Sage Job

[Rystil Arden]

I might suggest requiring 5 ranks in 2 knowledge skills, though I guess earning 1 gold per week as a sage isn't unbalancing

Unless he edited it, the OP is allowing 1/4 of the total of all ranks, so that would be 2 gold per week. That's pretty high compared to how much someone would make with 4 ranks in profession. At that point, there's no incentive for an NPC not to take 4 ranks in 2 Knowledge skills and quit her day job.

 

[Someone]

those "taking 4 ranks in two knowledge skills" would take a normal NPC long years of study. I´m thinking however on how many sages would a city like Orussus need: probably just the active PC wizards would overload sage services.

 

[Rystil Arden]

those "taking 4 ranks in two knowledge skills" would take a normal NPC long years of study. I´m thinking however on how many sages would a city like Orussus need: probably just the active PC wizards would overload sage services.

I don't know about that. Rogues, Experts, and the like have a very very low starting age, and they can easily have that requirement fulfilled.

 

[Endovior]

Well, practically speaking, it is a higher-skilled job... the game equivalent of university as opposed to trade school. Here's the incentive for NPCs to not become sages.

A level 1 Expert can take 4 ranks in one Craft skill, and make 3.5 - 4 Gp per week (depending on their Int score)

Alternately, they could take 4 ranks in two Knowledge skills, and make 2 Gp per week.

In summary, a marginally competent craftsman makes about twice as much as a student sage.

The attraction of the job is this...

A level 10 Expert craftsman can make about 6.5 Gp a week, with 13 ranks in a craft skill.

A level 10 Expert sage (or any other equivalent sagey job) can make 3.25 Gp a week... per Knowledge skill they've maxed out. So a level 10 sage with two knowledge skills makes 6.5 Gp per week... the SAME as a level 20 expert craftsman... but if he's got 3 skills, he makes 9.75 Gp, and so on and so forth...

This is balanced by the fact that craftsmen get more CP... the aforementioned craftsman gets 13 CP per week, while the sage gets 2. (not to mention that Magecrafters get even more of both, assuming they're ultilizing their Wizard feats towards crafting).

Therefore, the sage job is really quite balanced as written... what it does is reward focus. The more skill ranks put towards knowledge, the more valuable it is.

 

[Rystil Arden]

Of course, a level 1 Sage could easily be receiving 8 GP per week or more. By allowing the Sage to amass ranks from several skills, it is inherently setting up for a disparity--almost like allowing a character to pursue more than one job at once, actually. Sure, you may need more ranks in skills to do more than one job at once, but you're getting paid more too.

 

[Endovior]

Among the PC classes, only a Bard could do that... and Bards need their ranks in other skills.

 

[Rystil Arden]

Among the PC classes, only a Bard could do that... and Bards need their ranks in other skills.

I was speaking of Expert, the NPC class Technically an Expert can make the full 10 gp.

 

[Endovior]

Hmm... ok, then.

Perhaps a different method... say, 2.5 + (1/4 skill modifier for one Knowledge skill), and allow synergy bonuses from other Knowledges?

 

[Rystil Arden]

That sounds cool as a basic plan. You'd be a primary expert in your main field, but having a wide area of knowledge could help too, without rising up at a linear rate.

 

[Endovior]

It'd have to be balanced with more craft points... probably the same as a crafter, 1 per rank per week.

Incidentally, I was looking up the rules for spell research with craft points, but I can't seem to find them anywhere.