Job System Early Version

Obviously not complete. Additions and comments always welcome.

Job System

The job system is meant as ab alternate source of income, for times when adventures are scarce, or for characters that are not as adventuresome as others. Every week (on sunday?) in real life, a character on a job, but not on adventure gains some benefits, usually money and some other benefits (such as Craft Points, minor favors, and the like), and 10 (?) XP per week. Most jobs have a requirement that must be fulfilled, though characters on the way to fulfill the requirements might become apprentices/assistants to another character.

NPC ASSISTANT
Sometimes, a character on a job may want or need to abandon it for a while. Normally, that means that he gains no benefits from the job (some jobs may allow the character to gain reduced benefits). In those chases, if the character has no other assistants, he may want to hire an NPC assistant. This reduces the weekly benefits by 1/2, but other benefits (such as from sold items) are gained normally.

Obtaining a Job
A character not currently on an adventure who qualifies for a job may (note the job on his character sheet/start an appropriate (Adventure?) thread?) and notify a judge. A character becoming an apprentice or partner of another character with the same job should (note this as well/use the thread of that character?).

Jobs use the following template:
NAME
Description
Requirements:
gp/week: This is the number of gold pieces a character earns for every week real time not spent adventuring. A few jobs allow the character to earn money even while on adventure, but usually at a reduced rate.
Special Payment:
Special:

ADVOCATE/ATTORNEY
You are a lawyer, your legal skills (and knowledge of loopholes) allows you to argue to the finer points of law before a court.
Requirements: Knowledge (Local) at 4 ranks.
Gp/week: 5 plus ¹/₂ your Knowledge (Local) skill modifier (ranks in Knowledge (Local) + Int modifier + other bonuses).
Special Payment: You gain 5% (of the goods/coin) of every settlement you make. (Look this over)

APPRENTICE/ASSISTANT (Someone to get the work done while the character is busy saving the world)

ARCHITECT
You are an architect, making a living from design and overseeing the construction of buildings.
Requirements: Knowledge (Architecture and engineering) at 4 ranks.
gp/week: 12 plus your Knowledge (Architecture and engineering) skill modifier.
(I'm not sure how building construction will work, that might be beyond my domain.)

BOUNTY HUNTER*

CHAMPION FOR HIRE/DUELIST*

(CITY MAJOR)

CON ARTIST

COURT MAGE

CRAFTSMAN
You are a craftsman, making a living on creating and selling items.
Requirements: At least 2 Craft skills at 4 ranks.
gp/week: 5 plus ¹/₂ the highest Craft skill modifier you have (ranks in Craft + Int modifier + other permanent bonuses).
Special Payment: You gain 1 Craft Point per week per rank in your highest Craft skill.
Special: You can craft, buy and sell items in a seperate thread while not adventuring. You must possess artisan tools. If you do not have one yet, you must set aside at least 1/4 of your income for a workshop, which costs 500 gp to buy.
You are assumed to have a selection of common goods (simple weapons, light armor, non-masterwork items) for sale. These cost neither money nor Craft Points to maintain. Other items need to be crafted or bought first.

ENTERTAINER

FARMER

GLADIATOR

HEALER

HIGH PRIEST

(INNKEEPER)

JUDGE**

LABORER (simple jobs with bad pay)

MAGECRAFTER (someone creating magical items)
You are a spellcaster, making a living on creating and selling magic items.
Requirements: At least 2 Item Creation feats, spellcaster level 3+
gp/week: 12.5 times the number of Item Creation feats you have.
Special Payment: You gain 25 Craft Points per week per Item Creation feat you possess.
Special: You can craft, buy and sell magic items of the appropriate types in a seperate thread while not adventuring. If you do not have one yet, you must set aside at least 1/4 of your income for a workshop, which costs 500 gp to buy.
You are assumed to have a selection of minor magical itens (0 level potions or scrolls) for sale. These cost neither money nor Craft Points to maintain. Other items need to be crafted or bought first.

MERCHANT
You are a merchant, making a living on buying and selling items.
Requirements: Profession(Merchant) skills at 4 ranks and either Diplomacy or Appraise at 4 ranks.
gp/week: 5 plus ¹/₂ your Profession(Merchant) skill modifier (ranks in Craft + Wis modifier + other permanent bonuses).
Special Payment: You can add your Trader PrC level to the gp/week.
Special: You can buy and sell items in a seperate thread while not adventuring. You must possess a merchant scale. If you do not have one yet, you must set aside at least 1/4 of your income for a shop, which costs 500 gp to buy.
You are assumed to have a selection of mundane goods of your choice of field (simple weapons, light armor, non-masterwork items) for sale. These cost neither money nor Craft Points to maintain. Other items need to be crafted or bought first.

MILLER (Operator of a grist-mill)

MOB BOSS

MOB ENFORCER

ORUSSUS COUNCIL MEMBER

RED DRAGON INN BOUNCER

SAGE

SAILING MASTER (Ship Captain)

(SAIRUNDANI TRIBAL ADVISOR)

SCRIBE

SPY*

TAX COLLECTOR

TEACHER

* These jobs were mentioned in a brainstorm, but might not fit the Job System as presented, and are propably better represented as actual adventurers.

** Not to be confused with LEW judges.

I definitly like this in general and would be happy to help flesh out details for various crafts....

I'm concerned that the money is too much on the craftsman example, esp since that is before special commissions. I'd want to look at some examples of adventures completed and how much real time has been spent to get how much reward. I would expect other professions to make more than the craftsman at a base, since craftsmen will also be making money in their shop threads on specific items.

It will probably be monday before I have the time and brainpower to crunch actual numbers on these vauge feelings, but I wanted to throw out a first impression.

Ooohh, I like.

If you do not mind I will try and fill things out.

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ADVOCATE/ATTORNEY
You are a lawyer, your legal skills (and knowledge of loopholes) allows you to argue to the finer points of law before a court.
Requirements: Knowledge (Local) at 4 ranks. Knowledge (Local) must be kept at maximum ranks.
Gp/week: 5 plus your Knowledge (Local) skill modifier (ranks in Knowledge (Local) + Int modifier + other bonuses).
Special Payment: You gain 5% (of the goods/coin) of every settlement you make. (Look this over)

----

ARCHITECT
You are an architect, making a living from design and overseeing the construction of buildings.
Requirements: Knowledge (Architecture and engineering) at 4 ranks. Knowledge (Architecture and engineering) must be kept at maximum ranks.
gp/week: 12 plus your Knowledge (Architecture and engineering) skill modifier.
(I'm not sure how building construction will work, that might be beyond my domain.)

lonesoldier said:

ADVOCATE/ATTORNEY
Gp/week: 5 plus your Knowledge (Local) skill modifier (ranks in Knowledge (Local) + Int modifier + other bonuses).

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Why not Profession (attorney)? It's a very specialized skill. Lots of people are very familiar with the city and where to find anything and everywhere there, but have no more than average understanding of the law.

orsal said:

Why not Profession (attorney)? It's a very specialized skill. Lots of people are very familiar with the city and where to find anything and everywhere there, but have no more than average understanding of the law.

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I'd make it Knowledge [law] rather than Profession [Attorney]. It should be based on Int still, methinks

SRD said:

KNOWLEDGE (INT; TRAINED ONLY)

Like the Craft and Profession skills, Knowledge actually encompasses a number of unrelated skills.
...
Local (legends, personalities, inhabitants, laws, customs, traditions, humanoids)

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Well, as Rystil said, it should be based of Int, however, Local knowledge is a broad subject.

What if I require at least 4 ranks in Know (local) and 4 ranks in Profession (Attorney) and use the highest as the gp/week, and the 5% can make up for the lost skill points?

lonesoldier said:

Well, as Rystil said, it should be based of Int, however, Local knowledge is a broad subject.

What if I require at least 4 ranks in Know (local) and 4 ranks in Profession (Attorney) and use the highest as the gp/week, and the 5% can make up for the lost skill points?

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I still don't think that there's a reason for a Profession [Attorney] skill to exist. Knowledge [Law] + Diplomacy (and maybe Bluff, Sense Motive, and other interaction skills)= all the skills a lawyer needs. It isn't like there's some skill-set of mundane activities that needs to be accounted beyond that (like for a sailor, or a cook). Its all in the knowledge and the presentation.

Question

Meaning no disrespect to the board leaders here, but is there a reason we might not just use the income system from the SRD?
It neatly handles the 90% of all work done that can be covered by a Craft or Profession skill, leaving only rules for things like healers and enlisted soldiers or watchmen.
Why spend a quantity of time on rules for activities most of us are only doing on autopilot whilst we wait for adventures?

Why the "At least 1 skill must be maximum ranks"? Seems to me that if the pay scales by how much your skill is, then it shouldn't matter if you were maxed or not, only that you have at least the minemum skill. Otherwise, a L20 character with 22 ranks in 2 craft skills technicaly can't be a craftsman, while a L2 character with 5 ranks in 2 craft skills can.

Bront said:

Why the "At least 1 skill must be maximum ranks"? Seems to me that if the pay scales by how much your skill is, then it shouldn't matter if you were maxed or not, only that you have at least the minemum skill. Otherwise, a L20 character with 22 ranks in 2 craft skills technicaly can't be a craftsman, while a L2 character with 5 ranks in 2 craft skills can.

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Would you prefer a Skill Focus (Craft) to be required?