Encode Thoughts: Put it in the Spank Bank

Usable By: Wizard

Spell Level: Cantrip

School: Enchantment

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Self

Duration: 8 hours

Components: S

You pull a memory, an idea, or a message from your mind and transform it into a tangible string of glowing energy called a thought strand, which persists for the duration or until you cast this spell again. The thought strand appears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of you as a Tiny, weightless, semisolid object that can be held and carried like a ribbon. It is otherwise stationary.

If you cast this spell while concentrating on a spell or an ability that allows you to read or manipulate the thoughts of others (such as Detect Thoughts or Modify Memory), you can transform the thoughts or memories you read, rather than your own, into a thought strand.

Casting this spell while holding a thought strand allows you to instantly receive whatever memory, idea, or message the thought strand contains. (Casting detect thoughts on the strand has the same effect.)

Review by Sam West, Twitter:@CrierKobold

God Encode Thoughts rules. What a cantrip. Without any other support, this is a tool to protect memories, and have perfect working memory of said event for up to eight hours. Need to perfectly recite what a patron said? Breaking into a room, and need to leave it exactly how you found it? With Encode Thoughts, you can freeze that memory in place, store it elsewhere, and use it later as often as you need to get precise information about the past.

But wait, there’s more! Paired with Detect Thoughts, Modify Memory, or other thought-reading tools, you can take other people's thoughts and make them into thought strands! With these you can perfectly recall those thoughts whenever you’d like, giving this spell a form of scaling utility. The more tools you have to get into other people’s heads, the better Encode Thoughts gets. While it specifies only spells get this capability, I’d consider talking with your DM about opening it up to features as well; thought theft builds could be a great direction to take a spy like character, or maybe a cultist of an eldritch being or hive mind.

For what ends up being mainly a memory tool, Encode Thought delivers. If you want to be the pedantic “well ACTUALLY” guy, this is exactly the cantrip for you. Having an at-will way to protect your thoughts and record them safely is cool, and while not on the same level of useful as something like Mage Hand, absolutely can define some character feels. Bonus points if you’re in a game that uses this heavily; the spell doesn’t require you use thought strands you make when receiving memories or messages. Entire organizations can communicate with this, like House Dimir within the world of Ravnica featured in Guildmaster’s Guide to Ravnica. Encode Thoughts is sweet; try it out if you like the mental manipulation wizard fantasy.

5e Spells

Encode Thoughts: Put it in the Spank Bank