D&D: Psionic Subclasses That Put Mind Over Matter
Want to prove that even thoughts can kill? Well, these psionic subclasses in D&D will help you do that—even Fighters can use their brains.
Have you ever wanted the power to slay your enemies with mind bullets (better known as telekinesis, Kyle)? Well you absolutely can. And you don’t even need to be some kind of wonderboy to do so, either. In fact you don’t even need to be a particularly magical base class to do so.
Because in 5.5E there are plenty of ways to unleash the hidden potential of the mind. If you want to activate your secret psionic powers, you don’t even need a whole subclass feature to do so—feats like Telepathic can take care of that for you. But, if you want to make it a big part of your character, you might want to use a psionic subclass. Even Fighters can do it!
Soulknife – Rogue
First up, the most straightforward way to unlock your mind’s hidden potential: the Soulknife Rogue. They use psionic power to do two things. The one everyone thinks of first is manifesting a blade of psionic energy which deals psychic damage and leaves no trace of injury on the targets. Soulknife Rogues can throw them at range or stab up close to deliver psionic damage.
But much more subtle are their psionic enhancements to skills. You can use your psionic power die to enhance a failed skill or tool check, which is handy up until you stop failing skill checks after Reliable Talent. At higher levels, you can become invisible, teleport around the battlefield, and turn misses into hits.
Psi Warrior – Fighter
The Psi Warrior Fighter proves that the brain really is the most powerful muscle in the body, as long as you don’t look up the difference between a muscle and an organ. But Psi Warrior is a subclass that is more actively psionic. You can call upon your psionic power to enhance your strikes, protect your allies, or move objects or allies around the battlefield with telekinesis, and that’s all just at third level.
At higher levels, you become even more psionically enhanced, gaining a burst of fly speed, a psychic shove, a defense field, and the ability to cast the 5th level spell Telekinesis. All powerful stuff for this psionic subclass.
Aberrant Sorccer – Sorcerer
You know who loves unlocking the psionic potential of subclasses? Aberrations. They feature in two of the entires in this article, and for good reason. Aberrations have ties to the far realm, which is a dimension of elder evils and madness and tentacles, yes, but it’s also a dimension of the mind.
And you can see that in the Aberrant Sorcery subclass for Sorcerer, which unlocks your mind’s psionic potential by giving you powers some might consider…unnatural. If you consider telepathy unnatural. You can also cast spells “psionically” which means without material components, making them undetectable—so now you CAN dominate the baron in the middle of a conversation and be just fine. You also gain the ability to become part-aberration for a little while, which is great if you want to glisten with slime or writhe with tentacles.
Great Old One – Warlock
A classic subclass, the Great Old One patron for Warlocks means that you’ve made contact with one of those ancient things that lurk in the darkness beyond and between the stars. Its alien influence gives you powers that are a little more distinctly arcane, but also you still gain several psionic abilities. Including one that lets you establish a telepathic connection with someone and the ability to cast spells psionically—again, meaning without components.
And in 5.5E you also gain the ability to link your mind with that of another creature alowing you to read their every move and gain advantage when attacking them in combat, which is terrifying. Especially since your thoughts will be in their head while you learn their every move.
Knowledge Domain – Cleric
Finally, a new subclass, not technically out yet. But in the Forgotten Realms Unearthed Arcana we got a look at a revised Knowledge Domain Cleric. And this one was all about mind over matter. Specifically, about casting spells psionically and unleashing certain psychic powers as a reflection and veneration of divine knowledge. So psionic doesn’t automatically mean alien—sometimes it can be just divine.
What’s your favorite psionic subclass!
