You can mindreading all NPC's just with only 1 points in mindreading, but more points in this skill lowers the XP-costs, nothing more.
You can mindread Dr Needleman twice! The first time in the Black Boar Inn (but that's only useful/good for lower his prizes I think)
and the second time .... find him somewhere in poisonous Brocken Valley
... mindreading him and you have the password for his storage
!
