Multiple Profession = More Wealth Bonuses?

[Shadow64]

OK, i haven't seen anything on this board of the WotC board about how to handle multiple professions. Like lets say you have someone who is (for some reason) both a Car Mechanic and a Writer, he is equally adept at both (lets say he has 3 ranks in both Profession(Mechanic) and Profession(Writer)). Do you calculate Wealth checks/bonuses against them seperately or would you combine both to figure this all out.

 

[jaerdaph]

You know, that's an excellent question.

I guess you'd have to first consider the number of hours in a day, and how much time you could actually dedicate to each profession to make it/either one profitable. Don't forget, the PCs/heroes also have to find some time in there to adventure as well. A Wealth bonus increase may or may not be applicable since you can't be two places at once. EDIT: Oops - my suggestion here - maybe average the two bonuses together.

Next, you'd have to consider why the character has two professions, and which one is the dominant meal ticket. Using your example, car mechanic/writer (or my personal favorite waiter/actor): Is he/she just starting out as a writer (or actor) looking for that "big break" in their artistic field? Then perhaps their Wealth bonus would reflect that of the mechanic or waiter, with a +1 added for the wee bit of extra income they initially earn (doing a play in the evenings "Off Off Broadway, so Off Off That It's Actually Dinner Theater in Hoboken", e.g.). If the car mechanic has a few books on the New York Times Best Seller List about auto repair, however, then the Wealth bonus would be higher, that of a successful writer. Another example that comes to mind is the physician who is also national news "health beat" anchor - he/she may have a successful practice, but they earn extra income for the reporting work they do.

Of course, characters like Buckaroo Bonzai should be the exception, unless you want that kind of game

This should be a good thread

 

[Mistwell]

Unlike in D&D, the d20 Modern rules are set up to specifcally not allow you to have Profession (name of profession). It's one skill, called Profession. It can represet 100 jobs, or just one. But you only get one skill and one set of ranks and bonuses from those ranks.

 

[jaerdaph]

Unlike in D&D, the d20 Modern rules are set up to specifcally not allow you to have Profession (name of profession). It's one skill, called Profession. It can represet 100 jobs, or just one. But you only get one skill and one set of ranks and bonuses from those ranks.

*sigh*

You really need to learn to think outside the box, dude.

 

[jaerdaph]

Quantified suggestions:

At character creation, select two starting occupations to reflect the two professions of the character. Take some features from each, but not all. Either average the two wealth bonuses together, or add +1 to the Wealth bonus of the the dominant income, or otherwise use best judgement.

Example: Physician Reporter (Celebrity/Doctor):
Age: 25+
Select two skills as permanent skills, one from the celebrity occupation list, one from the Doctor starting occupation list.
Wealth bonus increase: +5 (best judgement)

Example: Actor/Waiter (Blue Collar/Creative)
Age: 18+
Select three skills as permanent skills: 2 Creative/1 Blue Collar (or vice versa)
Wealth bonus: +3 (+1 bonus)

Example: Mechanic/Writer - famous (Blue Collar/Creative)
Age: 18+
Select three skills as permanent skills: 2 Creative/1 Blue Collar (or vice versa)
Wealth bonus: +3 (+1 bonus); consider taking Windfall feat as well.

Example: Doctor/Adventurer
Age: Age 25+
Permanent Skills - choose 1 from doctor list, 1 from Adventurer list.
Wealth Bonus: +3 (average, rounded up)

 

[Shadow64]

Mistwell does have a point - I was reading it more as the D&D Profession skill. My Bad.

Although - lets say that I was going to bend the rules a bit and have a Profession (X) type skill - I would probably do as you recommended jaerdaph and simply average the multiple professions.

Really, I prefer the D&D system, since it's a little less abstract. As in my mechanic/writer (or the waiter/actor - i shoulda thought of that one, oh well) could be a mechanic 4/writer 1 skill rank speaking. he can't be a mechanic AND a writer all the time, so an average of the two would suffice. Although, since they are losing skill points I would probably allow some sort of synergy bonus if their profession tied in directly to a skill. Like my mechanic could maybe get a +1 or +2 bonus to his Craft(Machinery) once he put in another rank.

 

[Shadow64]

Quantified suggestions:

At character creation, select two starting occupations to reflect the two professions of the character. Take some features from each, but not all. Either average the two wealth bonuses together, or add +1 to the Wealth bonus of the the dominant income, or otherwise use best judgement.

I like that. Consider it yoinked. I know that for a character concept I have right now something like that would work (car theif - so probably criminal/blue collar or something like that). Although you might have to add some stuff in to deal with the extra feats that some occupations add. maybe something like if the cumulative wealth bonus is greater then +3 you do not gain any occupation feats. otherwise you might have people picking an occupation with a high wealth bonus/no feats and low wealth with extra feats to get the best of both worlds.

 

[Mistwell]

I know you guys think I am being harsh or narrow minded and not thinking outside the box, I just don't think you have considered the ramifications of having multiple profession skills (or put another way - you are not thinking outside the D&D box). Thought the multiple occupations idea might work, if you instead go with multiple profession skills, it will not just bend the system, it will snap it in half if you get rid of the maximum ranks rule for the profession skill (and that is the only rule-mechanic change you are actually making with this house rule). Why would you NOT want to put all your skill points into various professions to get the wealth boost? If you have say 20 skill points at first level, why wouldn't you not have 5 profession skills all at rank 4? You will rapidly be able to buy anything your heart desires, and break the wealth system.

 

[jaerdaph]

Why would you NOT want to put all your skill points into various professions to get the wealth boost? If you have say 20 skill points at first level, why wouldn't you not have 5 profession skills all at rank 4?

To put it simply, because then you wouldn't be able to put those skill points anywhere else. You can't just assume that everyone is a power gaming min/max-er.

For the record, I'm not advocating switching to the D&D version of the Profession skill, I personally wouldn't do it in my game, but I think people can and should experiment a little if they want to with their games. In retrospect, my comment sounded a little harsher than it was meant to be. The ultimate goal is to have fun, right?

That's why I wrote up that Occupation stuff off the top of my head last night. I took the existing rules, and modified them slightly to model and reflect character types I might want to play. The rules are tools, not straight jackets. They should reflect the story you want to tell, and the game you want to play.

Anyhow, just my +2 Wealth bonus.

 

[jaerdaph]

Although you might have to add some stuff in to deal with the extra feats that some occupations add. maybe something like if the cumulative wealth bonus is greater then +3 you do not gain any occupation feats. otherwise you might have people picking an occupation with a high wealth bonus/no feats and low wealth with extra feats to get the best of both worlds.

Good point. I'm yoinking that

I'm glad I could be of some small help