"Optimized" characters or parties?

[Grr]

Profession: Baker will probably never see use in a lot of campaigns. If you're running through Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil and you want your 5th-level fighter to say, "Man, I wish I were back in Albuquerque baking delicious pies," there's no need to have a single rank in Profession: Baker. If you never intend to actually roll the check to make a paltry amount of silver pieces in a week, what's the point in putting ranks in? Wave your hand, say, "He used to be a baker," and continue playing a game where 75% of the rules deal with fighting ugly things and taking their treasure.

Guess what my warrior does in between adventures... he whittles. He sells those figurines. It's a paltry sum compared to what can be acquired adventuring, but it makes me feel better about the character's personality / work ethic / etc. Instead of loafing around spending money from treasure hoards, he's still earning a living. I've actually had it come into play. We were hired to guard the vault of a wealthy merchant during a rather decadent festival. Thieves liked to use that time, when everyone's drunk and partying, to break into places.

We sent the thieves packing, but not before a small statue that was worth a tidy sum was broken. So I carved a fake and we used an illusion to finish the look of it until we could get the real one mended and replaced the next day.