Psionics
Game Concepts
One of the strengths of D&D 5E is the ease of character customization. But as an old school gamer, I like to introduce a bit of randomness, so I have created these overly complex rules for psionics. They are designed to supplement gameplay and create roleplaying opportunities, while the system's action economy will hopefully minimize power creep.
Many Arcane spellcasters, Tribal Shaman, Elves and Night People have latent Psionic abilities. However, the training required to master these abilities can be prohibitive.
Testing
Psionic Talent can be determined by an Arcane spell-caster (usually), who has 3 or more Psionic talents or someone with significant mystical abilities.
Determination of Latent Talents
Talent Roll = (10 + INT + WIS + CHR + SX + RC + AR + SP) - 4d6.
INT = Intelligent Modifier.
WIS = Wisdom Modifier.
CHR = Charisma Modifier.
SX = -2 if Human Male.
RC = +2 if a Night Person, +4 if an Elf and - 4 if a Dwarf.
AR = +2 if trained in Arcane spell-casting.
SP = Special modifier based on whether the character has extraordinary exposure to Psionics (DM's discretion).
If the number is 0 or negative, the character has no psionic talents.
If the number is positive, then the character has talents equal to this number.
The Character then rolls on a random table for each talent. If they get a duplicate, then the talent is particularly strong, becoming a Discipline or even a major Discipline.
Transference
Talent
Transference – You passively detect the presence of a Barasi Point within 30ft. As an action, you can travel to another Barasi Point that you are aware of, or to a linked location. If you attempt to travel to an unknown location a skill check is required.
Discipline
World Walking – You passively detect the presence of a Barasi Point within 100ft. As an action, you and up to 4 companions can travel to another Barasi Point that you are aware of. If you attempt to travel to an unknown location a skill check is required.
Negation
Talent
Negation – As an action, you create a 10 ft radius invisible spherical psionic field around the invoker. Any spell or psionic effect of a level half that of the psionicist, or lower, cast from outside the psionic field can’t affect creatures or objects within it, even if the spell is cast using a higher-level spell slot. The psionic field moves with the invoker; however, they are limited to a movement rate of maximum 10ft and cannot use any form of teleport. This ability lasts for 1 minute and requires concentration. This talent is usable once per short rest.
Discipline
Ranged Negation – As per the Negation talent, the psionicst can create the invisible spherical psionic field at a range of 30ft. It is however immobile.
Sensitivity
Talent
Detect Psionic and Magic – As an action, you sense the presence of psionics or magic within 30 feet of you. You detect a faint aura around any visible creature, location, or object in the area that bears psionic or magic. If magical, you learn its school, if any. The talent can penetrate most solid barriers as per the detect magical spell.
Discipline
Passive Sensitivity – The DM will assign a DC for you Passive Perception to passively detect the presence of a psionic or magic effect if you pass within 10ft of them. If you discover such a presence, you may, as a reaction, use the Detect Psionic and Magic Talent.
Disembodiment
Talent
Disembodiment – After 10 minutes of meditation, you can detach your spirit from your body and enter the ethereal plane, similar to a ghost. Your body enters a state of suspended animation (although vulnerable to being possessed by other ethereal entities). Your movement rate is 30ft, and you can move through non-magical solid objects as if it were difficult terrain. You can see all nearby objects and entities on the ethereal plane but only glimmers of the real world. You can interact with other ethereal entities and use some of your magical and psionic abilities. This is extremely dangerous.
You can use this ability once per long rest, and it lasts 1 minute per character level and the end of the duration, or as an action, you instantly return to your body. Any damage your spirit takes will be applied to your body as Psychic damage when you return.
Discipline
Ethereal Travel – As per disembodiment above, the duration lasts 10 minutes per character level. Your spirit is more powerful, and your body harder to possess in your absence.
Healing
Talent
Mend Wounds – As an action, you can touch a living creature with 0 hit points, and the creature becomes stable. Additionally, you can stop any bleeding wound by touch as well.
Discipline
Restore Health – As an action, you can touch a living creature and remove 1 level of Exhaustion and heal d10 damage. Usable once per short rest.
Amplify Light
Talent
Amplify Light – You touch a magical or non-magical light source and increase its brightness. While this psionic talent is in effect, the radius of the bright light around the source is doubled, and dim light extends for the same distance beyond that area. This talent can be used a number of times per day equal to your proficient bonus and has a duration of your highest mental attribute bonus in hours.
Notes:
It is at the DM's discretion whether a character has been tested for psionic potential. If so, it would have to be worked into the character's background, e.g., A character who has a suitable background, such as a sage, may have been tested before they have begun their studies.
Many barbarian tribal shamans are chosen for their psionic talents, which is sometimes induced by frequent exposure to certain drugs.
Elves and Drûghu have an affinity for Transference, the ability to detect and use Barasi Points, natural transportation portals. The first Talent a Drûghu possesses will always be Transference while for an Elf the probability is 50%.
Psionic Skill
Although all characters have an opportunity to attune to psionic items, only those trained in Psionic scan sense or use Psionic Mechanisms such as psionically locked doors or Earthmaster Godstones.
The character's Psionic Skill is determined as follows.
Charisma adjustment + Proficiency Modifier + Number of trained talents - 1.
A DC will be assigned to use a Psionic or Earthmaster Mechanism, and the characters roll against this number. Once successful, the character and use the mechanism at will. If they fail, they can attempt another check after attaining a new level.
An interesting approach to Psionic talent using 5e rules. I feel that 5e breaks down when it comes to using stats for certain things b/c stats are so tied to character class; Bards, Paladins, Sorcerers, Warlocks all benefit from high charisma however, wizards do not. This is where I love the Aura stat of HarnMaster, a separate stat that defines one's innate magical ability is very useful. I might modify things slightly to say charisma and high intelligence are both required for Psionics.
Yes, I think D&D does have failings. I considered rolling for an Aura stat as I did when I ran D&D 2nd edition games if a talent has been identified but assigning a stat, being charisma, to it seemed to work the best for my game. However, I tried to make sure charisma was not the primary determinator for having a talent, it just determines how strong it manifests. That said if a player would like to play a wizard focusing around psionics I would let him use intelligence as a primary attribute.
I like your approach, it is interesting.