Detect thoughts

[Joe dirt]

Got a amulet of detect thoughts recently and according to the spell I can read surface thoughts of a creature for 1 round then I can either go deeper or turn to a different creature.... my question is could I read surface thoughts for 1 round then switch to say myself or an ally then back to the original creature and gain 1/2 of the creatures thoughts while not alerting anyone that I am reading their mind? All while asking leading questions and never allowing them a save.... seems powerful

[Millstone85]

It is even better than that.


according to the spell I can read surface thoughts of a creature for 1 round then I can either go deeper or turn to a different creatureYou can use your action to go deeper or turn to a different creature, but you don't have to. If you don't use your action, or use it for something else entirely, my understanding is that you just continue to read that creature's surface thoughts.

Also, in "Either way, the target knows that you are probing into its mind", that "either way" refers to the success or failure of the creature's Wisdom saving throw, which is only triggered by probing deeper.

[Slipperychicken]

Got a amulet of detect thoughts recently and according to the spell I can read surface thoughts of a creature for 1 round then I can either go deeper or turn to a different creature.... my question is could I read surface thoughts for 1 round then switch to say myself or an ally then back to the original creature and gain 1/2 of the creatures thoughts while not alerting anyone that I am reading their mind? All while asking leading questions and never allowing them a save.... seems powerful

Yes, just seeing surface thoughts has no save or anything. Do remember that it only lasts a minute though, so if your DM enforces that (instead of giving you 10+ minutes of free conversation and mind-reading) you have to be quick. A minute passes rather quickly.

[Millstone85]

seems powerful
A minute passes rather quickly.There is also the matter of what qualifies as a surface thought. "What is most on its mind", yeah okay. Can you hear a creature's internal monologue? What if it doesn't talk to itself at all? What else can you perceive? I love the spell, but it is very DM-dependent.

[RickAllison]

There is also the matter of what qualifies as a surface thought. "What is most on its mind", yeah okay. Can you hear a creature's internal monologue? What if it doesn't talk to itself at all? What else can you perceive? I love the spell, but it is very DM-dependent.

Internal Monologue: yes.

Doesn't talk to itself: Depends. Does it think about what actions it is going to do, or is it instinct? If the former, it would be more likely to show in the form of images or other sensory phenomena rather than words.

What else: Is it focusing on any task? If it is being a sentry, I would imagine you would see images of what it is looking at. After all, a sentry is most preoccupied (hopefully) with what's going on in front of him.

P.S. Never use the spell on Cthulhu. It doesn't end well.

[Sigreid]

What else: Is it focusing on any task? If it is being a sentry, I would imagine you would see images of what it is looking at. After all, a sentry is most preoccupied (hopefully) with what's going on in front of him.



A cruel DM would have it still obsessing over the latest issue of Playhag magazine. What is read in the mind cannot be unread!

[RickAllison]

A cruel DM would have it still obsessing over the latest issue of Playhag magazine. What is read in the mind cannot be unread!

So long as it's an appropriate circumstance (maybe when the NPC sees a certain female), that seems like a perfect example!

... Toss a sanity check in if the target was a lover of Cthulhu.