I found the 3 core books mostly complete but it was sad to see that psionics were not included, especially since these are core to Dark Sun and much of the Reidra storyline of Eberron involves psionics. Why are psionics once again the red head step child?
1) The 5e core book includes all the core classes from all the previous editions. Psionics have never been a core class, neither has Artificer. They just flat didn't make the cut for the core book because they've never been a core book class. There are more settings that don't use psionics than do, and everything core book should apply to the vast majority of settings.
2) Psion has been inconsistantly portrayed across several editions, so there is no real defining feature to them that we can all agree on.
3) Touchy subject hard to get right, so the writers felt it was best to move forwards with the game design and revisit it later. We simply haven't gotten to that point yet.
4) We DO have a psychic-like option, the GOO Warlock, which is pretty fun.
5) Sorcerer swallowed the whole Power Point for more power thing, and we have rules for converting spell slots into power points in the DMG.
6) Psionic powers ARE a red-help step child. Psychic ability is often seen as "science fiction" material and inappropriate for a vast number of fantasy settings. Sometimes, it fits, othertimes, it does not.
7) Lots of stuff have been released in Unearthed Arcana articles. We haven't had Psions yet, but I imagine its only a matter of time. They probably need a lot of playtesting
1e/2e had Human, Dwarf, Elf, Half-elf, Half-orc, Halfling, Gnome. Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Wizard. 2e left out barbarian and half-orc --but added 'em back in, later)
3e had all of the above plus Sorcerer and Warlock (a later addition).
4e had Dragonborn and Tiefling (both re-imagined from races from earlier editions) but left out gnome, half-orcs, druid, and sorcerer (added later). 4e also intro'd the Warlord.
5e has all these races and classes (except warlord). It covers a lot of ground already. Give 'em time. Psionics always makes an appearance sooner or later. It was never fully developed in 1e (just some quick guidelines) but 2e, eventually had its own Complete book, and in 3.0/5 there was the Expanded/Psionics Handbook, and 4e had PHB 3 and Psionic Power book.
Edited the first part so it's more accurate 
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I am hoping for a return to the Deryni-style psionics. We shall see.
Psionics is in the game. They are referenced in the monster manual and currently describes using inner ability to cast spells without any components. I would just reskin spellcaster for now and expect a future product.
1E PHB had them but thats about it.
I don´t like to use two different versions of the mosters with psionic powers, one the no-psionic from the standar monster book, and the psionic manifester from the psionic handbook.
* Should lurker (from the complete psionic) to be a rogue subclass, wilder a psion subclass?
I would like a soulknife subclass with "ki maneuvers" and a class what mixture psionic power points and incarnum soulmelds to create a psionic construct + incarnum soulspark effect.
Psychic Warrior should be a Fighter subclass, Lurk a Rogue subclass, Soulknife a Monk subclass, Wilder should be represented by "Psionic Magic" spell source for Sorcerers, Ardent should be represented through an "Oath of Ardour" or some such subclass for the Paladin, Divine Mind should be wrapped with the Bo9S style Devoted Spirit to become a Divine Monk subclass rather than a Psionic subclass of Monk (because Ki is basically Psionics, as 4e showed), and Psion itself should be a base class with various disciplines as subclasses, including an Erudite generalist.
Psionics will come. It's just a matter of time.
LeslieLightning wrote:
Psionics is just magic. If there is anything in the game that could ever possibly be reflavoured it's psionics. Warlock and Monk are perfect examples, you could just say Psi Points instead of Chi and you're already 99.99% of the way there to having your psionics.
FFSAA wrote:
I believe there are no psionics in 5e because there is magic.
In at least one prior edition, psionics has been treated as essentially being magic by another name. I would like to see that not happen again if 5e is to officially have psionics, but I also realize that psionics will always be treated as lesser to magic. Even when psionics were basically magic by another name, the psionic powers that roughly duplicated spells were generally inferior compared to the spells; mechanically speaking, you were better off just using the spell list from the PHB.
LeslieLightning wrote:
To me, the most important design decision is "can you do X with it?" By that standard, psychic powers are well represented in 5e:
Knowledge cleric and GOOpact warlock do the telepathy thing pretty well. GOOpact warlock and enchanter wizard do mind control. Diviner wizard handles precog. Dragon bloodline sorcerer, fiendpact warlock, light cleric, and evoker wizards are all really good with fire. Arcane spellthief handles subtle TK. Eldritch blast is easily refluffed as psychokinesis. As far as I can tell, the only "psychic" type character in terms of output that can't be played from an early level is the Jean Grey drop a dump trunk on your head TK.
That being said, I am sure there will be separate psychic rules, very likely in a UA article, and I hope they are considerably simpler than any of the homebrew ones I have seen on the forums.
Psychic warrior could be a fighter subclass, but it is more like a psionic paladin, a variant class. A psionic monk would be a "first of Zuoken". A soulknife is more as a "psionic warblade".
And this isn't only about gameplay, but marketing. Each class is a mark of identity, and that helps to sell more books. For me a book is more interesting to be bough if it has a new class, the factotum, for example, or the archivist, the dread necromancer or dragonfire adept.
I have said it in the past, and I say it again. One of my ideas is a class like a psionic D&D version of jedi knights, with the name "cofrater" (=brother or member of a brotherhood). Without armour but some tricks, like the psionic version of swordsage from "Tome of battle: book of nine swords".
The psionic ardent should come back, it is a too interesting concept, with a great potential to create stories about conflicts with the clerics and another divine spellcasters.
* How would be a hybrid psionic+incarnum class?
Pisonics? They'll happen.
BRJN wrote:
SirAntoine wrote:
SirAntoine wrote:
Marandahir wrote:
WARNING heavy sarcasm in this post, not intended as a flame. It is pure sarcasm and irony.
I wish they would create a Psionics system to stop threads like this. But then we will have threads on why the psionics system sucks.
I'm sure that psionics will eventually arrive, but chances are I won't include them in my game. They've been broken and overpowered more times than not in the various editions.
Rains wrote:
Psionics are not very popular in the grand scheme of things and thats why Paizo for example has not done them. Sopme setting shave them as well but once again a certain unamed setting in the good ol days of Dragon/Dungeon did not sell as well other settings and it was not FR covers and it is assumed the unnamed setting was Eberron.
When I first started playing, I was anathema to Psionics. I was more of the old-school, red-box or epic (DL) type of DM, and Psionics seemed too mystical to me. Dark Sun warmed me to the class (pun intended), and that's where I personally would like it to stay.
I always re-flavored Psionics in my game as having absolutely zero compatibility with arcane/divine magic. Arcane/Divine warding spells could not stop or hinder Psionics, and vice versa. Psionics was a completely foreign means of magic, so even though both could conjure some sort of fire for instance, Arcane/Divine resistance to fire, would not stop or hinder the psionic version, and vice versa.
I've always liked psionics since I encountered it in the back of the 1e PHB. I haven't always liked the implementation of it (2e, I'm looking at you), but I dig it as a concept and I thought 3e/3.5 did some really cool things with it. Also, playing in the Greyhawk setting, it's been a part of the setting and even has a god (Zuoken) that's devoted to it.
Why are psionics once again the red head step child?
Mistwell wrote:
Shasarak wrote:
MechaPilot wrote:
MechaPilot wrote:
I hope psions end up using spells and spell points. The spell point system in the DMG didn't take up too much space.
The psionic powers have to use the classic pool of psionic power points.
Maybe the psionic powers need the return of Dark Sun, and Dark Sun needs a videogame like Baldruc Gate or Newerwinter Nights. In these days the new Mad Max's movie is a true blockbuster. Maybe it is the right date for this "hyrborian-punk" settin.
* My suggestion is to add for psionic races like the blue goblin subrace and the fraals (classic little alien gray men). Psionic powers can be used in oriental settins.
I like it that the psionics rules have always been seperate from the PHB. That being said, I would have liked to have psionic rules already, or at least an indication on when they were planning to release them.
Shasarak wrote:
Xeviat-DM wrote:
MechaPilot wrote: