Psychic Ward (5e Class)

The Psychic Ward

A True Shield Psychic Ward with their Extensive Protection. Photo from FFxiv.

A Psionic Maul Psychic Ward using their Retaliation Effect. Credit: Dispel by chasestone on DeviantArt!

Protectors of The Mind Palace

A man stands at a pair of doors sealed from the other side. He hefts his staff, the crystal on the end glowing with purple light as the door is blasted open, without touching the wood.

A woman runs down the street being chased by a group of thugs. She turns on her heel, rings of green psychic power encasing her forearms and calves. She takes an ancient stance. She knocks two thugs to the ground, sending a ring of energy towards a third before continuing on her run.

An adventuring party are in the middle of the forest surrounded by imps. The Psychic Ward pulls twin shortswords, each glowing with blue arcane energy. He twirls the swords before throwing one like a boomerang, the blade soaring to the advancing ranks and taking out an imp before returning to the Ward's hand.

A Psychic Ward is no one to mess with, using their shield to defend themselves against incoming attacks, and lashing out with Psychic power in return.

Some Psychic Wards, after their years in adventure, take up a permanent meditation to enter the other planes as Shield Guardians. They can rarely be felled, destroying any who dare attack their newfound homeland.

Creating a Psychic Ward

How did you devote yourself to the Psychic Ward lifestyle? Were you chosen by a monastery or religious site?

Were you hurt to an extent that you couldn't bear to be hurt again?

Or did you need something so bad this was the only way to get it?

Quick Build

You can make a Psychic Ward quickly by following these suggestions. First, Constitution should be your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity. Second, choose the Charlatan or Sage background.

Class Features

As a Psychic Ward you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d4 per Psychic Ward level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 4 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d4 (or 3) + Constitution modifier per Psychic Ward level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, Martial weapons
Tools: One musical instrument of your choice
Saving Throws: Constitution, Dexterity
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Deception, Insight, Acrobatics, Perception, Persuasion, and Sleight of Hand.

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) A shortsword or (b) any simple weapon
• (a) 5 daggers or (b) A longbow and 20 arrows
• (a) A Scholar's pack or (b) An Explorer's pack
• (a) An arcane focus or (b) A component pouch
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 5d4x10gp in funds.

Table: The Psychic Ward

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Psionic Skills	Spells Known	—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
					1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1st	+2	Psionic Burst (d4), Warding Barrier, Spellcasting	-	4	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	Psionic Skills	2	5	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	Psychic Path	3	6	4	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	3	7	4	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	Psionic Burst (d6)	4	8	4	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
6th	+3	Psychic Path Feature	4	9	4	3	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
7th	+3	Psychic Lament	5	10	4	3	3	1	—	—	—	—	—
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	5	11	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—
9th	+4	Psionic Burst (d8)	6	12	4	3	3	3	1	—	—	—	—
10th	+4	Shielded Channeler	6	14	4	3	3	3	2	—	—	—	—
11th	+4	Psychic Path Feature	6	15	4	3	3	3	2	1	—	—	—
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	7	15	4	3	3	3	2	1	—	—	—
13th	+5	Psionic Burst (d10)	7	16	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	—	—
14th	+5	—	7	18	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	—	—
15th	+5	Psychic Path Feature	8	19	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	—
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	8	19	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	—
17th	+6	—	8	20	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	1
18th	+6	Psionic Burst (d12)	9	22	4	3	3	3	3	1	1	1	1
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement, Mind's Bright Shield	9	22	4	3	3	3	3	2	1	1	1
20th	+6	—	9	22	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	1	1

Psionic Burst

You can infuse your weapons or ammo with psychic magic. You can spend 10 minutes focusing on a weapon, quiver, or case, linking it to your mind's power. If it is a weapon, the weapon deals 1d4 additional psychic damage on a hit. Ammunition drawn from a quiver or case deals 1d4 additional psychic damage on impact. The damage die increases as you gain levels in this class, as shown in the Psychic Ward table above. You can only be linked to one weapon at a time.

Warding Barrier

You have a constant shield of energy around you, protecting you and your belongings. This shield may appear as a dome, a layer of translucent armor, or even a hovering shield that only appears when you take damage. Whatever you choose, you can attack right through it as if it were an illusion. This barrier acts as a separate entity to you, with its own hit points that deplete in place of yours. However, when the barrier drops to 0 hit points, the remainder of damage is transferred to you. Once the barrier drops to 0 hit points it can no longer absorb damage, but its magic lingers. The shield's max hit points equal your own max hit points, essentially added over top. These hit points work in place of your own until they drop to 0. This shield regains all of it's hit points whenever you take a long rest.

Unarmored Defense

While you are wearing no armor, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Constitution Modifier. If you wield a shield while using this feature, the AC bonus is a +1 regardless of the shields bonus.

Ally's Protection

Anything in your space counts as if it were behind your barrier. This can include familiars and mounts. You know the Shield spell, which doesn't count against the number of spells you know. You can cast it as normal, or on an ally within 30 feet of you.

Trick Room

Your psychic powers and shield allow you to use a Thaumaturgy/Prestidigitation type ability called Trick Room. When you use this ability, you cause up to three of the following magical effects to occur within a 120 foot range.

• You create an Instantaneous, harmless sensory effect, such as a shower of sparks, a puff of wind, faint musical notes, or an odd odor.

• You instantaneously light or snuff out a Candle, a torch, or a small campfire and choose the cosmetics of the flame.

• You instantaneously clean or soil an object no larger than 1 cubic foot.

• You create a nonmagical trinket or an illusory image that can fit in your hand that lasts until you dispel it.

• You create an Instantaneous sound that originates from a point of your choice within range, such as a rumble of thunder, the cry of a raven, or ominous whispers.

• You instantaneously cause an unlocked door or window to fly open or slam shut.

• You make up to 15lbs worth of objects within a 30 foot range levitate. You cannot make more than 5 objects float.

Spellcasting

You learn to harness your willpower to cast spells in a similar way to sorcerers and wizards.

When you cast a spell, your mind's ability has removed the need to talk. You do not need to act on the verbal components of spells.

The Psychic Ward class uses the Wizard and Bard spell lists.

Spell Slots

The Psychic Ward table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these Psychic Ward spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

For example, if you know the 1st-level spell burning hands and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast burning hands using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know four 1st-level spells of your choice from the Psychic Ward spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Psychic Ward table shows when you learn more Psychic Ward spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 3rd level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the Psychic Ward spells you know and replace it with another spell from the Psychic Ward spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier

Spellcasting Ability

Constitution is your spellcasting ability for your Psychic Ward Spells, since your mind must be as strong as the shields you create, and your ability to exert your mind's will on others must be unmatched. You use your Constitution whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Constitution modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Psychic Ward spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier

Spell Attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier

Ritual Casting

You can cast a Psychic Ward spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you know the spell.

Spellcasting Focus

You can use an arcane focus as a spellcasting focus for your Psychic Ward spells.

Psionic Skills

By 2nd level, you have learned to expand your psychic abilities. You know two Skills, which you can utilize at any point as if it were a cantrip. You gain more Skills as you gain levels in this class. The Skills available to you are listed at the end of the class description.

Psychic Path

At 3rd level, you begin to narrow your skills to specialize in different methods of using your defensive barriers. You can choose between the True Shield Path or the Psychic Maul Path. These Paths concentrate on defense and offense respectively. This choice grants you features at 3rd, 6th, 11th, and 15th level.

Ability Score Increase

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Psychic Lament

At 7th level, you've honed your skills to a higher extent. You can now take two actions on your turn. Your Constitution score increases by one to a maximum of 21.

Shielded Channeler

At 10th level, your Constitution score increases by one point to a new maximum of 22. You score a critical on a natural 19-20.

Mind's Bright Shield

At level 19, your mind's defense has only grown stronger. You gain the following effects as long as your shield is up.

• You are immune to all bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from non-magical attacks.

• You are resistant to all other damage types.

Paths

Many Psychic Ward's never reach the pure mental skill required to follow one of the two Paths. The Psionic Maul, offense based, bent on adding more flair to your ability to harness psychic power. And True Shield, based on defense and aiding your party with defensive magic. When you choose either Path, you become immune to Psychic and Force damage.

Psionic Maul

Psychic Ward's of the Psionic Maul rely on close combat on top of their defense. They can wield a variety of weapons, from the graceful rapier to the monstrous morning-star. They can mentally enhance their weapon strikes well past the extent that a normal Psychic Ward can, adding special properties to bonded weapons.

Weapon Bond

Starting when you choose this Path at 3rd level, you gain the ability to bond your psychic powers to a magical creation in the form of a weapon. You can spend 10 minutes binding yourself to a melee weapon. You can use your Constitution modifier for its attack and damage rolls, and it cannot be damaged or broken by any non-magical means. You cannot be bound to more than one weapon at a time. This weapon counts as light, deals Psychic damage, and counts as magical for purposes of bypassing resistance and immunity. You can use a bonus action to dismiss your bonded weapon to a pocket dimension. At anytime, using a bonus action, you can materialize the weapon in a free hand.

The Retaliation Effect

Beginning at 6th level, your Warding Barrier grows more powerful as your mind strengthens. You get 5 "points" to spend on the following effects (these can be changed with 1 minute of meditation):

• Sprinter: Difficult terrain doesn't hinder your movement. (1 point)

• Tremorsense: You have Tremorsense out to 60 feet. (3 points)

• Weapon Shield: Ranged and Melee weapon attacks have disadvantage against you. (1 point)

• Spell Shield: Ranged and Melee spell attacks have disadvantage against you. (1 point)

• Reactionary: You can take a number of reactions equal to your Constitution modifier every round. (2 points)

• Dexterous: You gain a +2 to Dexterity saving throws and ability checks. (3 points)

On top of this ability, your barrier can defend you with attacks of its own. If your Warding Barrier takes at least 10 damage from an attack within 60 feet of you, the barrier lashes back with psychic power to deal an amount of psychic damage equal to half the damage taken rounded up.

Delphi's Smite

From 11th level on, you can empower your weapon strikes with mental power. When you hit with your bonded weapon, you can spend a spell slot to deal 2d6 additional psychic damage per spell slot level expended. This damage cannot exceed 10d6, or a 5th level spell slot.

Mind's Eye Weapon Enhancement

By 15th level, you learn improvements to your fighting. When your Warding Barrier is active, you gain the following benefits:

• If your Bond Weapon has the two-handed property, you ignore it. If your Bond Weapon does not have the two-handed property, it's dice scales up one level. Ex: d6 to d8.

• You have immunity to Psychic damage.

• You can reroll all 1's on damage dice.

• You gain a +1 bonus to your Bond Weapon's attack and damage rolls.

• You can have up to three bonded weapons at a time.

True Shield

Psychic Wards who follow the True Shield have attained clarity of mind, allowing them to harness their mental magic into a much stronger and tactical barrier. Their barrier is the mythical Aegis which stands in strength for its wielder. Using only the strength of their minds, they are able to empower their Warding Barrier with incredible strength and can become an immovable force of protection for their party.

Shielded Knight

When the True Shield Path is taken at 3rd level, you gain the ability to enhance your barrier with more defensive magic. While your Warding Barrier is active, you gain a static +2 to AC. You can learn the Shield spell, not counting against the number of spells you know, and cast it once without using a spell slot, then having to finish a Long Rest before doing so again.

Team Player

Starting at 6th level, you can reflect attacks with your sheer will. If an ally within 60 feet of you is attacked with a ranged attack, spell or ammunition, you can expend a reaction to cause that damage to hit your barrier instead. When you use this ability, your barrier is considered resistant to the damage of the attack.

Extensive Protection

From 11th level, you are able to force your mental prowess into your barrier, expanding its range of defenses. You may use a reaction or a bonus action to activate a barrier around an ally. This barrier has a number of max hit points equal to your Psychic Ward level x 2. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier between long rests. While activated, Psychic damage is halved, and you may choose one effect:

• Add a +2 to the targets AC. If the target is wearing a shield, this bonus is a +3.

• The target has advantage on Strength and Constitution saving throws.

• The target has a static +1 to all attack rolls while under the effects of the barrier.

• The target is resistant to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from non-magical attacks.

Bright Presence

At 15th level, your will becomes unbending and imbues your Extensive Protection with further defense. While your Extensive Protection is activated, the target gains all of the following benefits, as well as those already granted by the barrier:

• They become immune to bludgeoning damage.

• They become immune to Psychic damage.

• They gain advantage on all Dexterity saving throws to avoid damage from spells.

Psionic Skills

You may choose to learn any Psionic Skill in accordance with the "Psionic Skills" section of the Psychic Ward table. These can all be used on an action, bonus action, or reaction, and can be treated like cantrips, though some give you buffs like Eldritch Invocations that are passive. Psionic Skills cannot be dispelled by anti-magic field or dispel magic, they do not count as magic. You may only change these for other Skills as you gain levels in this class.

Mind Missile

You've learned to innately harm your foes. This is the go-to Skill for maximum Fire Bolt/Eldritch Blast power. You create a dart of pure psychic energy, that you then fire at a creature within 120 feet. Make a ranged spell attack. On a hit, it deals 1d10 psychic damage. The amount of darts created increases to two at 5th level, three at 11th level, and four at 17th level. You can attack one target or several.

Leeching Life

You can sap the life of a creature within 30 feet of you. They must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or fall to their knees, effectively prone. Success or fail, they take 1d4 psychic damage, and you regain the same amount in hit points. This damage increases to 2d4 at 5th level, 3d4 at 11th level, and 4d4 at 17th level.

Headache

A strong pulse of psychic energy inflicts 1d4 psychic damage on one target within 30 feet. They must pass a Constitution saving throw or drop whatever they're holding on the ground. This damage increases to 2d4 at 5th level, 3d4 at 11th level, and 4d4 at 17th level.

Sweep

You direct a psychic wave at one target within 60 feet, dealing 1d4 psychic damage and pushing them back 10ft. The target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone as the wave knocks their feet from under them. This can also be used to blast an object that is not being worn or carried and is no more than 10lbs up to 15 feet away from you. This damage increases to 2d4 at 5th level, 3d4 at 11th level, and 4d4 at 17th level.

Bind the Soul

You choose one target within 60 feet. Psychic bonds fly from your hand and entangle their limbs. The target must make a Strength saving throw or be restrained until the end of your next turn.

Cancel

When a creature within 30 feet of you scores a critical hit on their attack role, you can use your reaction to negate the crit and force a normal damage roll.

Foggy Mind

A cloud coats the head of a creature within 30 feet to restrict their vision. They must succeed against a Constitution saving throw or be Blinded until the end of your next turn.

Guided Hand

You touch a creature next to you and guide their mind. The target can add 1d4 to their saving throws, ability checks, or attack rolls for 1 minute.

Shield Bash

Your barrier manifests on your forearm in the form of a shield. You ram your body into a creature. This counts as a melee weapon attack. Your barrier follows your movement, dealing 1d4 Psychic damage. The target must make a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone. This damage increases to 2d4 at 5th level, 3d4 at 11th level, and 4d4 at 17th level.

Sight of Darkness

You can see through magical or non-magical darkness out to 120 feet.

Telepathic Link

Once per long rest, choose a willing creature. You can see and hear through your target's mind out to 200 feet by creating a telepathic link.

Regenerator

On a short rest, you regain an amount of hit points equal to twice your Psychic Ward level.

Elemental Bender

You can move, redirect, and otherwise excavate earth, water, fire, or air. Follow the cantrips Gust, Shape Water, Mold Earth, and Produce Flame.

Psychic Gauntlet

Psychic power courses through you in the form of energy gauntlets. Your unarmed strikes now deal 2d8 psychic damage on a hit.

Stepping Stone

Your telekinetic powers enhance your movement. You gain a flying speed (hover) equal to your walking speed, as you create bouyant telekinetic "stepping stones" that follow your footsteps.

Glove of The Mind

This is similar to a mage hand, but there are two of them and they can grasp the same things as your hands. You can use items or hold something with these hands as if they were an extension of yourself, but they cannot fight (if the item grants a benefit to grabbing/wielding it, you retain that benefit). They appear as a pair of spectral gloved hands.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Psychic Ward class, you must meet these prerequisites: Dexterity 13 and Constitution 13

Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Psychic Ward class, you gain the following proficiencies: martial weapons, arcana, sleight of Hand.

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