This is an age-old argument between those who DO and those who run-the-numbers up in the shop.
An old pro engineer is going to be smart, and have decades of experience (Wisdom).
A young college graduate egg-head is going to be whip-smart and be full of innovations and ideas and all the latest thinking. (Intelligence)
Think how this plays out.
BUT...Pathfinder isn't that deep. I'd allow either profession or skill to solve the problem.
It leaves it to the DM to point out that they probably got to a different workable solution by a very different mental process.
What I would add is that what the skill system does lack is a synergy system, where if you have both Knowledge AND Profession (and Craft if it comes to it) your knowledge, experience, and practical skill should all combine to make the task easier.
However, having the different skills could make the checks easier via "aid another" in which you use your secondary skills to aid the primary.
Going back to the bridge example, the character with Knowledge (engineering), Profession (engineer), and Craft (stonemason) could make checks on Profession and Craft (DC10) to gain cumulative +2 bonuses on their primary check, Knowledge, to identify everything about the bridge.
Profession: (engineer) does not allow you to build anything. That would be the Craft skill.
Knowledge: Engineering lets you come up with something.
Craft lets you build that thing you came up with.
Profession lets you get paid for building those things you come up with.Having only the Knowledge means you can make a blueprint but don't have the expertise necessary to actually build your idea.
Having just the Craft skill means you can build from other people's blueprints, but aren't very good at innovating.
Having just the Profession means you have managed to convince people that you know what you're doing, and can muddle along (usually riding the coattails of actual professionals) but you don't really have a grasp of how to build or innovate anything.Some real-life examples:
DaVinci had all three skills at high ranks.
Archimedes had high Knowledge and Profession, but no Craft.
Tesla had Knowledge and Craft, but no Profession.
Edison had Profession, and some Craft, but no Knowledge.In closing: This is an example of how Pathfinder's skill system could really use an overhaul.
I became vocally mirthful.
I became vocally mirthful.DaVinci had all three skills at high ranks.
Archimedes had high Knowledge and Profession, but no Craft.
Tesla had Knowledge and Craft, but no Profession.
Edison had Profession, and some Craft, but no Knowledge.In closing: This is an example of how Pathfinder's skill system could really use an overhaul.
Yeah, Edisopn definitely had Knowledge (patent law).
What's stopping you from charging someone for use of your Heal skill?
The Profession skills are made as a catchall/misc category for some things that aren't easily defined by discrete other skills, like farmer or sailor. Otherwise we'd need a bunch of little over-specialized situational skills to represent that one line of work (till the soil, plant the crops, hoist the mainsail, swab the poop-deck, etc).
But if there's already a skill to represent what you do for a living, just use that. If you make your daily bread by guiding people safely through the woods, your livelihood comes from Survival, not "Profession (trailguide)" - that would just be needlessly redundant.
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What's stopping you from charging someone for use of your Heal skill?
The Profession skills are made as a catchall/misc category for some things that aren't easily defined by discrete other skills, like farmer or sailor. Otherwise we'd need a bunch of little over-specialized situational skills to represent that one line of work (till the soil, plant the crops, hoist the mainsail, swab the poop-deck, etc).
But if there's already a skill to represent what you do for a living, just use that. If you make your daily bread by guiding people safely through the woods, your livelihood comes from Survival, not "Profession (trailguide)" - that would just be needlessly redundant.
Because without Profession you to stupid to realize you can charge people to Heal..
Are Professions Really need in the Game?
If you can't survive in the game without adventuring...go out and kill more Orcs, Goblins and Other Baddies...I am sure any Character can make more gold pilaging than designing, crafting and selling?
Lets face it, Profession is there for Character Flair....I love Roleplaying, but I believe if you put a point in any Profession your wasting points that are ned more in the game...how many times do you use Profession in a game session? I have never had to do a profession check during a Game, But I am always doing a Perception check, a Knowledge check, or a a lot of other checks but never a profession check.
I go with the cooking comparison
Craft- baked good would allow you to make the best damn cake imaginable! Something fit for kings!
Profession- you realize that you should not have made a cake that only kings can afford, since you will never find a buyer before it goes bad, and you just wasted 100's of gold on gold leaf for a cake.
It reminds me of Yakitate!! Japan, where there is a baking contest to design a signature local food for a town. The master chef made something way more amazing than the protagonists...but he lost... because none of the towns people could possibly copy that. He then realize that, while he won a ton of awards in contests, his business was failing since none of the employees could cook his recipes when he was away at those contests.
For profession, you realize what is the most efficient way to get the basic job done. How to get materials at a low cost, how to pick good employees, how to advertise, how to find clients, etc.
So, for the engineering?
Craft (engineering) lets you draw up the blue prints for a great bridge. It will be sturdy, long lasting, and allow for easy crossing.
Profession (engineer) lets you find laborers, pick out building materials, set up deadlines and find investors. Maybe knowing which permits you need, and who needs to be bribed to get this done.
Are people just forgetting that Background Skills exist as an option now and it's a great one? Because in addition to getting 2 backround skill points each level, you can actually do cool stuff with Professions now.
What's stopping you from charging someone for use of your Heal skill?
Because without Profession you to stupid to realize you can charge people to Heal..
Where does it say that? Please point it out to me in the rules.
Extrapolating from what you just said, that means that w/o blowing points on Profession (Adventurer) you can't charge people to clear dire rats out of their basement. [sarcasm] It doesn't matter if you have a 20 in Int or Wis (making you a Mensa-certified genius) or Diplomacy out the wazoo - nope, you can't navigate a simple exchange of services for payment (something that even chimpanzees have figured out how to do). Congrats, I guess that means adventurers are dumber than Int 2 animals.
Better hope those rodents come pre-packed with coinpurses stuffed up their butts for meta reasons because otherwise Joe Adventurer isn't getting paid jack.[/sarcasm]