And now, the psionicist

(Dragon #78)

I’m one of the rare fans of psionics. In my current game, there’s a psionic ranger who didn’t hit the magic 100 attack power needed to psionically blast normals—a shame. The odds of being psionic and having enough power to regularly impact the game are slim. However, this class guarantees a psionic character and a chance to explore the subsystem.

What does a Psionicist get?

• Odd HP. Starts with a d10 for hit dice, decreasing to d4 by level 7. This feels like a gimmick—just use d6 throughout.
• Psionic Blast. Your psionic power points increase as you level. By level 5, you’ll likely have enough power points to mind blast normals.
• More Psionic Powers. Begin with a minor discipline, gaining additional minor, major, and even grand disciplines (at level 11) as you advance.
• Repeatable Spells. Disciplines act as reusable spells fueled by the psionicists' substantial pool of power points.
• Expanded Disciplines. Well-designed, scalable, and fun without feeling broken.

The Downside

• Can't fight & Easy to Hit. No armor or shields leaves you as vulnerable as a magic-user.
• Unclear Discipline Acquisition. The process for acquiring starting and leveling-up disciplines is not adequately described. It seems you randomly get your initial discipline but can choose new ones from level 2 onward.
• Clunky Psionic Combat. As written, psionic combat each segment is unplayable. A single combat round at the top of the turn, as suggested by Huso, is more practical. That said, psionic combat is so rare it might never come up.

Why add the class? 
The psionicist captures the 1970s zeitgeist of psionics and provides a way to fully engage with the psionics system. Be sure to read the psionics-focused Sage Advice from the same issue—it clears up much of psionics messiness. The psionicist makes the ‘best of’ list.