-- MORE COMMENTS ON THE USE OF THE JOT SKILL --
There will be those that argue that JOT can never be used as a skill higher than Level-0 because of the way it is written in the game. I don't think that opinion of the rules is correct; otherwise, the example given about aging crisis makes no sense. JOT skill level has to be used in order to for that example to mean anything.
I've said earlier in the threat that I believe the RAW rules to mean: JOT skill does two things. First, the character is considered to have every skill from the basic Book 1 skill list as a default skill. That is, the character has each of the skills from that list at Level-0. This is enough to keep the character from suffering any penalties because he does not have the skill.
Second, I do believe that the JOT skill level can be used on throws, when JOT is being substituted for a skill the character does not have, but these skill checks are rare and completely up to the Referee--the Ref decides when it is appropriate to use JOT in this manner.
Let's say this a different way:
The player can substitute his JOT skill for any skill on the basic list, anytime the player wants, but the character is considered to have Skill-0 in that skill.
On certain occasions, the Ref will allow the JOT to be used at its full skill level when substituted for another skill, but these will be rare, emergency type situations. The example in the book is an Aging Crisis where, if the roll is failed, the consequences are grim. The afflicted character will get gravely ill and likely die. This is obviously an emergency. No other character is available with the Medical skill in order to help the character. So, in the example, the Ref allowed a character with JOT to step in and use the JOT skill level to modifier the Aging Crisis roll.
The Ref should look at all factors--not just character skills. Do the characters have the needed equipment? Are there any environmental factors that would effect the roll? Besides the character's JOT level, what about his other stats? Are those stats appropriate for the job at hand? The Ref is totally fair if he rules that a character with JOT-2 but low EDU-2 and INT-3 cannot help on the Aging Crisis roll.
Think of the JOT skill as you would a Fate Point or a Luck Pool in another RPG, when considering whether to use the skill level or not.
The Ref should allow the use of the JOT skill only rarely. It should be used when the chips are down and the characters have no other hope. Notice the grave circumstances used in the example. The roll is fairly hard, and the result of that throw basically determines if the character will live or die.
A ship retreats from a battle with pirates, heading into an asteroid belt. An old automatic station is found, floating on one of the rocks. The ship's pilot was sucked out into space and killed after a bridge hull hit during the battle.
On board, the ship's Medic also has Pilot-1, and the ship's Steward as JOT-4. Who should pilot the ship?
Answer: The Medic. He's a qualified pilot. The Steward would be considered Pilot-0. This isn't a last ditch situation where there are no other pilots.
Answer: Let's say that the Medic doesn't have Pilot-1 after all. The only person on the ship that can pilot it is the Steward, using his JOT-4 skill to substitute for the Pilot skill. But, the Steward is still considered to only have Pilot-0. The situation is grim, but this isn't a make or break, fly or die situation. The chips aren't completely down.
Answer: But, now let's say that the Medic doesn't have Pilot-1, and the only person on the ship that can serve as pilot is the Steward with his JOT-4 skill. He still pilots the craft as if he has Pilot-0, but then an emergency happens. An skill roll is needed to keep the ship on the dark side of an asteroid in order to keep the ship hidden from the searching pirate vessel. On this one throw, the Steward can make the check as if he as Pilot-4. Why? Because it's a grave situation. It's very important that the pirate vessel not find their prey and finish their meal. This would be catastrophic for the characters with the ship in its current condition. After the one throw, the Steward goes back to piloting the ship as if he has Pilot-0.
The point: JOT skill defaults to Skill-0 in most situations. In the most dire situations, JOT can be used at full skill level for a single throw at the Ref's discretion.
For those Refs who will never allow JOT to be anything other than substituted for Skill-0:
Those that do not buy my argument above (and I would counter with the question, "Then how does JOT help the Aging Crisis throw in the example?"), skill levels above Skill-1 are still useful.
Remember, in Classic Traveller, skill levels are used for a variety of things--not just as modifiers to throws.
Example: A Ref never allows JOT at any skill level to serve as anything other than Skill-0. The characters are trying to hack into a computer system and pull cargo data on their competitor vessels at a starport. The roll is 10+. DMs are + computer skill, -2 if no computer skill, and +2 if EDU 8+.
The character attempting the hack has JOT-3. Therefore, under the Ref's rule, he is considered to have Computer-0. This avoids the -2 penalty. But, what about the EDU requirement? The character has EDU 6. But, the Ref allows the JOT skill to be added to the EDU, in this situation, so that the character's effective score is EDU 8 for this one throw. Here, the JOT skill comes into play without being a modifier on the throw. And, the character ends up with a +2 DM on the throw because the EDU 8+ requirement was met.
Also note that the JOT throw does not have to be the same as for the original roll.
The roll to fix the ATV is 8+. DM is +2 per level of Mechanic skill. Of course, no character has Mechanic skill. But, a character does have JOT-2.
The characters are out of water, and the extreme heat on the planet is about to fry them. Tools are available on the ATV.
The Ref allows the character with JOT-2 to make the roll, since this is a dire situation. But, the bonus will be a DM of +2 and not +4. The bonus for a real Mechanic skill is +2 per level, but with JOT, jury-rigging the machine, the bonus is half at +1 per level.
A Ref can change the roll anyway he sees fit, making up an entire different roll if he thinks it appropriate.
