Venture-Lieutenant, Tennessee—Cookeville
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So, what professions does everyone see? I don't know what usually comes up, but it seems like a few of the professions that are listed in the CRB aren't very usable, and so why take them? So without spoilers, what professions have people seen to use?
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My Operative/Ace Pilot is a Chauffeur. I've managed to use it in a few scenarios that involve working with/transporting VIPs, and it made me laugh for the end of game rolls :P.
My son has a Soldier that is heavily invested in fire based weapons and he took Line Cook ^_^
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Generally you take these for flavor, the dayjob check
Another use is the profession weapons out of armory which have an effect when you have ranks in the items profession. This lets a miner use a mining laser as a weapon proficiently (but sans specialization) and someone with ranks in profession dancer can get all fancy with a snowgarden weapon and do nonlethal damage ( i stab them in the butt)
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Most of my characters have profession checks.
Lessie-in order
701-Profession-Bounty Hunter (BH theme)
702- Actor (Icon theme)
703- Vidgamer (mostly racing games) (Ace Pilot)
704- Sensei (Dream prophet theme)
705- Corperate agent (flavored as Star Sugar Heart Love Promotional Skittermander) (Corp agent theme)
706- Radio Talk Show host (Icon Theme)
707- Xenoarchaeologist (XenoArchaeologist theme)
708- Bounty Hunter (flavored as private investigator)(BH theme)
Venture-Lieutenant, Netherlands—Leiden
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Well, "useful", if a profession was really really useful, it would be a proper independent skill. So they're by definition supposed to be niche.
That said, the list of professions in the CRB is basically what you can expect that you might encounter in scenarios. If you make up your own professions, fat chance that they'll be called for in a scenario.
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Venture-Lieutenant, Netherlands—Leiden
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Generally you take these for flavor, the dayjob check
Another use is the profession weapons out of armory which have an effect when you have ranks in the items profession. This lets a miner use a mining laser as a weapon proficiently (but sans specialization) and someone with ranks in profession dancer can get all fancy with a snowgarden weapon and do nonlethal damage ( i stab them in the butt)
That creates an interesting trick, where you take Versatile Specialization to pick up specializations for all your professional weapons. That's kinda nifty.
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Well, "useful", if a profession was really really useful, it would be a proper independent skill. So they're by definition supposed to be niche.
That said, the list of professions in the CRB is basically what you can expect that you might encounter in scenarios. If you make up your own professions, fat chance that they'll be called for in a scenario.
I mean, that's not entirely true. Most times, when a scenario calls for a profession check, they do say 'or any relevant profession skill.' I don't know a GM that would not let Profession-Pop Idol substitute for a profession-musician check. Or Profession-Private Eye sub for profession-Bounty Hunter. I had a friend with profession-Ad Executive that worked for profession -Corporate Agent. Heck, I have a character that has profession -Sensei that subbed for Profession-Teacher once (in a martial arts setting) and profession-Philosopher (again, in a martial arts kinda way). In PF1 GMs let me use profession-Paralegal instead of profession-Barrister several times.
Additionally, there are times where a GM should be given leeway to let other professions come into the fold. Are you doing some extreme librarianing? Then Profession-Librarian should be allowed instead of any old perception check.
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I generally pick Professions that complement my characters' theme, background or skillset:
My Xenodruid is an Herbalist
My Dwarf is a Miner
My Kasatha is a Bartender
My Operative (Spy) is an Icon Cosplayer
My Xenoarchaeologist is an... Archaeologist
All of them have come up in at least one adventure.
My -701 was flavored as a jungle survivalist, but I didn't give him a Profession since I figured Survival covered everything already.
I think I want my Witchwarper to be a Travel Agent.
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Hmmmm..
My Nuar Soldier/Envoy is a Fashionista (Profession: Fashion Designer)
My Ysoki Operative is a Professional Thief
My Android Envoy is a Professional Info-broker
...all are Icons...
Huh. That's interesting.
My Mechanic Starfinder Data Jockey doesn't have a Profession, nor does my *takes a deeep breath* Soldier (Steward Officer Archetype) Xenoarchaeologist.
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Venture-Lieutenant, Minnesota—Minneapolis
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I also pick my profession based on my character concept.
Profession: STEMM Pundit on my Icon Technomancer. STEMM = Science, Technology, Engineering, Magic and Mathematics.
Profession: Doctor on my Envoy who has Medicine as an expertise skill.
Profession: Cybernetic Engineer on my Exo-Cortex Mechanic.
Profession: Mercenary on my Vesk Mercenary Drone Mechanic. If I had a do-over I would change that one to vehicle mechanic or something like that. Her background is she did her tour of duty in the Veskarium taking care of the military vehicles.
Profession: Steward Officer on my Solarian/Operative who has the Steward Officer archetype on the Operative.
In each case, I tried to come up with a profession that helped define the character concept. My Technomancer started out streaming product reviews and being a guest on other people’s steams when they needed a concept explained in an easy to understand manner. My envoy chose their class based on which class at that time made the best doctor — the profession was the second thing I decided on for the character concept, the character name was the first.
I also have a couple of characters with no profession skill.
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Justin has a rank in profession babysittter and a couple of different followers. He works for fitch, and whichever follower they need for the
mission is the one that snuck away in his null space chamber.
Jessica aka murdermouse has profession dancer. She can finesse snowgarden weapons into doing non lethal damage any time she wants. She just.. usually doesn't want to.
Melissa has profession Gym teacher. Seemed to suit an envoy with hurry.
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Hey, folks. I have a related question regarding Professions in Society play. The CRB states that one must choose the ability score keyed to that skill; it then goes on to say that lawyer is a common Intelligence-based Profession. If, say, I am playing an infamous defense attorney who gets by more on personal magnetism and pure bluster rather than actual intelligence, is it possible to key Charisma instead? I'd appreciate any help and insight. Thanks.
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I'm not sure about taking a profession listed with one stat and using it with another.
on the one hand
The GM is the final arbiter of what is a good choice for a Profession skill and what ability score a given Profession skill is keyed to.
..and the book says lawyer is int based.
On the other it really doesn't matter a professions a profession.
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Venture-Lieutenant, Minnesota—Minneapolis
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Expect table variation.
As a GM, I would allow a lawyer to use Cha. In that case, they are going for the emotional appeal. I would have a harder time accepting an Actor wanting to be Wisdom based rather than Charisma based. Vid Caster who is Int based most likely is concentrating on the technical aspects of the production, I would still expect most to be Charisma based.
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In society, I'd rule what the CRB says is what goes. In a home campaign, I'd appeal to GM discretion.
I was initially going to agree with this, but the Profession section itself just lists "common" examples.
Players can come up with virtually anything they wish. I have a Profession (cosplayer), which is definitely not listed.
If you don't allow a Wis-based Profession (actor), or a Cha-based Profession (lawyer), then you'd have to limit yourself to JUST the examples listed in the Core Rulebook.
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And seriously, at the end of the day, it's something fun that works off what a character has as a capability versus being locked behind one given ability that may not be appropriate for said character.
There's enough out there in Starfinder that could be arguably MAD. Reducing it for back-matter character professions is a sensible solution that is several iterations of d20 gaming overdue.
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I think what BigNorseWolf is trying to say is that: for professions that are already listed, use the ability scores listed in the book. For others, use your best guess. At least for SFS. If GMs in home games want to rule differently, that is their prerogative Some examples:
Profession-Private Eye is close enough to Bounty Hunter to use Wisdom.
Profession-Radio Talk Show host would probably be charisma because they are professional entertainers, similar to profession-actor
Profession-Forensic Anthropologist would probably be Int based as profession lab tech and archaeologist are both Are based (archaeology is a subset of anthropology, as is, obviously, forensic anthropology)
I can see arguments for the other side though. Like if you want to make a ‘Sherlock scan’ style of private detective, or a radio talk show host who gives out car advice, INT might be the way to go.
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And the "black and white answer" we have is that a Cha-based lawyer isn't "common".
And that's okay.
There is a difference a player making a reasonable call (Say, a wisdom based babysitter or a charisma based babysitter) with no counterargument from the rules and a player making a reasonable call (say a charisma based lawyer) with a counter argument from the rules.
While I wouldn't have a problem with it as a DM, I wouldn't make a charisma based lawyer as a player because someone might reasonably point to the book which says it's int based.
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While I won't disagree with what the book says, what does it matter? How does it affect you what someone else's profession even says? It doesn't. If someone wants to make a wis-based comedian or a cha-based cook, who cares?
Cupi, I think we both know that, somewhere out there, there are people out there that would take minutia like this way too seriously. And some of them occasionally GM SFS. Sad but true.
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I'm having a hard time fathoming when one would have the *time* during a cramped store or convention slot to peruse a character sheet and the attribute and wasting all that time when folks could be *playing the game* and *having the fun*.
But perhaps there are other venues that can take six or seven hours to play an SFS scenario?
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I'm having a hard time fathoming when one would have the *time* during a cramped store or convention slot to peruse a character sheet and the attribute and wasting all that time when folks could be *playing the game* and *having the fun*.But perhaps there are other venues that can take six or seven hours to play an SFS scenario?
From personal experience, it's more like halfway through a scenario:
PC: My Profession (Lawyer) check is +22!
Me as the GM: Didn't you say your int was 8 Mr. Kasatha?
PC: I use my charisma for Lawyering.
That's how I usually find out shenanigans/non-standard play things are going on.
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I'm having a hard time fathoming when one would have the *time* during a cramped store or convention slot to peruse a character sheet and the attribute and wasting all that time when folks could be *playing the game* and *having the fun*.But perhaps there are other venues that can take six or seven hours to play an SFS scenario?
From personal experience, it's more like halfway through a scenario:
PC: My Profession (Lawyer) check is +22!
Me as the GM: Didn't you say your int was 8 Mr. Kasatha?
PC: I use my charisma for Lawyering.That's how I usually find out shenanigans/non-standard play things are going on.
That's the point where I start considering whether a given Profession is the OmniProfession for a given character or not.
i.e., If the party is doing a contractual negotiation using Profession: Lawyer? Sure. If they're trying to talk down a fight? Heck no (unless there's a very specific in-scenario call-out for such)
Professions don't cover everything, but sometimes they are as good as an Envoy or Operative with fully tricked-out skills (perhaps at a slight modifier positive or negative applied by GM).
And (see different thread) sometimes a table needs *something* to be able to get even one success against incredibly difficult numbers.
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My Operative(Icon) is an action star. He's trying to jumpstart his acting career and get back into A-list movies.
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702- Actor (Icon theme)Hey [VampByDay-702], I'm working with Universal Studios on a new action film. We're thinking something like "The Swarm Attacks" or maybe "Attack of the Swarm". I've seen your work and I think you'd be perfect for this project.
So [VampByDay-702], would you be interested?
”Soren Kimmamori here! So glad to meet a fan of my old show ‘Ace Kidman, Kid Ace Pilot.’ Or were you a fan of my stint as a doctor on the tragically short-lived series ‘Grey Anatomy,’ about a hospital invaded by secretive grey aliens? (Where do they come up with this stuff?). Maybe my recent stint helping to rebuild a small town on Akiton via the reality show I started up ‘Tasch Completion.’ I’d love to get a dialog going on this! My Starfinder duties keep me busy, but I’d like to see if I can fit it into my schedule. Contact my agent at xxx-xxxxx!”