[Basic] Skill of the week: Architecture

[johndallman]

The skill of designing buildings, and of deducing things about them: the implications of design for function and vice-versa.

Often used to answer the question "How can I blow this place up?" or "Where's the weak point to crash through?" as exemplified in Action's Demolition Man template. The Infiltrator also has this as an option: it's handy for finding your way through strange buildings without taking the time for methodical dungeon-style exploration. Action also uses it for planning missions into buildings, and it helps when searching them.

For the constructive side of architecture, Low-Tech Companion 3 has a certain amount of detail and a template for a professional architect. Basic has Architecture as a possible skill for finding secret doors, but Dungeon Fantasy doesn't mention that AFAICS (I only have volumes 1-4). Magic requires Architecture skill to construct a building with magic that will stay up.

Mysteries has a Fire Marshal template which reasonably enough has Architecture as a required skill. Supers mentions Architecture as a skill for some archetypes, and for concealment of secret bases.

Architecture has an IQ default, and a default of Engineer (Civil)-4. Engineer (Civil) defaults to Architecture-6, which is reasonable: Engineer is a harder skill. However, this is somewhat culturally dependent: in some countries professional architects are always civil engineers, responsible for structural design, whereas in others architects are primarily artists and employ engineers to ensure the building won't collapse.

What have you done with this skill that was entertaining or significant?

[Kromm]

In my ongoing campaign, Architecture is the skill of knowing how buildings are put together so that you can blow them up (IQ-based roll), find secret rooms (Per-based roll), or navigate them even if you haven't been there (Per- or IQ-based roll, depending on whether you're looking or guessing). It's essentially part of the "extended suite of Survival skills" for built-up areas, where Urban Survival is the streets/exterior part and Architecture is the rooms/interior part. A Per-based roll against it can spot – or an IQ-based roll can deduce – where to find X, whether X is an elevator, an exit, a staircase, or a supporting member.

Strangely, I've never had designing buildings come up in any campaign ever, in any edition – not since 1986. Even back in my earliest dungeon crawls with GURPS First Edition, it was basically the "find hidden rooms" skill. That might have more to do with my crowd than with the game, though; I've never gamed with anyone who was into long stretches of downtime used to raise armies, buildings, and stock prices, so I've always strived to give the most sedate and academic of skills exciting adventure applications.

[Refplace]

Add Sacred Arxchitecture from Thaumatology Urban Magics and possibly Thaumatology.
Used it in games to find hidden halls and rooms, design bases for the PCs or figure out stuff about an enemy base.
Oh in one fantasy game a PC used it to help build a town. I gave him lots of penalties for lacking other skills but he was a mage so high skill anyhow.

[malloyd]

I've seen it used for the otherwise missing construction trades skill - what do you roll against to thatch a roof or install a window?. Personally I call than a professional skill (Housewright) and consider Architecture an analog of Engineering rather than Mechanic, but there is a case to be made for that given the way Artist and craft skills blend into each other.

[simply Nathan]

Originally Posted by Kromm

Even back in my earliest dungeon crawls with GURPS First Edition, it was basically the "find hidden rooms" skill.

That's basically what we use it for, though my GM also allows Per- or IQ-based rolls against Masonry or Carpentry in some cases.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by Kromm

Strangely, I've never had designing buildings come up in any campaign ever, in any edition – not since 1986. Even back in my earliest dungeon crawls with GURPS First Edition, it was basically the "find hidden rooms" skill. That might have more to do with my crowd than with the game, though; I've never gamed with anyone who was into long stretches of downtime used to raise armies, buildings, and stock prices, so I've always strived to give the most sedate and academic of skills exciting adventure applications.

That doesn't seem so strange. Shoot, it would be a little unusual for Architecture to get used as a craft skill in one of our games. Despite the text description explicitly allowing for its use in finding secret doors, we always just relied on Per.