First of all, the theme of psionics should be Control. More than any other power source, Psi-characters should be aware of their powers and what they are doing. Most Psi classes will likely use wisdom as a primary ability score to represent their ability to concentrate with Int & Cha as common secondarys.
A defining feature of Psi classes will be the augment class features. This would be a source-wide class feature. Basically, at character creation, each psi character would pick an augment which would alter their powers when a specific condition is met. For example controllers could augment thier powers a number of times per encounter, whereas defenders would augment their powers when attacking marked enemies.
The augments themselves would consist of primarily tactical effects, such as knocking the target prone on a hit, sliding instead of pushing/pulling, ignoring allies or dealing additional damage types.
Psionic powers would consist of 3 broad groups; the "Mind-Control/Precognition" Group, the "Telekenesis/Energy Bolt" group, and the "Dream Summoner" Group. Damage would be 98% Force or Psychic, with Fire/Lightning ect being added via augments (Whilst I don't feel Psionics needs to be "realistic", I do feel pyrokinesis ect. should be a specialisation).
On average Psi powers should deal less damage than other sources, but to balance that out they should be more accurate and have a higher minimum damage (D6 becomes D4+1 for example).
When it comes to implements, I feel the prime candidate is the Living Tatoo, as tatoos have been associated with Psionics for about as long as it's existed.
I'd like to see the soulknife become a feat. Specifically, a feat that allows you to use your psionic implement to make weapon attacks.
Lastly, Psionics should have no striker. It should have a single target controller instead.
A psionic character has 4 At-Wills (Human 5 or 4). At the beginnig of an encounter when the "Psion" uses At-Will 3 then it will become set. Then he can use #3 all the time. When he uses At-Will 1 for the first time it becomes set too. He can use At-Will 3 and 1 for this encounter. (Human can maybe set a third one but that would mean the get only 4 At-Wills too). He could have choosen 3 and 2 for this encounter or 1 and 4.
This would give interesting mechanics to Psionics...
First of all, the theme of psionics should be Control.
I heard enchantment/charm, for what it's worth/if that helps.
*Announced here
Because a new power source has already been confirmed for phb3 (Ki*), we're probably looking at psionics for phb4 minimum.
*Announced here
Oh because they couldn't put more than one power source in a book. Oh no, heaven forbid that.
As for when it'll be released, my guess is that since phb2 introduces a single power source (primal), that will probably be the standard. Because a new power source has already been confirmed for phb3 (Ki*), we're probably looking at psionics for phb4 minimum.
*Announced here
I seriously doubt they will do 8 classes for Ki.
Right now excluding Campaign Settings we have:
Martial 4 (Fighter/Ranger/Rogue/Warlord)
Divine 4 (Avenger/Cleric/Invoker/Paladin)
Arcane 4 (Bard/Sorcerer/Warlock/Wizard)
Primal 4 (Barbarian/Druid/Shaman/Warden)
With them Arcane jumps to 6 (Artificer/Swordmage).
I think 4 is the magic number for PHB Power Sources classes. Ki and either Shadow/elemental/Psionics at 4/4 or Ki and another two at 4/2/2 is my guess. I am willing to bet its Ki+1 at 4/4 though.
A lot will depend on 'setting'
Darksun: Psionics
Ravenloft: Shadow
et cetra.
A lot will depend on 'setting'
Darksun: Psionics
Ravenloft: Shadow
et cetra.
Oh, now that's a nice idea. I'd dig some Ravenloft happiness with a bonus Shadow class.
Oh, now that's a nice idea. I'd dig some Ravenloft happiness with a bonus Shadow class.
This belief keeps my hope of Al-Qadim as a setting alive. (elemental). :D.
This belief keeps my hope of Al-Qadim as a setting alive. (elemental). :D.
Oh! That would be frik'n awesome! With the tie to Demonic powers and elemental source. I can see it! Whoa! :D
Oh! That would be frik'n awesome! With the tie to Demonic powers and elemental source. I can see it! Whoa!
Yeah, the sad reality is though, that Elemental is intrinisic to Darksun too. I just keep a candle a lit for a return of the Sha'ir.
Yeah, the sad reality is though, that Elemental is intrinisic to Darksun too. I just keep a candle a lit for a return of the Sha'ir.
I'm just blowing smoke, but Imagine this:
2010 - Psi/Ki/Shadow 4/2/2, Dark Sun
2011 - Elemental/Ki/Shadow 4/2/2, Al-Quadim
It's a bit heavy on the desert worlds idea...but So playable.
I would love that. The only issue is 2 power source books a year (this year we get 3, but its believed 2 is their goal) they can't release one without four base classes sooo...
Funny. I think the 3 with 1 primary model works out nicely. You get a taste of the others and then flesh them out with setting classes and later PHBs. Damn WoTC's making some serious cash of me. I'm hooked.
I seriously doubt they will do 8 classes for Ki.
And so do I. What I meant is that it will have one new power source with classes for the existing power sources (e.g. phb2 has the primal power source as well as arcane and divine classes).
And so do I. What I meant is that it will have one new power source with classes for the existing power sources (e.g. phb2 has the primal power source as well as arcane and divine classes).
I doubt that will happen. 4 PHB classes per source seems to be what they are striving for. Maybe later on, more but not right now. At least I hope they don't make us slowly wait around for all the sources after the teases of them.
I really am beginning to expect Ki/Shadow as MotP has the paragon path with Shadow powers. OtOH the Abyss is being covered this year so Elemental is a possibility.
4 PHB classes per source seems to be what they are striving for.
Really? Then why do they have 2 martial strikers (rouge and ranger), 2 arcane strikers (warlock and sorcerer), and 2 arcane leaders (artificer and bard)?
Really? Then why do they have 2 martial strikers (rouge and ranger), 2 arcane strikers (warlock and sorcerer), and 2 arcane leaders (artificer and bard)?
Artificer doesn't count as PHB class as its going to be in the EPG. We have
2 melee strikers - as we don't have a melee controller
2 arcane strikers - as don't have an arcane defender (In the PHBs alone).
I really am beginning to expect Ki/Shadow as MotP has the paragon path with Shadow powers. OtOH the Abyss is being covered this year so Elemental is a possibility.
One shadow power doesn't a PHB make. That being said, it's nice that some Shadow powers are being shown. Thankfully the ED is vague enough that it should work for just about any character. But if there are no Psionics in PHB3. I shall be very
.One shadow power doesn't a PHB make. That being said, it's nice that some Shadow powers are being shown. Thankfully the ED is vague enough that it should work for just about any character. But if there are no Psionics in PHB3. I shall be very
Paragon not ED. and its all of his powers (3 of them! Hehe).
Its the Shadow Captain Paragon Path. Whats interesting is its a Shadow power source PP for a Martial Power Source main class.
Paragon not ED. and its all of his powers (3 of them! Hehe).
Its the Shadow Captain Paragon Path. Whats interesting is its a Shadow power source PP for a Martial Power Source main class.
Shadow Captain...*goes to look*
Really? Then why do they have 2 martial strikers (rouge and ranger), 2 arcane strikers (warlock and sorcerer), and 2 arcane leaders (artificer and bard)?
That's completely irrelevant. It's not related in any way to what he just said, which is unarguably true. They have been aiming for four PHB classes per power source.
Also, ROGUE. R O G U E. THIS IS NOT THE AVON FORUM.
Now, now. Mellow it out. Typos and misspells are the bread and butter of forum chatter.
Rouge v Rogue is an intense and angry debate that has existed since 2E on the web (Thieves and Bards were collectively referred to as rogues)
I'm just blowing smoke, but Imagine this:
2010 - Psi/Ki/Shadow 4/2/2, Dark Sun
2011 - Elemental/Ki/Shadow 4/2/2, Al-Quadim
It's a bit heavy on the desert worlds idea...but So playable.
I like this order for the power sources, though I'm not sure about the settings (I've got nothing against them, and I'd love to see Dark Sun, but I was never introduced to them).
Psi/Ki/Shadow supports Eberron well (as Psionics were a big part of the world, and Shadow - Illusion and Necromancy - were very significant in several of the more interesting areas).
Heck, unless Ki somehow supports Al-Quadim, it really feels like the "odd-man-out" power source, included with no actual place in any settings.
Most Psi classes will likely use wisdom as a primary ability score to represent their ability to concentrate with Int & Cha as common secondarys.
I completely disagree. There is no special reason for them to be based on WIS rather than INT or CHA. INT makes perfect sense for the Psion and CHA makes fantastic sense for the Wilder. Psy Warrior will probably still use WIS, though. That is, assuming all of these classes will be returning, and I don't see why they wouldn't, with Psion as Controller, Wilder as Striker, and Psy Warrior as Defender. If Soul Knife comes back (and I hope it doesn't), it'll probably be Striker too, taking melee while Wilder does ranged.
Psychic Warrior goes towards defender. Wilder's a bit of an oddball, but we'll see what they do with the sorcerer, it seems to go along a similar path(especially with the more physical bent they're throwing on the sorc). The two mantle-classes from ComPsi both read as leader-esque, (though so does the paladin, and it's a defender..), but I could also see the various Psion subsets split out across different roles.
I think we'll see classes for all four roles, more than one-per over time, most likely, although like the all-encompassing-Wizard, I think the old Psion one-stop-shop is gone.
My big thing is, I'd love to see the PP mechanic represented somewhere. My pet theory is that they could give a pool that refreshes per-encounter, which could be used to enhance the powers above and beyond the basic level. (This was my concept I wanted to use if I ever did a 3.5 psi-warlock, with a really low-count daily pp pool that could be used to buff the EB and invocations, which were themselves dropped in power relative to the actual warlock. The real fun was it what some of those invocs could do with major buffing that would only occur later on. Purely worded abilities, tho, not extra dice.)
PHB III
-Ardent = Psionic Defender
-Empath = Psionic Leader
-Illusionist = Shadow Controller
-Monk = Ki Striker
-Necromancer = Shadow Leader
-Sohei/Soulknife = Ki Defender
-Shaper/Wilder = Psionic Controller
-Telepath/Kineticist = Psionic Striker
The reason I don't see a class being called Psion, is since the power source is called Psionic, it would be like having an Arcane class called Arca, and Psychic Warrior is a two word title, and 4th Ed classes only have one word titles (and it seems a tad generic).
I completely disagree. There is no special reason for them to be based on WIS rather than INT or CHA. INT makes perfect sense for the Psion and CHA makes fantastic sense for the Wilder.
I say Wis because in popular fiction the power of a psychic character is 98% of the time dependant on how much they can concentrate on thier target, with the power either missing or just plain not working if they can't concentrate enough. I can see Charisma working almost as well, but how on earth would being smart affect your ability to rewrite reality?
I too love the Soulknife, but I can't think of a reason why the ability to create a blade out of dreamstuff should be confined to a specific class.
I want to see Lurks wielding Khopeshes (Khopeshi?) and Psions with thought-staves dangit! :D
Arca is an awesome name for a class.
Arca is an awesome name for a class.
How about Martia for a Martial class?
How about Martia for a Martial class?
It's always Martia, Martia, Marsha!:P (Note: Sorry if I'm off on the quote, I've never actually seen the Brady Bunch and don't feel like looking the exact wording up.)
It's always Martia, Martia, Marsha!:P (Note: Sorry if I'm off on the quote, I've never actually seen the Brady Bunch and don't feel like looking the exact wording up.)
Good man, I was hoping someone would come along with that reference.
I say Wis because in popular fiction the power of a psychic character is 98% of the time dependant on how much they can concentrate on thier target, with the power either missing or just plain not working if they can't concentrate enough.
Concentration isn't tied solely to WIS. CHA works just as well for that too.
I can see Charisma working almost as well, but how on earth would being smart affect your ability to rewrite reality?
I don't know. Ask the Wizard. ;)
Seriously, though, if the game lets you learn to use Arcane magic without having any natural aptitude for it, I don't see why it shouldn't let you learn how to use psychic powers the same way. The old Psion was perfect for this.
The reason I don't see a class being called Psion, is since the power source is called Psionic, it would be like having an Arcane class called Arca, and Psychic Warrior is a two word title, and 4th Ed classes only have one word titles (and it seems a tad generic).
Note that the class-name "Psion" actually appears in the PHB, in the sidebar on page 54 labeled "Power Sources". Note also that barbarian, druid and monk are the other classes listed in that sidebar, and that 3 out of the 4 unreleased classes have been confirmed as being both "in", and retaining their name. Therefore, I think you are wrong, and that "Psion" will indeed be the name for the psionic controller.
Also, IMHO, psion is to psionics as magus is to magic.
Therefore, I think you are wrong, and that "Psion" will indeed be the name for the psionic controller.
And that's another thing; the 3rd Ed Psion was more Striker than Controller.
Maybe they'll bring back Psionicist!
…But I would hate that as well.
Anyway, we'll see.
Seriously, though, if the game lets you learn to use Arcane magic without having any natural aptitude for it, I don't see why it shouldn't let you learn how to use psychic powers the same way. The old Psion was perfect for this.
But how they learn their powers isn't the issue (That said, I find the idea of characters going to Psion-School extremely dodgy. It's like going out and studying to be a sorcerer.). A bard might learn his songs from his mentor, but they're still based around charisma. Wizards use Int because their spells are complex constructs they have to assemble on the fly according to arcane laws, with any mistakes causing the spell to disolve harmlessly. Titanian the archmage doesn't have any more raw power than Bob the commoner, he's just better at using it.
Imho :D
The reason I don't see a class being called Psion, is since the power source is called Psionic,
As I've said so many times before, Psion and Scion are pronounced exactly the same way. I see nothing wrong with class whose name sounds another word for like "Descendent or Offspring or Son/Daughter". After all there's so many things in fantasy that's the Scion of something ancient and powerful.