What skill?

[Jak Nazryth]

In GURPS and other game systems, there are skills that allow players to
Detect Lies
Sense Motive
Body Language

These skills allow a player to sense if somebody is telling a lie, have a basic understanding of what the underlying motives are, and if somebody is generally friendly, neutral, or hostile toward the player based on very small changes in facial tics and posture.

During the last game several situations arose when my players asked "I want to roll to see if he's B.Sing me."

What Traveller Skill would you use? Persuade?

 

[DFW]

Investigate
The Investigate skill incorporates keen observation, forensics, and
detailed analysis.

 

[locarno24]

Investigate includes 'keen observation'.

 

[hdan]

Along a similar line, what about Picking Pockets or other "Sleight of Hand" type actions?

 

[locarno24]

Deception to do it, Recon or Investigate to spot it.

 

[Jak Nazryth]

Investigate. Sounds good.
Thanx.
Some say, with some good reasons, that GURPS can at times break down skills to the point of being a bit ridiculous, when a general skill can be the game mechanic for several actions.

 

[hdan]

Deception to do it, Recon or Investigate to spot it.

Deception+DEX sounds right. Thanks.

 

[GypsyComet]

Note that the social skills in Traveller are often situational. I could see using Carouse, Streetwise, or the older edition Liaison in certain situations. Investigate is the situational skill appropriate to situations where the person speaking knows he's being grilled, and can be applied more broadly because it *is* a "get information from people" skill, but if you want to work a party, for example, and get a broader sense of what is being talked about, who is slinging BS, and who is afraid of someone else present, Carouse can easily stand in for Investigate.

 

[Jak Nazryth]

I will also use Investigate + Intelligence mod, Education mod, or Social Standing mod depending on the situation.

Same thing applies to the other "awareness" type skills.

 

[apoc527]

Diplomacy might be a good skill to use as well, depending on the situation. Certainly, to figure out if someone is holding something back in a diplomatic exchange, I'd use Diplomacy over Investigate.

 

[locarno24]

I will also use Investigate + Intelligence mod, Education mod, or Social Standing mod depending on the situation.

Yep. Using the same skill with different stats is the best way to model the various 'areas of proficiency'. For that matter, it's something you can use outside of that.

I also allow a fair amount of weaselling by the players; in any given situation there are often a couple of skills or more that 'could' fit the purpose. If they feel theirs does and they can explain why, then I tend to say go with it.

Gun Combat (Slug Pistols)/2 or more logically includes a fair amount of knowledge on the guns, so Gun Combat (Slug Pistols) + INT might be usable to identify a given handgun, or (at a higher difficulty) identfy said weapon from a description of its report, leftover shell casings, muzzle flare, the shape of the cutout foam in an empty flight case, etc. Arguably these are Investigate tasks, but the world reknown gun nut should probably be just as good as the wanabee mall cop.

 

[Jame Rowe]

Deception to do it, Recon or Investigate to spot it.

Deception+DEX sounds right. Thanks.

Deception to do it, whether lying or slieght of hand.

Investigate, Recon or Deception to spot it. I.E. someone who's skilled in Deception might know what to look for.