Has anyone else noticed obviouse lack of Arson as an active skill? I think the abilty to set a fire in a way that would appear to be an accident/be the most effective is just as relevent to the shadows as many of the skills already available to players. The fact that many items exist to aid in the act of arson, but their is no skill that covers it has always seemed a little off to me.
I am toying with the idea of implimenting this into my games as a homebrew rule, what are your takes on it?

I think I would rule it a specialization of Demolitions, since the main purpose of arson is to destroy a structure.

I do agree that Demolitions rather fits the bill, and would make a good specialization for Demolitions.

Also, I would think that two seperate skill tests would need to be made. One to see how the structure is destroyed, and another to see well the arsonist did in making it look like an accident. (i.e. 4 net hits on the destruction roll means that the structure went up in a roaring blaze. But, a failure on the deception roll means the accelerants didn't burn up completely or the ignition device was planted near a gas line that hasn't been used in years.)

I disagree. I'd use 1 skill roll and have the player split their hits between the two things (a mechanic used in other parts of the game). Being able to make a good fire, yet keep it hidden is much harder than either hiding a small fire, or making a good but obvious one. Similarly, this is where background skills could come into play and lend a hand. Academic: Fire Science with Arson Investigation as a specialization (Fire Science is an actual college degree, if you doubt me ask any firefighter) is a good example.

Hmm let me see.

Intuition+Agility or maybe Int+Log start a fire

Surival skill: Start good fires with few aids or to maximize air and fuel input

Otherwise, knowledge skills for those special kinds of situation.

Another active skill is a waste and would be taken less than Artisan.

Chemistry could aid in choosing the right kinds of fuel, Physics in the measurements of air input, preassure etc. , Medicine or Biology to know the effect on smoke and heat on the human body...

Hmmm I disagree here myself. Demolitions has nothing to do with concealing evidence. I would think that you would use demolitions and arson specialty to determine the overall success, and voluntarily decrease dice to hide evidence (up to -4 as in most skills). Additionally I would suggest a knowledge forensics to be used to assist in concealment, and to offset the negative dice.

Surely you'd use the Forgery skill to determine how well the act has been misrepresented...?

I doubt it, unless possibly you're trying to make it look like the fire that 'the mad fire bomber' sets. Even then it would be much more about your knowledge of how to set up the fire than forgery.

My reading of forgery seems to be more 'you know how to look a 'document' look real even when it isn't' This includes electronics, and so forging money, passports, SINs, written documents and so on would all fall under the skill. Copying art does as well. I don't know, I could see some argument for it, but I still think other skills would figure in more prominently.

I'd be happy with Forensics as a specialisation of Forgery. You are, after all, trying to deceive subsequent authentication tests, whether you're framing someone or making a deliberate fire look accidental. Either way you're trying to create something with a false provinence.

Artisan (Arson) however has a certain ring to it...

That would be Disguise.

Definitely a skill required for Mafia affiliated robots



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