ElecGrayStone said:
I think the reason it isn't stated out as a power is because it has 0% combat affects AND it's a free (at-will) action to use. It's much the same as the kenku's mimicry isn't stated out when it's very close to the wizards ghost sounds and the changelings changeling disuise and they are. The difference is action type and frequency of use. Why stat it when you can just do it any time you want?
The racial ability is not an "at-will" ability, nor is it a free action, per say, though I do get your point EGS. The ability CAN be used as much as one wants to in any given day, and in my opinion should be restricted similarly to how in character speech is restricted. Speech is a free action that can be done as much as one wants to, though DMs usually restrict dialog mid-combat to something pretty short (realistically, how much can one say in 6 seconds?). I completely agree with the idea that it should be one-on-one at any given time, but I do not see why this should mean that a short message (less than 2 or 3 seconds long) could not be relayed to one or two other PCs in that same round.
And I do not think that doing exactly that should take up any more time resources than basic speech, simply because people can talk to each other and do other things at the same time.
As far as the Kenku Mimicry and Wizards Ghost Sound spell are concerned, the Kenku ability is innate and simply uses the creatures ability to make sound. The wizards Ghost Sound is a spell, which usually requires some kind of extra movement or verbal recitation to create the effects. Its like the difference between imitating a celebrity voice (if you're good at that sort of thing) and getting a cassette tape/CD/whatever physical media and placing that into a player, then pressing the Play button.
The Kenku's requires a bluff check to be believable and the sound always emanates from the Kenku, whereas the wizard spell simply creates the sound, no check needed, emanating from any object or unoccupied square within range.
ElecGrayStone said:
Since we are talking about Kalashtar there stats are all that matters. They do not have telepathy as a language.
I fully agree. It is not a language. A language is something that cannot be understood by someone else that does not know that language. Telepathy is a form of communication that can be understood by anyone with a language and is within range of the Kalashtar.
ElecGrayStone said:
AGAIN... two way doesn't imply ALWAYS two way. As I pointed out, you can say a drawbridge allows two way movement but that doesn't mean you have that movement at all times. You need something extra stated to make your statement true.
As CBN pointed out, the only requirement for the ability to be in effect is that a creature with a language must be within line of sight and within 5 squares of the Kalashtar. Once those requirements are met, two-way communication is possible.
Does that not mean that the creature with a language can communicate with you whenever he wants while the requirements are met? Where are the other requirements saying that the Kalashtar must activate the ability? Why is there no action type shown for this activation? What are the conditions and actions of activating a use of speaking Common (not SPEAKING common, but activating the ability to SPEAK the language)? There isn't one. It's simply a form of communication.
Telepathy is NOT a language on it's own, much like the air that surrounds us is not a language. The air around us is simply the physical path that vibrations take to get from the origin of sound to another persons' ears. Telepathy is the mental path that thoughts take to get from the originators mind to another mind. The only difference here is that the telepathic communication is a conduit between only two creatures (the Kalashtar and the other), but much like the air around us, it does not specify where the origination of the thoughts/sound occurs.
ElecGrayStone said:
Can't be turned off? Since aura isn't a power and it can be turned off, you can't say that non-powers can't be turned off. Also as above nothing says I HAVE to comunicate, which implies I can not do it.
I agree with you here. The word CAN in the first sentence of the description of Telepathy implies that you have the option not to acknowledge a telepathic message. While it does not state it explicitly, I would think that this would mean that the other party could choose not to as well (but that's something for another debate all together).
