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Can telepathic magic havy any practical use?
- Thread starter Peregrine
- Start date
glutton
Inkling
Obviously it would have practical use? You can use it to coordinate tactics with someone without the other people around knowing (like telling your friend to duck, you're going to shoot at them and hit the bad guy behind them), or if it has a long range use it like a telephone in a setting where that tech doesn't exist.
Let alone if the telepathy allows for mind control...
Let alone if the telepathy allows for mind control...
Yes.
K.S. Crooks
Maester
Two ways to takes your statement- being able to cast magic using only telepathy or using magic to be telepathic. Being able to cast magic telepathically would allow a person to conduct magic with anonymity. They could do an attack or defensive spell and have no one be aware they are the reason. This would be extremely helpful if the characters lived in a society where magic and magic users were outcasts or seen as criminal or evil. This power could be detrimental in that it consumes a lot of energy and mental focus, making the person need more food or less attentive to their surroundings.
Using magic to be telepathic has the obvious perks of being able to send and receive messages from other people or read the mind of an adversary. The risk comes from gaining too much knowledge about other people or being overwhelmed by the constant input from other people. Both situations could lead to mental breakdowns as a possible negative side.
Using magic to be telepathic has the obvious perks of being able to send and receive messages from other people or read the mind of an adversary. The risk comes from gaining too much knowledge about other people or being overwhelmed by the constant input from other people. Both situations could lead to mental breakdowns as a possible negative side.
Malik
Auror
In my series' world, telepathy is the most rudimentary form of magic. Many beginning sorcerers -- or just lazy magicians who don't want to go to school and learn the craft -- find work as translators, effectively functioning as Babel Fish for hire. (Assuming your countries and peoples speak different languages.) There's also, of course, communication as one of the basic warfighting functions; telepaths are critical for getting information across a battlefield and even across nations quickly in a crisis.
We also have telepaths in our series, though they are psychics and not magicians. Telepathy can be incredibly useful. All you need to do is decide what your limitations are within your metaphysics and then have at it. Imagination and plausibility are the limits.
For example, we have two telepaths coming up in future books who possess different levels of power. One is very strong, like global reach strong, and also a hyperactive linguistic genius. He can pull any information from any mind like a filing cabinet and is often used as an industrial spy. His limitations are that he can't block out the cacophony of other minds in his head and suffers from debilitating migraines.
The other telepath has a much smaller range, only a few miles, and belongs to a dragon. Her major function is sifting through minds in her master's court looking for spies and intrigues, but she doesn't have the ability to delve as deep as the other telepath and thus sometimes misses things.
For example, we have two telepaths coming up in future books who possess different levels of power. One is very strong, like global reach strong, and also a hyperactive linguistic genius. He can pull any information from any mind like a filing cabinet and is often used as an industrial spy. His limitations are that he can't block out the cacophony of other minds in his head and suffers from debilitating migraines.
The other telepath has a much smaller range, only a few miles, and belongs to a dragon. Her major function is sifting through minds in her master's court looking for spies and intrigues, but she doesn't have the ability to delve as deep as the other telepath and thus sometimes misses things.
Vvashjr
Minstrel
In my world, psychics are a feared bunch after mages, and one of my main characters is a low level telepath. Extremely useful for communication during battle and when my team is split into different areas. But his main ability lies in empathy instead, and I have him inciting rage to the point of berserk level where all sanity leaves, which the enemy vulnerable to fighters who fight with their smarts. Or for calming a heated discussion etc. Telepathy can easily do that either.
Michael K. Eidson
Archmage
In my WIP, telepathy is frequently used as a means of communication between many of the characters, maybe as much as or more than regular speech. There's also magic in my WIP that allows one person to control another's body, and a telepathic connection is a requirement for said control.
psychotick
Auror
Hi,
Hell yes! The question is - practical value for the person with the gift or for the society? I mean the latter would be the biggie I think. I mean just imagine politics in a world where politicians couldn't lie, or cheat or try to defraud etc. Just the very presence of this magic would be a threat to probably half (maybe all) those who seek power. Then there's justice and criminal trials.I mean with this gift there's no more beyond reasonable doubt - the truth is out there! And how would normal, everyday people go about their lives just knowing that there are people about who can read their minds? Think of a society in which people are forced to be truthful in everything because of this. And then think of all those who want to get rid of them!
Cheers, Greg.
Hell yes! The question is - practical value for the person with the gift or for the society? I mean the latter would be the biggie I think. I mean just imagine politics in a world where politicians couldn't lie, or cheat or try to defraud etc. Just the very presence of this magic would be a threat to probably half (maybe all) those who seek power. Then there's justice and criminal trials.I mean with this gift there's no more beyond reasonable doubt - the truth is out there! And how would normal, everyday people go about their lives just knowing that there are people about who can read their minds? Think of a society in which people are forced to be truthful in everything because of this. And then think of all those who want to get rid of them!
Cheers, Greg.
- Thread starter
- #10
Okay, but let's assume that only some people have innate magical powers and that not every person is capable of magic, in that case not everyone can telepathize.
Insolent Lad
Maester
Strictly speaking, magic-wielding folk in my universe(s) are not telepathic, but the end result is the same—they can speak to each other (other trained magicians only) from afar by entering another 'world.' As noted above, this ability is quite useful to leaders, both military and political, and many try to have a wizard or two on staff. Of course, projecting oneself into another reality has its own dangers.
In our world telepathy is extremely rare, in that it is a very closely held secret even among preternaturals - and a closely held weapon. Those who possess telepathic gifts are considered to be extremely dangerous and very carefully guarded by their keepers.
Vvashjr
Minstrel
Slight hijack on the same topic as I don't want to create multiple threads on same subject,
What is your take on telepathy and other races? Typically what are the most telepathic RESISTANT races? What are your comments when dealing with a telepath among a group of races not the same as the telepath? Eg a human telepath in a group of elves.
What is your take on telepathy and other races? Typically what are the most telepathic RESISTANT races? What are your comments when dealing with a telepath among a group of races not the same as the telepath? Eg a human telepath in a group of elves.
gia
Scribe
As as an actual psychic, telepath and energy reader....here are some actual facts about how it all works...which may or may not be helpful!
First telepathy works best when you're in the same timing...so two people traveling in a car have a common destination and are traveling the same speed...ta da! Their brains link up on the same timing frequency and telepathic stuff happens. Typically speaking telepathy between say elves and humans wouldn't work because their timing frequencies are so different. So magical telepathy could be useful there.
Second...because energy follows our thoughts, just thinking bad, mean, revengeful thoughts directed toward someone is a form of psychic attack, which is what I would call (dark) magical telepathy.
Since psychic energies and telepathy already works as above...I would really make magical telepathy something else. Surprise your readers!
First telepathy works best when you're in the same timing...so two people traveling in a car have a common destination and are traveling the same speed...ta da! Their brains link up on the same timing frequency and telepathic stuff happens. Typically speaking telepathy between say elves and humans wouldn't work because their timing frequencies are so different. So magical telepathy could be useful there.
Second...because energy follows our thoughts, just thinking bad, mean, revengeful thoughts directed toward someone is a form of psychic attack, which is what I would call (dark) magical telepathy.
Since psychic energies and telepathy already works as above...I would really make magical telepathy something else. Surprise your readers!
shangrila
Inkling
In one of my stories telepaths act as a sort of messenger service, able to transmit messages mentally to other telepaths over large distances. A magical telegram system, basically.
