The Power of Psionics

One day a light blazed forth within you — the illumination of psionic power. Psionics are a form of magical power separate from the arcane magic of wizards and sorcerers or the divine magic of druids and clerics. The source of psionics is little-understood; some scholars posit that it is the natural defense of mortal races against the incursions of the Far Realm, while others believe is it a corruption caused by aberrant powers.

Power of the Mind

Psions are the quintessential manipulators of psionic power. Through study and discipline, a psion unlocks the mental pathways that allow them to manipulate reality itself with a thought. A psion must hone themselves as one would hone a weapon, as psionic powers unchecked could lead to disaster.

Psions in the World

Among githyanki and githzerai, psions are revered and marshaled on both sides of the gith war. In Eberron, many kalashtar dream of discovering psychic abilities within themselves, and in Athas, psionics are a way of life. In the glades of primeval woods touched by the Feywild, children sometimes awaken to the wonders of psionic power. And in communities that survive Far Realm incursions, some folk are mutated into horrific aberrations, while a lucky few not only remain themselves, but also discover that psionic energy now suffuses their minds.

Hit Points

• Hit Dice: 1d6 per Psion level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier per Psion level after 1st

Proficiencies

• Armor: None
• Weapons: Simple weapons
• Tools: None

• Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
• Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Deception, Insight, Investigation, Persuasion, and Religion

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a Quarterstaff or (b) a Dagger
• (a) a crystal or (b) another arcane focus
• (a) a scholar’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack

Alternatively, you can ignore the equipment here and in your background, and buy 5d4 × 10 gp worth of equipment from chapter 5 in the Player’s Handbook.

Cantrips

At 1st Level, you know three Cantrips of your choice from the Psion spell list. You learn additional Psion cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Psion table.

Preparing and Casting Spells

The Psion table shows how many Spell Slots you have to cast your Psion Spells of 1st Level and higher. To cast one of these spells⁠, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended Spell Slots when you finish a Long Rest.

You prepare the list of Psion Spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the Psion spell list. To do so, choose a number of Psion spells⁠ equal to your Intelligence modifier + your Psion level (minimum of one spell). The spells⁠ must be of a level for which you have Spell Slots.

For example, if you’re a 3rd-level Psion, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level Spell Slots. With an Intelligence of 16, your list of prepared Spells can include six spells⁠ of 1st or 2nd Level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell Magic Missile, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn’t remove it from your list of prepared spells⁠.

You can change your list of prepared Spells when you finish a Long Rest. Preparing a new list of Psion spells⁠ requires a period of deep meditation, in which you analyze the mental pathways that allow you to alter the flow of psionic energy.

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your Spellcasting Ability for your Psion Spells, since you learn your spells⁠ through self-analysis and willpower. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting⁠ ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting⁠ the saving throw DC for a Psion spell you cast and when Making an Attack roll with one.

Alienist

Some describe you as reckless. Others call you corrupted, claiming that your work puts all the world at risk. The Far Realm is a dangerous place, to be sure, filled with horrors beyond imagining. But the power to be found there is too tempting to ignore.

Dreamwalker

Psions who devote their full attention to lucid dreaming can fashion themselves a dream form capable of acting in the waking world, even while the psion remains conscious.

Dream Warrior

At 3rd level, your study of the dreaming arts has allowed you to form a being from dreams called a dream warrior. It is friendly to you and your companions, and it obeys your commands. See this creature's game statistics in the dream warrior stat block. You determine the creature’s appearance; it can be a duplicate of yourself, a nightmarish creature, a strange humanoid, or any other form of your choosing. This has no effect on its game statistics.

If your psionic talent die is available, you can conjure your dream warrior as an action. In combat, the dream warrior shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take one of the actions in its stat block or the Dash, Disengage, Help, Hide, or Search action.

As an action, you can use your psionic talent die to restore a number of hit points to your dream warrior equal to the result + your intelligence modifier. If your dream warrior has died within the last hour, you can expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher and roll your psionic talent die to restore it. This process takes meditation for a number of minutes equal to the number rolled on your psionic talent die.

You can’t re-summon your dream warrior if you already have one. You can use your action to immediately summon it to your side at the end of a long rest.

Awakened Dreamer

At 6th level, you gain the ability to cast spells from your Dream Warrior as it they emanated from you. To do so, roll your psionic talent die. If the level of the spell is less than or equal to the result, you can cast that spell as if it originated from your Dream Warrior. Otherwise, you cast the spell as normal.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (a minimum of once). You regain any expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

Stuff of Nightmares

At 9th level, your Dream Warrior can rapidly attack creatures to beat them into submission. As an action, you can expend a spell slot of 4th level or lower. On your Dream Warrior’s turn, it can then make a number of attacks equal to the total level of spell slots you expended (as if it had a multiattack feature).

Once you’ve used this ability, you can’t use it again until you’ve finished a long rest.

Dreamer’s Requiem

At 14th level, your Dream Warrior gives you power over the force of time itself. If your psionic talent die is available, you can roll it. If you roll a 9 or higher, you can cast time stop, without expending a psion spell slot. If you do, it has the following changes:

• Instead of you, your Dream Warrior takes the extra turns granted by time stop. It can take actions as if it was commanded by you to do so. You are able to move during time stop but cannot take any actions or bonus actions. Nevertheless, you are clearly identifiable as the source of the spell, as all creatures who can hear you hear a loud thrumming when the spell is cast.

• Instead of rolling 1d4+1 to determine how many turns your Dream Warrior takes, you roll your psionic talent die.

• The spell doesn’t end when your Dream Warrior attacks, picks up, or throws an object, but does if it takes any other actions (e.g. shoving a creature). It also ends if your Dream Warrior reduces a creature to 0 hit points.

At the end of the duration of time stop, your psionic talent die is expended. You can’t restore it in any way until you finish a long rest.

Telekinetic Training

You learn the mage hand cantrip if you don’t already know it. When you cast mage hand, the hand is invisible for you, and requires a bonus action to control instead of an action.

When you use the mage hand cantrip, you can increase the amount of weight you can push, drag, or lift by rolling your psionic talent die. Your mage hand can then push, drag, or lift objects with a weight of up to 10 lbs. multiplied by the number rolled. You can’t make attacks or activate magic items with your mage hand.

You can also cast spells that have a range of touch using your mage hand. To do so, you roll your psionic talent die; if the spell’s level is less than or equal to the number rolled, you can cast it through your mage hand, requiring no verbal or somatic components. Cantrips are treated as having a level of 0. You can cast spells this way a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier, and then can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

Potent Psionics

At 6th level, you can add your Intelligence modifier to the damage you deal with any Psion cantrip.

Mental Might

By 9th level, you’ve learned how to bring your raw psionic power to bear against your foes. When you deal bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, force, psychic, or thunder damage with a spell, you can roll your psionic talent die and add the amount rolled to the damage.

Extrasensory Explosion

At 14th level, you can become a nexus of psionic force. If your Psionic Talent die is available, you can unleash your psionic power in a crackling aura of psychic energy; as a bonus action, you can magically radiate this transparent, 30-foot-radius aura for 1 minute or until you’re incapacitated or lose the use of your Psionic Talent die.

Whenever a creature starts its turn in the aura or moves into it for the first time on a turn, you can roll your Psionic Talent die and deal psychic damage to the creature, equaling the number rolled plus your Intelligence modifier. If the creature takes any of this damage, its speed is halved until the start of its next turn.

Once you’ve used this ability, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Expanded Spell List

Your psionic training lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you prepare psion spells. The following spells are added to the psion spell list for you.

Akashic Guidance

You peer into the Akashic Records, the secret and objective knowledge of all events, past, present, or future, and can use this knowledge to guide others towards their destiny – or away from it. When a creature you see within 30 feet of you (other than yourself) makes an ability check or saving throw, you can use your reaction and roll your psionic talent die and add the number rolled. You can wait until after the creature rolls the d20 before deciding to use your Akashic Guidance, but must decide before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails.

Spirit Healing

At 6th level, you learn how to use your psionic powers to shield others from harm. Whenever you use your Akashic Guidance or Telepathic Speech features on a friendly creature, that creature gains temporary hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier.

Bend Karma

At 9th level, you learn new ways to protect the creatures under your tutelage, represented by the following benefits:

• The range of your Akashic Guidance increases to 60 feet.
• When a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll or a damage roll against one or more of your allies, you can use your reaction to roll your psionic talent die, subtracting the number rolled from that creature's roll. You can choose to use this feature after the creature makes its roll, but before the DM determines whether the attack roll succeeds or fails, or before the creature deals its damage.

Enthralling Voice

Your psionic powers make your persuasions harder to resist. As an action, you can choose a creature you can see within 30 feet of you that you and your allies are not currently in combat with. You make a Charisma (Persuasion) check contested by that creature’s Wisdom (Insight) check. You can roll your psionic talent die and add the result to your Charisma (Persuasion) check. If you succeed the check, that creature is charmed by you for the next hour. If the creature takes damage from you or your allies, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on a success.

Once the effect ends, or if the creature succeeds on its initial saving throw against this effect, you can't use this feature on that creature again until you finish a long rest.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (a minimum of once). You regain any expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

Psionic Willpower

At 6th level, while a creature is charmed or frightened by you, you can use your reaction to roll your psionic talent die and add the result rolled to any Constitution saving throw you make to maintain concentration on a spell.

Spirit Breaker

At 9th level, you learn how to apply your psionic power to break down the mental defenses of your targets. Whenever you force a creature to make a saving throw against an enchantment or illusion spell you cast, you can use your reaction to roll your psionic talent die and add the number rolled to your psion spell save DC.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (a minimum of once). You regain any expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

True Will

At 14th level, your willpower is such that you can bend the laws of reality to suit you. You can maintain concentration on two spells at a time, within the following restrictions:

• Both spells must be Psion spells.
• Both spells must be from the schools of Enchantment or Illusion.
• Both spells must be 5th level or lower, and can’t be cast using higher level spell slots.

Whenever you must make a Constitution saving throw to maintain concentration, you must make a separate saving throw for each spell you’re concentrating on. If both spells end because you failed a save (even if you begin concentrating on another spell), you gain one level of exhaustion. If the spell ends because the target is dead, because the spell’s duration has passed, because the target is out of range, or because you choose to end concentration on the spell, you don’t gain a level of exhaustion. If either spell ends, you can’t begin concentrating on another additional spell, and can’t concentrate on two spells this way again until you finish a long rest.

Force Grasp

2nd-level abjuration

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You grab a creature by the throat, strangling it with psionic force. The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 3d6 bludgeoning damage and is restrained. On each of your turns for the duration, you can use your action to deal 2d6 bludgeoning damage to the target automatically. On a successful save, the target takes half that damage and the spell immediately ends. The spell ends if you use your action to do anything else. The spell also ends if the target is ever outside the spell's range or if it has total cover from you.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the initial damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 2nd.

Glossolalia

1st-level enchantment

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self (30-foot cone)
• Components: V
• Duration: Instantaneous

You utter shrieks of nonsense and gibberish that thinking creatures find distracting and confusing. Each creature in a 30-foot cone emanating from you must make an Intelligence saving throw. A creature takes 2d6 psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Creatures in the cone have disadvantage on checks to maintain concentration caused by this spell.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 1st.

Mind Blast

3rd-level evocation

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self (60-foot cone)
• Components: V
• Duration: Instantaneous

You unleash a destructive wave of mental power in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in the area must make a Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, a target takes 6d6 psychic damage and is stunned for 1 round. On a successful save, a target takes half as much damage and isn’t stunned.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 3rd.

Mind Meld

2nd-level divination (ritual)

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Touch
• Components: V, S, M (a handful of ashes, inhaled when you cast this spell)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

You touch a willing creature and breathe in a handful of treated ashes, expanding and uniting both your consciousnesses. While you’re in physical contact, you can exchange thoughts, memories, and knowledge freely with one another. Once physical contact is broken, for the duration of the spell, both you and the creature each gain proficiency in one skill of your choice that the other is proficient in.

Sensory Overload

Illusion cantrip

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: V, S
• Duration: 1 round

You fill a creature’s senses with a dizzying array of disorienting lights and sounds. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or take 1d8 psychic damage and its speed is reduced by 10 feet until the start of your next turn. The spell’s damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th level (2d8), 11th level (3d8), and 17th level (4d8).