Profession skills
- Thread starter Darkthorn
- Start date
Patryn of Elvenshae
First Post
Generally, Profession skills are as useful as your DM lets them be.
For Prof (Herbalist), I'd let you sub in a Profession check in place of a Heal check in many circumstances, and probably also give you a synergy bonus to Heal and Craft (Alchemy) checks (and let you make any herb-based alchemical stuff untrained, regardless fo whether or not you were a spellcaster). I'd also let you sub it in in place of certain Knowledge (Nature) checks.
I'd do similar things for Prof (Fisher), with it subbing in for Survival, mostly, or various Knowledge skills.
I admit, though, that I tend to make those skills more broadly applicable than others would. What would you like to get out of those skills?
And, finally, welcome to ENWorld!
For Prof (Herbalist), I'd let you sub in a Profession check in place of a Heal check in many circumstances, and probably also give you a synergy bonus to Heal and Craft (Alchemy) checks (and let you make any herb-based alchemical stuff untrained, regardless fo whether or not you were a spellcaster). I'd also let you sub it in in place of certain Knowledge (Nature) checks.
I'd do similar things for Prof (Fisher), with it subbing in for Survival, mostly, or various Knowledge skills.
I admit, though, that I tend to make those skills more broadly applicable than others would. What would you like to get out of those skills?
And, finally, welcome to ENWorld!
Jacob Marley
Adventurer
It will depend on your DM and how (s)he views the Profession skill. At worst, it is a few ranks for flavor with the possibility of earning a couple extra gold pieces if you have a week's worth of down-time.
In my case, I like to use successful Profession and Perform checks to give the PCs a +2 circumstance bonus on a related skill check. For example, a successful Profession (herbalist) check may grant a +2 bonus on Heal checks; a +2 bonus on Knowledge (nature) checks regarding plants; or a +2 bonus on Knowledge (religion) checks regarding certain ecclesiastical traditions.
JamesonCourage
Adventurer
While I've never personally understood why Craft isn't trained only and Profession is, it's good to note that Profession is indeed trained only, according to the SRD:
SRD said:
JamesonCourage
Adventurer
Personally, if one skill were to be trained only out of the two, Craft seems more natural. Never understood why being a guard is any harder than crafting a sword.
Patryn of Elvenshae
First Post
Craft is untrained because, despite not being a woodworker or a carpenter, I can still make shelves and wooden shields.
I can also whittle a spoon, do basic pottery, make a lean-to, and fashion a spear (out of metal).
I am a modern, largely-city dwelling individual - though, admittedly, I was in Boy Scouts for many years.
If I, as such a person, can handle basic crafting skills, how much more so can the average D&D-world's inhabitant, who generall has to rely on their own abilities, rather than the corner store, for such essentials?
When it comes right down to it, I've always viewed "untrained-possible" skills as falling into one of two categories:
1) This is a key function of being alive (Perception, Hide, etc.)
2) This is something in which everyone receives entry-level training (Craft, etc.)
JamesonCourage
Adventurer
Someone with minor training in a Craft (maybe 1 rank) makes him able to achieve the easier DCs that much easier. Just like creatures with a naturally high Intelligence can craft things easier. That makes sense to me.
By the same token, though, someone with a naturally higher Wisdom should be able to perform their duties from a Profession skill standpoint. If I roll a Profession (servant) check untrained with a 20 Wisdom, I don't see why my natural talent for Professions doesn't make me better than the guy with a 10 Wisdom.
Out of the two, I think most Professions are easier for people to do untrained. If we think of a lot of the easier Professions that are named in the PHB (bookkeeper, cook, driver, fisher, guide, innkeeper, lumberjack, etc.), and we compare them to the easier Crafts in the book (basketweaving, bookbinding, calligraphy, painting, pottery, etc.), I'd say that for the average untrained person, they'd do better at the Professions as compared to the Craft.
If we look at the harder Professions and Crafts, I don't see untrained people doing well at either.
Of course, this is just my feelings on it. I play all untrained skills as being capped at 10+relevant ability mod. So, if you have a 20 Dex, you're capped at 15 on Tumble and Sleight of Hand, even if you're untrained. So it doesn't really bug me one way or another.
Wow, those are all great skill uses and synergies, I'd like you as my DM =) My DM is good and all but he is very strict, ie. if it's not writen in a book, it doesn't happen in most circumstances.
Kinda on the tipsy side right now, apologies, rum does that to me, so didn't really read many replies here but it should be mentioned if it hasnt been, that professions are a great way to sub your gold income. Once a week, or tenday in FR, you can make a profession check (d20 + skill) to earn that amount in gold. My herbalist (felt it synergized with alchemy well) currently makes at least 10g per week on a roll of one. May not seem like much but inour group we account for things like staying at inns, and meals depending on the time between each adventure (or survival checks to hunt your food as applicable) - so my profession skill usually allows my character to live comfortably without draining my ill gotten goods... yeah, he's borderline CN/CE, will probably have an alignment shift soon... needs to buy a sheet of lead...
OotS reference =)
