Detect Thoughts spell

[Papa-DRB]

The 3rd round in Detect Thoughts allows you (if failed save) to read surface thoughts of the create.

Do you have to speak/understand the language in order for this to work? IE. The wizard only speaks/understands common and he casts the spell on a troglodyte who only speaks draconic. Can he read the thoughts on round 3?

-- david
Papa.DRB

[Gray Eminence]

Papa-DRB wrote:

The 3rd round in Detect Thoughts allows you (if failed save) to read surface thoughts of the create.

Do you have to speak/understand the language in order for this to work? IE. The wizard only speaks/understands common and he casts the spell on a troglodyte who only speaks draconic. Can he read the thoughts on round 3?

-- david
Papa.DRB

Detect Thoughts is not a language dependent spell, so you do not have to be able to speak the language of the creature. See page 212 of the Core Rulebook for details on language dependent spells. An example of language dependent spells is Command.

[Papa-DRB]

Thanks! Especially for the page reference.

-- david
Papa.DRB

[Seldriss]

There was a very interesting variant of Detect Thoughts in Dragon Magazine, called Empathy, a 1st level spell which allows the caster to read the emotions of the target.