Careers?

[Water Bob]

In my game, the PCs are clansmen all tied to a village. We go off on adventures and then return to the "home base".

I've made all the PCs choose a career. At this point, one has become a hunter for the clan. His character has Profession (Hunter), and I use that skill for lots of things. For example, if the group runs out of provisions on an adventure, I'll have him throw on that skill to see how long it takes him to feed the party. He uses it to dress animals after they're killed. He uses it to know the right type of blah-blah to sprinkle on the meat (or where to get it/make it) to keep it fresh longer. He uses it like a Craft skill to earn wealth (no money--these people are on the barter system) from skins and trading food. So, when he's in the village, and the weeks that pass by in-between adventures, he throws on it to add to his wealth.

Another PC is a trapper. He uses Craft (Trapmaking) as his career skill. And antoher PC is a weapon smith (with the usual Craft (Weaponsmith)) skill. They get similar throws.

You get the idea.

Well, I have a new player coming into our group--a gamer I've long gamed with before that hasn't been in this particular campaign, can he's got a simple question: Why do I have to waste skill points on a career skill? Can't I just be a "warrior"?

This has made me wonder--

How many other GMs have their PCs have "jobs"?

Does a hunter have to have the Profession (Hunter) skill, or can he get away with not putting points into the skill just fine? Can he just use Survival and Move Silent and Listen and Spot and still be a fine hunter?



Not that I'm looking to change anything, but I am curious how/if other DMs approach this. I know a lot of groups just have a party of "adventurers" and get their wealth from adventuring. I guess my question goes out to those of you who do consider income and character livelihood in your games.

Thoughts?

 

[xigbar]

In my game, the PCs are clansmen all tied to a village. We go off on adventures and then return to the "home base".

I've made all the PCs choose a career. At this point, one has become a hunter for the clan. His character has Profession (Hunter), and I use that skill for lots of things. For example, if the group runs out of provisions on an adventure, I'll have him throw on that skill to see how long it takes him to feed the party. He uses it to dress animals after they're killed. He uses it to know the right type of blah-blah to sprinkle on the meat (or where to get it/make it) to keep it fresh longer. He uses it like a Craft skill to earn wealth (no money--these people are on the barter system) from skins and trading food. So, when he's in the village, and the weeks that pass by in-between adventures, he throws on it to add to his wealth.

Another PC is a trapper. He uses Craft (Trapmaking) as his career skill. And antoher PC is a weapon smith (with the usual Craft (Weaponsmith)) skill. They get similar throws.

You get the idea.

Well, I have a new player coming into our group--a gamer I've long gamed with before that hasn't been in this particular campaign, can he's got a simple question: Why do I have to waste skill points on a career skill? Can't I just be a "warrior"?

This has made me wonder--

How many other GMs have their PCs have "jobs"?

Does a hunter have to have the Profession (Hunter) skill, or can he get away with not putting points into the skill just fine? Can he just use Survival and Move Silent and Listen and Spot and still be a fine hunter?



Not that I'm looking to change anything, but I am curious how/if other DMs approach this. I know a lot of groups just have a party of "adventurers" and get their wealth from adventuring. I guess my question goes out to those of you who do consider income and character livelihood in your games.

Thoughts?

Profession is an intensely flavor based skill. If you have alot of out of combat situations, it greatly supplements roleplaying, but in combat or in the wilderness, with exception of hunter, it isn't helpful.

 

[Water Bob]

Profession is an intensely flavor based skill. If you have alot of out of combat situations, it greatly supplements roleplaying, but in combat or in the wilderness, with exception of hunter, it isn't helpful.

The key, then, is to make the skill desireable to player. How to do that? You've got to figure how the skill will be a benefit to the character besides as a roleplaying aid. What tangible benefit can a PC get from having a career?

That was easy to answer in my game, since it's not a normal fantasy-based game. My campaign is set during Conan's Hyborian Age. I don't have dragons sitting on tons treasure, and plain old adventuring is not near as profitable as it is in a normal D&D game.

My game is more like one set in a historical middle age. Soldiers can make a living by looting, but the wealth is limited to what the people have.

If the people don't have a lot, then there isn't much to loot.

So, the tanglible benefit to having a career in my game is....making wealth. It's the primary source of making money in the game. The PC that steadily increases his wealth through his career will make a lot more coin (or tradeables, in the case of these bartering Cimmerians) than the PC who constantly adventures.

Therefore the skill is an important one to have.

 

[xigbar]

The key, then, is to make the skill desireable to player. How to do that? You've got to figure how the skill will be a benefit to the character besides as a roleplaying aid. What tangible benefit can a PC get from having a career?

That was easy to answer in my game, since it's not a normal fantasy-based game. My campaign is set during Conan's Hyborian Age. I don't have dragons sitting on tons treasure, and plain old adventuring is not near as profitable as it is in a normal D&D game.

My game is more like one set in a historical middle age. Soldiers can make a living by looting, but the wealth is limited to what the people have.

If the people don't have a lot, then there isn't much to loot.

So, the tanglible benefit to having a career in my game is....making wealth. It's the primary source of making money in the game. The PC that steadily increases his wealth through his career will make a lot more coin (or tradeables, in the case of these bartering Cimmerians) than the PC who constantly adventures.

Therefore the skill is an important one to have.

The only feasible way is to make a system for them to amass wealth to barter for the uber magic items they want. Also think of how other jobs besides hunting can apply "in the field."

 

[Water Bob]

The only feasible way is to make a system for them to amass wealth to barter for the uber magic items they want. Also think of how other jobs besides hunting can apply "in the field."

Yep, you've got to make the skill important to them, and the only way to do that is for the PC to gain a tangible benefit from having the skill.

In my game, there are no uber magic items that they can buy. In fact, there's very little magic.

But, I also have a system of "expenses" for them. Every so often, they've got to cover their expenses. And, sometimes, I'll make adventures just out of that concept--who they owe and what they owe.

 

[xigbar]

Yep, you've got to make the skill important to them, and the only way to do that is for the PC to gain a tangible benefit from having the skill.

In my game, there are no uber magic items that they can buy. In fact, there's very little magic.

But, I also have a system of "expenses" for them. Every so often, they've got to cover their expenses. And, sometimes, I'll make adventures just out of that concept--who they owe and what they owe.

Then make the jobs with less combat uses more profitable. Logically, who makes more? The businessman, or the soldier? Pro(Hunter) as mentioned is useful, but it won't pay much outside of the wilderness. The jobs that increase town productivity will naturally be rewarded more, and allow PCs to handle their "upkeep" more.

 

[Vespucci]

"This is a great new role-playing game where we play students and workers in a modern industrial society!"

 

[xigbar]

"This is a great new role-playing game where we play students and workers in a modern industrial society!"

If you think a game based on day to day activities isn't going to be big, google "The Sims" or "Harvest Moon."

 

[Vespucci]

It's an in-joke, not a criticism.

 

[xigbar]

It's an in-joke, not a criticism.

Gotcha. I've been overreacting alot today, haha.