When you're negotiating with untrustworthy NPCs, seeking out an assassin in disguise, or just trying to learn embarrassing secrets from others, a spell like detect thoughts can come in handy. With it, you can easily pick up on the surface-level thoughts of sentient beings or potentially dig deeper to discover some of their more carefully guarded secrets.
For just the cost of a low-level spell slot, detect thoughts can potentially uproot an entire campaign when used at a pivotal moment. Let's probe deeper into this spell that's full of potential!
- What does detect thoughts do?
- Surface thoughts and probing deeper
- Who can cast detect thoughts?
- Why we love this spell
- FAQ: Detect thoughts
What Does Detect Thoughts Do?
As the name suggests, this 2nd-level divination spell allows the caster to telepathically explore the thoughts of other creatures for up to one minute.
On the initial casting, which requires a single copper as a material component and verbal and somatic components, the caster can pull the surface-level thoughts of a creature within 30 feet of them. While the caster can only focus on one creature's thoughts at a time, they can shift to another creature simply by spending an action.
Before you start trying to invade the mind of every creature you see, there are a few limitations on who the spell can target. First, the target must have an Intelligence of 4 or higher and speak at least one language. So, unfortunately, no detecting the thoughts of your pet cat. Detect thoughts also cannot be cast through a barrier of two feet of rock, two inches of metal, and even a thin sheet of lead.
Beyond these limitations outlined by the spell, certain targets may have a defense against it due to a magic item, like a ring of mind shielding, or feature like the Mastermind rogue's 17th-level Soul of Deceit. The supernatural gift Inscrutable from Mythic Odysseys of Theros also grants a character immunity from attempts to read their mind.
While detect thoughts has obvious uses for interrogations and gathering information, it can also be a powerful defensive tool. Rather than looking for specific thoughts, this spell can also be used to see if thoughts exist in a space around you. For example, casting detect thoughts in a seemingly empty room could reveal the thoughts of an invisible or hidden creature trying to spy on the characters.
Surface Thoughts and Probing Deeper
If the caster wants to probe a mind for detailed thoughts, the target must make a Wisdom saving throw to try to resist it. Whether or not the target succeeds, they become aware of the probing presence. Once the target is aware of the caster's presence, they may make Intelligence checks on their turn to try to push out the mental intruder, ending the spell on a success. While the attempt to access deeper thoughts is successful, the caster gains greater insight into a creature's reasoning, emotional state, and information that's currently vital or particularly pressing to them.
Who Can Cast Detect Thoughts?
Bards, sorcerers, and wizards all have detect thoughts in their primary spell list. In addition, warlocks whose patron is The Great Old One also get detect thoughts in their spell list.
A character with the Telepathic feat can detect thoughts once daily without using any of the required components. If they are a spellcaster, they may also cast it normally using an available 2nd-level or higher spell slot.
Suppose you're looking to cast detect thoughts without having it in your spell list. In that case, a character can utilize magic items like the medallion of thoughts, the helm of telepathy, or an item like a pre-loaded ring of spell storing.
Why We Love This Spell
There are so many spells in Dungeons & Dragons that have a primarily combat focus, so we love a spell that leans more into social and investigative roleplay options. Adding detect thoughts into an interrogation or trial changes the dynamic of the scene. If one character is trying to probe for thoughts, others may do or say things to push the subject into accidentally thinking about the information the group is interested in gleaning.
A clever player could use detect thoughts in combat, such as to find invisible targets on the battlefield or try and learn what an enemy is planning.
For Dungeon Masters, there are lots of opportunities for fun roleplay in describing how the thoughts are conveyed. In real life, people think in different ways, sometimes in words, sometimes in pictures, and sometimes more in esoteric ways like emotions or colors. When conveying the information a caster finds in someone's thoughts, DMs should feel encouraged to quite literally think outside the box.
FAQ: Detect Thoughts
Can someone lie during detect thoughts?
Nothing in the detect thoughts spell description requires a target to think the truth. That said, unless the caster has probed deeper, the target won't know their thoughts are being read. Therefore, they may not consider broadcasting false thoughts.
What creatures aren't affected by detect thoughts?
Creatures with an Intelligence level of 3 or lower, such as a standard zombie, or a creature that doesn't speak a language, such as dolphins can't be targeted. A creature with the Inscrutable feature, such as a sphinx, is also immune to detect thoughts.
Is detect thoughts a charm spell?
Detect thoughts is not a charm spell. Charm spells typically fall under the school of enchantment, while detect thoughts is divination. This is due to the effect of the spell, which gleans information for the caster but does not directly affect the behavior of the target.
Can detect thoughts be used when you don't understand the language?
The detect thoughts spell does not require that the target speak the same languages as the caster, only that the target be able to speak a language.
Riley Silverman (@rileyjsilverman) is a contributing writer to D&D Beyond, Nerdist, and SYFY Wire. She DMs the Theros-set Dice Ex Machina for the Saving Throw Show, and has been a player on the Wizards of the Coast-sponsored The Broken Pact. Riley also played as Braga in the official tabletop adaptation of the Rat Queens comic for HyperRPG, and currently plays as The Doctor on the Doctor Who RPG podcast The Game of Rassilon. She currently lives in Los Angeles.
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Posted Sep 23, 2022I live that you're doing these spell spotlights, Riley! Always a good read.
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Posted Sep 24, 2022I would be interested in you thoughts about how to play this against the players. In my campaign I have a number of Doppelgangers manipulating the people in the area to attain power and influence. These creatures can "Detect Thoughts" and use this to understand and then copy the behaviour of their targets.
When a Doppelganger tries to detect the thoughts of a Player character, how could you roleplay this without exposing the thought reading activity?
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Posted Sep 24, 2022Combine with zone of truth for a true terror. When you are twisting the truth your surface thoughts are the truth and how to misleadingly phrase it. Also when asked a question you often think of the answer after.
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Posted Sep 24, 2022I am enjoying that more posts are being done on creatures and ideas and spells and such as opposed to commercials. We know what's coming out obviously. Also the non commercial articles are usually insightful, interesting, and fun.
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Posted Sep 24, 2022Does anyone have a good house rule for presenting fake thoughts/ not letting your thoughts be influenced by questioning?
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Posted Sep 24, 2022It's just whatever you are thinking. Be honest with the DM and try to think of what you want them to hear
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Posted Sep 24, 2022But as a DM, how should I rule if it works?
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Posted Sep 25, 2022Don't forget another limitation- 1 minute!! And nothing in the spell description says the target's thoughts move at a particular speed- I rule that surface thoughts are conversation speed. Keeps the spell still fun for getting extra info, but not an "easy" button to totally avoid social encounters.
And when used against the players, that ruling lets them use stalling/ waiting to hold info back- so they don't feel like the DM "cheated."
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Posted Sep 25, 2022Just ask the character for a personality chart and how they would act in a situation like being arrested or something. Then if they ask why you “to understand the actions of the players”. For the thought reading part make them make an arcane check and use the doppelgängers spell save dc to determine if they realize their thoughts are being read.
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Posted Sep 25, 2022In addition to a sheet of lead, it can be blocked by a tinfoil hat. :)
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Posted Sep 26, 2022The spell has verbal and somatic components so if your players characters cast it in front of your NPC's, they might know the spell they are casting. You can use the rules on identify a spell from Xanathar's if you want to be fair. If a skilled person knows their thoughts are being read, they might know away to hide their secrets. Not that there are real world examples, but Bane in the Young Justice was able to stop Ms. Martian from probing his mind by reciting football scores. So I wouldn't say my grunts are skilled enough to hide their secrets from coming to the surface, but some big bads might have taken the time to practice this skill. After all it is a 2nd level spell, so it should be a known possibility that some people will have this spell in their back pocket.
But more on methods on how describe how they are resisting, they could just think about an mundane event from their past, start thinking about things that would about upset the caster, completely tune out the questioning, etc. Then turn it into a skill contest, like the PC's intimidation vs. the NPC's deception to see if the player can trick/scare/persuade the info to the NPC's surface thoughts.
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Posted Sep 26, 2022It won’t detect hidden or invisible minds, spell description specifically states “you can focus your mind on any one creature that you can see within 30 feet of you. “
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Posted Sep 26, 2022It won’t detect hidden or invisible minds, spell description specifically states “you can focus your mind on any one creature that you can see within 30 feet of you. “
You can also use this spell to detect the presence of thinking creatures you can't see. When you cast the spell or as your action during the duration, you can search for thoughts within 30 feet of you. The spell can penetrate barriers, but 2 feet of rock, 2 inches of any metal other than lead, or a thin sheet of lead blocks you. You can't detect a creature with an Intelligence of 3 or lower or one that doesn't speak any language.
The second half of the spell lets you detect unseen minds.
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Posted Sep 26, 2022It will, there is a paragraph that clarifies this case: "You can also use this spell to detect the presence of thinking creatures you can't see. When you cast the spell or as your action during the duration, you can search for thoughts within 30 feet of you."
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Posted Sep 26, 2022can subtle spell prevent the target from knowing the origin of the "deep probe"?
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Posted Sep 26, 2022Another way to protect your surface thoughts is nursery rhymes. In Babylon 5, when around a telepath, Mary had a little lamb was a popular surface thought if you believed your thoughts were being detected. You still have to have a reason to suspect the attempt though. That requirement is the hardest part of protecting your thoughts.
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Posted Sep 28, 2022Don't forget that a Knowledge Cleric can use Channel Divinity to use a limited version of it - and then follow it up with Suggestion :)
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Posted Oct 1, 2022I had someone do this and found a shapeshifter that everyone was looking for '>'
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Posted Oct 1, 2022I do have a pet peeve with Detect Thoughts; it is really awkward to actually apply in a social situation without screwing up the roleplay, either by disrupting the flow of conversation or by dropping meta information.
e.g. a group I was in were investigated by some detectives, one of whom covertly used Detect Thoughts as part of the casual interrogation. The DM prompted everyone with the question of "So, what are you thinking right now?" which immediately tips off everyone at the table as to what was going on. As players, just being aware of it changed how we thought about the situation and broke immersion.
e.g.2 As a player, I cast Detect Thoughts during a conversation with an NPC to try to determine their angle. The DM is now in the position of (theoretically) needing to hold a conversation while simultaneously communicating to me what the NPC is thinking about. They only have one mouth so can't really do that without the conversation becoming an awkward, stunted mess. In practice, what usually happens is that the DM will tell me what I found out afterwards but that means I can't direct the conversation to influence their surface thoughts in a direction I'm interested in and half the time the DM will be so focused on the roleplay that they won't actually remember.
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Posted Oct 2, 2022Recently used this to win a dragonchess tournament. 😄