[RPG] way to scan someone’s memories while they sleep without them knowing

dnd-5esleepspells

In my campaign, I want to have an NPC group that is gathering intelligence by kidnapping people while they sleep, scanning their memories, and returning them before morning. I know that I could just rule that they can do this, but I wanted to see if there was a spell that could be used for the purpose.

So far, I have looked at detect thoughts and modify memory, but neither of them has the exact effect I'm looking for. A related question asked about encode thoughts suggests that spell could be used, but it's also from the Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica (p. 47), and my campaign doesn't take place in the setting.

Are there spells, class features, or racial features that can do what I'm trying to accomplish? I would prefer to look only at PHB and XGtE, but if there are spells, class features, or racial features in other source books, I would be happy to consider those as well.

Best Answer

Use Detect Thoughts guided by an interrogation, followed by Modify Memory

You've stated that that neither Detect Thoughts nor Modify Memory does what you need, but what if you used both of them together? First kidnap the target in their sleep. Then wake them up and have one person cast Detect Thoughts and focus on reading the target's thoughts while another person interrogates the target. Whether or not the target lies in their answers, the Detect Thoughts spell will likely get the information you want. Waking the target up and interrogating them is necessary because even if you probe deeper, Detect Thoughts can only tell you what the target is thinking right now, so if they aren't thinking about what you're interested in (or dreaming about it, if they're asleep), you're out of luck unless you have a way to guide their thoughts toward the desired topic.

Make sure this whole process takes no longer than 10 minutes (the maximum length of a memory that can be modified). Then, cast Modify Memory and erase the target's memory of the whole process, instead making them remember being asleep the whole time. Then, use some means of putting them back to sleep before the Modify Memory spell ends. Since the spell makes them "incapacitated and unaware of their surroundings" for the duration, they will have no memory of being knocked out, in addition to having no memory of the interrogation. Finally, sneak the sleeping person back into their bed. When they wake up in the morning, as far as they know, they have slept all night uninterrupted.

Note: don't use Modify Memory to make them think it was all a dream, unless you want all the townspeople to compare notes and eventually realize that they're all having the same weird dream about being interrogated. Just erase the memory entirely.