What skill(s) would best capture Logistics?

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Rick_Smith

I would like to make a character who is a bit of a logistics genius, but what skill would best cover this? I've read thru the business and military skills, and I have not seen anything that looks like a great match.

Thanks!

Warm regards, Rick.

As someone who has actually worked in security logistics and planning I can tell you with absolute certainty it is a function of Administration. . . but other skills can add a bonus. Area Knowledge, Current Affairs, Finance, Geography, Intelligence Analysis, and Navigation all play a roll (snrk). Psychology and Psychology might be relevant as well when dealing with the needs of living beings - but that is probably going too far. What we think of as logistics is a bit of a false hydra because it's more like a group of skills - not really one skills.

I'm loathe to suggest a Expert Skill or Professional Skill . . . but that could work too! There are a lot of little things that are just not covered by other skills that knowing make the job so much easier. Like types of shrink wrap used depending on environment or pallet size is non-standard to where you are shipping. Or the approximate amount of breakage/slippage depending on locality and length of trip. Fuel estimates are similiar as is risk in social situations.

The point here is this: for gaming purposes you can use Administration and it'll be just fine.

Notice I didn't put Freight Handling, Packing, etc. Those are the practical skills of logistics. Many successful folks have those skills as well as the more boring bureaucratic side of things. Experience always counts and always helps.

[Varyon]

I kinda go back and forth on Strategy when it comes to military logistics. On the one hand, knowing what is needed when and where is critical in terms of actually getting it to the troops. On the other hand, it seems like you'd have your generals (and lower ranks) handling that part and it would be up to the user of Administration to actually handle the logistics of getting the stuff where it's needed in a timely fashion. So you could readily have your "Logistics Wizard" having sky-high Administration (Logistics) without any Strategy skill to back it up.

[Rick_Smith]

Thank you all VERY much, this discussion is exactly what I was looking for!

This is a science fiction campaign, so Computer Op.s is key.


This is what I'm going to suggest:

Top Tier (put many points into):
Administration. (And make sure you are Literate.)

Second Tier (put 2 to 4 points into):
Computer Operations.
Merchant.
Strategy. (Understand what is needed, and how enemy is likely to mess you up.)

Third Tier (put maybe 1 point into):
Freight Handling.
Intelligence Analysis.
Mechanics.
Scrounging.
Writing. (Write many messages concisely and clearly.)

Personal Skills for dealing with people:
Leadership.
Diplomacy.
Streetwise. (If you are forced to deal with a black market this largely replaces merchant.)

If you are a political VIP in charge of Logistics:
Politics.
Finance. (Plus ALL of the personal skills above.)

If you are in a low tech campaign and things are smaller and more personal:
Animal Handling.
Packing.
Boating. (Boats and ships are the way to move lots of stuff in a low tech setting.)

I was looking for one skill, but it is now clear to me that this is a set of skills.

I'm tempted to make advantage: Talent (Logistics Genius) which gives a bonus for the top 9 skills on this list for 10 points. (You get either Computer Op.s or Packing depending on TL.)

Thanks again!

Warm regards, Rick

[SRoach]

My grandfather was a sales manager for a leader of a major commodity industry. I'm told a key part of his job was FORECASTING. Figuring out what was going to be needed when, so the plant could already be producing it when the orders started to come in.
That might roll under Strategy. I don't know.

[thrash]

Originally Posted by SRoach

My grandfather was a sales manager for a leader of a major commodity industry. I'm told a key part of his job was FORECASTING. Figuring out what was going to be needed when, so the plant could already be producing it when the orders started to come in.
That might roll under Strategy. I don't know.

I had thought that would be covered by Market Analysis, but the skill as written applies to financial instruments (stocks, bonds, etc.) rather than markets more generally. I suggest Merchant instead.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by thrash

II suggest Merchant instead.

Yes, anticipating what people are going to want in the future (and/or other places) so you can buy low and sell high is core to Merchant at any TL.

[dcarson]

A point into Law and Politics might be useful so that shipments don't get held up. One place I worked we shipped a radar unit to the local airport. The local port officials held it for something like 5-6 months. How much was the paperwork was not right and how much was local politics I have no idea, I was very peripheral.
In Afghanistan there were a handful of Coast Guard sent there. Because they knew how to pack and do the right paperwork so that heavy items that had to go overland through Pakistan to their ports would not end up sitting on the dock while paperwork problems were straightened out.

[The Colonel]

Originally Posted by dcarson

A point into Law and Politics might be useful so that shipments don't get held up. One place I worked we shipped a radar unit to the local airport. The local port officials held it for something like 5-6 months. How much was the paperwork was not right and how much was local politics I have no idea, I was very peripheral.
In Afghanistan there were a handful of Coast Guard sent there. Because they knew how to pack and do the right paperwork so that heavy items that had to go overland through Pakistan to their ports would not end up sitting on the dock while paperwork problems were straightened out.

Second that - anyone working in civilian logistics needs to be able to pick their way through the mess of customs duty, various embargos and licencing regimes and all sorts of other cruft before they can ship overseas.

[Donny Brook]

Originally Posted by thrash

I had thought that would be covered by Market Analysis, but the skill as written applies to financial instruments (stocks, bonds, etc.) rather than markets more generally. I suggest Merchant instead.

In a sense the market for container ship capacity and port facility access is a very specialized niche of financial markets.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by thrash

I had thought that would be covered by Market Analysis, but the skill as written applies to financial instruments (stocks, bonds, etc.) rather than markets more generally.

Yet Market Analysis shows up on templates in Banestorm, where I'm pretty sure there aren't many markets in financial instruments. I reckon it applies to markets in general, but financial instrument markets were very prominent in the early days of GURPS.