[Basic] Skill of the week: Traps

[Humabout]

Originally Posted by whswhs

Wouldn't that be Poisons?

Chemists can make explosives, corrosives, tear gas, etc., not just poisons.

[Flyndaran]

I was thinking more like MacGyver that used basic chemistry for traps in a few episodes.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Humabout

Chemists can make explosives, corrosives, tear gas, etc., not just poisons.

My primary point was that poisoning someone called for Poisons skill rather than Traps skill. I suppose you could use Traps for a delivery system, but making a poison that worked would call for Poisons.

My secondary point was to question using Chemistry to do poisons at all. The Basic Set says that Poisons defaults to Chemistry-5 or Pharmacy-3, which seems to say that though anyone in those professions will know a little about toxic effects, details like taste, dose, detectability, and concealment may be outside their competence.

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by whswhs

My primary point was that poisoning someone called for Poisons skill rather than Traps skill. I suppose you could use Traps for a delivery system, but making a poison that worked would call for Poisons.

My secondary point was to question using Chemistry to do poisons at all. The Basic Set says that Poisons defaults to Chemistry-5 or Pharmacy-3, which seems to say that though anyone in those professions will know a little about toxic effects, details like taste, dose, detectability, and concealment may be outside their competence.

Your the first person to mention poisons, so you questioning it's utility for making Poisons sounds odd.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by evileeyore

Your the first person to mention poisons, so you questioning it's utility for making Poisons sounds odd.

What other purpose would Chemistry have with regards to traps other than poisons/toxins of some sort?

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by evileeyore

Your the first person to mention poisons, so you questioning it's utility for making Poisons sounds odd.

d10 said, and I quote, "Its a great skill that can be completely deadly in the hands of a chemist (who has the right knowledge)." That sounds like poisons to me.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by whswhs

d10 said, and I quote, "Its a great skill that can be completely deadly in the hands of a chemist (who has the right knowledge)." That sounds like poisons to me.

Whether d10 meant poisons or not, Humabout presented a list of non-poison deadly chemistry...

[johndallman]

There's no need to set verbal traps for each other, guys.

[(E)]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

What other purpose would Chemistry have with regards to traps other than poisons/toxins of some sort?

Here are a few ideas, Explosives, triggers, timers, adhesives, lubricants.

[malloyd]

One thing that's a bit irritating about Traps (and to a degree it's close relative Lockpicking) is how poorly it fits in with the rest of GURPS tech skills. I tend to think of it as a slightly odd version of Mechanic, which I also consider the appropriate skill to build or sabotage a machine, but then people use it for design too, so maybe it's Engineering?