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I know I& #39;m so goddamn late to the party but I& #39;ve made a habit of reviewing new #DnD UA& #39;s and I ain& #39;t quittin& #39; now
https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/unearthed-arcana/psionic-options-revisited">https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/...
https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/unearthed-arcana/psionic-options-revisited">https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/...
A few background things so you understand where I& #39;m coming from:
1. I& #39;ve looked at but haven& #39;t played old edition psionics
2. As a fan of anime bullshit, the Mystic UA was annoying anime bullshit
3. Dark Sun will never love you back
1. I& #39;ve looked at but haven& #39;t played old edition psionics
2. As a fan of anime bullshit, the Mystic UA was annoying anime bullshit
3. Dark Sun will never love you back
So I guess the first thing to talk about, broadly, is the Psionic Talent feature. It& #39;s the new root concept for the psionic subclasses in this document and could presumably be the baseline for all of & #39;em.
We& #39;ll be calling it Pretty Fly for a Psi Die, or PsiDie for short
We& #39;ll be calling it Pretty Fly for a Psi Die, or PsiDie for short
Gotta say, I really like this feature. I like the volatile growth/shrinkage. People have worried about the odds of it vanishing entirely, but other people who are much, MUCH better at math than I am have done extensive breakdowns about how unlikely that really is.
At early levels there& #39;s definitely a worry around shrinking from a d6 to a d4 and then rolling a 4. If your die shrinks to a d4, the decision making immediately becomes:
-Do I use my BA Psi Replenishment ASAP and avoid risking it?
-Do I let it go a turn or two?
-Do I use my BA Psi Replenishment ASAP and avoid risking it?
-Do I let it go a turn or two?
I think Psi Replenishment is going to need a small adjustment: it will restore your PsiDie even if the die is unusable (AKA, you got down to a d4 and rolled a 4). If this is going to be an across-the-board feature, the BA decision hits classes like rogues/monks/etc harder.
Monks/Rogues/etc are going to be forced into decisions about using Psi Replenishment vs base class features and risk losing the die, and those situations won& #39;t feel great to the player. Replenishment restoring even a lost die will alleviate the problem for those classes.
So let& #39;s move on to actual class options. First up: The Psi Knight for the fighter.
Protective Field is a neat defensive option and you won& #39;t see me complaining about cool new uses for a reaction. Not much to say, seems like a good, usable feature.
Protective Field is a neat defensive option and you won& #39;t see me complaining about cool new uses for a reaction. Not much to say, seems like a good, usable feature.
Psi-Powered Leap is a cool concept and I& #39;m sure I& #39;m not the only one making Force Jump jokes. The & #39;Double die, Double modifier& #39; language/mechanic feels a little awkward but I can& #39;t think of an alternative right now that gives the same power.
Telekinetic Strike is going to be the bread-and-butter for this subclass, potentially rolling a little extra force damage every turn.
(I think I& #39;ll want to revisit Psi Replenishment and how the die vanishes/refreshes after this subclass)
The level 7 feature is Telekinetic Adept, which gives two new ribbons/uses of the PsiDie:
-Psionic Thrust enhances your Telekinetic Strike with a Str save against being moved 10 feet or knocked prone.
-Psionic Thrust enhances your Telekinetic Strike with a Str save against being moved 10 feet or knocked prone.
-Telekinetic Movement lets you move an object with your mind as an action. This can let you move up to Large (!) objects or (willing) creatures. Your PsiDie decreases by one size.
The Thrust is a good enhancement and makes this subclass pretty dangerous (a fighter that deals extra damage and can knock prone is big woof). The Telekinetic Movement is interesting: RAW, you only LOSE your die if you& #39;re on a d4 and roll a 4.
Level 10: Psi-Enhanced Metabolism
Resistance to poison becomes more common at higher levels, and resistance to psychic is very interesting--psychic damage is pretty rare, but rarely resisted.
Resistance to poison becomes more common at higher levels, and resistance to psychic is very interesting--psychic damage is pretty rare, but rarely resisted.
Level 15: Bulwark of Force
BA lets you target a number of creatures, up to Int mod, within 30 ft. Each creature has half cover for 1 minute. This is once per long rest unless you decrease your die size by 1 increment to use it again.
BA lets you target a number of creatures, up to Int mod, within 30 ft. Each creature has half cover for 1 minute. This is once per long rest unless you decrease your die size by 1 increment to use it again.
Okay, so that language suggests a possible clash between the RAW of PsiDie and some of these features. RAW, you only LOSE your die if you roll a 4 on a d4 PsiDie. I would assume you CAN& #39;T replenish Bulwark if you have a d4 (you can& #39;t & #39;decrease& #39; the size).
But can you still use level 7& #39;s Telekinetic Movement with a d4 PsiDie? In that case, you use the feature, then decrease the die size. It& #39;s not gated by reducing the PsiDie size first.
The exact interactions of how a PsiDie is decreased might need some clarification for those.
The exact interactions of how a PsiDie is decreased might need some clarification for those.
Level 18: Telekinetic Master
As long as you have a PsiDie, you can cast Telekinesis at will. This is a really interesting capstone because it& #39;s pretty powerful, but not necessarily enormously powerful for this specific subclass/class.
As long as you have a PsiDie, you can cast Telekinesis at will. This is a really interesting capstone because it& #39;s pretty powerful, but not necessarily enormously powerful for this specific subclass/class.
Okay so we can expect a fighter with this subclass to /want/ to use a PsiDie at least twice per round--once on their turn for extra damage (and later knocking the target prone), and once during the round to reduce incoming damage (which might not happen every round).
I think the actual likelihood will bear out in playtesting and feedback, but the use-cases where a fighter burns out on their PsiDie within a few rolls will feel like sweaty butts.
Is this a good time to suggest sacrificing Hit Die as an alternate PsiDie return option?
Is this a good time to suggest sacrificing Hit Die as an alternate PsiDie return option?
AHEM ANYWAY
Fuck me up, Soulknife Rogue
Fuck me up, Soulknife Rogue
Level 3 features; PsiDie, Bolstered Knack, and Psychic Whispers
Gonna be real here, chief. Psi-Bolstered Knack is fucking bonkers.
Gonna be real here, chief. Psi-Bolstered Knack is fucking bonkers.
A party is ~reasonably~ likely to have a cleric or a bard. Combining a rogue& #39;s insane skills with bardic inspiration and/or guidance is going to make every "I& #39;ll allow anyone to roll anything but I& #39;ll just make the DC high" DM /shit their pants/
Psychic Whispers is some fun/weird shit for establishing telepathy between party members or with other creatures. I think this is a potentially hilarious "Oh crap, I can only talk with X number of you at a time but we& #39;ll make the heist work" feature.
I actually want there to be MORE limitations on this, like a once per short rest use limit OR a creature has to be WILLING to accept the established telepathic communication. I think this really bypasses spells like comprehend languages or other cool class features so (con& #39;t)
I& #39;d like to see a little constraint on it--the rogue only gets one use per short rest or needs to calm/establish baseline good relations with a creature that doesn& #39;t share a language before it& #39;ll accept a telepathic link. I think it will create more interesting choices/play.
The other 3rd-level feature is Psychic Blades. Bonkers, wild, flavorful, cool-kid stuff where you can stab/throw with a d6 psychic finesse weapon that leaves no traces. You can also use your BA to make a second d4-version attack, which is an interesting choice to give a rogue.
Level 9 feature is Soul Blades:
-If you miss a PsyBlade, roll a PsiDie and add it to the attack roll. PsiDie is guaranteed to decrease if the attack hits.
-You throw a PsyBlade PsiDie X 5 feet and teleport to that location. Your PsiDie decreases by one size.
-If you miss a PsyBlade, roll a PsiDie and add it to the attack roll. PsiDie is guaranteed to decrease if the attack hits.
-You throw a PsyBlade PsiDie X 5 feet and teleport to that location. Your PsiDie decreases by one size.
These are both cool, especially Teleportation, and once again brings up a "does the die decreasing at d4 just eliminate the die" question.
Psionic Veil at level 13 is 10 minutes of invisibility that you regain the use of on long rest or decreasing your PsiDie. Pretty straightforward and pretty useful.
Level 17: Rend Mind
If you sneak attack with PsyBlades, you can force it to succeed on a Wis save (which is based on your DEX mod, goddamn) or be stunned. LR recharge or if you decrease your die size.
If you sneak attack with PsyBlades, you can force it to succeed on a Wis save (which is based on your DEX mod, goddamn) or be stunned. LR recharge or if you decrease your die size.
OK, so time to pause for a second. Two subclasses in and I see two distinct PsiDie approaches:
1. The Soulknife feels like it has very distinct use-cases for its PsiDie and a sense of control about when they& #39;re used and decreased.
1. The Soulknife feels like it has very distinct use-cases for its PsiDie and a sense of control about when they& #39;re used and decreased.
2. The Psi Knight feels like it& #39;s urging you to risk it all with constant potential uses and means of shrinking your die, but without more recharge abilities and with a lot less control (more & #39;roll and risk it& #39;).
I think as these subclasses are refined and we see (possibly) options for all classes using PsiDie, I& #39;d like to see distinct ways that the PsiDie can be refreshed or increased.
Some examples off the top of my head:
-Fighter: Regain an exhausted PsiDie on SR and/or it comes back only as a d4.
-Barbarian: Regain your PsiDie as a d4 when you roll initiative and/or it increments up by 1 when you rage.
General: Int ability check with DC = PsiDie max value
-Fighter: Regain an exhausted PsiDie on SR and/or it comes back only as a d4.
-Barbarian: Regain your PsiDie as a d4 when you roll initiative and/or it increments up by 1 when you rage.
General: Int ability check with DC = PsiDie max value
There& #39;s room to fuck around with that stuff, and I think it& #39;s more or less important based on subclass design. The Soulknife? Not a huge deal. A lot of personal control.
The Psi Knight? You WANT to use a die about every turn and shouldn& #39;t feel too punished for doing so.
The Psi Knight? You WANT to use a die about every turn and shouldn& #39;t feel too punished for doing so.
-Refresh to a d4 or up increment by 1 when you use Second Wind
-Warlock: refresh to a d4 or increment up by 1 when you use your last spell slot
I DIGRESS, I& #39;M HAVING FUN, SORRY
-Warlock: refresh to a d4 or increment up by 1 when you use your last spell slot
I DIGRESS, I& #39;M HAVING FUN, SORRY
Discovery is REALLY cool and a good Daft Punk album
Sorcerers having limited spells known is a common complaint, and getting to know an extra spell of your choice from Divination or Enchantment that constantly changes is a neat feature.
Sorcerers having limited spells known is a common complaint, and getting to know an extra spell of your choice from Divination or Enchantment that constantly changes is a neat feature.
Psychic Sorcery is...interesting? It& #39;s suggested that you need to be able to perform the somatic components and must have the other stuff (ie material components) on-hand when you use the feature. I could see it being used on spells with expensive, consumed components.
Telepathic Speech, also interesting. The range and time are both determined by the number rolled on your PsiDie, and you MUST share a language.
6th level: Psychic Strike
Additional psychic damage once per turn on a leveled spell. Pretty similar to the fighter feature, but can& #39;t be used with cantrips.
Additional psychic damage once per turn on a leveled spell. Pretty similar to the fighter feature, but can& #39;t be used with cantrips.
14: Mind over Body
BA to roll a PsiDie and spent 1+ sorc points to transform yourself for a number of hours = PsiDie result.
This is a REALLY powerful feature. All of the options are pretty strong, especially a doubled swimming speed and a flying speed.
BA to roll a PsiDie and spent 1+ sorc points to transform yourself for a number of hours = PsiDie result.
This is a REALLY powerful feature. All of the options are pretty strong, especially a doubled swimming speed and a flying speed.
I almost wonder if the first chosen feature shouldn& #39;t cost 2 sorcery points, with additional benefits costing 1. It& #39;s just--yowza. The flying speed is hover, too.
Level 18: Psychic Aura
Exude a psychic aura where any time a creature starts/enters a 30 foot radius, you can deal PsiDie+Cha mod damage to it, which also halves its speed. Pretty strong as long as your die lasts.
Exude a psychic aura where any time a creature starts/enters a 30 foot radius, you can deal PsiDie+Cha mod damage to it, which also halves its speed. Pretty strong as long as your die lasts.
So again, the risk of & #39;losing& #39; your PsiDie for this subclass is different from the others.
-Fighter: Roll all the time from the start, high risk
-Rogue: Some rolls, mostly controlled de-increments
-Sorcerer: Not a ton of chances to decrease/roll but RAMPS UP with new features
-Fighter: Roll all the time from the start, high risk
-Rogue: Some rolls, mostly controlled de-increments
-Sorcerer: Not a ton of chances to decrease/roll but RAMPS UP with new features
If anything, the early levels of sorcerer feel a little lukewarm on the PsiDie. The Discovery feature is amazing and I guess Speech TECHNICALLY requires you to roll, but there& #39;s very little tangible use for the die until 6th level.
We& #39;ve seen some UA feats before, and I think maybe some similar "You need X feat/feature to take this feat" feat-chaining that gave me 3.5 flashbacks. Curious to see if these survive...
So the BASE feat is Wild Talent, which gives you a +1 ASI of your choice and a PsiDie based on that Ability Score.
The PsiDie can be used to add to an ability check USING THAT SCORE, or to REPLACE a damage roll die with a PsiDie roll.
Yo that& #39;s neat
The PsiDie can be used to add to an ability check USING THAT SCORE, or to REPLACE a damage roll die with a PsiDie roll.
Yo that& #39;s neat
I really like how the damage roll feature doesn& #39;t step on the Psi Knight& #39;s toes. I think the fact that the ASI is tied to the use of the PsiDie is cool--limiting, but necessarily so.
Backtracking to the feats that build off of Wild Talent.
Metabolic Control:
+1 ASI to Str, Dex, or Con.
-Decrease your die to feed/water yourself for a day
-Meditate for a 1 minute short rest, decrease die, usable once per day.
Innnnteresting.
Metabolic Control:
+1 ASI to Str, Dex, or Con.
-Decrease your die to feed/water yourself for a day
-Meditate for a 1 minute short rest, decrease die, usable once per day.
Innnnteresting.
This feels like a desperate warlock& #39;s solution at a table full of jerks with long rest classes
Telekinetic Feat:
+1 ASI to Int, Wis, or Cha
-Learn mage hand, which can be invisible
-Rol PsiDie to shove or pull a creature 5xResult.
Nifty, especially since a creature can choose to fail. Feat-worthy after building off another feat? Not sure.
+1 ASI to Int, Wis, or Cha
-Learn mage hand, which can be invisible
-Rol PsiDie to shove or pull a creature 5xResult.
Nifty, especially since a creature can choose to fail. Feat-worthy after building off another feat? Not sure.
Telepathic Feat:
+1 ASI to Wis, Int, or Cha
-Telepathic communication at a range of 30 feet, in a language you know. One-way.
-Decrease die to cast detect thoughts, woof
Okay so the detect thoughts is great and cool and strong.
+1 ASI to Wis, Int, or Cha
-Telepathic communication at a range of 30 feet, in a language you know. One-way.
-Decrease die to cast detect thoughts, woof
Okay so the detect thoughts is great and cool and strong.
If I have a criticism of this feat, it& #39;s a criticism that psionic telepathy is handled wildly differently three different times in this document. Does it take rolling a PsiDie or not? Do I need to share a language or not? How long does it last? How far? How many?
I& #39;m okay with variation, but I& #39;d like to see a bit more of a single common thread that the features build from.
Tower of Iron Will Feat
Very straightforward: roll your PsiDie as a reaction when a creature fails a saving throw within 30 feet.
This is...a really simple but strong feat.
Very straightforward: roll your PsiDie as a reaction when a creature fails a saving throw within 30 feet.
This is...a really simple but strong feat.
So overall, I like this UA. I like psionics-as-subclasses and I& #39;ve been excited for the approach ever since it was first mentioned. I generally liked the first pass UA& #39;s and I like this unifying PsiDie mechanic even more.
Like I said above, I think certain classes have built-in base mechanics that can/should allow them to replenish their PsiDie (or at least to the d4 version of it). I think it& #39;ll tweak the PsiDie to feel unified but tailored to each class, and gives excuses for more way to roll it
