PDA

View Full Version : what do you use profession skills for ? (3.5)



Grifthin
2010-01-23, 01:33 PM
Well what kind of skill checks and bonuses do you guys use the profession skills for ? I'm thinking of taking a Profession: Badass as a skill every level and was wondering what kind of Bonuses or uses it would have. What do you guys think ?

Milskidasith
2010-01-23, 01:35 PM
Well what kind of skill checks and bonuses do you guys use the profession skills for ? I'm thinking of taking a Profession: Badass as a skill every level and was wondering what kind of Bonuses or uses it would have. What do you guys think ?

Profession skills can be used to make money. I think your DM would probably just hit you with a book for deciding to take skill ranks in badass in order to make your character stronger, because that's a pretty munchkiney move.

Gametime
2010-01-23, 01:38 PM
Profession skills can be used to make money. I think your DM would probably just hit you with a book for deciding to take skill ranks in badass in order to make your character stronger, because that's a pretty munchkiney move.

It's not at all a munchkiney move, because it doesn't do anything.

Grifthin
2010-01-23, 01:40 PM
It was more for lulz than actual bonuses. I was just wondering if you could actually get bonuses that way.

DM "the wizard casts fireball on you!"
ME " I roll profession: Badass to stand dramatically with the fire creating a silhouette of me ignoring the firedamage"
DM "I deal 1d4 facepalm damage to myself"

2xMachina
2010-01-23, 01:40 PM
And Badass isn't a profession...

Milskidasith
2010-01-23, 01:41 PM
It's not at all a munchkiney move, because it doesn't do anything.

I know that, but he wants it to give benefits, which is the munchkiney part. It's like saying "I put skill ranks in Profession: Wizard, so now I can cast spells and attack at full BAB."

Grifthin
2010-01-23, 01:44 PM
Notice I say bonuses AND uses. I'm totally cool with it not doing anything mechanically. I was just wondering if there is a profession that does give you bonuses of some sort.

Like 5 Ranks in Profesison chef giving you a +2 bonus when cooking meals.

tyckspoon
2010-01-23, 01:48 PM
It's not at all a munchkiney move, because it doesn't do anything.

Well, technically, it means you're really good at the business of being a badass. I figure it'd just end up being what you're known for, probably to an unreasonable degree. When people talk about what your party, they talk about you and how much of a badass you are. When they talk about the other members of the group, it's in relation to you- they're just these guys that hang out with this one serious badass. When you walk into a bar, you roll your Profession check to convince everybody that you're really, really, badass. No mechanical bonuses to anything- it won't improve your Diplomacy or Intimidation checks unless the DM feels like playing along- but you get the satisfaction of everybody knowing you're badass.


Without making up crap? Mostly Professions are used to qualify for certain prestige classes, or taken by people who want every little aspect of their character to be reflected on the sheet.

Foryn Gilnith
2010-01-23, 01:48 PM
5 ranks in profession (chef) gives you more than that. It gives you a +5 bonus to cooking meals!
Profession (sailor) has uses. Check crystalkeep for others, which I don't remember.

Grumman
2010-01-23, 01:51 PM
What you want is Bluff or Intimidate, not Profession.

Like 5 Ranks in Profesison chef giving you a +2 bonus when cooking meals.
I'm pretty sure it would give you a +5 bonus when cooking meals.

deuxhero
2010-01-23, 01:52 PM
beyond sailor, all the jobs that would come up fall into craft instead of profession.

NEO|Phyte
2010-01-23, 01:58 PM
beyond sailor, all the jobs that would come up fall into craft instead of profession.

Siege Engineer?

2xMachina
2010-01-23, 01:59 PM
5 ranks in profession (chef) gives you more than that. It gives you a +5 bonus to cooking meals!
Profession (sailor) has uses. Check crystalkeep for others, which I don't remember.

A wizard with Prestidigitation can cook food which taste as well as any.

Grifthin
2010-01-23, 02:02 PM
Damn wizards.

Grumman
2010-01-23, 02:04 PM
A wizard with Prestidigitation can cook food which taste as well as any.
Sure, if you don't mind food poisoning.

Tiktakkat
2010-01-23, 02:06 PM
It was more for lulz than actual bonuses. I was just wondering if you could actually get bonuses that way.

DM "the wizard casts fireball on you!"
ME " I roll profession: Badass to stand dramatically with the fire creating a silhouette of me ignoring the firedamage"
DM "I deal 1d4 facepalm damage to myself"

Heh.
I would give you bonuses to Intimidate checks with that. Or just let you substitute your Profession (Badass) skill check.
I would also let you use it to assess the badassness of NPCs you encounter.

tyckspoon
2010-01-23, 02:09 PM
Sure, if you don't mind food poisoning.

What food poisoning? You take a bowl of gruel. You boil the crap out of it. It's horribly tasteless stuff. Now you cast Prestidigitation and it tastes like whatever you want. Steak? Done. Chocolate cake? Done? Orange duck with a side of fresh field greens in a vinaigrette? Done, done, so done! All you have to worry about is basic nutritional needs. Prestidigitation takes care of that tricky process of making it taste good.

Temotei
2010-01-23, 02:10 PM
Sure, if you don't mind food poisoning.

Detect poison, purify food and drink, and any saving throw bonuses (resistance, items, racial bonuses, etc.). :smalltongue:

And that's only if prestidigitation decides not to work ([bad] DM fiat).

Grifthin
2010-01-23, 02:10 PM
Heh.
I would give you bonuses to Intimidate checks with that. Or just let you substitute your Profession (Badass) skill check.
I would also let you use it to assess the badassness of NPCs you encounter.

That is awesome good sir - cookies for you!

Hal
2010-01-23, 02:12 PM
In my experience, Profession skills have two uses: Adding RP depth to a character and torturing players.

In the case of the latter, I find it often used by DMs who are so stingy with treasure that, instead of allowing the party of adventurers to go out adventuring, they have to scrape by through mundane jobs.

Some people want to play that game. Kudos to them. I don't roll up an all-powerful badass so that I can pretend to cook at the local pub or carry crates at the docks.

Mike_G
2010-01-23, 02:16 PM
And Badass isn't a profession...

It's a way of life.

Temotei
2010-01-23, 02:17 PM
It's a way of life.

:roy: That's right. :redcloak:

taltamir
2010-01-23, 02:21 PM
profession skills are worthless for making money... get paid to cast spells instead. or adventure. or get a wand of eternal wall of salt and UMD it if you can't cast spells.

Profession skills can be used as a prereq for various PrCs.

Profession (lawyer) can be used when dealing with demons or crafting wishes and contingencies.

Prefession can be used in conjunction with fabricate to break the economy.

Profession can be used to make golems and other constructs. (ex: shield guardian... why play a fighter when you can be a wizard and craft an uber fighter as a pet)

Question... what happens if you take Profession (wizard)?

Foryn Gilnith
2010-01-23, 02:23 PM
You gain a bonus on checks relating to the profession of wizard. Profession (wizard), IMO, would be what you use if you want to improve your chances of being hired for commissioned spells or magic items.

Merk
2010-01-23, 02:35 PM
In my campaign, Profession (Journalist) has been used to great effect to get "the scoop", write articles, and track down other journalists.

Vizzerdrix
2010-01-23, 03:11 PM
It's like saying "I put skill ranks in Profession: Wizard, so now I can cast spells and attack at full BAB."

I'm using this with my next character.

ScionoftheVoid
2010-01-23, 03:37 PM
Only Professions I put ranks in are Siege Engineer (see the DMG rules for siege weaponry) and PrC prerequisites (e.g. Gambler for the Fatespinner PrC), unless I have skill points to burn. Then I'll probably take Scribe or something similar. Bookish characters of all classes rule! (I need to make a Barbarian with high Int and some Knowledge skills at some point. I'll just need a blank character sheet, a few hours, and some way of remembering to get round to actually statting it)

Riffington
2010-01-23, 03:41 PM
5 ranks in profession (chef) gives you more than that. It gives you a +5 bonus to cooking meals!
Profession (sailor) has uses. Check crystalkeep for others, which I don't remember.

Well, if you want to make really good food, you don't want Profession (chef). That lets you run a kitchen, but for the good stuff you want Craft (cooking). The two skills probably have +2 synergy bonus with each other, I imagine.

Temotei
2010-01-23, 04:38 PM
I'm using this with my next character.

Why restrict yourself? Make it Profession: Caster. That way you get the (weaker) divine spells too. :smallcool:

Ashiel
2010-01-23, 05:00 PM
Several years back, a girl at our table had her female character written up with Profession (The Oldest).

And yes...that does mean her character was a prostitute when not out adventuring, and she regularly brought it up during social situations, along with other attempts at various levels of seduction and manipulation.

The worst part? The player was somewhere between age 13-15, IIRC (we were all under 18 at the time).

faceroll
2010-01-23, 09:49 PM
Several years back, a girl at our table had her female character written up with Profession (The Oldest).

And yes...that does mean her character was a prostitute when not out adventuring, and she regularly brought it up during social situations, along with other attempts at various levels of seduction and manipulation.

The worst part? The player was somewhere between age 13-15, IIRC (we were all under 18 at the time).

So uh, did you, uh, you know, hit that?

Ashiel
2010-01-23, 10:05 PM
So uh, did you, uh, you know, hit that?

Heheh. Nah, she wasn't really my type. Always surprised me how willing she was to play D&D and Phantasy Star Online with us though. I saw her as a lil' kid for the most part (though we were all near the same age).

She had a way of sometimes making the games a wee-bit uncomfortable. For instance...

This one time, the party was supposed to be meeting with a minor noble who oversaw a town. She pretty much tried to sex him and his guards up, even going to far as to grab the noble and tell him she would hump him senseless, and his guards too, if he'd sweeten the deal for the party. She had a crazy gleam in her eyes when she got to roll her profession checks for the week too... :smallredface:

Everyone at the table was like: :smalleek:

Slightly related but totally NSFW:
Another uncomfortable session involved a 3 player game with an older friend of mine DMing, another girl friend of ours 'round my age, myself playing a female human wizard, and an adventure revolving around a couple of vampires. Long story short, apparently the girl wanted to become a vampire and somehow got my female 5th level wizard anally-raped by a vampire. The DM rolled some dice randomly and declared my wizard was "into it".

Then commented that it was great roleplaying 'cause it gives my character motivation to get back at her vampiric butt rapist... :smallannoyed:
I'm so glad I play with slightly more mature people these days.

Edit: Someone informed me that using symbols to partially censor your posts (like mid-90s comics when you couldn't use profanity) is against the rules, so I instead changed it back to regular inglish, but used slightly different (more sophisticated?) words.

faceroll
2010-01-23, 10:13 PM
Wow, not only NSFW, but pretty WTF, too.

I wonder if she's trolling omegle.

Ashiel
2010-01-23, 10:16 PM
Wow, not only NSFW, but pretty WTF, too.

I wonder if she's trolling omegle.

What's trolling omegle? :smallconfused: lol

faceroll
2010-01-23, 10:22 PM
What's trolling omegle? :smallconfused: lol

omegle.com


Virtually every stranger you encounter is some dude looking to talk dirty with another dude who is pretending to be female. It's gnarly.

Ashiel
2010-01-23, 10:34 PM
omegle.com


Virtually every stranger you encounter is some dude looking to talk dirty with another dude who is pretending to be female. It's gnarly.

*squick* :smalleek: Bleh...

Yeah, I'd personally prefer any romantic tidings to be mostly in line with that of Baldur's Gate II. Y'know; simple banter and maybe a fade-to-black at a certain moment in the relationship; then get back to the adventuring.

But yeah, it was originally brought up merely 'cause of the humor in her Profession (The Oldest). It was funny, and if played intelligently, probably could have added a bit of flavor (sort of like playing a Saloon Gal in Deadlands). She lacked the...restraint to pull it off. :smallamused:

RebelRogue
2010-01-23, 10:41 PM
Profession (sailor) has uses.
This! It's the only skill you'll ever need! :smallbiggrin:


What food poisoning? You take a bowl of gruel. You boil the crap out of it. It's horribly tasteless stuff. Now you cast Prestidigitation and it tastes like whatever you want. Steak? Done. Chocolate cake? Done? Orange duck with a side of fresh field greens in a vinaigrette? Done, done, so done! All you have to worry about is basic nutritional needs. Prestidigitation takes care of that tricky process of making it taste good.
Texture plays a greater role in the enjoyment of food than one may realize at first glance (or bite). Still, a prestidigitated bowl of gruel is probably better than a plain one.

Ashiel
2010-01-23, 10:48 PM
This! It's the only skill you'll ever need! :smallbiggrin:


Texture plays a greater role in the enjoyment of food than one may realize at first glance (or bite). Still, a prestidigitated bowl of gruel is probably better than a plain one.

Heheh. You could make the gruel taste like Fruity Pebbles! :smallbiggrin:

elonin
2010-01-23, 10:50 PM
Unless I'm wrong craft skills are called for if something tangible is produced and profession is used if not. While posting this Ive had the thought that lumberjack falls in between the cracks here. It wouldn't be a profession since there is the felled lumber to show for the work (guess bodies could be counted for profession: bodyguard might be close here if they were trying to kill your client). Then again craft lumberjack doesn't make sense either. If a felled tree was worth more than a week's labor in craft does that mean that a 1/2 etc felled tree is left in the Forrest?

Riffington
2010-01-23, 11:19 PM
Unless I'm wrong craft skills are called for if something tangible is produced and profession is used if not. While posting this Ive had the thought that lumberjack falls in between the cracks here. It wouldn't be a profession since there is the felled lumber to show for the work (guess bodies could be counted for profession: bodyguard might be close here if they were trying to kill your client). Then again craft lumberjack doesn't make sense either. If a felled tree was worth more than a week's labor in craft does that mean that a 1/2 etc felled tree is left in the Forrest?

It's profession. You aren't creating anything. You are moving lumber from one place (an upright, rooted place) to another. You haven't added value to the trees except "convenience" value. Carpentry is a different story, and is Craft.

Kelb_Panthera
2010-01-24, 12:06 AM
I'm pretty sure someone else already covered it, but in answer to the original question: except for profession (sailor) the profession skill is only useful if for some reason you need to make a couple gp over a week, and for qualifying for the occasional PrC.

Thurbane
2010-01-24, 12:14 AM
...mainly to qualify for feats and PrCs:

Craft or Profession prereq list (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=137313)

FishAreWet
2010-01-24, 12:15 AM
Ahem

Profession (astrologist) (DR340 p33)
The Astrologist makes calculations & draws charts for a living creature whose Astrological Sign is known. Once informed of the Horoscope, the subject receives a minor bonus on Auspicious actions and a minor penalty on Inauspicious actions (though see below).
Knowledge about Subject DC
Astrological Sign only 30
Exact Date of Birth 25
Exact Time of Birth (within an hour) 20
Options DC Modifier
Exact Location of Birth –5
Calculating an Auspicious action without an
+10
Inauspicious action
Calculating two Auspicious actions and two
+5
Inauspicious actions
Examples of Horoscopes
d12 Auspicious Inauspicious
1 +1 Insight bonus on Reflex saves –1 penalty on Reflex saves
2 +1 Insight bonus when ‘Taking 10’ or ‘Taking 20’ –1 penalty when ‘Taking 10’ or ‘Taking 20’
3 You take –1 damage from Bludgeoning attacks You take +1 damage from Bludgeoning attacks
4 +1 Insight bonus when attacking with a Slashing weapon –1 penalty when attacking with a Slashing weapon
5 +1 Insight bonus on Knowledge checks –1 penalty on Knowledge checks
6 +1 Insight bonus on attacks & damage vs. Undead –1 penalty on attacks & damage vs. Undead
7 +1 Insight bonus on Strength-based checks & skills –1 penalty on Strength-based checks & skills
8 +1 Insight bonus on Initiative checks –1 penalty on Initiative checks
9 +1 Insight bonus to AC when you have a Cover bonus to AC –1 penalty to AC when you have a Cover bonus to AC
10 +1 Insight bonus on saves vs. Fire attacks & effects –1 penalty on saves vs. Fire attacks & effects
+1 Insight bonus on attacks & damage when making an Attack of –1 penalty on attacks & damage when making an Attack of
11
Opportunity Opportunity
12 +1 Insight bonus on Charisma-based checks & skills –1 penalty on Charisma-based checks & skills

Profession (barrister) (Sharn p132)
There are many Circumstance bonuses, such as the friendliness of the jury, etc.
Three opposed checks are made. Winning two wins the case.

Profession (executioner) (BoVD p39)
By making a Profession (executioner) check vs. the Execution Method-specific DC, the execution goes smoothly. Typically success means instant death (i.e., the hanging victim’s neck snaps instead of slowly choking). If the check fails, refer to the ‘Botched Damage’ column.

Note that the victim must be helpless and secured in order to be executed.
Execution Method Execution DC Escape DC Botched Damage Notes
Hanging 15 vs. Use Rope check 1d3 / round n/a
Beheading 18 vs. Use Rope check Coup de Grace Usually done with a Greataxe or Greatsword
Draw and Quarter 18 25 5d6 On a Failure, the cord comes apart before the victim does

Profession (miner) (RotD p98)
Includes digging, removing dir, & building supports.
Mines are dug in units of “5’ cubes”. In each cube, there is one Lead Miner and possibly additional helper Minders. The Assistant Miner makes one check per day, with the Assistant Miners making “Aid Other” checks. ‘The number of 5’ cubes mined in a day equals the ‘Daily Progress check result’ times the ‘Progress Multiplier’ (based on the mining creature’s size).
Note: As a Racial Ability, Kobolds have a Progress Multiplier of ‘x 1’, despite being Small creatures.
Check Result Daily Progress (in 5’ cubes)
10 1⁄2
15 1
20 2
+5 +1
Creature Size # of creatures per 5’ cube Progress Multiplier
Small 4 x1⁄2
Medium 2 x1
Large 1 x2
Huge 1 x4
Substance Check Modifier
Gravel, Sand +10
Dirt (loose) +5
Clay, Silt +2
Dirt (packed or frozen) +2
Sedimentary Rock (Limestone, Sandstone, Shale) +0
Igneous Rock (Granite, Pumice, Obsidian) –5
Metamorphic Rock (marble, Quartz, Slate) –10

Profession (sailor) (Storm p87)
Used by deckhands & captains. Checks modified by the number of crew below a full watch (which is ship dependant).
DC
Crew on Watch
Mod
Full Watch +0
Less than Full Watch +5
Less than Half Watch +10
Less than Quarter Watch +15

Keep the ship from starting to sink when in high winds, heavy seas, rough surf, etc.
Foundering DC How Often
Strong Winds 5 1/day
Light Surf 5 1/minute
Severe Winds 10 1/hour
Windstorm/Gale 15 1/hour
Heavy Surf 15 1/minute
Hurricane 20 1/hour
Very Heavy Surf 20 1/minute
Dire Gale 28 1/hour


Profession (siege engineer) (DMG p100)
Used to load and fire catapults, etc.

Once a Catapult’s throwing arm has been winched down (which requires a Strength check vs. DC 15), a Siege Engineer must correctly latch it into place with a Profession (siege engineer) check vs. DC 15.
Load a Catapult
Once a Catapult’s throwing arm has been latched (see above), a Siege Engineer must correctly load it with ammunition with a Profession (siege engineer) check vs. DC 15.

JaronK
2010-01-24, 05:39 PM
Profession (Sailor) and Profession (Siege Engineer) have some uses. The first lets you do all kinds of things on boats (including steering them and navigation) while the latter lets you fire siege weapons via (IIRC) one of the sets of siege weapon rules.

I'd totally allow you to make Profession (Bad Ass) checks to make something just look cooler... such as evade a fire ball by blocking it with your cloak instead of dodging (having already succeeded on your reflex save).

JaronK

Marker Mage
2010-01-25, 08:36 PM
Well, if you really want Profession skills to do more, there's always what was done with Zelda RPG's Profession skills (http://z12.invisionfree.com/Zelda_RPG/index.php?showtopic=547).

You could also have the profession skill be used to represent how good you are at being paid for a job, rather than how good you are at it, causing skills like Profession (Wizard) or Profession (Adventurer) to be used for negotiating payment for services rendered rather than performing the service itself.

Angrist
2010-01-31, 12:37 AM
Some profession skills could be used in place of Diplomacy(haggle) if the the skill applied to the products being bought.

Soonerdj
2010-01-31, 12:46 AM
I've seen Profession: Map Maker but that was for RP reasons. His goal was to make a map of the world but we included as a pseudo knowledge skill.