Talent: Maker of things that go boom

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Michele

Yes, you are probably right. It was just too suitable...

I would definitely think about Technique Mastery (Set Trap) though.

Originally Posted by Michele

Architecture or Engineer (Civil) would seem more or less equally appropriate for knowing the targets.

Architecture pretty much covers where to put explosives on buildings, Engineer (Combat) works for getting rid of forticfications and such.

Originally Posted by Michele

What is the TL of your campaign? From TL7 onwards, I really think electronics play a role. Of course Explosives (Demolitions), one way or another, includes detonators, fuses, triggering devices etc.; but somebody with that skill might only be able to _use_ ready-made devices of that sort. A bomb maker can design his own, or at least adapt alarm clocks, cell phones, assorted circuitry etc.

Usually TL8. I really wouldn't think you'd need to know how to design a alarm clock to improvise and use it for a trigger device. I can tell you for fact that I have *no* points (hypothetically speaking) in Engineer (Electronics) but the pipe bomb I designed for my chem lab practical used a beeper worked like a charm (I got a A for originality but a F because...well it was a pipe bomb). I think Explosives (Demolition)+4 would be sufficient for this, or +0 if you wanted to be a hard case. If you know a little bit about how a given device might work you could easily adapt it.

Just my 2 cents.

Edit: Just so anyone reading this knows the chem project was to create a useful object from household materials. I like making fireworks (occasionally) and this sort of seemed like a natural extension. We even got to fire my little masterpiece off behind the football field. Before anyone asks, no I'm not a terrorist :P

[Michele]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

Usually TL8. I really wouldn't think you'd need to know how to design a alarm clock to improvise and use it for a trigger device. I can tell you for fact that I have *no* points (hypothetically speaking) in Engineer (Electronics) but the pipe bomb I designed for my chem lab practical used a beeper worked like a charm (I got a A for originality but a F because...well it was a pipe bomb). I think Explosives (Demolition)+4 would be sufficient for this, or +0 if you wanted to be a hard case. If you know a little bit about how a given device might work you could easily adapt it.

Thanks for the input.
You are right, being able to design an alarm clock is very probably excessive, so Engineer (Electronics) might be too much. But then again I'm not sure Explosives (Demolitions) automatically includes adapting existing electronics to this purpose. It would rather be an IQ default, I suppose, but once you do it over and over, I guess you'd acquire some knowledge, even if self-taught. Just, it might not be Engineer-level. Maybe Electronic Repairs?

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Michele

Thanks for the input.
You are right, being able to design an alarm clock is very probably excessive, so Engineer (Electronics) might be too much. But then again I'm not sure Explosives (Demolitions) automatically includes adapting existing electronics to this purpose. It would rather be an IQ default, I suppose, but once you do it over and over, I guess you'd acquire some knowledge, even if self-taught. Just, it might not be Engineer-level. Maybe Electronic Repairs?

If your sure that Explosives (Demolitions) wouldn't work (which I think it should, seems like a fairly easy thing). You might want to consider One-Task Wonder (Engineer (Electronics) defaults to IQ for improvising timers, detonators, etc.); that would do the trick. Maybe a less than generous default to Explosives (Demolitions) could be the way to go, say around -2. Last character I had in a game with this talent used to work for the IRA and had:

Mad Bomber 4 [20]
High Manuel Dexterity 4 [20]
One Task Wonder (as above) [1]
Efficient (Chemistry) [1]
Efficient (Explosives (Demolition) [1]
Dabbler (Explosives (EOD), Explosives (Demolition)-1; Explosives (UD), Explosives (Demolition)-1) [1]
Duel Ready (Explosive/Detonator) [1]

45 points (not including skills and such) and his character was the king of the fuse.


Ghostdancer

Edit: Now that I think about it, -2 seems about right, maybe even create a technique for it "Improvised Device".

[Anders]

What if you want to make pocket nukes? Is that covered by Explosives at high TL?

Edit: I'd add Intuition (Task-Limited) for questions such as "red or green wire?"

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by Asta Kask

What if you want to make pocket nukes? Is that covered by Explosives at high TL?

I'd think so, within the same limits as Explosives skill applies to chemical explosives. That is you can assemble a device if you have the parts, but generally you need other skills to produce those parts or the actual explosive material.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Asta Kask

What if you want to make pocket nukes? Is that covered by Explosives at high TL?

Maybe. But I'd go with having Physics as a prerequisite there.

Originally Posted by Asta Kask

Edit: I'd add Intuition (Task-Limited) for questions such as "red or green wire?"

Good idea. I'll remind the player of that if he gets back from the Rack.

Originally Posted by malloyd

I'd think so, within the same limits as Explosives skill applies to chemical explosives. That is you can assemble a device if you have the parts, but generally you need other skills to produce those parts or the actual explosive material.

Hmmm. I'd still think you'd need Physics or Physics (Nuclear) at the minimum.

That is a good question though. I wish Hans or S. Fisher would chime in, those guys know there stuff for sure.

Ghostdancer

[lexington]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

Maybe. But I'd go with having Physics as a prerequisite there.

Certainly if you wanted to invent them you'd need Physics but the design just requires that you know how to make something implode very precisely and that seems to mainly be an engineering problem so Explosives should cover it.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by lexington

Certainly if you wanted to invent them you'd need Physics but the design just requires that you know how to make something implode very precisely and that seems to mainly be an engineering problem so Explosives should cover it.

I'm talking out my arse here, I have no real working knowledge of physics. I basically know how a nuke functions (real basic here). So meh, I guess if you did have the radioactive substance the explosion trigger would be like you said, a engineering problem. Still I feel like a working knowledge of Physics should probably be required to build one.

Ghostdancer

[cccwebs]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

I'm talking out my arse here, I have no real working knowledge of physics. I basically know how a nuke functions (real basic here). So meh, I guess if you did have the radioactive substance the explosion trigger would be like you said, a engineering problem. Still I feel like a working knowledge of Physics should probably be required to build one.

Ghostdancer

Any idiot, well almost any idiot, can be taught to put something together without ever actually knowing the underlying principles of how it works.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by cccwebs

Any idiot, well almost any idiot, can be taught to put something together without ever actually knowing the underlying principles of how it works.

You trying to infer something there? :P