5e Psionics: Let's break Occluded Mind!

[Prince Zahn]

I brought it up here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?477020-Unearthed-Arcana-February-Psionics!/page6&p=20382979&postcount=160#post20382979) in the official discussion thread, and thought that we could have more fun in a thread dedicated to it rather than derail the thread any further :3

The new unearthed arcana came out this February, featured the Mystic and updated Psionics rules. One power there is Occluded Mind, which says that one target either succeeds on an intelligence save or must believe any sentence up to 10 words long as truth. No details on being persuasive, or less believable, not even a DM's discretion. It is rife with opportunities for all sorts of Jedi mind tricks!

So how about we have some fun and make a little list of shenanigans with Occluded that we could link when WoTC asks for this month's surveys? :smalltongue:

I'll start:

"These are not the Droids you are looking for" (9 words)
"The Floor is (made of) lava" (4-6 words).
"you're a wizard, *name*" (4 words easy)
"you owe me this" (4 words)
"I will make you an offer you can't refuse" (9 words)
"everything you know is a lie" (6 words; variations might require more)
"you are a chicken" (4 words)
"you are coming with us to Disneyland. " (7 words)
"you are late for your 5 o'clock root canal" (7-10 words)
"your mommy is calling you" (5 words)

You are allergic to combat. [5 words]
That Chimera is your fiancé. [5 words]
these are not the druids you are looking for [9 words]
Your weapon is alive, and it's trying to eat you. [10 words]
Your name is mud. [4 words]
you always burst into song spontaneously. [6 words]


Have fun guys, that's what the thread is for :smallwink:

[CantigThimble]

Your tooth is about to kill you. (7 words)

You owe me 50 gold pieces due today. (8 words)

This wand is on fifty percent off sale. (8 words)

If you attack me your mother will explode. (8 words)

[krugaan]

You're gonna die if you don't + 4 words:

- "eat all this dirt"
- "strip naked and dance"
- "trip the light fantastic"

Your king/god/ruler/wife/etc will be mad unless you + 3 words:

- let us pass
- go back home
- close your eyes

[MBControl]

Everything I tell you is a lie - 7 words

[krugaan]

Everything I tell you is a lie - 7 words

lol, go for some inception type shiz with:

"this world isn't real"

[Kane0]

There is no spoon.

[Spiritchaser]

Your tongue won't fit in your mouth (7 words)

[MaxWilson]

Your tooth is about to kill you. (7 words)

You owe me 50 gold pieces due today. (8 words)

This wand is on fifty percent off sale. (8 words)

If you attack me your mother will explode. (8 words)

You win. :)

[Lines]

It really should have been int save or the target believes that you believe you are telling the truth. Would fix a lot of the more ridiculous uses.

[Belac93]

"I'm your best friend." (4 words)
"You don't exist." (3 words)
"You like to impale yourself." (5 words)

[Grod_The_Giant]

You swore loyalty to me, without question and unto death. (10 words)

[WickerNipple]

This sword is your favorite sex toy.

[Kane0]

Decapitation is your preferred way to die.

You believe you would be better off dead.

Lower your weapon, i mean you no harm.

You could find better work than guarding a door.

Retirement is the best course of action available to you.

Your employer really isnt paying you enough for this.

You are far more likely to die than me.

Learning to X is the best use of your time.

You promised me your daughter's hand in marriage for this.

You can fly.

You are immortal.

You are the prophet of X.

You are not worthy.

Nothing brings you joy more than a X

You do not require earthly posessions any longer.

That armor is just weighing you down.

You are a master swordsman.

You value your honor above all else

Your spouse has been cheating on you.

You need to wake up.

You are addicted to X

Anything I can do you can do better.

You are the heir to the throne.

This is fun! There really should be more of a limit on its use though, maybe a duration that changes based on plausibility.

[ShikomeKidoMi]

That other guard is sleeping with your wife. (8)

I'll pay you back later. (5)

The check is in the mail. (6)

Your boss is planning to betray you. (7)

Look out, he's an impostor! (5)

[Prince Zahn]

This is fun! There really should be more of a limit on its use though, maybe a duration that changes based on plausibility.

It's certainly a thought. RAW says you get 5 minutes for the 2 power points you spend on Occluded Mind. I think the whole thing could be fixed with a note saying "at the DM's discretion/decision, some phrases might be too unfathomable to believe." or something like that. Would defeat the need for this thread.

Back on topic!


I am your father/mother/parent (4 words) (alt: the (4-6) of us are your real parents) (8 words)
The monster in your brain makes you act this way (10 words)
You are hungry enough to eat your horse (8 words)
You crave furniture; it looks delicious to you. (8 words)



I should eat lunch, messing with feeble minds is making me hungry. :smalltongue:

[Madbox]

You are drunk and about to pass out.
I am a hallucination.
Defeat is the way to victory.
You are fully paralyzed, including your lungs.

[Steampunkette]

Your reign is illegitimate, and you must make me Queen/King/Ruler.

[krugaan]

No save suggestions tend to be powerful, i guess, lol.

I don't really see this hitting print without some major rewording.

[Steampunkette]

You will die unless you leap off this (high object )

[ShikomeKidoMi]

"Come with me if you want to live." (8, 10 if one adds "You must" to the front)

"You hired me to inspect security on your secret vault." (10).

"Only I can remove the curse on this treasure." (9).

"Explaining your secret plans to enemies is smart and satisfying." (10)


You swore loyalty to me, without question and unto death. (10 words)

You promised me your daughter's hand in marriage for this.


The problem with these of course, is that they only work on people who are willing to honor that kind of oath/promise, which are probably a minority. It makes them believe they swore/promised it, not that they mean to keep their word.

[AstralFire]

"We have always been at war with [country]." (8 words)
"You used to be a dog." (6 words)
"No one ever loved you, for you are unworthy." (9 words)
"Everything you ever achieved was only due to luck." (9 words)
"Everyone you love has been replaced by evil shapeshifters." (9 words)
"Only I can forgive you for all your sins." (9 words)
"Your crotch is invulnerable to serious injury." (7 words)

[TheTeaMustFlow]

I've posted these before, but meh:

"You want to die. You want to die right now."
"I am your superior officer - you must obey me explicitly."
"You are the caretaker. You've always been the caretaker."
"I am your God, My Will Be Done."
"Everything you know is a lie."
"That's a doppelgänger, not your friend. You should kill it."

Admittedly, a lot of the suggestions made are a little weakened by the short duration - 5 minutes isn't really enough time to sign over a kingdom, for instance. It's quite enough, however, to destroy a few lives.

[Fable Wright]

Boring answer:

"I control your breathing. The moment you disobey, you die." (10 words)

Fun answers:

"You are a ninja, but cannot sneak without being obvious." (10 words)
"Your friend is swallowing you. You enjoy this." (8 words)
"You slept with everyone here, simultaneously, but we forgot." (9 words)
"Thou art a questing majestic winged purple hippopotamus named pheldagriff." (10 words)

[Prince Zahn]

Admittedly, a lot of the suggestions made are a little weakened by the short duration - 5 minutes isn't really enough time to sign over a kingdom, for instance. It's quite enough, however, to destroy a few lives.

True, but sometimes 5 minutes is all it takes to make a memorable moment on insanity. :smalltongue:

[Regitnui]

Boring answer:
"You slept with everyone here, simultaneously, but we forgot." (9 words)


That's a fun way to mess with the paladin, monk or cleric. Especially if they're the lawful good chaste kind.

Actually, here's an interesting house rule. Do you get a penalty on your save if someone uses this power on you after a night of boozing or having your memory messed with?

[JoeJ]

"The other guard assaulted your sister last night." (8 words)
"I'm poisonous; anyone who gets close to me will die." (10 words)
"I can grant wishes to people who help me." (9 words)
"This building is about to collapse." (6 words)
"You can only breathe underwater." (5 words)
"Your teeth are on fire." (5 words)
"Of course I'll respect you in the morning." (8 words).
"I paid that debt yesterday." (5 words)
"I gave the money to [name]." (6 words)
"I can kill you with my brain." (7 words)
"Your pants are trying to murder you." (7 words)
"You're passionately in love with that chicken." (7 words)

[Steampunkette]

Only by cutting off your own head can you win.

[Prince Zahn]

"The other guard assaulted your sister last night." (8 words)


Bonus points if the guard you mind trick on doesn't have a sister. :smalltongue: also bonus points if the guards are also brothers.

[Sir cryosin]

You can't remember any of your spells. 7
All you know is your name and nothing else. 9
That weapon feels way to heavy for you to use. 10

[CantigThimble]

I think a lot of the things suggested here wouldn't actually work because you aren't rewriting their sensations, just making them believe something. If I well and truly believe that a hot plate is off and isn't hot, but then I put my hand near it and I feel heat radiating off of it, I'm not going to touch it on pure faith that it isn't hot. Even If I do end up being really confused because I was absolutely certain it wasn't hot.

Also, if you want them to do something to someone else then there needs to be a reason that they would react immediately in the way that you want. If a coworker stole your wallet you'd be pissed, but you wouldn't drop everything you were doing to immediately assault them. You might start arguing or you might plan on reporting it to a superior in the near future or you might plan on backstabbing them later. The goal here is to find phrases where the only possible logical reaction is to immediately do what you wanted them to do.

[Prince Zahn]

I think a lot of the things suggested here wouldn't actually work because you aren't rewriting their sensations, just making them believe something. If I well and truly believe that a hot plate is off and isn't hot, but then I put my hand near it and I feel heat radiating off of it, I'm not going to touch it on pure faith that it isn't hot. Even If I do end up being really confused because I was absolutely certain it wasn't hot.

Also, if you want them to do something to someone else then there needs to be a reason that they would react immediately in the way that you want. If a coworker stole your wallet you'd be pissed, but you wouldn't drop everything you were doing to immediately assault them. You might start arguing or you might plan on reporting it to a superior in the near future or you might plan on backstabbing them later. The goal here is to find phrases where the only possible logical reaction is to immediately do what you wanted them to do.
"You can not keep your hands off this hot plate" (10 words):smalltongue:


I don't know, mate, belief is a powerful thing. One can make a strong case that you can invoke false sensations by implanting a temporary placebo effect that (while amusing) is probably not enough to invoke actual mechanical detriment, though: making somebody logically panic because he thinks his teeth are on fire is likely to work, arguments that Occluded Mind should directly cause hit point damage or a condition of any kind because of it are a little much. That much I concur.:smallsmile:

[MaxWilson]

Also, if you want them to do something to someone else then there needs to be a reason that they would react immediately in the way that you want. If a coworker stole your wallet you'd be ------, but you wouldn't drop everything you were doing to immediately assault them. You might start arguing or you might plan on reporting it to a superior in the near future or you might plan on backstabbing them later. The goal here is to find phrases where the only possible logical reaction is to immediately do what you wanted them to do.

That's why I loved "If you attack me your mother will explode."

If he refrains from attacking you, it will be hilarious. If he attacks you anyway, something even more hilarious is bound to happen, even if it's just his facial expression as he rolls to-hit. (Grim? Indifferent? Ecstatic?)

[ShikomeKidoMi]

Also, if you want them to do something to someone else then there needs to be a reason that they would react immediately in the way that you want. If a coworker stole your wallet you'd be pissed, but you wouldn't drop everything you were doing to immediately assault them.

If he just stole your wallet, sure. But two of the examples of 'the other guard did something bad' given are "has been sleeping with your wife" and "assaulted your sister last night". There are plenty of people who would drop everything to attack someone over those.

[Wayner]

The description states:

"The statement can be up to ten words long,
and it must describe you or a creature or an object the target can see." (emphasis mine)

I understand that *you* in this refers to the Mystic. I see this as limiting quite a many things. You cannot make any statements about the creature itself? Unless *a creature* that *target can see* can also be the creature itself. It could thus not refer to the creatures mother if she is not present and visible at the moment?

I would like to hear your thoughts on this since I am about to play a mystic with this ability and I think it allows maybe the most creativity of any of the mystic disciplines and I think it is awesome!

[Squiddish]

I can only be defeated by the power of dance! (10 words)
You're a boat! (3-4)
Your spear/the floor/that table is a mimic! (5 words)

[dejarnjc]

"You are my willing slave and must obey my orders" - 10

[SharkForce]

"necroposting slowly causes your vital organs to painfully liquefy". (9)

it isn't broken. but it might stop those pesky necromancers.

[ShikomeKidoMi]

I understand that *you* in this refers to the Mystic. I see this as limiting quite a many things. You cannot make any statements about the creature itself? Unless *a creature* that *target can see* can also be the creature itself. It could thus not refer to the creatures mother if she is not present and visible at the moment?

I think people are assuming that the target counts as a creature they can see. I'm not sure that's RAI but I can see how it's RAW.

As for someone's mother, if the sentence describes the mother, she'd have to be in sight. If the sentence describes someone else they can see but involves the mother, she doesn't have to be.

Examples to clarify:
"Your mother has been murdered" No good if she's not around.
"That guy over there murdered your mother." Might work without her, if 'murdered your mother' is a descriptor.