3PP Release (3rd Party Book Release) Paranormal Power: A Psionics Option for 5e and A5e, written by Steampunkette!

Selganor said:

It's getting serious... I might actually get to play an Esper soon.

When creating the character I found a few things not 100% obvious:

1. Psionic Focus: Do you have to chose which discipline you are focusing when you are taking the feature or when gaining the Focus? Follow up: Do you have to know a power of the specific discipline? (Someone might just want to have the specific benefit without actually having the discipline)
2. Since the "Mind Strike" seems to be something like the Cantrip for the Esper... can an Esper use a Mind Strike if he gets an Attack by a Marshal's Commanding Presence (or similar effect)?
3. If you Ready a manifestation, I assume that (like spells) you already manifest the effect and then keep it "ready", requiring concentration. Since that would "destroy" a Psychic Focus, could the readied effect (maybe only if it is of the discipline of your focus) be "parked" in the focus, only overwriting the benefit of the focus until the readied effect is released?
4. Follow up to Ready: I'm guessing you roll any augmentation dice the moment you get the effect ready and not when you actually release it?

Pretty sure more may follow

Click to expand...

1) When you focus you pick the discipline. And no, you don't need to know a connected power.

2) I would say yes. It is, essentially, a cantrip.

3) Yes. Concentrating to ready an action is it's own thing that totally makes sense for Psionic Powers.

4) Sadly, yes. I always thought it was silly that wizards waste their spell slot if they don't -use- the spell they readied, but RAW that's what happens. So Psi Dice would also be rolled up-front to maintain parity...

Unless you're at my table, in which case spells and powers that are readied require concentration but don't expend the slot, or roll psi dice, until they're actually -used-.

Late to the party, but this looks AWESOME!

Putting on the final touches to my "healer" and noticing something:

If I augment Psychoportation to "Targeting" (affect objects), I guess the object doesn't get a save to resist (because otherwise it would make a Con-save automatically)
Can I target objects carried/worn by someone? If so, does the person get a save to keep the item?

Am I reading the Psychic Focus right, that I can regain it normally with an action if my concentration is used by something else than "Expending the Psychic Focus?

Also, while I really like the open nature of the psionic powers, there might be times (or concepts) where you'd need additional ways to manifest them (Body Manipulation comes to mind) any pointers on how to handle that?

Selganor said:

Putting on the final touches to my "healer" and noticing something:

If I augment Psychoportation to "Targeting" (affect objects), I guess the object doesn't get a save to resist (because otherwise it would make a Con-save automatically)
Can I target objects carried/worn by someone? If so, does the person get a save to keep the item?

Am I reading the Psychic Focus right, that I can regain it normally with an action if my concentration is used by something else than "Expending the Psychic Focus?

Also, while I really like the open nature of the psionic powers, there might be times (or concepts) where you'd need additional ways to manifest them (Body Manipulation comes to mind) any pointers on how to handle that?

Click to expand...

Unattended objects do not make a saving throw against psychoportation because while they're not willing they're not -unwilling-, either. And it's the unwilling creature that makes a saving throw.

Targeting an object that is in someone's possession defaults to the owner's will. If the owner is unwilling the owner makes a save. If the owner is willing, there's no save. So you could teleport the Holy Avenger out of the Herald's hand if he wants you to have it, no save. Or he can fight you to keep control over it, depending on the situation and characters involved.

Psychic focus requires Concentration. You spend your action constructing the focus in your mind and hold that thought. If you're concentrating on another effect the previous effect ends normally. If you lose concentration on Psychic Focus for any reason other than expending it, such as taking damage or choosing to use concentration on another effect, you can reclaim it in a later round.

Basically it goes on "Cooldown" when you -expend- it to power another ability. But if you don't expend it you can swap it in and out without a problem.

Pointers on how to handle expanding the powers... Use your best judgement.

The narrator should compare the effect you want to the four disciplines and try to decide which discipline, or disciplines, apply to it. Select the power that fits 'best', and then assign an augment cost to it. Maybe even require the use of a skill check to successfully manifest something that isn't within your repertoire of abilities. Insight would be highly appropriate, in my opinion. Or perhaps proficiency check against 12 plus your own intelligence modifier, as you try to overcome your understanding of what you "can't" do in order to exceed it?

There is no spoon, after all.

I finally had the chance to actually play an esper in an O5E game with inexperienced/new players and new DM (level 1 goliath culture human heritage apothecary background chirurgeon esper) and we noticed a few things...

I noticed how "invisible" Telekinesis (and the telekinetic mind strike) are. The other characters would probably not even know who did what (and in the first round of combat this even saved the paladin's reputation when a goblin he missed had a delayed reaction and first stumbled away from him (tk mind strike) and then fell to the ground not to get up again (telekinesis attack) )

I'm thinking of maybe flavoring my psionics as "manifestations of animal spirit patrons"

Mind strike looks great at level 1 but since it's damage only ever raises by a d6 at level 10 probably won't be a big damage factor later in game.

Attacks from powers also don't automatically scale but can only be augmented? Granted it is easier to augment at higher levels but base damage will probably keep below casters (especially since the mind strike damage boost is a class feature and not dependent on character level like cantrips)

Can't give any insight on healing yet (since we didn't really get hurt), but I hope to be able to continue to play.

Selganor said:

I finally had the chance to actually play an esper in an O5E game with inexperienced/new players and new DM (level 1 goliath culture human heritage apothecary background chirurgeon esper) and we noticed a few things...

I noticed how "invisible" Telekinesis (and the telekinetic mind strike) are. The other characters would probably not even know who did what (and in the first round of combat this even saved the paladin's reputation when a goblin he missed had a delayed reaction and first stumbled away from him (tk mind strike) and then fell to the ground not to get up again (telekinesis attack) )

I'm thinking of maybe flavoring my psionics as "manifestations of animal spirit patrons"

Mind strike looks great at level 1 but since it's damage only ever raises by a d6 at level 10 probably won't be a big damage factor later in game.

Attacks from powers also don't automatically scale but can only be augmented? Granted it is easier to augment at higher levels but base damage will probably keep below casters (especially since the mind strike damage boost is a class feature and not dependent on character level like cantrips)

Can't give any insight on healing yet (since we didn't really get hurt), but I hope to be able to continue to play.

Click to expand...

Mind Strike being fairly weak was always the intention, yes. It's meant to offset the lack of automatic dice progression in the core function of psionic powers to keep up with dual-wielding and cantrip-casting, essentially.

Because while Mind Strike is only ever 1d6+Int or 2d6+Int, your baseline power use for Telekinesis or Telepathy as attacks without augmenting is 1d8 or 1d10 plus Esper Level.

So at 12th level (When most campaigns are at their peak) a Wizard's Firebolt is going to deal 3d10. Average 16.5 and max of 30. But an Esper with Telepathy is going to do 1d10+12. Average of 17.5 and max of 22. But then on -top- of that they can add on a Mind Strike for another 2d6+5. Average of 12 max of 17. Costs them a bonus action to beat out the Wizard's maximum damage.

Or you can use a "Psychic Scream" to make it a 20ft cone of 2d6+5 to hit multiple targets. Or Explosive Fury if you're Thymokinetic...

Now once you get into -late- game... it's a different story! 4d10 is average 22 max 40 compared to 1d10+16's average of 21 and max of 30... with another 2d6+5 as a bonus action...

... maybe it isn't -that- different of a story!

Granted, neither the Wizard or the Esper is going to walk into the last battle flinging cantrips as their main line of attack. And the Wizard is going to do better damage, overall, with their individual spells than the Esper will (which was by design)...

But the Esper can always bonus action that little 1d6 or 2d6 +int to help offset the difference!