Are you hungry for psychic powers but don’t want to wait another day for an “official” psion? Good news, magic is your friend!
It might be a while before 5.5E ever sees an official version of the much-longed-for Psion. Actually, I think it’s fair to say at this point that D&D players are hungry for any new class, not just the potential for a psychically empowered spellcaster. But the Psion continues to resonate as an archetype for many players – and with good reason. It’s like the other other kind of magic.
Plus, it’s fun to do things with the power of your mind. And if you’re willing to stretch the imagination, you can actually do most of the things a traditional “Psionic” character could without needing a whole class; all you need is the right selection of spells. Spells like…
Dominate Person
Okay, this one’s a gimme, but I mean, come on. Telepaths taking over someone’s mind with nothing but the power of their own mind? That’s about as psionic as it gets. And using your mental abilities to telepathically issue commands is exactly what you do with this spell.
In fact, it works as long as the two of you are on the same plane, you can be linked across any distance. So even if you teleport away, your mind-controlled thrall can still act on your behalf. If you want less creepy versions of this, there’s always Charm Person and Hold Person, which if you take them on your path to power, could reflect your “psionic abilities” getting stronger.
Detect Thoughts
Why let people hide the secrets of their innermost thoughts when you’re a gifted psion? That’s where Detect Thoughts comes in handy. Sure, there’s the risk that a creature might know you’re probing their minds, but that’s what Charm and/or Dominate Person (or if you really wanna get into it a Modify Memory) is for. Especially since with the right kind of prep, you can prime the target to be thinking about exactly what you want them to, right on the surface of their thoughts.
Synaptic Static
What if you had the power to blast multiple creatures with psionic energy, dealing damage and also confusing your targets? Well, all you need to do is take this 5th-level spell and you can. Synaptic Static is like a “psychic fireball” – you cause a psychic eruption in a 20-foot-radius sphere and deal 8d6 psychic damage to anyone caught within, and if a target fails its save, it subtracts 1d6 from attack rolls, ability checks, and concentration checks for up to a minute.
Mind Sliver
Use your mind to “sliver” the mind of another with this new (for 5.5E) cantrip and you’re well on your way to becoming a Psion. This lets you use something that feels like a mind blast every turn, only instead of stunning your foes, you’re dealing 1d6 psychic damage and setting them up to subtract 1d4 from the next saving throw they make before the end of your next turn, so you can heap even more mental mayhem upon them.
Mind Spike
Finally there’s Mind Spike, which literally sees you driving a spike of psionic energy into the mind of a creature you decide. You not only deal 3d8 points of psychic damage, but you also can determine their location unerringly. They can’t hide from you. Can’t become invisible (to you). If that doesn’t represent one mind crushing another, I don’t know what does?
What are your favorite “psionic” spells?
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