I have a condition. The make my own rules condition. It reasserted itself when I read D&D 5e: Rules Designed to be Broken: A Roleplaying Game Philosophy by Falsteph. I heartily agree that the fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons team gave us enough information to the point we can break those rules where we see fit. We gained the required insight into the overall theme of the rules and gameplay to manipulate it to our liking. Next, I started with my write up of Spelljammer 5th Ed. It was just a short attempt to be prepared for the Spelljammer game Nerdarchist Dave is running this week. Now it is on to my favorite class in the whole of D&D multiverse — Psionicist. This is not to say the development staff at Wizards of the Coast aren’t good people or they aren’t great designers but it is to say I am so much of a fan of psionics that I can’t wait.

Psionics and 5E D&D

As I write this I think other players and lovers of psionics in D&D will not be pleased with what I have done. To them I say do whatever you want to do when it comes to psionicists. Just don’t try to make me play it your way.

It really felt great when I was roleplaying psionics in second edition AD&D. Not because they were ridiculously powerful or super thematic but because they had something wizards, clerics and bards didn’t possess. That was what drew me to psionics and the Psychic Warrior and that is why I am making sure 5E D&D doesn’t get its say on them before me.

Disclaimer: This is a homebrew guide to psionics and Psychic Warrior. I will be building them through my understanding of the psionicist in general and the 5E D&D rule set. I will not simply convert second, third or 3.5 edition. That is lame and I really feel 2E AD&D is the best example for the spirit of psionics. That is all of the nice things I have to say about 3.5 psionics.

Psychic Warrior

To start I really took a look at the 5E D&D classes. I looked at the great style used to make specialist wizards and the different flavors of warlocks. And looked at the versatility they gave to fighters and rogues through the inclusion of the archetypes without having a silly amount of feats or waiting for a prestige class. The fact that Eldritch Knight can happen at 3rd level and the only requirement is you pick it as a 3rd level fighter is awesome.

Waiting until 10th level or higher so my character concept could finally get rolling was one of the worst parts of 3rd edition prestige classes. That and min- maxing of feats and class levels to qualify for a prestige class was not very exciting. It felt less like roleplaying and more like a type of math.

I see the psionicist as a cross between the wizard and sorcerer. Wizard for the specializations and sorcerer for the thematic feel of their powers. The Psychic Warrior and the Psi-Knife could easily be written in to the fighter and thief choices like Eldritch Knight and Assassin.

In 2E AD&D there were 6 disciplines: Psychometabolism, Psychokenesis, Psychoportation, Telepathy, Claircognizance and Metapsionics. Thematically each discipline had its place and they will have a place in my version. They may look a bit different and go under another name but I am hoping the spirit of the disciplines will be present.

In general psionics are based off of Wisdom and the will of the individual. From there each of the disciplines have strengths that spring from the willpower, intuition and desire.

Psychic Warrior

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d6 per Psionicists level

Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution modifier

Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier per psionicists level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: none

Weapons: Simple weapons

Tools: Psionic tools

Saving Throws: Wisdom, and see Discipline selection for 2nd saving throw

Skills: Choose two from Psionics (Arcana), History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, Perception, and your chosen discipline’s list.

A Metabolist’s body is under tremendous strain due to the mental powers worked through it. Expansion isn’t easy on the digestive tract and shapechanging isn’t for the faint of heart. Gain Strength as one of your saving throws (if you have only one save from all of your classes)

A Relativist’s body is intimately linked with movement both of the physical and dimensional kind. Their mind and movement become faster and they regularly calculate great changes in forces. Gain Intelligence as one of your saving throws (if you have only one save from all of your classes) Gain Acrobatics as a starting skill choice

A Kineticist’s body feels the strain of forces. A Kineticist uses their physical form as an anchor to assist in the pushing and pulling or objects. They naturally apply their Kinetic abilities to assist them with physical power. Gain Strength as one of your saving throws (if you have only one save from all of your classes) Gain Athletics as a starting skill choice

A Telepath’s force of personality is as vital to their powers as their discipline and willpower. One does not force themselves behind the mental walls of others without a presence to match their will. Gain Charisma as one of your saving throws (if you have only one save from all of your classes) Gain Persuasion as a starting skill choice

A Cognizant’s ability to remember, categorize, and analyze all of the different stimuli that they receive through their mental might is a power onto itself. Gain Intelligence as one of your saving throws (if you have only one save from all of your classes) Gain Investigation as a starting skill choice



These are just the base differences that occur in the disciplines before we get to their powers or level based abilities.

Psychic Warrior and Psi-Knife are going to a paladin base with the choice of having a more fighter or rogue feel to them based on the weapons and powers a player selects. Next week we move on to the Metabolist’s starting abilities and some of the general Psionic Class features. After that I worked on the Relativist’s. As you may have noticed with the saving throw differences, a player chooses their discipline at 1st level, similar to the Sorcerous Origin selection

Until next time, stay nerdy!