[3.5->PF] Check to Write a Book?

[Ninjaxenomorph]

What would be the check to write a book? Not craft a book, that's just making bindings and whatnot. What about to actually write a book? Are there preexisting rules?

This is for a campaign I am planning, where I want the players to have a lengthy downtime period after a particularly hard expedition. I want to include a way to earn money outside of the normal downtime activities.

I'd imagine it would be a series of mental score check, depending on the subject, with more specific subject matters. For example, a memoir of the expedition would involve a mental check depending on how the player wants to write his book (intelligent for scholarly, wisdom for instructional/comprehensive, and charisma for entertaining. Specific details would involve Knowledges such as Dungeoneering, geography, arcana, and planes.

Trying to write false stuff would obviously be bluff, while I'd imagine the other social skills could also be useful. Using the profession/craft/perform rules for gold per phase?

[Spore]

I would suggest Craft (Scribe). If your character hasn't got that, either make an Int check or use a Knowledge if the topic is scientific.

[Ninjaxenomorph]

Profession (scribe) and craft (calligraphy) might help, but those are only for writing things down, not content. Oh, and since this is after an insanity-inducing encounter with a shoggoth, Lovecraftian horror-filled journals might creep their way into the works.

I'm thinking applicable checks add modifiers, with a new check for making money at each time interval during the downtime.

[Xianthe]

I think to represent content, I'd go for a knowledge check if they are writing non-fiction, or perform (oratory) or (poetry) for fiction, even though they aren't actually giving a performance, because those are the two skills that I think actually best represent the ability to actually craft an interesting tale.

[Snowbluff]

If I have learned anything from 3.5/PF, you don't need to successfully pass a check to write a book. :smalltongue:

[Benthesquid]

Profession: Author
Craft: Writing

or some such.

[SimonMoon6]

Anybody can write a book. It takes talent to write a *good* book.

What are the foreseeable consequences of succeeding or failing at this check? Will a successful check make the book something that people can learn from? Or will it make the book sell really well? Or will it make the author popular? Or none of the above?

If there's no consequences to success or failure, there wouldn't need to be a check, imho.

-------------------------
"I try to write a book."

"Okay, roll."

"I GOT A 4!"

"Okay, you failed to write the book. You just scribble on the paper instead."

"Awww..."
--------------------------

[Phelix-Mu]

If I have learned anything from 3.5/PF, you don't need to successfully pass a check to write a book. :smalltongue:

A cookie to Snowbluff for this. I may have to sig it, it's so perfect. Permission?

[Ninjaxenomorph]

Well, if they fail, it's probably just insane rumblings, which costs them time, perhaps even lowering their standing in the city, which is the point of the downtime: turn them into local figures. If they succeed, however, in addition to becoming an additional source of income, increasing their renown, and providing some other opportunities.

[Snowbluff]

A cookie to Snowbluff for this. I may have to sig it, it's so perfect. Permission?

Go ahead.:smallwink:

[Slipperychicken]

It depends on what's being written, really. It should be anything from Perform, to Bluff, to Knowledge skills.

-Writing something for entertainment, such as dime-a-dozen adventure stories, advertisement, or fantasy novels would be Perform (storytelling). You might also use the skill to determine how bland/exciting a given work is.
-Satire and propaganda might gain a synergy bonus from Bluff.
Technical texts (manuals, textbooks, encyclopedias) would use the relevant skill or skills involved.
-Scholarly books would usually take the relevant Knowledge.

You get Circumstance bonuses depending on how much research you did (or experience you have) in the subject matter before and during the writing process. The bonuses are further increased by how in-depth the research was and what sources you had access to. Going to the library might be a +2, while experiencing/studying the phenomenon personally for a few months might be a +5, and years or more might be a +7 or +10. Of course, you can eschew research and rely on your (probably incorrect) assumptions to complete the work much faster, albeit at a -4.


If I have learned anything from 3.5/PF, you don't need to successfully pass a check to write a book. :smalltongue:

Clever, I like it.

[Novawurmson]

If I have learned anything from 3.5/PF, you don't need to successfully pass a check to write a book. :smalltongue:

Apply cure light wounds to the burned area.

But seriously, I'd recommend the most applicable skill check for the subject matter - i.e. a tract might be Knowledge (Religion) or Diplomacy, a fiery piece of rhetoric might be Perform (Oratory) or Intimidate, etc.

[Ninjaxenomorph]

Since Perform (Storytelling) doesn't actually exist in Pathfinder (Performs cannot be expanded because Bards use them for skills), and depending on the content, I wanted to use relevant ability score modifiers, with other modifiers for the final work, with an additional bonus if the character actually has experience. For example, if there is combat in the book, and the writer has been in a similar fight, that's a bonus. If the author is describing the sanity-rending cry of a shoggoth, and they have recently recovered from an insanity caused by a shoggoth's gibbering, that is a bonus.

[Deophaun]

What would be the check to write a book? Not craft a book, that's just making bindings and whatnot. What about to actually write a book? Are there preexisting rules?
Yes, there are, in Races of Stone, of all places.

It's Craft (composition). A novel is a DC 15, while an epic is DC 20. You can also use it to compose songs, symphonies, reference material, plays, and poetry.

Edit: It's actually one of the better money-makers in the line, as your material cost per week is 2 gp, instead of a third of the item's price.

[Jeff the Green]

Edit: It's actually one of the better money-makers in the line, as your material cost per week is 2 gp, instead of a third of the item's price.

Except that progress is still measured in SP per week. Poison and siege engines are both measured in GP per week, so even with the 1/3 raw materials it's much faster.

Otherwise you're right and I'm mad because I clicked to post just that information. :smalltongue:

[Deophaun]

Poison and siege engines both have their own problems, though. It's tough to traffic in poison. Selling the end product is going to be an issue, and even looking for ingredients might raise red flags. Meanwhile, building a siege engine is not something you can really do as you travel from place to place or from the comfort of your room in an inn.

And the difference in price is not as great as you would expect at first blush, as neither poison nor siege engines are trade goods, and so they will likely be sold at half price. The compositions, on the other hand, are art objects and therefore trade goods, so they are treated as currency. So the difference between 60 gold of composition a week and 600 gold of poison works out to be 42 gold.