How do you pick pockets in Classic Traveller?

[gloriousbattle]

Or do any of those D&D type thief/assassin skills, like hear noise, disguise, move silently, etc. Before Stealth came out in MT?

I think a lot of this falls under Streetwise in urban areas, or at least that is what I have used. I know this is a more expansive definition than that given in the rules, but I think it's a pretty good fit. Of course, military skills such as Tactics help you achieve surprise, but that just doesn't seem to be the same thing as an assassin disguising himself, moving silently up behind the battledressed guard, and then inserting his blade just so in the joint at the neck...

I actually thought that there were too many social skills in Traveller, and considered moving the standard use of streetwise into carousing, and keeping this skill for good ole fashioned thief abilities.

 

[Supplement Four]

Stealth showed up in CT before MT. Check the Scouts & Assassin's book.

IIRC, Intrusion is introduced in a JTAS article for picking locks. Been a long time--might be wrong about that--didn't check before I posted.



EDIT: I must be thinking of a White Dwarf or Traveller's Digest article (or maybe still JTAS, I didn't look that hard). JTAS #18 covers locks, but it's an equipment based task (lockpicking set by TL) rather than skill based. There's a throw that covers various locks. Doesn't look like a skill is mentioned.

I'm pretty sure Intrusion is mentioned somewhere in some article.

 

[beowulf2044]

Pockets? Who the heck has pockets in the future? Except for the Babylon 5 and Firefly guys, pockets went out with glasses for eyesight.

 

[Icosahedron]

Or do any of those D&D type thief/assassin skills, like hear noise, disguise, move silently, etc. Before Stealth came out in MT?

<shrug> If you want Stealth and it's in MT, import it to your game. Where's the problem?

Pockets? Who the heck has pockets in the future? Except for the Babylon 5 and Firefly guys, pockets went out with glasses for eyesight.

So where do you put your communicator, your credstick, your magnetic compass, hand calculator, torch, lockpick set...
Maybe sequinned shoulder-bags are in vogue?

 

[Higgipedia]

I actually thought that there were too many social skills in Traveller, and considered moving the standard use of streetwise into carousing, and keeping this skill for good ole fashioned thief abilities.

Do what you want to do in your own game, but these two skills represent very different things than what you're intending, IMHO.

Carousing (CT HG p. 10): The individual is a gregarious and sociable individual, well-adapted to meeting an mingling with strangers in unfamiliar surroundings.

Streetwise (CT B1 p. 22): The individual is acquainted with the ways of local subcultures (when tend to be the same everywhere in human society), and this is capable of dealing with strangers without alienating them. This skill is not the same as alien contact experience.

Carousing is your ability to make friends and meet new people. Streetwise is your ability to deal with the social nuances of close-knit social strata who are reticent to talk to outsiders. Neither one of these deal with larceny.

Again, do what you need to do for your game. I'd just introduce a Security or Intrusion skill to deal with the skills in question.

 

[far-trader]

Well, CT encouraged adding new skills, right there in the rules of LBB1. And the ways to get them are in LBB2 under the Experience rules. So just create them

And if you're feeling especially creative, cook up a whole new Prior History - Thief (or whatever you want to call it) with all the stealthy sneaky skills you've created.

Me (with just the Basic LBB1-3) I'd probably just have (might even have in fact) made it an unskilled roll with a penalty dependent on the character's background and role playing.

From LBB1 a character with larcenous background skills (Bribery, Forgery, and/or Gambling) would probably rate a default Pick Pockets-0 (to avoid the non-pro penalty). Likewise a character with stealthy skills (Forward Observer and/or Tactics) would probably rate Hide-0 and Move Silent-0.

And of course any or all of them (and why am I deja-vuing?) would be pretty good candidates for the Jack of all Trades skill.

That's the great thing about the open freedom of the system and the Prior History storytelling background.

If the character has the right background skills, and the player wants to invent the history to make it work that they were a professional thief, I'd be up for it. Noting that the same skill set and Prior History could just as easily be used to create an intelligence operative, or stage magician, or...

 

[gloriousbattle]

Stealth showed up in CT before MT. Check the Scouts & Assassin's book.

Wasn't that book published by FASA or somebody, not GDW?

 

[gloriousbattle]

<shrug> If you want Stealth and it's in MT, import it to your game. Where's the problem?

No problem. Just curious for historical purposes.

 

[Sir Brad]

Stealth first showed up in a JTAS article about the Guys from Morneb High Deserts. IIRC

 

[aramis]

Wasn't that book published by FASA or somebody, not GDW?

Paranoia Press.

 

[FreeTrav]

gloriousbattle asked:

How do you pick pockets in Classic Traveller?

Eeny meeny miney moe?:devil:

 

[ShapeShifter]

What's wrong with a straightforward DEX check (roll DEX or under) with circumstantial modifiers?

Target not distracted: +2
Target not asleep: +2
Pocket has zipper/snap/button/etc.: +4
Target is ticklish: +4
&c. &c.

Penalties would add to the roll, pushing the result outside the desired range.

Or you could use the default 8+ for success with penalties which deduct (opposite of above), with bonuses for good DEX:

DEX......ADJUSTMENT
2.....-6
3.....-5
4.....-4
5.....-3
6.....-2
7......0
8......0
9......1
10....1
11....2
12....2
13....3
14....3
15....4

 

[far-trader]

What's wrong with a straightforward DEX check (roll DEX or under)...

Because it's not strictly a matter of quick steady hands and DEX isn't solely manual adroitness. There's skill and situational awareness involved that goes beyond even manual dexterity.

...but certainly in a quick one-off situation simply making a DEX check is good to keep the game flow going. ONCE and only once imo. And I'd make it darn hard to boot, at least a +6 on the roll of DEX or less. It's far from as easy (magical) as a true pro makes it look (if you see it). Even an amateur of average DEX is going to be better than someone with no skill and high DEX.

 

[Supplement Four]

What's wrong with a straightforward DEX check (roll DEX or under) with circumstantial modifiers?

Nothing wrong with it at all. It's CT, baby. GM's call. Sounds good to me. Roll it and keep on truckin'.

 

[gloriousbattle]

Paranoia Press.

Thanks!

 

[Icosahedron]

No problem. Just curious for historical purposes.

Then I'd go with FT and S4 - it's CT - the Ref makes something up (or imports an idea from elsewhere). That's what CT's all about. No rules-slaves here.

 

[jawillroy]

How 'bout this?

Picking a pocket: First, roll SOC + on 2D.

If the SOC roll is successful, roll DEX - on 2D.
If the SOC roll fails, the DEX roll must either be done using 3D, or the attempt must be aborted.

JOT can apply to either roll.

Sir Malmesby moved briefly to pick the guard's pocket for his access cards, but just couldn't bring himself to do such a low thing: what would they say at the Society? He resolved to give the man a sound thrashing instead, and then relieve him of the cards. Much more straightforward.

 

[gloriousbattle]

How 'bout this?

Picking a pocket: First, roll SOC + on 2D.

If the SOC roll is successful, roll DEX - on 2D.
If the SOC roll fails, the DEX roll must either be done using 3D, or the attempt must be aborted.

JOT can apply to either roll.

Sir Malmesby moved briefly to pick the guard's pocket for his access cards, but just couldn't bring himself to do such a low thing: what would they say at the Society? He resolved to give the man a sound thrashing instead, and then relieve him of the cards. Much more straightforward.

Clever. I can see how SOC might affect your willingness to let somebody get close to you and to let your guard down, but I think it's more a question of perceived SOC. Many the con-man has passed himself off as a noble in our own earth's history, but he did so by having a skill (carousing?) that let him be perceived as something other than what he was.

 

[jawillroy]

Clever. I can see how SOC might affect your willingness to let somebody get close to you and to let your guard down, but I think it's more a question of perceived SOC. Many the con-man has passed himself off as a noble in our own earth's history, but he did so by having a skill (carousing?) that let him be perceived as something other than what he was.

Well, the thing I'm trying to model is more the pickpocketer's self-perception, rather than the mark's opinion.

 

[HG_B]

Well, the thing I'm trying to model is more the pickpocketer's self-perception, rather than the mark's opinion.

That doesn't really work as there is no telepathy involved. Also, the art of acting wouldn't exist...