Craft, Profession, Knowledge handbook?

[Kafana]

Ok, so I've been looking at these three most complex skills I would say.

What really bothers me is that, while there are dozens of supplements for the 3.5 system, there isn't a single handbook that talks about the specific craft, profession and knowledge skills, and the internet is giving me various homebrews and since I have been running games for only a year and have read about 5 books from cover to cover, and skimmed over another 10 I don't feel I know the rules nearly as good as I should for creating my own homebrews.

That being said, is there like a 60 page document that simply lists all the various crafts, knowledges and professions, along with a list of checks?

I pretty much need a balanced, long list of checks.

As far as I've been able to tell, the newer Monster Manuals have more of that fluff, and give you some information on creatures, and I can pretty much copy that pattern to the first MM, but that only covers like 50% of those particular knowledges.

Now that I think about it, knowledge and profession isn't even my biggest desire. I simply need a large list of craft DCs, though I'd also appreciate the other two.

[Yogibear41]

Players Handbook has pretty much every craft DC you should need, unless one of the players is going for off the wall alchemy items because he wants to play an alchemist character and IMO there is a lack of quality alchemical items in core. Creating magic items and things don't actually use spellcraft checks(I think maybe pathfinder has a rule where they do?) but armor/weapons are a dc 20 for masterwork versions and dc 10+ac for armor and weapons are based on what type of weapon with simple being one dc and martial being another, I think the highest DC their is around 15-17. Most of the alchemical items have a DC of 15,20, or 25.

For knowledge checks I think the normal DC is like 10+2xcr of the creature, althought my DM pretty much throws that out the window and gives us far less information on things unless the monster is specifically common to an area.

Profession checks really don't server any purpose(without splat support) for anything other than making a few silver pieces a week. Where the amount you make is based on the check result.

[Kafana]

What about Craft Stonemasonry, Craft Leatherworking, Craft Poisonmaking, Craft Woodworking and so on. Surely there is an expanded list somewhere, even a good balanced homebrew?

[Eldariel]

Complete Scoundrel has poisonmaking rules. The rest, not sure, PHB has the price-based approach which works.

[Kafana]

Any other suggestions?

[Crake]

Complete Scoundrel has poisonmaking rules. The rest, not sure, PHB has the price-based approach which works.

Also in complete Adventurer if you don't have access to complete scoundrel

[unseenmage]

Players Handbook has pretty much every craft DC you should need, unless one of the players is going for off the wall alchemy items because he wants to play an alchemist character and IMO there is a lack of quality alchemical items in core. Creating magic items and things don't actually use spellcraft checks(I think maybe pathfinder has a rule where they do?) but armor/weapons are a dc 20 for masterwork versions and dc 10+ac for armor and weapons are based on what type of weapon with simple being one dc and martial being another, I think the highest DC their is around 15-17. Most of the alchemical items have a DC of 15,20, or 25.

For knowledge checks I think the normal DC is like 10+2xcr of the creature, althought my DM pretty much throws that out the window and gives us far less information on things unless the monster is specifically common to an area.

Profession checks really don't server any purpose(without splat support) for anything other than making a few silver pieces a week. Where the amount you make is based on the check result.

Profession Miner is in Races of the Dragon and is used to dig holes. Generally a creature excavates it's space worth of material in an 8 hr workday.

Profession Architecture and Engineering is used to set Explosive Packs from Secrets of Sarlona. Without it you miss out on IIRC 3-4 times damage.

I don't remember any others off the top of my head though.


Remember too that Ability Checks can be substituted for Skill Checks for corner cases and to keep games moving. Just DM ad hoc a +1-5 bonus to the check to simulate the character's knowledge of the skill they're attempting.

While memorizing skill checks might be tempting, it's certainly not necessary to run a game. And I say that as a skill check using player myself.