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Post by joatmoniac on Jan 29, 2017 6:28:43 GMT
Its time for some psionics lifting! This one should be interesting, mainly because I couldn't wrap my mind completely around what to do. So I cam up with an interesting idea. I know that there is a tendency, or feels like there is, for us to play 5th edition. I know that there are you rebels out there that are still using 3rd, maybe even 2nd, or some awesome OSR build, not to mention others using Pathfinder, haha. All that said the idea I cae up with is one that I know that I have faced before where a player wants to take something from an older edition and wants to bring it up to date, but unfortunately the internet hadn't seen fit to do it, so even GoogleFu won't get you the info you want. Instead, it's blood, sweat and tears that will get the job done!
So lets sweat, bleed and cry!
For this one I have simply listed the 3.5 psionic classes and their descriptions. Grab one or two or whatever and think of interesting ways that it could be brought into the edition of your choice.
1. Psychic Warrior - Introduced in 3rd edition, psychic warriors are a blend between Fighters and Psions. Like fighters, they gain bonus feats, and like psions, they wield psionic powers, though at a slower rate than either specialized class. Their attack bonus and hit point growth is similarly in the middle. Psychic warrior is the favored class of half-giants (found in the Expanded Psionics Handbook).
2. Soulknife - Soulknives are warriors who have learned to channel psionic power into "mind blades", or swords composed of psionic energy. Their broad training allows them to take many occupations and be a "jack of all trades." Soulknives are the only psionic characters who cannot manifest powers from their class; the soulknife class grants power points, but not the ability to use them. As a soulknife gains levels, the powers of his mind blade increase, such as the ability to form their mind blade into shapes other than a short sword (a concept further expanded with new feats in Complete Psionic). Soulknife is the favored class of the xeph race (found in the Expanded Psionics Handbook. Soulknife was a prestige class in the original Psionics Handbook, but it was made into a base class when psionics were revised for v3.5.
3. Wilder - Introduced in 3.5 edition, wilders can use "wild surges", which allow them to augment their psionic powers to a greater extent than normal. Doing so is dangerous and there is a chance every time a wild surge is used that the wilder will suffer from "psychic enervation" causing them to become dazed and lose power points. They are slightly tougher than psions, but gain fewer abilities and slower. Wilder is the favored class of the dromite and maenad races (both found in the Expanded Psionics Handbook).
4. Ardent - Ardents derive their powers from a focus on primal truths or concepts ("mantles"); different mantles offer different abilities to an Ardent. They possess a smaller selection of powers than the more versatile psion, but enjoy greater martial abilities.
5. Divine Mind - The Divine Mind is a character who chooses to serve a deity using psionic powers; they are thus somewhat similar to Clerics. Like clerics, they may choose mantles a deity represents, similar to domains. They may also exude Attack, Defense, or Perception auras that grant bonuses to nearby allies.
6. Erudite - Rather than learn powers upon level gain like psions, erudites may theoretically use any psionic ability by "copying" another person or a psionically-infused item. In exchange, they may call upon only a limited selection of powers per day. Mechanically, they are thus somewhat similar to unspecialized wizards rather than psions.
7. Lurk - Lurks are similar to rogues who call upon psionic powers to aid them. They may perceive the weaknesses of enemies and make sneak attacks, as well as use psionic augments to their abilities.
There they are, lets see what crazy ideas we can build together!
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Post by dmgenisisect on Feb 1, 2017 10:36:12 GMT
Becouse building a class from scratch is really hard, and my favorite use of a Soulknife was a Soulknife-monk gestalt, I'll build a monk order based around the soulknife. Given the name of it, I always felt it was more of a monk thing anyway...
Order of the Soul Knife
Mind blade
Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you gain the ability to manifest a mind blade as a bonus action. You can use a single bonus action to create two mind blades so long as both of your hands are free and these weapons follow the normal rules for two weapon fighting. A mind blade disappears if it leaves your hands or you are incapacitated.
Your mind blade shares the properties of a dagger, deals 1d4 damage and counts as magical for the purposes of overcoming resistances and immunity to non-magical attacks. As your mind becomes more powerful, so too does your blade, whenever your unarmed strike damage increases so to does your mind blade damage. You are considered proficient with your mind blades and they count as monk weapons.
Starting from 6th level, your mind blade is a +1 magic weapon.
Psychic Strike
Your mind blade is more than just another weapon, it is a focus for your ki. Starting at 3rd level you can expend a number of ki points, upto a maximum equal to your proficiency bonus, to charge your mind blade with ki as a bonus action. Your next attack with your mind blade deals an additional 1d6 force damage for each point spent. If you are fighting with a separate mind blade in each hand, each blade can be charged, expending ki points separately for each. A non-living target is immune to this effect, but the charge is expended regardless.
Shaped Blade
At 6th level your training with your mind blade branches into a specific style, granting you a new form for your blade. You may choose one of the forms bellow to master. Switching between the standard mind blade form and a shaped blade form is a bonus action, and when you create a new mind blade you may pick which of the two forms you want it to take. shaped blades deal the same damage as your normal mind blade unless stated otherwise and counts as magical for the purposes of overcoming resistances and immunity to non-magical attacks, but looses the properties associated with it's origonal form.
Mind Chain. A Large or smaller creature hit by your mind chains is restrained until it is freed. Creatures that are formless, or creatures that are Huge or larger are immune to this effect. A creature can use its action to make a Strength check with DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus, freeing itself or another creature within its reach on a success. While a creature is restrained by your mind chain you cannot make further attacks with it.
Mind Glaive. The mind glaive has the reach property.
Mind Axe. The mind axe deals 2 dice worth of damage, that is if your mind blade deals 1d6 damage your mind axe deals 2d6 damage. The mind axe has the two handed property.
Mind Arrow.The mind arrow has the thrown (range 30/120) and finesse properties.
One with the blade.
Starting at 11th level, whenever an ability requires an unarmed strike, such as your flurry of blows or you can instead use your mind blade.
Mind Wind
At 17th level your mastery over your mind blade is so absolute that you can shatter your mind blade into fragmented essences and strike at multiple enemies. You can attack each enemy you could hit with your soul blade in it's current form, resolving each attack as you would using the current form of your mind blade. Bonuses to damage, such as your psychic strike apply to each enemy. Once you use this ability you canot use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
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Post by joatmoniac on Feb 1, 2017 18:16:43 GMT
Becouse building a class from scratch is really hard, and my favorite use of a Soulknife was a Soulknife-monk gestalt, I'll build a monk order based around the soulknife. Given the name of it, I always felt it was more of a monk thing anyway... Yes to this! I hadn't intended for it to be building a class, but instead aspects of the things that have come before. Just like you have expertly done here. Or a single feat that brings with it some psionic flavor relating to one of the classes. An archetype for a class, a spell, a single ability that could be the start of an entire class. Sometimes leaving it too open has the drawback of giving too many options, but your post is the perfect example of the amazing upside of leaving a DM-Nastics prompt wide open. I have some ideas to add, and hopefully I will get a chance to do so later today! |
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justdave
Squire
Yes
Posts: 27 
Favorite D&D Class: Paladin // Barbarian
Favorite D&D Race: Human
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Post by justdave on Feb 2, 2017 10:45:55 GMT
ooh, I've never attemtpted to design a class before. I also have never played with Psionics before since I started with 5th edition. This is gonna be interesting  I'll double up with an Archetype instead of a whole class, this one for the Fighter.
Psychic WarriorSpellcastingAt 3rd Level, you gain the ability to cast Psionic Spells. You use Wisdom as your Spellcasting Ability.
Mental WeaponAt 3rd Level, you gain the ability to expend a Spellslot to change the damage-type of your weapon to piercing, slashing or bludgeoning. The attack deals an additional 2d6 damage per expended Spellslot-Level. Extended MindAt 6th Level, your attacks with Mental Weapon now have the "Reach"-Quality. Ranged Attacks gain a +2 to hit within 30ft instead. Piercing ThoughtsStarting at 11th Level, the Damage you deal with Mental Weapon can also turn into Psychic Damage. All D6 also get turned into D8. At 18th Level, they get turned into D10s. Overflowing PowerStarting at 15th level, whenever you hit an Enemy with a Mental Weapon, him and all enemies in a 15ft line behind him have to make a DC13 Str. Save. On a failure, they get knocked prone. Realized PotentialStarting at 20th level, the Psychic Warrior achieves complete mastery over his mind, turning every weapon attack into a Mental-Weapon attack equivalent to a 2nd Level Spellslot. Notes:
I have no idea about Psionic spells since I've only been playing 5th Edition  I thought the Spell-List would be a mixture of self-buffs as well as medium-range damage Spells. Numbers would be similar to Paladins, I'd have to run the exact numbers. The whole thing is inspired by the Battlemaster, but instead of inflicting different Status-Effects, he plays around with Damage-Type by envelopping his Weapon of Choice with his Psionic Powers . I wanted the Psychic Warrior to utilize his Psionics to enhance and augment his Weapon-Prowess instead of replacing it. |
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Post by DMdanielsan on Feb 3, 2017 20:50:23 GMT
I'm currently working on making a homebrew psion class for 5e with archetypes for the soulknife, psychic warrior, and wilder, but have stuck with the wilder for this post. I am using a power point system similar to, but simpler than, the 3.5 system. I made abilities here for the psion, but since I always liked the role-playing aspects of the psicrystal, added some special statistics for the psicrystal as well.
Psicrystal
Telepathic Link: The psicrystal has a telepathic link with its owner, and the owner shares all sensory input as the crystal for up to a mile/psion level. Epic psionic characters have no restrictions as long as the crystal is on the same plane. Any psion that ascends has no restrictions.
Touch powers: The psicrystal can deliver touch powers. The owner must touch the psicrystal first, and then have the psicrystal deliver the power to the target of his/her choice. If the owner
Far Speech: The psicrystal can serve as a medium for telepathic speech between a creature within 30 ft and the crystal’s owner. The owner does not need to focus to communicate telepathically with the stone
Flight: The psicrystal can fly at a speed of 60 ft.
Extension of the mind: Psicrystals, while being held by their owner, grant the owner advantage on all powers (spells). Also, if the owner is holding the psicrystal, he/she regains 1 power point per round while in combat. This, however, does not change the amount of powers/day
. If the owner's psicrystal is destroyed, he/she can not use any powers until creating a new one. Creating a new psicrystal takes 1 hour/psion level, and uses half of the psion's power points. If created during a long rest, the power points are not regained until the next long rest.
Construct: Level 10-With a great cost of power, the psicrystal can become a crystal golem that serves its owner. To create a crystal golem, the owner must expend half of his current power points. The player can not regenerate power points until the crystal is returned to its former state. If the crystal golem is defeated, the psion must find a new psicrystal.
Wilder
Level 3: Wild Surge- The wilder’s true power can be released through a psionic surge of power. The wilder can use the wild surge ability. While in the wild surge, the player has advantage on all powers cast, and while a talley is made of power points used, points are not used at that time. In other words, you could cast any spell of your choice until the surge ends. The wilder must succeed on a CON saving throw DC 10+½ wilder’s class level (if you are a level 10 wilder, the DC is 15. When dealing with decimals, round up. EX: level 1, DC 11). Once the save has been failed, the wilder becomes dazzled and loses his/her turn. The power points that were used are all expended x1.25 (if 12 points are used, 16 points are expended). If the psion’s remaining power points are lower than 0, they must succeed on a separate CON saving throw of DC 10+½ wilder’s class level or become unconscious. The wilder wakes up when succeeding the saving throw, or by magical means, but no hit points are lost.
Level 6: Improved Wild Surge- while in wild surge, all powers are cast at one level higher without extra power points.
Level 9: Euphoria- While in a wild surge, the wilder gains advantage on all saving throws, ability checks, and attacks.
Level 11: Second wind- The wilder has advantage on the CON saving throw used to remain in his/her wild surge.
Level 17: Into the wild- The wilder has become a master of his/her wild state. When surging, a wilder can end his/her wild surge as a free action with no penalty. When a wilder does fail to stay in a wild surge, he/she loses the necessary power points, but no longer loses any turns and no longer falls unconscious if the power points go beyond 0.
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Post by DMdanielsan on Feb 3, 2017 23:02:46 GMT
edit: second wind at level 6, improved surge at level 11
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Post by finallyfoundahobby on Apr 14, 2017 23:30:26 GMT
Erudite- let’s turn this into a comfy psion flavored subclass for Wizard!
The hardest part of this for me was coming up with names for things so bring on the suggestions if you have them.
Description:
You have cast aside the study of books for the near forgotten practice of the Crystal Mind. Followers of the Crystal Mind use ancient methods to craft Psycrystals. A wizard of this discipline divorces a piece of his intellect from his own mind and implants it into his Psycrystal. This crystal then has the ability to study and learn how to reproduce magical pattern that are stored within it on its own while the wizard remains free for other pursuits. The knowledge of how to reproduce these magics is stored in the crystal, eliminating the need for cumbersome spell books. However, having a piece of yourself within an object outside of your body does have consequences at times.
Abilities
At 2nd level you have successfully created your Psycrystal and implanted a piece of your intellect inside of it. To have achieved this you must subtract 1 from your Intelligence score. All spells which you prepare each day are stored within this Psycrystal and you may add 2 to the number of spells you are allowed to have prepared each day. Your spell pool includes the normal number allowed from the Wizard spell list plus any spells stored within your Psycrystal.
Your Psycrystal grants you the Siphon Magic ability. Whenever you are the target of a spell or other magical effect you can choose to channel the energy patterns of that spell into your Psycrystal. Any spells stored in this way count as wizard spells for you. Any spells captured of a level higher than you have the ability to cast are still stored but cannot be used until you have spell slots of that level. You regain the use of this ability after finishing a short or long rest. If you choose to use it again before finishing a short or long rest you may do so, but this stresses your link with your Psycrystal. Whenever you do so, take 1d8 psychic damage per the captured spell’s level. This ability replaces the Wizard’s Spell Book.
At 6th level you gain the ability to cast the Identify spell at will without expending a spell slot. You have also learned how to interpret the channels of magic imbued in some objects into their related spells. With a magic item in your possession, you can spend a number of hours equal to the item’s rarity tier (common=1, uncommon=2, rare=3, very rare=4, legendary=5) x5 studying it with your Psycrystal to learn the nature of the magic which powers it. When you have finished this study, you may add any spell that powers the object to your Psycrystal. For example, you could spend 10 hours studying a Periapt of Wound Closure to learn the Spare the Dying cantrip. Upon gaining this ability you may also add two cantrips to the spells you can prepare each day and must choose them from cantrips stored within your Psycrystal. (Some magic items may not have a clear spell associated with them. In these cases, work with your DM to determine which spell(s) you learn).
At 10th level your Psycrystal and your link with it has grown stronger, allowing you some flexibility in your spellcasting. Whenever you cast a spell you can choose to either “forget” a spell stored within your Psycrystal or take psychic damage to cause one of the following effects:
• Give a -neg modifier to a single target’s savings throw. Penalty= 1d8 psychic damage or 1 spell “forgotten” for every -1 you wish to add to the target’s saving throw (-3 = lose 3 Psycrystal spells from your spell pool or take 3d8 psychic damage).
• Give a +pos modifier to your spell attack: Penalty =1d8 psychic damage or 1 spell “forgotten” for every +1 you wish to add to your spell attack
• Increase the damage of your spell: Penalty equals 2d8 psychic damage or 2 spells “forgotten” for every damage dice added
For each of these effects, you may decide to use it after you or your target rolls for the attack or saving throw, but before the outcome is determined.
At 14th level you have become adept at capturing magic with your Psycrystal. Now, whenever you use your Siphon Magic ability when targeted by a spell you can choose to make an INT check (DC = 10+the spell’s level) to avoid all effects of the spell entirely, even if you already failed any applicable saving throws required by the spell. In addition, you can immediately redirect the spell at another target on your next turn even if it is of a level for which you do not have spell slots. The spell uses your spell attack and spell DC.
Not sure how this would work in actual play, but I think the Psycrystal would add some interesting plot options and RP for a game. It also adds an incentive for a wizard to actually get hit by spells!
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Post by meribson on Jul 27, 2017 2:55:03 GMT
Started work on a homebrew psion a while back but never got around to doing much. What I did was I threw out spells and made psionic abilities mechanically based off of warlock invocations. The biggest problem was giving them damage dealing abilities that weren't too powerful when they can be used at will.
Although thinking about it, an "invocation" based off of eldritch blast thematically a "mind crush" would work nicely. Maybe combine the invocations with the wild talents of the kineticist in Pathfinder. You have different kinds of "invocations" that you get at various levels, at the levels that most damage cantrips get a boost, have enhancement invocations. Back to the Homebrew Room!
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Post by DM Lord Neptune on Jul 29, 2017 17:15:33 GMT
I love psionics in RPGs! Cyber Knight was my favorite class in RIFTS, Mind Mage was an amazing class in Palladium Fantasy, and Psychic was a fun superhero class in Heroes Unlimited (my Palladium books past is showing again), so this topic really piques my interest.
The one that jumped out at me right away was the Lurker. We already have a magic based archetype for the Rogue class, so it would really be simple to create a Psionic flavor.
My first thought would be giving telekinesis for picking pockets remotely or grabbing keys from a guard through a window, etc. You would also have the ability to psychically manipulate minds to either charm them or suggest for them to think that you are not even there, almost a type of invisibility. There could also be psychic levitation to be able to move silently without any footsteps.
Unfortunately I don't have enough time to flesh this out more, but the I like the idea behind it for sure.
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I thought the Spell-List would be a mixture of self-buffs as well as medium-range damage Spells. Numbers would be similar to Paladins, I'd have to run the exact numbers. 
