Our group is having issues with how to handle the disguise skill. It is featured on page 104 of SOTA 63. We basically don't get it. Is it an open test or a pitted test against intelligence. What do you folks think.

How should we roll for it's success?
What situations would it be applicable?
When would it not be applicable?

Give us a shout out.

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Cole, Cyber Ninja
"In. Out. 30 seconds. Target eliminated."

My interpretation was an Open test which then set the TN for Perception checks.

-Siege

That was my original interpretation as well. But then, along came the Facial Sculpt adept power, which lowers the Disguise TN by 2. Doesn't make much sense on an open test, does it?

Well, how would you all rule it?

Quick fix: add +2 to your Open Test roll.

Without reading the book, I think the -2 bonus to Disguise rolls only applies when you are attempting to mimick a specific person.

At which point the GM determines a TN to imitate the look and the disguiser makes his (or her) roll.

Of course, in that instance, an Open test would still be better and as Backgammon suggested, apply a +2 bonus right off the bat.

-Siege

This is why I don't like open tests. A -2 TN on a skill roll iw WAY better than a = 2 bonus to an open test, to keep the bonus even, you need bonus that helps as much on open tests as it does on regular tests. The problem comes when you loko at 1 skill versus a 6 skill. A -2 TN when you have one die, is no big deal, but for a skill of 6 or higher, it is really good. I think you should have around a +3 or +4 to the Open test.

Based on the inherent nature of the power, I tend to agree that a +2 bonus is a little on the weak side for someone who is completely re-arranging bone structure, but what the heck - game balance has gotta count for something.

-Siege

"Hello, my name is Miles Lanier. You may remember me from such Corporate training videos as "Zone lockdown like its 1999" and "Supressive fire 101". Open up the door."

I am leary of the possible abuses for this skill. Would anyone like to propose some sample target numbers? Or perhaps a better form of test.

I haven't been able to get my hands on SOTA 2063 yet, but I'd imagine that facial sculpting wouldn't help, even a little, with voice prints, or retinal scans, etc. So that'd be a good way to counter it. It's not like either of those are rare for high security areas.

well, technically speaking, facial sculpting involves changing your bone structure, which has a lot to do with how your voice sounds.

I vote for opposed test vs INT. Its easy to fool stupid people. GM can assign various modifiers based on how well both parties know the target.

That's pretty much how it works in my game.

I try to eliminate as many Open Tests as possible, since in my opinion they don't fit with the rest of the system.

That sounds good to me, but it still kind of bothers me that rules weren't actually included in the book.

No, Facial Sculpt wouldn't help with voice scanners (but Voice Control sure can!), but it's also true that it can change the way your voice sounds, since the book actually takes the time to say that use of this power can produce a facial structure that is able to speak Or...something. The Ork language.