[Basic] Skill of the week: Forced Entry

johndallman · 07-18-2015, 03:55 AM

"Open up if you value your door!" -- Obelix.

Forced Entry is the DX/E skill of breaking through doors, windows and the like by main force, without hurting yourself. There is no default, but you can often use combat skills in place of it. A skill roll allows an attack with a kick or an impact weapon. If you have Forced Entry at DX+1 you get +1/die to basic swing or thrust damage, +2/die for skill at DX+2, and the same +1 or +2 to ST rolls for breaking in. The skill and bonuses can also be used to break inanimate objects out of combat. It's not clear if Forced Entry damage bonuses are cumulative with bonuses from Karate, or an applicable Weapon Master advantage, but I suspect they aren't.

In settings where adventurers go round with big impact weapons a lot, this skill can seem redundant, as discussed in Template Toolkit 1: Characters. It's more obviously useful in modern settings, with fewer war-hammers and battle-axes; it would make sense as a complementary skill to Explosives (Demolitions) for opening doors with explosives.

Forced Entry shows up on templates for all kinds of intruders, as a primary skill for infiltrators, thieves and thugs, and many GURPS books have equipment worth +1 to skill under appropriate circumstances. Action (and Monster Hunters) provide rules for getting through modern-day security with this skill. DF does likewise for its setting, has racial talents for dwarves and gnomes that include this skill, and has ST- and IQ-based applications for tavern and wilderness environments. High-Tech and Low-Tech have a lot of tools, which confirm Forced Entry as the general skill for breaking things, not just houses. A surprising number of the Talents in PU3 and Wildcard skills in PU7 feature Forced Entry. Tactical Shooting has Forced Entry via guns, and Chinese Elemental Powers via abilities. Underground Adventures allows application of Forced Entry bonuses to muscle-powered tools in mining and tunnelling.

I don't think I've ever used this skill, as such. A few of my characters have had a point in it, but they're either been burgling more quietly, via Lockpicking, or using explosives.

What have you busted into?

07-18-2015, 03:55 AM	#1
johndallman Night Watchman Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Cambridge, UK	[Basic] Skill of the week: Forced Entry "Open up if you value your door!" -- Obelix. Forced Entry is the DX/E skill of breaking through doors, windows and the like by main force, without hurting yourself. There is no default, but you can often use combat skills in place of it. A skill roll allows an attack with a kick or an impact weapon. If you have Forced Entry at DX+1 you get +1/die to basic swing or thrust damage, +2/die for skill at DX+2, and the same +1 or +2 to ST rolls for breaking in. The skill and bonuses can also be used to break inanimate objects out of combat. It's not clear if Forced Entry damage bonuses are cumulative with bonuses from Karate, or an applicable Weapon Master advantage, but I suspect they aren't. In settings where adventurers go round with big impact weapons a lot, this skill can seem redundant, as discussed in *Template Toolkit 1: Characters. It's more obviously useful in modern settings, with fewer war-hammers and battle-axes; it would make sense as a complementary skill to Explosives (Demolitions) for opening doors with explosives. Forced Entry shows up on templates for all kinds of intruders, as a primary skill for infiltrators, thieves and thugs, and many GURPS books have equipment worth +1 to skill under appropriate circumstances. Action* (and *Monster Hunters) provide rules for getting through modern-day security with this skill. DF does likewise for its setting, has racial talents for dwarves and gnomes that include this skill, and has ST- and IQ-based applications for tavern and wilderness environments. High-Tech* and *Low-Tech* have a lot of tools, which confirm Forced Entry as the general skill for breaking things, not just houses. A surprising number of the Talents in *PU3* and Wildcard skills in *PU7* feature Forced Entry. *Tactical Shooting* has Forced Entry via guns, and *Chinese Elemental Powers* via abilities. *Underground Adventures* allows application of Forced Entry bonuses to muscle-powered tools in mining and tunnelling. I don't think I've ever used this skill, as such. A few of my characters have had a point in it, but they're either been burgling more quietly, via Lockpicking, or using explosives. What have you busted into?