One system for psionics I have always liked, and was used in 2nd, is some sort of power points. All psi powers are available, no readying needed, no spell slots. I was hoping to see a system at least not using spell slots.

They tried that with the Mystic. It was a poorly balanced disaster.

Yeah, I agree.

It’s especially odd because the two psion-inspired subclasses, both in 5e and 2024 (Fighter’s Psi Warrior and Rogue’s Soulknife), actually have a different resource (Psionic Energy Dice scaling with the character’s level).

Seems like they just gave up when it came to designing the class itself.

I’m out of the D&D world these days, but it is hilarious to see them still trying to find a way to make psionics work in a way that doesn’t suck.

The first D&D character that I built was a 4e psion, and I loved it. But for some reason they crashed and burned with their attempts in 5.0e

I liked the idea that instead of spell slots you gained a number of cantrip-like abilities that can be strengthened by spending power points. To me, something like that is the best way to do it. It gives the greater flexibility compared to spell slots that people want out of psionics, without the insane power level that made the mystic so unpopular.

I also intensely disliked a bunch of the names for things they used, at least in some of the old psionics UAs. I don’t remember what it ended up looking like, but I recall Mind Thrust at one point being changed from your basic “attack their mind” into having a physical knockback effect, and other similar ideas I really didn’t like.