[Basic] Skills of the week: Carpentry and Masonry

johndallman · 10-25-2014, 08:57 AM

Carpentry and Masonry are IQ/E craft skills, mostly about building practical stuff. There are Artistic skills that do the same kind of thing to artistic ends: Artist (Woodworking) defaults to Carpentry -3, but Artist (Sculpture) doesn't default to Masonry, presumably because it can use other media. Housekeeping can replace either skill for simple household repairs. Carpentry is more often useful in breaking and entering. Masonry lets you organise simple engineering tasks, at Masonry-3.

Tools are very important for both skills, and Carpentry, though not Masonry, tool kits are in Basic. More tools for both skills are found in Low-Tech, along with details on low-tech armoury and security systems, and LTC3 adds much more on mundane work and business. High-Tech and Ultra-Tech have Carpentry tools, although the UT ones don't seem very imaginative.

There are powers in Chinese Elemental Powers that substitute for fine-quality Carpentry and Masonry tools, and the Shape Plant spell from Magic does much the same for Carpentry, although Shape Earth doesn't help Masonry. Underground Adventures has Masonry as the primary skill of miners, and several Techniques for the skill.

PU3: Talents has a couple of talents, including the ever-popular Artificer, that include both skills. PU6: Quirks and PU7: Wildcard Skills have examples including carpentry. Templates including one or both skills can be found in Banestorm, Crusades, Dragons, Fantasy, Reign of Steel: Will to Live, SEALs in Vietnam, Supers, Underground Adventures and Zombies.

I don't think I have ever used either skill in a GURPS game. They seem to exist mostly for simulative, rather than dramatic, purposes. I have done quite a lot with stone-working for D&D dwarves, but my only GURPS dwarf character is a bard.

Have these skills been important in any of your games?

10-25-2014, 08:57 AM	#1
johndallman Night Watchman Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Cambridge, UK	[Basic] Skills of the week: Carpentry and Masonry Carpentry and Masonry are IQ/E craft skills, mostly about building practical stuff. There are Artistic skills that do the same kind of thing to artistic ends: Artist (Woodworking) defaults to Carpentry -3, but Artist (Sculpture) doesn't default to Masonry, presumably because it can use other media. Housekeeping can replace either skill for simple household repairs. Carpentry is more often useful in breaking and entering. Masonry lets you organise simple engineering tasks, at Masonry-3. Tools are very important for both skills, and Carpentry, though not Masonry, tool kits are in Basic. More tools for both skills are found in *Low-Tech, along with details on low-tech armoury and security systems, and LTC3* adds much more on mundane work and business. *High-Tech* and *Ultra-Tech* have Carpentry tools, although the UT ones don't seem very imaginative. There are powers in *Chinese Elemental Powers* that substitute for fine-quality Carpentry and Masonry tools, and the Shape Plant spell from *Magic* does much the same for Carpentry, although Shape Earth doesn't help Masonry. *Underground Adventures* has Masonry as the primary skill of miners, and several Techniques for the skill. *PU3: Talents* has a couple of talents, including the ever-popular Artificer, that include both skills. *PU6: Quirks* and *PU7: Wildcard Skills* have examples including carpentry. Templates including one or both skills can be found in *Banestorm, Crusades, Dragons, Fantasy, Reign of Steel: Will to Live, SEALs in Vietnam, Supers, Underground Adventures* and *Zombies*. I don't think I have ever used either skill in a GURPS game. They seem to exist mostly for simulative, rather than dramatic, purposes. I have done quite a lot with stone-working for D&D dwarves, but my only GURPS dwarf character is a bard. Have these skills been important in any of your games?