Wizard needing to counter a telepathy psion

[Rygel]

Hi,

I am in a campaign based in Ptolus, where I am playing a gnome Diviner (1 lvl rogue) who will be going into Unseen Seer then Arcane Trickster, with a single dip into mindbender for telepathy.

My party just acquired a new member who is a Psion who specializes in telepathy, whi's back story actually has him affiliated with a rival faction of my faction. And he is fond of using read thoughts and such powers, as well as plans on becoming much more intrusive of people's minds as he gains levels.

What would be a good way for me to protect myself from this? Our DM has declared that magic and Psionic are symbiotic and affect each other in equivalent ways (dispell magic will affect Psionic effects for example). All books are available to me, I am the party item crafter as well. And ideally I would prefer to mask my thoughts with 'false' ones, rather than just make my mind a blank to his probes (think of me having a compartmentalized thought process where the surface thoughts that a read thoughts power would pick up, would be me thinking about something trivial.. like did I leave my stove on, or what do I want to have for dinner, or since I am a magic item crafter and come from a merchant background.. be busy tweaking magic item designs or analyzing the market state to predict the next big thing) would that be possible?

[Zanos]

The only method that immediately comes to mind to mask your thoughts with others is the epic usage of the bluff skill, but that's probably a bit out of the range a level 1 wizard. He shouldn't be able to consistently pry into your thoughts until higher levels, at which point you could invest in a ring of mind shielding. It won't do exactly what you want, but it's a relatively cheap option. It's unlikely, but if you can get your int to 26 or higher and his int is 10 points lower than yours, he will stun himself if he tries to read your mind with detect thoughts.

Alternatively, slap him if he starts reading the thoughts of party members. You get a save, spellcraft should work on psionics if transparency is in effect, and I seriously doubt the party will appreciate him constantly reading their minds.

[Kelb_Panthera]

You're going to have to shell out cash for something that can provide a personal mindblank effect. Unfortunately, there's no particularly cheap way to do it.

If you have steady supply of your own PP's you can have a master tattooist rig you up a psychic circuit with a capacitor, a transducer, and personal mindblank and it'll cost you 6050gp. Don't even bother if you don't have a way to generate the 30PP each day to keep it running. See the mind's eye article "Getting Wired" on the WotC archive for details. Obvious option, pickup mental pinnacle for one of your 6th level spells. Don't know what to tell you before then. Maybe work out something with the telepath and dweomer of transference?

The most reliable option is a third eye conceal at 120,000gp. Kind of a higher-level option though because of that nasty price-tag.

The problem you're running into is that telepathy discipline powers are equivalent to enchantment spells under the transparency rules and, as a consequence, can't be fooled by the abjurations that make you proof against divinations. It makes protecting your mind from a telepath a real pain.

[AnachroNinja]

One possible idea, though it doesn't completely solve the problem is to work out the roleplay aspect of it with the DM. Your character is concerned about having his mind invaded, while you can't fully block it, you do have some control over what your surface thoughts are. Ask your DM of sense motive will give you a chance to notice when he is concentrating, and if he does seem to be using a power, pass a note to the DM that says you're actively concentrating on the psion being violated by sea lions, or dancing in a circus, or whatever level of nonsense is comfortable at your table. It will send a message, in character, that you know what he's up to and your not going to make it easy on him. You won't always be able to catch him at it in the best of circumstances, but you may be able to block him or even give him some false leads with good roleplay or bluff checks. Just my two cents.

[Troacctid]

You can start with Disobedience, from Complete Scoundrel, to make yourself immune to direct mental control. So if he tries to charm or dominate you, it will not only fail automatically, but he will think it succeeded and you can fool him into thinking it worked.

The Persona Immersion feat from Races of Eberron allows you to fool spells and powers that attempt to read your thoughts; however, it's only available to changelings.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Blocking a telepath from controlling you is -much- easier. Just good old protection from evil and magic cirlce cut that crap off at the knees. You can get a magic standard (heroes of battle) that radiates a constant protection from <X> effect for 8,000gp.

You might annoy the telepath since none of his charmed or dominated minions could come within 30ft of that standard without being temporarily freed but, hey, what's a little mild PVP between friends?

[thethird]

At such low level to protect yourself from control go for protection from ghosts (ghostwalk) instead of protection from evil.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

At such low level to protect yourself from control go for protection from ghosts (ghostwalk) instead of protection from evil.I think you mean protection from possession.

[Nifft]

Is BoVD content on the table?

You might be able to buy a Psychic Poison dose at lower level, and at 7th level you can cast the Psychic Poison spell, which lasts for an hour per caster level and is thus a good candidate for Extend metamagic.

[Segev]

Look into nondetection, as I believe that makes you immune to divination effects of the sort you're worried about. Talk to your DM about it; if he's saying magic and psionics are the same thing, then the psi powers that read minds should be considered "divination" for this purpose.

A custom item built off of detect magic which activates to let you know when specific mental powers are being used on you would also let you know when he's trying...and you can threaten him with violence if he doesn't cut it out (just as you would a thief you caught trying to reach into your pack where you keep your spellbook or other valuables).

[Belzyk]

Just cast evards black tentacles on him every time you catch him. And role play it very very well. So after a while he will be tired of being ya know.......


Then do it once he is not paying attention just to remind him that your still wary of him.

[thethird]

I think you mean protection from possession.

Most likely I went from memory on the spell name. It's a protection from X spell that has ten times the duration of protection from evil.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Look into nondetection, as I believe that makes you immune to divination effects of the sort you're worried about. Talk to your DM about it; if he's saying magic and psionics are the same thing, then the psi powers that read minds should be considered "divination" for this purpose.

That was my first thought too but telepathy discipline powers count as enchantment effects via transparency. Non-detection doesn't effect them. It's great for blocking clairsentience since that counts as divination but it won't stop read thoughts or any of a host of other powers. It's a bit irritating. :smallannoyed:


A custom item built off of detect magic which activates to let you know when specific mental powers are being used on you would also let you know when he's trying...and you can threaten him with violence if he doesn't cut it out (just as you would a thief you caught trying to reach into your pack where you keep your spellbook or other valuables).

There's a feat in CM that gives you detect magic at will along with another minor ability; vatic gaze which requires arcane caster level 9. You can probably nab that by 6 if you work at it.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Non-detection doesn't effect them.Psions effect powers, not non-detection.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Psions effect powers, not non-detection.

What? The OP is a spellcaster, not a manifester. He's stuck trying to block powers with spells and, unfortunately, most of the spells that spellcasters use to block info gathering magic from other spellcasters -don't- affect telepathy powers that mimic those divinations. E.G; nondetection can block the spell detect thoughts but not the power read thoughts.

Or are you just giving me a jab at my erroneous use of effect where I should've used affect?

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Or are you just giving me a jab at my erroneous use of effect where I should've used affect?Yep. "Effect," as a verb, means "to put into effect," or "to produce," whereas "affect" means "to act upon." Two totally different meanings.

[MisterKaws]

Yep. "Effect," as a verb, means "to put into effect," or "to produce," whereas "affect" means "to act upon." Two totally different meanings.

Didn't know "Effect" could be used as a verb in English. Well, the more you know...

Back to business, I think you could work with a use-activated item of Detect Magic or Arcane Eye under the transparency rules, that has a scope limited to Psi Telepathy effects, to reduce the price. Every time you detect him reading your mind, just start concentrating on the most disturbing way of slaughtering him you can think of: maybe constantly dismembering him while polymorphing(find a way to make him willing or just go baleful) him into himself(intact limbs included) to heal the damage, all while distilling all of his pain to create items for yourself; although I don't know if this method is in the scope of your current capabilities, but at least he'd know what'd happen if he keeps it up for too long.

[Segev]

As a particularly devious, if costly, defense, you could look into picking up Wild Talent to make yourself psionic, and then deliberately infect yourself with cerebral parasites (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicPowersOverview.htm#psionicMaladies). You don't care that you have 0 pp each day, but now that you're infected, you can let your psionic "ally" know that he should stay out of your head because of your unfortunate malady. You don't want him to come down with it, after all! Honest.