Psionics

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Psionics is similar to Magic, in that it is the ability to do shit that the laws of physics say you shouldn't, but is considered more inherently "science fictiony" than magic, which is seen as the realm of fantasy.

The general definition of psionics is that it is a power that stems from the user's mind, and as such it tends to focus more on mental effects; telepathy, mind control, hallucinations/illusions and so forth. However, in "softer" settings, taking inspiration from the real-world belief in telekinesis (the ability to move physical objects by willpower alone), psionics can get much more flashy, until the border between it and regular magic boils down more to semantics than anything else.

Dungeons & Dragons

Psionics has a long tradition in Dungeons & Dragons, and two of its most iconic aberrations, the Aboleth and the Illithid, are defined by their connection to it. However, it's long been the black sheep, to the point that Gary Gygax himself thought that it was a bad idea to include it.

Seriously, long-running consensus on /tg/ is that Dungeons & Dragons' psionics is cursed. That these books are not RPG supplements, but grimoires of a sadistic cult, playing with your emotions. To have any D&D psionics book present in the room will ensure you always roll poorly. Another common opinion that psions in D&D are overpowered. This stems from time and time again of game designers trying to make psychic powers something different than spellcasting, and fucking up the game design doing it.

The main issues are two-fold: one, it's hard to distinguish psionics from the arcane and divine magics running around already. Two, the rule-set tends to be an extra layer of ridiculously complicated even by D&D standards. 3rd edition was notable for presenting only two ways of handling it; either making it functionally indistinguishable from magic, or something totally seperate and thus requiring a huge amount of extra work on top of what is already considered one of the harder editions to GM for.

Ironically, 4th edition D&D actually had the easiest, simplest, most well-integrated psionics system seen in D&D to date. In 4e, psions are still mechanically different, but not to game-tangling extents: psionic classes don't get Encounter powers. Instead, they get a much larger array of at-will powers and a level-determined amount of "power points". Psionic at-wills feature a mechanic called "Augmentation", where a PC can spend some of its power points to buff up the effect. Psionic powers also place much heavier emphasis on the Psychic and Force damage types, making them much harder to resist for most critters.

Traditionally, D&D psionics was divided into six psionic schools, in a repeat of the magic system:

• Clairsentience covered psionic powers that related to expanded sensory perception.
• Psychokinesis covered psionic powers that physically affected the world.
• Psychometabolism covered psionic powers that modified and mutated the body in various ways.
• Psychoportation covered psionic powers relating to manipulating space.
• Telepathy covered psionic powers relating to direct mental communication.
• Metapsionics covered... well, basically a grab-bag of various powers that didn't mesh into any of the others.

Dungeons & Dragons initially introduced psionics as just "inherent powers", special abilities you could get if you had really, really lucky rolls. AD&D 2nd edition introduced the first ever psionic class, the Psionicist, which was all about growing in psionic powers. 3rd edition renamed the Psionicist to just the Psion and introduced further psionic classes, many of whom were just specific flavors of psionicist or "psychic versions" of existing classes, like the Soulknife, Erudite, Wilder and Psychic Warrior. 4th edition divided psionics up between three classes - the Psion, Ardent and Battlemind - although the Monk was also considered to use the "Psychic Power Source".

Pathfinder

Pathfinder, of course, has its own psionic system, which it tries to differentiate by using real-world beliefs in psionics and occultism. It was introduced to the world in the Occult Adventures sourcebook, which was followed by the far-shorter Occult Bestiary, for more psionic-focused enemies.

The Kineticist draws upon an innate ability to manipulate one or more elemental forces and energies through the power of their will.

The Medium communicates with the spirits of the dead and allows them to possess their body in order to gain temporary powers drawn from the spirit.

The Mesmerist is a specialist psychic who focuses on mind-controlling powers powers exclusively, essentially a psionics-fueled enchanter & illusionist.

The Occultist seeks out relics imbued with strong psionic resonance and uses these as a medium to draw upon and channel psionic energy; without these totem-implements, they're all but powerless.

The Psychic is essentially the Pathfinder version of the Psion: a master of various psychic powers that derives their strength from a fundamental discipline, functioning somewhere between a psionic sorcerer and a specialist wizard.

The Spiritualist is similar to the Medium, in that its powers stem from a psychic connection to the dead. However, the Spiritualist has a singular bonded spirit, a Phantom, and this entity carries out most of the fighting for them, using the Spiritualist as a battery to enhance its abilities.

The Classes of Pathfinder 1st Edition
Core Classes:	Barbarian - Bard - Cleric - Druid - Fighter - Monk Paladin - Ranger - Rogue - Sorcerer - Wizard
Advanced Player's Guide:	Alchemist - Antipaladin - Cavalier Inquisitor - Oracle - Summoner - Witch
Advanced Class Guide:	Arcanist - Bloodrager - Brawler - Hunter - Investigator Shaman - Skald - Slayer - Swashbuckler - Warpriest
Occult Adventures:	Kineticist - Medium - Mesmerist Occultist - Psychic - Spiritualist
Ultimate X:	Gunslinger - Magus - Ninja - Samurai - Shifter - Vigilante

Warhammer 40k

Warhammer 40,000 is the premier /tg/ example of the "psionics is just space magic!" design. Psionics in the 40kverse derives from the ability to mentally tap into the Warp, a parallel universe of pure, unbridled emotional energy, where thought and matter are interchangeable. As all minds are inherently linked to this dimension, psykers just have the ability to exploit that link, psionics consists of either using the Warp as a way to directly connect to and influence the minds of others, or drawing Warp energy into the material universe and using it to temporarily rewrite the laws of reality.

The similarities to magic are actually admitted to and even lampshded; using magical trappings can help focus the mind and make it easier to work psionics, whilst "sorcery" is a real thing -- it amounts to psionics and bartering with (or enslaving, for the stronger casters) daemons and using them as batteries of psionic energy.

Star Wars

The Force in Star Wars is just a fancy name for psionics. Ironically, although treated like magic, it functions more like classic psionics; Force Users predominantly produce mental effects (the famous "Jedi Mind Trick" is basically a psychic Charm Person spell) and telekinesis, although there are more exotic powers as well - most of these tend to be Dark Side, though.

Star Trek

Ironically, despite the vast amount of weird space shit that pops up in Star Trek, psionics isn't very common. Vulcans have the ability to telepathically probe and manipulate minds through a meditative trance that requires physical contact, the infamous "Vulcan Mind Meld", whilst Betazoids are characterized as an empathic (emotion-sensing) species.