Vital Read
"Their pulse tells me everything their mouth won't."
- Cost
- 1 Strain
- TN
- 9
- Tempo
- T3
- Steps
- Yes
- Resist
- —
Effect
You read the target’s physiological responses — heart rate, breathing, pupil dilation, micro-expressions. For the rest of the scene, you gain +2 Roll Bonus to Insight checks against this target (you must be able to see or touch them within Close range).
You can detect lies with near-certainty (the body cannot hide what the mouth denies).
Steps
+1 additional target per Step.
Special
This is a biological lie detector. Unlike Surface Read (which reads thoughts), Vital Read reads bodies. It cannot be blocked by Iron Will, Poker Face, or mental defenses — because it’s not reading the mind. Only a Flesh Shaper’s own Fleshcraft (consciously controlling autonomic responses) can defeat it.