Dungeons and Dragons is Testing a New Class

Summary

The Psion is a new Intelligence spellcaster class being tested in Dungeons and Dragons, focusing on mental abilities like telekinesis and telepathy.
The first new D&D class in six years, the Psion has four subclasses, 20 levels of progression, and Wild Talent feats.
Players can customize the Psion with Psionic Disciplines, as well as enter Offensive and Defensive Psionic Modes.

Dungeons and Dragons is testing a brand-new class in the form of the Psion, an Intelligence spellcaster who focuses on mental abilities such as telekinesis and telepathy. Featuring four subclasses, 20 levels of progression, and Wild Talent feats, the Psion is the first new class to come to Dungeons and Dragons in nearly six years.

The Psion, sometimes called the Psionicist, is a psychic class that has appeared in many Dungeons and Dragons editions in the past. In 2017, D&D playtested a version of this concept called the Mystic for 5th Edition, and though it never saw print, parts of it manifested in official subclasses like the Psi Warrior Fighter and the Soulknife Rogue.

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By Eric Law

Now, Dungeons and Dragons is taking another swing at a psionic class. This Unearthed Arcana playtest document introduces the Psion as a brand-new base class – the first of its kind since the Artificer was released in 2019. The Intelligence spellcaster can use Psionic Energy dice to perform feats of mental prowess and empower their rolls, and can enter an Offensive and Defensive Psionic Mode to adapt to combat. Players can further customize the class with Psionic Disciplines, which provide more ways to use Psionic Energy to perform special attacks or to enhance their spells and ability checks.

Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition Psion Class Highlights

Intelligence spellcaster
D6 Hit Dice
Intelligence and Wisdom saving throw proficiency
Skill proficiencies: two from Arcana, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Medicine, Perception, Persuasion
No armor proficiencies, simple weapon proficiency
Enhance spells and rolls with Psionic Power
Enter Psionic Modes to improve offense and defense
Further customize class with Psionic Disciplines
Four subclasses:
- Metamorph
- Psi Warper
- Psykinetic
- Telepath

The Psion has four subclasses available to it: the Metamorph, Psi Warper, Psykinetic, and Telepath. Metamorphs can temporarily modify their flesh, extending their limbs and transforming parts of their body into weapons or armor, while the Psi Warper bends reality to teleport themselves, their allies, and their foes around the battlefield. Meanwhile, the Psykinetic is a master of telekinetic protection and destruction, with a strong focus on powerful Dungeons and Dragons spells like Shield, Telekinetic Crush, and Telekinesis, and the Telepath is the ultimate mentalist, able to more effectively read minds, communicate telepathically, and shatter psyches.

Beyond the Psion, this Unearthed Arcana also introduces Wild Talents, a new category of Dungeons and Dragons feats based on niche forms of psionics. From the emotional Empath and divining Clairsentience to the elemental mastery of Cryokinesis and Pyrokinesis, these feats all grant useful traits inspired by their psionic area of expertise, and include access to a handful of flavorful spells as well. Though they have no other prerequisites, these feats are all mutually exclusive – once a character takes a Wild Talent, they cannot take another.

It is unclear where the Psion might officially appear, as none of the current in-development Dungeons and Dragons books seem to fit the psionic theme. The survey for the Psion opens on June 3, so fans interested in shaping this class ahead of its full release should be sure to provide feedback after that point.

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