Starting my new campaign by having pcs choose a job in game to determine class..

[Skrag Fellhand]

O.k. so as title says Im running a new campaign and some players are undecided on what they would like to play, so instead of having them role up their character completly i have had them just select their race. Now the first few sessions will determine their classes(player handbook only), Ive posted jobs on the towns notice board that are as follows, Rogue/bard would choose work at the local tavern.Either performing(bard) or helping with the more seedy events that take place there(rogue), working for the town watch
(fighter/ranger) maintaining weapons etc.. and participating as a sparring partner(fighter) or helping with scouting parties and recon (ranger). Working for an old mage(wizard/sorceror) taking time to study and learn the craft would lead to wizard, trying to rush their craft and obtain spell use quickly would lead to sorceror. Doing work at the local temple(paladin/cleric) helping heal the wounded or care for the sick would lead to cleric, participating in cleansing of old crypts as a mule/lackey would lead to paladin. Working with a sect of old druids would lead to eventually becoming a druid. Sadly no one in the group expressed any interest at all during a discussion for barbarian or monk..but ill make a job at the monestary and im clueless as to what "job"
id give the barbarian

So here is my actual question, I thought since each were going to be working toward a particular path that i would make their reward a +1 bonus or +2 bonus to 1/2 skills relevant to their class path from rigorous study/training over the course of the first few sessions, and maybe a bonus feat relevant to the class... What for each class listed do you think if any would be a good skill to boost and what if any feat would you grant each class?

Sorry post was so long...but i would really like the input..

[Deadline]

Suggested bonus feats & skills by chosen class:

Bard:
Feat: Negotiator, Persuasive, or Skill Focus.
Skill(s): Choose 1 of the following: +2 bonus Knowledge(Local), +2 bonus Knowledge(History), Bonus Language, Bonus Skill Trick, or one bonus skill point to be spent wherever the Bard chooses.

Rogue:
Feat: Deceitful, Nimble Fingers, Stealty.
Skill(s): Same as the Bard list.

Fighter:
Feat: Bonus Fighter feat
Skill(s): +1 Intimidate or +1 Craft(Weaponsmithing)

Basically, grant one of the lesser used skill feats as a bonus feat, and maybe provide a nice bump to a specific skill or a lesser bump to their choice of a skill. Keep the bonuses thematic to the job/class you are shooting for.

As far as Barbarian goes, a simple laborer job would be fine I should think. As a bonus, you could grant literacy.

[Edenbeast]

It's a great idea!
As for the bonus: I wouldn't give bonus feats, it's a bit to much, but I like the idea of a bonus to a related skill. I used that one myself for players who spend time in writing a background for their character. I think some classes have more options than others, but you could watch how the players play their character to see what skill "describes" them the most.

Give a +1 to two associated skills or a +2 to one associated skill.

Bard: a specific perform skill, a specific knowledge, profession, social skill, gather info, or a bonus language as suggested earlier
Barbarian: a profession (such as woodcutter), intimidate, or maybe a physical skill such as jump or climb (I do a lot of indoor climbing and I definitely fit the role of barbarian the most).
Cleric: knowledge (mostly religion), profession, heal, spellcraft
Druid knowledge (nature), survival, heal, handle animal, or maybe a physical skill (some druids have to climb trees to get their fruit)
Fighter: see barbarian, or maybe a craft weapon or armour smithing, as suggested earlier.
Paladin: see fighter and cleric, ride
Ranger: physical skill, knowledge nature, handle animal or survival
Rogue: sleight of hand, appraise, and in many ways similar to bard with the exception of perform
Monk: maybe something physical, craft or knowledge
Sorcerer: spellcraft, something social, knowledge or profession
Wizard: appraise, profession, any knowledge, spellcraft, decipher script

These are just suggestions, so feel free to add, change or remove skills.

[Skrag Fellhand]

Thank you for your suggestions...these all fall along the guidelines of what i had in mind as do most of the selections provided...now i know im on the right track...hope this works out well enough that they have gotten a fill for their chars when they finish their career paths

[Fighter1000]

Really awesome and unique idea for determining the class of your PCs.

[Talionis]

I think you may find that skills benefit some characters a lot more than others. The skill monkeys can never get enough of them. I like the idea of giving each character:

One bonus skill point in each of their class skills. This trains all the class skills for the character, which may greatly benefit some of the characters who will get few skill points to start, but it will also greatly benefit the skill monkeys who get more skills.

I would also grant them each a bonus feat. I personally have always thought that characters always get too few feats. If you want to choose the feats to balance things out and to give them feats you feel will be appropriate or important for them to have for you campaign down the road, I think this is an excellent idea. Choosing the bonus feat for them isn't taking away their creativity, but it will allow each character to feel important or wonder why you chose to give them a certain feat. It may also challenge them to build around the feat you grant them.

As for what do Barbarians do in towns. I love the lumberjack occupation. That would make some sense, but they could also just be hunters/rugged farmers who live outside town and come into town to sell goods. This is a very similar application of a tribal life style on an individual basis. Of course that might also be a way to explain Rangers. Many people might not live in a town, but might feel like they still were a member of that community.

[Zjordan85]

I will be monitoring this very closely for input and results. I just began work on a similar idea.

[Clistenes]

I proposed something similar in another thread:


You know, it could work if the DM offered the player to take an extra skill points per level plus four extra skill points at level one plus a bonus feat at levels 1-4-8-12-16-20, all to be used to develop the background.

The player should be offered several background packs to choose, and he/she would have to pick his/her extra feats and skill points from there.

Something like:

Farmer pack.
-Feats: Skill Focus (Profession - Farmer), Skill Focus (Handle Animal), Skill Focus (Knowledge - Nature), Skill Focus (Knowledge - Local), Skill Focus (Survival), Animal Affinity, Self-Sufficient, Efficient Hunter, Natural Dowser.
-Skills: Profession - Farmer, Handle Animal, Knowledge - Nature, Knowledge - Local, Survival, Heal.

Merchant Pack.
-Feats: Skill Focus (Profession - Merchant), Skill Focus (Appraise), Skill Focus (Diplomacy), Skill Focus (Bluff), Skill Focus (Sense Motive), Skill Focus (Knowledge - Local), Skill Focus (Knowledge - Nobility and Royalty), Diligent, Wanderer Diplomacy, Polyglot, Appraise Magic Value, City Slicker.
-Skills: Profession - Merchant, Appraise, Diplomacy, Bluff, Sense Motive, Knowledge - Local, Knowledge - Nobility and Royalty.

It would be easy to make packs for sailors, artists, actors, musicians, travellers, religious/devout people, leaders, landholders, diplomats...etc.

In order to get all that they would have to roleplay their background/profession.

But I would only allow feats and skill that aren't overtly useful during a combat situation (no bonus to spot, search, listen, hide, move silently, perform (music), ride...etc). The feats and skills should be focused to improve their perfomance at their "civilian job".

In short, they would be advancing as civilian workers in parallel to their adventuring careers, making them develop skills they would never do if they had to invest their class-granted skill points.

Of course those skills and feats would still be useful during adventures, and would free their class-granted skill points to be invested in other way.

[Skrag Fellhand]

Clistenes I really like the packet idea wish I had thought of it. I let them choose from the Commoner,Expert, Adept skill sets. I plan to let them keep these skills as "background skills" costing the same as a class skill when putting points into them. So far I have 1 pc working at the tavern who seems really interested in the musical aspects of the bar(I think this has to do with his pc being a little lazy and to good to wait tables or cook), 1 pc has taken to working in the towns magic shop with the wizard and has actually rped his study sessions and maybe even found his familiar(hes been feeding the stray cat in town)...I did not post a blacksmiths job but had a pc go and ask for one when it wasnt on the notice board,so now we have an apprentice black smith(fighter or barbarian)(plan to throw a few things at him to see if he is easily angered,maybe an unsatisfied customer if so he will end up barb)..so far they seem to be enjoying it fairly well...2 or 3 more sessions and I will have them "graduate" to their respective class. Once everyone has a class and were a few levels in if this does not unbalance my game to much I will continue to start my new campaigns this way...like I said they all seem to really enjoy being the simple folk so far.