Can ANYONE come up with a good reason for this?

[Spatzimaus]

It's a small thing, but it's really crucial to part of my campaign.

In the PHB, every single core class has Craft and Profession as class skills. Presumably, these skills, the non-adventuring stuff, are something everyone has access to.

But, in the DMG, the Aristocrat and Warrior don't get it (Commoner and Adept do, Expert can choose them). In the PsiHB, only Shaper Psions get Craft as a class skill, and no one gets Profession. Most Prestige Classes don't get them.

If these two skills are so common that every PHB class has them, why don't Psion, Psychic Warrior, Aristocrat, and Warrior? Aristocrat is the only one I could rationalize not getting them, since you're a rich kid who wouldn't bother learning a real trade.

I want to add these two skills to at least Psion, Psychic Warrior, and Warrior. The question is, is there ANY reason not to?

 

[Creamsteak]

No. Those skills should be available to everyone.

 

[starwolf]

Actually I can see no reasonable explanation for not giving every class Craft, Profession, and Knowledge skills. On of the most common House Rules I've seen is to slloe every class access to these skills, although if you do this be aware that some PrC's will need to have some of their requirements raised accordingly.

 

[MeepoTheMighty]

It's a small thing, but it's really crucial to part of my campaign.

In the PHB, every single core class has Craft and Profession as class skills. Presumably, these skills, the non-adventuring stuff, are something everyone has access to.

But, in the DMG, the Aristocrat and Warrior don't get it (Commoner and Adept do, Expert can choose them). In the PsiHB, only Shaper Psions get Craft as a class skill, and no one gets Profession. Most Prestige Classes don't get them.

If these two skills are so common that every PHB class has them, why don't Psion, Psychic Warrior, Aristocrat, and Warrior? Aristocrat is the only one I could rationalize not getting them, since you're a rich kid who wouldn't bother learning a real trade.

I want to add these two skills to at least Psion, Psychic Warrior, and Warrior. The question is, is there ANY reason not to?

For what it's worth, the fighter doesn't have access to Profession, either. That's pretty silly if you ask me, since almost everyone with any ranks in Profession(innkeeper) is a washed-up fighter

I'd allow access to craft and profession for everyone, but not knowledge. Perhaps fighters could have Knowledge (War) and Knowledge (Fighting styles) skills, but they shouldn't know much about arcana or the planes.

 

[Spatzimaus]

Oops, you're right, Fighter and Barbarian don't get Profession. Add them to the list of classes to be fixed; the reason I forgot them was that I had already long ago errata'd them to get it.

Knowledge skills shouldn't be universal, IMHO. Not just for the balance headache; they're just a different type of skill. However, what you COULD do is give everyone one free Knowledge skill of their choice, in addition to any their class gives. I mean, it only makes sense that everyone knows something about at least ONE topic. Under the current rules, the only ones who know anything about History, Engineering, etc. are Bards and Wizards.

 

[Staffan]

Under the current rules, the only ones who know anything about History, Engineering, etc. are Bards and Wizards.

Also Experts. I do not find this a big problem - bards and wizards are supposed to be the ninjas of knowing stuff.

 

[candidus_cogitens]

In my campaign, I give every first level character four extra skill points to be allocated toward a craft or profession. I do it to encourage them to incorporate their character's background into the game. Also, I have found that most players don't want to invest points in these skills because they rarely factor into the game in a very direct way. So, I wanted to explore ways to get the players to experiment with it.

 

[Spatzimaus]

Staffan, look around you. The only people who know anything about History are musicians and people who use magic? Expert is a possibility (or Aristocrat), sure, but in Real Life everyone has a bit of what would translate as a Craft, Profession, or Knowledge skill.
Sure, you could say that it's just "easier" for Wizards and Bards and that's why they're class skills, but how often do players buy cross-class skills? Especially ones with no tangible adventuring purpose?

The Knowledge skills I'm not too worried about. It's the Craft and Profession skills that concern me; when all of the core PHB classes have Craft, but the Psionic classes don't (other than Shapers), there needs to be some sort of explanation.

Now, for Knowledge skills, I think they should be handled somewhat like languages. Your race should give you one (Knowledge: Elf would include elven lore, traditions, politics, etc.), your class should give you one (Arcana, Religion, Nature, Psionics, or Warfare (military history, tactics, strategy)), and you get one other of your choice (History, Engineering, or one of the ones mentioned above). Wizards, Bards, and Aristocrats just get them all.

 

[Mr Fidgit]

no offense to anyone, but i think you're forgetting that an untrained knowledge check is an intelligence check (representing information that anyone may have). so anyone could potentially have some knowledge about a field of study.

wizards and bards don't automatically have a greater knowledge about these things, but have better access to learning them (being class skills). this is easily explained by character class; wizards being book-learned types anyway, would have greater access to just about any field of study, and bards would be picking up information anywhere they can get it. aristocrats would have some kind of schooling or tutoring that the average person wouldn't have access to.

i do agree that the profession skill being unavailable to fighters is silly. they can be a weaponsmith (or come from a background or family that does this), but not a farmer?

 

[Jeph]

I *really* think that the Warrior should have profession.

All they do is soldier. How do the earn their wage? soldiering. I.E. the Profession (soldiere) skill. DUH!

Same with fighter. And maybe Barbarian and Psi War.

-Jeph