Stupid Psionics Question

[Tarlek Flamehai]

So am I missing something, or is Telepathy not a psionic power? I can find a Telepathy Discipline, but not a Telepathy power. The only way to get telepathy is an item or a Special Ability?

[Baroknik]

Mindlink is a level one Telepath power that forms a telepathic link with a target.

[Tarlek Flamehai]

Yes, but it's not Telepathy.

[Red Fel]

What specifically do you mean when you say "Telepathy?" Because there are many options. There's the Telepathy special ability, which is basically a form of speech and a prerequisite for Mindsight. There's the Missive (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/missive.htm) power, which sends a one-way message but requires a common language. There's Mass Missive (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/missiveMass.htm), which is the same thing but multiple targets (basically a telepathic tweet). There's Mindlink (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/mindlink.htm), as mentioned, which allows back-and-forth without a common language. There are Read Thoughts (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/readThoughts.htm) and Mind Probe (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/mindProbe.htm), which let you read minds. There are Psionic Suggestion (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/suggestionPsionic.htm) and Psionic Dominate (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/dominatePsionic.htm), which let you control minds.
To my knowledge, there is no power simply called Telepathy, but that's an annoyingly generic name for something that's supposed to do a specific thing, anyway. If you want Telepathy (the special ability), I'd suggest taking the Telepathy ACF (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070411a) that grants you the special ability at level 5.

[Tarlek Flamehai]

I mean the prerequisite for Mindsight. It just seems weird to me that it is not available as psionic power.

[Renen]

Not really weird. Talking w/o language is just usually an ability. Dipping mindbender is usually the go to method for grabbing telepathy and then mindsight.

[Red Fel]

I mean the prerequisite for Mindsight. It just seems weird to me that it is not available as psionic power.

If it were a power, then you could only use Mindsight while that power was active, or else you wouldn't qualify for the feat. You would either have to spend points on it or acquire a source of persistent power. That's silly.

As Renen points out, Telepathy (the ability) is simply a language ability, like talking. And Mindsight is simply a vision ability, like Darkvision or Tremorsense. One of the key advantages of either is the fact that you don't have to spend PP to use them; basing them on a theoretical power gets rid of that advantage. At that point, you might as well turn Mindsight into a psionic power as well, rather than an always-on feat.

[Flickerdart]

Telepath Psions have an ACF to trade out their 5th level bonus feat for Telepathy.