Uses for the Profession skill(s)

[candidus_cogitens]

Supposedly Profession skills can be useful in ways beyond simply earning an income. (What adventurer wants to just sit around and work for a living?!) So, I was wondering what (if any) useful purposes people have come up with.

Specifically, I am trying to come up with something called Profession (mercenary) or maybe Profession (mercenary captain). I was thinking maybe I could persuade the DM to allow me use the skill to recruit good quality hirelings at good prices, or maybe also determine how loyal and trustworthy they are. What do you think? Any other ideas?

I used to think the Profession skills are pretty useless. (The Craft skills are a close second in uselessness.) BUT ... recently I made up a new character and I happen to have an abundance of skill points, and it occured to me to put some points into a Profession. And then once I started thinking about it, I thought maybe it's an under-utilized opportunity for character customization.

 

[0-hr]

In my experience, Proffession skills usually come up when the player proactively seeks to apply them. In other words, the burden is on the player to let the DM know when he thinks they should apply.

If you want to do something, or know something, that a mercenary captain should be profficient with then ask to make that skill check (rather than Gather Info, or Knowledge(whatever), etc.) when it comes up. Alternately, you could ask for a synergy bonus if the situation warrants. For example, 5 ranks in Profession(Merc) might give you a +2 bonus on Knowledge(History) checks when dealing with wars.

I think that Profession skills are great both for adding flavor to a character, and for filling in those spaces 'between' the real skills.

 

[candidus_cogitens]

Proactive is good. Synergy is good. Flavor is good.

Got any examples of when you actually found the skill useful and specifically how it was used?

Thanks for the contribution Ki Ryn. I'd like to get some more good creative brainstorming on how the skill could be used in more useful ways.

I think I've heard of some DMs giving away a few extra skill ranks to be put into Profession or Craft for flavor purposes. Did it ever turn out to be more than just flavor?

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Current campaign is an Eberron campaign.

On our first adventure, we spent a great deal of time on a boat (before it was predictably - though entertainingly - attacked and run aground).

During a storm, every character had to make a Fort save to avoid getting seasick (treated mechanically like poison, with initial damage sickened for one minute, secondary damage sickened for 1 hour). The DM allowed me to apply my Profession (Sailor) skill bonus as an unnamed bonus to that Fort save.

This kept me from being partially incapacitated when the sahaugin attack came.

 

[candidus_cogitens]

It's cool that you got to use your Profession skill, Patryn. But what an unusual way to employ skill ranks! I think what I would have done as a DM would be to allow you to make a Profession check to avoid having to make the Fort save, instead of adding them into one check. But I guess it's the same idea.

Ideally, a skill should be used for purposes not duplicated by other game mechanics, don't you think? That's the challenge for the player who wants to use the Profession skill. You have to think it through so you can come up with things that aren't already covered.

 

[candidus_cogitens]

Here's what I came up with, if anyone is interested. I'd love to get feedback. I am only moderately pleased with it. The things I am not entirely happy with are that it relies on mimicking another skill (diplomacy), and the only additional feature (commanding hirelings) is of unclear benefit due to the fact that there really are no rules for commanding hirelings in the first place (without the skill). Any other criticisms?
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PROFESSION (MERCENARY CAPTAIN) (WIS; TRAINED ONLY)
The mercenary captain skill pertains specifically to leading mercenary hirelings of the warrior NPC class. The skill could also be used for mercenary recruits who have levels in other classes, special abilities or exceptional talent, but commanding such recruits is more difficult and of course requires higher pay.
Check: For maintaining morale and loyalty, the skill functions like the Diplomacy skill. See the chart for “Influencing NPC Attitudes.” Success at influencing NPC attitudes is adjusted according to pay, danger, treatment, and number of mercenary hirelings being influenced. For issuing commands in combat, as a move action, see chart below. If the check fails, the NPC acts purely according to the DM’s discretion.

Command DC
“Stand” 5
“Withdraw” 5
“Shield” 12
“Brace” 12
“Sword” 15
“Flank” 20
“Charge” 25




Stand. The warrior stands his ground and goes on total defense.
Withdraw. The warrior withdraws to safety.
Shield. The warrior fights defensively and uses the Aid Another to boost the PC’s AC.
Brace. The warrior fights defensively and uses the Aid Another to help the PC attack.
Flank. The warrior will move into flank position, fighting defensively.
Sword. The warrior wades cautiously into combat, fighting aggressively.
Charge. The warrior delays follows the PC in a charge, not fighting defensively.

Add 5 to the DC for every subsequent command issued in a round, when multiple warriors are under command.

Add 5 to the DC if issuing the command as a free action. If a command is being issued to a specific warrior (as opposed to all in earshot), a move action must be used, unless only one warrior is currently under command.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Personally - if someone had profession(sailor) I would flat-out say "you do not need to make a fort save to avoid seasickness".

That's for starters.

Outside of that, I think that the appropriate profession skill should give a synergy bonus on related tasks.

and that is all

You don't roll it to DO anything or KNOW anything. You roll it to make a living at something.

Wanna be an effective mercenary captain? Get intimidate or diplomacy. Pick up the profession skill at a few ranks for synergy to both. That's a pretty big bonus in and of itself.

 

[kayn99]

Do not over power

Do not over power something that should add flavor to a campaign. I have a mage that is a book worm with lots of knowledge's. So I spent points on becoming a librarian. When I reached 5 ranks I got a synergy bonus to different skills while in a library. I got additional +1 to the normal synergy bonus when I was in my own home library. This bonus went to researching lore, knowledge checks, and decipher scripts. Use your imagination and give a character a little life.

 

[candidus_cogitens]

Do not over power something that should add flavor to a campaign. I have a mage that is a book worm with lots of knowledge's. So I spent points on becoming a librarian. When I reached 5 ranks I got a synergy bonus to different skills while in a library. I got additional +1 to the normal synergy bonus when I was in my own home library. This bonus went to researching lore, knowledge checks, and decipher scripts. Use your imagination and give a character a little life.

I see your point. It is similar to that of Saeviomagy. I do think, though, that there is more potential for using the Profession skill in interesting ways as long as the DM and player carefully think it out so that it does not overpower other skills. It seems to me that there is no limit to new skills that could be created for use in the game. Using the Profession skill is just a way of doing that without calling it an altogether new skill. Like with any new feats or skills, balance must be taken into consideration.

Synergy is good. It does add a little life to a character. But why shouldn't a skill do more than just add synergy. Earning a living counts for ZERO, since it's only a few silver pieces ... and you have to sit around for a while to even get that.

 

[DarkSoldier]

Profession (cook) always helps when the ranger, druid, or barbarian has caught or foraged for food.