What classification would a skill for lip-reading come under? I say it'd be language, but my players ganged up on me and called it a knowledge.

What do you guys think?

I'd call it a knowledge skill, but the test would be perception with the knowledge skill as complimentary.

I'd also say you get the Object not Obvious (+4) modifier if you're untrainned in reading lips.

Dialect.

Because it's kind of hard to read someone's lips where they're speaking Greek, and you don't.

I'll go with the dialect as well, combined with "Object not obvious" modifiers should they not have the skill. And I'd include all vision modifiers for the Lip Reading test.

[edit] I don't make them take a Perception test to hear unless the situation warrants, so I'll be consistent and not require one here either.

Hmmm... That's what I thought. Danke.

Hmm. I think I'd just make it a test against the base language skill (specializing allowed), with a hefty TN penalty (+4 or so).

Well I can offer some advice, since I'm tone deaf. ironically from shooting guns at a young age. I read lips partially to augment my missing hearing, most people never notice.

Lip reading can not get you all of a conversation. Period. Even professionals miss out on thongs because a lot of words look identical in mouth movements and differ in tounge only, which you cant tell by reading lips. I'd say you can get 80% of a converstion max.

Knowledge Skill handled exactly like Aura Reading. If successful, you still have to make a Language Skill test to actually understand what you read.

Language.

First you have language, then you have read write and then you have lip reading.

I hadn't had a problem with it until you brought it up but if the player wants it, give it as a sub category of EACH language and make them pay the Karma for each language.

It depends on the language. There are some languages out there (German) that have more throat sounds than other languages. It's hard to tell some things. Other things have similar sounds, such as s, ss, and ß. The read/write portion should help due to actually figuring out what the word is.

Don

Active. It's a live-fire skill, done under imperfect conditions, and generally never perfect. I'd take Doc Rat's advice, and require an additional language skill roll to make sure you actually comprehend it.