I keep kind of flip-flopping between the two, or feel I should have both as a skill. But officially, is one of these used over the other? I just ask because as far as skill checks go to make food, couldn't a person technically use Profession? Or is Profession mostly used to make money off of a profession?
Just curious how others handle it, or which is technically an official skill. Because technically, both work well.
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There has been argument in the past involving whether or not you can count Craft (Cooking) as a skill, as some say it isn't something lasting or that you're just mixing ingredients and not creating something new. These naysayers may tell you that you can only have Profession (Cook/Chef).
Myself, I say talking to your DM about allowing Craft (Cooking) as a skill. Perhaps, if you plan on having this be something of a focus, talk to him about making food which can offering additional effects then just feeding the party.
Oops! Thanks for reminding me, I should have clarified :) I'm the DM for this particular case.
I just wasn't sure how I felt about stuff for this. I suppose it is true that crafting food isn't exactly the same... though there was an old post I had seen before where someone made uses for the Craft (Cooking) skill that involved finding poisons in foods, or realizing if something is rotten (Though it may not look it). Stuff like that.
So I guess it's more for my own thoughts, though in the end, I can have the final say on it, luckily.
Profession (cook) is the accepted example since its in the core rulebook. But I would allow Craft (food and drink) for thematic reasons.
Oh! Okay then :) Well, I could, just for sakes of Craft, make it that it's not so much a daily/weekly thing. Just make that for this particular case be for cooking particular things (Maybe cooking something you've never made before), or having some form of knowledge about food, but doesn't necessarily have to do with making GP. However, profession: cook will be more of a knowledge, and can involve other things. I might just do it on a case by case basis.
Though to be honest, Profession: Cook does seem more like a coverall, and kind of gets rid of the point of Craft: Cooking.
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Profession is where you use it as a whole business/career. This covers all the stuff involved in running a restuarant/catering company/kitchen of your employer. It would often include things like getting suppliers, finding out the popular dishes, finding cost effective meals that please, etc.
Craft (cooking) is about understanding cooking on a technical level. You can make a huge ass cake that you would not normally sell, but you can get a lot of money for on commission because it is the earl's wedding or something.
If I have to imagine an example- in the series yakitate japan, there was a competition to make a regional dish for a town. The protagonists' dish was not as amazing as the competition's...but it won. The reason for this was simple- the other side's dish was TOO amazing. Since the goal was to design a dish that could be used by the locals to attract tourists, it would not work if the locals could not make it. The competitor realized that his bakery was failing because, even though he won a ton of competitions with super amazing dishes...he was the only one that could make them in the store. Thus, when he was out for contests, his store was just a normal rinky dink bakery.
This is the difference- while he could make an amazing dish with craft (cooking), he needed profession (cook) in order to understand how he could make a consistent business out of his craft. But what effect is this in game? Heck if I know. Maybe have profession where the party saves a bit on supplies (use 1 less person worth of rations; be able to hunt 1 more person worth of food with survival) since you know how to make filling meals without waste, while craft might give them a diplomacy bonus with people they eat with (a +2 circumstantial bonus) since you can make amazing meals with the extra use of resources.
Oh god, I love Yakitate Japan :3
Okay! I think I'm happy to have both included in the game then, with Profession: Chef being able to cook basic stuff easily, but have Craft: Cooking involve more complex stuff, or understand at a mechanical level.
Technically both work both ways... though I do fully understand that Profession Cook would involve more to do with businesses... But at the same time, a person can't really call themselves a cook without any cooking knowledge. But then craft food should also be able to cook a single thing with that skill without knowledge of the business, too...
Curse the double-possibilities.
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Technically speaking Profession: Cook is the most widely used, both in rulebook examples and in published adventures (such as using Profession: Cook in Skull and Shackles to make meals for the crew).
I would allow Craft Food and Drink myself, since Craft an Profession are both "catch-all" skills.
I would not make any significant distinction between them. One uses Wis, one uses Int. All that really matters is the mindset of the person who uses one or the other, not the result which would be identical.
With the minor difference that Craft: Cooking can be used for knowledge checks about food specifically, while Profession: Cook can be used both for that and for general knowledge about how to use that business-wise.
Profession: Cook is more likely for a restaurant owner slightly, but other than that, no discernible difference.
That's very true. Could do that both encompass cooking in and of itself, but Profession can deal with business practices and local knowledge about specific foods, and Craft deals with knowing the specifics of a physical piece of food or checking stuff with food as well.
Craft specifically says: "You are skilled in the creation of a specific group of items, such as armor and weapons"
I could imagine the Craft skill being used for Pottery, Cookery (maybe you know how to make all the utensils needed for cooking, but that would include a lot of things that the smithy knows like metal pots and metal pans and that's a profession). I could see the Profession Cooking knowing what seasonings to use but needing the Survival skill to find or plant them.
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I have a character in a game who Crafts food. He is no chef, he is a master at taking that which is inedible and CRAFTING FOOD!
Can't eat that Hezrou because of the DR and Stench? Lets just soften in the nice little acidic-cold iron solution to slowly soften the meat and add just a touch of holy water to break it down.
Presto, the newest sensation in Absalom, Filet Hezrou!
I think all agree that there is a skill to being good at cooking.
Why does it matter whether it's craft vor profession? This is a real question and in no way meant to be ironic. I'd like to understand this.
I'd suggest that inventing a new recipe could be better done using the Craft rules, while Profession is better for running a kitchen.
The Line between craft and profession is a blurred one and if you look to realism for inspiration also not really there.
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I think you're forgetting a potential 3rd option. Perform (celebrity chef), which I think has some wonderful abilities.
-You put food in the oven and it instantaneously comes out perfectly cooked.
-You run around yelling at people with profession (chef) or craft (food), and making them say "Yes, Chef!"
-You coat things in butter and make racist jokes.
XD That made me laugh pretty hard...
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There should be a trait that allows you to use Int or Wis for Profession and Wis or Int for Craft, players choice.
That would put to rest any weird or seemingly illogical difference in a PC's profession/craft checks. If someone makes a build consisting of multiple profession/craft skills that would allow a more efficient spreading of ability score, especially when that type of build is not optimized for combat...
I'm all-in for house-ruling that in as well. What type would it be? Social?
Adaptable Skills (Social): With this trait, you may select either the Craft or Profession skill. If Craft is chosen, you may use Wisdom as the related ability score. If Profession is chosen, you may use Intelligence as the related ability score. Once chosen, this cannot be changed.
Something like that?
We tend to use "profession" as "I can make a living at this" and "craft" as "I know how to make stuff", but this is a carryover from Hero System's distinction between a Professional Skill and a Knowledge Skill.
For example, I have a half-orc bloodrager with "Craft: Mixology" instead of "Profession: Bartender" because he makes excellent drinks but keeps flying into a rage and getting fired from his job. I also have a halfling soldier in disguise as a cook on a caravan; he has Craft: Food because cooking was previously his hobby: he cooks fine, but he can't always get the timing right or plan out large scale portions, etc.
Almost sounds like the Profession would be more the logic side of it, and the Craft would be the actual making. I completely agree about the Craft one being able to maybe make a cake, or dish, or drink and if someone wants to pay them a bit of copper for it, sure, but they wouldn't make sustained income on it, or something similar.