Creating a Psion

As you make you psion character, consider your character's background. How did you become a psion? What caused your power to awaken? How do you feel about this raw power within you? Were you born with it, or did you learn through practice? Do you master it through constant training of your mind, or do you release it in unbridled bursts? Did you seek it out, or did it find you? Consider how having this strange and uncommon power would affect your character and their interaction with the world.

Quick Build

You can make a psion quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Intelligence your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity or Constitution. Second, choose the sage or charlatan background. Third, choose the mindblade and psychokinesis psionic talents, along with the first level spells charm person and magic missile.

Class Features

Psionic Focus

At 3rd level, your mind becomes a bastion of psionic energy. You gain the following benefits:

• You have resistance to psychic damage.
• When you roll psychic or force damage for any of your psion spells, you can reroll any of those damage dice that rolls a 1, but you must use the new roll.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Psionic Mastery

At 11th level, you gain the ability to a perform great feats of psionics called a surge. Choose one 6th-level spell from the psion spell list as this surge.

You can cast your surge spell once without expending a spell slot. You must finish a long rest before you can do so again.

At higher levels, you gain more psion spells of your choice that can be cast in this way: one 7th-level spell at 13th level, one 8th-level spell at 15th level, and one 9th-level spell at 17th level. You regain all uses of your Psionic Mastery surges when you finish a long rest.

Psionic Body

At 20th level, your mastery of psionic power causes your mind to transcend the body. Your physical form is infused with psionic energy. You gain the following benefits:

• You gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
• You no longer age.
• You are immune to disease, poison damage, and the poisoned condition.
• If you die, roll a d20. On a 10 or higher, you discorporate with 0 hit points, instead of dying, and you fall unconscious. You and your gear disappear. You appear at a spot of your choice 1d4 days later on the plane of existence where you died, having gained the benefits of one long rest.

The Soulblade

Soulblades use their psionic abilities to augment and focus their combat techniques. Soulblades vary widely in their approach to this path. Some follow it out of a desire to achieve martial perfection. Others are ruthless assassins who seek to become the perfect killer.

Apportation

• Casting Time: 1 minute
• Range: 15 feet
• Duration: Instantaneous

You focus your mind to manifest your thoughts into physical reality. You can create a non-magical trinket worth 1 sp or less that can fit in your hand. The trinket disappears if it is more than 5 feet away from you for 1 minute or more.

Alternatively, you can repair a single break or tear in an object you touch, such as a broken chain link, two halves of a broken key, a torn cloak, or a leaking wineskin. As long as the break or tear is no larger than 1 foot in any dimension, you mend it, leaving no trace of the former damage.

This talent can physically repair a magic item or construct, but the spell can't restore magic to such an object.

Delusion

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 90 feet
• Duration: 1 minute

You plant a false belief in the mind of one creature that you can see within range. You can create a sound or an image. Only the target of this talent perceives the sound or image you create.

If you create a sound, its volume can range from a whisper to a scream. It can be your voice, someone else's voice, a creature's roar, a musical instrument, or any other sound you pick. The sound can last up to the duration.

If you create an object, it must fit within a 5-foot cube and can’t move or be reflective. The image can't create any effect that influences a sense other than sight. The image lasts for the duration, and it disappears if the creature touches it.

Energy Beam

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 90 feet
• Duration: Instantaneous

You release a beam of elemental energy and target a creature or object within range. The target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d8 acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage (your choice).

The talent’s damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th level (2d8), 11th level (3d8), and 17th level (4d8).

Mindblade

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 120 feet
• Duration: Instantaneous

You create an invisible blade of pure thought and strike at a creature or object within range. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes force damage equal to 1d8 + your spellcasting ability modifier.

The talent creates more than one blade when you reach higher levels: two blades at 5th level, three blades at 11th level, and four blades at 17th level. You can direct the blades at the same target or at different ones. Make a separate attack roll for each blade.

Precognition

• Casting Time: 1 bonus action
• Range: Touch
• Duration: Concentration, 1 round

A creature you touch gains a brief glimpse into the future. Before the end of your next turn, provided the spell hasn't ended, the creature gains advantage on its first attack roll, ability check, or saving throw.

The creature must use this benefit on whichever type of roll comes first, and the talent ends after the roll.

Psionic Weapon

• Casting Time: 1 bonus action
• Range: Self
• Duration: Instantaneous

You manifest psionic power as a shimmering psi blade of psychic energy in your empty hand. The psi blade uses the statistics of a simple melee weapon, which you choose when you create it. The weapon deals psychic damage instead if its normal damage type. You are proficient with your psi blade.

The psi blade disappears if it is more than 5 feet away from you for 1 minute or more. It also disappears if you use this talent again, if you dismiss the weapon (no action required), or if you die.

Psychic Strike

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 90 feet
• Duration: Instantaneous

You drive a spike of painful psychic energy into a the mind of a creature within range. The target must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw or take 1d10 psychic damage.

This talent's damage increases by 1d10 when you reach 5th level (2d10), 11th level (3d10), and 17th level (4d10).

General Augments

General augments can be use to alter any psionic talent.

Astral Construct

• Prerequisite: Apportation psionic talent

When you use your Apportation talent, you can spend 2 psi points to create and Astral Construct instead of a trinket. The construct only disappears if it drops to 0 hit points, you dismiss it as an action, you use this augment again, or you die. You determine the creature's appearance; your choice has no effect on its game statistics.

The construct acts independently of you, but it always obeys your commands. In combat, the construct 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. However, you can use your bonus action to command the construct to use its reaction to take the Attack, Dash, Disengage, Help, Hide, or Search action.

You can communicate telepathically with the construct while you on the same plane of existence. As an action, you can see and hear through your construct's senses until the start of your next turn, gaining the benefits of any special senses that the construct has. During this time, you are deaf and blind with regard to your own senses.

When you cast a spell or use a talent with a range of touch, the construct can deliver the spell or talent as if it had cast it itself. Your construct must be within 100 feet of you, and it must use its reaction to deliver the spell or talent when you cast it. If the spell or talent requires an attack roll, you use your attack modifier for the roll.

Finally, if you use your apportation talent to repair the construct, it regains 2d6 hit points.

Hallucination

• Prerequisite: Delusion psionic talent

When you use your Delusion talent, you can spend 1 psi point to gain control of the delusion. During the duration of the talent, you can use your action to change the nature of the delusion (within its normal parameters).

When you use your Delusion talent, you can spend 1 psi point to make it more complex. When you create the delusion, it can simultaneously include images, sounds, smells, and temperature. The effects of the delusion are not sufficient to cause damage.

When you use your Delusion talent, you can spend 1 psi point to increase the size of the image you create. The size of the cube becomes up to 10 feet, plus 5 feet for every additional psi point you spend beyond the initial one.

Paranoia

• Prerequisite: Delusion psionic talent

When you use your Delusion talent, you can spend 2 psi points to tap into the target's greatest fears. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for the duration. The frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

You can spend additional psi points to cause the target to take psychic damage at the end of each of its turns until it is no longer frightened. The psychic damage is equal to 1d8 per psi point spent beyond the initial two.

Psychosis

• Prerequisite: Delusion psionic talent

When you use your Delusion talent, you can spend 2 psi points to make the delusion seem truly real to the target. If the target touches the delusion, it does not disappear and seems real to their senses.

The target can use its action to examine the delusion with an Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC. If the check succeeds, the target determines it is a delusion, and the delusion disappears.

While a target is affected by the talent, the target treats the delusion as if it were real. The target rationalizes any illogical outcomes from interacting with the delusion. For example, a target attempting to walk across a phantasmal bridge that spans a chasm falls once it steps onto the bridge. If the target survives the fall, it still believes that the bridge exists and comes up with some other explanation for its fall—it was pushed, it slipped, or a strong wind might have knocked it off.

Elemental Redirection

• Prerequisite: 5th level, Energy Beam psionic talent

You can use your reaction to spend at least 1 psi point to absorb elemental energy when you take acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage. When you do so, the damage you take from the attack is reduced by 1d8 per psi point spent + your Intelligence modifier + your psion level, to a minimum of 0 damage.

If you reduce the damage to 0, you can gain control of the elemental energy and can redirect it. If you do so, you can spend 1 psi point to make an attack with your Energy Beam psionic talent as part of the same reaction. This attack is of the same damage type that you absorbed and cannot be modified with augments.

Energy Burst

• Prerequisite: Energy Beam psionic talent

When you use your Energy Beam talent, you can spend 1 psi point to instead target a point within range. Each creature in a 5-foot-radius sphere centered on that point must make the Dexterity saving throw. A target takes the talent's damage on a failed save.

You can spend additional psi points to increase the size of the sphere. The size of the sphere increases by 5 feet for every additional psi point spent beyond the first.

Annihilation

• Prerequisite: Mindblade psionic talent

When you use your Mindblade talent, you can spend 2 psi points to give it annihilating force. A creature reduced to 0 hit points by the talent must succeed a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature is disintegrated.

A disintegrated creature and everything it is wearing and carrying, except magic items, are reduced to a pile of fine gray dust. The creature can be restored to life only by means of a true resurrection or a wish spell.

A nonmagical object reduced to 0 hit points is automatically disintegrated (see p. 246 of the Dungeon Master's Guide for the suggested AC and hit points of objects).

Inerrant Mindblade

• Prerequisite: Mindblade psionic talent

When you use your Mindblade talent, instead of making an attack roll, you can spend 2 psi points to have each target make a Dexterity or Constitution saving throw (your choice). If a target fails the saving throw, the target takes the talent's damage.

Reactive Mindblade

• Prerequisite: 5th level, Mindblade psionic talent

You can use your reaction to spend at least 1 psi point to deflect a missile when you are hit by a ranged weapon attack or to cancel magical force when you are take force damage from a spell or magical effect. When you do so, the damage you take from the attack is reduced by 1d8 per psi point spent + your Intelligence modifier + your psion level, to a minimum of 0 damage.

Forebode

• Prerequisite: 5th level, Precognition psionic talent

When you use your Precognition talent, you can spend 1 psi point to foretell the doom of a creature that you can see within 30 feet of you. Before the end of your next turn, provided the spell hasn't ended, the target has disadvantage on its first attack roll, ability check, or saving throw.

The target has disadvantage on whichever type of roll comes first, and the talent ends after the roll.

Portend

• Prerequisite: Precognition psionic talent

When you roll a d20 as part of your Precognition talent, you can spend 2 psi points to increase or decrease the result of your roll by 1. This number increases by 1 per additional psi point spent.

You can wait until after you roll before deciding to use this augment, but must decide before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails.

Presage

• Prerequisite: Precognition psionic talent

When you are make an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw, you can spend 1 psi point to use your Precognition talent on that roll as a reaction. When you use the talent in this way, the duration is instantaneous and doesn't require concentration.

If you use this augment when rolling initiative, you cannot be surprised.

Improved Weapon

• Prerequisite: Psionic Weapon psionic talent

When you create your psi blade with your Psionic Weapon talent, you can spend 1 psi point to create a more powerful weapon. Your psi blade gains a +1 bonus to its attack and damage rolls. Additionally, you can choose to have your psi blade manifest as a martial melee weapon, or as two separate melee weapons with the light property.

If your psi blade weapon has the thrown property and use it to make a ranged weapon attack, you can choose to have it instantly reappear in your hand immediately after it hits or misses your target.

Crush Mind

• Prerequisite: Psychic Strike psionic talent

When you use your Psychic Strike talent, you can spend at least 2 psi points to create an intense pressure on the target's mind. If the target fails the saving throw against the talent, its thoughts are muddled until the end of its next turn. During this time, all its attack rolls, ability checks, and Constitution saving throws to maintain concentration are decreased by 1. This number increases by 1 per additional psi point spent.

Mental Disruption

• Prerequisite: 5th level, Psychic Strike psionic talent

When you use your Psychic Strike talent, you can spend 1 psi point to disrupt the targets thoughts. If the target fails the saving throw against the talent, it has disadvantage on its first saving throw before then end of your next turn.

Mind Static

• Prerequisite: 5th level, Psychic Strike psionic talent

When you use your Psychic Strike talent, you can spend at least 1 psi point to muddle the target's mind. If the target fails the saving throw against the talent, the target is incapacitated until the end of its next turn.

If you spend 2 psi points, the target is stunned instead of incapacitated. If you spend 3 psi points, the target is paralyzed instead of incapacitated.

Deflect Missiles

• Prerequisite: 5th level, Psychokinesis psionic talent

You can use your reaction to spend at least 1 psi point to deflect a missile when you are hit by a ranged weapon attack. When you do so, the damage you take from the attack is reduced by 1d8 per psi point spent + your Intelligence modifier + your psion level, to a minimum of 0 damage.

If you reduce the damage to 0, you can catch the missile in your telekinetic grasp. If you catch a missile in this way, you can spend 1 psi point to make a ranged spell attack with the weapon or ammunition you just caught, as part of the same reaction. This attack has a range of 30 feet and deals damage of the weapon or ammunition's type equal to 1d6 per psi point spent to reduce the damage + your Intelligence modifier.

Force Push

• Prerequisite: Psychokinesis psionic talent

As part of the action you take to summon or control the hand from your Psychokinesis talent, you can spend at least 1 psi point to force a creature of size Large or smaller within 5 feet of the hand to make a Strength saving throw. On a failure, you can move that creature in a straight line 10 feet in any direction, and you can choose to deal 1d8 force damage to the creature. On a success, the creature takes half the damage but is not moved. A creature can choose to fail this saving throw.

For each additional psi point you spend, you can increase both the distance you move the creature by 10 feet and the damage dealt by 1d8. If you have spent at least 3 psi points, you can target a creature of size Huge or larger. A huge or larger creature is moved half the distance on a failed saving throw.

Psionic Grasp

• Prerequisite: Psychokinesis psionic talent

As part of the action you take to summon or control the hand from your Psychokinesis talent, you can spend at least 1 psi point to force a creature of size Large or smaller within 5 feet of the hand to make a Strength saving throw. On a failure, the creature takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage is grappled until the start of your next turn.

If you spend 2 or more psi points, the target is restrained instead of grappled. The bludgeoning damage dealt increases by 1d6 for each additional psi point spent beyond the first.

Intuitive Use

• Prerequisite: Psychometry psionic talent

When you use your Psychometry talent, you can spend 2 psi point and target a tool in which you lack proficiency. This can be a set of artisan's tools, gaming set, theives' tools, musical instrument, etc.

You gain proficiency with the tool for the duration. The duration ends early if you use this talent again on a different tool.

Psychometric Warrior

• Prerequisite: Psychometry psionic talent

When you use your Psychometry talent, you can spend 1 psi point and target a weapon or set of armor.

You become proficient in the item for the duration of the talent. The duration ends early if you use this augment again on a different weapon or set of armor.

Retrocognition

• Prerequisite: Psychometry psionic talent

When you use your Psychometry talent, you can target any object and spend at least 1 psi point to learn its recent history. When you finish casting the talent, you learn a few basic facts about the target object. You gain a mental image from the object's point of view, showing the last creature to hold the object within the past 24 hours.

You can spend additional psi points to learn of any events that have occurred within 20 feet of the object within the past number of hours, equal to the number of psi points spent beyond the first. The events you perceive unfold from the object's perspective. You see and hear such events as if you were there, but can't use other senses.

Natural Weapons

• Prerequisite: Psychometry psionic talent

When you use your Psychomorph talent, you can spend 2 psi points to grow claws, fangs, spines, horns, or a different natural weapon of your choice for the duration. Your unarmed strikes deal 1d6 bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, as appropriate to the natural weapon you chose.

When you use the Attack action with your natural weapon on your turn, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action.

Bestial Transformation

• Prerequisite: Psychometry psionic talent

When you use your Psychomorph talent, you can spend psi points to gain different bestial characteristics for the duration. When you use this ability, you can choose one or more of the following effects. Each effect has its own psi point cost.

• You can spend 2 psi points to gain a swim speed equal to your walking speed, and can breathe underwater.
• You can spend 2 psi points to gain advantage on all Wisdom (Perception) checks.
• You can spend 3 psi points to gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed, and gain advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks.
• You can spend 5 psi points to gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed. To use this speed, you can't be wearing heavy armor.

Strength of Mind

• Prerequisite: Psychometry psionic talent

When you use your Psychomorph talent, you can spend 2 psi points to replace one of your saving throw proficiencies with a proficiency in another saving throw you in which you are not proficient for the duration.

Mend Wounds

• Prerequisite: Psychometry psionic talent

When you use your Restoration talent, you can spend 1 psi point to cause the target creature to regain hit points instead of gain temporary hit points. The number of hit points healed is equal to the number of temporary hit points normal gained by the talent.

You can spend additional psi points to heal greater wounds. The total number of hit points restored increases by 1d8 per psi point spent beyond the initial one.

Restore Health

• Prerequisite: Psychometry psionic talent

When you use your Restoration talent, you can spend 3 psi points to remove one of the following conditions from it: blinded, deafened, paralyzed, or poisoned. Alternatively, you remove one disease from the creature.

Restore Life

• Prerequisite: Psychometry psionic talent

When you use your Restoration talent, you can spend 5 psi point to instead target a creature that has died within the last minute. That creature returns to life with 1 hit point. This ability can't return to life a creature that has died of old age, nor can it restore any missing body parts.

Beguile

• Prerequisite: Telepathy psionic talent

When you use your Telepathy talent, you can spend at least 1 psi point to force the target to make a Wisdom saving throw. To use this ability, you must maintain concentration. The effect of this ability depends on the number of psi points spent.

• If you spend 1 psi point, the target is charmed by you for the duration.
• If you spend 3 psi points, the target is charmed by you and will obey your telepathic commands for the duration. You cannot command the target to harm itself or its allies, and doing so ends the effect.
• If you spend 5 psi points, the target is charmed by you. The next time you are damaged by a creature, the target must target that creature with attacks and other damaging effects for remainder of the duration. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

A creature that is immune to this ability if it is immune to being charmed. At the end of the duration, the target is unaware it was charmed by you.

Inception

• Prerequisite: Telepathy psionic talent

When you use your Telepathy talent, you can spend 2 psi points to force the target to make an Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, the target believes one statement of your choice for the duration that you implant in its mind via telepathy. The statement can be up to 10 words long, and must describe something the target has seen or experienced within the last 24 hours. On a successful save, the target is unaffected, and you can't use this ability on it again until you finish a long rest. A creature is immune to this ability if it is immune to being charmed.

You can spend additional psi points to implant the idea deeper into the target's psyche. The statement can describe anything in the past week If you spend 3 psi points, the past month if you spend 5 psi points, or the past year if you spend 7 psi points.

The statement doesn't necessarily affect how a creature behaves, particularly if the statement contradicts the creature's natural inclinations, alignment, or beliefs. Such an illogical statement is likely to be dismissed, even if the creature fails its save. A statement implanted deeper in the psyche is more likely to have a more significant effect on a creature's beliefs. The DM decides to what degree the statement affects a creature's behavior.

Inquisition

• Prerequisite: Telepathy psionic talent

When you use your Telepathy talent, you can spend 2 psi points to force the target to make an Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, the target truthfully answers one question you ask it via telepathy. On a successful save, the target is unaffected, and you can’t use this ability on it again until you finish a long rest. A creature is immune to this ability if it is immune to being charmed.

You can spend additional psi point to target a creature that previously saved against this ability. The cost to target a creature that previously saved against this ability increases by 1 psi point each time it successfully makes its saving throw before you complete a long rest. For example, if a creature has succeeded on its saving throw against this ability twice, it costs 4 psi points to target the creature with this ability again.

Transubstantial Gaze

• Prerequisite: Telethesia psionic talent

When you use your Telethesia talent, you can spend 3 psi points to gain the ability to see through solid objects to a range of 30 feet, which lasts while you maintain concentration on this ability up to the duration of the talent. Within this radius, you perceive objects as ghostly, transparent images.

Tremorsense

• Prerequisite: Telethesia psionic talent

When you use your Telethesia talent, you can spend 2 psi points to gain tremorsense with a radius of 30 feet, which lasts while you maintain concentration on this ability up to the duration of the talent.

Truesight

• Prerequisite: Telethesia psionic talent

When you use your Telethesia talent, you can spend 5 psi points to gain truesight with a radius of 30 feet, which lasts while you maintain concentration on this ability up to the duration of the talent.

Mind Blast

3rd level Evocation (Psion)

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self (15-foot cone)
• Components: V
• Duration: Instantaneous

You emit psychic energy in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw or take 4d8 psychic damage and be stunned until the end of your next turn. On a successful save, a creature takes half that damage, and is not stunned. A stunned creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of its turn, ending the effect on itself on a success.

At Higher Levels. If you cast this spell using a slot of 4th level or higher, the size of the cone increases by 5 ft. and the damage increases by 1d8 for every level above 3rd.

Mind Rend

1st level Enchantment (Psion)

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 10 feet
• Components: V, S
• Duration: Instantaneous

You rip into another creature's mind. Choose a creature within range; it must make an Intelligence saving throw. If it fails the saving throw, the target takes 2d8 psychic damage and is stunned until the end of its next turn.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 1st.

Psychic Drain

3rd level Enchantment (Psion)

• Casting Time: Action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: V, S, M (a drop of aboleth mucus)
• Duration: Instantaneous

You drain the resolve of your target to bolster your own. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. If it fails the saving throw, the target takes 3d8 psychic damage, and you regain hit points equal to the damage dealt.

Telekinetic Throw

Transmutation Cantrip

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

You telekinetically throw weapons at a creature or object. Choose a weapon within range that isn't being held, worn, or carried; or choose a weapon under your control. Make a ranged spell attack. The weapon moves 30 feet in a strait line toward the target. The distance the weapon moves is reduced to 15 feet if the weapon has the heavy property, and is increased to 60 feet if the weapon has the light property. On a hit, the target takes the weapon's normal damage. You do not add your Strength, Dexterity, or spell casting ability modifier to the damage of the roll.

The number of weapons you can throw increases when you reach higher levels: two weapons at 5th level, three weapons at 11th level, and four weapons at 17th level. Each weapon moves independently and requires its own separate attack roll. You can direct the weapons at different targets, or at the same target if it is within the range of the movement of each weapon.

Version 1.0

• This version was built as an expansion of the Great Old One warlock, using invocation style disciplines.

Version 2.0

• This version replaced invocations with the official UA psionic talent die system.

Version 3.0

• Casting spells with psi points now matches costs for spell points DMG variant, and psi points per level has been adjusted to match
• Removed cantrips and UA psionic talent die system, replaced with cantrip-like psionic talents and augment system
• Psionic affinity moved back to 1st level, Psionic augments start at 2nd level, Psionic focus moved to 3rd level.
• Replaced capstone. Psionic Resurgence replaced with UA-Mystic3 Psionic Body
• Added Explorer's Guide to Wildemont spells to psion spell list
• Removed cantrips from expanded spell lists for all Psionic Affinities
• Immortal Durability changed from 10 + DEX + INT to 13 + INT. Shield is still allowed.