Passive Psionics
 

I'm trying to make an advantage that allows a psion to hear surface thoughts work passively, so it's like hearing: you can tune things in and out but you can hear everything in range. Currently Mind Reading is too active and intrusive with a quick contest required.

I want Mind reading to be blockable by the Mind Block and Camoflauged thoughts and whatnot; but anyone who hasn't had training to hide their surface thoughts projects them (some people might have naturally quiet surface minds or just not think much at all which would require a different representation not yet important)

How can I remove the quick contest of IQ and make it more like a perception check.

Re: Passive Psionics
 

Add Independent (Powers, page 108) and a sort of Cosmic to remove the resistance roll. Possibly add in temporary disadvantage of Supersensitive (B158) for flavor.

Re: Passive Psionics
 

There is no canonical way to remove Resistance rolls without adding hit rolls (or hit-roll-based mechanics of a more complex nature) instead, at least that I know of. It's one of the really core concepts in GURPS.

Unfortunately any build which allows mind-reading unresisted could be applied to any other resistance-based power, becoming an absolute and unescapeable attack :/

It also bypasses Resistance to psionics completely, which is odd.

Re: Passive Psionics
 

You might check out Telepaths and Mental Screens in Psionic Campaigns, p27.

Re: Passive Psionics
 

You want to know everything everyone thinks? Good luck with that.

Re: Passive Psionics
 

Nope surface thoughts only with a sense roll adjusted by telepathic talent and such - i think instead of perception - modified by range - this is to represent that hearing surface thoughts for a telepath isnt an active thing they just hear it the same way we hear sounds - deep thoughts are different but that represented by mind probe - the active part is done by the thinker and they can make their thoughts less overt fairly easily with mind block and whatnot - but i want the default to be that they dont - and the advantage doesnt currently facilitate that.

I want to reserve cosmic for the supers-powers (not heros more like vorlons)
Independent is almost what I want except this power should be always on unless they do a mind block on themselves. Supersensitive is perfect for a character coming to terms with the power yes.

I don't have psionic campaigns :(

Re: Passive Psionics
 

You could always try for No Nuisance Rolls, in this case only applicable for simple things with a positive TDM.

Re: Passive Psionics
 

Ok - yes I do have Psionic Campaigns, or rather room-mate does - and its perfect! :)

Thank-you

Re: Passive Psionics
 

Surface thoughts are all there really is. What lies deeper are memories, and underlying motivations, not "thoughts" as such. Have you considered what this would be like to run? Every player has to tell the character's player everything that is passing through their character's mind every moment of the game. Think about that for a moment.

Re: Passive Psionics
 

The brute force way is to simply buy up skill/Reliable so that resistance always fails.

Reliable +20 will ensure that nobody without superhuman Will or a special advantage can resist, so long as the character makes their Per roll. It's probably worth a discount on Reliable that it's "only for overcoming successful resistance".

Edit: Except for the whole Rule of 16 thing. Drat.

Re: Passive Psionics
 

What's the difference between passively receiving thoughts, but not actually perceiving them until you choose to "tune them in", and active mind reading of a selected target?

Just to add to the choices: Compartmentalized Mind (probably limited to Mind Reading only) Thus the "main" mind isn't bogged down with concentrating on the mind reading.

Re: Passive Psionics
 

Nah the psionics campaign thingie had the answer - I apply Reflexive and Uncontrollable and it works as i want it to based on how psionic campaigns says which is lovelyly exactly how i want it to.
And surface thoughts are most certainly not all there is - why call them surface if they were? don't bother answering - I have an answer to the OP and thus continuance in this is meaningless.

Re: Passive Psionics
 

Yeah, Psionic Campaigns was my chance to cut loose and go into all of the bits and pieces of psi in general, as opposed to Psionic Powers, where I was focusing on keeping it all self-contained and consistent. The latter is a worked example full of stuff ready to use "off the shelf," while the former is more like GURPS Powers in that it's full of tools, advice, rules, and ideas for the GM wanting to make psi into something all his own.

I'm not surprised that Psionic Powers is more popular, as its ready-to-use nature makes it a really convenient supplement, but I think Psionic Campaigns is actually more useful for the GM who realizes how important it is to ask, "What is psi in this campaign?"

Re: Passive Psionics
 

That is no more a requirement than it is for the GM of a high space opera to write out the entire Encyclopedia Galactica. There are several standard playable abstractions, like letting the person act on table talk, having then never be surprised from nearby, letting them have the initiative, etc.

Re: Passive Psionics
 

So buy Rule of 17, Rule of 18, etc. perks.

Re: Passive Psionics
 

I used Empathy with a 'Pside Effect' Mind reading.

The simple way is to rule the effect as one:

Role for Empathy as normal
If 8 or less, oops you are mind reading.

My idea was Psis don't want to know every thought all the time. Friendships would be difficult if you knew what your friends were up to all of the time.

Now and then this is a Nuisance because you could be in a lift or car and the Empathy kicks off and oops you are reading surface thoughts.

IIRC, the target may resist a psi attack if they know there is one. For most people they do not get a chance. Even those who do are up against Will vs Will + Talent. The quick contest is biased.

But otherwise Compartmentalised mind helps to pull this off.

Re: Passive Psionics
 

Or Cosmic (No Rule of 16) from Psionic Campaigns -- heeding the warnings and advice therein, of course.