Technology familiarity

Vortex

Mongoose
I'm pretty sure there's a rule that you get a -4 when using unfamiliar technology. When you have four ranks in Knowledge (Specific Culture), the -4 goes away for this culture's tech. But I just can't find it! :? Does anyone know where it is?
 
*coming to the rescue*

It is on page 70 of the 2nd Edition Babylon 5 RPG.

Familiarity with Alien Technology

A character who is trained in Computer Use, Drive, Operations, Pilot or Technical skills is only familiar with equipment of his culture’s creation. While many technological systems share common principles, different races implement those principles in drastically different ways. Therefore, whenever a character attempts to use one of these skills on a piece of equipment created by a different race, the skill check suffers a –4 penalty. If a character has 4 or more ranks in Knowledge (specific culture which made the equipment), he is sufficiently familiar with the alien race to interact with their equipment without penalty.

Was rather pleased with that since Alura Wilfreda will be able to use all of major power's technology. Apart from Vorlon that it. ;)

Cheers

Joe
 
Personally, how hard can it be to fire a weapon? :lol: They all got a trigger.

Beside, there are feats that covers Weapon Proficiency. So really if you got feat Weapon Proficiency (pistols) then you can use any pistols, no matter what races they are. (Apart from very different races like First Ones, Gaim opr even these starfishes folks)

Exotic Weapon Proficiency in my eyes are weapons that cannot be easily used by other races.

Cheers

Joe.
 
Sapphire said:
Personally, how hard can it be to fire a weapon? :lol: They all got a trigger.
Yeah ... but when you have a weapon based on having three fingers (twice as long as a humans) and the opposable digit on the base of the hand (rather than the top) finding the trigger may take some time. Now try finding it and firing the weapon when you come under fire yourself and you're a little stressed.
 
Personally, I think it should probably transfer to weapons as well (or at least weapons from races that value their privacy. I can't imagine a Brakiri weapon, for example, not being constructed to have the widest possible market appeal). That being said, I also think the book specifically states the skills that the -4 penalty applies to, and I don't believe that attack rolls are part of that. Or armor check penalty, for that matter. You'd think that Drazi armor, for instance, wouldn't be the most comfortable for humans.

No reason not to house rule it in, but for simplicity's sake it's probably easiest to limit it to certain skill checks.
 
I think the easiest answer has been set up - if a weapon is unusual enough to warrant it, use exotic weapon proficiences for it. Assume that anyone of that race using that weapon gets it normall but must use the 'mainstream' weapons as exotics.
 
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