Weird Wastelands, written by Jim Davis, Jonathan Pruitt, and Emma Lambert of WebDM with additional writing by Celeste Conowitch and Gwendolyn Marshall and produced through 2CGaming is a supplement dedicated to an alternative vision of fantasy - fallen empires, lost technology, and mysterious psionics. Inspirations include the Mad Max franchise, Masters of the Universe, the Eberron Campaign Setting, Fallout 3, The Book of Eli, Stalker, and Waterworld. Much of the book is dedicated to fleshing out the wastelands, from survival rules to encounters to specialized subclasses, but this review is about the Psion.

The Psion

Kicking off chapter 1, the psion is given the honorary position of being the first piece of real content in the book.

Basics. With a 1d8 hit die and light armor proficiency, the psion is comparable to a warlock in terms of durability. Simple weapon proficiency isn’t meaningful but Constitution and Intelligence saving throws help the psion maintain control even under assault. The two skills and equipment options are fairly standard.

Psionic Power. Psions do not use spells. Instead, they wield psionic powers. Psions do not maintain concentration; they maintain focus, which can also be disrupted by damage, incapacitation, or environmental factors. Powers are manifested by expending power points, which refresh on a long rest. Power points increase at an uneven rate that’s somewhat comparable to traditional spell slot progression; at first level a Psion has 2 points, by 5th they have 16, slowly ascend to 20 by 11th, climb up to 26 by 17th, and cap out at 30 at 20th level.

Also increasing with Psion levels is the “zone of influence”; all powers start out with a range of 30 ft., which increases by 30 ft. every time the psion’s proficiency bonus does.

As can be expected from a class named the Psion, saving throw DCs and attack modifiers are determined by Intelligence.

Psionic Disciplines. Every odd numbered level a Psion can invest a rank into one of the six psionic disciplines. Disciplines offer a mix of powers, some of which scale with these ranks — notably, there’s no inherent “cantrip” scaling that cares about total character level. Furthermore, a psion cannot invest more power points in a power than they have ranks in the associated discipline. At the maximum rank of 5 a psion unlocks the “discipline mastery”, which provide unique improvements to one or more of the powers granted by the discipline.

Psionic Recovery. Similar to the wizard or Circle of the Land druid, once per day after completing a short rest a psion can recover power points equal to their “total number of discipline advancements”; in other words, half the psion’s level rounded up. At first level this increases the daily total from 2 to 3, but at level 4 there’s an enormous gap as a psion’s power points have increased to 12 while this feature only recovers 2 points. In tier 2 this feature is worth about a quarter of the psion’s daily total, but over the course of tier 3 and 4 this improves to about a third.

Subclasses. The subclasses for this psion are known as “Mental Modalities”, providing features at levels 2, 6, 14, and 18; this is fairly similar to the druid or wizard progression, except that instead of a level 10 subclass improvement there’s a level 18 subclass improvement.

Improved Psionic Recovery. The level 10 feature for the psion is another expansion of total power points; this feature recovers power points on a short rest basis and only requires a bonus action to activate. The quantity is equal to the psion’s “total number of disciplines known”; for a level 10 psion who’s single-mindedly invested in a single discipline, this recovers 1 of the psion’s 18 points. While an interesting reward for diversifying discipline ranks, it’s unclear if that’s actually worth it given how much each discipline scales with focused ranks. It’s possible this is primarily a feature that scales throughout tiers 3 and 4, with the optimal build to focus on one discipline until level 9 then picking up a new discipline at rank 1 for every discipline advancement after that.

Burn Bright. The psion capstone is a once-per-day transformation that takes an action to activate. The primary offensive benefit is being able to “spend power points as if you have reached maximum rank in that discipline”; while it doesn’t grant the automatic scaling with ranks nor the mastery feature, it does reinforce that the optimal psion strategy is to spread out discipline acquisition throughout the double-digit levels. Secondarily, it grants full immunity to force and psychic damage; while these aren’t always popular damage types, in some campaigns this can grant full impunity to the primary damage sources of a climactic fight against something like a Mind Flayer or other aberrant threat. Thirdly, it extends the psion’s point pool by allowing them to expend hit dice or even take up levels of exhaustion to regain power points, embodying the ability’s name fully.

Psionic Disciplines

Presented in non-alphabetical order for presumably layout reasons, the psion has six disciplines that are each clear callbacks to the 3.5 psionic mechanics. Each discipline provides three powers and a mastery feature.

A note on power scaling; most damaging powers both have innate scaling based on the discipline rank — improving from one die to two at rank 3, then two dice to three at rank 5 — as well as scaling based on power point expenditure, gaining a die per point spent. This latter option works more like divine smites than normal spell casts, only expending resources after the hit has been confirmed. This matters both for critical hits as well as avoiding wasting resources on a miss.

Telekinesis

Easily the most straightforward of the disciplines, the telekinesis discipline has a very clear focus - pick things up and bash them. Manipulate requires the psion’s focus and is a general-purpose “pick things up and put them somewhere else” power, and at rank 3 can grab creatures. While this does have a clause for weapon attacks, the primary offensive tool for a telekineticist is psychic crush, a straightforward “ranged psionic attack” that deals 1d10 bludgeoning damage baseline.

The third power is telekinetic hurl, which forces a Strength saving throw against being thrown 10 feet, with power points increasing this distance by 20 feet per point. Alternatively, an object can be thrown as a ranged psionic attack. Either way, each 10’ of movement translates to 1d6 damage. The base range does scale to 20’ at rank 3 and 30’ at rank 5. According to the sidebar it is possible to double dip on distance by throwing into the ceiling then dropping to the ground for fall damage, but this requires cooperative terrain.

The mastery improves manipulate, allowing a telekineticist to wrench items from a foe’s grip as well as grab two creatures or objects at once. The usefulness of this will certainly vary; a foe with claws and a breath weapon can’t be disarmed, but an archmage or lich might find it hard to cast their full complement of spells without a spellcasting implement.

Psychoportation

Devoted to manipulating space, the basic power is dimensional step, a short-range teleport as an action. The distance multiplies with each point spent; a 0 point activation only goes 5' and is mostly just useful for escaping a grapple or other restraints, a 2 point activation equals the 30' of misty step but with a higher action-economy cost, but the 500’ range of a full 5 point activation is a personal dimension door.

The second power is transposition, which for 0 points allows the psion to swap places with any willing creature within their range of influence as an action. For 2 points the psion can target an unwilling creature, forcing it to make a Strength saving throw. Additional points up to the psion’s proficiency bonus can be spent to improve the save DC on a 1:1 basis.

The discipline includes an offensive option with baleful anchor, which forces a Strength saving throw against a speed reduction to 0. While immobilized the target takes 1d6 base force damage at the start of its turns, and at the end of each turn it can repeat the saving throw to regain its movement. Improving the damage uses the psion’s reaction. Maintaining this immobilize requires the psion’s focus.

The mastery enhances both dimensional step and baleful anchor; the former gains a 1 minute focus duration, allowing the psion to repeat their original teleport without expending further power points. Conversely, baleful anchor no longer requires the psion’s focus but can still end if the psion is KO’d or repeats the power.

Clairsentience

A strictly utility discipline, clairsentience is a divination-like discipline. The first power is assess aura, which provides investigative utility. On an object, it can provide a limited 3 day history. Creatures can resist with a Wisdom saving throw, but a failure gives the psion answers to up to five pre-set questions, based on power point expenditure.

The second power is sight beyond sight, which as an action grants the ability to see through both normal and magical darkness for an hour. The base distance is a mere 10 feet, increasing to 20’ at rank 3 and 30’ at rank 5, but can be increased by an additional 30’ per power point, capped by the psion’s range of influence. In addition, with three points this power grants see invisibility and four points grants the ability to perceive the true forms of shapechangers.

The third power is more of a passive; forecast conflict lets a psion add their Intelligence modifier to initiative. The active portion is that the psion can share this bonus with one ally per point spent.

The mastery grants a new option with assess aura, letting the psion scry on a creature they’ve used assess aura on. Second, it enhances sight beyond sight so with five points it grants the ability to see through solid objects, with the usual limits on depth (1 feet of stone, 1 inch of metal, or 3 feet of wood/dirt).

Psychometabolism

A health-oriented discipline, the first power is bolster ally, an action which lets an ally spend hit dice to recover health, with each power point increasing the number of hit dice. Unfortunately this does not actually add any health beyond what could be recovered during a short rest nor is this particularly action-efficient. The better supportive option is ease malady, which is a bonus action that helps an ally recover from ongoing status effects by reducing the save DC by 1+points spent.

The offensive option in the discipline is siphon life, which opens as a melee attack that deals 1d4 necrotic damage and heals the psion for half the damage dealt. After the initial hit, the psion can reactivate the power as an action to automatically deal the damage — however, this requires maintaining focus, only goes for a minute, and requires keeping the target within the psion’s range of influence. It’s further upgraded by the mastery which upgrades siphon life from a melee attack to a ranged attack, with the range being the psion’s range of influence.

Metacreativity

The psionic equivalent of conjuration, the first ability construction is mostly for utility. The psion can create a nonmagical object with a variety of restraints. Investing points increases the hit points of the object as well as raises the maximum size; baseline the object is Small, 3 points gets Medium, and 5 gets Large.

The second ability is force weapon, a 1d6 melee weapon that doesn’t appear to add the psion’s intelligence modifier to the damage roll but does use it for the attack roll. Furthermore, the weapon lacks any properties beyond the typical power scaling with pseudo-smites and baseline increases with ranks in the discipline. The damage from additional power points is on a per-hit basis rather than from an initial activation.

The third ability is barrier, a simple 10’ x 10’ x 1” panel that can be deployed anywhere the psion wants as an action, even free-floating. Additional power points allow multiple contiguous panels or improved thickness, with each inch of thickness representing 20 hp. This power lasts for 1 minute and requires the psion’s focus to maintain.

The mastery represents a significant boost, improving force weapon and barrier. The former not only becomes a thrown weapon with 60’ range, but as a bonus action a psion can make a second attack. Enhanced Barrier allows the psion to move their panels up to 30 feet as a bonus action, sweeping along any creatures or object caught in the path.

Telepathy

Perhaps the most iconic discipline, telepathy is not easily accessible to traditional spellcasters. The first ability, mind link, provides a baseline level of mental communication for one hour between the psion and one willing creature; additional power points allow for additional willing targets per point spent. For three points, a psion can attempt to force a link with an unwilling target by forcing an Intelligence saving throw. This offensive link improves with the rank 5 mastery, letting the psion spend a follow-up action to force the target to make an Intelligence saving throw versus a hold person style paralysis. Like many other repeatable control effects, a success gives the target immunity for 24 hours.

The second ability, psychic probe, provides an increasing level of mental manipulation on a failed Intelligence saving throw based on the points spent. Without any points it only provides surface thoughts, but high points not only allow viewing memories but gaining full edit and delete capabilities.

The third ability, mind spike, is a ranged psionic attack that does 1d8 psychic damage baseline. This improves with the rank 5 mastery by gaining the ability to target a second creature with each activation, however each damage is separate for the purpose of power point scaling.

Subclasses

Weird Wastelands includes three Mental Modalities for the psion.

Structured Mind

Themed around crystals, the structured mind provides two features at 2nd level. The first is Sync Crystal, which provides the crystals used for every other feature — structured mind’s start with one crystal, which increase to two at level 6 and to three at level 18. Each crystal provides your choice of a +1 bonus to attack rolls, save DC, or additional power points each day equal to your proficiency bonus, a choice which can be changed with a long rest. This last option is generally a ~30% boost to daily total, accounting for the baseline Psionic Recovery.

The second feature is Crystalline Focus, which has uses equal to your synced crystals per short rest. It lets you use a discipline that would be an action as a bonus action, a significant improvement to action economy given that there’s no restrictions on bonus action power usage like there is for spells.

The third feature, coming at 6th level, is Harmonic Discipline. Another action-economy improving feature, you can set a “contingent” power that can be activated as a reaction once per short rest.

The fourth feature, coming at 14th level, Multifaceted, is essentially the bard’s Jack of All Trades, giving a bonus to non-proficient ability checks (such as initiative) equal to the number of synced crystals.

The fifth feature, coming at 18th level, is Mind Lattice — a passive 1/turn damage boost equal to the psion’s intelligence modifier, along with the ability to sacrifice a crystal’s sync to reroll a saving throw.

Emotional Conduit

A much more chaotic subclass, the first two abilities are Fluttering Control and Well of Emotion. The former somewhat randomizes the psion’s Range of Influence each day, generally improving it but sometimes reducing it. The latter is a straight damage buff, adding 1d4 psychic damage per power point spent enhancing an effect. Optionally, this damage can vary from psychic and instead depend on the character’s current emotional state.

The third feature, at 6th level, is Radiate Pain; this lets the psion lash out as a reaction to taking damage in their immediate 10' vicinity for 1d4 damage on a failed Dexterity saving throw. This damage can be increased by expending power points but the number of dice do not scale with level. Instead, at 14th level, the die size improves to d6 and the psion gets to choose to either exclude nearby allies from the damage or shift 10' without provoking opportunity attacks.

The 18th level capstone, Overwhelm, gives a backdrop of Intelligence modifier damage whenever the psion misses or a creature succeeds on a saving throw.

Strategist

A tactical themed subclass, the first feature is Thought Imparts Action, which both grants proficiency with initiative rolls as well as lets the psion use Intelligence in place of Dexterity. The second feature, Action Grants Movement, allows the Strategist to grant an ally 10' of movement using the Strategist’s bonus action and the ally’s reaction.

The third feature at 6th level, Movement Provides Defense, gives a +1 bonus to the Strategist’s AC for every 10' they move, capped at their Intelligence modifier. At 14th level Defends Afford Organization allows the Strategist to share it with a number of allies equal to the Strategist’s Intelligence modifier using the Strategist’s reaction.

The capstone feature, Organization Grants Victory, further improves the prior two features; the Strategist gains an additional 10' of base movement, and they gain a +1 bonus to attacks per enhanced ally.

Other Psionic Options

Despite being a full book with character options for each and every other class, none of the subclasses are psionic themed; instead, they each play to the book’s other purpose, the wastelands. As such the only other psionic options to review here are the feats and the bestiary.

Feats

Weird Wastelands includes three psionic feats designed to improve psions. Unlike the feats in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, these are not soft-multiclass feats; instead they boost characters that are already psions.

Expanded Influence. A half feat boosting Constitution or Intelligence, this is a strictly-for-psions upgrade that increases the radius of a psion’s zone of influence by 30' and can be taken multiple times. While this might be useful at level 4 when the range is only 30', it overall seems inferior to the alternatives given how rarely long range comes up after a minimum threshold.

Extracurricular Discipline. Despite providing no ASI boost, this is a clear winner of a feat, providing an entire additional Discipline Rank so long as it’s not used to boost a discipline to rank 5. This feat is repeatable and provides strong competition with boosting intelligence at level 4, as this bumps the psion’s power spike from 9 to 7.

Hidden Reserves. A half feat boosting Intelligence, this feat is a non-repeatable boost to maximum power points equal to the psion’s Intelligence. If taken at level 8 to increase Intelligence from 17 to 18, this represents a substantial 20% boost to total daily power points when accounting for Psionic Recovery.

Bestiary

Only a single monster in chapter 6 uses psionics; the blue-skinned thools are undead experts in psychometabolism. These CR 3 threats do not have any power points, so it’s always optimal to use their multiattack over siphon life; ease malady provides a little protection from status effects, although their condition immunities protect them from the most common repeatable status effects.

The Analysis

With an entire brand new class, the WebDM psion certainly evokes unique psionic flavor but seems to have some balance issues holding it back.

What Went Right

Distinct Psionic Feel. This iteration of the psion hits all the expectations one would have of a psion; flexible power points, six disciplines that feel distinct from spellcasting, and a preponderance of force and psychic damage.

Fairly Well Produced. While there’s some typos and other errors, it’s not much worse than a typical WotC release. The book has plenty of quality art enriching the experience, but the real highlight is the marginalia; it both provides color commentary as well as design insights, a welcome shift from releases that try to put up an impenetrable barrier between the author and the reader.

Straightforward Design. This version of the psion is simple to play and build; the number of decision points resembles mainline 5e releases, which is hopefully more accessible to general audiences. Furthermore, the powers of each discipline do a good job encompassing the theme of the discipline and evoking their flavor.

What Went Wrong

Tier 3 Falloff. A psion’s power naturally peaks at level 9, when they max out their primary discipline and achieve a 90’ zone of influence. For example, a telekineticist has upgraded their psychic crush to its base 3d10 damage and can spend up to five pp to improve that to 8d10 after knowing if the ability is a hit, meaningfully stronger than other options at this level. However, that’s the best a psion can do - at level 11, when fighters get a third attack, paladins get Improved Divine Smite, and full spellcasters get game-changing 6th level spells, psions are starting back over with a single rank in a new discipline. This remains an issue throughout tier 3, as even with Improved Psionic Recovery making up for the lack of base power point pool scaling the overall utility and combat power stays flat. Only the Strategist’s level 14 feature feels relevant in this level range, and even then most psions will feel the droppoff as the game moves through the post-10 levels.

Poor Discipline Balance. This psion lacks any core capabilities not tied to the discipline; as such, there’s a lot of pressure for discipline abilities to be actively useful. The clairsentience discipline literally lacks any kind of damaging combat abilities; it’s investigative utility might be nice in a purely politics no-combat game, but few D&D games fit that definition. For four of the other six disciplines, they have only a single damaging ability that doesn’t scale all that well; even dumping power points solely into damage isn’t that far ahead of a warlock with agonizing blast and hex despite consuming significant portions of a psion’s daily resources per activation.

Poor Action Economy. Basically every utility feature requires a full action to manifest, competing with the psion’s ability to output damage. Very few of these features, even with level-appropriate power point investitures, are comparable to an equivalent level full caster in impact. Powers such as mind link feel like they should just be bonus actions given their limited combat capabilities. The Structured Mind subclass somewhat resolves this but at the cost of throwing off the overall subclass balance — the Emotional Conduit in particular seems to struggle in this regard.

Conclusion

The WebDM psion has good bones, but the actual power level is a bit all over the place. For a game that’s expected to end in tier 2 (a fairly common experience), this psion fits the bill. For games that expect to go longer than that, this psion seems struggle to provide abilities that match other characters.