Profession Feats

[rferries]

Only fools and roleplayers invest ranks in Profession - unless they have these feats! At the DM's option they may be applied to any similar Profession (e.g. Profession (merchant, shopkeeper, etc.) for Wealthy).

Champion
You are a master of the battlefield.

Prerequisites
Profession (adventurer) 4 ranks, BAB +6.

Benefits
You may make a full-attack as a standard action instead of a full-round action.

You gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls for iterative attacks. This bonus increases by +1 for every 5 ranks of Profession (adventurer) you possess.

Special
Warriors gain Champion as a bonus feat at first level. They need not meet its prerequisites.

Genius
You are a true savant.

Prerequisites
Profession (sage) 4 ranks.

Benefits
You may use any skill untrained.

Whenever you gain a synergy bonus on a skill check, that bonus increases by an additional +2 for every 5 ranks you have in Profession (sage). For example, if you have 11 ranks in Profession (sage) and at least 5 ranks in Knowledge (religion) you gain a +4 synergy bonus on turning checks against undead.

Special
Experts gain Genius as a bonus feat at first level. They need not meet its prerequisites.

Master Magus
You are an accomplished spellcaster.

Prerequisites
Profession (spellcaster) 4 ranks.

Benefits
You gain a +1 bonus to your caster level for each of your spellcasting classes. This bonus increases by +1 for every 5 ranks of Profession (spellcaster) you possess.

Special
Adepts gain Master Magus as a bonus feat at 1st level. They need not meet its prerequisites.

Salt of the Earth
Your labours have made you surprisingly healthy, insightful, and well-rounded.

Prerequisites
Profession (peasant) 4 ranks.

Benefits
You gain a +1 inherent bonus to all of your ability scores except your highest ability score (if two or more scores are tied for highest or would be tied if they gained the bonus, none of those scores gains the bonus).

This bonus increases by +1 for every 5 ranks of Profession (peasant) you possess, but can never raise an ability score to equal your highest ability score.

Special
Commoners gain Salt Of The Earth as a bonus feat at first level. They need not meet its prerequisites.

Spoiler: Too powerful? Here are some alternatives. :)

Show

At the DM's option, the inherent bonus instead applies to your four (or even three) lowest ability scores.

At the DM's option, the inherent bonus is instead an insight bonus to your Armour Class and saving throws

Wealthy
Whether royalty, landed gentry, or nouveau riche, you always have gold on hand.

Prerequisites
Profession (noble) 4 ranks.

Benefits
At the start of every day you gain a number of gold pieces equal to one-half your ranks in Profession (noble). You need not spend any time or effort to obtain this wealth - it is generated from your estate, investments, simple name recognition, or similar means.

Special
Aristocrats gain Wealthy as a bonus feat at first level. They need not meet its prerequisites.

[aimlessPolymath]

I...

Anyone can take these feats. Everyone has Profession as a class skill.

I'm really not sure how the existence of these feats helps the game- they seem like must-pick feats. My rogue can take all of them (except Master Magus) almost trivially.

I'm also not sure why people not taking Profession is a bad thing. Profession is, from the skill description, about vocational knowledge to be used to earn a stable living. In my experience, adventuring is about the polar opposite of that


One thing I do like:
I'm not actually opposed to the existence of skills like Profession(adventurer) in cases where the majority of gameplay is away from adventuring (a social setting, for example)- this lets you abstract away the combat and adventure portions of the game. Similarly, Profession(noble) as a way to abstract away the duties of rulership is a cool idea.

[rferries]

I...

Anyone can take these feats. Everyone has Profession as a class skill.

I'm really not sure how the existence of these feats helps the game- they seem like must-pick feats. My rogue can take all of them (except Master Magus) almost trivially.

I'm also not sure why people not taking Profession is a bad thing. Profession is, from the skill description, about vocational knowledge to be used to earn a stable living. In my experience, adventuring is about the polar opposite of that


One thing I do like:
I'm not actually opposed to the existence of skills like Profession(adventurer) in cases where the majority of gameplay is away from adventuring (a social setting, for example)- this lets you abstract away the combat and adventure portions of the game. Similarly, Profession(noble) as a way to abstract away the duties of rulership is a cool idea.

They were inspired (very circuitously) by the recent Plutomancer class posted here - I was thinking about how Perform was a much better money-maker than Profession, and how Profession doesn't have any game use OTHER than making money (unlike Craft, for example). So I whipped these up -powerful effects but a substantial investment for everyone except rogues and bards, really.

I shouldn't have implied it was a "bad" thing, more that encouraging roleplaying is (IMHO) a "good" thing.

Very much agreed that there should be defined Profession skills - if for no other reason than to make these feats unnecessary by providing built-in bonuses and special uses for each Profession.

[Gorum]

Okay, first I'd stick to actual professions. You don't ever want one of your characters to make a Profession (Adventurer) roll to see how well they perform their adventure. Second, I'd try to mimic the bard's Versatile Performance class feature. Here's an example.

Seasoned City Guard
You've dealt with all manners of criminals and survived the worst of it.
This is a Profession Feat. You may only have 1 Profession Feat. If you have skill ranks in Search and/or Sense Motive at the moment you take this feat, you may redistribute them as if you'd just gained them through leveling up. You may use your Profession (City Guard) skill instead of Search or Sense Motive. You can now grapple, disarm or trip as an attack of opportunity and you gain a +2 bonus on grapple, disarm and trip checks.

Walking Library
You are a true savant.
This is a Profession Feat. You may only have 1 Profession Feat. If you have skill ranks in any Knowledge skill at the moment you take this feat, you may redistribute them as if you'd just gained them through leveling up. You may use your Profession (Sage) skill instead of any Knowledge skill in which you are trained. The result may not exceed the maximum you could obtain from rolling that knowledge skill. Profession (Sage) applies as a synergy bonus for all those skills, and thus increase the maximum result that can be had using Walking Library. In addition, you may now cast Identify (1+Synergy Bonus from Profession (Sage)) times per week as a spell-like ability (thus costing no component). Even though it is a spell-like ability, it still takes 1 hour to cast.

Rough Sea Scallywag
The sea is a harsh mistress
This is a Profession Feat. You may only have 1 Profession Feat. If you have skill ranks in Climb and/or Balance at the moment you take this feat, you may redistribute them as if you'd just gained them through leveling up. You may use your Profession (Sailor) skill instead of Climb and Balance (or Tumble?). Whenever an effect would knock you down, you may roll Profession (Sailor) against that effect's roll (In the case of a trip attack, for example) or Save DC. If you beat the roll or DC, you are not knocked down. You still suffer any other effects.

Shrewd Negotiator
You know how to get the most of a deal
This is a Profession Feat. You may only have 1 Profession Feat. If you have skill ranks in Appraise and/or Diplomacy at the moment you take this feat, you may redistribute them as if you'd just gained them through leveling up. You may use your Profession (Merchant) skill instead of Appraise and Diplomacy. Once per day, when you use the Profession (Merchant) skill instead of Diplomacy to influence an NPC's attitude, you can spend 5 gp * CR * CR (5 / 20 / 45 / 80 / 125 / 180 / 245 / 320 / 405 / 500 gp...) to gain a +10 bonus. On a failed check, you did not spend the money. In addition, as a free action and only for a combat's first round, you may choose that creatures not immune to mind-affecting effects wishing to attack you must succeed on a DC [5 + Half Profession (Merchant) skill rank + your Wisdom Modifier] Will Save. On a failed save, that creature must choose another target for its attack(s).


Driver could give you Handle Animal and Spot and up to a +(Dex, max 2+Synergy bonus) untyped Bonus to AC but only when surprised. Guide > Gather Information & Diplomacy and ignore 1 square (5 feet) of difficult terrain per turn as long as the character does not perform a 5 foot step.

Scribe would allow Spellcraft (for deciphering magical writings and transcribing only) and Decipher Script, and allow the Character to take the Scribe Scroll Feat. If the character has both feats, the character counts as a Cleric (or Druid) and a Wizard of half his level or half his skill ranks in Profession (Scribe), whichever is lower, and gain a Spellcasting Slot of the highest level he could (or actually can) cast of each class which can only be used for the Scribe Scroll Feat. Those two slots are used as a Wizard's. He can now carry a spellbook, and can transcribe both divine and arcane spells into it. This feat do not allow the ability to craft scrolls of spells one does not know nor have access to. This feat does not give access to druid spells to a non-druid cleric nor cleric spells to a non-cleric druid. This feat does not give access to extra spell slots from high abilities.

E.G.: Wizard level 3 with Profession(Scribe) rank 6, this feat and Scribe Scroll would gain a level 2 Wizard Slot and a level 1 Cleric slot that can ONLY be used to scribe scrolls. He would be limited to cleric spells he has transcribed into his spellbook. He would be able to cast from a scroll as a level 1 Cleric.

E.G. 2: Monk level 12 with Profession(Scribe) rank 6, this feat and Scribe Scroll would gain a level 2 Wizard Slot and a level 2 Cleric slot (as if he was 3rd level in each class) that can ONLY be used to scribe scrolls. He would be limited to both wizard and cleric spells he has transcribed into his spellbook. He would be able to cast from a scroll as both a level 3 Cleric and a level 3 Wizard. Time to hoard some Owl's Wisdom, Cat's Grace, Bull's Strength and Bear's Endurance scrolls!

You get the idea.

[Gorum]

Profession (Peasant) > Handle Animal & Survival. Character carry capacity as if Strength +(1+Profession Synergy Bonus). Natural Healing of HP and Ability Damage is doubled (Does not affect Regeneration or Fast Healing). Spells and other magical effects that instantly heal Hit Points heal [(1+Synergy Bonus from profession) per die] extra hit points when cast on you. Spells that heal Ability Damage or drain heal 1 more point when cast on you. Rolls to stabilize and recover on his own have a (20 + Skill rank)% to succeed (instead of 10%).

[rferries]

Now these I like! Grouping related skills into one Profession is a very nifty idea.

[Gorum]

Now these I like! Grouping related skills into one Profession is a very nifty idea.

Yup, it becomes cost effective to get a profession even for fighters as it is basically doubling a group of skill ranks, and the extra ability can really add flavor. They might be a tad too powerful, you do not want players stacking them, and being expert at more than one profession would be weird anyway, hence the limit of 1 per player.

Edit: And to be fair, I copied Pathfinder's bardic Versatile Performance and added a thematic ability worthy of being a feat on top. It's a nice ability for performers to perform as it doesn't cost SURVIVABILITY to add flavor this way.

[Gorum]

Welp, calm night at work. Heres more options.

Veteran Bounty Hunter
Gather Information & Survival. You gain the Ranger's Track ability. Rangers add their own specie as a favored enemy. If the ranger already has his own specie as a favored enemy, he may choose any other humanoid or monstrous humanoid. They do not need an Evil alignment to select their own specie in this way.

A Booming Voice (Town Cryer)
Diplomacy & Intimidation. You gain the bard's Countersong ability (or a +2 to countersong rolls) but only against sound-based effects. You can fascinate non-hostile creatures in a 90 foot radius for (1+synergy bonus) minutes per day, in 1 minute increments. Will save partial, DC 10+half skill ranks +Wis Mod. On a failed save, the creature has a -2 to Spot and Listen checks for the duration.

In vino Veritas (Barman / maid)
Gather Information / Sleight of hands. You can combine your Profession checks and your Gather Information checks and combine the expenditure and income. Also, (1+synergy bonus) time(s) per day, if you spend at least 10 minutes with a non-hostile creature with which you share a language, you may have it roll a Will save against a DC of 10+half skill rank+Wis Mod. The creature gets +5 on its roll if unfriendly and -5 if inebriated. On a failed save, you can ask 1 question and obtain a truthful answer from the creature, as far as it knows. On a successful save, its attitude worsen one step. You can use the same 10 minute period to have the target(s) make multiple saves.

[khadgar567]

Welp, calm night at work. Heres more options.

Veteran Bounty Hunter
Gather Information & Survival. You gain the Ranger's Track ability. Rangers add their own specie as a favored enemy. If the ranger already has his own specie as a favored enemy, he may choose any other humanoid or monstrous humanoid. They do not need an Evil alignment to select their own specie in this way.

Town Cryer
Diplomacy & Intimidation. You gain the bard's Countersong ability (or a +2 to countersong rolls) but only against sound-based effects. You can fascinate non-hostile creatures in a 90 foot radius for (1+synergy bonus) minutes per day, in 1 minute increments. Will save partial, DC 10+half skill ranks +Wis Mod. On a failed save, the creature has a -2 to Spot and Listen checks for the duration.

Barman / maid
Gather Information / Sleight of hands. You can combine your Profession checks and your Gather Information checks and combine the expenditure and income. Also, (1+synergy bonus) time(s) per day, if you spend at least 10 minutes with a non-hostile creature with which you share a language, you may have it roll a Will save against a DC of 10+half skill rank+Wis Mod. The creature gets +5 on its roll if unfriendly and -5 if inebriated. On a failed save, you can ask 1 question and obtain a truthful answer from the creature, as far as it knows. On a successful save, its attitude worsen one step. You can use the same 10 minute period to have the target(s) make multiple saves.

okay small request please do some thing for profession dancer.

[Gorum]

okay small request please do some thing for profession dancer.

1) That's a Perform skill.
2) Pathfinder's Versatile Performance gave it Fly and Acrobatics.

Sooo...

Bedazzling Performer Battle-Dancer
Tumble and Balance. Whenever you successfully Tumble past an enemy, that enemy is considered flanked by you for your allies. In addition, standing up from prone (or any other position) cost only 5ft of movement and do not provoke an attack of opportunity.

You do not need to be on the opposite sides of an enemy for you and your allies to be considered flanking it. When you successfully tumble past one or more opponents or use the Spring Attack Feat or any other similar ability that allows you to not provoke an attack of opportunity, if at any point during your movement you were flanking an enemy, it is considered as being flanked by you and any ally to which you bestowed the bonus until the beginning of your next turn. That effect is broken if, at any point, neither you or that ally are adjacent to that enemy.

[Gorum]

And one last for the road!

Master Craftman
You have become a craftman of legend.
Requires a craft skill rank of 6
This is a Profession Feat. You cannot have more than 1 Profession Feat. When you gain this feat, choose 1 craft skill for which you have at least 6 ranks in the following list: Alchemy, Armorsmith, Fletcher, Weaponsmith, Leatherworker, Blacksmith, Jeweler, Weaver. When crafting mundane items with that craft skill, you progress (Craft Synergy Bonus x3 +2, minimum 5) times faster. Furthermore, you can create items that are imbued by magic. You can and must create both the mundane and magical parts of said item at the same time, it must be part of its creation. When you're creating a magical item, track the time it would take to create both the masterwork but mundane part and the magical part. The process isn't completed until both parts are completed.

An Alchemist may craft potions, oils and Elixirs.
An Armorsmith may craft magic armors normally made of metal, bracers, bands and gauntlets.
A Blacksmith may craft staves, rods, horseshoes, horns, flasks, musical instruments, censers, mirrors, orbs, utensils and chimes.
A Fletcher makes bows, musical instruments, arrrows and staves.
A Jeweler makes rings, amulets, dusts, pearls, gems, tokens, headbands, circlets, figurines, orbs, necklaces, medallions, Eyes, brooches, masks and stones
A Leatherworker makes magic armors made of leather, musical instruments, cloaks, bracers, Belts, Boots, gloves, bags and mantles
A Weaponsmith makes any weapon the Fletcher can't. And arrows.
A Weaver makes Robes, bags, boots, cloaks, mantles, headbands, amulets, belts, necklaces and gloves

The crafter's level is considered the lower between his character level or his skill ranks. Except for his level, he can mimic any prerequisite he doesn't have to create the item. Doing so require a Craft check against (DC 10 + number of skill ranks required) if the prerequisite is being trained in a skill, (DC 13 + 2/spell level ) if it would normally requires the casting of a spell. Failure means no progress can be made on the enchantment that day and 500 gp of materials wasted. If the crafter chooses to pass these checks, he must do so as soon as possible, one per day, until they all succeed or are bypassed. The item cannot be completed until he does. He may still recruit a PC or an NPC to cast the spells he needs.

[Bavarian itP]

Everyone has Profession as a class skill.

At least in 3.5, you are wrong.

[rferries]

At least in 3.5, you are wrong.

Huh... I'll be darned! I thought everyone got Profession, hence making it a skill tax for these feats while still keeping them accessible to everyone. But you're correct, barbarians and fighters don't get Profession. Back to the drawing board! :D