List of mechanically relevant professions?

[sorcererlover]

Profession (Gambling) for fatespinner. Are there any else?

[fallensavior]

Profession (Sailor) for Dread Pirate.

[Bphill561]

Sublime Chord, Complete Arcane: Profession Astrologer 6
Merchant Prince, Power of Faerun: Profession Merchant 8
Mystic Wanderer, Magif of Faerun: Profession Herbalist 3

[Dimers]

Executioner, in BoVD, for instakills in certain unlikely circumstances.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Profession (Sailor) for Dread Pirate.

And for all of narrative naval combat (simplified naval combat rules, found in Stormwrack).

[Khedrac]

Are you also interested in the equivalent Crafts (not much difference in game between a craft and a profession) such as War Weaver - Craft: Weaving 6.

(Historically in the UK the difference between a "profession" and a "trade" was that professions needed a degree to practice.)

Edit - and some more professions:

Luckstealer - Gambler 9
Legendary Captain - Sailor 8
Scarlet Corsair - Sailor 4
Darkhagard (Living Greyhawk) - Boater 4
Gnome Artificer - Apothecary, Engineer or Siege Engineer 3
Windwright Captain - Sailor 10

[MisterKaws]

Craft:Basketweaving:

-Can make basket-shaped tents
-Can make basket-shaped boats
-Can make basket-shaped adamantine shields
-Can make giant lead-lined baskets to be later shrunk and worn as a protection against AMFs by casters
-Can make cool baskets

[sorcererlover]

It doesn't have to be for a PrC prerequisite. I'm just curious what profession skills actually do something other than give you a pittance amount of gold every week.

[Dalmosh]

What profession actually does beyond generate loose change is so vague that I'm never sure what I'm houseruling and what is legit... I allow profession checks to specifically direct a synergized skillset to a profession-related task within reason. These are two that see use in my games.


Profession Herbalist: Search natural areas for spell components, drugs, special materials and ingredients for poisons. I personally work as a field tech in ecological managment, so I expect someone who works with plants professionally (several ranks in Prof: herb) to be better and more efficient at finding rare plants than either someone who merely knows about plants (know: nature) using the search skill, or someone trying to optimally stay alive in the woods (Survival). Its about context... sometimes a task just seems more Herbalist than either Survival or Knowledge.

Profession Librarian: Quickly search a library for scrolls, spellbooks etc... you're trained in the epic fantasy Dewey Decimal System so you'd better believe you can find and retrieve books better than someone vanilla Searching...

I'd probably allow Profession: Alchemist to similarly search for special materials, and Profession:Sapper/Architect etc to be able to take checks to find secret ways into strongholds.

[Dalmosh]

What profession actually does beyond generate loose change is so vague that I'm never sure what I'm houseruling and what is legit... I allow profession checks to "specifically perform combined skillset for profession-related task" within reason. These are two that see use in my games.


Profession Herbalist: Search natural areas for spell components, drugs, special materials and ingredients for poisons. I personally work as a field tech in ecological managment, so I expect someone who works with plants professionally (several ranks in Prof: herb) to be better and more efficient at finding rare plants than either someone who merely knows about plants (know: nature) using the search skill, or someone trying to optimally stay alive in the woods (Survival). Its about context... sometimes a task just seems more Herbalist than either Survival or Knowledge.

Profession Librarian: Quickly search a library for scrolls, spellbooks etc... you're trained in the epic fantasy Dewey Decimal System so you'd better believe you can find and retrieve books better than someone vanilla Searching...

I'd probably allow Profession: Alchemist to similarly search for special materials, and Profession:Sapper/Architect etc to be able to take checks to find secret ways into strongholds.

[DrMotives]

Profession checks operate vehicles & siege weapons.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

The Profession (Oldest) would do...things in a BoEF-"enhanced" campaign...

Also, thanks, Bphill561! You reminded me about sublime chord's skill prereq, which helped me to build my sublime chord RAW-legal! I'd forgotten about it by the time I was choosing skills...

[ShurikVch]

Prestige Classes
Blighter (Complete Divine): prerequisites saying something about the Profession (Herbalist)
The Darkhagard (http://web.archive.org/web/20050415021636/http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=lg/articles/20030604darkhagard): Profession (Boater) 4
Mage Hunter (http://dlnexus.com/fan/rules/11047.aspx): Profession (Arbiter) 6
Master Siege Engineer (Dragon #295): Profession (siege engineer) 8
Royal Explorer (Song and Silence): Profession (cartographer) 8
Unbound Scroll (Dragonmarked): Profession (scribe) 4

Feats
Expert Siege Engineer (Heroes of Battle): Profession (siege engineer) 8
Great Captain (Stormwrack): Profession (sailor) 7
Old Salt (Stormwrack): Profession (sailor) 5
Sailor's Balance (Stormwrack): Profession (sailor) 4
Ship Savvy (Races of Eberron): Profession (sailor or shipwright) 3
Ship's Mage (Stormwrack): Profession (sailor) 2
Stowaway (Dragon #350): Profession (sailor) 1

Spells
Detect Ship (Stormwrack): DC 15 Profession (sailor) check allows you to determine the number, direction, and range to each new ship you sense. If a ship is actually within sight, you can gain additional information by studying the vessel for 1 round; a Profession (sailor) check gives you information about the ship or ships
Maelstrom and Waterspout spells (Spell Compendium) are both allow to make Profession (sailor) check instead Reflex save to waterborne vessels and their occupants

Items
Construction of Constructs:
Blade Guardian (Complete Warrior): DC 16 Profession (engineering)
Gauntlet Guardian (Complete Warrior): DC 16 Profession (engineering)
Spark Guardian (Complete Warrior): DC 16 Profession (engineering)
Clay Half-Golem (Monster Manual II): DC 20 Craft (sculpting) or Profession (mason)
Juggernaut (Monster Manual II): DC 18 Craft (sculpting) or Profession (mason)
Nimblewright (Monster Manual II): DC 16 Craft (sculpting) or Profession (mason)
Runic Guardian (Monster Manual II): DC 20 Craft (sculpting) or Profession (engineer)
Topiary Guardian (Monster Manual III): DC 25 Craft (sculpting), Craft (gardening), or Profession (gardener)
Web Golem (Monster Manual III): DC 20 Craft (weaving) or Profession (silk maker)The Calling poison (Drow of the Underdark): DC 20 Profession (cook) to detect
Firespout (Stormwrack): DC 5 Profession (sailor) check to attack an enemy ship

The "Arcane Botanica" article (Dragon #357): various Profession (gardener) checks - some of which could be replaced with Knowledge (nature); harvesting Coldwood required checks in Knowledge (nature) or Profession (logger) (DC 20 vs DC 15 - Profession is "easier")

[Zaq]

The darkhagard thing is... something. Can’t say I’m absolutely shocked I’ve never seen it mentioned before.

Am I just incredibly ignorant of nautical practices, or is there really enough of a difference between someone whose profession is “sailor” and someone whose profession is “boater” to justify drawing that mechanical distinction there?

[Telok]

'Boat' traditionally refers to lake/river craft and other small craft that are unsuitable to seafaring. While 'ship' will refer to sea & ocean worthy craft.

There can be, naturally, some gray areas and with enough canals you can find ships on sufficently large lakes.

My personal rule of thumb is if the craft is normally/regularly used for making the sorts of voyages where you'd care about scurvy.

[Telonius]

I think there are a few organization or reputation benefits where you get certain goodies if you have X number of ranks in a Profession skill. I'd have to look those up though.

[Thurbane]

The table formatting is messed up, but here's a list I once made (includes Craft and Profession):


From a list I complied a while back:

Feats:
{table]Attune Gem|Craft (gemcutting) X ranks|Mag
Craft Talisman|*|OA
Create Crystal Weapon|Craft (weaponsmithing) X ranks|?
Expert Siege Engineer|Profession (siege engineer) 8 ranks|HB
Extraordinary Trapsmith|Craft (trapmaking) 9 ranks|RDr
Great Captain|Profession (sailor) 8 ranks|Sto
Inscribe Rune|*|PG
Mad Alchemist|Craft (alchemy) 6 ranks|PH2
Old Salt|Profession (sailor) 5 ranks|Sto
Poison Expert|Craft (poison) 8 ranks|CS
Poison Master|Craft (poison) 8 ranks|CS
Runesmith|Craft (runes) 4 ranks|Rac
Sailor's Balance|Profession (sailor) 4 ranks|Sto
Ship's Mage |Profession (sailor) 2 ranks|Sto
Tattoo Magic|Craft (calligraphy) or Craft (painting)|Rac
Trophy Collector|Craft (taxidermy) 6 ranks|PH2[/table]

Prestige Classes:
{table]Alchemist Savant|Craft (alchemy) 8 ranks|MoE
Annointed Knight|Craft (alchemy) 5 ranks|BE
Battlesmith|Craft (armorsmithing or weaponsmithing) 10 ranks|RS
Dark Hunter|Craft (trapmaking) 5 ranks|CW
Dread Pirate|Profession (sailor) 8 ranks|CAd
Dungeon Delver|Craft (stonemasonry) 5 ranks|CAd
Effigy Master|Craft (leatherworking or metalworking or woodworking) 10 ranks|CAr
Exotic Weapon Master|Craft (weaponsmith) 3 ranks|CW
Fatespinner|Profession (gambler) 8 ranks|CAr
Hammer of Moradin|Craft (weaponsmith) 10 ranks|PG
Luckstealer|Profession (gambler) 9 ranks|RW
Maester|Craft (any) 8 ranks|CAd
Monk of the Long Death|Craft (alchemy) 5 ranks, Craft (poison) 7 ranks|PG
Morninglord of Lathander|Craft (any) 4 ranks|PG
Order of the Bow Initiate|Craft (bowmaking) 5 ranks|CW
Reforged|Craft or Profession 8 ranks|RE
Sublime Chord|Profession (astrologer) 6 ranks|CAr
War Weaver|Craft (weaving) 6 ranks|HB
[/table]

[Saintheart]

Executioner, in BoVD, for instakills in certain unlikely circumstances.

Hmmmm. BoVD indicates that, in the case of the headsman's axe, a greataxe or greatsword can serve when "specially sharpened" and "held with the proper technique". Big deal, your Profession (Executioner) check should allow you to succeed on those pretty easily.

What are the prerequisites to take someone out using it?

The condemned has to be restrained and the neck vulnerable to the strike readied by the executioner. On a successful Profession (Executioner) strike (DC 18), it's instant death or coup de grace damage. Happily, I don't see any RAW definition of what "has to be restrained" means. Or "neck vulnerable to the strike".

The rules of execution say the condemned must first be secured by being tied in place, pinned in a grapple, or successfully restrained in a stationary execution device. If restrained in an execution device, the condemned can attempt to make a Escape Artist check every round against the DC noted in Table 3–2, unless magically held or otherwise helpless.

So you could argue that the execution rules hand off what is "restrained in an execution device" to the specific device chosen. And the headsman's axe then says all that has to happen is that the condemned is restrained and the neck is vulnerable to the strike readied by the executioner. Admittedly it's a bit of a reach but it might be RAW argued that if you hit an enemy with a Hold Person - which imposes the paralysed condition, which in turn includes that the victim is helpless - then they're now restrained in an execution device for the purpose of Headsman's Axe.

Maybe it takes a standard action or a move action to get round into a position where the neck can be said to be vulnerable, maybe he has to ready an action, but with Guidance of the Avatar (hideously word-appropriate) that's instadeath on the opposition.