New D&D Class: The Psion

If you are a D&D Insider, today you got a great treat with the release of the 4E Psion class from the upcoming Player’s Handbook 3. They released a fully detailed PDF and the Character Builder was updated with all 30 levels of the Telepathy Focus build.

The PDF is a very interesting read as it also contains developer commentary on the creation of this new class, almost like a behind the scenes feature on DVDs. This was a great idea by WotC and I hope we see more of this type of material as they plan to release even more material leading up to next year.

The Psion is a new controller class that uses the psionic energy of the mind to mentally affect your enemies, by either blasting them with telepathy energy or tossing enemies around the battlefield. This preview only details the Telepathic Focus build and I like what I see, but I really can’t wait to see the other build that focuses more on force-based powers when PHB 3 comes out in March 2010.

At-Will and Power Point Level Chart

The Psion class introduces a new concept for powers, called Psionic Augmentation. Instead of encounter powers, Psions have access to at-will attack powers that they can beef up or augment with Power Points. You start with 2 power points at first level and gain more at various levels (see chart). You can spend your power points on your augmentable at-will powers, most of which have 2 levels of augmentation. Then, just like encounter powers, you regain use of power points when you take a short or extended rest. I absolutely love this concept, because when you dig down into it, they are just as limiting as encounter powers, but it gives the class a whole new feel to combat as you strategize on how and when to spend your power points and on which powers.

Psions also have access to a Discipline Focus, similar to Wizard cantrips, that give you cool, useful powers. The two detailed in the Telepathy Focus are distract and send thoughts, which give you the ability to either distract an enemy or communicate telepathically with someone.

A Psions’ powers focus on ranged and area attacks that mainly target Will defense. As an example a level one at-will called Memory Hole allows you to assault a creature’s mind and rip out their memory of you, effectively making you invisible to them. Other psion powers apply penalties to an enemy’s attack while or you can force them to attack their allies. We also get a preview of two of the Psion’s Paragon Paths. The Cerulean Adept is a order of protectors that are in constant vigilance against the aberrant threat of the Far Realm, which mechanically gives you extra will defense and the ability to use 1 power point for free when you spend an action point. The second path called Uncarnate, focuses on freeing your mind from your body allowing you to become temporarily insubstantial.

Overall, I am really excited to play around with a Psion and this type of content only available to D&D Insider subscribers is exactly what I am paying for. Keep it up WotC.