GURPS - Compendium 1..

Muscle Reading (Mental/Very Hard) No default
Prerequisites: Physiology, Psychology
and Trained By A Master
Muscle Reading is the skill of learning a subject's intentions
by feeling involuntary muscular tensions. The player must ask
the GM a single yes/no question, while the character hints about
the desired information to the subject of the Reading. A successful
skill roll answers the question. Critical success yields extra
information, while failure provides no information, and critical
failure produces misinformation. A roll of a natural 18 causes
the subject to notice that the reader is groping him in an odd
place.
A separate version of this skill must be learned for each
species. Knowledge of the appropriate species' physiology is
required to locate the appropriate muscle groups, and of psychology
to successfully make the leading comments that will
cause the subject to subconsciously react.
This skill differs from the Body Language skill (p. 132) in
what is read (tension versus posture), what is learned (the subject's
attitudes rather than his next physical move), and the
method of sensing the signals (a blind person can be an excellent
Muscle Reader). It is not related to Detect Lies at all, which is a
psychological technique.
This is a tactile skill. Touching the subject's torso is required
(for humanoids - requirements for other races are GM's option).
Bonuses for Sensitive Touch (p. 65) apply. Each question takes
one second. There is no bonus or penalty for repeated attempts.
Modifiers: For clothing: +2 if touching the subject's bare
skin, no modifier for a shirt, -1 for a suit jacket, -2 for a sweater, -3
for clothing with DR 1 and -10 for DR 2. Reading through
clothing or armor with DR 3+ is impossible.
For contact: a hearty handshake (hand on shoulder) gives no
modifier, chaste dancing gives +1, a chaste hug +2, a lascivious
hug (or dancing) gives +4 and full body contact gives +6. Under
most circumstanc es, these last two forms of contact will be
interpreted as a seduction attempt!
If the subject is intoxicated: a +1 if he is Cheerful/Mellow,
no modifier if he is Elated, -1 if he is Boisterous, -2 if he is
Unsteady, -4 if he is Drowsy and -8 if he is Weaving. If he is
Vomiting or worse, the attempt is impossible.
Muscle Reading does not have to be subtle. It is possible to
use it for direct, overt interrogation - stripping a prisoner, grabbing
him in the most effective way possible and asking direct
questions. This would result in a +8 to the skill rolls, and possibly
affect the interrogator's Reputation in interesting ways.
Attempted use of Muscle Reading may be detected. A
Muscle Reader who suspects an attempt to read him may roll
against his own skill (modified for degree of contact as above,
but by his own clothing). Success reveals whether or not an
attempt is being made. Failure reveals nothing ("You can't
tell"), and critical failure gives the wrong answer. Note that just as
an enthusiastic Reading can be mistaken for a seduction
attempt, seduction may make a suspicious person worry about
being read.
A skilled Reader can also spot a Reading attempt on someone
else, by sight - roll as above, but with an additional -5.
Muscle Reading may be resisted only by the Body Control skill, as
a Quick Contest of Skills. Note that it is irrelevant whether or how
the victim answers the leading comments or questions - his body is
providing the answers involuntarily.
Muscle Reading can be used simultaneously with any other
skills that can be used while touching someone. A person skilled in
both Muscle Reading and Detect Lies may appear to be telepathic!
Net Tan (Mental/Very Hard)
No default
This Oriental skill allows the user to nourish his body with
its own substances. This involves breath control and other dis
ciplines such as refusing to spit. On a successful skill roll, Nei
Tan triples the length of time the user can hold his breath. A
successful roll also allows the practitioner to regain a point of
lost Fatigue in only two minutes. At the GM's option, Nei Tan
may also give its user a +1 to HT for purposes of Aging rolls.
GMs may choose not to permit this skill in their campaigns, or
might require a difficult quest to find a master before it can be
learned.
Power Blow (Mental/Hard)
No default
Prerequisite: Trained By A Master
or Weapon Master
The user draws from his inner strength to deliver a devastating
punch or kick. This requires 20-skill turns of concentration
(minimum one), followed by a Power Blow roll. Then the attack is
made, with all normal modifiers. If successful, the fighter's ST
is doubled for damage purposes. With a skill level higher than
20, ST can be tripled if the user concentrates for 30-skill turns.
This skill can be used in non-combat situations. For instance, a
character trying to move a heavy object can try to use Power
Blow to momentarily double or triple his Strength. This could
explain the tale that Shaolin monks were able to lift a 500-
pound metal cauldron (filled with hot coals to boot!) as the last
part of their initiation test. Prodigious leaps can also be achieved
with this skill, although the Flying Leap skill (above) is more
effective in this regard.
Example: A martial artist with ST 11 and Power Blow-17
could leap almost five feet straight up, or make a standing broad
jump of 19 feet!
Using Power Blow for feats of strength costs 1 d Fatigue.
Precognitive Parry (Mental/Hard) No default
Prerequisites: Trained By A Master
or Weapon Master;
Danger Sense or ESP Power 3
and Precognition-15+;
one weapon skill at 20+
This is a combination of psionic and Chi skills that allows a
martial artist to parry attacks he could not possibly defend
against, like bullets and beam weapons. This is done by sensing
where the incoming attack will arrive, and intercepting it with
one's limb or weapon before the attack gets there. To use this
skill, one must be aware that he is about to be attacked (a gunman
aiming at him, for instance). A roll against Precognitive
Parry is then made. On a success, the fighter can make a Parry
roll normally.
This doesn't mean he can swat bullets away with impunity,
however. All he is doing is interposing a weapon (or maybe a
limb) between himself and the bullet or beam. The attack will
do damage normally against the weapon (use the Breaking
Weapons rules on p. B111) unless the fighter makes his Parry
roll by 5 or more, or scores a critical success; any damage
past that necessary to break the weapon (or cripple the hand or
arm parrying the attack) will affect the defender. The only
weapon exempt from this rule is the Force Sword, which
either burns up the bullet or deflects the energy beam. In fact,
the skill is almost useless without Force Swords, so it is best
limited to space-opera campaigns. When used against normal
attacks, the skill gives a +1 bonus on any Active Defense.
143