“Ours was the future, but our vision did not suffice to keep the Cabal from taking away a future of our own. Yet if enough of us turn our eyes upward together, I believe we can take our future back.”
—Tedtzt, Psion Rebel (Translated)
A client race of the Cabal empire, the psions once possessed their own civilization, built upon their powerful telepathic and psychokinetic abilities. As clairvoyant technologists, their value to the Cabal was obvious. The circumstances of their incorporation into the empire are not known, but the fact psions serve under indenture indicates they did not willingly join the Cabal. Although they are fully incorporated into Cabal society and the military relies heavily on their exceptional capabilities for high-level logistical coordination as well as critical battlefield roles, nevertheless psions are not all resigned to remaining in servitude.
Small Bodies, Vast Minds
Psions are slender humanoid bipeds typically around five feet tall, though with rare exception they are capable of reaching much greater size. They have hairless, mottled, pale skin, and a single eye centrally situated above the nostrils and mouth. A deep fold or cleft runs vertically through most of the face, beginning at the mouth and extending around and past the eye up the forehead. Psions in the Cabal army always wear rebreathers, if not fully enclosed headgear, suggesting they cannot breathe earthlike atmosphere.
Past Forgotten, Or Forbidden
Psion history was almost completely effaced by their absorption into the Cabal. Little is remembered about their culture or society, other than that they practiced amazing feats of collective telepathy and attained remarkable technological achievements. One example of both that is still known, if only because it was eventually appropriated by the Cabal, is the OXA Machine, some sort of clairvoyant computer the psions built to produce prophecies. For whatever reason, its predictions were not sufficient to prevent the psions’ assimilation by the Cabal.
Life Of The Mind
Psions’ very active telepathic faculties formed the foundation of their society, and remain essential to their interaction with each other. Groups of them can pool their thoughts in metaconcert to communicate, coordinate activity, share information, and expand their collective telepathic sensitivity. They can sometimes include individuals of other species in metaconcert, at least to the limited extent of sharing thoughts. This cooperative, highly social application of their telepathy suggests psion society was strongly mutualistic and collective. A psion alone is likely to feel a kind of isolation unlike that familiar to other species.
Because psion interaction included such a strong element of interpersonal connection, their ethos exhibits a tension between the collectivist tendency to join together and conform, and an individualistic tendency arising from their recognition of the essential reality of every other’s mind.
Psions share certain traits, whether they serve the Cabal as soldiers, coordinators, or counselors—or have abandoned the empire entirely.
Ability Score Increase. One ability score of your choice increases by 2, and one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Age. The psion life cycle is mysterious, but it seems psions can be exceptionally long-lived, whether naturally or by dint of advanced Cabal technology.
Size. Typical psions stand no more than five feet tall, and average four feet tall. Your size is Small.
Speed. Though very agile and capable of quick movement, psions have a limited stride length. Your base walking speed is 25 feet.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Ulurant. Additionally, you can communicate your thoughts telepathically to any intelligent creature, if the creature is within a number of feet equal to 5 times your proficiency bonus and knows at least one language. The range of your telepathy is blocked by 1 inch of metal, 1 foot of stone, or 3 feet of wood or dirt, as well as by any effects that block divination. You don’t need to speak the creature’s known language to communicate your thoughts effectively to them.
Inconspicuous Frame. You can attempt to hide even when you are obscured only by a creature that is at least one size larger than you.
Psion Nimbleness. You can move through the space of any creature who is at least one size larger than you without it counting as difficult terrain, even hostile creatures. You can also take the Disengage action as a bonus action on your turn.
Psionic Potential
Choose three of the following additional traits. These traits reflect how you’ve developed your psionic potential.
Some of these traits may reference your mental modifier. Choose either your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma score. Your mental modifier is equal to the modifier of your chosen ability score. You can’t change this choice.
Psionic Blast. Once on your turn as 1 attack, you let loose a quick burst of psionic energy at a target within 5 feet of you. That target must make an Intelligence saving throw (DC = 8 + your mental modifier + your proficiency bonus), taking 2d6 psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much on a success. The damage of this psionic effect increases to 3d6 when you reach 5th level, then to 4d6 at 11th level, and finally to 5d6 beginning at 17th level.
Nova Rupture. As 1 attack, you may hurl a ball of psionic energy at a point you can see within 30 feet. All creatures within 5 feet of that point must make a Strength saving throw (DC = 8 + your mental modifier + your proficiency bonus). A creature that fails the saving throw is either knocked back 10 feet or knocked prone, your choice.
Read Surface Thoughts. As an action, choose one target you can communicate telepathically with. You learn what is most on their mind right now. A target can hide its thoughts from you with a successful Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + your mental modifier + your proficiency bonus). If the target succeeds on its saving throw, you can’t read their surface thoughts for the next 24 hours.
Reflexive. You have a +2 bonus to Dexterity saving throws you make.
Swift Stride. As a free action on your turn, you can double your base walking speed until the end of your turn. You can’t double your base walking speed more than once on a turn. You must complete at least a short rest before you can use this trait again.
Truesight. On your turn, you can turn your inner eye outward, granting yourself Truesight (range 5 feet) for the next minute. You must complete at least a short rest before you can use this trait again.