It just seems like the quickest, most user-friendly, least intrusive, and least taxing on WotC's reduced manpower way to handle an update. The sorcerer is already point-powered, and many people feel it needs more branching paths anyway.
Thoughts? Yay or nay? Opinions from the Dark Sun contingent?
while i dont own the expanded psionics handbook so have no prior experience with the matter i say
nay it removes the opportunity for learnt psionics
Mechanically speaking, it makes perfect sense (that's how Monte Cook's Arcana Unearthed/Evolved handled it back in the golden age of d20/3.0), but most editions of D&D have made a point of splitting psionics from magic, using different mechanics and powers that do not necessarily have spell/magic counterparts.
So if I was a betting man, I'd bet on psionics distinct from magic. And of course, totally unbalanced. Both mandated by tradition. ;)
I'm hoping we get a full Psion class with archetypes for each of the Disciplines, a Psychic Warrior archetype for fighters, as well as a few other archetypes for other classes. Monk's a natural. Psionic rogues could be cool.
Having a completely different splatbook line of psionics sells more books. ;)
But yeah. In 3e I tried making custom classes for psionics based mostly on sorcerers, or possibly sorcerer 'schools' (Clairvoyants, cryokinetic, etc)
The problem I ran into is that a lot of psionic 'types' are spottily represented and would require adapting or writing in new spells. Telekinetics, for example, you have Mage Hand (cantrip), maybe Protection from Arrows (2) and then Telekinesis (6) and some of the Force spells. Which is nice, but there are still big gaps.
I agree that making them a sorcerer subclass would make the most sense--so I'm sure it'll be its own class, precisely for what Will said.
Also, if a separate class they could better branch out to specialized psions as Monster Manuel requests, though I don't think its strictly necessary. I'd be fine with it as a subclass.
I think different specs in existing classes is the way to go. Psychic Earrior being a Fighter spec, Psyblade being Rogue spec maybe, and the Nomad? being Sorcerer.
Alternatively, they could be possible for several classes, perhaps Psychic Warrior being a spec for Fighters, Rangers and possibly Barbarians. I doubt that work work outside my own head though.
Psion as a Sorcerer subclass is a great idea. I've got no use for either of 'em in my game, so I can ditch two completely redundant classes at once.
Seems a natural. Sorcery is defined in 5e as some genetic makeup that allows you to channel some type of power in a different way then a mage/warlock, so Psionics fits perfectly in there.
It's too bad they only had Wild and Dragon, which were always the lamest sorcerers. Infernals, Deities, and Fae would be much more likely as parents, but then you're basically doubling down on every power source to have granted abilities through Warlock and inherited abilities through Sorcerer.
i have always liked the idea of sorcerers that come from highly magical parents (wizards mostly) it makes for interesting storys of wizards scrambling to discourage there children from sorcery and push them towards wizardry or something non magical (i really like to play up the wizard/sorcerer divide)
If there is one class I can see added to 5e at all, I'd say it is the psion.
If only for my love of Eberron, I'd prefer psionics given a deeper and more different from spellcasters treatment. If not as a class, then I'd prefer psionics be spread across a few feats and subclasses and still, be entirely seperated from spellcasting.
As for the specifics of the sorcerer become the de facto home of psionics, I see two issues.
First, I think entirely charima based psionics would be a pretty big departure from previous versions.
Second, I'm pretty sure the sorcerer spell list doesn't line up all that well with the traditional elements of psionics (telepathy and telekinesis).
One way or another, I believe proper psionics are still quite a bit away.
My prediction is that we will get psionics piece by piece through the Unearthed Arcana playtest and in those, wotc will go through multiple very different versions before releasing a final, "official" ruleset.
Quote from: Mr. Kent;817904I agree that making them a sorcerer subclass would make the most sense--so I'm sure it'll be its own class, precisely for what Will said.
Also, if a separate class they could better branch out to specialized psions as Monster Manuel requests, though I don't think its strictly necessary. I'd be fine with it as a subclass.
This would be fine if they do it.
I do like the idea of the 2E Psionics Handbook where you were able to learn from several different disciplines - i.e. one psion who had sciences and devotions from two or three of the disciplines. If they do that I'll be happier than I was with the 3E version.