Odd Question: Profession: Porter...Gatekeeper or human pack-mule?

[scarmiglionne4]

What exactly is a porter as mentioned in the Profession skill?

[ArcturusV]

Some schmuck that you pay to carry your stuff around. Tenser's Floating Disk? Why waste the slot, 1 cp a day for a chump with 15 str to lug.

[scarmiglionne4]

That's one vote for human pack-mule, which is what I always thought it was.

Anyone else? Has anyone interpreted it to be a gatekeeper?

[Rhynn]

Interesting dilemma. Both meanings come from Middle English, with the doorkeeper meaning being a bit older (13th century vs. 14th century). However, it seems that the doorkeeper sense is a religious term, referring to a position within the Catholic church, but is properly called Ostiarus.

So I'd think it definitely means a carrier.

[TuggyNE]

It can be both.

Seriously, why limit an example like this?

[scarmiglionne4]

I was afraid someone would say that. Would it be acceptable to have the pack-mule porter be called the porter and have another listed profession called gatekeeper?

I am trying to come up with some other uses for Profession that might actually come up in play.

[ArcturusV]

Well, to be honest I wouldn't even make either of them a Profession skill.

I mean lugging stuff around? That's pretty much the DEFINITION of unskilled labor.

Similarly, standing watch over a gate? Not exactly rocket surgery, it's far too narrow to really be a "Profession" in terms of the skill (e.g.: I can take Profession: Sailor, instead of being pigeoned into smaller roles like Profession: Sail Mender).

So I'd go with big things, rather than small. And think of things that might actually need or require a check in game. Carrying stuff? Anyone can do that. Doesn't even involve a roll in game. Just a strength score.

Driver (As in Horse, Carriage, Wagons, Mule Trains, etc), yeah. You got enough going on that it requires some skill to keep control of your animals, deal with sudden changes, possible maneuvers and what not to correct for things like sudden obstacles.

I figure there's lots of room for Profession skills that don't get used at all. But I probably wouldn't list Porter or Doorkeeper as one.

[Rhynn]

Well, to be honest I wouldn't even make either of them a Profession skill.

Yeah, both are really unskilled labor requiring no Profession skill. (Well, except the actual Ostiarus, maybe. But that might be more about having a rank or two in Knowledge [religion] than a Profession skill.)

Of course, a gatekeeper should have Weapon Specialization (quarterstaff) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stardust_%282007_film%29)...

[Another_Poet]

In modern English porter is normally a term for someone who carries things (as in "transport," not as in "portal" which has a different Latin root).

Porters are actually somewhat skilled. Typically they can carry immense amounts of weight for long hours without breaks. Often they also double as a local guide, knowing the terrain, advising on hazards and wildlife, and even providing navigation. They may also provide other services such as cooking the meals.

It is likely that few or none of the people reading this thread have the physical fitness necessary to be a porter (myself included, and I just bicycled 1900 miles).

Thus, paying them slightly more silver seems fair to me.

[Ubercaledor]

Consider that Sherpas are also Porters. I would treat a Porter as professional if they were also guides, which they should be considering they spend their entire lives travelling between A and B.

[Rhynn]

Thus, paying them slightly more silver seems fair to me.

Would anyone, though, when you can find any unskilled chump and pay them less to do the same job about just as well? Sure, carrying things right is important for the porter's health, but since you're unlikely to need them for very long (sherpas really aren't porters in this sense, IMO), you don't care if they develop chronic back problems down the line.

I gotta admit, I assumed we were talking a porter in a town, pretty much. Outside of towns or cities, I think most fantasy settings wouldn't see people being used as beasts of burden, but... beasts.

A sherpa, specifically, seems like they'd have more of a collection of skills (Survival, primarily) and a fixed fee to be retained per day/week rather than a Profession roll for pay.

[scarmiglionne4]

I was thinking of letting a person with at least 5 ranks in Profession: Porter figure carrying capacity as though their Strength were 2 points higher.

I don't know what I would let a gatekeeper have... a +2 bonus to opening stuck doors/gates?

[AugustNights]

Here's a knocking indeed! (http://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/views/plays/play_view.php?WorkID=macbeth&Act=2&Scene=3&Scope=scene)
Synergy with Perform (Buffoon), or Diplomacy if you like.

[Callin]

Just keep the Gatekeeper away from the Keymaster or else bad things will happen.


Skill in Porter should give a bonus to packing skills or carrying capacity or something along those lines IF you choose to implement it.

[Fitz10019]

You could think of it as the modern doorman. His duties include hanging out by the door to let you in, and helping with packages. For some, his duties are 99% door opening. For others, it's 99% carrying.

[Another_Poet]

Would anyone [pay more], though, when you can find any unskilled chump and pay them less to do the same job about just as well?

I'm currently reading a book by Ed Stafford about his epic walk from the source of the Amazon River in Peru to its end in Brazil. It took him two years.

He always hired locals to come with him, partly to help carry the load and partly to serve as guides and translators.

He notes that normally paid them 15 Peruvian soles per day. However, when he felt a porter had valuable skills - such as being very strong, having good endurance, and knowing local terrain and dialects - he would gladly pay 20 to 25 Peruvian soles per day, even when it endangered his journey's finances.

So yes, I suppose someone would pay more even when they can hire an unskilled chump.

In game terms, none of this will ever come up; when you ask to hire a porter a GM who knows his stuff will just quote you a price in line with a skilled porter.

In super real game terms, it won't come up because prices measured in silver are laughable and the PCs will probably offer a few gold pieces without ever realizing they're overpaying.

Also note that beasts of burden like donkeys are useless in some terrain. (Giant spiders however....)


Just keep the Gatekeeper away from the Keymaster or else bad things will happen.


Win.