instead. Between Cunning Action, Steady Aim and the Soulknife's ability to regain a Psionic Energy die, the rogue will still have plenty of other things they can do with their bonus action each turn. The rogue can even make it a rapier for d8 damage rather than d6 on the Opportunity Attack and Attack Action (if they don't need Psychic Damage or use of higher features). A rogue is likely to get a magic weapon at some point which will give them even more reason to forgo the d4 bonus action damage and pace the use of Psychic Blades for use with higher features or ranged attacks.
I’d like everyone to take notice that the description doesn’t restrict the manifestation of the blades to the attack action. It simply specifies how the ability works “whenever you take the attack action”. Note this doesn’t state that the blades can ONLY be manifest with the attack action, just that they can. I point this out because people are reading into a restriction that simply isn’t there. So the real question is, what is the cost of manifesting the blades outside of the attack action since this is not specified. Due to the lack of specificity the safest answer is DM discretion.
Actually, the safest answer is that you can only manifest the blades in the way the feature says you can.
Wizards can get the fireball spell. Their class feature states they can use fireball by spending a 3rd level (or higher) spell slot to cast it. Would you argue that you could cast fireball as a bonus action for free because the rules don't specifically say you can't?
It's simply not possible for the game to follow a model of spelling out every restriction where you can't do something. So it very specifically says how you can do the thing and that is assumed to be the only way(s) you can do the thing.
Even then, if Opportunity Attacks with a weapon is a big deal to a rogue because (for whatever reason) opponents are always trying to run away without disengaging, all a rogue has to do is forgo their bonus action attack by holding a weapon in one hand and they will be able to swing that instead.
It actually isn't required for the Soulknife to forgo the bonus action Psychic Blades attack. Psychic Blades is not Two-Weapon Fighting and does not require the use of both hands. So a Soulknife wielding a weapon in one hand and with the other hand free can make all their normal Psychic Blades attacks while having a normal weapon available for Opportunity Attacks.
Also even if both hands are occupied it is still possible. The Soulknife can drop the normal weapon they are holding, make all their Psychic Blades attacks, then pick their weapon back up before ending their turn.
Even then, if Opportunity Attacks with a weapon is a big deal to a rogue because (for whatever reason) opponents are always trying to run away without disengaging, all a rogue has to do is forgo their bonus action attack by holding a weapon in one hand and they will be able to swing that instead.
It actually isn't required for the Soulknife to forgo the bonus action Psychic Blades attack. Psychic Blades is not Two-Weapon Fighting and does not require the use of both hands. So a Soulknife wielding a weapon in one hand and with the other hand free can make all their normal Psychic Blades attacks while having a normal weapon available for Opportunity Attacks.
Also even if both hands are occupied it is still possible. The Soulknife can drop the normal weapon they are holding, make all their Psychic Blades attacks, then pick their weapon back up before ending their turn.
From Psychic Blades: "After you attack with the blade, you can make a melee or ranged weapon attack with a second psychic blade as a bonus action on the same turn, provided your other hand is free to create it. The damage die of this bonus attack is 1d4, instead of 1d6."
You are correct that Psychic Blades doesn't use the Two-Weapon fighting rules, however it does have the above rule for making a 2nd attack with the Psychic Blades as a Bonus Action that can only be done if you have first made an attack with the psychic blade (so no attacking with a primary weapon then using Psychic Blades for the bonus action) and it specifies you can only do this provided your other hand is free to create it.
However you're correct that a generous enough DM would allow the rogue to reach the point they wish to make a psychic blades attack, drop the weapon they're already holding, attack and bonus attack with psychic blades, then pick the physical weapon back up with their free object interaction. Most DMs are generous enough to call "dropping" a weapon or held item a completely free action with even Devs noting they would not require it to be the free object interaction. With this trick a Rogue could even be carrying a reach weapon, such as a polearm or a whip, or even a two handed great weapon.
Even then, if Opportunity Attacks with a weapon is a big deal to a rogue because (for whatever reason) opponents are always trying to run away without disengaging, all a rogue has to do is forgo their bonus action attack by holding a weapon in one hand and they will be able to swing that instead.
It actually isn't required for the Soulknife to forgo the bonus action Psychic Blades attack. Psychic Blades is not Two-Weapon Fighting and does not require the use of both hands. So a Soulknife wielding a weapon in one hand and with the other hand free can make all their normal Psychic Blades attacks while having a normal weapon available for Opportunity Attacks.
Also even if both hands are occupied it is still possible. The Soulknife can drop the normal weapon they are holding, make all their Psychic Blades attacks, then pick their weapon back up before ending their turn.
From Psychic Blades: "After you attack with the blade, you can make a melee or ranged weapon attack with a second psychic blade as a bonus action on the same turn, provided your other hand is free to create it. The damage die of this bonus attack is 1d4, instead of 1d6."
You are correct that Psychic Blades doesn't use the Two-Weapon fighting rules, however it does have the above rule for making a 2nd attack with the Psychic Blades as a Bonus Action that can only be done if you have first made an attack with the psychic blade (so no attacking with a primary weapon then using Psychic Blades for the bonus action) and it specifies you can only do this provided your other hand is free to create it.
However you're correct that a generous enough DM would allow the rogue to reach the point they wish to make a psychic blades attack, drop the weapon they're already holding, attack and bonus attack with psychic blades, then pick the physical weapon back up with their free object interaction. Most DMs are generous enough to call "dropping" a weapon or held item a completely free action with even Devs noting they would not require it to be the free object interaction. With this trick a Rogue could even be carrying a reach weapon, such as a polearm or a whip, or even a two handed great weapon.
Ah, I missed the final clause of that sentence XD
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If I remember correctly, in past editions psionics were treated as separate from magic. I think that's partly why introducing psionics into 5e has been fairly lackluster... to recapture the feel that psionics had before would basically require coming up with a whole new set of rules just for them. So to simplify things, WoTC seems to have just decided that, in 5th edition, psionics is just a flavor of magic. Psychic Blades are overtly considered magical, telekinetic powers manifest as the Mage Hand spell, psychic mind probing is just being able to cast Detect Thoughts.
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They’re still trying to embrace the exclusion based rules mindset without having a general rule regarding what Psionics is, which doesn’t seem to be working.
psionics when dealing with NPCs or creatures from a monster stat block are described as an extension of spellcasting.
Psionic abilities when it comes to player choices seem to be thoroughly mixed up. There are casting subclasses like the aberrant mind that seem to very firmly rely on spells and magic for their Psionic powered to manifest. Race options can be an augmented mage hand, or different variations of telepathy that may or may not be magical or spell based. The soul knife rogue has a plethora of features that are described as magical in nature, but none of those are spells. The Psi warrior fighter has an extensive suite of Psionic abilities and only the highest level feature which is literally casting a spell is considered magical.
In your fix, you would allow OA's at 60 feet, but not at melee? OA triggers when they leave your range, so by your method you don't fix OA in melee and only allow it at range. A simpler fix would be to allow the psychic blades to trigger when you make an attack. It says you can generate them, just changing the trigger is the simplest fix.
If you have the thrown weapon property, just carry a supply of regular daggers. With your hands empty from having no psychic daggers, you can draw and attack with a regular physical dagger to make an opportunity attack then drop it if needed. Rinse and repeat, pick up daggers after combat.
Completely up to the GM. I agree that technically the RAW would indicate the answer is now. The RAI are less clear, and I'd lean 'sure, why not'. The RAF are clearly HELL YES!
Again, all the rules talk aside this is clearly up to your GM. If you are the GM as yourself 1) Will the player have fun with it? And 2) will it break the game, or be easily abuse to break the game. Then make your ruling.
Again for me, #1 Yes it would be fun. For #2 I don't think its more powerful than a monk's unarmed strike or a small weapon like a dagger easily concealed in a palm, and I doubt it would be abused (by my players. So my ruling would be 'Sure, go for it'.
Remember there are Rules as Written (RAW), Rules as Intended (RAI), and Rules as Fun (RAF). There's some great RAW, RAI, and RAF here... please check in with your DM to determine how they want to adjudicate the RAW/RAI/RAF for your game.
Sorry I’m late to this thread, but I’ve just started playing a Soulknife and have some disagreement with the interpretation that many are taking with the ability description of psychic blades. So please let me weigh in.
First off, the very first sentence of the psychic blades ability is definitive,
“You can manifest your psionic power as shimmering blades of psychic energy.”
and then goes on to explain the attack action,
”Whenever you take the Attack action, you can manifest a psychic blade from your free hand and make the attack with that blade. This magic blade is a simple melee weapon with the finesse and thrown properties”
I’d like everyone to take notice that the description doesn’t restrict the manifestation of the blades to the attack action. It simply specifies how the ability works “whenever you take the attack action”. Note this doesn’t state that the blades can ONLY be manifest with the attack action, just that they can. I point this out because people are reading into a restriction that simply isn’t there. So the real question is, what is the cost of manifesting the blades outside of the attack action since this is not specified. Due to the lack of specificity the safest answer is DM discretion.
Now for OA,
“you use your reaction to make one MELEE ATTACK against the provoking creature.The ATTACK occurs right before the creature leaves your reach”
Melee Attack reads,
“Used in hand-to-hand combat, a melee attack allows you to ATTACK a foe within your reach. A melee attack typically uses a handheld weapon such as a sword, a warhammer, or an axe…”
I’ve emphasized attack in these descriptions because the term “attack” is only referenced definitively under actions. So we can deduce that an OA (RAW) allows for one ATTACK ACTION restricted to melee within your reach, and by extension includes psychic blades which can be used as an attack action.
No, its long been established that the "Attack Action" is not equivalent to the "Opportunity Attack" nor that "Opportunity Attack" allows a single use of the "Attack Action"
An "Attack Action" lets you make one Melee or Ranged attack. We then need to read on to the specific "Melee Attacks" section to discover the "Opportunity Attacks" sub section which specifically notes that "Such a strike is called an opportunity attack" then you use your reaction to make one melee attack against the provoking creature"
There are various other headings under "Melee Attack" for "Two-Weapon Fighting" which specify "When you take the Attack action" and "Grappling" which notes "you can use the Attack action" along with "Shoving a Creature" which specifies "Using the Attack action". But you'll note the term "Attack action" is purposely missing from the "Opportunity Attacks" section.
Consider the Sage Advice on this which specifies:
Can an opportunity attack be used to make a grapple or a shove?
Grappling and shoving are special melee attacks that require the Attack action. An opportunity attack is a special reaction. Take the Ready action if you want to attempt a grapple or a shove as a reaction.
I really think the Psychic Blades feature was written with the assumption that you'd always be throwing the blade. Typically with conjured weapons, they stick around if you hold them and vanish if you let them go. But for some reason that's not how this one works lol. It vanishes even if you make a melee attack.
I hadn't actually realized that. I just assumed it worked the same way as do other similar effects.
I think its worth remembering the other features that come along with the psychic blades.
Consider the "Soul Blades" feature at 9th level. This notes that you now have Homing Strikes which occur when you make an attack roll with your Psychic Blades. This means you could use this feature with the Opportunity Attack if Psychic Blades worked with that.
Also the "Rend Mind" feature at 17th level. This notes that it occurs when you use your Psychic Blades to deal Sneak Attack damage. Sneak Attack IS actually a feature which can work with any attack since it only specifies that it occurs once per turn.
Honestly, I don't think its an oversight, I think its intentional. They didn't give the Psychic Blades the "Light" property either, so if a rogue wants to use a dagger in their off-hand and rely on regular Two-Weapon fighting for their bonus action, they can't. If they take the Dual Wielder feat they won't get the "+1 bonus to AC" because it only occurs while they're wielding a separate melee weapon in each hand and the Psychic Blades disappear. However it notes that you can draw or stow TWO one-handed weapons rather than one and I don't believe it's too liberal a reading to suggest a rogue could stow a rapier, use their psychic blades then draw the rapier again. If not, they could certainly create and use both psychic blades then draw a rapier and a whip or two other weapons.
Thematically, I think it also shows that the psychic blades are something created in the moment by the mind as a focused attack while an Opportunity attack is something done suddenly in response to an opponent's unexpected move.
Regardless the Psychic Blades are NOT a bad feature. You can go places that disallow weapons, you can kill with them and leave no marks on the body, you don't need to retrieve thrown weapons or buy replacements, they bypass resistance to non-magical bludgeoning, slashing, piercing, it has twice range without disadvantage of any thrown weapon, psychic damage has very few immune or resistant creatures and they have the additional features afforded to the class later.
Even then, if Opportunity Attacks with a weapon is a big deal to a rogue because (for whatever reason) opponents are always trying to run away without disengaging, all a rogue has to do is forgo their bonus action attack by holding a weapon in one hand and they will be able to swing that instead. Between Cunning Action, Steady Aim and the Soulknife's ability to regain a Psionic Energy die, the rogue will still have plenty of other things they can do with their bonus action each turn. The rogue can even make it a rapier for d8 damage rather than d6 on the Opportunity Attack and Attack Action (if they don't need Psychic Damage or use of higher features). A rogue is likely to get a magic weapon at some point which will give them even more reason to forgo the d4 bonus action damage and pace the use of Psychic Blades for use with higher features or ranged attacks.
Actually, the safest answer is that you can only manifest the blades in the way the feature says you can.
Wizards can get the fireball spell. Their class feature states they can use fireball by spending a 3rd level (or higher) spell slot to cast it. Would you argue that you could cast fireball as a bonus action for free because the rules don't specifically say you can't?
It's simply not possible for the game to follow a model of spelling out every restriction where you can't do something. So it very specifically says how you can do the thing and that is assumed to be the only way(s) you can do the thing.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
It actually isn't required for the Soulknife to forgo the bonus action Psychic Blades attack. Psychic Blades is not Two-Weapon Fighting and does not require the use of both hands. So a Soulknife wielding a weapon in one hand and with the other hand free can make all their normal Psychic Blades attacks while having a normal weapon available for Opportunity Attacks.
Also even if both hands are occupied it is still possible. The Soulknife can drop the normal weapon they are holding, make all their Psychic Blades attacks, then pick their weapon back up before ending their turn.
From Psychic Blades:
"After you attack with the blade, you can make a melee or ranged weapon attack with a second psychic blade as a bonus action on the same turn, provided your other hand is free to create it. The damage die of this bonus attack is 1d4, instead of 1d6."
You are correct that Psychic Blades doesn't use the Two-Weapon fighting rules, however it does have the above rule for making a 2nd attack with the Psychic Blades as a Bonus Action that can only be done if you have first made an attack with the psychic blade (so no attacking with a primary weapon then using Psychic Blades for the bonus action) and it specifies you can only do this provided your other hand is free to create it.
However you're correct that a generous enough DM would allow the rogue to reach the point they wish to make a psychic blades attack, drop the weapon they're already holding, attack and bonus attack with psychic blades, then pick the physical weapon back up with their free object interaction. Most DMs are generous enough to call "dropping" a weapon or held item a completely free action with even Devs noting they would not require it to be the free object interaction. With this trick a Rogue could even be carrying a reach weapon, such as a polearm or a whip, or even a two handed great weapon.
Ah, I missed the final clause of that sentence XD