[3.5]: Monsters with Profession? [FOUND]

[Jack_Simth]

Hey all,

I was browsing through the Stronghold Builder's Guide for an upcoming game (Deep Epic, some houserules that can mean free Wishes if you invest some feats), and was planning on building a stronghold, staffed with simulacrums of various critters (and it's expected to be 99% fluff, but I want the crunch anyway), and ran into an issue when looking at some of the staff:

I can't find any monsters that come with Profession by default!
So the bartenders, the butlers, clerks, cooks, librarians, maids, and scribes... need copies of fairly specific people, as nearly as I can tell.

Acolytes, Alchemists, Apprentice Spellcasters, Architects, Artisans, Performers, Guards, laborers, crafters, officers, sages, torturers... these can all be easily duplicated by Simulacrums of appropriate outsiders (Solars get Knowledge, Spot, Diplomacy, and Craft; Planatars and Astral Devas get Intimidate (although the role that needs it is better suited to an Efreeti or some such...), and a Trumpet Archon gets Handle Animal... but arbitrary profession seems to be hard to come by without duplicating classed creatures. Does anyone happen to know of a monster that comes with arbitrary Profession skills (note: Kobolds come with Profession(Miner), but that's specific, not arbitrary, and doesn't count for my purposes) (OK, the Vampire Spawn seems to come with Profession... but that's a bit icky).



Edit: Oh, hey: Ursinal, Book of Exalted Deeds, gets Profession(Any One) + 16. No skill focus, and a +3 Wis mod, so that's 13 ranks, which matches their 10 HD. Nifty! Good-aligned Outsider, PaO them into Astral Devas (Kingdom [Animal], Class [Outsider], Int [18], related [Good outsider]) and they'll fit just fine. That'll work for my purposes.

Thanks all.

[Inevitability]

From the SRD:

Sahuagin have Profession (hunter) with an additional bonus when near its home (you might be able to convince the DM your stronghold counts).

Mercanes have Profession (bookkeeper).

I couldn't find any other monsters.

[khadgar567]

From the SRD:

Sahuagin have Profession (hunter) with an additional bonus when near its home (you might be able to convince the DM your stronghold counts).

Mercanes have Profession (bookkeeper).

I couldn't find any other monsters.

might be throwing this from my arse but drow might be proficient with torture room

[TheifofZ]

Well, most monsters aren't the types to hold down a steady job for pay, so most monsters aren't going to bring Profession (Butler/Soldier/Smith/ whatever) by default.
You might be able to get creative about it with (Humanoid) creatures, but the DM may not look favourably on it.

[Mr Adventurer]

might be throwing this from my arse but drow might be proficient with torture room

This doesn't even make sense in this edition :).

[BowStreetRunner]

Myconids (MM2) have Profession (Farmer) and the Myconid Sovereign even has Profession (Herbalist)
Under Yugoloth in MM2 Marraenoloths have Profession (Boater) and Arcanaloths have Profession (Scribe)

[Jack_Simth]

Oh, right. The specific ones I'd be looking for (as they're listed for specific staff roles) would be:
Bartender
innkeeper
Butler (also needs Diplomacy)
Clerk (Found by Dire_Stirge: Mercanes have Profession (bookkeeper) - might sub)
Cook
Librarian (Also needs Knowledge)
Maid
Scribe (Found by BowStreetRunner: Arcanaloth, MM II)


might be throwing this from my arse but drow might be proficient with torture roomThe torturer needs Intimidate, which is fairly common. Efreeti have it, Astral Devas have it, Planetars have it, Unbodied have it, probably quite a few others, as it has some mechanical use.
From the SRD:

Sahuagin have Profession (hunter) with an additional bonus when near its home (you might be able to convince the DM your stronghold counts).
... OK, that's odd. Profession's Trained Only, they have a default +1 modifier, and a Wisdom of 13... there's no ranks there.

Oh. Looks like the Vampire Spawn are the same way - 13 Wis, Skill Focus, +4 modifier. And Profession is trained only. Huh. OK.


Mercanes have Profession (bookkeeper).Might sub for Clerck OK...

Myconids (MM2) have Profession (Farmer) and the Myconid Sovereign even has Profession (Herbalist)
Under Yugoloth in MM2 Marraenoloths have Profession (Boater) and Arcanaloths have Profession (Scribe)
That's one of the ones on the list, at least...

Well, most monsters aren't the types to hold down a steady job for pay, so most monsters aren't going to bring Profession (Butler/Soldier/Smith/ whatever) by default.
You might be able to get creative about it with (Humanoid) creatures, but the DM may not look favourably on it.

Oh, I doubt he'd care; I wanted to avoid classed critters mostly for flavour reasons. But yeah, you're probably right.


Edit: Oh, hey: Ursinal, Book of Exalted Deeds, gets Profession(Any One) + 16. No skill focus, and a +3 Wis mod, so that's 13 ranks, which matches their 10 HD. Nifty! Good-aligned Outsider, PaO them into Astral Devas and they'll fit just fine. That'll work.

[Inevitability]

So in the end, wizards who want to create a magical snowman butler are forced to use bear-like beings of pure Good? Seems legit to me. :smalltongue:

[Jack_Simth]

So in the end, wizards who want to create a magical snowman butler are forced to use bear-like beings of pure Good? Seems legit to me. :smalltongue:
Only if they want him to be any good at it (you know - anticipating needs, remembering where they put everything, et cetera).

Makes for an interesting bartender, though, doesn't it?

And, of course, it's not like making a simulacrum of something hurts the original....

Edit: And they have at-will Polymorph, so no PaO necessary. Nifty.