[Basic] Skill of the week: Explosives

johndallman · 05-09-2015, 04:10 AM

Explosives is the IQ/A skill of working with explosive and incendiary materials. It has several specialisations: (Demolition), for blowing stuff up; (Explosive Ordnance Disposal), for making explosives safe; (Fireworks), for making pyrotechnic devices; (Nuclear Ordnance Disposal), for making nuclear devices safe, and (Underwater Demolition), for doing (Demolition) underwater. All of these were separate skills under 3e, and drawing them together is a good example of the ways that skills changed at 4e. Most of the skills default to each other at -4, but the two kinds of Disposal default to each other at -2, and (Demolitions) and (Underwater Demolitions) do the same. (Demolition) defaults to Engineer (Mining) or (Combat) at -3, with reverse defaults at -6 and (Fireworks) defaults to Chemistry -3.

Explosives skills are not something you want to do hurriedly or carelessly: modifiers include -1 to -5 for distractions, Time Spent (B346), and equipment modifiers. Some disadvantages also seem contra-indicated to me, notably Klutz and Overconfidence. The prerequisite of DX12 or better for (EOD) (and presumably (NOD)) is a bit strange as a hard requirement, and seems to the only case of a skill with a basic attribute prerequisite in Basic. Saying that the military and police forces that do most (EOD) training normally demand above-average DX in candidates might make more sense, in much the same way as the description of (Underwater Demolition) says that you usually need Swimming or Scuba skill to make use of UD. The Flexibility advantage is also useful for getting into places where explosives need to go, or be removed. And Luck is valuable when dealing with things that Are Not Your Friend.

If you have Explosives skill, it's wise to have it at a decent level, and to try to get all the bonuses you can manage. Failures are always risky, and (EOD) is downright dangerous, given that you need to win a QC against the maker of the device you're trying to disarm.

Explosives is (mostly) a Use skill in the Design/Repair/Use triad scheme. Quite a few Engineer specialisations include designing applications of explosives, but there doesn't seem to be a Repair skill: fixing damaged explosive systems may well be considered too dangerous. Creating new kinds of explosive is Chemistry, and manufacturing them is chemical-plant operation.

Explosive traps are set with (Demolitions) at -2, rather than Traps skill, and that penalty can be bought off with the Set Trap technique. Basic also points out that the Work by Touch technique can be bought for Explosives specialisations.

Rules for explosions and blowing stuff up are on B414-415, and are expanded on P181-189 of High-Tech. Low-Tech covers TL3-4 explosives and incendiaries, which demand care and respect, on P84-87. Tactical Shooting adds improvised explosive devices, and Ultra-Tech covers science-fictional explosives and supporting equipment, although I'm terrified by the low price of antimatter at TL12, even if it is LC0. Underground Adventures has non-combat explosives applications, in tunnelling and seismology.

Explosives skills are fairly common on templates for high-tech characters, with (Demolition) being the most common. Action naturally has a lot about Explosives, too much to summarise. High-Tech has more details of equipment, throughout the book. Monster Hunters has less explosive detail than Action, but it should be easy to apply the Action rules if required. Surprisingly, there are no Talents in PU3 that include Explosives, although there are several applicable wildcards in PU7. PU1, Powers and Chinese Elemental Powers cover using powers with Explosives skills. Space adds (Nuclear Demolition) specialisation, and Zombies warns of the drawbacks of blowing up contagious enemies.

I've seen (Demolition) used a lot, by the Demolition Woman in our Action/Reign of Steel game, and done a bit myself, feeding ten pounds of time-fused RDX to the Great Worm of Bethnal Green in a WWII campaign. EOD has so far been left to NPC specialists, and my Elizabethan character with (Fireworks) never got to use it.

How have you exploded a scenario, or defused one?

05-09-2015, 04:10 AM	#1
johndallman Night Watchman Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Cambridge, UK	[Basic] Skill of the week: Explosives Explosives is the IQ/A skill of working with explosive and incendiary materials. It has several specialisations: (Demolition), for blowing stuff up; (Explosive Ordnance Disposal), for making explosives safe; (Fireworks), for making pyrotechnic devices; (Nuclear Ordnance Disposal), for making nuclear devices safe, and (Underwater Demolition), for doing (Demolition) underwater. All of these were separate skills under 3e, and drawing them together is a good example of the ways that skills changed at 4e. Most of the skills default to each other at -4, but the two kinds of Disposal default to each other at -2, and (Demolitions) and (Underwater Demolitions) do the same. (Demolition) defaults to Engineer (Mining) or (Combat) at -3, with reverse defaults at -6 and (Fireworks) defaults to Chemistry -3. Explosives skills are not something you want to do hurriedly or carelessly: modifiers include -1 to -5 for distractions, Time Spent (B346), and equipment modifiers. Some disadvantages also seem contra-indicated to me, notably Klutz and Overconfidence. The prerequisite of DX12 or better for (EOD) (and presumably (NOD)) is a bit strange as a hard requirement, and seems to the only case of a skill with a basic attribute prerequisite in Basic. Saying that the military and police forces that do most (EOD) training normally demand above-average DX in candidates might make more sense, in much the same way as the description of (Underwater Demolition) says that you usually need Swimming or Scuba skill to make use of UD. The Flexibility advantage is also useful for getting into places where explosives need to go, or be removed. And Luck is valuable when dealing with things that Are Not Your Friend. If you have Explosives skill, it's wise to have it at a decent level, and to try to get all the bonuses you can manage. Failures are always risky, and (EOD) is downright dangerous, given that you need to win a QC against the maker of the device you're trying to disarm. Explosives is (mostly) a Use skill in the Design/Repair/Use triad scheme. Quite a few Engineer specialisations include designing applications of explosives, but there doesn't seem to be a Repair skill: fixing damaged explosive systems may well be considered too dangerous. Creating new kinds of explosive is Chemistry, and manufacturing them is chemical-plant operation. Explosive traps are set with (Demolitions) at -2, rather than Traps skill, and that penalty can be bought off with the Set Trap technique. Basic also points out that the Work by Touch technique can be bought for Explosives specialisations. Rules for explosions and blowing stuff up are on B414-415, and are expanded on P181-189 of *High-Tech. Low-Tech* covers TL3-4 explosives and incendiaries, which demand care and respect, on P84-87. *Tactical Shooting* adds improvised explosive devices, and *Ultra-Tech* covers science-fictional explosives and supporting equipment, although I'm terrified by the low price of antimatter at TL12, even if it is LC0. *Underground Adventures* has non-combat explosives applications, in tunnelling and seismology. Explosives skills are fairly common on templates for high-tech characters, with (Demolition) being the most common. *Action* naturally has a lot about Explosives, too much to summarise. *High-Tech* has more details of equipment, throughout the book. *Monster Hunters* has less explosive detail than Action, but it should be easy to apply the Action rules if required. Surprisingly, there are no Talents in *PU3* that include Explosives, although there are several applicable wildcards in *PU7. PU1, Powers* and *Chinese Elemental Powers* cover using powers with Explosives skills. *Space* adds (Nuclear Demolition) specialisation, and *Zombies* warns of the drawbacks of blowing up contagious enemies. I've seen (Demolition) used a lot, by the Demolition Woman in our Action/Reign of Steel game, and done a bit myself, feeding ten pounds of time-fused RDX to the Great Worm of Bethnal Green in a WWII campaign. EOD has so far been left to NPC specialists, and my Elizabethan character with (Fireworks) never got to use it. How have you exploded a scenario, or defused one?