Does anyone even use the profession skill?

[clockworkjoe]

Seriously, has anyone had a use for profession (x) skill? You make things with craft and you know things with knowledge so I can't really find a use for it.

 

[Jack Haggerty]

Seriously, has anyone had a use for profession (x) skill? You make things with craft and you know things with knowledge so I can't really find a use for it.

I've often seen DMs give circumstance synergy bonuses for Profession skills.

For example... +2 to Open Lock, if you have 5 ranks of Profession (locksmith). +2 to Appraise for 5 ranks of Profession (artist or jeweler). +2 to Diplomacy, Bluff and/or Sense Motive for 5 ranks in Profession (beaureaucrat).

 

[the Jester]

Yep, one of the pcs in my game (Turk) has profession (fisherman) and has kept the party fed in a horrible environment with it (in the Gloom, check out my story hour if you're interested- that part's pretty glossed over, though).

 

[Chroma]

One of my players has a use for it...

She's taken Profession: Chef for her character, who also has Craft: Cooking. Craft to make the food and chef to embelish and present it... works wonders for helping the diplomats!

Other than that, it's pretty rare...

 

[bret]

Profession: Valet (A wizard in FR, serving as another character's valet)
Profession: Sailor (lots of character with this, it is a sea campaign)
Profession: Cartographer

That is just off one character.

From what I've seen, lots of characters take either a craft or profession. It will depend a lot on the campaign type, but profession skill makes a lot of sense for many characters.

 

[Furn_Darkside]

Salutations,

Prof (carpenter) came up once, and prof (sailor) comes up quite a bit- but my world is mostly water.

FD

 

[Crothian]

My Bard started with 4 ranks in Proffesion Farmer.

 

[Ilen]

I had a DM who would give me bonus to balance checks caused by swaying because of my ranks in Prof: Salior, heck if you did it on a sailing vessel you got a bonus to do it.

Needless to say I was good at climbing rigging, keeping my balance on a swaying object (as opposed a stationary but slippery object) and knew how to tie a pretty mean knot.

 

[ForceUser]

Profession is highly situational. Since there is no Profession (adventurer) skill, one can assume that you won't be spending much time actually working in your profession. When you do, it is usually during downtime as an itinerant laborer in an attempt to generate cash. Every profession will have some limited, story-based, practical application from time to time, such as when a character with Profession (sailor) has an adventure at sea. Given the generally optimized-for-adventuring focus shared by most 3E player characters, it's no surprise to me that this skill is usually disregarded. Of the three characters I regularly play, only one has ranks in a profession - the cleric, with Profession (minister) +6. I have yet to have an opportunity to preach to the masses.

 

[NeuroZombie]

I have recommended Profession: Police Officer for my sons Deeds Not Words PC, and Ex-Cop Vigilante with super speed powers.

First time for everything.