Passive Mind Reading

[Kromm]

Mind Reading with Reflexive is essentially "just another sense." Although Reflexive does mean rolling dice, that angle simply makes Mind Reading work like hearing, vision, etc.: you roll dice to notice easily missed or deliberately obscured items. The only difference is that the die rolling is a Quick Contest of IQ vs. Will instead of a Per roll. As with normal senses, there would be no special reason to roll for obvious stuff, where "obvious" here means everything that a non-mind reader could glean through mundane skills like Detect Lies and Psychology. The point cost (42 points) is on par with that of a sense that can look inside things and through light cover (Para-Radar [40]), perceive things that are normally too fast to perceive (Enhanced Time Sense [45]), or give spontaneous visions of the past (Psychometry (Immersive, +100%) [40]), which seems balanced.

Don't forget that no amount of Mind Reading is Mind Probe. Mind Reading gives surface thoughts -- things that an emotional person might accidentally say, and that anybody might rather clearly convey via body language and tone of speech. So passive Mind Reading isn't an ultimate ability to pry into the thoughts of everyone nearby, just a souped-up version of Empathy.

[Crispythemighty]

Originally Posted by Kromm

Mind Reading with Reflexive is essentially "just another sense." Although Reflexive does mean rolling dice, that angle simply makes Mind Reading work like hearing, vision, etc.: you roll dice to notice easily missed or deliberately obscured items. The only difference is that the die rolling is a Quick Contest of IQ vs. Will instead of a Per roll. As with normal senses, there would be no special reason to roll for obvious stuff, where "obvious" here means everything that a non-mind reader could glean through mundane skills like Detect Lies and Psychology.

I imagine a Telepath with this advantage would hear thoughts as white noise. You hear it but you aren't listening like a radio playing softly in the background. You don't pay attentation to it until something interesting happens. It makes the advantage into a hidden check made by the GM.

John is sitting in a crowded cafe working on a report about his last mission. He can hear the thoughts all around him but it doesn't distract him from his work. Until he feels rage boil up from the corner of the room... the man sitting across the cafe is angry at his well dress dinning partner. John focuses his abilities and finds the angry man is planning on killing the well dressed man shortly after they leave the cafe.

Makes it almost a sixth sense.

[UncreativeNameMaker]

Originally Posted by Kromm

Mind Reading with Reflexive is essentially "just another sense." Although Reflexive does mean rolling dice, that angle simply makes Mind Reading work like hearing, vision, etc.: you roll dice to notice easily missed or deliberately obscured items. The only difference is that the die rolling is a Quick Contest of IQ vs. Will instead of a Per roll. As with normal senses, there would be no special reason to roll for obvious stuff, where "obvious" here means everything that a non-mind reader could glean through mundane skills like Detect Lies and Psychology. The point cost (42 points) is on par with that of a sense that can look inside things and through light cover (Para-Radar [40]), perceive things that are normally too fast to perceive (Enhanced Time Sense [45]), or give spontaneous visions of the past (Psychometry (Immersive, +100%) [40]), which seems balanced.

Looking at it that way covers what I was looking for pretty. Thanks.