Rules (From "Intellectual Property")

[Daggoth]

Hey thanks everyone for the suggestions regarding the aforementioned. Sorry that the administrator closed the post but per their suggestion, here we continue the skill discussion! Speaking of which:
As for the skinning/leatherworking rules, here's what I came up with:
1-Skin the critter (Profession or Survival) check, DC 10 plus the creature's Natural armor bonus. Let's be honest, its a lot easier to slice the hide from a rabbit than a bull Rhino.
2-Tan/Cure the hide. Profession Tanner/Survival check DC 15 plus the natural armor bonus. The weight of the finished hide is the natural armor bonus (reflecting thickness, density, etc.) multiplied by the size of the creature (Fine, Diminutive, Small, etc.) Divide the weight by 3 to determine the value of the tanned leather/cured hide.
3- build what you will. You know how much the materials weigh for encumbrance purposes. And by the Craft system you must spend "one third the item's base price in the cost of raw materials". So now you know the value of the raw materials.
4- remember that as per the dragon rules, the size of the creature dictates the max "type" of armor it can be crafted into (assuming you're making armor). I think that rather than having someone trying to skin a hundred rabbits to make leather armor (which is technically possible if you stack enough skins on top of one another) that the base natural armor of the creature skinned should be equal to or greater than the AC bonus of the armor you are trying to make. And just as Dragon Scales can be used to make armor normally made of metal, other materials can be used to compensate as well, such as plates from turtle-like creature's shells, or the Chitin/Exoskeleton of a truly giant vermin.
Oh and obviously this doesn't take into account the value of things such as the cow's meat, or the value of items such as the horns (which beyond decorative uses were common in some cultures as drinking horns in place of cups, and hollowed out for sounding alarms, etc.)
What do you guys/girls think?

[ericgrau]

Try changing the title to 'Animal Skinning/Crafting Rules (From "Intellectual Property")' to be more clear, especially to those who didn't see the last thread. You may also want to mention briefly that a second unrelated discussion on copyrighted material was ended and should not be restarted. Or, actually, I just did that for you.

1,3,4-Makes sense.
2-You may want to simply use the weight of the appropriate armor (per #4) to keep things simple. Especially since +0 and +20 natural armor could get weird. Likewise 1/3 the value of the finished product gives you the value of the tanned hide.
"5" - I like the idea that animals effectively give a little treasure based on how good you are at harvesting them. More rules for other body parts would increase that amount, depending on how many different skills the PC has. At higher levels it might not be worth much anymore, until you get to full plate and exotic beasts like dragons turning a profit of about 1,000 gp or so.

[Daggoth]

Thanks for the input, and your right. I got the inspiration from several parts, most notably during a 3.5 Ed campaign I ran a while back where the PC's fought NO humanoids. I didn't realize it at the time, but NONE of their encounters had treasure. And then again recently in a Desert Campaign in the same world. All beasts & magical Beasts. I'd also noticed how some characters had taken skill ranks in Profession Tanner & Craft Leather-working & Armor-smithing and they never really used them. The extra cash, while not as much as a Good encounter at even average loot, is still a nice touch especially with the sense of accomplishment and productivity it brings.
As for rule 5- good suggestion, I'm already working on a "Called Shot" system to replace the old Mongoose publishing BAB 8 one. I may blend the 2, but hey I play MHFU so it's really unsurprising.
Regarding rule 2, the only concerns I have with your suggestion (and I hope you take this as constructive criticism) is that whenever medieval craftsman make something, there is almost always waste. Trimmings, powder, residue, etc. Modern refinement techniques have cut back on that. Keyword being: modern. Besides, the other issue is that let's say for example we DO use the weight of the armor. So the same sized creature's hide could be used for Hide Armor or Leather, but Hide weighs 25 lb. and Leather weighs 15? How can the hide weigh both? And what if the character doesn't know what they want to make out of it at the time they skin/tan the pelt? I think the system I have is pretty versatile and still efficient, don't you? Oh and my next project is coming up soon! Mining/Smelting/Metalwork! Woodcraft! Herbalism! Alchemy! Engineering for all your construct and war vehicle needs! wish me luck everyone, and thanks for all the input. Keep the comments coming!