What skill do you take to craft poisons?

[Grazzt]

I disagree and would suggest Profession(Herbalist) although it may not cover poisons from non-vegetable sources, or otherwise Alchemy.

Craft(Poisonmaking) would be more precise but I prefer expanding existing skills rather than introducing new ones.

I actually agree with ya, but was just throwing out the fact that there was such a skill in S&S.

 

[Li Shenron]

I actually agree with ya, but was just throwing out the fact that there was such a skill in S&S.

Effectively, it's hard to cover all the poisonmaking with just a core skill... Herbalist clearly couldn't include poison from minerals nor from animals. Knowledge(Nature) is perfect to include all of them, but Knowledge skills are never related to actions or practice but rather academic.

Other thoughts...

"Crafting" doesn't sound exactly what you do when you prepare a poison, you are not crafting an object: the closest thing I can think of are Cook which is a profession not a Craft, and Alchemy which used to be separate (and it made more sense than being a Craft in fact).

The S&S solution is the easiest at the end, but a pity to require another skill to include, while so many existing core skills are rarely used at all, like Herbalist.

 

[irdeggman]

The difference between a craft skill and a profession skill is the same as between making a living at something and making a specific item. Professin checks are made on a weekly basis while craft checks are made based on the item being crafted.

If a character is trying to make a living selling poisons (and I'd say antidotes or salves) he'd use a profession skill which would include the rudimentary skills that allow the character to 'make a profit' at it by buying and selling or haggling, etc. All of these are actually individual skills that the character could have instead and actually use instead but it would be cheaper to lump them together as a profession with the restriction that the skills are only applicable to that specific application and not to all categories.

 

[Greyline]

I disagree and would suggest Profession(Herbalist) although it may not cover poisons from non-vegetable sources, or otherwise Alchemy.

Craft(Poisonmaking) would be more precise but I prefer expanding existing skills rather than introducing new ones.

I tend to agree with you, and then some. For example, if I had my druthers, Hide and Move Silently would be combined into one skill, as would Disable Device and Open Lock, and Balance, Jump and Tumble.

However, in this case, as far as game balance goes, giving one of my players cheap and easy access to a number of debilitating poisons should come with some sort of trade-off. It was either going to be a new skill, or a new feat (similar to the item creation feats).

Otherwise, you're right on.

Greyline

 

[Gaiden]

I tend to agree with you, and then some. For example, if I had my druthers, Hide and Move Silently would be combined into one skill, as would Disable Device and Open Lock, and Balance, Jump and Tumble.

However, in this case, as far as game balance goes, giving one of my players cheap and easy access to a number of debilitating poisons should come with some sort of trade-off. It was either going to be a new skill, or a new feat (similar to the item creation feats).

Otherwise, you're right on.

Greyline

I think the normal drawback (I think its a 10% chance) of poisoning yourself isn't balance enough? However, it definitely requires craft (poison) in terms of skill overlap and I disagree that it should be a professioin. Professions include things like fishing, farming, and sailing. Craft includes things like crafting weapons, crafting armor, crafting bows, ...crafting poisons. If you can put crafting in front of it (because it is something you make) it ought to be a craft skill. You don't make fish, or farm animals and crops. And crafting water vessels is different than being able to operate them. Certainly, poisonmaking is close to alchemy and herbalism, however, as rules supplements have already identified, poisonmaking requires a separate ability. I would give synergy bonuses from craft(alchemy) and profession(herbalist) for their respective types of poisons (chemical or plant) and probably also give bonuses when attempting to purify poisons from particular poisonous things such as vermin, plants for their respective knowledge skill.

 

[Tatsukun]

IMC I had a PC with Craft(Poison) and Profession(Physician), I gave him a synergy bonus to the craft skill.

Just a random thought.

-Tatsu

 

[irdeggman]

I think the normal drawback (I think its a 10% chance) of poisoning yourself isn't balance enough? However, it definitely requires craft (poison) in terms of skill overlap and I disagree that it should be a professioin. Professions include things like fishing, farming, and sailing. Craft includes things like crafting weapons, crafting armor, crafting bows, ...crafting poisons. If you can put crafting in front of it (because it is something you make) it ought to be a craft skill. You don't make fish, or farm animals and crops. And crafting water vessels is different than being able to operate them. Certainly, poisonmaking is close to alchemy and herbalism, however, as rules supplements have already identified, poisonmaking requires a separate ability. I would give synergy bonuses from craft(alchemy) and profession(herbalist) for their respective types of poisons (chemical or plant) and probably also give bonuses when attempting to purify poisons from particular poisonous things such as vermin, plants for their respective knowledge skill.

Yup, we are mostly on the same page here. Knowledge (Nature) would be another likely candidate for synergy bonuses.

Somehow getting synergy bonuses to a craft skill from a profession doesn't seem to make sense to me. It would make more sense to apply a s synergy bonus to the profession skill for ranks in a craft skill since the profession has a specific but broader application and the craft skill (and knowledge skills) give the detail that would help in the profession, IMO.