Greetings and Salutations. While I'll start by saying I think Killer Cyborg has covered this well, I felt another voice and a few other thoughts might help as well.
Malakim wrote:Right, and those surface thoughts can be brought to the forefront rather easily with some simple questions.
Yes, that is a possibility. Though asking too many questions (or highly unusual questions) is a good way to get someone suspicious in the first place.
Malakim wrote:Example: You run into someone and ask them their name while reading their mind. They say "Bob" but their mind says "Fred". Cover instantly blown, no save. I call shenanigans on that.
Maybe. Though if I'm ever using a cover (mind you, I'm an average person, I don't do this stuff professionally, just once or twice for fun or to help someone in some odd situation) when someone asks my name, I don't think of my name. I'm actually thinking of my alias. Why? Because if I don't
think about my alias, I won't say it. If my name is Fred, and I'm thinking Fred ... why would I possibly say Bob? I wouldn't ... unless I was thinking Bob.
Now, in my case you'd probably get something like: "Say Bob, say Bob, say Bob." Or: "Remember your name is Bob." Granted something like that may tip off a psychic that something is odd, granted. Of course, as odd as it sounds, I've had times when someone asked me my name and I had to stop, think: "What's my name? Oh, right ..." That probably has something to do with the fact that sometimes I have to make a conscious effort to not say my name is Prysus in real life and I have to stop and remember my birth name (I used my online handle a lot, and started actually referring to myself by it in my mind, which might STILL not give away my true identity if someone scanned me with Telepathy). Maybe I'm weird, but I think you'd be amazed at what actually goes through a person's mind instead of instantly thinking of the answer.
Malakim wrote:Example: You are in a bank (or similar situation) where someone asks you to write down secret information (PIN code or something similar). BAM, no save, I just learned your code or secret info just from being within telepathy range.
I could honestly say that I think I'd be safe here. If someone asked for my PIN code, my first thought wouldn't be the code. It would be: "Why? Who is this person? Why are they asking? Something's going on. What's this person up to?!" Then I'd probably either ask (in a highly suspicious tone): "Why?" or just say: "Yeeeeah, I don't think I'm going to tell you that."
Now, if the person just walked up behind me while at the ATM and scanned me while at I'm entering my code ... he'd have me dead to rights at getting the number. Telepathy can be highly useful, but only if used intelligently. Just asking questions is a great way to actually put someone on guard (at least it would me), unless done very skillfully.
I've used Telepathy as a player, and I've seen it used as a GM. The ability is handy, no doubt, but I don't see it the end of the world ability as being suggested. One of the important things with Telepathy is to make sure to role-play characters realistically. Some will be easily tricked and do exactly what's suggested. Others will stay closer on guard (especially if they know Telepathy is a reality and not just some storybook power). Individuals like me might be highly paranoid and overthink everything that you can't ever make heads or tails of half the thoughts. Then you get the people who are clueless, just not paying attention, playing the latest [enter music artist here] song in their head, thinking about 20 different things, etc.
Keep in mind I'm just an ordinary person (okay, maybe I'm smarter than averge joe schmoe, but I'm not highly trained either), maybe a bit more suspicious than normal though (living in a big city where people trying to scam you isn't uncommon can help with that fact). Someone skilled, or someone who's been keeping up a lie for years, is probably going to be even far better. This isn't my trying to brag, this is just my speaking from actual experiences when similar things happened. Anyways, I think that's all for now. Thank you for your time and patience, please have a nice day. Farewell and safe journeys for now.
Edit:: P.S. Oh! Let's not forget compulsive liars! I bordered on that when I was younger. I wasn't insane and I stopped after I realized I was getting carried away with it, but I used to lie so much I'd lie just for the sake of lying. Not sure why, I just did. Though, for the record, I've become a very honest person who strongly dislikes lying and believes in telling the truth. That doesn't mean I can't lie, just that I don't.