Comparing the Recent Psionics Unearthed Arcana

We got a new Unearthed Arcana last week! The survey for the spells and magic tattoos article is also live.

The new article presents revised psionics options for the fighter, the rogue, and the sorcerer. It also revises the new psionics-themed spells and feats. It looks like this is going to be the official approach to psionics in 5e moving forward, as the article notes, “we’ve decided to say farewell to the mystic and explore other ways of giving players psi-themed powers.”

In this blog post, I’m going to compare the new options with their versions in previous UAs.

The new UA’s fighter subclass, rogue subclass, feats, and spells come from last year’s Fighter, Rogue, and Wizard Unearthed Arcana. The wizard subclass was dropped, and instead we see a revised sorcerer subclass from the Sorcerer and Warlock article.

The introductory sections on the article’s first page provide some background info and reasoning into the current decisions surrounding psionics. Those are worth a read if you’re curious.

The Psionic Talent Die

The Psionic Talent die is a new mechanic common to these new psionic options. This die starts as a d6 and increases to a d8 at 5^th level, a d10 at 11^th level, and a d12 at 17^th level. Characters roll their Psionic Talent die when they use psionic power granted by their subclass or feat.

Rolling the highest number on the die will decrease the die size after the roll, and rolling a 1 on the die will increase its size up to its starting size. You can also use a bonus action once per long rest to calm your mind and restore your die to the usual size.

This mechanic is an easy way to tie the psionic options together. It’s sort of like the fighter’s superiority die, but the way the die’s size can change is a cool way of representing the flux of psionic power.

Martial Archetype: Psi Knight

The Psi Knight fighter subclass is the new version of the Psychic Warrior.

The Psi Knight uses psionic power to augment their fighting abilities. The text calls out githyanki, high elves, and kalashtar as easy flavor matches for this subclass.

Psionic Talent: 3^rd level feature

At 3^rd level, you get the Psionic Talent feature. The Psi Knight gets the Protective Field, Psi-Powered Leap, and Telekinetic Strike options to use their Psionic Talent die with. Protective Field uses the die (plus your Intelligence modifier) to reduce damage that you or a nearby creature takes. Psi-Powered Leap allows you to add the die’s roll (plus twice your Intelligence modifier) to a high or long jump’s distance. Telekinetic Strike lets you add the die’s result to a weapon attack on a nearby target.

This replaces the old UA’s Psionic Armament feature, where you could reduce damage taken or add onto the damage you could deal. The Protective Field and Telekinetic Strike options are definitely a follow-up to the old options.

Also, the Telekinetic Hand 3^rd level feature has been cut, so you no longer get mage hand as a part of this subclass.

Telekinetic Adept: 7^th level feature

At 7^th level, the Telekinetic Adept feature grants additional ways of using the Psionic Talent die: Psionic Thrust and Telekinetic Movement. You can use Psionic Thrust when you use Telekinetic Strike—Psionic Thrust forces the target to make a Strength saving throw versus being knocked prone (or moved 10 feet horizontally, your choice). Telekinetic Movement allows you to decrease your Psionic Talent’s die one size in exchange for moving something with your mind (you can move a Large or smaller loose object or a willing creature).

This feature replaces the Psychic Warrior’s Strength of Mind feature. The old feature let you use a bonus action to make a telekinetic attack and force the target to save against being moved towards or away from you.

Psi-Enhanced Metabolism: 10^th level feature

At 10^th level, the Psi Knight becomes immune to the poisoned condition and gains resistance to psychic and poison damage.

This replaces the Telekinetic Bulwark feature, which allowed the fighter to replace one of their attacks to project a force field. This force field granted advantage on Strength saves and half cover to yourself and allies within a 10-foot radius.

Bulwark of Force: 15^th level feature

This 15^th level feature seems like direct replacement for Telekinetic Bulwark. Bulwark of Force allows you to use a bonus action and choose creatures (including yourself) within 30 feet. Those creatures get the benefits of half cover for a minute or until you’re incapacitated. You can do this once per long rest, or you can decrease the size of the Psionic Talent die to use it again.

The original 15^th level feature was Agonizing Strikes, which allowed you to boost your weapon attack’s damage and force the target to make a Constitution save. If they failed the save, they would fall prone and have disadvantage on ability checks until your next turn ends.

Telekinetic Master: 18^th level feature

At 18^th level, the Telekinetic Master feature allows you to cast telekinesis without components. You can only use this when you have your Psionic Talent die available, and the casting decreases the die by a size.

This replaces the Psychic Dreadnaught feature, which would grant a few different benefits for a minute, including slight hit point regeneration and a 10-foot increase to walking speed. It also allows you to spend only 5 feet of movement to stand after being knocked prone.

Roguish Archetype: Soulknife

The Soulknife subclass gets a new version in this article. The name originally belonged to a Mystic subclass with similar flavor and mechanics.

Psionic Talent: 3^rd level feature

The Soulknife gets the Psi-Bolstered Knack and Psychic Whispers options for using their Psionic Talent die. Psi-Bolstered Knack works on skill checks or tools that you have proficiency in, but you’ve failed the check—the feature allows you to add the result of your Psionic Talent die to the check (this one is interesting because you usually don’t get to know if you succeed or fail before changing the result). Psychic Whispers allows you to open up telepathic communication between you and at least one other person, depending on your die result, for an hour within 1 mile.

This feature replaces the old Psionic Enhancement feature, which allowed you to pick from a list of enhancements at the end of a long rest. You could give yourself the ability to communicate telepathically within 30 feet, increase your walking speed by 5 feet, or increase your hit points (and HP maximum).

Psychic Blades: 3^rd level feature

Also at 3^rd level, you get the Psychic Blades feature. This allows you to manifest a psychic blade when you go to make a melee or ranged attack, and you can make the attack with that blade (1d6 simple melee weapon, finesse and thrown properties, range of 60 with no long range). The blade leaves no marks on your targets when it deals damage. After making one attack, you can make another attack with a bonus action with a second blade, assuming you have another free hand. The damage die for the bonus action attack is 1d4.

The old feature, Psychic Blade, required a bonus action to summon the blade(s). It had a normal range of 30 feet and a long range of 60 feet.

Soul Blades: 9^th level feature

At 9^th level, Soul Blades grants the Homing Strikes and Psychic Teleportation options. Homing Strikes allows you to potentially turn a missed attack with Psychic Blades into a hit by adding a roll of the Psionic Talent die to the attack roll. If this succeeds, the Psionic Talent die gets one size smaller. Psychic Teleportation allows you to teleport yourself to where you throw your Psychic Blades on a bonus action. The range of this teleportation is five times the highest number of your Psionic Talent die. When you use Psionic Teleportation, the die gets a size smaller.

This replaces the Terrifying Blade feature. Terrifying Blade allowed you to force your Psychic Blade attack target to make a Wisdom save against being frightened.

Psionic Veil: 13^th level feature

At 13^th level, you can use the Psionic Veil feature. This allows you to magically become invisible for 10 minutes or until you dismiss the effect. The effect will end if you damage a creature or force a creature to make a saving throw. You can only do this once per long rest, or you can decrease your Psionic Talent die’s size to use it again.

This is very similar to the original Psychic Veil feature with some slight wording tweaks. The old version’s uses were tied to your Intelligence modifier.

Rend Mind: 17^th level feature

At 17^th level, you can use Rend Mind when you use Psychic Blades to deal Sneak Attack damage. You can force you target to make a Wisdom saving throw against being stunned until your next turn ends. You can do this once per long rest, or you can decrease your Psionic Talent die’s size to get another use.

This has the same name as the old 17^th level feature, which wasn’t linked to Sneak Attack. The old version forced an Intelligence saving throw, and the target took 12d6 psychic damage and was stunned on a failed save. If they succeeded, they took half as much damage and weren’t stunned. The feature also used to expend a Psychic Blade, and its usage depended on your Intelligence modifier.

Sorcerous Origin: Psionic Soul

The Psionic Soul subclass is a new version of the Aberrant Mind subclass. This new version dispenses with the eerie vibe of the Aberrant Mind, and instead its Psionic Origins table lets you choose from a variety of explanations for your psionic power.

Psionic Talent: 1^st level feature

The Psionic Soul’s Psionic Talent grants access to the Psionic Discovery, Psychic Sorcery, and Telepathic Speech options for using your Psionic Talent die. You can use Psionic Discovery after 10 minutes of meditation, which can be done during a rest. When you use this option, you’ll pick a sorcerer spell of a level you can cast from the enchantment or divination school. You can cast that spell for a length of hours determined by the result of your Psionic Talent die roll. You can use Psychic Sorcery when you cast a spell, which makes it so you cast the spell with no verbal component, and if the Psionic Talent die rolled equal to or higher than the spell’s level, you don’t need somatic or material components for that casting either. Telepathic Speech allows you to forge a temporary telepathic connection with another creature, for a number of hours equal to your Psionic Talent die roll.

This feature replaces three 1^st level features of the Aberrant Mind: Invasive Thoughts (telepathy), Psionic Spells (additional spells added to spell list), and Warped Being (different AC calculation).

Psychic Strike: 6^th level feature

This 6^th level feature allows you to deal extra damage equal to your Psionic Talent die result. This damage can only apply once per turn when you damage a creature with a sorcerer spell using a spell slot.

This feature replaces the Psionic Sorcery (casting psionic spells with sorcery points) and Psychic Defenses (resistance to psychic damage and advantage against charm or frighten) features.

Mind Over Body: 14^th level feature

At 14^th level, you can transform yourself for a number of hours equal to the result of your Psionic Talent die roll. You also spend at least one sorcery point, one for each transformation you choose: seeing invisible creatures who aren’t behind total cover within 60 feet, gaining the ability to hover and a fly speed equal to your walk speed, gaining a swimming speed of twice your walk speed plus the ability to breathe underwater, or becoming “pliable” and able to move through spaces as narrow as 1 inch without squeezing.

This feature replaces a similar feature, Revelation in Flesh, from the Aberrant Mind sorcerer. The effects only lasted a minute in the old version, and they each had spookier, slimier flavor.

Psychic Aura: 18^th level feature

At 18^th level, you can use a bonus action to call forth a 30-foot aura for a minute (or until you’re incapacitated or lose the use of your Psionic Talent). Creatures moving into the aura or starting their turn in it will take an amount of psychic damage equal to the roll of your Psionic Talent die plus your Charisma modifier. Taking this damage causes the creature’s speed to be halved until the start of their next turn.

This feature replaces the Aberrant Mind’s Warp Reality feature, which had a similar function. Warp Reality also allowed you to end the aura early and teleport creatures within the aura.

New Spells

Some of the new psionic spells made it into the new document, though we lost ego whip, id insinuation, mental barrier, psionic blast, psychic crush, and thought shield. Also, they split out the spell lists by class, instead of adding all of them to the bard, sorcerer, warlock, and wizard list.

Bard spell list

The only new psionic spell available for the bard’s list is intellect fortress.

Sorcerer and Wizard spell list

The sorcerer and wizard classes have access to all three psionic spells: mind sliver, mind thrust, and intellect fortress.

Warlock spell list

Warlocks can only access the mind sliver cantrip of the new spells.

Intellect fortress

This is now a 4^th level spell instead of a 5^th level spell. It only requires a verbal component, instead of verbal and somatic, and its duration has been extended to concentration 1 hour instead of concentration 10 minutes.

The old version of the spell granted you advantage on all saves and allowed you to let someone reroll a failed save.

The new version grants you or a willing creature within range resistance to psychic damage. This also grants the target advantage on saving throws using Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma. When you cast the spell at higher levels, you can target an additional creature so long as they’re within 30 feet of other targets.

Mind sliver

The mind sliver cantrip remains the same in wording. It’s an attack cantrip that forces the target to make an Intelligence saving throw or take psychic damage and subtract a d4 from the next save it makes before your next turn ends.

Mind thrust

The mind thrust has a casting time of one action instead of one bonus action, and its range is 90 feet instead of 60 feet. It now only requires a verbal component. The wording is the same except for when the target fails the Intelligence saving throw. The target now can’t take a reaction until the next turn, and it can choose 1 of the following options on its next turn: movement, action, or bonus action (it can only do one). The old version limited the target to the Dash or Disengage actions.

New Feats

The new Unearthed Arcana added the Metabolic Control, Tower of Iron Will, and Wild Talent feats. It also keeps the Telekinetic and Telepathic feats from the previous UA.

Metabolic Control

This new feat requires the Psionic Talent feature or the Wild Talent feat. It boosts your Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution score by 1 (max of 20). You can decrease the size of your Psionic Talent die in exchange for not having to eat or drink for the next 24 hours.

You also have the option to decrease the size of your die and meditate for one minute to get the benefits of a short rest. You can only perform this meditation once per long rest.

Telekinetic

The new version of the Telekinetic feat requires the Psionic Talent feature or the Wild Talent feat.

Instead of just increasing your Intelligence, you can also choose to increase your Wisdom or Charisma by 1 (max of 20). You learn the mage hand cantrip like the old feat, but unlike the old feat, the cantrip’s range increases by 30 feet if you already know mage hand.

When you use the telekinetic shove bonus action, the distance depends on the roll of your Psionic Talent die. The new feat adds that the creature can willingly fail the save.

Telepathic

The new Telepathic feat requires the Psionic Talent feature of the Wild Talent feat.

Like the Telekinetic feat, this feat now allows you to increase Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma, instead of just Intelligence by 1 (max 20).

The new version of this feat restricts the telepathy more than the old version. Now, the telepathic communication doesn’t allow the creature to respond, and you have to share a language for the target to understand you.

Instead of a new skill proficiency, this feat’s third benefit allows you to cast detect thoughts. You can only do so if you have your Psionic Talent die available, and this detect thoughts requires no components to cast. Using this benefit will decrease the size of your Psionic Talent die.

Tower of Iron Will

This new feat requires the Psionic Talent feature or the Wild Talent feat. You can use a reaction when you or a nearby creature fails a saving throw. This reaction allows you to roll your Psionic Talent die and add that number to the saving throw.

Wild Talent

This new feat grants an ability score boost (you can choose any score to increase by 1, max 20), and it grants you a Psionic Talent die. You can use the Psi-Boosted Ability or Psi-Guided Strike options. Psi-Boosted Ability allows you to roll your Psionic Talent die and add it to a check using the ability score you increased with this feat. You can roll the die after the d20 roll, but it has to be before you know whether it succeeded. Psi-Guided Strike allows you to augment attack rolls that use the ability score you increased with this feat. Once on each of your turns, you can add your Psionic Talent die result to a damage roll for one of your attacks. This result replaces the damage dice’s result.

I’m a little sad to see the Mystic class go, but I’m excited for these new options and how they’ll develop from here! What do you think of these new options?