What skill do I use ...

[Samvail1]

for breaking and entering, lockpicking, safecracking. You know, criminal activities in a low TL world. This came up in character generation last night with the Rogue career.

Cheers for any replys

Sam

 

[rust]

I would either use Mechanic or create a Thievery trade skill.

 

[Golan2072]

Probably Mechanic.

 

[Myrm]

...unless its an electronic lock.

 

[Golan2072]

... And the "breaking and entering" would use Stealth if there's a guard to avoid (or Deception if you wish to fool the guard)...

 

[Samvail1]

Probably Mechanic.

Yeah, that's fine, except Mechanic isn't an option for a Rogue Specialist Thief Career. In fact it isn't an option on the entire Rogue career.

Would it be more appropriate to use the Athletics (co-ordination) skill, which IS an option in the Rogue career?

Sam

 

[Myrm]

Athletics (co-ord) covers a lot of what you would find in the old AD&D Thief/Rogue skills - Stealth covers more. Recon might help with some aspects.

Where to put breaking and entry....isn't there a Security skill, if so that could cover many aspects.

 

[rust]

Yeah, that's fine, except Mechanic isn't an option for a Rogue Specialist Thief Career. In fact it isn't an option on the entire Rogue career.

Well, if the player really wants Mechanic skill for his character, this should
be no problem. Just delete one of the characters' other skills, write in Me-
chanic instead, and there he goes.

 

[Golan2072]

At worst you could subsume this in Stealth or even Deception.

 

[aspqrz]

for breaking and entering, lockpicking, safecracking. You know, criminal activities in a low TL world. This came up in character generation last night with the Rogue career.

There are too few skills to cover the actual skills needed, especially if you allow for actual tech level differences.

Sure, you can subsume some as specialisations, but then you can end up with the problem(s) you are facing ... which skill should it be a specialisation of.

The T4 skill list is a good start (and one of the few usable ideas from the whole book!).

I'm working on a skill list for a Tubepunk SF (1930's SF) background and might have something that would be halfway usable for even the standard OTU ... but I have renamed some skills and moved some specialties around to be more in line with (my version of) logic and the requirements of the setting, so it may not help ... it should take a while, but I'll post it for comment when done.

Phil

Phil

 

[Paladin]

Maybe streetwise, but I'd probably use a new "Trade" skill if it's going to be a primary skill for the campaign.

 

[Klaus Kipling]

p144

Locks...

Use Mechanic for key or combination (mechanical), or

E/Electronics for electronic key, comination, biometric, or intelligent locks.

 

[Samvail1]

p144

Locks...

Use Mechanic for key or combination (mechanical), or

E/Electronics for electronic key, comination, biometric, or intelligent locks.

Ah ha!

Nice one Klaus Kipling.

Still doesn't explain why the Thief doesn't get Mechanic.

Oh well, I can swap out something else to compensate.

Cheers

Sam

 

[Klaus Kipling]

Yup, it's tucked away in ship operations...

That's the good thing about Trav's chargen system, especially this one. If there's something that doesn't chime with you, tis easy to swap out without affecting anything else.

 

[Duroon]

If you really want a character to get mechanic that doesn't normally have the option just get it using the connections rule on page 8.

if both players agree, then any event can involve another suitable player character. Only one character needs to have rolled the specific event. If this is done then you both get one extra skill. This can be any skill you like, although it is good form to relate it to the connection you have just formed.

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

Also the skill packages that can be selected by the group before play starts can give someone Mechanic-1.

 

[serene_muse]

Keeping the career as is I'd say Athletic (Coordination) or perhaps a new specialty under Athletics.

The T4 skill list is a good start (and one of the few usable ideas from the whole book!).

I'm working on a skill list for a Tubepunk SF (1930's SF) background and might have something that would be halfway usable for even the standard OTU ... but I have renamed some skills and moved some specialties around to be more in line with (my version of) logic and the requirements of the setting, so it may not help ... it should take a while, but I'll post it for comment when done.

Seconded, it's a good mix between CT's sparse list and the longer lists of say MT and TNE. Can't recall if the public T5 playtest docs use the same list or made changes.

Your Tubepunk idea sounds interesting. Keep us posted! Personally I'm not fond of what I see as an overuse of the "-punk" meme for genre naming but that's just me. If you're actually making it punk, fine.

 

[Myrm]

p144

Locks...

Use Mechanic for key or combination (mechanical), or

E/Electronics for electronic key, comination, biometric, or intelligent locks.

Ah ha!
Nice one Klaus Kipling.
Still doesn't explain why the Thief doesn't get Mechanic.

Possibly because your average spacefaring roguish thief is generally likely to run into electronic locks - so the basic development of that career path takes the likely options? Gamewise its useful to have gaps in PCs repertoire.

There are currently limited customisation options beyond the starting package. As more careers come into the game I think you'll find these appear. It is easy to shoehorn in new careers if you can make them specialisations of an existing career type. All you need is 6 reasonable options for the Speciality, a pair of roll numbers and possibly some rank benefits...

As a basic mung you could say that after generation any player may ditch any 2 skill ranks in skills for Rank 0 in another. That'd get your rogue Mechanic 0 - 0 being the most useful rank for most skills.

 

[CosmicGamer]

Personally, I don't like anything that interrupts the roleplayability of the character generation process itself. In other words I would not like going back and changing a skill I had already roleplayed how the character had obtained or needing another career to gain the skills (although certain roguish specialties, like forging a sculpture would require time spent in another career: Entertainer, Artist for the art(sculpting) skill). So, to me, common roguery skills should be available in a rogues career skill tables and not entirely from some outside source (connections, skill packs, background skills). Not that other skills could not be used - See #1.

I'll detail some thoughts on lock picking but the premise behind these thoughts holds true for other activities.

1) Often a character can select from multiple skills.
This is often the case, for example, when trying to get past a checkpoint; Admin, Carousing, Deception, Art(acting), Broker [for bribing].

So for getting past a mechanically locked door you may use strength+Athletics(strength) with +DM for tools(a crowbar), dexterity+Athletics(co-ordination) with a DM for tools(lock pick), intelligence+mechanical with a +DM for tools (pop the hinges with a screwdriver?) and I'm sure there are others.

2) In a discussion I had regarding forgery, one of the main points was that it would be different skills depending on what was being forged and the same applies to lock picking. It could be a physical only lock, electronic lock, or maybe something exotic like a psionic telekinesis enabled/disabled lock?

So sometimes the skill check might be Intelligence+computer with a +DM for a computer with a specialized intrusion program.

3) Often it is smash and grab and the criminal does not care about lock picking. That is more of a covert ops thing for agents.

4) Don't forget about associated skills and tasks. You just successfully picked that lock but what about disabling that alarm system?

5) Thieves will often use specialized tools depending on the situation such as a slim jim on a vehicle. If a little recon or planning is done, master keys are often used or radio scanners. I'm sure there are many other possibilities.

Consider repairing something. You would need specialized tools for any degree of success. Mechanical tools, Electronics, medical (repairing a body) and so on. There is no repair skill, the skill depends on what you are doing; computer repair, Jump Drive repair, environmental systems repair, Electronics repair... So there is no catch all roguery skill and that is ok.

For other roguish activities you just need to use a little thought in coming up with the possible characteristic+skill+tools required.

 

[AKAramis]

y'all seem to be forgetting that MGT has three elements not present in other editions: Events, Packages and Connections

Event 4 includes mechanic

If the package includes mechanic, your thief can get it

No matter what, every skill except Ironman and Jack is available via connections.