GURPS skill used to assemble a bomb?

[lord_bosco]

What skill in GURPS would you use to assemble an improvised explosive device? It seems like some flavor of Armoury would be most applicable, but I don't see a specialization that applies.

So is Explosives (Demolition) the catch-all to build, repair, and use bombs?

[ULFGARD]

Originally Posted by lord_bosco

What skill in GURPS would you use to assemble an improvised explosive device? It seems like some flavor of Armoury would be most applicable, but I don't see a specialization that applies.

So is Explosives (Demolition) the catch-all to build, repair, and use bombs?

Possibly even Soldier, since you're making something fairly basic out of existing available equipment.

[Allu]

High-Tech (HT186) says you can make explosives with a straight use of the Chemistry skill. The electronics could probably be assembled from common household items and a Electrician roll. A blasting cap can be made from black powder which is comparatively easy to make at home.

[willfreedo]

Originally Posted by lord_bosco

So is Explosives (Demolition) the catch-all to build, repair, and use bombs?

Somewhat of a doubt on that one actually. Trying to alter the functionality of an already created explosive... I might give this to Exp(EOD).

Originally Posted by Allu

The electronics could probably be assembled from common household items and a Electrician roll. A blasting cap can be made from black powder which is comparatively easy to make at home.

I always wanted to involve my Housekeeping in the act of killing somebody :9

[Sable Wyvern]

Building a bomb is definitely Demolitions (Explosives), IMO.

If you need to produce the actual explosives, Chemistry may be necessary (but not for something like ANFO, unless you're actually making the prilled ammonium nitrate). Chemistry would not turn explosives into a bomb.

Demolitions (EOD) is all about disarming or safely using an improvised method of detonating an explosive device placed by someone else. It may be appropriate for repairing a bomb that is active, especially one you didn't place yourself. The key point where EOD differs from Demolitions is that EOD teaches you how to safely interact with an explosive device with uncertain properties.

Soldier would be appropriate for laying mines, trip flares and command-detonated anti-personnel devices (but not knowing how to lay out, map and mark an actual minefield, which would be Engineering (Combat)), and possibly for simple bombs using a pre-built booby-trap switch.

[cosmicfish]

I think Soldier would only cover the use of standard military explosives - you might know how to plant a mine, but improvising an explosive should be beyond the scope of the skill.

I think Chemistry and Electronics Repair or Electrician could be used to actually create the explosive, but special types of triggers would likely be beyond the scope, as well as all the tactical questions - a chemist might know how to make an explosive, but they don't know how much to use or how to deploy it.

Explosives(Demolition) should be the catchall for building and using explosives, while Explosives(EOD) would be for dismantling. Repair could fall under either depending on the circumstances.

[roguebfl]

Originally Posted by Sable Wyvern

Soldier would be appropriate for laying mines, trip flares and command-detonated anti-personnel devices (but not knowing how to lay out, map and mark an actual minefield, which would be Engineering (Combat)), and possibly for simple bombs using a pre-built booby-trap switch.

Soldier would be great for claymore based trap

[Kromm]

It all depends on what you mean by "bomb."

If you mean "an explosive surprise used for assassination, sabotage, terror, etc.," then use Explosives (Demolition) to assemble existing parts – explosives, detonators, triggers, and so forth – into a bomb. If the bomb in question is a trap, learn the technique Set Trap (p. B233) to improve your odds. If you're short on prefabricated parts, then you may need Chemistry to cook explosives, Electronics Repair (Communications) to rig a cell-phone trigger, Explosives (Fireworks) to fabricate primers, Machinist to turn out a fragmentation sheath, etc. Don't go nuts with these rolls . . . they're only needed when you don't have bulk explosive, blasting caps, bunches of nails, and the like on hand.

If you mean "a packaged explosive device for delivery by aircraft," then use Engineer (Artillery) to plan the prototype and Armoury (Heavy Weapons) to assemble the parts into a working munition. The parts themselves, should it matter, will be made by craftsmen with skills like Electrician, Electronics Repair, Explosives, and Machinist. Again, it's important not to go nuts with the rolls.

And if you really just mean "a hasty grenade trap," Soldier or Traps will suffice, because you're not working with explosives directly, but using a prepackaged round of ammunition in a novel way. You'd no more need Engineer (Artillery) and Explosives (Demolition) for this than you'd need Armoury (Small Arms) and Engineer (Small Arms) to shoot bullets; the skill for that is called "Guns."

In all cases, there may well be familiarity issues. It would be reasonable to give a civilian demolition expert -2 to Explosives (Demolition) when creating an IED, a weapons engineer -2 to Engineer (Artillery) if he customarily designs howitzers rather than bombs, and a commando -2 if he's only ever thrown his grenades before now.

[Verjigorm]

Originally Posted by cosmicfish

I think Soldier would only cover the use of standard military explosives - you might know how to plant a mine, but improvising an explosive should be beyond the scope of the skill.

Jamtins are a good example of soldiers making explosives. Happened all over tha place in WW1.

[Sable Wyvern]

Originally Posted by Verjigorm

Jamtins are a good example of soldiers making explosives. Happened all over tha place in WW1.

I wouldn't use that as a justification for allowing Soldier to cover this, however -- the people making these sorts of devices would have had a particular skillset which made them suitable for the task. They may have passed this skill on to their mates, but you wouldn't just pick a random infantry soldier and tell him he's making jam-tin explosives today. Such a soldier would either have a known ability, or be working under the supervision of someone who did.