Read Lips (Uncommon)

(Back to Skill List)

 Read Lips (Uncommon) (01%) 

This skill allows the inquisitive investigator to listen in on a conversation, without requiring them to hear the speakers. Line of sight is necessary, and if only one speaker's lips can be seen (the other presumably with their back to the lip reader) then only half of the conversation can be deciphered.

Read Lips may also be used to silently communicate with another person (if both are proficient), allowing for relatively complex phrasing and meaning.

Opposing skill/Difficulty level:


 * Regular difficulty: understand the spoken communication of a person who is in clear sight and in relatively close proximity.
 * Hard difficulty: determine the spoken communication of a person whose mouth is occasionally obscured and/or is some distance away (e.g. in a large crowd of people).

Pushing examples: putting yourself in an obvious position and staring unsubtly at target(s); filming the target (and thus likely to be observed filming the target).

Sample Consequences of failing a Pushed roll: the target becomes aware that you are watching them intently, and takes offense and confronts you; the drunken man across the bar is angered, mistakenly thinking that you are looking at him, and punches you; you are so intent on the target that you miss what is happening in your close proximity (someone steals your case, or you walk into a lamp post).


 * If an insane investigator fails a pushed roll, there is plenty of scope for imagining all manner of strange and bizarre things being said.