Thanks for watching! Our Kickstarter for Worlds of Web DM: Weird Wastelands is LIVE NOW! Check it out here: www.kickstarter.com/projects/webdm/worlds-of-web-dm-weird-wastelands?ref=68x7l6 Download the first 5 levels of our Psion base class here: store.2cgaming.com/products/worlds-of-webdm-weird-wastelands-psion-promo
Hey Web DM! Your minds should also send out the message that you covered Psionics before and the issues the class had in the past: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-S6e9UAkizVU.html The earlier video gave a great overview how psionics were handled in past D&D editions and what issues that often had. It's so great that you now just went ahead and published your own approach to the class! The new Psionic sounds fantastic! :)
So am I missing something from your psion promo? It seems to be missing the Mental Modality options at level 2. Its not really up to level 5 since these are missing.
For me, what makes psionics cool is the potential for subtlety in their use. I remember an X-Men comic that followed Xavier as a young man that demonstrated this. He was in Cairo and stepped into a restaurant. As soon as he enters, he feels another psionicist's presence (Amahl Farouk), and he knows that Farouk feels him too. They lock eyes, and the metaphorical gauntlet is thrown. Only one will leave the restaurant alive. Xavier sits down at his table and orders his food. Farouk turns back to the woman hanging off his arm. While they each eat and mingle, Xavier and Farouk duel in the Astral Plane, the effects of their battle subtley seeping into the physical world in ways that the average person may chalk up to happenstance--silverware falling from a table, a whole burning into Xavier's coat. The subdued calm of a small restaurant in the early evening contrasts against the action and bombast of their private duel. Finally, Xavier stands up and walks out the front door as Farouk, half a room away, collapses into his meal--dead. To me, that is the kind of scenario that you can't get when everyone is running around with DnD style magic. There's a level of noir or spy-thriller to those kinds of exchanges, as well as an opportunity to challenge the party on a level that they are not used to fighting, and it can give a less-combat ready character their moment to shine (it's essentially the magical equivalent of hacking or the matrix in something like Cyberpunk or Shadowrun).
It's only free if you're lifting objects. it takes an action and specifies if the object isn't being worn, but doesn't say what happens if the object is being worn, so maybe you could use it on your boots and work around it that way since your halfling wouldn't be resisting? If you wanted to do anything other than fly though, you'd kinda be screwed since it takes your action to maintain that and since it's maintained it also functions like a concertation spell. This could definitely be a useful and exploitable tool, but this sort of flight would be inefficient for both day to day travel and combat.
@Colin Deal Small sized carry weight is less than medium sized carry weight. Around 40 percent less carry weight. Thats why bear totem barbarian has an ability to carry as someone 1 size larger.
As one of the few, we happy few, still waving the banner of the 5e Mystic playtest (7 levels in and, hey would you look at that, it hasn't ruined anyone's fun! Crazy!) It's nice to hear some positive words been spoken of Psionic classes.
I think this is one of my favorite kickstarters for D&D ever. I've recently started to plan my own dark sun campaign and this resource could help us a lot. Thank you both.
Just read the preview and listened to this. I am in love with this class. Im excited to see the rest of it, but you have hit the nail on the head for not only what I want out of Psionics, but what I want out of more 5e classes. When I look at your psionic, even without the subclasses, I can see a average sized party of all psions with vastly different niches being filled. Keep up the great work.
I couldn't help but think "There is no spoon," as you were talking about how psionics was different from magic. I know you spoke about about magic and psionics being distinct, but your psion is basically how I always wanted the sorcerer to work. I've always thought of innate magic as much closer to psionics in execution than wizard spells, even if it manipulating those arcane forces. So stoked to play a psion, and you guys clearly love the source material. Can't wait to see more of this class, this awesome implied setting, and this book!
I recently got to play Kibble's psion at a table with my friends. I purposefully went for flavor rather than punch (to assuage the homebrew skeptics) and it was really fun and enjoyable. ^^
I truly can't wait to explore this class at the table! Great job, Pruitt & the rest of the team that contributed to the Psion! Can't wait to learn more about those Mental Modalities :-)
I checked out the Psion spoiler, and I'm impressed! It's a really nice blend of simplicity, theme, and power! Nice job! I like it so much more than the UA Mystic...
Psionics can use two themes of magic to look different. Those being mana and runes. Mana is less restricted in older editions but less stamina over time to match regular vancian magic. Runes are just older forms of magic inscribed on objects or a circle written in the air or on hands making it more overt how to disrupt the rune crafter.
I actually really love how AdnD 2nd edition did psionics. Dividing it into schools and major and minor powers felt very natural, and the disciplines were very well defined. But your Psion sounds cool as well!
With the Complete Psionis book, I made one of my favorite characters. My race was immortal, I cast magic similar to video games and I summoned my sword out of thin air as I needed it.
I like the idea in 5th Ed that each class (and its subclasses) is unlocking some sort of power whether internal or external for the character to use. So you might be unlocking warlock powers from your patron, fighter powers of hitting things really hard and being awesome, or mental powers from your untreated childhood trauma.
Another great video by you guys! I funded your Kickstarter on day 1 and can’t wait for your book. I am writing a home brew campaign to DM for my group. It takes place in Eberron for a party starting at 16th level through 20th and parts will be in the Mournland. Weird Wastelands will be a great resource!
PSA - Cast your defensive spell before viewing this video: Jonathan hype of his version of Psionics will radiate out for 1d4 positive damage in a 3 foot around your device.
Pruitt, ma dood! You're crossing the Dune books with Lynchdune. The Bene Gesserit weren't psychic; all of their abilities were about command of their own biology and borderline supernatural powers of observation and social cues. They couldn't actually read minds.
I loved psionics back in 3/3.5 and I did like that there was the optional psionics as magic and psionics as semi-magic rules (though I always preferred them to be completely non-magic)
So the simplified breakdown of 6 Primary disciplines with the ability to be a hard specialist or a broad focused generalist is a perfect way to do this. I did my take on the class in a very similar way. Some notes should they be worth your review. Telekinesis - what is the damage done with telekinetic hurl for either throwing a creature or an object into a creature? seems like it should scale with points used. Animate Objects for higher levels, Animated Sword/shield type for combat focused Psions. Telepathy - Mind Prison / Weird type effects are very cool for higher end telepaths. Psychoportation - Is a top end use of a grand teleportation spell appropriate? Seems like topping out at Dimension Door rank seems limited. This a great one to combo with Metacreativity or Telekinesis for a Steel Wind Strike type of ability. Metacreativity - Very Green Lantern, I love the vibe. Would love to see a force armor that the user can wear as a top end ability. Psychometabolism - Needs a haste and/or slow type of ability. Clairsentience - First, the tip of the hat to Thundercats is just [chef kiss]. How long does Sight beyond Sight last? Assess aura having no saving throw seems to have a couple of effect that could slow games down. If its constantly used that means that the player has full right to do a deep dive on any NPC that they want, no save, and the questions that are listed are pretty open ended. What threat does it pose...? What can it do...? I mean do I just give the NPCs sheet to the player, read one action ability off of it, do I say no threat right now because its not hostile then have that be incorrect once the player inevitably piss it off. This one is asking a lot of the GM. Separating Psionics from magic is great if its 2 way. Meaning that if Spells can't protect from Psionics then Psionics shouldn't be able to protect from spells. I am giving these notes in the intent of constructive criticism because I want this in my game and I love where you are going with it, can't wait to see more.
I think it's totally fair and reasonable to say that Detect Magic doesn't work on psionics. It may be a little brutal in some cases for that to be so, but a totally appropriate and flavorful part of Dark Sun, which I imagine would also work very well in the implied setting of Weird Wastelands, is that things are a little tougher in a general sense. The tools that could previously always be relied upon aren't always appropriate and assumptions about what to use when are challenged.
i always tried to describe it like, the difference is as strange as a necromaner/cleric to a wizard/mage or as differemt as a druid/shaman. The psionic rouge was also a favorite thing. Not a thieft, but a silent assasin for political use. The courts secret guard or the queens secret spy.
Jon's mentioning dune makes it abundantly clear this is exactly what I have been looking for and just backed for my books boys. My only but, is that benegeserit are full on monks with a level in psion. Kwizats haderach breeding program was for the purpose of creating a full level 1 psion. I'm just looking for an excuse to talk about dune Fucking thank you cause I've been workshopping a "Duncah Atreid" character recently. I'm so jazzed cause everything discussed has mirrored things I've said to myself
I'm a bit confused is psionics magic or is it not? Under dimensional step you state "you magically teleport". Also, if it's not magic how do you counter it? Is psionics unable to be blocked? I really liked what I saw in the promo but I'm really sceptical of how well it will mesh with 5e if it's treated seperate from magic.
I've been waiting for you to release 5e content for ages. I was sold without the ad; I'm a transplant from southeast texas to CA and you guys feel like people I know and would be friends with. If you continue to release content I will continue to buy it.
I'd love too see a video reviewing all the previous editions of psionics. First edition was a weird mess. I remember the very intriguing second edition psionics handbook which I believe was the high point. What are your thoughts?
Imma fund this right now. I'm sure you've already got it covered, but if you gents want some 3rd party balance/play testing, my group will attune their minds to your psionic frequencies. We have almost 50 years playing/DMing experience between 2 of our group. Good luck, guys. I hope you kill it and make Wizards sit up and take notice.
I've always liked it where psionic powers come to some degree from your natural energy, as in, you can keep using powers non stop until you pass out from starvation. Where all psionics have a reputation for always being hungry.
I'd lean toward psionics, arcane magic, and divine magic being different paths to accessing the same fundamental source of power. In world, some would believe this, while others would believe them to be completely different forces. No doubt there are great, and sometimes acrimonious, debates between those adhering to these, and other, beliefs about the nature of psionics and magic. I'd say counterspell doesn't work against psionics. A psion doesn't cast spells and as result doesn't use any spell components a spell caster can observe (like how suble spell blocks counterspell). On the other hand I'd say dispel magic, anti-magic field, etc to affect psionic affects.
I like the idea of having a disrupt psionics spell, separate from dispel magic, that spell puts out some something that is disruptive to the harmonics of psionic activity
You chose to keep it very simple, while not banalizing it making it the same as magic. The focus on the disciplines seems a logical consequence of that.
I love psionics, but Frank Herbert was very clear that telepathy and similar powers do not exist in Dune. They can certainly be modeled as psionics, of course (and that is probably the easiest way to mechanically model them for the game), but Herbert was thinking of them differently. The Bene Gesserit have minds augmented by millennia of selective breeding and are further enhanced by the use of melange in a way that gives they a limited taste of prescience, but even prescience is more akin to spice-augmented "psychohistory" (from the Foundation series). The spice augments the mind allowing for extreme enhancements to human computational power that lets, for example, the navigators plot courses through folded space. In the case of Paul and God Emperor Leto (and the Bene Gesserit) their minds become powerful enough to see the patterns that could occur in the future, and then to make the choices needed to send people down that path. The use of "Voice" is something else again, but it is also not supposed to be a psychic power. It is more about psychology and playing with subconscious triggers. The David Lynch movie complicates this, if that is your stronger memory of the series, as there they do show something like mind-reading and the Voice is clearly not just modulating your natural voice to manipulate the subconscious in a naturalistic way. Love your channel and the Kickstarter, and I especially love the idea that psions needed a lot of people to die so that they could assert their power without "psionic interference". That just begs for some psions to be looking to cull the herd even more so their own powers can expand. There can be only one!
Psions are just sorcerers that use subtle spell and concentrate on ‘psionic’ spells. Or.....sorcerers are Psions in an alternate world were D&D kept its John Carter/sci fi bent.
I do needed this on my life! My mindset is very much like Pruitt on the classes I play and the inspiration behind them. I've tried every psychic subclass and an beyond hyped for this to rule then all!
My main concerns are balance above all else. Psions would effectively be the monks equivalent for caster classes. The monk trades damage for utility. I'd think psions would be similar, or else it would power creep sorcerer and warlock.
Oh I can’t wait to see this Psionics class. Loved how you described that you specialize in disciplines. Totally thought the Mystic gave way too many powers and it quickly became a hodgepodge of crap. I like the subclasses, but I think this is going to be awesome!
The way I've come to look at the magic vs psionics division is simple. Energy is energy. E=MC2. Pump enough unbalanced energy into a delicately balanced system and the system breaks down. So yes. They are two very different things. But counterspell and dispel magic still work on psionics and whatever the artificer is doing because the spell caster is pumping magical energy into a system that wasn't meant to process that magical energy. Likewise any Psionic versions of dispel and counter work on magic spells and artificer gadgets because those spells and gizmos weren't designed with random bursts of psychic energy in mind. Gonna reserve final judgement for when the book I backed is in my hands, but I'm looking forward to psion and all the exploration challenges in the book.
I'm having a hard time telling the pisonic apart from the sorcerer as they both have the 'my magic is internal and a part of me not external' idea. wouldn't a monk & sorcerer multiclass also get you a jedi?
Well I just supported Dungeon Dudes and their Kickstarter so now that I see the Psion class is in yours, I'm gonna have to dip into saving yet again... All joking aside, this looks awesome. Congratulations to the both of you and all who helped make it a reality.
I don't know where to get hold of you so I'm using this comment section. You asked in the latest Kickstarter mail for ideas what more stretchgoals to put in. Well I thought maybe you could hire some writers that makes 3-4 dungeons that can be dropped in anywhere. Places you would just stumble over in the Wasteland. Maybe an abandoned alchemical research lab, a clockwork soldiers factory - that is still guarded by some of them, or an former illegal magic waste dump - that has turned the normal pests into... something else, I dunno. Anyways, still holding my breath until my copy arrives :)
I love psionics. Been waiting for a good class. I understand that it should feels different but not be under/over-powered. Let’s face it, by the end I want to kicking it with an elder brain like Kimmuriel Oblodra.
In my world most everyone on the plane have never met a psychic or even heard about them. So when you have the ability to talk into one's mind, you may be able to convince them they are hearing their subconscious or even their God. I'm interested to see what you will talk about in this video
Dispel magic on psionics, do you allow dispel to work on wild shape? Storm sorcerer’s short flight ability? Can you counterspell a shadow monks teleport ability? If yes then it does, if no it doesn’t.
I have a hard time reconciling the idea that psionics isn't magic. I agree that psionics isn't spell casting, but I still see it as a form of magic. Just seems strange to me that there's two otherwise identical energy fields of infinite potential. The way I see it, Arcane casters manipulate the energy that soaks the world around them. They gather it up, store it inside them, then release it when desired. Divine casters gather magical energy from magnificently powerful spiritual entities. Psionists, however, convert their own spiritual energy into magical effects. No components are need to cast because the energies are shaped within, at the very source. I think psionics is the most direct path to godhood. It's all about strengthening one's spirit to bend existence to its will.
I am curious, I know you wanted to separate your Psion from magic but does the base damage of abilities like telekinetic crush or the psychic sword increase in damage at a certain level like cantrips do or will it always require psi-points to increase damage?
I am so happy to see psionics getting some love! The only thing I'm missing from your version of the Psion is some form of hibernation/estivation meditative ability. Think of the old monks that self-mummified in Sokushinbutsu, only instead of doing it to mummify yourself, you'd endure environmental hardship and the like. "Oh, no food? The tunnel collapsed? Eh, I'll wait it out."
Psionics worry me in every iteration because they always seem to just be better. One of the things that’s interesting about magic requiring components is the counter play of binding casters hands, gagging/silencing them, or taking away the necessary materials for the spell along with general anti magic like counter while psionics lack any of that counter play. There should be better options for going against psionics other than being psychic yourself or just killing them (hell the 5e mystic can’t even be stopped by killing it because they just respawn) Not to mention different iterations of mystic/psion simply being broken simply being better than other classes at most if not everything. My dm tells stories of everyone but him at the table in past games he played being mystics because why wouldn’t you be a mystic they’re just too good. I hope I’m overthinking it and your version of psionics won’t be so dominating and overwhelming to anything at the table that doesn’t have it
I had made a psychic for a scifi setting that was built similar to this. I wanted integrated features tht changed because of the effort you put in. My personal influence was Babylon 5. This is looking great, and I'm really looking forward to this book!
So can you be Jean Grey and potentially go nova as Dark Phoenix from X-men 3: Last Stand; creating tornados, stopping missiles, and disintegrating fools with your mind?
Bene Gesserit do not use psionics. They are extraordinarily developed human beings. The past lives the reverend mothers draw on are a gift of spice drug. My experience with psionics was with a DM who through the kitchen sink at me trying to strip the abilities. I actually rolled the 1% chance gift. When I played, there was no game system to develop or level up psionics.
i made a psionic character using the 2nd edition handbook back in the day, but it was a little too complicated, and i think he died an early death :D i've always loved the concept though and definitely should be its own thing and not "magic but with the mind"
