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Professions, could we get a small list of profession, also lets talk about the effect of some of this in a city, not just about the money, having oneor another profesion may render some benefits
for example seneschals, scribes, diplomatics and politicans all have access to powerful people and goverment areas, even if they are not important by themselves, but maybe a good roll will give them a bonus in their next diplomacy roll or aceess to someone sympathetic to their actual problem
other skills briong them close to poeple givin them benefits to discovering infromation in their "ground"
a sailor may be better able to get information in the docks ands its bar, a baker would overhear people talking in the streets, etc
I think most of the effects you mentioned would be best handled through roleplay and judicious use of the +2 bonus by DMs.
The main use of the skill by PCs isn't to get bonuses, it's to bake an expensive cake, succesfully tack a ship for a storm, or build a compelling legal case.
I would like to see some example lists for professions and crafts, though.
A friend of mine introduced the ability to aid yourself using profession. for example, a cleric with Profession (priest of Gozreh) migh be able to roll the profession skill to gain a bonus when making Diplomacy checks with other clergy of his religion or even sailors. He could also make a Profession check to aid himself when making Knowledge (religion) checks related to his own religion.
A check result of 10 granted a +2 bonus. For every 10 points the result was above a DC 10, the bonus improved by +1.
In his game, he had a fighter with Profession (mercenary), a cleric with Profession (priest), and a rogue with Profession (merchant). He would determine if the profession was relevant to the skill check at hand.
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A friend of mine introduced the ability to aid yourself using profession. for example, a cleric with Profession (priest of Gozreh) migh be able to roll the profession skill to gain a bonus when making Diplomacy checks with other clergy of his religion or even sailors. He could also make a Profession check to aid himself when making Knowledge (religion) checks related to his own religion.
A check result of 10 granted a +2 bonus. For every 10 points the result was above a DC 10, the bonus improved by +1.
In his game, he had a fighter with Profession (mercenary), a cleric with Profession (priest), and a rogue with Profession (merchant). He would determine if the profession was relevant to the skill check at hand.
thanks Thraxus, this is an interesting proposition
My current campaign takes place in a world of airships and islands floating in the void. We make frequent use of Profession (Sailor) in tacking ships for storms, maneuvering in aerial ship to ship combat, and the like.
My character, the ship's physician, is a scholarly druid. (It's all very Master & Commander, but in the sky and with magic.) His approach to medicine is very plant-heavy, so he has ranks in Profession (Herbalist) in addition to Heal. So far, this aspect of the character has been entirely ornamental. But I have a clever DM, and I don't doubt it will come into play eventually.
Profession and Craft are the sort of things that only make a world more rich and characters more realistic. That aspect of the skills should definitly be discussed in the PHB. But I'm not sure there's much that can be done mechanically to encourage people to utilize them. In addition to a longer list of profession examples, a table that suggests DCs for different difficulty levels of using the skill would be helpful for DMs trying to figure out how difficult a particular task should be.
A friend of mine introduced the ability to aid yourself using profession. for example, a cleric with Profession (priest of Gozreh) migh be able to roll the profession skill to gain a bonus when making Diplomacy checks with other clergy of his religion or even sailors. He could also make a Profession check to aid himself when making Knowledge (religion) checks related to his own religion.
A check result of 10 granted a +2 bonus. For every 10 points the result was above a DC 10, the bonus improved by +1.
In his game, he had a fighter with Profession (mercenary), a cleric with Profession (priest), and a rogue with Profession (merchant). He would determine if the profession was relevant to the skill check at hand.
I don't want to be the guy who shoots everything down, but again, I feel like there are existing rules in places to deal with these sorts of things.
The DC on a Knowledge (Religion) check should just be lower if it's your own religion, no bonuses needed. The other example, diplomacy, is a textbook case for the +2 favorable situation modifier. Trying to influence a co-religionist? +2 situational modifier. You're both clergy, and you outrank him? Another +2. Trying to convince a parishoner of a competing god's temple to help you out? -2.
Similarly, if a PC was clearly chracterized as being a Soliciter and had ranks in Profession (Law), I would grant him a +2 when dealing with others of the legal profession. (The point here being that lawyer is not a character class, but an aspect of roleplay).
In any case, whether character class or established characterization, the character shouldn't have to make a profession check to gain the benefits of being what he is. Only when actually performing the profession.
I don't want to be the guy who shoots everything down, but again, I feel like there are existing rules in places to deal with these sorts of things.
I agree with Fendin on this one.
CJ
I don't want to be the guy who shoots everything down, but again, I feel like there are existing rules in places to deal with these sorts of things.
I won't disagree. The system I mentioned was created to encourage the taking of a Profession skill by adding a use for the skill.
I personally prefer something more detailed, such as the breakdown from Profession (miner) in Races of the Dragon. Suggestions on how to use a skill beyond making money help a GM find ways to include a skill and encourage the players to take the skill.
Yes spending skill points on something for background is always more worthwhile if a little something is behind it.
A little more explaination would also help clear up confusion on if something is a profession or a craft (silly I know but these things do come up at our tables, mainly becuase when a check does come up the wizard wants to use his Int bonus, the Cleric wants to use his Wis bonus and they are both trying the same basic thing :: eyeroll ::).
I had been considering taking the Profession skill out of the game, and instead making a new "Background" mechanic.
Basically, when creating a character, you choose a Background. These are treated the same way as the profession skill, so things like "Soldier" or "Scholar" or "Basket Weaver", etc.
You can roll checks with this Background skill at a 1st rank with a 4 + Wisdom modifier (equivalent of 1 rank + 3 class skill + Wis modifier).
Checks are primarily made to make weekly wages (as per the profession skill).
Anytime you think your background would be appropriate in the situation (DM's discretion), you may apply a +2 aid another bonus to your check.
Alternatively, you may roll an Aid Another check (DC 10) to give someone else the +2 bonus, as normal.
If a situation is entirely within the realm of your background profession or skills, you can use your background bonus in place of the normal skill.
You can gain additional ranks in your Background, or in a new Background skill as appropriate.
This is based entirely on the DM's discretion. Guidelines would be working in the particular field for about a week or so (at least), and the bonus gained is up to the DM. Maximum ranks are as per normal skills (character level).
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So players working on a boat for a month might get some ranks in Background (sailor) and such.
Since this is outside the skillpoints system, it can be handed out by the DM whenever it's appropriate and the players don't have to blow points away from things like Tumble or Spellcraft, etc.
Since everyone gets this automatically in some way, the DM can use this to get normally non-roleplaying class builds (straight Fighter for example) more involved.
Example: The Fighter took "Woodsman" as his Background. The party needs to track down some bandits in a forest. The DM figures that a Woodsman would have tracked animals in his forest, so he tells the Fighter he can roll his Background check in place of Survival to track them, with the caveat that he's tracking the horses, and only as long as they stay in the forest.
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Kaisoku, your rule is interesting but most adventurers don't have time for 24/7 jobs... still i like it... but i will mix with it also craft and perform... at leastin that rule
for the rest
ok i agree mechanical bonuses can besomething about a house rule or individually employed
but agree with Fox... more info on this skill, a not so brief list of profession (or sidebar) and an example or 2 of DCs involved with them woulddo a lotto enhance a skill that for roleplaying issues should have more deepness, instead of that is one of the ones with less description and most abstract
while abstract might be good sometimes, this times is to much to the point that it feels useless to have it unless you use it 90% of the time
for example my cleric would never have it and she wants to teach young children to readand write... my bard has it because she calls herself captain, has her own ship and she is one of the 2 people who have it and can sail safely.
Kaisoku, your rule is interesting but most adventurers don't have time for 24/7 jobs...
It'd fit okay in any campaign that had downtime for crafting and investigation/planning. During such times, you could be assumed to be doing a profession.
Also, anytime extended travel was required.Basically, you are going to gloss over this stuff normally, the only extra work involved would be for the DM to give an ad hoc bonus to something people tend to not want to "waste" points in anyways.