Psicrystal Telepathic Speech [Archive] - Wizards Community

Psicrystal Telepathic Speech [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
AskaniPsion
07-29-07, 01:42 PM At 5th level, a psicrystal gains the ability of telepathic speech with any creature within 30ft. At 1st level, the owner of the psicrystal has a telepathic link with the psicrystal.

At 5th level, can the owner use the psicrystal as a "mindbridge" to telepathically "talk" to people through the psicrystal so the telepathic speech can go right to the owner?

Has anyone else tried this?

Thanks for any input with this!
InkBlot
07-29-07, 05:03 PM Yes. It's a common use for psicrystals. Send the rock along with your party rogue on a scouting mission, and he can use it to call for back-up (or for a 'port out of danger).

The only downside is that you're relying on your psicrystal to relay the message. Psicrystals have personalities of their own, and may skew your message (or outright lie) for their own reasons. For example, if you took Improved Psicrystal and made your rock a Coward and a Liar, then you can bet your order to advance on the castle full of orcs isn't going to get relayed.
AskaniPsion
07-30-07, 06:15 PM Yes. It's a common use for psicrystals. Send the rock along with your party rogue on a scouting mission, and he can use it to call for back-up (or for a 'port out of danger).

The only downside is that you're relying on your psicrystal to relay the message. Psicrystals have personalities of their own, and may skew your message (or outright lie) for their own reasons. For example, if you took Improved Psicrystal and made your rock a Coward and a Liar, then you can bet your order to advance on the castle full of orcs isn't going to get relayed.

Thanks for your input!
Water_To_Fire
07-30-07, 07:30 PM Yes. It's a common use for psicrystals. Send the rock along with your party rogue on a scouting mission, and he can use it to call for back-up (or for a 'port out of danger).

The only downside is that you're relying on your psicrystal to relay the message. Psicrystals have personalities of their own, and may skew your message (or outright lie) for their own reasons. For example, if you took Improved Psicrystal and made your rock a Coward and a Liar, then you can bet your order to advance on the castle full of orcs isn't going to get relayed.
I believe your psicrystal has to obey your orders no matter its nature. I could be wrong, but I seem to remember it somewhere.
CrimsonDeath
07-30-07, 08:25 PM Yes. It's a common use for psicrystals. Send the rock along with your party rogue on a scouting mission, and he can use it to call for back-up (or for a 'port out of danger).

The only downside is that you're relying on your psicrystal to relay the message. Psicrystals have personalities of their own, and may skew your message (or outright lie) for their own reasons. For example, if you took Improved Psicrystal and made your rock a Coward and a Liar, then you can bet your order to advance on the castle full of orcs isn't going to get relayed.

Fortunately, you can always tell when your own Liar psicrystal is lying, so you use it to gather information and relay it to you, then issue instructions yourself.

I believe your psicrystal has to obey your orders no matter its nature. I could be wrong, but I seem to remember it somewhere.
If so, it's not within the Expanded Psionics Handbook (the primary source), which technically doesn't even state that the Psicrystal is necessarily friendly toward its master. However, since the psicrystal is the distillation of a fragment of the master's personality, one assumes their goals would generally coincide. Most of the psicrystal personalities mention that the psicrystal may be prone to arguing with its master, but in general they seem to be basically helpful toward their masters (however reluctantly).
AskaniPsion
07-30-07, 11:24 PM If so, it's not within the Expanded Psionics Handbook (the primary source), which technically doesn't even state that the Psicrystal is necessarily friendly toward its master. However, since the psicrystal is the distillation of a fragment of the master's personality, one assumes their goals would generally coincide. Most of the psicrystal personalities mention that the psicrystal may be prone to arguing with its master, but in general they seem to be basically helpful toward their masters (however reluctantly).

Kinda boils down to a roleplaying thing....My psicrystal I roleplay as an extension of myself. I took Single-minded and Resolved (I am using the Kalashtar telepath levels). Since my telepath is the leader and usually makes all the decisions, both personalities pretty much are aligned with hers anyway.

I just wonder that if a party member comes up within 30 ft of me and mentally "calls out to me", can the psicrystal pick it up and instantaneously telepathically send the the "call" to me?

Also would the psicrystal have the same psychic "voice" as me or would a person notice the difference? So if I telepathically send a message to my psicrystal to replay to another party member, would they know it is me??
InkBlot
07-31-07, 01:06 AM The right answer to those questions are purely dependant on your and your DM's imaginations.

I would suggest that each creature has a unique telepathic voice, but that anybody recieving that 'pathic voice would have no way to inately tell where it's comming from. You could lie and say the telepathy is comming from you, when it's really comming from your psicrystal, and nobody would know better (unless they had enough Knowlede Psionics to figure you might pull that trick).

Or maybe our crystal's telepathic voice "sounds" like your voice, but the method of contact (natural telepathy) feels different from the one you normally use (mind link). That could clue the recepient in to the truth, but most people wouldn't even have reason to suspect it isn't you.
AntiDjinn
07-31-07, 01:12 AM The most dangerous crystal to trust as a translator is probably the Hero crystal which is "given to urging its owner into dangerous situations." This pet rock wants to maximize your glory and XP earnings.

Psion: "Rocko, go ask the natives which road leads to Everhaven."

Rocko: Sends telepathic salutation with heroic fanfare. "Which road will take us to Everhaven?"

Local: "The East road goes to Everhaven. You will pass another village where you can get cheap supplies, then Emma's pie shop will be on your right, stay to the right and you will be in Everhaven a mile later. The North road also goes to Everhaven, but it passes through the Forrest of Death. The road is stalked by invisible black puddings, dire prismatic dragons, and a twelve-headed psuedonatural hydra with rabies."

Rocko reports: "The North road goes to Everhaven."
CrimsonDeath
07-31-07, 01:14 AM I had a Singleminded psicrystal too (I had a Human, though, so only one personality for me...) I don't know that anyone ever noticed, but I had pretty much decided that my character's psicrystal sounded like the psion sounded to himself when he listened to himself talk. (So, there's a good chance that people would be able to tell the difference, since people listening to recordings of themselves usually find it hard to believe that's what they sound like.) Furthermore, although it never came up, the psicrystal basically conceptualized itself as, basically, an appendage. So, if anyone ever asked it who it was, it would've replied simply with the character's name.

As for the psicrystal's Telepathic Speech ability, I don't think that allows it to pick up other people's thoughts. I'm pretty sure it only allows the psicrystal to transmit its thoughts to other creatures. You may interpret it differently, though.
InkBlot
07-31-07, 01:18 AM Telepathy most certainly does not allow you to read people's thoughts. It only lets you send messages, and recieve messages sent to you. It doesn't let you dig around in their brains and pluck out any information you want.

Telepathy is like sending email. Reading thoughts is like hacking.
AntiDjinn
07-31-07, 02:05 AM The telepathy ability (common to many outsiders) simply allows a conversation to take place that is not impeded by language barriers (or a Silence spell). Just like a normal conversation, neither party is forced to answer.
zzo38
07-31-07, 06:07 PM A psicrystal is a very useful object. I guess you could to psionic telegraphy or something at distances that are too far to communicate, by using more code or something similar. There doesn't seem to any limit of distance in which you can toggle a psicrystal's legs.
AskaniPsion
07-31-07, 06:12 PM I would just want that if a party member came within 30 ft of me and spoke telepathically to my psicrystal, that the psicrystal would then send it to me so I could respond back to it to transmit to that party member.

Kinda like a Psionic switchboard :D
Psikerlord
07-31-07, 10:41 PM I think technically the psicrystal is only be able broadcast it's telepathic message to a recipient. I don't think the recipient gains any ability to reply telepathically - the recipient would speak normally when replying. Having said this, our DM allows back and forth telepathy for the psicrystal. So our party regularly has secret telepathic conversations via the psicrystal. Overall I think it's a bit too powerful when used in this manner though, compared to what familiars can do.
suomynonAyletamitlU
08-01-07, 07:43 PM I just wonder that if a party member comes up within 30 ft of me and mentally "calls out to me", can the psicrystal pick it up and instantaneously telepathically send the the "call" to me?

If I were to guess (and it would be a guess) I would say that someone has to initiate a session of telepathic communication, if you will, in order for the psicrystal to be able to hear other people's thoughts. If the party member also has telepathy, then he could initiate contact with the psicrystal... but then, he could do the same for you. Otherwise, the psicrystal must initiate contact with someone before being able to read their thoughts.

If you play it like that, though, then the telepathic psicrystal also has an ability to read people's thoughts just by initiating contact, not saying anything, and listening. I wonder what it would hear...

It's especially poignant for me, since for complicated reasons I have a soul of a previous character lodged in my psicrystal, which has become twisted out of hate of the party. If my DM lets me read thoughts with my psicrystal, then I get to randomly interrupt gameplay and ask people what their characters are thinking, and use that against them. :evillaugh
AskaniPsion
08-01-07, 09:11 PM If you play it like that, though, then the telepathic psicrystal also has an ability to read people's thoughts just by initiating contact, not saying anything, and listening. I wonder what it would hear...

It wouldn't be reading thoughts - only receiving what is being projected by the speaker mentally that he WANTS the psicrystal and owner to hear. The psicrystal couldn't look into the speaker's mind.

It is basically like the telepathy supernatural ability - you can't read thoughts with that but you can "hear" when people project what they want you to hear.

Here is the "official" answer from Customer Service:

Response from Cust Serv:
Quote:
(Chris L.) - 06/15/2006 12:46PM
Thank you for contacting us.
As long as the creature/character with telepathy is willing to 'listen' then a two-way conversation can be maintained with a creature that doesn't have telepathy.

This means that the creature/character with telepathy can receive any thoughts that are directed toward them by the nontelepathic creature/character.
Telepathy does not substitute for detect thoughts, which would allow the caster to read the thoughts of a creature whether or not they were directed toward them (assuming failed saving throws and all that).
I hope this information is useful.
Good Gaming!

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
AskaniPsion 07-29-07, 01:42 PM	At 5th level, a psicrystal gains the ability of telepathic speech with any creature within 30ft. At 1st level, the owner of the psicrystal has a telepathic link with the psicrystal. At 5th level, can the owner use the psicrystal as a "mindbridge" to telepathically "talk" to people through the psicrystal so the telepathic speech can go right to the owner? Has anyone else tried this? Thanks for any input with this!
InkBlot 07-29-07, 05:03 PM	Yes. It's a common use for psicrystals. Send the rock along with your party rogue on a scouting mission, and he can use it to call for back-up (or for a 'port out of danger). The only downside is that you're relying on your psicrystal to relay the message. Psicrystals have personalities of their own, and may skew your message (or outright lie) for their own reasons. For example, if you took Improved Psicrystal and made your rock a Coward and a Liar, then you can bet your order to advance on the castle full of orcs isn't going to get relayed.
AskaniPsion 07-30-07, 06:15 PM	Yes. It's a common use for psicrystals. Send the rock along with your party rogue on a scouting mission, and he can use it to call for back-up (or for a 'port out of danger). The only downside is that you're relying on your psicrystal to relay the message. Psicrystals have personalities of their own, and may skew your message (or outright lie) for their own reasons. For example, if you took Improved Psicrystal and made your rock a Coward and a Liar, then you can bet your order to advance on the castle full of orcs isn't going to get relayed. Thanks for your input!
Water_To_Fire 07-30-07, 07:30 PM	Yes. It's a common use for psicrystals. Send the rock along with your party rogue on a scouting mission, and he can use it to call for back-up (or for a 'port out of danger). The only downside is that you're relying on your psicrystal to relay the message. Psicrystals have personalities of their own, and may skew your message (or outright lie) for their own reasons. For example, if you took Improved Psicrystal and made your rock a Coward and a Liar, then you can bet your order to advance on the castle full of orcs isn't going to get relayed. I believe your psicrystal has to obey your orders no matter its nature. I could be wrong, but I seem to remember it somewhere.
CrimsonDeath 07-30-07, 08:25 PM	Yes. It's a common use for psicrystals. Send the rock along with your party rogue on a scouting mission, and he can use it to call for back-up (or for a 'port out of danger). The only downside is that you're relying on your psicrystal to relay the message. Psicrystals have personalities of their own, and may skew your message (or outright lie) for their own reasons. For example, if you took Improved Psicrystal and made your rock a Coward and a Liar, then you can bet your order to advance on the castle full of orcs isn't going to get relayed. Fortunately, you can always tell when your own Liar psicrystal is lying, so you use it to gather information and relay it to you, then issue instructions yourself. I believe your psicrystal has to obey your orders no matter its nature. I could be wrong, but I seem to remember it somewhere. If so, it's not within the Expanded Psionics Handbook (the primary source), which technically doesn't even state that the Psicrystal is necessarily friendly toward its master. However, since the psicrystal is the distillation of a fragment of the master's personality, one assumes their goals would generally coincide. Most of the psicrystal personalities mention that the psicrystal may be prone to arguing with its master, but in general they seem to be basically helpful toward their masters (however reluctantly).
AskaniPsion 07-30-07, 11:24 PM	If so, it's not within the Expanded Psionics Handbook (the primary source), which technically doesn't even state that the Psicrystal is necessarily friendly toward its master. However, since the psicrystal is the distillation of a fragment of the master's personality, one assumes their goals would generally coincide. Most of the psicrystal personalities mention that the psicrystal may be prone to arguing with its master, but in general they seem to be basically helpful toward their masters (however reluctantly). Kinda boils down to a roleplaying thing....My psicrystal I roleplay as an extension of myself. I took Single-minded and Resolved (I am using the Kalashtar telepath levels). Since my telepath is the leader and usually makes all the decisions, both personalities pretty much are aligned with hers anyway. I just wonder that if a party member comes up within 30 ft of me and mentally "calls out to me", can the psicrystal pick it up and instantaneously telepathically send the the "call" to me? Also would the psicrystal have the same psychic "voice" as me or would a person notice the difference? So if I telepathically send a message to my psicrystal to replay to another party member, would they know it is me??
InkBlot 07-31-07, 01:06 AM	The right answer to those questions are purely dependant on your and your DM's imaginations. I would suggest that each creature has a unique telepathic voice, but that anybody recieving that 'pathic voice would have no way to inately tell where it's comming from. You could lie and say the telepathy is comming from you, when it's really comming from your psicrystal, and nobody would know better (unless they had enough Knowlede Psionics to figure you might pull that trick). Or maybe our crystal's telepathic voice "sounds" like your voice, but the method of contact (natural telepathy) feels different from the one you normally use (mind link). That could clue the recepient in to the truth, but most people wouldn't even have reason to suspect it isn't you.
AntiDjinn 07-31-07, 01:12 AM	The most dangerous crystal to trust as a translator is probably the Hero crystal which is "given to urging its owner into dangerous situations." This pet rock wants to maximize your glory and XP earnings. Psion: "Rocko, go ask the natives which road leads to Everhaven." Rocko: Sends telepathic salutation with heroic fanfare. "Which road will take us to Everhaven?" Local: "The East road goes to Everhaven. You will pass another village where you can get cheap supplies, then Emma's pie shop will be on your right, stay to the right and you will be in Everhaven a mile later. The North road also goes to Everhaven, but it passes through the Forrest of Death. The road is stalked by invisible black puddings, dire prismatic dragons, and a twelve-headed psuedonatural hydra with rabies." Rocko reports: "The North road goes to Everhaven."
CrimsonDeath 07-31-07, 01:14 AM	I had a Singleminded psicrystal too (I had a Human, though, so only one personality for me...) I don't know that anyone ever noticed, but I had pretty much decided that my character's psicrystal sounded like the psion sounded to himself when he listened to himself talk. (So, there's a good chance that people would be able to tell the difference, since people listening to recordings of themselves usually find it hard to believe that's what they sound like.) Furthermore, although it never came up, the psicrystal basically conceptualized itself as, basically, an appendage. So, if anyone ever asked it who it was, it would've replied simply with the character's name. As for the psicrystal's Telepathic Speech ability, I don't think that allows it to pick up other people's thoughts. I'm pretty sure it only allows the psicrystal to transmit its thoughts to other creatures. You may interpret it differently, though.
InkBlot 07-31-07, 01:18 AM	Telepathy most certainly does not allow you to read people's thoughts. It only lets you send messages, and recieve messages sent to you. It doesn't let you dig around in their brains and pluck out any information you want. Telepathy is like sending email. Reading thoughts is like hacking.
AntiDjinn 07-31-07, 02:05 AM	The telepathy ability (common to many outsiders) simply allows a conversation to take place that is not impeded by language barriers (or a Silence spell). Just like a normal conversation, neither party is forced to answer.
zzo38 07-31-07, 06:07 PM	A psicrystal is a very useful object. I guess you could to psionic telegraphy or something at distances that are too far to communicate, by using more code or something similar. There doesn't seem to any limit of distance in which you can toggle a psicrystal's legs.
AskaniPsion 07-31-07, 06:12 PM	I would just want that if a party member came within 30 ft of me and spoke telepathically to my psicrystal, that the psicrystal would then send it to me so I could respond back to it to transmit to that party member. Kinda like a Psionic switchboard :D
Psikerlord 07-31-07, 10:41 PM	I think technically the psicrystal is only be able broadcast it's telepathic message to a recipient. I don't think the recipient gains any ability to reply telepathically - the recipient would speak normally when replying. Having said this, our DM allows back and forth telepathy for the psicrystal. So our party regularly has secret telepathic conversations via the psicrystal. Overall I think it's a bit too powerful when used in this manner though, compared to what familiars can do.
suomynonAyletamitlU 08-01-07, 07:43 PM	I just wonder that if a party member comes up within 30 ft of me and mentally "calls out to me", can the psicrystal pick it up and instantaneously telepathically send the the "call" to me? If I were to guess (and it would be a guess) I would say that someone has to initiate a session of telepathic communication, if you will, in order for the psicrystal to be able to hear other people's thoughts. If the party member also has telepathy, then he could initiate contact with the psicrystal... but then, he could do the same for you. Otherwise, the psicrystal must initiate contact with someone before being able to read their thoughts. If you play it like that, though, then the telepathic psicrystal also has an ability to read people's thoughts just by initiating contact, not saying anything, and listening. I wonder what it would hear... It's especially poignant for me, since for complicated reasons I have a soul of a previous character lodged in my psicrystal, which has become twisted out of hate of the party. If my DM lets me read thoughts with my psicrystal, then I get to randomly interrupt gameplay and ask people what their characters are thinking, and use that against them. :evillaugh
AskaniPsion 08-01-07, 09:11 PM	If you play it like that, though, then the telepathic psicrystal also has an ability to read people's thoughts just by initiating contact, not saying anything, and listening. I wonder what it would hear... It wouldn't be reading thoughts - only receiving what is being projected by the speaker mentally that he WANTS the psicrystal and owner to hear. The psicrystal couldn't look into the speaker's mind. It is basically like the telepathy supernatural ability - you can't read thoughts with that but you can "hear" when people project what they want you to hear. Here is the "official" answer from Customer Service: Response from Cust Serv: Quote: (Chris L.) - 06/15/2006 12:46PM Thank you for contacting us. As long as the creature/character with telepathy is willing to 'listen' then a two-way conversation can be maintained with a creature that doesn't have telepathy. This means that the creature/character with telepathy can receive any thoughts that are directed toward them by the nontelepathic creature/character. Telepathy does not substitute for detect thoughts, which would allow the caster to read the thoughts of a creature whether or not they were directed toward them (assuming failed saving throws and all that). I hope this information is useful. Good Gaming!