Explosives (EOD) and DX 12+ Prerequisite

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

I wonder if police bomb-handling is more dangerous because of more pressure to check whether the thing you're dealing with actually needs to be detonated.



It seems like there might be occasional cases where you've got an explosive that's too big to satisfactorily detonate in place. If you wound up in possession of a big IED or a truck bomb inside an urban area where rubbling a couple blocks is undesirable, say. (Or unexploded WWII bombs in European cities...)

Sure, it does sometimes happen, under circumstances which you describe. That's why highly specialized law enforcement Bomb Squads and military EOD units include people who would have very high levels of Explosives (EOD), for the rare situations where remotely detonating the device is impossible or at least unacceptable from a political point of view.

But I think that what ordinary soldiers in combat engineering units do when they clear minefield is obviously a use of the skill Explosives (EOD), it's just a much easier skill check, with much less chance of danger for the character even if they are not notably agile or precise.

Hence, while exceptional EOD experts do exist and probably do have high DX (or High Manual Dexterity), IQ and Will in GURPS terms, not every character who can roll against Explosives (EOD) is someone who will ever defeat an anti-tamper device on a cleverly designed terrorist bomb. Most of them just make sure people are clear of the potential blast zone and remotely detonate the device.

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

I wonder if police bomb-handling is more dangerous because of more pressure to check whether the thing you're dealing with actually needs to be detonated.

Or when it's going to detonate if it's armed. Real bombs don't come with digital countdown timers on the casing.

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

It seems like there might be occasional cases where you've got an explosive that's too big to satisfactorily detonate in place. If you wound up in possession of a big IED or a truck bomb inside an urban area where rubbling a couple blocks is undesirable, say. (Or unexploded WWII bombs in European cities...)

I have a feeling that the the original Ordnance Disposal skill was heavily influenced by the experiences of WW2-era EOD officers, who regularly had to defuse large bombs which could include multiple anti-tamper devices as well as active timer fuses, with a constant arms race between bomb designers and UXO teams. This work was often carried out in difficult conditions (e.g., hanging off the side of buildings, in sewers or at the bottom of mine shafts dug to expose the bomb) so did require a fair bit of agility, as well as very steady hands to remove certain types of fuses. (FWIW, there's a good 1979 British TV series called Danger UXB which dramatizes some of this work.)

For TL8 OED work, I'd imagine that most tasks are IQ-based, including a certain amount of specialized Electronics (Communications/ECM/Security) security work to prevent remote detonation. Futuristic bombs might be triggered to explode merely by the act of scanning them.

[Shimmin Beg]

I created a Professional Skill (Digging) when tinkering with earth magic.

Digging: This is the skill of effectively and safely shifting earth with hands or tools. It defaults to DX-5. A successful roll allows you to avoid damaging, triggering, or otherwise disturbing obstacles and buried items, to coordinate as part of a digging team, or to conceal evidence of digging.
This skill allows you to apply your strength and tools effectively when you dig. Roll once per digging attempt. On a success, increase your Basic Lift by 5% per point by which you made your roll. This only affects your digging progress, not other uses of Basic Lift.
An IQ-based Digging roll can substitute for Engineer/TL3 or lower to design simple dug structures such as trenches or tunnels.

[acrosome]

Originally Posted by Icelander

Digging ditches may look like simple work, but there's technique and skill involved. I know, because I don't have the skills for it, and during the rare occasions I had to perform any physical labour during my youth of working myself through school, I was not just slightly slower than the chain-smoking, short, but squat experts, I dug so slowly compared to them that my contribution barely registered.

True. My grandfather was a coal miner, and that man could shovel like a fiend.

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by Shimmin Beg

I created a Professional Skill (Digging) when tinkering with earth magic.

This skill could also be folded into a number of Professional Skills such as construction worker, miner or well-digger. I'd also allow it to be part of Soldier skill at most TLs, although only soldiers who use a shovel on a regular basis would be as fast as a professional.

The skill also has a passing acquaintance with the Archeology and Masonry skills, but only at default level and only for certain tasks.

[Shimmin Beg]

Originally Posted by Pursuivant

This skill could also be folded into a number of Professional Skills such as construction worker, miner or well-digger. I'd also allow it to be part of Soldier skill at most TLs, although only soldiers who use a shovel on a regular basis would be as fast as a professional.

The skill also has a passing acquaintance with the Archeology and Masonry skills, but only at default level and only for certain tasks.

I'm definitely in favour of letting other Professional Skills cover it too.

I also had an Expert Skill (Excavation) for planning, managing, etc. which I could see being appropriate for a non-academic dig leader or an engineering/construction specialist who isn't interested in the other aspects.