Concealed Carry (CCW), Undercover Holsters, Holdout, IWB and real-world models

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Icelander

For the red parts, I'm not sure how a Per-based skill that receives Acute Vision bonuses can handle knowing and recognising regional accents.

Originally Posted by Icelander

In any case, I'd not use a Per-based check with a bonus for Acute Vision for analysing speech patterns. At best, IQ-based Observation and more probably require a roll against Intelligence Analysis (with Linguistics as a Complementary Skill, if possessed) to get such detail.

Why specifically Acute Vision? Observation says to apply Acute Senses as appropriate.

Originally Posted by Icelander

As for spotting that he's wearing contact lenses, how on Earth do you spot an item hidden at Holdout +4, but not even allow a check to spot the printing of a handgun hidden at Holdout -2?

Ahem, I can see people wearing contact lenses at a couple of yards while riding in the subway. Surely in better lighting one can see them too.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Why specifically Acute Vision? Observation says to apply Acute Senses as appropriate.

So it does. My mistake. I was going by the way GCA adds Acute Vision bonuses directly to Observation skill and didn't realise that the actual skill description in the Basic Set makes room for using Observation with other senses.

In that case, I would allow Observation to pick up that someone was speaking in a given regional accent. Of course, inferring further information from patterns of speech, things like: 'Bachelors or graduate degree. Educated in the US. Went to school on the East Coast. Native language Spanish, Peruvian or Bolivian.' (see Clear and Present Danger) would usually call for Intelligence Analysis, to interpret the data gathered with Observation.

Most realistic analysts probably have an Optional Speciality of Intelligence Analysis, combined with Techniques in their chosen field and several Complementary Skills. The unmodified Intelligence Analysis skill covers a wide range of specialised disciplines.

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Ahem, I can see people wearing contact lenses at a couple of yards while riding in the subway. Surely in better lighting one can see them too.

Yes, and people can see the shape of a concealed handgun through clothing at range too. That doesn't mean that people using contact lenses as part of a disguise aren't trying to hide the fact that they are wearing them, just as people carrying concealed weapons are trying to hide those.

Patting-down is a more reliable method of determining whether someone is carrying a concealed weapon, but I don't see how Observation can be competely useless for that purpose.

If that is the intent, why make a point in the description of Observation of noting how Search is the skill for hands-on searches? Doesn't that pretty much tell us that Observation is the skill for trying to determine by covert observation whether someone is hiding something on his body?

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Icelander

Matter of fact, I've often struggled with what skill to use to represent knowledge of accents. Linguistics skill can be used, but in real life, a lot of people who are good at noting details about someone from the way he talks don't have the first idea about actual Linguistics.

Perk: One-Task Wonder: Linguistics at IQ for recognising accents?

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Icelander

Yes, and people can see the shape of a concealed handgun through clothing at range too. That doesn't mean that people using contact lenses as part of a disguise aren't trying to hide the fact that they are wearing them, just as people carrying concealed weapons are trying to hide those.

I would classify both glasses and contacts as both equally in-the-open, not hidden.

[Sam Cade]

Originally Posted by Icelander

The Browning HP is certainly not the best choice for CCW, but it's what this character is used to and comfortable with. All in all, I don't think it's any worse than a Glock 17, which can also be concealed at Holdout -2, so it's at least possible.

A Hi-Power is a delightful carry pistol. They are short in the butt and since the lockup uses forward mounted lugs the slide itself is slender and rounded and doesn't have the wide flat top that a hood lockup requires.


Oh, and Hawaiian shirts. The patterns act as disruptive camouflage for lumps and bumps beneath.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by Sam Cade

A Hi-Power is a delightful carry pistol. They are short in the butt and since the lockup uses forward mounted lugs the slide itself is slender and rounded and doesn't have the wide flat top that a hood lockup requires.

From just handling them, the Browning HP seems better to carry than a Glock 17, but worse than Glock 19.

Originally Posted by Sam Cade

Oh, and Hawaiian shirts. The patterns act as disruptive camouflage for lumps and bumps beneath.

A happy accident. The PC is a veteran detective from Australia, with almost twenty years having passed since his military service, and he's meant to be very dismissive of Gucci-gear, tactical-buzz-word-spouting Americans who walk around in full battle-rattle despite their status as civilian contractors.

He's there to consult with Iraqi cops on police procedures and while he reluctantly conceded the need to carry a handgun for any wildly unforeseen situations, he pointedly refuses to abandon his normal casual and carefree style of dress.

Indications are that the PC will seize every opportunity to leave the bulky and uncomfortable belt with his tactical radio on it behind. Same for his work-related cell and sat phone.

He'll remember his own personal cell, which will be in his pocket. Of course, events in the campaign might serve to forcibly change the PC's habits, if he discovers that he urgently needs a more reliable comm device than a cell in a blazing hurry. But at the start of play, the PC is not an action hero, but a seasoned investigator who has found that a relaxed and approchable manner usually makes the rest of his job easier.

And though he heard shots fired in anger during his previous visits to Iraq as a ADFIS investigator in the Australian Army Reserve, they were not fired directly at him and his job did not actually include having to do anything about them.