Yes you needed to mindread Ragnar in the original release, as well. The locations of the teleporters is also the same; when you come across the bridge moving south from where you meet Talana, the teleporter should be off to the left.
For Needleman's storage, your first visit requires getting all of the fortune teller's predictions, and then meeting Bellegar again (IIRC near the passage where you head north into the Maxos temple area). There is a chest and some other loot outside Needleman's storage, but you will not be able to get inside until after you have the battle tower.
