WhenBaldur’s Gate 3took the game industry by storm in 2023, it only seemed logical that it would get robust DLC support to further flesh out its (already robust) story and gameplay to give the flourishing fanbase reason to stick around. Larian Studios did offer a good amount of post-launch support, likeBaldur’s Gate 3Patch 8adding a wealth of new subclasses, but no DLC ever appeared. Larian Studios has confirmed that it’s moving on fromBG3, so fans shouldn’t expect any other major content drops. That’s especially heartbreaking becauseDungeons and Dragonsjust started playtesting a class that would’ve fitBG3perfectly: the Psion.
It’s not every day thatDungeons and Dragonsadds a whole new class, especially the current addition. Over the course of a decade afterDnD5e launched, Wizards of the Coast only added one more class to the starting roster: the Artificer. That may change soon, though, thanks to the new Unearthed Arcana document detailing the Psion class, an Intelligence-based psychic spellcaster with a lot of possible playstyles. AnyBaldur’s Gate 3fan knows that psionic creatures and psychic powers are central to the game’s story, which means the Psion would’ve been the perfect class to add post-launch, but it’s clear thatBG3and this ideal bonus class just barely missed each other.
Dungeons and Dragons' New Psion Class Arrived Just Too Late to Join Baldur’s Gate 3
Dungeons and Dragon’s UA Psion Class Explained
The new Psion classis an intersection of a lot of existingDnD5e concepts. It’s an Int-based caster with a d6 hit die, much like a Wizard, and it uses a secondary resource pool of Psionic Energy Dice to activate various class features, just like certain psionic-themedDnDsubclasses like the Psi Warrior Fighter and the Soulknife Rogue. It’s also similar to a Cleric in that the subclasses cater to widely varying playstyles: the mutating Metamorph encourages the Psion to fight in melee range but also packs notable healing abilities, while the Psi Warper is rich with teleportation and crowd control abilities.
Dungeons and Dragonspreviously tested a very different version of a Psion with a ton of customization options, but it never made it to print, likely due to being far too overpowered and versatile.
Why the Psion Would’ve Been Perfect for Baldur’s Gate 3
Altogether, there are a ton of reasons the Psion would’ve been the perfect bonus class forBaldur’s Gate 3. For one, it’s just an obvious thematic match. The wholemain plot ofBG3is all about mind flayers and mysterious psychic phenomena, so it would be a major flavor win to play as a Psion pitting their psychic prowess against equally potent psionic adversaries.
For another thing, its mechanical design would play very nicely with the design ofBaldur’s Gate 3.BG3’s combat makes excellent use of terrain: rooftops, cliff faces, and environmental hazards like lava encourage players to spend their movement carefully and use spells or Strength to shove enemies into disadvantageous positions. The Psion is packed with movement options like telekinesis and teleportation, so it could wreak havoc inBG3’s many encounters.
The Psion also would’ve filled a simple need inBG3’s class roster. TheWizard class inBaldur’s Gate 3is the player’s only option for an Intelligence-based class, meaning Intelligence factors into few other builds, save for certain Int-based subclasses. As a more Bard-style spellcaster with a limited spell list but lots of extra class features, the Psion would’ve been a great change of pace from the Wizard.
The Psion and BG3 Stand Apart Officially, But Can Meet Unofficially
Admittedly, it was always a long shot thatBaldur’s Gate 3would add this class, even if WotC had unveiled the Psion duringBG3’s post-launch support period. Balancing a whole class is no easy task, and the Psion may have felt a bit redundant due toBG3’s mind flayer tadpole mechanics. Still, there is a way that the Psion can joinBG3; Larian Studios has built lots of mod support into the game, so Psion-loving modders can hand-craft a way for this compelling new class to feature inBG3. In the meantime, though, it’s a shame thatBG3and the Psion never got to meet, given how much they have in common.
