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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Greenfield" data-source="post: 6060026" data-attributes="member: 6669384">Several of those are already defined as synergy bonuses.  Craft and Appraise, for example.My character has points in Profession - Astrologer.  It's a prerequisite for a PRC (Sublime Chord), but by the book it has no other function.  Oh, he can earn money as an Astrologer, but can't actually tell fortunes, plot horoscopes, or use the skill to actually do anything specific.A professional armorer or blacksmith can make a living at it, even if he has no actual ability to make armor or work iron.  At the same time someone could be a master smith, in terms of craft skills, but be completely incapable of earning any money at it.So when I was thinking of skill packages, I was looking at packages that might include specific craft skills with Profession attached as part of the deal. Healer, as a professional package, might include Healing, Herbalist, Knowledge Nature, perhaps Craft: Alchemy and, of course, Profession: Healer.You could have standard packages for Wilderness Adventurer that would include Survival, Knowledge Nature, Knowledge Dungeoneering, Ride and possibly Spot or Search.Yeah, in any of these there are one or two that are clinkers, skills of little use.  But if you're paying three to get five, the five you get can be sub-optimal and still be a good deal.  In fact, I think they specifically *should* be sub-optimal, since they're not supposed to be skill focused, but more a reflection of the skills that tend to be associated with the profession, or the environment the package is designed around.That leads to one of their obvious uses:  Quick-building functional NPCs.So of course the local smith knows how to work iron.  He also knows how to buy, sell and appraise both raw materials and finished goods made of iron.  He might even have a bit of Handle Animal in there, since shoeing horses requires that you know how to approach and work with them without getting your head kicked.A professional sailor will know something of Craft: Carpentry (used for boat repair), Knowledge Nature or Survival to judge weather, Use Rope, Climb (for rigging) and of course Profession: Sailor.A professional Navigator might have a similar package, but his will probably replace Craft Carpentry with Knowledge Geography, and his Profession will be different.  And he may end up climbing the rigging to sight landmarks.  Sub-optimal for the purpose of pure Navigation, but necessary for life aboard ship.Now few if any of these I'm describing will be laser-focused for PC types, and that's okay.  They're still a reasonable way for characters to flesh out a background without having to spend too many of those precious starting skill points on it.And if we can replace Synergy bonuses with appropriate package deals we can simplify mechanics and deprive certain min-maxers of ways to hide their true capacity from unsuspecting DMs.  (I have no problems with capable PCs, but it bothers me when someone decides to surprise (read "ambush") me with some unexpectedly intense ability focus.)Why does a Navigator need to know his sailor's knots you ask?  He doesn't, but he's likely to pick up the skill through simple exposure.</blockquote>

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