[Basic] Skill of the week: Machinist

johndallman · 03-04-2016, 01:48 PM

Machinist is the IQ/Average TL skill of making and modifying machine parts and tools, usually from metal. The skill becomes more significant at TL5, and Smith less so, when machines and machine tools become economically important, but it exists for tool-making from TL0. The defaults are IQ-5 or Mechanic (any)-5; some Armoury specialisations at TL5+ and all Mechanic specialisations have defaults to Machinist. Modifiers include High Manual Dexterity and Ham-Fisted for DX-based rolls, Artificer talent, and equipment modifiers. The skill appeared at GURPS 4e.

With a successful skill roll, you can make parts from raw materials, make tools, or modify simple machines that don't come under another skill. Machinist is more or less a "repair" skill in design/repair/use triads, but it's slightly meta as compared to Mechanic. Well-trained mechanics often have Machinist as well: it lets you escape from the limits imposed by available parts and tools. Inventors may well need Machinist skill to build parts for gadgets.

Machinist is a backroom kind of skill, not often dangerous or exciting, and is fairly rare on published templates. Action makes it an option for the Demolition Man, gives it uses in breaking in, disabling machines, and jury-rigging, and includes it in many of the Specialists packages. Banestorm's Underground Engineers can use it, secretly. High-Tech has lots of applications for the skill, plus tools and workshops; Low-Tech covers tool-making from stone onwards -- stone-age surgeons need a good machinist to replace their instruments daily -- and LTC3 uses it for bone, horn and shell tools and implies that clockmakers need it to make their own tools. PU2, PU3 and PU7 have examples for this skill. Powers can apply Machinist to the Control advantage, and it also works with appropriate Chinese Elemental Powers and Magical Styles. Reign of Steel: Will to Live has a lot of templates with this skill, but they're all robots, or humans under robot rule. Ultra-Tech has marvellous tools and integrated factories, and the skill is really handy in making tools and barriers for use against Zombies.

Using Machinist at the IQ default involves operating dangerous machines. As a physics freshman at an engineering-orientated university I got enough Machinist training to have a default at TL7, and a lot of that was about safety. The job of "fitter", which was important in early mass-production industries, also seems to fall under this skill: fitters assembled products from parts that weren't produced to sufficient precision to fit together without being filed down in places, or having shims added. Welders, riveters and other specialised metal-workers also presumably use this skill, possibly with optional specialisations.

Have you used Machinist in a game?

03-04-2016, 01:48 PM	#1
johndallman Night Watchman Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Cambridge, UK	[Basic] Skill of the week: Machinist Machinist is the IQ/Average TL skill of making and modifying machine parts and tools, usually from metal. The skill becomes more significant at TL5, and Smith less so, when machines and machine tools become economically important, but it exists for tool-making from TL0. The defaults are IQ-5 or Mechanic (any)-5; some Armoury specialisations at TL5+ and all Mechanic specialisations have defaults to Machinist. Modifiers include High Manual Dexterity and Ham-Fisted for DX-based rolls, Artificer talent, and equipment modifiers. The skill appeared at GURPS 4e. With a successful skill roll, you can make parts from raw materials, make tools, or modify simple machines that don't come under another skill. Machinist is more or less a "repair" skill in design/repair/use triads, but it's slightly meta as compared to Mechanic. Well-trained mechanics often have Machinist as well: it lets you escape from the limits imposed by available parts and tools. Inventors may well need Machinist skill to build parts for gadgets. Machinist is a backroom kind of skill, not often dangerous or exciting, and is fairly rare on published templates. *Action* makes it an option for the Demolition Man, gives it uses in breaking in, disabling machines, and jury-rigging, and includes it in many of the Specialists packages. *Banestorm's Underground Engineers can use it, secretly. High-Tech* has lots of applications for the skill, plus tools and workshops; *Low-Tech* covers tool-making from stone onwards -- stone-age surgeons need a good machinist to replace their instruments daily -- and *LTC3* uses it for bone, horn and shell tools and implies that clockmakers need it to make their own tools. *PU2, PU3* and *PU7* have examples for this skill. *Powers* can apply Machinist to the Control advantage, and it also works with appropriate *Chinese Elemental Powers* and *Magical Styles. Reign of Steel: Will to Live* has a lot of templates with this skill, but they're all robots, or humans under robot rule. *Ultra-Tech* has marvellous tools and integrated factories, and the skill is really handy in making tools and barriers for use against *Zombies. Using Machinist at the IQ default involves operating dangerous machines. As a physics freshman at an engineering-orientated university I got enough Machinist training to have a default at TL7, and a lot* of that was about safety. The job of "fitter", which was important in early mass-production industries, also seems to fall under this skill: fitters assembled products from parts that weren't produced to sufficient precision to fit together without being filed down in places, or having shims added. Welders, riveters and other specialised metal-workers also presumably use this skill, possibly with optional specialisations. Have you used Machinist in a game?