Arcane Tradition: Psionics (Improved!)
Psychic Scholars
Wizards study magical power in all its forms, including the magic of psionics. Those wizards who follow the tradition of Psionics hone the magical potential of their own minds. Sometimes called Psionicists or mentalists, these wizards interact with the multiverse through the lense of their Psionic aptitude and awareness.
Disciplined Masters
Psionicists channel their magic by focusing their minds through strict training and practice. Often, a psionicist will study one or multiple Psionic Disciplines, such as Telethermics or Psychokinetics. These disciplines specialize in different aspects of psionics, whether it's through channeling energy into one's body through Translocation, or subtly manipulating the minds of those around you through Telepathy.
Psionic Focus
2nd-level Psionics feature
You have learned to channel psionic energy through a special object: a psionic focus. You gain the following benefits:
- The object is a spellcasting focus for you.
- When you roll psychic damage or force damage for any of your wizard spells, you can reroll any of those damage dice that rolls a 1, but you must use the new roll.
- If your psionic focus is lost, you can magically recreate it by meditating for 1 hour during a short or long rest, at the end of which the focus appears in your hand.
Psionic Devotion
2nd-level Psionics Feature
Your studies have allowed you to expand your mind to the point of empowering your spells. Through sheer force of will. This willpower is represented by Psionic Devotion die, the starting size of which is a d6.
Psionic Talent Options
You can use your psionic talent die in the following ways:
- Deep Manipulation. Whenever you cast a spell that would charm a target, and that target must make a saving throw against your spell, roll your psi dice. The save DC of your spell increases by the amount you rolled. You cannot use this ability on the same creature more than once every 24 hours.
- Well of Knowledge. You’re able to look beyond yourself for knowledge and inspiration. Roll your psi dice. For a number of hours equal to the number rolled, you learn a Language or tool proficiency that you don’t already know. If you roll an 8 or higher on your psi dice, you may learn a Skill proficiency that you don’t already know. You cannot have more than one proficiency learned at a time through this ability.
- Telepathic Speech. You can form a telepathic connection between your mind and the mind of another. As a bonus action, choose one creature you can see, and roll your Psionic Talent die. For a number of hours equal to the number you rolled, you and the chosen creature can speak telepathically with each other while the two of you are within a number of miles of each other equal to the number you rolled. To understand each other, you each must speak mentally in a language the other knows. The telepathic connection ends early if you use this ability to form a connection with a different creature.
Changing the Die's Size
If you roll the highest number on your Psionic Devotion die, it decreases by one die size after the roll. This represents you burning through your psionic energy. For example, if the die is a d6 and you roll a 6, it becomes a d4. If it's a d4 and you roll a 4, it becomes unusable until you finish a long rest.
Conversely, if you roll a 1 on your Psionic Devotion die, it increases by one die size after the roll, up to its starting size. This represents you conserving psionic energy for later use. For example, if you roll a 1 on a d4, the die then becomes a d6.
Whenever you finish a long rest, your Psionic Devotion die resets to its starting size. When you reach certain levels in this class, the starting size of your Psionic Devotion die increases: at 5th level (d8), 11th level (d10), and 17th level (d12).
Psi Replenishment
As a bonus action, you can calm your mind for a moment and restore your Psionic Talent die to its starting size. You then can't use Psi Replenishment again until you finish a long rest.
Psionic Discipline
At 6th level, you get to choose two psychic disciplines that your character specializes in. These disciplines heavily influence certain spells you cast.
Psychokinetics
You can use your mind to generate telekinetic effects for some of your spells, making their effects invisible. The following spells are invisible to the naked eye when you cast them (if they’re visible by default), and require half the time and GP to copy to your spellbook (if they’re not a cantrip): Mage Hand, Thunder Clap, Magic Missile, Tenser’s Floating Disk, Shield, Hold Person, Bigby’s Hand, Wall of Force, Telekinesis.
Telepathy
Your innate telepathic abilities enhance your spells, making them exceptionally hard to detect. The following spells require no Verbal, Material, or Somatic components to cast, and require half the time and GP to copy to your spellbook (if they’re not a cantrip): Message, Encode Thoughts, Sleep, Command, Tasha’s Hideous Laughter, Zone of Truth, Sending, Tongues, Dominate Person, Telepathy.
Telethermy
You’re able to channel raw psychic energy into some of the spells you cast. When you cast an Evocation spell that deals Fire, Cold, or Lightning damage, you may roll your Psi Dice and add the result to the spell’s Damage.
Translocation
You’re able to channel your psychic power into teleportaion spells you cast, giving yourself a boost of speed when you use them. When you cast a spell that causes you to teleport, your movement speed increases by 10 after the spell is cast. Any movement made after casting the spell does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Major Psionics
At 10th level, practicing with your disciplines has caused you to master a spell within each. Depending on your chosen disciplines, you learn one of the following spells from each discipline you chose. You learn these spells instantly if you haven't learned them already, they're always prepared, and do not count against the amount of spells you may have prepared at once. These spells may be cast once without consuming a spell slot once per long rest.
- Psychokinetics: Telekinesis, Hold Person (5th Level)
- Telepathy: Dominate Person, Charm Person (5th Level)
- Telethermy: Cone of Cold, Fireball or Lightning Bolt (5th Level)
- Translocation: Teleporation Circle, Misty Step (Cast 3 times without using spellslots).
Ultimate Psionics
At 14th level, you have understood the nature of psionics to the point where you’ve created your own innate abilities. Depending on your disciplines, you get two of the following abilities:
Kinetic Blast
(Psychokinetics) When you deal Force damage to a creature, you may add your Intelligence modifier multiplied by the level of the spell to the spell’s damage. Once you use this ability, you may not use it again until you finish long rest.
Mind Control
(Telepathy) As an action, you may rend the consciousness from a creature that isn’t a construct, undead, fiend, or celestial; turning it into your puppet. A creature of your choosing within 30 feet of you must succeed a Wisdom saving throw, or become charmed by you. While charmed in this way, a creature obeys your exact telepathic commands, acts on your turn, and has its mental ability scores replaced with yours. You may cast spells through the creature as if you stood in its place. Any psychic damage your puppet takes, and any mental affects it’s subjected to, you are subjected to instead. After you use this ability, you may not use it again until you finish a long rest.
Elemental Meld
(Telethermy) As an action, you may cause elemental energy to flow through your mind and body for 1 minute, bolstering the speed and efficiency of your spells. Any Evocation spell you cast of 1st level or higher that deals Fire, Cold, or Lightning damage, which has a casting time of 1 action, may be cast using a bonus action instead. After you use this ability, you may not use it again until you finish a long rest.
Rend Shift
(Translocation) As a bonus action, you and an amount of willing creatures equal to 1 + your Intelligence modifier 15 feet of you teleport to an unoccupied space you can see within 120 feet. After you use this ability, you may not use it again until you finish a short or long rest.