[acrosome]

Is the default use of Search skill a no-touch task? I ask because the example bonuses start at +1 for quick pat-down and improve for a skin search (+3) or full body search including cavities (+5). So can I assume that the "standard" task is some variant of spotting the bulge under the goon's arm that indicates a hidden handgun?

Are there RAW standard times of those tasks: visual search, pat-down, skin search, and body search? If there aren't does anyone have suggestions? Then, I presume, one could improve Search through time spent (B346)? Arguably, it might just be best to use time spent and say that when you reach +1 it's a pat down, when you reach +3 it's a skin search, etc.

Assuming that there are no RAW times, I'd suggest that the default no-touch visual search takes 1 minute. Thus a skin-search is 8 minutes (which I think is reasonable for something that involves loosening belts, removing footgear, and combing someone's hair ) for +3 and a body-cavity search is 30 minutes for +5. Reasonably, then, no-touch searches max at +2 for spending 4 minutes or greater observing your target.

Or should this be halved, making the default 30 seconds? Honestly, I'm not sure what is realistic and what is cinematic, here.

Also, I see no penalties listed. Instead Bulk is used as a penalty to Holdout skill. Thus the mention that any attempt of Search with a penalty of -2 or worse being futile seems pointless.

EDIT-- I don't have Pyramid #3/50 because I am so not into dungeon fantasy. Is the Hidden Weapons article only practically applicable to that and other cinematic settings? Or put another way, are the rules in Basic Set more realistic?