Professions

[malcolm_n]

I've been working this last week to finalize a profession system that can be used within D&D 4e. I've finally hit on one that I like enough to post.

The full file is a pdf which can be found below. To tempt you into looking at the other 11 professions, I've posted 3 samples here. Keep in mind that not all professions are created identically, but they are still balanced amongst one another.

[sblock=Cooking] [FONT=&quot]Cooking, First Aid, and Fishing are not really profession feats. They do, however, provide you with an option to improve yourself and your allies for short periods of time.[/FONT] [FONT=&quot] Cooking pairs up very well with fishing, since the latter improves your skill as a chef.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]COOKING[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Benefit:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] At the beginning of each day, you can choose one of the following benefits for you and each of your allies until you take an extended rest.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Grilled Skillions: Gain a +1 feat bonus to a skill of your choice.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Red Snapper: Gain a +1 feat bonus to damage rolls.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Red Herring: Gain a +1 feat bonus to the defense of your choice.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Red Lobster: Gain a +1 feat bonus to attack rolls made against the defense of your choice.[/FONT][/sblock][sblock=Mining] [FONT=&quot]Mining is a great profession for anybody considering the blacksmithing, engineering, or jewelcrafing feat as a secondary profession. On its own, mining still gives you training in a skill and a higher healing surge total.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]MINING [Profession][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Benefit:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] You gain training in Athletics, Dungeoneering, or Thievery and 1 extra healing surge each day. You also gain the following benefits if you have another profession feat.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Blacksmithing: When you sell an item that a blacksmith can craft, you receive two-fifths of the purchase price.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Engineering:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] When you sell an item that an engineer can craft, you receive two-fifths of the purchase price.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Jewelcrafting:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] When you sell an item that a jeweler can craft, you receive two-fifths of the purchase price.[/FONT][/sblock][sblock=Jewelcrafting] [FONT=&quot]Jewelcrafting is a profession which allows you to make jewelcrafting items, like neck slot items and totems, and gems for magic items.[/FONT] [FONT=&quot] It's worth noting that, unlike enchantments, you cannot socket gems to any weapon or piece of armor. Only certain items have specific gems. Blacksmiths, however, can add gems of any type to their own arm and hand slot items, and to waist slot items for anybody.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Mining helps with jewelcrafting, since it allows you to train in thievery while also granting you another healing surge per day. With mining, you can also sell your jewelcrafting items for a better price.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] When you buy items at character creation, you can choose to add gems to those items. Gems are costed so that 5 gems equal one magic item of the same level. You can only have one of any particular gem in an item unless you meet either of the following requirements.[/FONT]
* [FONT=&quot]Blacksmiths can add one of any gem to their arm, hand, and waist slot items, so that gem doesn’t count against the limit of one.[/FONT]
* [FONT=&quot]Transmutation masters (alchemy) can change a magical gem or gem-like wondrous item into a different gem or gem-like wondrous item of the original item’s level or lower. Once changed, the gem doesn’t count against the limit of one.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]JEWELCRAFTING [Profession][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Prerequisites:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] 4th level, trained in Thievery[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Benefit:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] You know and have mastered the enchant magic item ritual, but only to create magical rings, necklaces, some head slot items and gems.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Any item you buy, find, or create can have up to 3 gems in it. Blacksmiths can also add one of any gem to waist slot items for other characters, and to their own arm and hand slot items. You can add specific gems to your arm, hand, or waist slot items, but you can still only have up to 3. No other character can have an arm, a hand, or a waist slot item with a gem in it, unless it is the one gem granted by a blacksmith.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] The item in which a gem is placed can be up to one level lower than the gem itself, but it does need to be magical. Gems can be removed from items with the disenchant magic item ritual.[/FONT]
--
[FONT=&quot]JEWELCRAFTING[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Item bonuses and temporary hit points granted by gems stack with each other. Powers granted by gems can only be used once per encounter or day, even if you have more than one copy of a particular gem.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Smooth Topaz [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Level 8+[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]This yellow gem grants its bearer more agile reflexes.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Lvl 8 - 3,400 gp[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Lvl 18 - 85,000 gp[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Lvl 28 - 2,125,000 gp[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Item Slot:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Feet (Gem)[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Property:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] You gain a +1 item bonus to Acrobatics checks. When you are knocked prone, you can stand up as a minor action or stand up and shift 1 square as a move action.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Special:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] At level 18, you no longer gain any bonus from a level 8 gem. At level 28, you no longer gain any bonus from a level 8 or a level 18 gem.[/FONT]
[/sblock]You can download the PDF for Profession Feats here.

As always, thank you for taking time to look over my contributions. Any suggestions/critiques are appreciated.

 

[malcolm_n]

Gonna preview leatherworking and skinning to keep this going. Remember, the professions shown here and more can be found in the pdf.

[sblock=Skinning and Leatherworking] [FONT=&quot]SKINNING[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]
Because skinning only really helps to improve leatherworking, its individual aspect is a bit more powerful than those offered by herbalism and mining.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]SKINNING [Profession][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Benefit:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] You gain training in Nature or Stealth and when you score a critical hit, you deal 1 extra die of critical damage. You also gain the following benefits if you have another profession feat.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Leatherworking: When you sell an item that a leatherworker can craft, you receive two-fifths of the purchase price.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]LEATHERWORKING[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Leatherworking is a profession that goes hand-in-hand with Skinning. As a leatherworker, you will create magical leather and chainmail armor out of the skins and hide of wild beasts.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]LEATHERWORKING [Profession][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Prerequisites:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] 4th level, Trained in Nature or Stealth[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Benefit:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] You know and have mastered the enchant magic item ritual, but you can only use it to create certain leatherworking items. Once per day, you can create a leatherworking item in one-half the time.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] You are also able to improve some magical items. When you find an arm, hand, or feet slot item other than a shield, you can change that item into another of the same slot and the same level or lower by casting the enchant magic item ritual and expending no other components. You can only do this once per item.[/FONT][/sblock]

 

[aco175]

I took a quick look at the pdf today. My first thought is that the feats seem powerful. Most give training in a skill (which is a feat in itself) along with something else which is useful, and might be worthy of a feat by itself. I would like a way to have professions in 4E, this is a good start to address this problem. I also like several of the spells and magic items, especally the gem magic.

 

[malcolm_n]

yeah, I made the feats this way because their inclusion is one like multiclassing; one in which its available but not game breaking. The current mindset on 4e from what I've read is there's little reason to take a skill training feat unless it's for theme, a requirement, or a multiclass. This fits that same option. I didn't want to take the same route and count professions as multiclassing (except kind of engineering), since multiclassing in d&d is already a good derivation of talent trees in wow. Basically, yes they are more powerful than an average feat, but they still take up the place and require time and effort to really make them of value to a PC.

 

[malcolm_n]

[FONT=&quot]ENGINEERING[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Engineers can create magical ranged weapons and some wondrous items. They can also improve feet, hand, neck, and waist slot items for themselves.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Engineering also offers a variety of engineering only powers, which can be taken via the power swap feats in the D&D PHB.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] When considering a second profession, mining should be a good choice for engineers. It provides benefits to selling engineer crafted items, in addition to the other benefits of the feat.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Once per day, you can craft an engineering item in one-half the time.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]ENGINEERING [Profession][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Prerequisites:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] 4th level, trained in Dungeoneering[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Benefit:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] You know and have mastered the enchant magic item ritual, but can only use it to create engineering items.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] You are also able to customize some magical items. When you are in possession of a feet, hand, neck, or waist slot item, you can change that item into any other engineering item of the same level or lower by casting the enchant magic item ritual and expending no other components. You can only do this once per item.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Special:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Even though Engineering is not a multiclass feat, you can still take the power swap feats to gain engineering powers. You can also choose to paragon multiclass as an engineer.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]ENGINEERING ITEMS[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] As an engineer, you can create magical ranged weapons and improve upon your own feet, hand, or waist slot items. When you buy, craft, or find a feet, hand, or waist slot item, you can also choose another such item of the same level. You can spend a healing surge during a short rest to switch between those two items. At the beginning of each day, the item returns to normal.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]ENGINEERING POWERS[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Unlike other professions which only grant you items or bonuses, engineering also allows you to pick up several powers exclusive to members of the profession. You can take power swap feats as though you had a multiclass feat for engineering. When you do, choose one of the following powers. You lose these powers if you retrain the engineering feat or the power swap feat.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] As an 11th level engineer, you can choose to paragon multiclass if you meet all other requirements to do so.[/FONT]

 

[malcolm_n]

[FONT=&quot]A couple more examples from the pdf enjoy.
[/FONT][sblock=herbalism and inscription] [FONT=&quot]HERBALISM[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Herbalism provides few direct benefits. It provides a small boon to hit points you regain and improves the alchemy and inscription feats.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]HERBALISM [Profession][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Benefit:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] You gain training in Arcana, Nature, or Religion. Once per encounter, when you spend a healing surge, you regain extra hit points equal to your highest ability modifier. You also gain the following benefits if you have another profession feat.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Alchemy: When you sell an item that an alchemist can craft, you receive two-fifths of the purchase price.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Inscription:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] When you sell an item that an inscriber can craft, you receive two-fifths of the purchase price.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]INSCRIPTION[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The Inscription profession allows its practitioners, called "scribes," to enhance the powers of characters.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Scribes can also aid enchanters by creating better and more convenient ritual scrolls. All in all, inscription is a very useful profession for the benefits a scribe brings to his friends and himself.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Any glyph you purchase between 1st and 10th level costs the same as a first level item. This is because the value of a glyph in the heroic tier is greater than at other tiers of play when you may have another item that can do the same thing. At paragon tier, you can have two major and two minor glyphs, so they are now valued at one-half the cost of an 11th level item and a 6th level item respectively. At epic tier, you are able to buy and use 3 of each for the cost of a 21st level item and a 16th level item.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Glyphs are lost when you retrain a power and when you reach a new tier of play (paragon and epic). To improve a new power, you must purchase another glyph at the current price for the tier. Glyphs cannot be disenchanted and have no sell value of any worth to a vendor.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]INSCRIPTION [Profession][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Prerequisites:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] 4th level, Trained in Arcana, Nature, or Religion[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Benefit:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] You know and have mastered the enchant magic item ritual, but can only use it to create magic orbs, glyph slot items, tattoos, tomes and other book-like magic items. A character can have up to 1 major and 1 minor glyph per tier of play (1 at heroic, 2 at paragon, and 3 at epic). Each glyph improves one type of power, and you cannot have the same glyph more than once.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] You can also help enchanters by creating special enchant magic item scrolls with specific magic item enchantments upon them. Once per day, you can help an enchanter scribe the enchant magic item ritual to a scroll. When you do, the enchanter chooses a specific enchantment he can create and adds it as part of the required cast for the ritual.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] These special ritual scrolls can be used by anybody as a standard action to change one item of the same level as the ritual scroll into the item of the same slot on the scroll. They otherwise act exactly like other ritual scrolls.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Glyph of the Beast [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Level 1+[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]A glyph to better train your companion for combat.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Lvl 1 360 gp Lvl 21 75,000 gp[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Lvl 11 4,500 gp[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Item Slot:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Major Glyph[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Property:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Choose one encounter attack you know with the beast keyword. Your beast companion deals extra damage with that power equal to your highest ability modifier.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Glyph of Charm [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Level 1+[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]A glyph to keep the attention on you.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Lvl 1 72 gp Lvl 21 15,000 gp[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Lvl 11 900 gp[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Item Slot:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Minor Glyph[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Property:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Choose one power you know with the charm keyword. Creatures subject to that power’s charm effect take a -2 penalty to their first saving throw against it.[/FONT]
[/sblock]

 

[malcolm_n]

Our next feat from the pdf...[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]ALCHEMY[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Under the Profession system, the Alchemist feat becomes a profession feat, so you can only have one other profession if you select it.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Alchemists work better when at an alchemist’s lab. These labs can be found in some major cities, or a travelling alchemist can buy a portable lab (see alchemist items below).[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] When you choose the Alchemist feat, you can also choose one of the following options at 4th level.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Potions Master: You know and have mastered the brew potion ritual. Once per day, you can craft an alchemical item or a potion in one-half the time.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Any time you craft a potion with the help of an alchemist’s lab, roll 1d20. On a natural 15 or better, you craft one extra potion at no cost to you.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Elixir Master: You know and have mastered the brew potion ritual. Once per day, you can craft an alchemical item or a non-potion consumable in one-half the time.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Any time you craft an alchemical item or non-potion consumable with the help of an alchemist’s lab, roll 1d20. On a natural 15 or better, you craft one extra alchemical item or non-potion consumable at no cost to you.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Transmutation Master: You know and have mastered the enchant magic item ritual. You can only use the ritual once per day, and only to change a magical gem or gem-like wondrous item into another of its level or lower. By doing this, you can have more than one of a particular gem in an item. In addition, once per day, you can craft an alchemical item in one-half the time.

[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]Portable Alchemist’s Lab [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Level 11[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Strange liquids and funny bottles line the inside of this seemingly innocuous bag.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Wondrous Item [/FONT][FONT=&quot]9,000 gp[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Property:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] This item comes with 10 charges. When you create an alchemical item or a potion, you can use any number of these charges and reduce the component cost of that item by up to 900 gp for each charge spent. At 0 charges, the item loses any magical properties it had and becomes an empty backpack.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Special:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] This item is especially useful to potions masters and elixir masters.[/FONT]

 

[Flipguarder]

I would be so much more into this idea if you didn't rip the title of each profession directly from WoW. How about carpentry, or masonry? ritualist, bodyguard, assasin, musician, beggar, the list can be pretty expansive in D&D.

Also, the way I could see profession feats working more fluently with the system, is that they begin as average-powered backgrounds that you can enhance with feats later on. This way your character doesn't have a dragonmark, a spellscar, a background, a class, a class path, a multiclass, a paragon path, an epic destiny, AND a profession to all manage separately. It seems to me we already have enough classifications to deal with.

 

[malcolm_n]

two professions (and three subprofessions in cooking, fishing and first aid) . In any case, the names are just what I had to work with, and yes they are based on wow. As to the multitude of options, that's one of the cool features of 4e is nigh limitless options.

 

[Allaric]

RE: Feat Professions (Powerful)

Greetings.

I very much like the idea of having background elements like professions available under 4E. I am not so keen on the idea that they should be feat-based or that they should provide in-combat bonuses. The way I see it, WOTC took take of the combat stuff for us. If we want feat bonuses to our attacks there are already feat we can take. Feat bonuses do not stack so many of these bonuses wouldn't apply with some feats.

I personally would like to see a system for non-combat skills/backgrounds/professions that actually has nothing to do with combat. Rather, you can use these skills to create items, make some meager monies, have in-game connections, and most especially add to role-playing.

Yes, it is true the system I am looking for will not get you much. But the idea is to support the role-playing elements that aren't combat-based and basically were abandoned in the RAW for 4E for the first time in D&D history.

Your system could be modified if you were inclined. I am not sure if it is what you are looking for.

Anyone seen anything out there like that?
Thanks.
-Allaric.