I thought that i would start a thread to bring up all of the on the fly skills questions that have come up to see if we can find official answers or best guesses to how things should play out. Of course I may have missed these in the skill descriptions so please point out the page if you can.

So to start off;

What skill should be used to build improvised explosives? Mechanics ?

What skill should be used to plant explosives?

What skill is used to search an area?

What skill is used to forge documents? Deceit using Intellect ?

lupex said:

Mechanic, Mechanic (if feeling creative - perhaps gunnary-int to give it a military flavour?), Perception (Surveillance pre-errata), Subterfuge

Boehm said:

EotE doesn't have a Subterfuge Skill?

I was thinking of using Mechanics with Cunning for setting explosives?

Does Perception now fit for actively searching an, as written its more for spotting things that stand out?

1. Building improvised explosives might be mechanics, although I'd be reluctant to say that mechanics covers demolition – I think this is a gap in the skills list, to be honest.

2. Detonating explosives (like a thermal detonator on an actual detonator switch) would probably best fit under Ranged – Light. It doesn’t really make sense, but then again, neither does the fact that you also use Ranged – Light to throw daggers. But this seems to be the skill for using all small weapons. Again, as above, there might be a skill gap here.

3. Perception would be used to search an area. Although the text makes it sound like it’s more of a passive skill, there is definitely an “active search” component to finding something hidden; the intention (as I understand it) is that perception is used for all of the passive and active circumstances surrounding searching.

4. Forgery would fall under the Skulduggery skill.

lupex said:

Skullduggery my bad …

Perhaps its just me - but shouldnt throwing granades (as in a relative heavy 'thing') be athleatics ? this IMO would also help to keep players 'honest' in rewarding characters who have some balance in their stats … maxing out Agi is IMO plenty rewarding

The creation and planing of explosive is not covered. I asked this prior to the week one update, it hasn't been addressed by a dev yet, in forums or updates.

Setting explosives using Ranged(light) makes no sense. The skill for planting explosives is probably going to be either skullduggery or mechanics (or even education, in a few rare circumstances). The demolition target and how the character narratively describes how s/he wants to damage the object should determine the appropriate skill. Making explosives could be argued to be mechanics (detonators, electronics, etc) or education (covers physical sciences, including chemistry). Use your judgement, allow player input.

Searching an area is now perception. Active searching used to be covered under surveilance, but has since been removed, and THIS particular function (active search) is covered by perception since the wk 5 update.

Forgery is skulduggery.

-WJL

My take, at least, on these questions:

What skill should be used to build improvised explosives? Mechanics ?
Answer: Definitely Mechanics, for the simple fact of the building part of them.

What skill should be used to plant explosives?
Answer: Again, I'd say Mechanics, as it's not so much knowing how the bomb works, but also how and where to plant the bomb to have it be as effective as possible. Worked pretty well for Saga Edition, and it's not a common enough thing to really require a separate skill just for planting explosives.

What skill is used to search an area?
Seeing as how Surveillance is being broken up into Perception and Computers, I'd say the answer now defaults to Perception, as that appears to be the "looking for stuff" skill, be it actively searching or just passive awareness.

What skill is used to forge documents? Deceit using Intellect ?
I'd put this under Skulduggery rather than Deceit. Deceit seems to be more about lying directly to someone's face, either through careful revisions and omissions of the truth or just bald-faced falsehoods. Creating those falsified documents would be Skulduggery, but you'd need Deceit to cover any questions that might come up in regards to said false documents; the best forgeries in the galaxy aren't going to matter if you can't keep your cover story straight enough to convince that Imperial officer that you really are some Core World exec on a business trip and certainly are not a wanted outlaw.

Think of the prison break-in/rescue ops that Luke and Han did in ANH. Skulduggery was used to disguise themselves a stormtroopers (with a definite bonus for having proper armor), but when Han had to cover up the firefight to the other guy on the comm, he blew his Deceit check and their cover.

Here is a new/similar question. Which skill do I use to calm an animal, (Crocadile Dun-Dee style) to stop an atack, … Charm, Coerce, Leadership? I suppose it could be any of the above. Also which skill to ride one (does pilot planetary count as handle mount?)

What are your thoughts.

Gamerunner said:

I think any of the three could be used for "calming" an animal, as there's more than one way to go about it. Mick Dundee probably used Charm, but I could see a more aggressive person using Coerce to scare a beast off, or someone with a stern, authoritative voice using Leadership to get the animal to back down.

As for riding them, I'd say Pilot (Planetary) would be the best fit out of the options presented.

Actually, the description of Survival says that it covers animal care and use.

Donovan Morningfire said:

Beeblebrox is right. The survival description is pretty clear about this.

-WJL