Sleight of Hand for Day Job?

[Khelreddin]

Under Sleight of Hand (CRB . 147), one of the taks you can apply the skill to is Entertain, which says,

Quote:

"You can use Sleight of Hand to entertain and audience, as if you were using the earn a living task of the Profession skill."

Under Day Job, the Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild Guide (p. 45) says,

Quote:

"You gain a number of credits equal to twice your Profession skill check result, as per the “Earn a Living” entry in the Profession skill (Starfinder Core Rulebook 146). You cannot use other skills to

make a Day Job check."

So, does using Sleight of Hand "as if you were using the earn a living task" allow you to use it for Day Job checks? Or can you categorically not use other skills for a Day Job check, even if the skill in question says it is acting like the Profession skill? My operative wants to know!

[Freedom Snake]

At first I was inclined to say it's earning a living and makes sense that the intention would be to allow it. After thinking about it though I am second-guessing that. Here's why:

Crafting for downtime actually costs you money. Professions require you to spend valuable skill points on a non-encounter-based (mostly) skill. A character who actively trains sleight of hand gets the advantage of a max (1 point per level + class + ability score + blah blah blah) roll day job. Everyone else has to sacrifice those points to train Profession.

I believe this would reward sleight of hand players or neglect non-sleight of hand players, depending on your preferred perception. I would rule against it for game balance and equity amongst players, despite my inner personal preference to allow it because it seems to fit the context and has potential to add some fun flavor to a character.

[Khelreddin]

I think your analysis is valid, Freedom Snake. What I'm really after, though, is an answer from the organized play team (who are quite busy with GenCon at the moment), so I know what to expect going forward. But they may share your position, that having everyone use Profession for their day jobs in Starfinder Society keeps a level playing field.

[Andy Brown]

I think "You cannot use other skills" is pretty clear that you only get to use Profession

[Githzilla]

Andy Brown wrote:

I think "You cannot use other skills" is pretty clear that you only get to use Profession

I'm glad to see this asked and answered succinctly. Always good to have the answers for future reference because you know we will all see this at the table.

[Shifty]

It was a 'no' in PFS, and there was a specific Vanity you could purchase that allowed you to do it.

So I'd say that's a 'no'.

[Khelreddin]

Shifty wrote:

It was a 'no' in PFS, and there was a specific Vanity you could purchase that allowed you to do it.

So I'd say that's a 'no'.

Fair enough - I had forgotten entirely that Sleight of Hand in Pathfinder had that language. I have no wish to try to hammer home some corner case here. The general drift here is clearly towards 'no', and I expect organized play leadership will drift that way as well.

[Freedom Snake]

That's the beauty of these forums. It helps refresh things we may have forgotten, learn things we may have missed and most importantly, arrive at community consensus, in order to provide a similar experience to all Society members, regardless of who or where they play.

[Thurston Hillman]

I'll confirm that Sleight of Hand should not be allowed to make these checks. The wording is odd because of how Sleight of a Hand describes the Entertain use. I'll be sure to note this down for a more formal update in the future.

[Damanta]

Just make a Starfinder Society Field Guide, in which you put a vanity that allows you to join a circus so you can use sleight of hands entertain use to earn credits? :)

[Khelreddin]

Thanks, Thursty! Nothing better than a developer adding to the consensus ruling of the community.