Careers?

[JamesonCourage]

Good one?

 

[Water Bob]

I'm probably just going to keep it simple, use standard DCs, and consider the environment. For example, hunting in the winter will be harder than hunting during the warming months.

Any ideas on a simple system to charge "upkeep"?

I want the profession roll to be "fun" when we do it. I want players to look forward to it, the way they do when they roll for extra hit points upon gaining a level.

When they make the profession throw, they'll make money (or, in this case, "barter-tradeables").

Maybe I'll establish a throw on a case-by-case basis. A hunter could figure a deal with a trader. The hunter that barters his own stuff would need a decent CHR, I would think.

Wow. I think I like this.

 

[Water Bob]

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

I thought you were being an ass, too, until you made it clear that you were citing the old comic frame in the 1E AD&D DMG. LOL!

 

[xigbar]

I'm probably just going to keep it simple, use standard DCs, and consider the environment. For example, hunting in the winter will be harder than hunting during the warming months.

Any ideas on a simple system to charge "upkeep"?

I want the profession roll to be "fun" when we do it. I want players to look forward to it, the way they do when they roll for extra hit points upon gaining a level.

When they make the profession throw, they'll make money (or, in this case, "barter-tradeables").

Maybe I'll establish a throw on a case-by-case basis. A hunter could figure a deal with a trader. The hunter that barters his own stuff would need a decent CHR, I would think.

Wow. I think I like this.

I really like the Upkeep rules in 3.5 DMG, you could easily modify for your game.

 

[Water Bob]

I really like the Upkeep rules in 3.5 DMG, you could easily modify for your game.

Thanks. Since I don't play D&D, I hardly ever look at those book. And, I don't really know all that's in them.

I keep being reminded of all the goodness within those pages.

 

[Jimlock]

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.

Permit me to say, but i think that you are valuing "a roleplaying aid" a little too low.

With a profession, a character is "in the know" of certain things.

People react to this knowledge a certain way. Especially if he's good at doing something. The might like him or dislike him for that.

If they like him, he has certain benefits. His good quality service/merchandise will earn him more than he normally would.

He receives favors. More friends... more information... more back up in case it's needed.

It a great story element for example, if the players get stuck at some point, and somehow... a person who values one of the PCs of his services/merchandise comes in to help/save-the-day. (a satisfied customer)

There are also very nice ways to make the particular knowledge affect the game in terms of investigation... reaching conclusions... finding evidence...

A butcher for example might have a certain insight on the "piece of meat" the PCs found down that track. Its somewhat more blue that usual...and this only happens when bla bla blahhh....

Moreover the knowledge the PC has can be valuable in terms of selling it to those who need it... the neighboring clan has heard that there is a great traps-man (PC) in the nearby village... and since they want to catch those big wolfs... they might require his assistance.. a great sotry-hook.



Personally, I think, that the more the players see how their knowledge/profession affects the world around them, how people trust them and ask their help when needed, when the particular knowledge can save the day... they don't really feel like it's a waste of time...

From my personal experience... they like it more and more...

 

[Water Bob]

From my personal experience... they like it more and more...

Obviously because you made it valuable to them, or you made them see the value of the skill.

I like the idea of a tangible benefit as well. They work at something, they make money. Simple as that.

I like how that works.

 

[Jimlock]

I like the idea of a tangible benefit as well. They work at something, they make money. Simple as that.

I like how that works.

Sure you can keep it as simple as you like...

but since you asked for ways of making it more appealing...

well... there's one idea...

 

[Water Bob]

Sure you can keep it as simple as you like...

but since you asked for ways of making it more appealing...

well... there's one idea...

And, I liked what you had to say. You made a good point.

 

[domino]

I like careers if only to keep the characters from being something other than criminal thugs. Especially if the world doesn't have the standard conceit of "Adventurer" as a career path. Otherwise, you kill people and take their stuff for a living.

In practice, they seem to show up as backstory things more than ingame issues, where someone was a blacksmith who had his house burned down, so he made himself some armor, got his big hammer and went looking for revenge, or whatever.

Depending on the skill, I often don't bother with "profession" skills, so much as pick a skill that is a profession. Sometimes it's profession (merchant), but a wandering bard would just use perform (whatever), a tradesman would use craft (whatever) to do the same thing.

Though there was the one bard I had with profession (oldest).

If this guy really desperately wants to be a warrior, you could make him part of a organized group, giving him both authority and responsibility, then use Profession (soldier) for things like; organizing a defensible campsite, taking care of prisoners, recognizing other groups of warriors.

Though if they're on the barter system, I'm not sure how much there'd be in the way of organized military.