Re: [Basic] Skill of the week: Traps
 

Chemists can make explosives, corrosives, tear gas, etc., not just poisons.

Re: [Basic] Skill of the week: Traps
 

I was thinking more like MacGyver that used basic chemistry for traps in a few episodes.

Re: [Basic] Skill of the week: Traps
 

My primary point was that poisoning someone called for Poisons skill rather than Traps skill. I suppose you could use Traps for a delivery system, but making a poison that worked would call for Poisons.

My secondary point was to question using Chemistry to do poisons at all. The Basic Set says that Poisons defaults to Chemistry-5 or Pharmacy-3, which seems to say that though anyone in those professions will know a little about toxic effects, details like taste, dose, detectability, and concealment may be outside their competence.

Re: [Basic] Skill of the week: Traps
 

Your the first person to mention poisons, so you questioning it's utility for making Poisons sounds odd.

Re: [Basic] Skill of the week: Traps
 

What other purpose would Chemistry have with regards to traps other than poisons/toxins of some sort?

Re: [Basic] Skill of the week: Traps
 

d10 said, and I quote, "Its a great skill that can be completely deadly in the hands of a chemist (who has the right knowledge)." That sounds like poisons to me.

Re: [Basic] Skill of the week: Traps
 

Whether d10 meant poisons or not, Humabout presented a list of non-poison deadly chemistry...

Re: [Basic] Skill of the week: Traps
 

There's no need to set verbal traps for each other, guys.

Re: [Basic] Skill of the week: Traps
 

Here are a few ideas, Explosives, triggers, timers, adhesives, lubricants.

Re: [Basic] Skill of the week: Traps
 

One thing that's a bit irritating about Traps (and to a degree it's close relative Lockpicking) is how poorly it fits in with the rest of GURPS tech skills. I tend to think of it as a slightly odd version of Mechanic, which I also consider the appropriate skill to build or sabotage a machine, but then people use it for design too, so maybe it's Engineering?