5E Psychic Warrior

[RedMalkav]

For the next campaign I'm in, I'm looking to make something reminiscent of a Psychic Warrior from 3.5. Offhand, I was thinking a few levels of the Kensai Monk, and then finishing out with Paladin levels. (Focusing almost Wholly on Smiting, Buffing, and things that affect the self, Refluffing most of the Paladin's spells as Psychic Abilities coming from the Monk's Aesthetic Lifestyle and years of discipline and training, rather than magic from a divine source.)
Essentially: Is this Viable? Anything I should be aware of? Any advice is appreciated.

[PhantomSoul]

What features/feel are you looking for, for those of us not familiar with the Psychic Warrior from 3.5?

As far as viability, most things are viable, and sounds like that won't be near the bottom of the list ranking things for viability anyhow.

[Waazraath]

Problem is, both Monk and Pally are quite MAD... multi classing them requirers dex, cha, wis and str 13. That's pretty bad. With this requirements (leading to a very low unarmed AC), and with psywar 3.5 fluff, you'll want (heavy) armor - but then, this shuts down a lot of your monk abilities. I'd rather look at monk / cleric or monk / ranger, or even a refluffed version of the Eldritch Knight.

[GreyBlack]

Is this for a home game, and is Unearthed Arcana on the table? If so, I would recommend looking at the Mystic class, specifically the Order of the Avatar or the Order of the Soul Knife. Both are very much translations of the old 3.x Psychic Warrior. Failing that, a refluffed Paladin might work best.

[JackPhoenix]

Paladin/warlock (GOO for outright psychic stuff or Hexblade for melee abilities) or pure Hexblade warlock should also work.

[Arkhios]

A Kensei/Eldritch Knight might be worth a try, to be honest. You wouldn't absolutely need high intelligence (plus, a fighter multiclass requirements mix well with those of monk's), as you could focus on Abjuration spells — most of which don't require a spell attack or making saving throws, and tend to lack any visual effects, and thus would be easy to fluff as psionics.

...Not that EK would really need much reflavoring. By its definition, eldritch means "otherworldly, weird, ghostly, or uncanny"

[RedMalkav]

What features/feel are you looking for, for those of us not familiar with the Psychic Warrior from 3.5?

As far as viability, most things are viable, and sounds like that won't be near the bottom of the list ranking things for viability anyhow.

3.5 Psychic Warrior was essentially a fighter with a monk's hit die, and some psychic abilities that increased their own physicality. They dealt heavily in effects that would grow their size, boost their ac, boost their stats, a few effects that would directly affect an enemy, not so much direct damage. But binding them so they couldn't move. Telekinesis. Ranged Trips and Disarms. That sort of thing.

[RedMalkav]

Is this for a home game, and is Unearthed Arcana on the table? If so, I would recommend looking at the Mystic class, specifically the Order of the Avatar or the Order of the Soul Knife. Both are very much translations of the old 3.x Psychic Warrior. Failing that, a refluffed Paladin might work best.

Honestly, I don't know. This is for the next game I find, really. I've got a weekly online game that's likely coming to an end soon and I'm looking to the future, so I'm trying to stick to things that aren't UA. I'm definitely looking at options within UA, but it helps to be able to point to the core books, and just be like, "It's all from here."

[DrKerosene]

If I was to try to get DM permission, or a Player asked me for help homebrewing a class, I’d probably just go with:

1. Saying that the Eldritch Knight can choose any Wizard spell that is similar enough to the 3.5e Powers list for Psychic Warrior, or you can multi-class a few levels into Wizard and specifically pick up the more psionic seeming spells.

2. Sorcadin. Using the Subtle Spell meta-magic from a Sorcerer seems like the best way to get most of the “Psionics are harder to counter” feel that I recall them having. Also the Sorcery Points are kinda like 3.5e Power Points too.

3. I do admit the GOO Warlock telepathy is cool for a Paladin multi-class, I just don’t think the 5e Warlock spell list has enough overlap with the old 3.5e Psychic Warrior Powers.

I think ideally, I would give Subtle Metamagic to the modified Eldritch Knight from my first suggestion, and take away something that (you, I, or another hypothetical person) doesn’t want.

[Moredhel24]

If UA material is allowed there is the psychic warrior fighter subclass from mearles happy fun hour

[BloodSnake'sCha]

I will go hexblade blade warlock. Even if cha isn't inta s a classic psion.
You have smite, self-buffs from invocations, you can attack with your mental power, create a weapon by thinking on it.
Buff spells, smite spells. EB as a psybow.

I think I am talking on the mind blade.

I had only one player that like psionic in 3.5e but I think the psy warrior had some power to summon weapons.

[DrKerosene]

... I think the psy warrior had some power to summon weapons.

There were a few Psionic Powers like that, and a very popular Alternate Class Feature provided a similar ability to the Soulknife class, which was basically the same as our Shadow Blade spell in 5e.