Mind Reading
You can read another character's mind. To use Mind Reading, make an opposed power check against the result of the target's Will check. The degree of success determines the degree of contact:
Table: Mind Reading Check
| Success | Degree Of Contact |
|---|---|
| 1 | Surface thoughts: You can read what the target is presently thinking. Mind Reading transcends language; you comprehend the target's thoughts whether or not you share a common language. This also allows you to perceive what they are sensing, such as seeing through their eyes. |
| 2 | Personal thoughts: You can read the person's mind as though it was your own. You are able to understand aspects of the target's personality but can only remember what he would be able to remember. You can answer any question just as effectively as he could but in either case the answer may be "I don't know" or "I don't remember". You can learn 1 answer per round. |
| 3 | Memory: You can read the subject's memories and recollections. This allows you to perceive them exactly as the target recalls them, one memory per round. |
| 4 | Subconscious: You can read memories from the target's subconscious, things even the target does not consciously know. This might mean repressed or hidden memories, deep-seated psychological traumas, or even other personalities. |
If you lose the opposed check, you cannot read the target's mind. With two or more degrees of failure, any renewed attempt in that scene requires extra effort (see Extra Effort). If you desire a greater degree of contact, you must take another standard action and make a new opposed check.
The target gets a new Will check (DC equal to Mind Reading rank) at the end of each of his turns to shut you out; success ends the effect.
If you get more than 1 degree of success you may still read minds as though you had a lower degree, so that with 3 degrees of success you can choose to read Surface thoughts instead of memories. Additionally you may read at multiple levels in the same turn so long as the degrees add up. For example with 5 degrees of success you can read some Surface thoughts and memories in the same turn. How much information you can get per turn should be greater than talking, since thinking is faster, but the limit is still determined by the Gamemaster.
Mind Reading And Deception
If you can interact with your subject, a successful Deception check against the target's Insight check causes the subject to consciously think about a particular piece of information you're looking for, such as a password or name, allowing you to pluck it from the subject's mind with surface thoughts contact.
Self Mind Reading
You may use mind reading on yourself in order to perfectly recall a memory or view your subconscious (you already know your own surface and personal thoughts perfectly). Roll a power check with a DC of 0. If you read your own Surface thoughts you'll get feedback causing a headache as an Affliction: dazed, staggered, then asleep with rank equal to your Mind Reading rank. You can only recall memories that have been established as being known and thus you can't use this to pass knowledge checks (only memory checks) see skills for details.
Extras
Cumulative: Your Mind Reading adds any further degrees of success to the existing degree on the target, rather than using just the result of the new opposed check. For example, if you have one degree of contact and make another Mind Reading check, getting one degree, you now have two degrees of contact. +1 cost per rank.
Effortless: Trying again after two or more degrees of failure does not require extra effort for you. You can retry a Mind Reading attempt an unlimited number of times. +1 cost per rank.
Sensory Link: You can "tap into" the senses of your subjects, perceiving what they perceive like a Remote Sensing effect (see Remote Sensing) so long as you have at least one degree of contact. Your own senses are inactive while you are using your sensory link and you can only perceive through the senses of one subject at a time. +1 cost per rank.
Subtle: As a mental sensory effect, Mind Reading has a degree of subtlety, only noticeable to the subject or to characters with an appropriate mental sense, such as Mental Awareness (see Senses effect). Subtle Mind Reading is less detectable, requiring a DC 10 Perception check for either type of character to sense it, while two ranks of the Subtle modifier makes your Mind Reading completely undetectable. Flat +1 or 2 points.
Flaws
Close: Applied to Ranged Mind Reading, Close Mind Reading requires a close attack check to touch an unwilling target and physical contact throughout the effect's duration; breaking contact ends the effect. -1 cost per rank.
Feedback: You suffer Feedback if a subject you are reading is harmed, using your Mind Reading rank as the defense check bonus against the damage. Additionally, you may suffer Feedback at the GM's discretion from reading or experiencing particularly traumatic or emotionally-charged thoughts of memories from the subject. -1 cost per rank.
Limited by Language: You can only understand the subject's thoughts or memories if you share a common language. -1 cost per rank.
Limited to Emotions: You can only read or probe for emotions and emotional associations, not coherent thoughts or memories. -1 cost per rank.
Limited to Sensory Link: If you have the Sensory Link extra and this flaw, you can only tap into a subject's senses, you cannot read their thoughts or memories. -1 cost per rank.
Limited to Surface Thoughts: You can only read surface thoughts and cannot achieve higher degrees of contact. -1 cost per rank.
Ranged: Ranged Mind Reading requires a ranged attack check in addition to the effect's normal defense check. -1 cost per rank.
Sense-Dependent: Your Mind Reading is dependent on a sense other than just having to accurately sense the target, such as needing to see his expressions (Sight-Dependent), hear him speak (Hearing-Dependent), smell his changes in biochemistry (Scent-Dependent), and so forth. Alternately, it may be dependent on first being in Mental Communication with the target. -1 cost per rank.