The Psion class has returned to Unearthed Arcana, reshaped by player feedback and ready for another playtest!

You can read the full playtest packet yourself or click below for highlights from the Psion and its subclasses, which include designer insights from Ben Petrisor.

• The Updated Psion
• Metamorph
• Psykinetic
• Telepath

The Updated Psion

Thanks to the massive amount of player response, we have been able to make substantial changes to the Psion. The majority of feedback on the class fell into three buckets: Psionic Energy Dice uses, Psionic Modes, and Spellcasting.

Following player feedback, we’ve made changes to the Psion to make their use of Psionic Energy Dice more flexible and easier to regain. Telepathic Propel and Telepathic Connection now allow you to use the feature, at least once, without expending Psionic Energy Dice; Psionic Restoration now restores all expended Psionic Energy Dice over a 1-minute meditation; Psionic Reserves is a new feature that allows you to regain uses of Psionic Energy Dice until you have four whenever you roll Initiative; finally, several Psionic Disciplines have been redesigned to allow you to either choose how many Psionic Energy Dice you expend or only expend the die on a success. These changes allow the Psion to have more uses of Psionic Energy Dice and be less reliant on resting.

Psionic Modes has been cut. The feedback showed that the feature added complexity to the class by being an additional limited-use feature to track and competing with other Bonus Action class and subclass features. Aspects of Psionic Modes that scored well, such as the modified options in the Psykinetic and the Telepath, have been adapted as new features.

Spellcasting now provides new cantrips at levels 4 and 10. In addition, the Psion’s spell list has gotten a huge update. The spell list now includes more spells, including updated versions of spells from previous books like Enemies Abound and Mental Prison. This UA also adds seven brand-new spells, adding to the Cleric, Psion, Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard spell lists.

Metamorph

Recurring player feedback was wanting expended uses of Psionic Energy Dice to include a roll of that dice. An example is in the Metamorph’s Mutable Form (formerly Extend Limbs), which now rolls the Psionic Energy Die to gain Temporary Hit Points. Life-Bending Weapons has been redesigned so that the extra damage your Organic Weapons deal does not expend a use of Psionic Energy Die, unless you use the feature to also restore Hit Points to yourself and your allies.

Organic Weapons can now be maintained longer, letting players walk around town with their limb transformed into a Viscera Launcher.

Feedback called out concern for the Organic Weapons competing with magic weapons. If the Metamorph appears in a book, magic items that provide benefits to Organic Weapons will appear alongside it.

Psykinetic

The Psykinetic gains a new level 3 feature, Stronger Telekinesis, that allows Mage Hand to have a longer range, and the hand can carry up to 20 pounds. Telekinetic Techniques is a core feature for the subclass, so we redesigned it to be able to be used every turn; Players can now use Telekinetic Propel without expending a Psionic Energy Die, but you use a d4 instead of the scaling die.

Destructive Trance (formerly Empowered Attack Mode) no longer uses Psionic Modes and instead can be activated at the start of your turn.

Now that the Psion has access to more Psionic Energy Dice, Heightened Telekinesis still expends four Psionic Energy Dice, but it doesn’t expend a spell slot.

Telepath

Telepathic Connection has been redesigned to grant a greater base range of telepathy. This lets us play with features that use that telepathy range.

Telepathic Distraction, a new feature, lets you interfere with another creature’s attack roll if it is within range of your telepathy. Bulwark Mind (formerly known as Empowered Defense Mode), like Destructive Trance, has been redesigned to not use Psionic Modes.

Potent Thoughts now also increases the base range of your telepathy out to 60 feet.

Player feedback showed that Scramble Minds added too many die rolls to rounds of combat, potentially slowing play down significantly. We redesigned the feature so that you choose the creature’s behavior, reducing die rolls, keeping allies safe, and getting the desired outcome for enemies.

Your Feedback Matters

Once you’ve read or played with these playtest materials, be sure to fill out the survey on D&D Beyond, coming on October 9, and let us know what you think.