Author Topic: 5e Psionics  (Read 12863 times)

Offline Nanshork

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Re: 5e Psionics
« Reply #20 on: November 30, 2019, 07:29:38 PM »
It came out this week, I count that as just came out.  :P

Offline Necrosnoop110

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Re: 5e Psionics
« Reply #21 on: December 02, 2019, 12:13:09 PM »
Thanks but I'm talking about:

When are we going to get finished, professional level, print book grade 5e psionics?

My 5E group does not allow UA, only finished products. (I'm not DMing) 
« Last Edit: December 02, 2019, 12:15:29 PM by Necrosnoop110 »

Offline Nanshork

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Re: 5e Psionics
« Reply #22 on: December 02, 2019, 12:34:37 PM »
Probably never for a full on dedicated book. My guess is that there will be a book with a handful of psionic archetypes and feats mixed in with a bunch of other stuff and that will be it.

Offline awaken_D_M_golem

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Re: 5e Psionics
« Reply #23 on: December 02, 2019, 05:06:58 PM »
Oh look, a new UA.

I prefer the hilarious bull-puppy pic.

 :pout on the Psi = Wizard, there's wrong and then there's wrong, and then there's Bruce Willis snagging Jessica Alba wrong.


edit  --- having pouted and gone to my room and self-lobotomized ... yeah the whole UA looks interesting.
« Last Edit: December 02, 2019, 05:14:46 PM by awaken_D_M_golem »
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Offline Necrosnoop110

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Re: 5e Psionics
« Reply #24 on: December 03, 2019, 10:30:15 AM »
My guess is that there will be a book with a handful of psionic archetypes and feats mixed in with a bunch of other stuff and that will be it.
That is what I mean (also). Why is it taking so long for that book?

Offline Nanshork

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Re: 5e Psionics
« Reply #25 on: December 03, 2019, 02:14:13 PM »
My guess is that there will be a book with a handful of psionic archetypes and feats mixed in with a bunch of other stuff and that will be it.
That is what I mean (also). Why is it taking so long for that book?

They're releasing about 1-2 books a year and Psionics has always been a fringe subsystem with little official support.

Paizo doesn't even print psioncs material at all for any of their three games.

Offline Necrosnoop110

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Re: 5e Psionics
« Reply #26 on: December 03, 2019, 03:20:00 PM »
They're releasing about 1-2 books a year and Psionics has always been a fringe subsystem with little official support.

I respectfully disagree. I consider that lack of an official psionic system, whether in a dedicated book or as part of another book, in a major published release, a huge ball drop for 5E. I do not count UA. Lets look at the game's history:

1E (One year from first release to Psionics release)
1st Book Released: Monster Manual (1977)
Psionics Released: Player's Handbook (1978)

2E (Two years from first release to Psionics release)
1st Book Released: Player's Handbook (1989)
Psionics Released: The Complete Psionics Handbook (1991)

3E (One year from first release to Psionics release)
1st Book Released: Player's Handbook (2000)
Psionics Released: Psionics Handbook (2001)

4E (Two years from first release to Psionics release)
1st Book Released: Player's Handbook (2008)
Psionics Released: Player's Handbook 3 (2010)

5E (5+ years and no current Psionics release)
1st Book Released: Players Handbook (2014)
Psionics Released: ??? !!!
« Last Edit: December 03, 2019, 03:27:34 PM by Necrosnoop110 »

Offline Nanshork

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Re: 5e Psionics
« Reply #27 on: December 03, 2019, 05:21:54 PM »
A) All of the other editions (at least starting with 2E) had many more books released annually.

B) One (or maybe two) books per edition is what I define as "little official support".

It wouldn't surprise me if they took a hint from Paizo and decided that it wasn't needed in the first place. PF and PF2 don't have psionics and neither does Starfinder.

Offline awaken_D_M_golem

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Re: 5e Psionics
« Reply #28 on: December 03, 2019, 05:30:39 PM »

My guess is that there will be a book ...

... Why is it taking so long for that book?

 ;)
Oh they're probably trying to sanitize the true believers, and
pre-plant a solid round of "Psionics is NOT broken" dudes.
Seems like a necessary marketing campaign, really.
 :D
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Offline Necrosnoop110

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Re: 5e Psionics
« Reply #29 on: December 04, 2019, 10:23:59 AM »
A) All of the other editions (at least starting with 2E) had many more books released annually.

Agreed, good point.

B) One (or maybe two) books per edition is what I define as "little official support".

This is factually incorrect. While there may have been typically only one to three dedicated titles per edition there has been much official/semi-offical supplemental rules and revisions. Just looking at 2E:
(1) The Complete Psionics Handbook
(2) Player's Option: Skills & Powers (revisions and expansion)
(3) Dark Sun Campaign Setting (revisions and expansion and a core element in the setting)
(4) Psionic creatures incorporated into Monster Manual supplements
(5) Dragon magazine articles and Dungeon adventures focused on or around psionics
And that is just off the top of my head.   


It wouldn't surprise me if they took a hint from Paizo and decided that it wasn't needed in the first place. PF and PF2 don't have psionics and neither does Starfinder.
:sobbing

Offline Necrosnoop110

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Re: 5e Psionics
« Reply #30 on: December 04, 2019, 10:26:22 AM »
;)
Oh they're probably trying to sanitize the true believers, and
pre-plant a solid round of "Psionics is NOT broken" dudes.
Seems like a necessary marketing campaign, really.
 :D
(1) Manifest: Dominate Fan-Boys, Mass
(2) ???
(3) Profit

 :lmao

Offline Nanshork

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Re: 5e Psionics
« Reply #31 on: December 04, 2019, 10:46:45 AM »
We obviously have very different definitions of limited support. A 2E UA book and some monsters in the fifty different monster manuals they put out does not significant support make.

IMO Dark Sun is the only part of 2E that had actual psionics support but since the setting was so different from normal D&D that it had its own stat generation system it was never considered to be mainstream (and it wasn't helped by how fucked up 2E psionics were).

I also want to say that Dragon and Dungeon haven't been considered official material in any edition.

Offline Necrosnoop110

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Re: 5e Psionics
« Reply #32 on: December 04, 2019, 11:00:10 AM »
Obviously, no subsystem is going to have more content than the "main system," and by definition will be "limited" certainly by comparison to that core but as far as subsystems go it seems Psionics has had the most support historically across most editions until 5E. I consider Dragon/Dungeon semi-official as I stated in my post above (and agree it should not be counted as official).

Yeah its obvious we'll just have to agree to disagree here. Much love though.  :surrender   
« Last Edit: December 04, 2019, 11:18:09 AM by Necrosnoop110 »

Offline Nanshork

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Re: 5e Psionics
« Reply #33 on: December 04, 2019, 11:54:59 AM »
I think that psionics has the most support out of any subsystem before 5E because it's the only one that survives edition changes.  :P

Hooray for civil discourse!  :hug

Offline awaken_D_M_golem

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Re: 5e Psionics
« Reply #34 on: December 04, 2019, 04:50:45 PM »
 :clap Mass Dominate Fan-boys , ha.


Each edition has had it's pile of core unsupported but interesting stuff.
Maybe call them the " Tricky Casters ".

1e had Sage , Shaman , Witch Doctor , and PurelyRandomPsi.
2e had basically the entire Monster Mythology book (I'm sure there were others)
3e had the Witch, leaving it up to PF to do that
4e had the Magewright ... you know ... the thing that crafted all the world drop x-mas tree gear ?!
OK I can see how that last one would be unconvincing to most
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Offline Necrosnoop110

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Re: 5e Psionics
« Reply #35 on: September 29, 2020, 02:52:10 PM »
Tasha's Cauldron of Everything!?!? Psionics? Can anyone confirm?

Offline awaken_D_M_golem

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Re: 5e Psionics
« Reply #36 on: September 29, 2020, 06:09:40 PM »
Enworld has a screenshot of 2 powers ... uh whatever they're calling them.
The spell is a cross between Shocking Grasp and a 1 round Slow.
< has a 4thE feel to it ; if that could be said + received without grist/angst >
The cantrip is more likely to hit than most cantrips, and the rider might compete with advantage most of the time.
< too early for a verdict ; I wanna see a serious maths hammer on it first ; flavor is good regardless >

Wake the puppy !!
WAKE.  THE.  PUPPY.


Your codpiece is a mimic.

Offline Necrosnoop110

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Re: 5e Psionics
« Reply #37 on: September 29, 2020, 08:44:54 PM »
Wake the puppy !!
WAKE.  THE.  PUPPY.

He's stirring but the feed dish has not been seen yet.

Offline nijineko

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Re: 5e Psionics
« Reply #38 on: October 25, 2020, 08:14:32 PM »
They're releasing about 1-2 books a year and Psionics has always been a fringe subsystem with little official support.

I respectfully disagree. I consider that lack of an official psionic system, whether in a dedicated book or as part of another book, in a major published release, a huge ball drop for 5E. I do not count UA. Lets look at the game's history:

1E (One year from first release to Psionics release)
1st Book Released: Monster Manual (1977)
Psionics Released: Player's Handbook (1978)

2E (Two years from first release to Psionics release)
1st Book Released: Player's Handbook (1989)
Psionics Released: The Complete Psionics Handbook (1991)

3E (One year from first release to Psionics release)
1st Book Released: Player's Handbook (2000)
Psionics Released: Psionics Handbook (2001)

4E (Two years from first release to Psionics release)
1st Book Released: Player's Handbook (2008)
Psionics Released: Player's Handbook 3 (2010)

5E (5+ years and no current Psionics release)
1st Book Released: Players Handbook (2014)
Psionics Released: ??? !!!

Don't forget Original edition!

0E (Two years from first release to Psionics release)
1st Book Released: Volume 1 Men & Magic (1974)
Psionics Released: Supplement 3 Eldritch Wizardry (1976)


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Let me make another observation.

Gygax wanted a Medieval game of fantasy. He is on record as stating that both the monk and psionics didn't fit his vision for his game. Those thing were originally included due to popular demand, and because Gygax at the time like including things that others wanted, even if he didn't want to use it himself. In the same statement about the monk and psionics, he indicated that he planned on removing them from the game in the next edition... however when the next edition came out, both things remained, and Gygax never (to my knowledge) mentioned exactly why he changed his mind. Regardless, he used neither in his personal games.

Despite that, psionics was and has remained popular throughout the game, and I for one am a fan of the concept of psionics, if not always of how the game executes said concept of psionics. In the numerous additions to psionics in 0e, it was often used as a method to grant otherwise non-magical people with the non-magical abilities they displayed in books and movies. IIRC, Conan himself was originally listed as having "unconscious use of psionics" to explain some of his superhuman feats of strength, endurance, and recovery.

Personally, I think it is a great concept that is deeply embedded in fantasy (indeed, the famous Appendix N contained several works of psi-fantasy), and should be included in every edition of D&D.
« Last Edit: October 25, 2020, 08:33:22 PM by nijineko »

Offline Necrosnoop110

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Re: 5e Psionics
« Reply #39 on: November 06, 2020, 02:25:55 PM »
Quote from: nijineko
0E (Two years from first release to Psionics release)
1st Book Released: Volume 1 Men & Magic (1974)
Psionics Released: Supplement 3 Eldritch Wizardry (1976)
Good call. Forgot about that edition. 

Quote from: nijineko
IIRC, Conan himself was originally listed as having "unconscious use of psionics" to explain some of his superhuman feats of strength, endurance, and recovery.
:blink Holy moly. First I ever heard of this one. Pretty cool. Anyone got a source?

Quote from: nijineko
Personally, I think it is a great concept that is deeply embedded in fantasy (indeed, the famous Appendix N contained several works of psi-fantasy), and should be included in every edition of D&D.
Couldn't agree more. I was a late convert to psionics in general, seeing it as clearly outside the bounds of proper fantasy, seeing it as something for science fiction only. Game-mechanics-wise I saw it as completely broken from 2E and early 3.0E experiences. 3.5E converted me and reading about the deep history of its inclusion in so many forms of fantasy. Also, want to point out how instrumental that "psionics is not overpowered" thread from the old WotC forum was to changing my mind.
« Last Edit: November 06, 2020, 02:39:48 PM by Necrosnoop110 »