[RPG] How to deal with the challenges a player having Mind-Reading represents without negating their ability

gm-techniquessystem-agnostic

As I prepare for a campaign to run, I realize that several of the things I want to do in this campaign may be shortcut by mind reading and telepathy. Unfortunately, many of the solutions to defending against this are unsatisfying, since they are inevitably either "Don't allow Mind-Reading" (which is something I won't do) or they involve making mind-reading useless by giving all the enemies protection against it. My question is this: How do I deal with the unique challenges mind reading presents without making it useless or banning it outright?

Best Answer

In a society built around privacy of thought, easy and consequence-free mind reading is too powerful. We need to make it either harder or have consequences, either by changing how mind reading works or how society does. Some ways of doing that:

Mind Reading is Hard

There's many ways to do this. Maybe it's hard to drill past the irrelevant surface thoughts, maybe mind reading is tiring, maybe it's hard to focus on one person and turning on the power means getting everyone's thoughts at once. I think one of the most interesting ways to make it harder is to just take into account how diverse minds are. In humans alone you have all sorts of mental and psychological disorders that affect how you think, let alone different cultures and languages. What happens if you mind read someone who thinks in a different language? Maybe you could see images, but it'd be damn hard to understand what's going on. Now add in the fact that you mind not even be mind reading someone of the same species. Need to pull information from that half-demon orc shaman? Good luck!

These things don't make mind reading impossible or useless, they just bring it more in line with other interrogation and investigation techniques.

Mind Reading is Stigmatized

"This guy knows where the dread necromancer is hiding, but he won't tell us a thing!"

"Stand back, I'm going to read his mind."

"...Out. Get out of our village. Right now."

This works best if you can't hide mind reading, like everybody you're scanning can tell or your eyes glow freaky colors or the like.

Muz pointed out that it'd be harder to find a society where this isn't the case. Imagine how you'd feel if somebody stole your diary and set up a bunch of webcams in your bathroom. Mind reading is worse.

Mind Reading is Loud

(from Keshlam) Reading a mind isn't like reading a book. It's more like forcing a person to broadcast their thoughts and tuning in. This means it's very, very hard to keep a reading secret: sensitive people nearby will be able to tell that it's happening, good readers will be able to eavesdrop on the reading, and the great ones will be able to spy on you, too. Enemy psions and psychic predators can hone in on the signal. Good luck hiding.

Mind Reading is Wrong

Maybe when somebody reads your mind you can feel them almost rip out your thoughts, leaving holes in your memory where you know something was important but now it's gone. Maybe when somebody reads your mind you feel exposed and vulnerable and terrified. Maybe when someone reads your mind you are forced to relive vast swaths of your life, leaving you perpetually unsure of whether you're back in the real world or just trapped in a memory. Whatever it is, getting read hurts and is wrong.

Mind reading is like any other temptation. It makes solving problems a lot easier, but you better think long and hard about whether it's worth the price.

Mind Reading is Dangerous

Instead of / in addition to mind reading being bad for your target, it's bad for you. Scanned memories become your own memories and if you're not careful you can lose your sense of self or think you're somebody else entirely. Your target can fight you off an leave you mentally scarred if they win. There's rumors that some criminal organizations have been training 'mindbombs', people who undergo unimaginable pain and lock up the memories. Peer into the wrong mind and you'll lose your own.