FireLance said:
Agreed, but there is also the issue of how often certain rules come up in the game. For example, my group is very focused on the adventuring aspects of the game instead of crafting items and working at a profession. If it comes up in the game at all, we don't need a detailed description of what it entails, just a simple mechanism to work out the game effects of the skill check.
Allow me to break down this complaint into two parts. First, you say that you don't need the rules. Secondly, you say that you don't need more detail.
I fully agree that most groups wouldn't make use of a more detailed craft system. As you say, most of the time most groups (even mine) are very focused on the adventuring aspects of the game and most groups will not have to work out problems involving crafting (even rude implements) all that often if ever. But lets compare what I'm asking for to what WotC is producing. Products like the legions of hell, hordes of the abyss, book of madness, savage species, frostburn, book of nine swords, complete psion, and so forth and so forth contain interesting information. But it is not, you should admit, necessarily something that will come up often in any given campaign or at all. Granted, when it does show up it might be pretty central, but in another campaign it might not even exist (by the simple expedient of the DM not buying or allow the book). By contrast, things like craft and profession are core and though they might not show up all that often, they are more likely to be a part of every groups adventures (however rarely) than say Beholders or Psionics.
Besides which, I would argue that part of the reason no one bothers with the profession or craft skills is that they are so badly written up that players never see why they would need them, DM's never see how they can use them, and both groups - knowing that the other will neglect them - elect to ignore them outside of character flavor. In other words, the very fact that they aren't important in the rules shapes how people play the game.
Secondly, you say you don't need more complicated rules, that all you really want is a simple mechanism for resolving the issue if it comes up. Well, that's all I want to. But what I'm saying is that right now such a mechanism doesn't exist. In the case of craft, there is a simple mechanism but it doesn't produce remotely reasonable results. In the case of profession, there really isn't a mechanism at all. For example, outside making some money, it's not at all clear what Profession (Lawyer) lets you do. How does it relate to Knowledge (Law)? How does it relate to Diplomacy? Can you do everything a lawyer can do with Knowledge (Law) and Diplomacy? If not, can you do everything Knowledge (Law) and Diplomacy do with Profession (Lawyer) provided you are in a court room? Or if not, how can you earn any money as a lawyer if you know nothing about the law and know nothing about oration and debate? There is a similar lack of clear mechanism everywhere in the Profession skill - which is precisely why no one takes it. Profession (Boater) is one of the easier cases, but even then it would be nice if the average DC of paddling on flat water, or in a storm, or on rapids where in the rules just for completeness sake and so forth (How much faster can someone with 5 ranks of Profession (Boater) paddle down a 20 mile river than someone with none?). Depending on what the skill Profession actually does (right now I'd argue that noone knows), when it is revealed what it actually does, it could go from being a useless skill to a broken abusable skill to anything in the middle. Right now, its just not at all clear and DM's ignore it to be on the safe side.
I can house rule and fiat rule all these things when and if they come up (and probably do a good job), but that's alot of work and stress and I would pay money for someone to work all of this out well and write it all down for me.
As for the rest, your complaints don't even apply.
#1 and #2 cover issues that are probably relevant to most peoples campaigns, even if they don't realize it. There is no reason all people living in the wild should be chaotic, and no reason that lawful warriors can't rage (imagine a religious fanatic offended by the desicration of a sacred shrine). Likewise, there is no reason that only LG dieties should have champions, and no reason why LG should be 'more good' or 'more holy' than NG.
#4 comes up in every single campaign at some point and remains and has been ever since 1st edition a huge problem resulting in no ammount of DM frustration (and player frustration when the DM throws up his hands and says, "You can't bust through the tomb's stone door with your longsword. You just can't.")
#6 refers to one of the rule changes of 3.5 that's widely ignored.
#7 refers to a general conceptual problem introduced by the rules. How is it that all fighters can freely learn Craft (Blacksmith), Craft (Embriodery), Craft (Basketweaving) and not Profession (Porter), Profession (Soldier), and Profession (Teamster)? Profession and Craft (and probably Perform) are 'everyman' skills that should apply to all classes.
#8 never comes up in your campaign? Are all your combats lethal?
#9 doesn't come up in your campaign? Are all your dungeons in someone's back yard? Do your characters never chase anything? Never have to get anywhere in a hurry? Do they all have flying carpets?
#10 and #11 are I admit trivial, but I think they make the game more interesting and they effect everyone because I've yet to see the campaign that doesn't have animals (at least at low levels).
I'd gotten used to folks on these forums knowing what the D&D Rules Cyclopedia was. My bad.
