Carpentry

Default: IQ-4

Carpentry (IQ/Easy) is the skill to build things out of wood. A successful roll lets you do one hour's worth of competent carpentry--a failed roll means the work was poor. A GM might require DX-based Carpentry rolls for certain types of fine work.

• Modifiers: Besides equipment modifiers, you can also get a +5 if being supervised or assisted by someone with this skill at 15 or better.
• Shape Plant can give a woodworker +2 to Carpentry (and Artist (Woodworking) ), or allow them to work without tools at only -1 to skill.

Talents

• The Artificer talent helps with Carpentry, as well as many other crafting skills!

Defaults

• Carpentry-3 is a fairly common default.
  • For Artist (Woodworking),
  • For using Armoury when making TL1-4 weapons out of wood, such as knobbed clubs and batons, or bows!
  • For Professional Skill (Forester) for preparing materials, such as turning logs into squared-off boards and planks.

Kromm Quotes

Sean Punch has commented on SKILL in the following posts to the SJG GURPS Forums:

• On the oddity of the supervision/teamwork bonus [1]
• On using it to search a room

Equipment

Tool Kits

• A Carpentry portable toolkit (circa TL1) costs $300, and is 20 lbs.

Low-Tech Tools

Low Tech p.29 has several low-tech tools for carpentry.

Tool	Description
Adze	A hatchet-like tool with a horizontal blade, used for removing chunks of wood.
Bow Drill	This drill uses a bow shape with string wrapped around the drill shaft. Similar designs were used as firebows, starting fires through friction on the "drill bit" end.
Pump Drill	A hand-powered drill using a simple pumping motion and string. Good for putting small holes in things, for pegs and such.
Lathe
Saw
Square
Auger
Brace and Bit

High-Tech Tools

Almost any mechanical tool from lower TLs has a "power tool" equivalent, usually several. Table saws, bandsaws, lathes, sanders, drills and routers, etcetera, as well as pneumatic nailguns. Higher-tech metals also make tools last longer and stay sharper, and TL8+ tools may have electronic- and laser-leveling systems.

Ultra-Tech Tools

Ultra-tech tools keep getting lighter, more precise, and more energy-efficient!

• TL9: $1,000, 10 lbs., 3C/3 hr. LC4.
• TL10: $700, 7 lbs., 2C/7 hr. LC4.
• TL11: $500, 5 lbs., 2C/20 hr. LC4.
• TL12: $300, 3 lbs., C/30 hr. LC4.

Legendary Skill

As part of a fanon "legendary skill" concept--wherein high skill can cause magical effects--legendarily high skill in Carpentry can produce ships that move faster than the wind, or Sapient Pearwood chests with working, walking legs...

See Also

• List of Skills
• Maintenance