Would you houserule these things?

[Jon_Dahl]

Out of curiosity, I'd like to know how many of you are willing to houserule things that aren't specifically covered in the rules but don't necessarily need any houserules for the game to work.

I've chosen a list of things that occasionally provoke DMs to make bunch of houserules according to the personal point of views:
Profession (fortune teller).
Profession (acupuncturist).
Profession (hypnosist).
Visored helmet.
Lack of C-vitamin for an extended period of time (Scurvy).

Clarification - The question here is this: According to RAW Profession (fortune teller) simply means that you can make some extra gp per week, but would you houserule it to have some other additional effect?

(I hope we will have plenty of imaginative houserules here, otherwise it'll be a boring thread )

 

[Grogg of the North]

Fortune Teller - Sure! I'd have it so that sometimes while making your living, you get vague clues or visions of what is to come. Not all of them are accurate though. Besides it could be a great roleplaying hook too. "Hmm, whenever I try to tell the fortune of anyone in this town, all the cards come up as Death".

Acupuncture - Depending on the profession check, I'd say you could relieve some minor penalties or status. Fatigued, gain a bonus on saves versus disease or maybe 1d2 points of physical ability damage. I have no idea how long it takes a real acupuncturist to work, so maybe it would be something like: "roll your check and for the next 24 hours...."

Hypnotist - With a high enough check, you get a bonus versus mind affecting spells/abilities. Or you can recall any one event with perfect clarity as if you're right there.

Visored Helmet - I've always left that up to the player to decide how their helmet and armor looked. I really don't know if I'd give it a bonus or not. Maybe a penalty against your peripheral vision?

Scurvy - Maybe if they were on a sailing ship or stuck someplace were food was not plentiful or readily available. And then I'd probably spend a week trying to figure out how to have it work in game only for all the saves to be passed or I'd forget to bring it up.

I've always been one to just ask my players to drop a few gold when they get back to town to replenish supplies, assuming they're not making survival checks instead. And when you get access to things like Heroes Feast it becomes less of a worry.

 

[Crothian]

I house rule that all professions and crafts do more then what the skills say. The big thing is I allow a character with such a skill to more easily interact with other people with the skill. For instance farmers talk differently and usually more openly with other farmers then they would non farmers. The common ground of having a shared profession can go a long way in my games.

 

[haakon1]

I allow extra professions if someone wants one.

One of the PC's has Profession (Military Intelligence), based on a background as a professional scout/spy (Ranger/Rogue dual classed). I let her roll on that skill whenever she asks if she knows about something military related. Examples are where along a road she traveled would be a good place for a regimental-scale ambush, what's the strategic significance of why a castle was built in X place, and estimating a host of troops numbers, types, and affiliations (from their military heraldry, like unit insignia).

I don't even think of that as a house rule, just as fleshing out the "there can be more professions" rule.

 

[Ahnehnois]

Clarification - The question here is this: According to RAW Profession (fortune teller) simply means that you can make some extra gp per week, but would you houserule it to have some other additional effect?

Yes. It represents the ability to make money by convincing people you have magical insights.

I think Professions often don't tell the whole story. For example, I expect a lawyer to have Diplomacy and Craft (Writing), and I expect a merchant to have Appraise and Sense Motive.

Fortunetelling could be handled either has divination through some magic/psionic rules, or as cold reading based around Sense Motive and Knowledge skills.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I don't generally do this personally, but if someone feels it is needed for the game, I don't see anything wrong with it.

 

[Grogg of the North]

Profession (Dental Hygienist): For every 5 ranks you have in this profession you can cast Sadism as a spell like ability 1/day. Your caster level is equal to your ranks in this profession.

 

[nijineko]

i believe that in a world where magic and augury and other divine communication actually works in mortal time frames, that a fortuneteller check is either going to be a bluff check (no profession skill needed), or the casting of a spell.

what do you think? i'll save the others for after your feedback.

 

[Jon_Dahl]

what do you think? i'll save the others for after your feedback.

Well, personally I like Ahnenoi's and Crothian's ideas: Any profession is more than just the Profession skill and having common ground with other professionals can help you.
I wouldn't houserule any of the things mentioned in the OP. But that's just me. I might be tempted though

 

[Cadence]

i believe that in a world where magic and augury and other divine communication actually works in mortal time frames, that a fortuneteller check is either going to be a bluff check (no profession skill needed), or the casting of a spell.

I'm picturing Mocker in Glen Cook's Dread Empire series who spent a lot of time trying to weasel money out of the rich and was good at it. Only part of it is giving a realistic sounding faux-fortune that they'll accept. He needs to pick a good location to find a mark, attract the mark's attention, get the mark to listen, discern what is going on with the mark, give the faux fortune, figure out if you have a repeat customer, if you can dig for more than just fortunes, and know when to split town if he starts ticking people off.

If the character is just trying to make money, I can see a profession fortuneteller check. If they are trying to do something that will stand out, then does it fit better in a skill check setting with the profession maybe working for some rolls and giving a synergy bonus for others?