| class Group: | N/A |  |
| Source: | The Complete Psionics Handbook: Psionicist (CPsiH) | |
| Ability Requirements: |
Constitution 11 Intelligence 12 Wisdom 15 | |
| Prime Requisites: | Constitution, Wisdom | |
| Races Allowed & Class Level Cap: | Human (U), Halfling (10), Dwarf (8), Gnome (9), Elf (7), Half-Elf (7) | |
| Alignment Allowed: | Any Non-Chaotic |
More than a character of any other class, the psionicist is self-contained. Unlike the fighter and thief, they need no weapons or tools to practice their art. Unlike the priest, they need no deity. Unlike the wizard, they rely on no outside energies. Their power comes from within, and they alone gives it shape.
The psionicist strives to unite every aspect of their self into a single, powerful whole. they looks inward to the essence of their own being, and gains control of their subconscious. Through extraordinary discipline, contemplation, and self-awareness, they unlocks the full potential of their mind.
Note: The rules for Psionicists changed with the release of books after The Complete Psionics Handbook. This page has the version from The Complete Psionics Handbook for now.
| Level | XP needed | Hit Dice (d6) |
THAC0 | Total Discipl. |
Total Sciences |
Total Devotions |
Def. Modes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2 | 2,200 | 2 | 20 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| 3 | 4,400 | 3 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 2 |
| 4 | 8,800 | 4 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 2 |
| 5 | 16,500 | 5 | 18 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 3 |
| 6 | 30,000 | 6 | 18 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 3 |
| 7 | 55,000 | 7 | 17 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 4 |
| 8 | 100,000 | 8 | 17 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 4 |
| 9 | 200,000 | 9 | 16 | 3 | 5 | 14 | 5 |
| 10 | 400,000 | 9+2 | 16 | 4 | 5 | 15 | 5 |
| 11 | 600,000 | 9+4 | 15 | 4 | 6 | 16 | 5 |
| 12 | 800,000 | 9+6 | 15 | 4 | 6 | 17 | 5 |
| 13 | 1,000,000 | 9+8 | 14 | 4 | 7 | 18 | 5 |
| 14 | 1,200,000 | 9+10 | 14 | 5 | 7 | 19 | 5 |
| 15 | 1,500,000 | 9+12 | 13 | 5 | 8 | 20 | 5 |
| 16 | 1,800,000 | 9+14 | 13 | 5 | 8 | 21 | 5 |
| 17 | 2,100,000 | 9+16 | 12 | 5 | 9 | 22 | 5 |
| 18 | 2,400,000 | 9+18 | 12 | 6 | 9 | 23 | 5 |
| 19 | 2,700,000 | 9 +20 | 11 | 6 | 10 | 24 | 5 |
| 20 | 3,000,000 | 9 +22 | 11 | 6 | 10 | 25 | 5 |
Class Features[]
Hit Points[]
- Hit Dice (levels 1-10): 1d6 + "HP Adjustment" (See Constitution table) per level
- Hit Dice (levels 10+): +2 HP per level
- Multi-Class/Dual-Class: HP acquisition is adjusted if Multi-Class or Dual-Class. See section below.
Starting Equipment[]
- 3d6 × 10 gp (to be used to buy equipment)
Equipment[]
- Allowed Armor: padded leather, studded leather, or hide. Small shield.
- Wearing Helmets block the Psionicist using their powers entirely. The exception is certain psionic or magical helmets.
- Optional Penalties for wearing heavier armor are listed on CPsiH Table 9.
- Allowed Weapons: short bow, throwing axe, hand crossbow, horseman's mace, light crossbow, horseman's pick, dagger, scimitar, dirk, spear, knife, short sword, club, war hammer, hand axe
Proficiencies[]
Non-Weapon Proficiencies[]
- Starts with 3 Non-Weapon Proficiencies
- Gains a Non-Weapon Proficiency every multiple of 3 levels (level 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18...)
- Can chose a Nonweapon Proficiency at normal cost in the General, Psionicist categories.
- Psionicist Nonweapon Proficiency Catagory can be found here: Psionicist Nonweapon Proficiencies
- Can chose a Nonweapon Proficiency at +1 cost from any other category.
Weapon Proficiencies[]
- Starts with 2 Weapon Proficiency
- Gains a Weapon Proficiency Slot every multiple of 5 levels (level 5, 10, 15, 20...)
- -4 Penalty to Attack Roll if using Non-Proficient Weapon
Player's Option: Combat & Tactics
- Attack of opportunity: Can make one attack of opportunity plus one per five levels.
Psionic Discipline[]
Every psionic power belongs to one of the six disciplines: Clairsentience, Psychokinesis, Psychometabolism, Psychoportation, Telepathy, & Metapsionics.
Psionic characters begin play with access to only one discipline, which is their primary discipline. Looking at the table at the top of this article will tell you when you unlock additional disciplines. (Levels 2,6,10,14,18). The first discipline always remains the primary.
You only can learn Psionic Powers in a Psionic Discipline you belong. To cast Psionic Powers, you spend PSP.
Psionic Powers[]
- List of Psionic Powers here: All Psionic Powers
At level 1, a Psionicist knows four powers their primary discipline: one science (major power) and three devotions (minor powers).
Players must follow two simple rules when choosing new powers for their characters:
- Within a single discipline, the number of devotions that a character knows must be at least twice the number of sciences.
- A character can never learn as many sciences or devotions in another discipline as they currently knows in their primary discipline.
Gaining Sciences and Devotions: At level up look up the top table to see if the psionicist has gained either a new science or devotion, or both.
A Psionicist can holds off learning their new Powers, and don't have to do it at level up. However a psionicist with unfilled power slots suffers a 5% decrease in earned experience until those slots have been filled.
Raising Psionic Power Scores: A character can increase a psionic power score when they reach a new experience level by "relearning it" (they repeats their studies, and learns something new about a familiar power). Instead of learning a new devotion, the character can add one point to their power score in a devotion they already know. Similarly, they can exchange a new science for a one-point increase in a science they already knows.
Defense Modes[]
Psionicists automatically learn defense modes at 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th until they know them all. Defense modes do not count toward the psionicist's maximum number of powers. Nor are they counted when characters determine the relative number of sciences and devotions they can acquire within a given discipline.
Psionicists can learn defense modes even if they don't have access to the telepathic discipline.
There are the five psionic defense modes:
- Mind Blank (Psionic)
- Thought Shield (Psionic)
- Mental Barrier (Psionic)
- Tower of Iron Will (Psionic)
- Intellect Fortress (Psionic)
Optional Training Rule[]
If the optional training rule is in play, characters must train with a mentor until they reach 7th level. To find the training time in weeks, subtract the mentor's Wisdom score from 21.
Beyond 7th level, psionicists can train themselves if they pass the necessary checks to qualify as instructors. The training time for a psionicist instructing himself is doubled.
Advancing Mid-adventure[]
Advancing Mid-adventure: Most Dungeon Masters award experience points at the end of adventures rather than in the middle, so experience levels are rarely gained in midadventure. In the unusual event that a new level is gained in the middle of an adventure, however, the character should have to wait at least until they has a chance to rest and recuperate - long enough to recover all their psionic strength points - before gaining any new psionic powers.
Using Psionic Powers[]
Psionic Powers will cost PSP to cast, and not have initiative modifiers.
A Psionicist character can initiate only one psionic power per round. There are two key exceptions:
- Once a power is initiated, a character can maintain that power for as long as they can continue paying the maintenance cost (this assumes that the power has a maintenance cost; if no such cost is mentioned in the description, the power cannot be maintained beyond its initial duration).
- Psionic defense modes (mind blank, thought shield, mental barrier, intellect fortress, and tower of iron will) do not count against the one-power-per-round limit. A character can always use a defense mode and initiate one other psionic power in the same round.
This is covered in more detail in Chapter 2 of the The Complete Psionics Handbook.
Psionic Strength Points (PSPs)[]
To cast Psionic Powers, you use up PSP.
- PSPs cannot be lost because of sleep or unconsciousness; they can only be expended or drained.
Working out Initial PSP value[]
Follow these steps to calculate a character's total PSPs:
- Look up the Psionicist's Base Score by using their Wisdom on Table 5.
- Look up Intelligence and Constitution on the table and adjust the scores by their "Ability Modifier's.
- Wisdom Base Score + Intelligence Ability Modifier + Constitution Ability Modifier = Total PSP at level 1.
| Wisdom | Base Score |
Ability Modifier |
Intelligence | Ability Modifier |
Constitution | Ability Modifier | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 20 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 15 | 0 | ||
| 16 | 22 | +1 | 16 | +1 | 16 | +1 | ||
| 17 | 24 | +2 | 17 | +2 | 17 | +2 | ||
| 18 | 26 | +3 | 18 | +3 | 18 | +3 |
Leveling up PSP[]
Each time you level up:
- Current PSP + 10 + Wisdom Ability Modifer
Example: Rowina has just advanced to a new level. Her Wisdom is 17. According to Table 5, the modifier for this score is +2. Rowina can add 12 PSPs (2 + 10) to her total pool.
Recovering PSP[]
The rate of PSP return can be found on Table 6. The rate within in brackets is if the DM is using optional "faster" PSP recovery instead of the default.
| Physical Activity | PSPs Recovered |
|---|---|
| Hard exertion* | none |
| Walking, riding | 3/hour (1 every 2 turns) |
| Sitting, resting, reading |
6/hour (1/turn) |
| Rejuvenating**, sleeping |
12/hour (2/turn) |
- * "Hard exertion" includes fighting, running, digging ditches, walking while encumbered, climbing a rope, scaling a mountain, exploring a dungeon, swimming, and any other activity the DM wants to include.
- ** This refers to use of the psionicist's Rejuvenation proficiency.
Maintaining Self-Control[]
Discipline is the foundation of all psionic power. A character whose creed is chaos cannot achieve the level of self-control that psionicists require. A character who becomes chaotic for any reason will quickly lose their psionic powers.
Every day a Psionicist's alignment is chaotic, they must make an ability check against one-half of their Wisdom score, rounded down.
- Each failure means the Psionicist loses access to one of their disciplines, selected randomly by the Dungeon Master.
Furthermore, a chaotic character cannot recover psionic strength points.
If the Psionicist alignment is no-longer chaotic, they can recover their disciplines, one per day, by successfully making the same halved Wisdom check.
Strongholds & Followers[]
At 9th level a psionicist becomes a "contemplative master". They can build a sanctuary (usually in an isolated place), and use it as their headquarters. They also begin to attract followers.
One neophyte psionicist (1st or 2nd level) will arrive each month, coming to study at the feet of the master. These neophytes will arrive regardless of whether or not the master builds a sanctuary. If the master does have a sanctuary, however, they will attract a maximum number of followers equal to their Charisma score. If not, the maximum number is halved (rounded down).
These followers want only to learn. They will serve in any capacity the master chooses. In return, the master must spend at least 10 hours per week instructing their followers, or they will leave.
Misc[]
Individual Experience Awards[]
If using the Optional Individual Experience Awards from the (DMG), this table is for Psionicists:
| Psionic power used to overcome foe or problem | 10 XP/PSP |
| Psionic power used to avoid combat | 15 XP/PSP |
| Defeat psionic opponent | 100 XP/level or hit dice |
| Create psionic item | 500 XP x level |
Multi-Class and Dual-Class Characters[]
Multi-Class Characters: Gnomes, elves, and half-elves cannot be multi-class psionicists. Halflings and dwarves can combine psionics with other classes as shown below:
|
Multi-class Halflings:
|
Multi-class Dwarves:
|
Dual-class Characters: Humans can be dual-class psionicists within the normal rules and restrictions for dual-class characters (see "Multi-class and Dual-class Characters" from the Player's Handbook).
Saving Throws[]
| Level | Paralyzation, Poison, or Death Magic |
Rod, Staff, or Wand |
Petrification or Polymorph1 |
Breath Weapon 2 |
Spell3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-4 | 13 | 15 | 10 | 16 | 15 |
| 5-8 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 15 | 14 |
| 9-12 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 13 | 12 |
| 13-16 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 11 |
| 17-20 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 9 |
| 21+ | 8 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 7 |
- 1 - Excluding polymorph wand attacks.
- 2 - Excluding those which cause petrification or polymorph.
- 3 - Excluding those for which another saving throw type is specified, such as death, petrification, polymorph, ect.
Level 1 Character[]
- Starting HP: 1d6 HP
- Starting funds: 3d6 × 10 gp
- 1 Disipline (Primary Discipline)
- one science (major power) and three devotions (minor powers) from their Primary Discipline
- 1 Defense Mode power.
- Assign Starting PSP
- Wisdom Base Score + Intelligence Ability Modifier + Constitution Ability Modifier. (See table 5 above)
- 3 Nonweapon Proficiencies Slots
- 2 Weapon Proficiency Slots
- Can use Language Slots from Intelligence for Nonweapon Proficiencies Slots
Leveling up[]
At level up:
- Roll 1d6 HP (unless level 11 or higher, then add 2 HP instead)
- Check "Psionicist Saving Throws" above to see if your saving throws change
- Check top table to see what current Psionic Power slots are available & if THAC0 updates
- Check top table to see if you unlock a new discipline.
- Increase Max PSP
- Current PSP + 10 + Wisdom Ability Modifier (See Table 5 above)
- 1 Weapon Proficiency Slot gained at level 5, 10, 15, 20 (every multiple of 5)
- 1 Nonweapon Proficiency Slot gained at level 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 (every multiple of 3)