evilbob
Explorer
This is not a proposal. These are my ideas on how to run telepathy PCs and are rules that I will likely use in my own adventures. Other DMs are free to steal ideas as they'd like. My reason for creating this thread is two-fold: first, so I can have an easy place to reference rules on telepathy for my adventure(s). Second, to help codify - if only for myself - how this "rules light" game mechanic works in a more explicit way to avoid confusion.
These rules are generally based off the way telepathy works in the X-Men comics, with some balance and practical considerations thrown in for D&D.
General Rules
- Telepathy is as common as magic or martial powers that are impossible for normal people to achieve. While impressive, it is generally reacted to as such, and NPCs will behave in a way befitting their exposure and background.
- Telepathy is a one-on-one conversation. Unless granted otherwise by a power or feat, broad-band communication (talking to two or more creatures simultaneously) isn't possible. However, very basic-level feelings can be "broadcast" if desired (for example: anger). These should be nothing so complicated that they couldn't also be discovered by looking at a creature.
- A telepath does not have to initiate a conversation to hear someone speak to him telepathically, however he does have to be actively listening for that creature to speak to him. Unless otherwise granted by a feat/power, a telepath can only actively listen to one creature at a time. However, a telepath can change who he is listening to at any time as a free action.
- Telepathy is two-way, but the opposing party does not have to participate. Anyone - even a small child - can keep a telepath from reading their thoughts. However, no one can block a telepath from talking to them without concentrating to do so. Some creatures may have special powers to allow them otherwise.
- Telepathy takes as long to communicate as speaking.
- Carrying on two different conversations at the same time is just as difficult as a regular person trying to talk to two different groups at the same time (for example, over two different phones). This is especially true as it is not possible to "listen" to two different people at the exact same moment.
- If you do not know if a creature is there, you cannot initiate a conversation or actively listen to it. Similarly, because a creature does not have to participate, telepathy does not assist in finding hidden creatures or other similar tasks.
Group Mindlink
This feat changes some of these rules.
- This feat enables all creatures within range to use the telepath as a conduit for communication. This does not allow simultaneous communication - people speaking telepathically on top of each other are just as difficult to understand as two people speaking at the same time.
- A telepath with this feat may choose at any given moment as a free action which allies within range are benefiting from this feat. All creatures benefiting from this feat are aware of who else is benefiting.
- All creatures benefiting from this feat may chose to speak to all other creatures benefiting from this feat at the same time (i.e. broad-band communication is possible within the group).
- A telepath with this feat and all benefiting creatures are now considered to all be actively listening to each other unless they wish not to be. A creature may choose to not actively listen to any number of other creatures. The telepath may continue to choose to actively listen to one additional creature outside this group.
House Rules
These rules are extra stuff I made up that seems interesting to me. The first one directly contradicts the compendium's definition of telepathy (which effectively means that you can't communicate telepathically through a window, for example, or if you walk around a corner).
- Telepathy works through most barriers, but you need either line-of-sight or line-of-effect to a creature in order to initiate a conversation or start actively listening. If a telepath is already in a conversation or actively listening to a creature, they do not need line-of-sight or -effect to continue to do so (but they must maintain range as dictated by their telepathy description). Some magical or psionic barriers may prevent telepathy.
- If a telepath wishes to speak to multiple creatures simultaneously, they must exert a tremendous effort. It costs 1 healing surge to send a short message to any number of creatures (not just allies) in range at the exact same time (the telepath chooses the creatures to receive the message).
- A telepath may force a creature to hear them with great effort. For the cost of 1 healing surge, they may send a message to a creature that is concentrating in order not to hear them.
Suggestions/comments welcome!
These rules are generally based off the way telepathy works in the X-Men comics, with some balance and practical considerations thrown in for D&D.
General Rules
- Telepathy is as common as magic or martial powers that are impossible for normal people to achieve. While impressive, it is generally reacted to as such, and NPCs will behave in a way befitting their exposure and background.
- Telepathy is a one-on-one conversation. Unless granted otherwise by a power or feat, broad-band communication (talking to two or more creatures simultaneously) isn't possible. However, very basic-level feelings can be "broadcast" if desired (for example: anger). These should be nothing so complicated that they couldn't also be discovered by looking at a creature.
- A telepath does not have to initiate a conversation to hear someone speak to him telepathically, however he does have to be actively listening for that creature to speak to him. Unless otherwise granted by a feat/power, a telepath can only actively listen to one creature at a time. However, a telepath can change who he is listening to at any time as a free action.
- Telepathy is two-way, but the opposing party does not have to participate. Anyone - even a small child - can keep a telepath from reading their thoughts. However, no one can block a telepath from talking to them without concentrating to do so. Some creatures may have special powers to allow them otherwise.
- Telepathy takes as long to communicate as speaking.
- Carrying on two different conversations at the same time is just as difficult as a regular person trying to talk to two different groups at the same time (for example, over two different phones). This is especially true as it is not possible to "listen" to two different people at the exact same moment.
- If you do not know if a creature is there, you cannot initiate a conversation or actively listen to it. Similarly, because a creature does not have to participate, telepathy does not assist in finding hidden creatures or other similar tasks.
Group Mindlink
This feat changes some of these rules.
- This feat enables all creatures within range to use the telepath as a conduit for communication. This does not allow simultaneous communication - people speaking telepathically on top of each other are just as difficult to understand as two people speaking at the same time.
- A telepath with this feat may choose at any given moment as a free action which allies within range are benefiting from this feat. All creatures benefiting from this feat are aware of who else is benefiting.
- All creatures benefiting from this feat may chose to speak to all other creatures benefiting from this feat at the same time (i.e. broad-band communication is possible within the group).
- A telepath with this feat and all benefiting creatures are now considered to all be actively listening to each other unless they wish not to be. A creature may choose to not actively listen to any number of other creatures. The telepath may continue to choose to actively listen to one additional creature outside this group.
House Rules
These rules are extra stuff I made up that seems interesting to me. The first one directly contradicts the compendium's definition of telepathy (which effectively means that you can't communicate telepathically through a window, for example, or if you walk around a corner).
- Telepathy works through most barriers, but you need either line-of-sight or line-of-effect to a creature in order to initiate a conversation or start actively listening. If a telepath is already in a conversation or actively listening to a creature, they do not need line-of-sight or -effect to continue to do so (but they must maintain range as dictated by their telepathy description). Some magical or psionic barriers may prevent telepathy.
- If a telepath wishes to speak to multiple creatures simultaneously, they must exert a tremendous effort. It costs 1 healing surge to send a short message to any number of creatures (not just allies) in range at the exact same time (the telepath chooses the creatures to receive the message).
- A telepath may force a creature to hear them with great effort. For the cost of 1 healing surge, they may send a message to a creature that is concentrating in order not to hear them.
Suggestions/comments welcome!
