[Basic] Skill of the week: Camouflage

[johndallman]

Camouflage is the IQ/Easy ability to conceal things and people from sight, using equipment. It defaults to Survival, presumably for the current environment. To see past Camouflage, the opponent must succeed in a Quick Contest of Vision or Observation against Camouflage - and range penalties apply. Sometimes Camouflage won't hide you completely, but only give an attacker -1 to skill to attack you. It does not improve Stealth, but if you use them together, an opponent who hears you still needs to overcome Camouflage to see you. Camouflaging something large is at a penalty equal to its SM; a bonus of the absolute value of SM could conceivably apply for small objects, but I reckon it depends on circumstances.

Equipment modifiers are very important with this skill, and High-Tech has lots of detail about them on p76-77: note that basic khaki, feldgrau or olive drab uniforms give +1 to Camouflage. A ghillie suit is inconvenient, but gives huge bonuses: a basic +3, and up to +8 for a highly skilled user. It also notes (p203) that you can use Camouflage to conceal traps outdoors, and that sensors can be Camouflaged (p205). Low-Tech adds to this (p126) with details for inappropriate clothing, use of paint, and garments less drastic than the ghillie suit. It also covers camouflage of doors, locks and traps. LTC3 has uses of Camouflage in hunting and trapping. Ultra-Tech has real-time active camouflage systems, bestowing the Chameleon advantage (B41) which does give a bonus to Stealth, plus programmable camouflage systems, which benefit Camouflage skill. Tactical Shooting adds lots of detailed advice on using Camouflage and SEALs in Vietnam has detailed period equipment. Fantasy-Tech 1 has a TL4^ ninja suit.

Camouflage is a basic military skill, but WWII doesn't actually have much to say about it, assuming that the basic idea is well-known. It wasn't universal in European-style armies before the start of the twentieth century, but it was always vital for less formal combat and hunting. Camouflage appears on templates in Action, Banestorm, Dragons, Dungeon Fantasy, Fantasy, Gun-Fu, Horror, Infinite Worlds, Lands Out of Time, Madness Dossier, Martial Arts, Fairbairn Close Combat Systems, Monster Hunters, Psis, Reign Of Steel: Will to Live, SEALs in Vietnam, Space, Supers and Zombies. It also appears on styles in Martial Arts, Yrth Fighting Styles and Tactical Shooting. PU2: Perks, PU3: Talents and PU7: Wildcard Skills have plenty of examples that include or assist Camouflage. There are no spells to boost the skill in Magic, but Conceal will substitute for it, andThaumatology has a Path/Book ritual that boosts this skill.

It seems clear that Camouflage gives static concealment: you don't have to make ongoing skill rolls to use it, provided you don't move. But if you move, Stealth is how you remain unnoticed. It's not clear if Chameleon gives automatic success at Camouflage, but I'd feel tempted to give it twice the bonus it gives to Stealth, which would mean that someone with Chameleon 3 and default Camouflage would be rolling at IQ+8, for close to automatic success.

Have you done something amazing with Camouflage in a game? Has it been more than a necessary skill for "we wait here and then ambush them?"

[RogerBW]

Going by my character archives, this is a very common skill, mostly because it shows up on military templates; but I haven't seen it actually used very often. In my WWII campaign, when the PCs are operating in enemy territory, it gets rolled to conceal an overnight (or more often over-day) hiding place.

Arguably it ought to be at least somewhat TL-based: while the basic principles of breaking up outlines may remain valid, the way you do that against overhead IR observation isn't entirely the same as what you do to stop deer noticing you. Perhaps a case for familiarities.

[vicky_molokh]

Not something I've done or seen done, but I'm planning a 15-16 camouflage for my character in an upcoming TL6 game (the Survival default is neat; thanks for reminding me about it).

Personally, I find the rules of Stealth and Camouflage annoyingly vague. Does a successful Camouflage negate the Plain Sight bonus for Vision rolls? Under what conditions does it make the character unseen, and under which does it merely provide -1 to be hit (why just to be hit and why precisely -1, no more?). How does moving slowly while wearing successfully-applied camo (e.g. crawling in a customised ghillie) get handled by the system? Etc. etc. etc.

[Mailanka]

It's a skill I honestly don't understand that well. I've been messing with a "tactical stealth" system concept for awhile, but I'm not really clear how Stealth and Camouflage really interact. Stealth seems to cover moving silently (that is, avoiding auditory detection) and hiding well (to avoid visual detection). It might "defend" against other senses, but that gets vague. It's not clear to me, for example, what skill I would use to avoid olfactory detection.

Camouflage seems to only help you avoid visual perception if you have appropriate tools and you aren't moving. In short, it seems to be something you use to hide something that is static (like throwing a camo-tarp over a tank or using camo to hide a sniper position) or as a sort of "second saving roll" against visual detection if your stealth roll failed. So, you step on a twig, the guard turns to look at you, you freeze, and you're in camouflage paint, so you roll camouflage vs his visual perception (with associated bonuses and penalties, like he gets a +10 if you're standing out in the open) and if you succeed, you remain undetected.

I think that's how it works. If so, it seems a rather marginal and niche skill compared to Stealth.

[sir_pudding]

Dungeon Fantasy 16: Wilderness Adventures clears up the difference between Stealth and Camouflage.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Dungeon Fantasy 16: Wilderness Adventures clears up the difference between Stealth and Camouflage.

You probably saw me post something like this recently, but I'm posting this here for the sake of global discussion:
I'm getting the impression that the rules found there are adjusted specifically for DF, since they produce several oddnesses that feel at home in DF but not in a more generic campaign (e.g. tying the distance in yards to MoS, which is fine in a dungeon or DF wilderness, but doesn't make much sense for sharpshooter-range engagements).
IIRC Kromm once said that rulings in DF should not be fitted to the rest of the system without thinking twice. Or something like that.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

You probably saw me post something like this recently, but I'm posting this here for the sake of global discussion:
I'm getting the impression that the rules found there are adjusted specifically for DF, since they produce several oddnesses that feel at home in DF but not in a more generic campaign (e.g. tying the distance in yards to MoS, which is fine in a dungeon or DF wilderness, but doesn't make much sense for sharpshooter-range engagements).

You are free to start your ambush whenever you can see the targets, the MoS range is the minimum engagement range.

IIRC Kromm once said that rulings in DF should not be fitted to the rest of the system without thinking twice. Or something like that.

He also said in "Ten for Ten":

Originally Posted by Pyramid #3/70: Fourth Edition Festival p. 15

Countless other rules that are too long for this piece
might have won a spot in the Basic Set, had they been in
the running 10 years ago (and had space there allowed!).
For instance:
...
• Ambushes (GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 16: Wilderness
Adventures, pp. 37-38) would clear up the scattered, oftencontradictory
rules for jumping your enemies.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by Mailanka

I think that's how it works. If so, it seems a rather marginal and niche skill compared to Stealth.

On the other hand, it's easier and can benefit from substantial equipment bonuses. And it may let you get rid of the 'in plain sight' bonus for enemy spotting.

Stealth is the premier skill for personal tactical sneakiness, but camouflage can have a lot to contribute to larger operations or ambushes.