Based on the Psion
by KibblesTasty
A large orc is flung across the room, smashing through tables and chairs before hitting the wall with a thunderous crash, collapsing dazed. A human, her eyes still glowing with unearthly power, tosses a few extra coins on the bar. "Sorry for themess. If he wakes up, tell him to try picking on someone his own size next time".
The prisoner's expression turns from defiant to puzzled as the interrogator asks no questions, merely stares at them silently. His puzzled expression turns worried as he finds himself, unbidden, recalling where he stashed the loot. "Under the stables behind the Rusty Hook Inn" the interrogator finally speaks, as the thief's expression becomes terrified.
"Ain't you... cold or somethin'?" the dwarf asks the elf as they trudge through the snow, eying her simple robe and bare feet. "I just think 'warm'" the elf replies with a distracted air. The dwarf snorts, a puff of chilled air. Typical elf nonsense. Except... they haven't frozen to death yet. "Say... could you think some 'warm' this way?" the dwarf asks hopefully. To the dwarfs surprise, the chill of the snow fades away completely "that's downright creepy... hey don't stop now! Was jus' sayin' it was creepy."
Psions are those who have tapped into a special otherworldly force, with the ability to actualize the power of their mind to accomplish impossible feats. Reading minds, lifting vast weights, and transcending physical limitations, they tend to inspire awe and terror in equal measure.
The exact nature of what is Psionic power might be a question answered in your setting, or it might not be. Most view Psionic power as coming from within, though other answers exist - anything from the leaking power of the Far Realm, to an alternate way to express magic, to an actualization of an individuals will upon the world.
Since a psion's weapon is their mind, they are always a careless thought away from harming those around them. For a psion, the line between thinking and doing can be very thin, forcing them to keep their thoughts and emotions in check, lest their powers run amok. This leads to many of them developing odd behaviors or mannerisms to help them control their state of mind, frequently seeming quite eccentric to an outside observer.
Consider how your psion keeps their powers in check, and how much their power bleeds into their everyday life. How reading minds may effect their body language or habits. Do they add wood to the campfire from the comfort of their bedroll, or do they restrain themselves from using their power for trivial matters lest they slip up?
In a world of widespread magic, many will assume a Psion to be a type of Sorcerer or Wizard, mistaking their powers for the common applications of magic. The common villager keeps only one mental category for the supernatural and creepy people that bend reality their will. But even among magic users, a Psion's powers will frequently be found unnerving.
It is often those who do understand magic that find a Psion’s abilities the most aberrant. A force that intersects the magical weave rather than obeys it, the nature of the power that the psion wields one can only contemplate with unease.
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Psi Points | Psi Limit | Features | Psionic Talents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | 1 | 1 | Psionic Archetype, Psionics | -- |
| 2nd | +2 | 2 | 1 | Psionic Talents | 2 |
| 3rd | +2 | 3 | 2 | Secondary Discipline, Psionic Archetype Feature | 2 |
| 4th | +2 | 4 | 2 | Ability Score Improvement | 2 |
| 5th | +3 | 5 | 3 | Psionic Mastery | 3 |
| 6th | +3 | 6 | 3 | Psionic Archetype Feature | 3 |
| 7th | +3 | 7 | 4 | ─ | 4 |
| 8th | +3 | 8 | 4 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 |
| 9th | +4 | 9 | 5 | ─ | 5 |
| 10th | +4 | 10 | 5 | Psionic Archetype Feature | 5 |
| 11th | +4 | 11 | 6 | Innate Psionic Ability (6th level) | 5 |
| 12th | +4 | 12 | 6 | Ability Score Improvement | 6 |
| 13th | +5 | 13 | 7 | Innate Psionic Ability (7th level) | 6 |
| 14th | +5 | 14 | 7 | Psionic Archetype Feature | 6 |
| 15th | +5 | 15 | 8 | Innate Psionic Ability (8th level) | 7 |
| 16th | +5 | 16 | 8 | Ability Score Improvement | 7 |
| 17th | +6 | 17 | 9 | Innate Psionic Ability (9th level) | 7 |
| 18th | +6 | 18 | 9 | Third Discipline | 8 |
| 19th | +6 | 19 | 10 | Ability Score Improvement | 8 |
| 20th | +6 | 20 | 10 | Ascension | 8 |
When creating a Psion, consider your character's background. How did you become a Psion? Were you born with latent powers? Or did something happen to you granting your powers? Or did you intentionally train yourself through rigorous mental exercise to leverage them? Consider how developing a rare and mysterious power would have affected your interactions with people.
Consider what your purpose is with your newfound powers, or how you plan to use your powers. Do you intend to be taken for a Wizard casting magic, or are you freely open about being of a... different nature?
You can make a Psion quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Intelligence your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity or Constitution. Second, choose the Acolyte, Far Traveler or Hermit background.
As a Psion, you gain the following class features:
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
At 1st level, you pick the archetype of Psion you embody, choosing from Awakened, Unleashed, Transcended, or Shaper, each of which are are detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 1st level, and again at 3rd, 6th, 10th, and 14th level.
You are granted access to a psionic discipline (such as Telepathy or Telekinesis) by your chosen archetype. A psionic discipline comes with a passive feature that expands your character's capabilities and an active psionic power that can be modified and empowered with Psi Points. Additionally you can use your discipline in more detailed applications to recreate the effect of certain spells, listed at the end of the discipline description. At 3rd level you can select a second discipline, and 18th level you can select a 3rd discipline.
Psionic powers are suppressed by anti-magic field and can be dispelled with dispel magic, but are only affected by counterspell if recreating the effect of a spell. Any check required to dispel magic, counterspell or identify a spell being cast with Psionics is made at disadvantage unless the caster also has the Psionics feature. The spell detect magic will detect the usage of psionics, but not their nature - it will show up as a mysterious untyped power, even if being used to generate the effect of a spell.
When recreating a spell through a Psionic effect (using a Psionic discipline to cast the spell) the spell has no Material or Verbal components, but using any psionic ability requires Somatic components and causes the Psion to vibrantly glow with the otherworldly psionic energies they are controlling.
Starting at 1st level, you gain access to Psi Points used to fuel psionic discipline powers and effects. You have a number of Psi Points equal to your Psion level, and regain all spent points after completing a short or long rest. You can spend a number of Psi Points equal to half your Psion level (rounded up) at a time (for example, at level 5, you can spend 3 psi points on psionic power or cast a spell with cost of 3 psi points).
Psionic powers, psionic talents, and spells gained through this class use your Psionic ability.
Psionic Ability Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your
Intelligence modifier
Psionic Ability attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your
Intelligence modifier
Starting at 2nd level, you gain access to a Psionic Talent allowing you to further specialize. Pick two talents from the list of Psionic talents. You can pick a new Psionic talent at 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th level. When you level up, you can replace a Psionic talent you have previously selected with a different option.
When you reach 3rd level, you can select a second Psionic Discipline from the list of Psionic Disciplines. You cannot select a Discipline you already know. You gain all features of a Psionic Discipline when selecting it.
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
When you reach 5th level, you gain mastery of your psionic powers. At the start of your turn you get 1 free Psi Point. This can be spent to empower Psionic Disciplines, but not to recreate spells or fuel Psionic Talents. If you have any unspent free Psi Points left at the end of your turn, then they are lost.
At 11th level, this is increased to 2 free Psi points, and at 17th level, this is increased to 3. Points can be split between different abilities.
At 11th level, you gain the ability to exert great feats of psionic power. Choose one 6th-level spell from the Psion spell list as an innate ability. You can use this innate ability to cast this spell once. You must finish a long rest before you can do so again. At higher level, you gain more innate abilities of your choice that can be used in this way: one 7th level spell at 13th level, one 8th level spell at 15th level, and one 9th-level spell at 17th level. You regain all uses of your Innate Psionics when you finish a long rest.
Innate Psionics are well beyond the normal scope of your powers and are not restricted by what disciplines you have. Unlike psionic disciplines, they require any component the spell requires.
When you reach 18th level, you can select a third Psionic Discipline from the list of Psionic Disciplines. You cannot select a Discipline you already know. You gain all features of a Psionic Discipline when selecting it.
Starting at 20th level, if you die you can choose to become a incorporeal entity on the ethereal plane at the spot you died in the material plane at the start of your next turn. This entity has the physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution) and abilities of a Ghost, but has your mental ability scores (Intelligence, Wisdom, Charimsa) and your Psion class abilities.
When you take this form your current and maximum hit points becomes that of the ghost while you are in the form, if you have less than 10 psi points when you would assume this form, you have 10 psi points. While in this form you cannot rest to regain spent abilities. If you exhaust all Psi Points or the ghost is destroyed, you die as a normal creature would.
Should you want to multiclass into Psion, the prerequisites and proficiencies are listed below:
Psionic powers can be weird, strange, and rare. Your DM may place additional restrictions or requirements into multiclassing into Psionic classes.
Spells with an * can only be selected and cast as the level they are listed.
Prerequisite: The ability to use at least one Psionic Discipline
You tap deeper into your psionic potential drawing out a new talent. You can select a psionic talent from the Psion class psionic talent list. You cannot select a talent you already know, or one that requires a level restriction, even if you are already of that level.
You develop a minor grasp of psionic power, either uncovering an innate potential within yourself, through contact with a psionic source, or through training. You gain one of the psionic disciplines of the Psion class, gaining the attached psionic feature and psionic power, but you do not gain use of any associated spells when gain a Discipline from this feat.
You gain 1 psi point that you can use to empower the Discipline. You regain use of this Psi Point when you complete a short or long rest.
Prerequisite: At least 1 psi or ki point
Your body is powered by the inner powers that course through it. Your maximum psi or ki points (if you have both, your choice of which) increases by one.
At the end of your turn after spending one or more psi or ki points during your turn, you heal for a number of hit points equal to the psi or ki points spent, up to a maximum of your Constitution modifier (minimum 1).
Prerequisite: The ability to use at least one Psionic Discipline
You have utilizing psionics in the midst of combat, learning techniques that grant you the following benefits:
Psionics a new Intelligence based skill that serves to understand things of a Psionic nature as Arcana might understand things of an arcane nature. It is a skill to help you identify Psionic objects, phenomena and creatures.