Simple Psychic (5e Variant Rule)

Simple Psychic

In the absence of any actual psionics rules for 5th edition, this is my attempt at a sort of stand-in mechanism for the mean time. Should psionics later be released as something disappointing, like just another school of magic accessible to specific classes, then this rule can completely replace it as actual psychic powers. The psychic powers, as described here, are based more on modern fantasy than high fantasy magic, and are not intended to be magical in nature.

When creating characters, the DM secretly performs a DC20 WIS check for that character to determine if they have psychic powers. If a character is psychic, the DM then secretly performs a DC15 WIS check for that character to determine if they have already discovered their power. If they have, the player is informed and is allowed to choose a psychic power for every Wisdom modifier point you possess. If they have not discovered their power yet, the DM secretly rolls on the table of powers to determine what their power is. A character discovers their power if: They actually try to do it, just for the sake of trying, or they spend an inspiration point on a check related to the power.

To use a power, a character must be focused on just that action; you can't telekinetically strangle someone while simultaneously stabbing them in the gut. Using a power for an hour inflicts one rank of exhaustion.

- John D. Cthulhu - Added 2 new powers for the Psychic, Apportation and Psychometry. Feel free to re-balance.

Table Randomization: 1d10

Telekinesis.

You may do physical actions without moving your body using your WIS score as though it were a STR score. The range in which you may interact with objects is equal to your WIS mod x level in feet, and the number of objects you can interact with at a time is equal to your WIS bonus, with a minimum of 1.

Pyrokinesis.

You can generate heat at any location around you. The range is equal to your level in feet. This heat can be spread out as a field of warmth, or concentrated to a point to ignite a material. If you generate fire, it only deals damage equal to your WIS bonus, with a minimum of 1, per round.

Cryokinesis.

You can dissipate heat at any location around you. The range is equal to your level in feet. If you have an WIS bonus, you can generate icy buildup on surfaces, covering an area equal to your bonus times your level in square feet centered on your target. (5×20=100²ft.)

Telepathy.

You may speak to other creatures by transplanting your thoughts directly into their heads. As the communication is pure thought, it transcends language. Such speech can be done over any distance and through any barrier, provided you know the location of the creature you are trying to speak to. You may simultaneously speak to a number of creatures equal to your level. You may only read the thoughts of other creatures if you have an WIS bonus. If a creature does not want you to know their thoughts, you must win in an WIS contest against them.

Clairvoyance.

You may project your perception from your body, allowing you to view environments as though you are in an incorporeal form. You may do this without exhaustion for an amount of time equal to your WIS bonus in hours, with a minimum of 1. In this projected consciousness, you can fly and pass through any barrier, but are completely incorporeal and unaware of your physical body's surroundings.

Precognition and Retrocognition.

You can focus hard to view the upcoming time in a sort of "fast forward" flash. Unlike other powers, this one happens instantly. As such, exhaustion is incurred when you have run out of uses. You have a number of uses equal to your WIS bonus, with a minimum of 1. You can foresee up to your level in days. The only limitation, is that you can only see what will happen at your current location; you cannot foresee events in some distant place, or wander about your vision. Retrocognition is the same, but works in reverse. You cannot have both versions of this power at the same time.

Channeling.

People capable of this power are called mediums. A medium can communicate with the dead. The extent and depth of this power is highly variable. For each stage, you have all of the lesser versions as well.

WIS +1 or less: The medium receives messages as vague sensations and emotions with no definite meaning.

WIS +2: The medium can receive silent hazy visions, with clarity being dependent on the spirit's ability to express itself visually.

WIS +3: The medium can receive clear auditory messages along with hazy visions, allowing them to communicate with the dead like a living telephone.

WIS +4: The medium can literally hear and see the dead as clear as they were walking among us.

WIS +5 The medium can lend their body to a spirit, allowing them to speak and act through their body until they leave or are forced out.

Empathy.

You can see auras, which are traces of radiant spiritual/psychic/magical energy. The following determines what you can see. For each stage, you have all of the lesser powers as well.

WIS +1 or less: You can see auras surrounding radiant sources, such as people and magical effects.

WIS +2: You can see auras surrounding objects which have been affected by the auras of radiant sources.

WIS +3: You can see the background auras in any given location and persons, including the trace remnants and effects of auras which have passed through it or impacted it.

WIS +4: You can see the flow of energy itself, and discern the anatomy of the subtle body of a radiant source.

WIS +5: You can use your aura to manually alter another aura, but radiant sources will return to their normal state shortly.

Apportation.

You can teleport objects to other places, you must be able to touch the object and specify a destination that you can see or have been in before. The maximum distance you can teleport objects is equal to your WIS mod x level feet. You may only teleport objects up to the size specified by your wisdom modifier, you may only teleport yourself if you can teleport medium sized objects. You may teleport objects up to your WIS mod times for free (Minimum 1), every time past that it’s costs one level of exhaustion. You may teleport up to your WIS modifier objects in one turn, doing so costs as many uses as doing so individually.

WIS +1 or less: You can teleport tiny objects.

WIS +2: You may teleport up to small objects.

WIS +3: You may teleport up to medium objects, including yourself. Doing so costs exhaustion regardless of how many free times you have left.

WIS +4: You may teleport up to large objects, doing so costs one level of exhaustion regardless of how many free charges you have.

WIS +5: You may teleport up to huge objects, doing so costs two levels of exhaustion.

Psychometry.

You may touch objects to reveal their history. Depending on your WIS modifier you learn more information about them.

WIS +1 or less: You receive a vague emotional sensation based on the objects past.

WIS +2: You receive brief, hazy, flashbacks of key events in the history of the object.

WIS +3: You receive clearer flashbacks of important events in the objects history and can find out about the objects features as you were casting the 1st level spell Identify.

WIS +4: You may see any part of the history of the object you want, these visions are vivid and include sound.

WIS +5: You may receive visions of objects connected to the original object, you also receive names and dates.

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See Also: Psychic (5e Background), Unearthed Arcana: Psionics

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