I have always never liked the idea of Psionics and Magic being exactly the same, but at the same time, I am TERRIFIED of what happens when they're completely different and are invincible/susceptible to each other. In an attempt to find a happy medium, I came up with the idea of "Magic-Psionic Translucency," as opposed to "Magic-Psionic Transparency."

Note: While it's 3.5e, I use advantage/disadvantage from 5e because it's easy and it's hard sometimes to think of a certain number that a penalty should be. Or if the DC should just be higher instead. Or something else.

Magic/Psionic Translucency rules:

1.) Magic/Psionic abilities have advantage on overcoming opposite type of resistance. For example, a wizard's spells have advantage on overcoming power resistance. Energy resistance works normally, regardless if the source of the resistance is magic or psionic. Energy is energy is energy.

2.) Detect abilities require a concentration or autohypnosis check to detect auras and such of the opposite kind.
The DC for the check is equal to what the Psicraft or Spellcraft check would have been to identify it mundanely in the first place.

3.) SpellCraft/Psicraft checks are still separate. They are completely different skills, but they do provide synergy bonuses to each other.

4.) Use Magic Device and Use Psionic Device are also not the same skill. They provide synergy bonuses to each other. If a class skill list contains Use Magic Device and doesn't contain Spellcraft and Psicraft (such as the rogue's skill list), then Use Magic Device may be replaced with Use Psionic Device with the DM's approval (for example, a rogue would be able to be trained in Use Psionic Device and not be trained in Use Magic Device if she so desired).

5.) In an Antimagic field, Psionic users must succeed on a DC 10 autohypnosis or concentration check. In an anti-Psionic field, magic users must also succeed on an autohypnosis or concentration check with the same DC. For every round the manifester or spellcaster is within the antimagic or antipsionic field, the DC for the check increases by 1. (For example, in the fifth round within the field, the DC would be 15.)


I had also thought of a variant rule on the psionic focus feature that would help balance the psionic classes with themselves and with the rest of the classes (or at least attempt to solve the problems for the players complaining about how psionics are overpowered.)


Psionic Focus

1.) Psionic focus is not just for taking 15 on concentration checks and feats. It is required to manifest any power or use any psi-like ability in general. However, manifesting a power does not expend your Psionic focus unless if you use as many power points as you possibly can in one manifestation. A psi-like ability never expends one's Psionic focus if it is at will. If it has a limited number of uses and you manifested its last use for the time interval, you expend your Psionic focus.

2.) There are drawbacks to being Psionically focused, depending on what your key ability score for manifestation is.

•INT: Being Psionically focused to your intelligence tunes the world out as your mind opens up to a higher state of being. While you can function just fine, you are considered to be too distracted and/or stressed to be able to take 10 on skill checks or ability checks.

•WIS: Being Psionically focused to your wisdom actually makes you more aware of the world around you and more connected to it, thus suffering no penalty from being Psionically focused.

•CHA: Being psionically focused to your charisma makes you more audacious, daring, courageous, and maybe a tad too hasty. Due to a newfound tendency to focus more on yourself than others, you are unable to take 10 on diplomacy, craft, and knowledge checks. While this Psionic focus doesn't make you less functional, you must succeed on a DC 10 will save whenever you fail a skill check or an attack roll or a Manifester level check or lose your Psionic focus. For every time you make that save in an encounter, the DC increases by 1. For every time you've failed that save in the current day, the DC increases by 1. This saving throw must also be made whenever a fellow party member/companion you care about drops to 0 or fewer hit points.

3.) Only one section of the brain can be Psionically focused at one time. If you have more than one manifesting class and, as a result, have more than one key ability, then you can only be Psionically focused to one key ability at a time. A wilder/Psion, for example, could only focus on either her charisma or her intelligence, and would only be able to manifest powers learned from the class who's key ability she is currently focused on.

4.) If one prefers that the soulknife should be able to be psionically focused, the soulknife's key ability for psionic focus purposes is Wisdom. The soulknife need not be psionically focused to summon its mind blades, but losing it would cause any present mind blades to vanish. A soulknife needs to be psionically focused in order for her mind blade(s) to have enhancement bonuses and special qualities.


This rule makes the psychic warrior (and the ardent and divine mind for those with splatbooks) more advantageous to be when selecting a psionic character class where they otherwise wouldn't be.


Now these aren't done yet. I just want to post them to see what other people think of what I have going so far, as well as suggestions, etc. I'd post this on like min/max boards or something, but they don't want people to post homebrew on there unless if it's 100% done and playtested which doesn't make sense to me. Like, how do you get feedback from other people so you can make it better? Whatever XD.

I've just noticed this, hence the really late response.

I actually don't think these are too bad. The focus rules are a little different but I like the translucency quite a bit.