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Read thoughts (psionic)

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This article is about the psionic power. For the spell of the same name, see detect thoughts.

Read thoughts,[2] also known as detect thoughts,[1] extrasensory perception, or ESP for short, was a psionic devotion[3] of the telepathy discipline that allowed a manifester to perceive a target's surface thoughts.[1][2][3]

Effects[]

A manifester was able to perceive the surface or "active" thoughts of beings within range.[1][2][3] Older versions of the power had an unlimited range,[3] while in the late 14th century DR its range was limited to 60 feet (18 meters), emanating outward in a quarter circle or cone-shape from the manifester. Read thoughts could work through barriers, though couldn't penetrate through certain depths, including 1‑foot (0.3‑meter) of stone, 1 inch (0.025 meters) of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, and 3 feet (0.91 meters) feet of dirt or wood. It had a duration of about 1 or more minutes and required concentration from the manifester.[1][2]

How long the manifester examined a particular area or subject determined what manner of information they could gleam from their surface thoughts.[1] The instinctual and picturesque thoughts of simple minds, such as those of animals, were easy to pick up.[1][2][3] An affected mind's location could also be pinpointed by the manifester, but only if they were within line of sight. Attempting to read the surface thoughts of a creature with god-like intellect would instantaneously disrupt the manifestation and temporarily stun the manifester.[2]

Older versions of ESP were limited by language, perceiving the thoughts of intelligent creatures as words. The magical thought processes used by wizards and other spellcasters as part of spellcasting were also unintelligible, though they would be easily recognizable for what they were.[3] And if a manifestation backfired, the manifester would be struck with a splitting headache and difficulty using any telepathic powers for the next hour.[3]

Prerequisite Powers[]

This power once required contact as a prerequisite.[3]

Displays[]

When used this power typically manifested a mental display,[1][2] but in some cases manifested a visual display as well.[1]

Signifigance[]

ESP was among the many telepathic powers that could be guarded against with conceal thoughts[5][6][7] and mind blank.[8] It was also a prerequisite for probe, a power that allowed a manifester to dig deeper into a target's thoughts.[9]

Users[]

This power was largely exclusive to psions specialized as telepaths,[2] but through personal meditation cognition thieves gained access to it[10] and on occasion it manifested among wild talents.[4]

Read thoughts was exhibited as an innate psionic ability by amethyst dragons,[11] brain coral,[12] brainstealer dragons of old or greater age,[13] crysmals,[14] elder brains,[15][16] emerald dragons,[17] many illithids[18][19] and half-illithids,[20][21] adult intellect devourers,[22] kigrids,[23] neothelids,[24][25] psurlons,[26] some sulls,[27] ulitharids,[28] urophions,[29] and yochlol.[30][31]

In psionics terms, it could be known by couatl,[18][32] hollyphants,[33] and ki-rin.[18]

Known/Notable Users[]

Appendix[]

Appearances[]

Adventures

Dungeon #36, "The Sea of Sorrow" • Dungeon #43, "Into The Silver Realm" • Marco Volo: Departure • Into the Dragon's Lair • City of the Spider Queen • Dungeon #94, "Spiral of Manzessine"

Novels & Short Stories

Servant of the Shard

Organized Play & Licensed Adventures

The Mines of Sarbreen • A Meeting of Brains • To the Rescue • Ravens Bluff - Gateway to the Vast

References[]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Bruce R. Cordell (March 2001). Psionics Handbook. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 66. ISBN 0786918357.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Bruce R. Cordell (April 2004). Expanded Psionics Handbook. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 128. ISBN 0-7869-3301-1.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Steve Winter (1991). The Complete Psionics Handbook. (TSR, Inc.), p. 84. ISBN 1-56076-054-0.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Douglas Niles (1995). Player's Option: Skills & Powers. (TSR, Inc), p. 156. ISBN 0-7869-0149-7.
  5. ↑ Steve Winter (1991). The Complete Psionics Handbook. (TSR, Inc.), p. 80. ISBN 1-56076-054-0.
  6. ↑ Bruce R. Cordell (March 2001). Psionics Handbook. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 60. ISBN 0786918357.
  7. ↑ Bruce R. Cordell (April 2004). Expanded Psionics Handbook. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 85. ISBN 0-7869-3301-1.
  8. ↑ Steve Winter (1991). The Complete Psionics Handbook. (TSR, Inc.), p. 88. ISBN 1-56076-054-0.
  9. ↑ Steve Winter (1991). The Complete Psionics Handbook. (TSR, Inc.), p. 76. ISBN 1-56076-054-0.
  10. ↑ Richard Baker, James Wyatt (March 2004). Player's Guide to Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 175. ISBN 0-7869-3134-5.
  11. ↑ Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc), p. 70. ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
  12. ↑  (1998). Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Four. (TSR, Inc), p. 21. ISBN 0-7869-1212-X.
  13. ↑ Kevin Baase, Eric Jansing, Oliver Frank, and Bill Halliar (November 2005). “Monsters of the Mind – Minions of the Mindflayers”. In Erik Mona ed. Dragon #337 (Paizo Publishing), pp. 26–27.
  14. ↑ Wolfgang Baur (1993). Secrets of the Lamp (Monstrous Compendium Pages). (TSR, Inc.). ISBN 1-56076-647-6.
  15. ↑ Richard Baker, James Jacobs, and Steve Winter (April 2005). Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 145. ISBN 0-7869-3657-6.
  16. ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, Jeff Quick (October 2003). Underdark. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 85. ISBN 0-7869-3053-5.
  17. ↑ Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc), p. 72. ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Steve Winter (1991). The Complete Psionics Handbook. (TSR, Inc.), p. 50. ISBN 1-56076-054-0.
  19. ↑ Bruce R. Cordell (April 2004). Expanded Psionics Handbook. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 204. ISBN 0-7869-3301-1.
  20. ↑ Eric Cagle, Jesse Decker, James Jacobs, Erik Mona, Matthew Sernett, Chris Thomasson, and James Wyatt (April 2003). Fiend Folio. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 90. ISBN 0-7869-2780-1.
  21. ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, Jeff Quick (October 2003). Underdark. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 91. ISBN 0-7869-3053-5.
  22. ↑ Steve Winter (1991). The Complete Psionics Handbook. (TSR, Inc.), p. 117. ISBN 1-56076-054-0.
  23. ↑ Richard Baker, James Jacobs, and Steve Winter (April 2005). Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 156. ISBN 0-7869-3657-6.
  24. ↑ Bruce R. Cordell (March 2001). Psionics Handbook. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 151. ISBN 0786918357.
  25. ↑ Bruce R. Cordell (April 2004). Expanded Psionics Handbook. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 205. ISBN 0-7869-3301-1.
  26. ↑ Richard Baker, James Jacobs, and Steve Winter (April 2005). Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 163–164. ISBN 0-7869-3657-6.
  27. ↑ Ed Greenwood and Roger E. Moore (February 1982). “The Dragon's Bestiary”. In Kim Mohan ed. Dragon #58 (TSR, Inc.), p. 8.
  28. ↑ Richard Baker, James Jacobs, and Steve Winter (April 2005). Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 159. ISBN 0-7869-3657-6.
  29. ↑ Richard Baker, James Jacobs, and Steve Winter (April 2005). Lords of Madness: The Book of Aberrations. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 171. ISBN 0-7869-3657-6.
  30. ↑ James Wyatt, Rob Heinsoo (February 2001). Monster Compendium: Monsters of Faerûn. Edited by Duane Maxwell. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 35. ISBN 0-7869-1832-2.
  31. ↑ Richard Baker (October 1995). Monstrous Compendium Planescape Appendix II. Edited by Karen S. Boomgarden. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 112–113. ISBN 0-7869-0173-X.
  32. ↑ Bruce R. Cordell (April 2004). Expanded Psionics Handbook. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 194. ISBN 0-7869-3301-1.
  33. ↑ Richard Baker (October 1995). Monstrous Compendium Planescape Appendix II. Edited by Karen S. Boomgarden. (TSR, Inc.), p. 113. ISBN 0-7869-0173-X.
  34. ↑ Ed Greenwood (2013-08-15). The Dream of Empire. Forging the Realms. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2013-08-26. Retrieved on 2025-03-03.
  35. ↑ Ed Greenwood; Sean K. Reynolds (2003-06-18). Eldenser, "The Worm Who Hides in Blades". Wyrms of the North. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2016-11-01. Retrieved on 2016-08-13.
  36. ↑ R.A. Salvatore (June 2005). Servant of the Shard. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 25. ISBN 0-7869-3950-8.
  37. ↑ Bruce R. Cordell (April 1998). The Illithiad. Edited by Keith Francis Strohm. (TSR, Inc.), p. 89. ISBN 0-7869-1206-5.
  38. ↑ Ed Greenwood; Sean K. Reynolds (2003-04-23). Malaeragoth, "The Dragon Unseen". Wyrms of the North. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2016-11-01. Retrieved on 2016-08-13.
  39. ↑ Ed Greenwood; Sean K. Reynolds (2003-12-17). Saryndalaghlothtor, "Lady Gemcloak". Wyrms of the North. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2016-11-01. Retrieved on 2016-08-13.
  40. ↑ Eric L. Boyd, Eytan Bernstein (August 2006). Dragons of Faerûn. Edited by Beth Griese, Cindi Rice, Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 33. ISBN 0-7869-3923-0.
  41. ↑ Anthony Pryor (1994). Marco Volo: Departure. (TSR, Inc.), p. 7. ISBN 1-5607-6848-7.
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