House Rules: Skills - Profession

< House Rules: Skills

You are skilled at a specific job. Like Craft, Knowledge, and Perform, Profession is actually a number of separate skills. You could have several Profession skills, each with its own ranks. While a Craft skill represents ability in creating an item, a Profession skill represents an aptitude in a vocation requiring a broader range of less specific knowledge. The most common Profession skills are architect, baker, barrister, brewer, butcher, clerk, cook, courtesan, driver, engineer, farmer, fisherman, gambler, gardener, herbalist, innkeeper, librarian, merchant, midwife, miller, miner, porter, sailor, scribe, shepherd, stable master, soldier, tanner, trapper, and woodcutter.

Uses


Appraise Item Value (Novice)

You can use the Appraise Value of Item action from the Appraise skill for an item related to the specific Profession skill, substituting the Appraise skill modifier and proficiency with those of the specific Profession skill.

Recall Knowledge (Novice)

You know how to use the tools of your trade, how to perform the profession’s daily tasks, how to supervise apprentices and helpers, and how to handle common problems. You can also answer questions about your Profession. Basic questions have a DC of 10, while more complex questions have a DC of 15 or higher.

Retry? No.

Proficiency:

  • Expert: When answering questions about your Profession, you can always take 10. You gain advantage on your Profession check.
  • Legendary: When answering questions about your Profession, you can always take 20.

Run a Business (Skilled)

The full function of the Profession skill allows you to run a business using buildings and organizations from the Downtime rules. Professions in most cases can be operated from static locations (such as store fronts or offices) or performed while traveling. They can be small operations requiring little in the way of assistance or large companies that demand numerous laborers. The initial start up costs (both time and money) to open a business depends on the cost of recruiting teams for your organization, and building or purchasing your buildings.

Mobile Business: Your business functions as a traveling operation, either as a small street-side setup within a town or city (such as a rug to display wares at a bazaar or a cart or wagon pulled through the city while the proprietor hawks the goods), as a roving professional service moving between multiple communities, or as a service that actually involves travel (such as that of a sailor, merchant, etc.). You may have up to 5 hirelings helping you, plus an additional hireling per rank.

Established Business: An established business may employ a large number of employees and generate a far greater return in profit. However, this type of business requires facilities and tools that cannot be transported from place to place. These facilities are the buildings detailed in the Downtime rules, and the number of employees is limited by the number of Rooms within the building. You may have up to 1 building in your established business with the minimum number of hirelings required to operate it, plus an additional building with hirelings per 5 ranks.

Retry? No.

Proficiency:

  • Expert: When using Profession checks to earn capital, you gain advantage. You may have up to 15 hirelings in your mobile business, plus an additional 3 hirelings per rank. You may have up to 3 buildings in your established business with hirelings, plus an additional 3 buildings with hirelings per 5 ranks.
  • Master: When performing the Run a Business Downtime activity, your bonus increases from +10 to +20. You may have up to 25 hirelings in your mobile business, plus an additional 5 hirelings per rank. You may have up to 5 buildings in your established business with hirelings, plus an additional building with hirelings per rank.
  • Legendary: When using Profession checks to earn capital for gp, your earnings equal to the result of your check. You may have up to 50 hirelings in your mobile business, plus an additional 10 hirelings per rank. You may have up to 10 buildings in your established business with hirelings, plus an additional 2 buildings with hirelings per rank.

Miscellaneous Uses (Skilled)

Task Profession Skill DC
Determine hardness and hit points of a structure or engineer Architect 20
Prepare trail rations (takes 1 hour per day’s worth of rations) Baker or cook 10
Obtain a legal permit Barrister or clerk 15
Get someone released from jail who has been imprisoned for a minor crime1 Barrister 20
Ask a special favor from a judge (such as arresting someone) Barrister 30
Brew alcohol of exceptional quality Brewer 20
Notice poison in a beverage Brewer 25
Skin an animal and tan the hide Butcher, shepherd, or tanner 10
Slaughter and butcher an animal Butcher, cook, or shepherd 15
Reduce a legal fine or tax by half the result of the check in gp2 Clerk 20+
Cook a meal of exceptional quality Cook 20
Notice poison in food Cook 25
Find potential clients within an establishment or large group Courtesan 10
Assess a social hierarchy Courtesan 15
Continue steering a vehicle when you take damage Driver or sailor 5
Take cover (as the Ride skill) while steering a vehicle Driver or sailor 15
Identify a non-creature plant Farmer or gardener 10
Rejuvenate dying plants Farmer or gardener 15
Provide 1 day’s worth of food for yourself and others in the wild Fisherman or trapper 153
Recall the rules of a game of chance Gambler 10
Get a hunch regarding whether a game is rigged Gambler 20
Reduce an average or lower cost of living by 50% Innkeeper 153
Sate hunger or thirst for 1 day Herbalist 10
Identify common medicinal herbs Herbalist 10
Identify rare medicinal herbs Herbalist 15
Aid another on a Knowledge check using reference material Librarian 5
Recall the name of a rare book Librarian 15
Determine where an item was manufactured Merchant 104
Recall where a common good fetches a higher price Merchant 15
Safely deliver a child Midwife 15
Safely deliver a child despite complications Midwife 20
Grind a small piece of a non-magical substance into powder Miller 10 + hardness
Identify common metal or semiprecious stone Miner 5
Identify rare metal or precious gem Miner 15
Ignore half hardness when attacking a stone or metal object Miner 20
Increase carrying capacity for 8 hours as if Strength were 2 higher Porter 15
Unload a vessel in half the normal time Porter 20
Navigate a ship in fair conditions Sailor 20
Pilot a ship safely through a hazardous seaway Sailor 25+
Determine which scribe wrote a document Scribe 104
Copy a document (30 minutes per page; requires a blank book) Scribe 10
Illuminate a manuscript (1 hour per page) Scribe 20
Determine the quality of woolen textiles Shepherd 10
Determine quality of a weapon or armor Soldier 10
Estimate the size of a military force Soldier 15
Identify advantages and disadvantages of a military formation Soldier 20
Keep horses fed in the wild Stable master 10
Fit or remove barding in half the normal time Stable master 15
Recognize damaged or sabotaged horse tack Stable master 20
Determine the quality of leatherwork Tanner 10
Aid another on an Escape Artist check to get out of a trap or snare Trapper 5
Reset a trap in half the normal amount of time Trapper 20
Scavenge wood suitable for campfire or shelter Woodcutter 5
Ignore half hardness when attacking wooden object Woodcutter 20

1A major crime typically requires a trial involving a series of Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Profession (barrister), and Sense Motive skill checks, as well as appropriate Knowledge checks.
2To a minimum of 25% of the original value.
3Provide this benefit for yourself plus one other person for every 2 points by which your skill check exceeds the DC.
4Increase the DC by 5 if the item is from a region the character is unfamiliar with, and by another 5 if it’s more than 20 years old. Exceptionally rare or ancient pieces can’t usually have their origin identified in this way.

Typical Business Setups


Listed below are each of the professions featured in the game, along with a quick description of how a character could operate that business either as a traveling service or from a storefront. of course, other professions are possible, limited only by a character’s imagination.

Architect: Mobile architects are very uncommon, and most often travel from noble to noble, providing expertise in the construction of manor houses and strongholds. A mobile architect might also serve as an attachment to a military unit or a mercenary company, training the soldiers in construction of defenses on the field of battle. More often, architects operate small businesses in larger towns and cities, creating and selling plans for construction or overseeing projects already under way.

Baker: A baker can peddle goods (usually cooked at home) as a street vendor, often from a bazaar stall or cart. In rare instances, a renowned baker might travel the countryside, offering to create masterfully made baked goods in smaller communities, most often during holidays and other celebrations (and sometimes while in search of apprentices). A baker can also establish a storefront to sell all manner of breads, cakes, pastries, and pies, probably in conjunction with various Craft (baked goods) skill checks. The baker might also take special orders for custom creations, particularly catering to the wealthy within a sizable town.

Barrister: Traveling barristers might operate on a predetermined circuit, attending to legal matters in small communities scattered through rural areas, often at the behest of the local nobility. However, most barristers serve in a fixed location, performing their legal duties in conjunction with an established court of law. Depending on the type of government that exists within a locale, the barrister might serve a set of clients among the general populace, or he might act more as judge and jury in all disputes.

Brewer: A traveling brewer likely functions as a microbrewer, crafting his beverages at home then selling them from a wagon or cart, sometimes even between multiple communities or at local fairs. Larger brewing operations may set up shop in a rural community where the ingredients are fresh and then ship the finished product in larger towns, or they might receive the ingredients from elsewhere and craft their brews within the city walls.

Butcher: A mobile butcher might move among several very small, rural communities, either buying livestock or offering to slaughter and dress them on the premises. Most butchers operate butcher’s shops, selling fresh cuts of meat delivered from elsewhere. Very large operations might sell to nobles or armies in need of sustenance.

Clerk: Traveling clerks, while not common, are not unheard of. They frequently roam from town to town, preparing paperwork on behalf of clergy members, mayors, and minor nobles. Clerks who operate storefront businesses tend to provide bookkeeping services to other businesses, and also offer the creation of announcements, invitations, and other printed materials.

Cook: Cooks who travel often do so in the company of military units or caravans, while those who want to settle down frequently run restaurants or pubs. Some cooks also make a living serving fantastic dishes at court or operating catering services for other businesses.

Courtesan: There are very few instances of traveling courtesans; most who claim to be are grifters or con artists, offering companionship only as part of some elaborate scheme. Most true courtesans are found either at court or working in a bawdy house. An individual could run a brothel as a full-time business using this Profession skill.

Driver: By its nature, the profession of driving requires travel, so most mobile drivers work independently, serving military units or caravans, handling carts, wagons, carriages, and the animals that pull them. Localized driving businesses could offer dray work to other shops in a community, provide carriage service (like a taxi service), or even contract out full caravan service. Alternatively, mercenary drivers might participate in chariot games for sponsors willing to pay enough.

Engineer: Engineers function in much the same way as architects. Mercenary captains who lead bands of military engineers for hire typically have some skill in this profession.

Farmer: Mobile farmers often serve as traveling workers, moving between farms to gather crops on behalf of wealthy landowners. Some highly skilled farmers also travel between communities, demonstrating and selling new kinds of plant breeds or diagnosing diseases. Otherwise, farmers operate plots of land, growing produce to sell in urban areas.

Fisherman: Fishermen must go where there is water, but some truly do travel, by either taking wealthy clients on fishing expeditions for sport or finding work as an independent contractor on a commercial fishing vessel. Fishermen who wish to start a local business often run a dockside company with one or more boats or ships with crews that bring in large catches, which the business owner then sells to local inns, taverns, and so forth.

Gambler: A lone gambler who makes a living winning coin usually moves from place to place once her skills are noted and she wears out her welcome. Some occasionally hire on to teach others how to gamble effectively (this is particularly popular among nobles who are constantly trying to one-up one another). Gamblers who want to make a business of it often set up betting houses, bookie services, and casinos.

Gardener: Mobile gardeners serve as landscapers, hiring out to grow and groom public parks. Some gardeners start local businesses that cater to either the city or wealthy nobles who want flower gardens, hedge mazes, and the like. Their employees visit clients regularly to plant new starts, trim and train established plants and trees, and ready gardens for the changing seasons.

Herbalist: A traveling herbalist rides alone or with a caravan, moving between locales to gather fresh herbs and sell dried ones. Stationary herbalists sell their wares from small cottages in the rural parts of the country or from shops in big cities. The largest herbalist businesses conduct trade with large-scale food suppliers and hospitals, providing seasonings and remedies, respectively.

Innkeeper: A traveling innkeeper serves as a hired hand who helps get struggling businesses back into profitable shape by arranging for better entertainment, bouncers, victuals, and other amenities. Inns run as businesses can range in size from small bed-and-breakfasts to large military barracks.

Librarian: A traveling librarian moves about the land, dealing in books (particularly rare ones) with communities that either don’t have access to a library of their own or with folks who simply can’t afford much in the way of reading material. Permanent libraries can be anything from small, specialized shops that deal with very specific subjects to massive cultural edifices that represent the pinnacle of a given civilization. Private libraries that are run as businesses are rare and usually cater to clients with large amounts of money to spend.

Merchant: Traveling merchants can bring goods either on pack mules or as part of a great caravan, and can be found hawking their wares on nearly every street corner. Shopkeepers of all ilks buy and sell every trade good imaginable. The largest trade consortiums manage hundreds of caravans, storefronts, and warehouses.

Midwife: Some midwives travel between communities, helping to deliver babies at each stop. In more urban communities, they can be hired on by temples and hospitals that specialize in infant birthing.

Miller: A traveling miller might go from village to village with a portable mill and set up shop for a few days or a week, grinding the community’s grain before moving on to the next place. Millers running established operations in farming country would work out of a mill built near a flowing water source, while larger commercial milling operations in urban areas could serve all the farms and merchants for miles around.

Miner: Miners must find work wherever the ore, stone, or precious materials they mine are found. However, a lone miner could make a living excavating foundations and basements, live as a prospector hunting for gems and panning for gold in the wild, or work as a mercenary employed to assist a military unit in building defenses or sapping the enemy’s walls.

Porter: Portage work tends to operate out of hubs of civilization, whether in small frontier towns where the need for porters to carry exploration and adventuring gear is high, or in great cities where merchants are in constant need of strong backs to carry, load, and unload cargo. A lone porter could hire out to anyone needing assistance on a short- or long-term basis, while a businessperson could run a portage and delivery service in any sized community.

Sailor: Individual sailors not tied to a particular port simply hire on to ships that need an extra hand. However, organized groups of sailors sometimes hire themselves out to those with ships in need of full crews.

Scribe: Lone scribes who travel from town to town offer not only writing services, but also sell fine papers, inks, pens, and scroll and map cases to customers. Larger enterprises can provide a full range of copying, translating, and illuminating services to a broad range of customers in villages, towns, and cities.

Shepherd: A single shepherd will travel to find work wherever there is a need for tending sheep, especially during shearing and birthing season. Someone with a mind to run a shepherding business would have the skill to operate sheep ranches and wool-processing facilities, as well as working in conjunction with butchers to process meat.

Soldier: Soldiers go where there is fighting. Individual mercenaries, guards, or marines serving aboard ships accept coin in exchange for their combat prowess. Mercenary captains in charge of whole units or armies effectively run sizable businesses. Urban organizations offering escort and guard services to wealthy nobles and merchants can also grow quite large.

Stable Master: Anyone who has a way with horses could travel with caravans or armies, serving as a horse handler, while operations in small villages might exist side by side with inns and taprooms. Larger businesses could offer a full-service stable that buys, heals, races, sells, and trains horses.

Tanner: A lone tanner might provide his leatherworking services to a number of communities in proximity to one another, and small businesses that offer both tanning services and finished goods for sale are common enough. Bigger operations usually set up near cities where large numbers of livestock are gathered for processing.

Trapper: Solo trappers can catch and skin enough game to make a living in a frontier or wooded region, and small groups of them might establish a trading post where they could sell their wares along with other goods. A large trapping company might hire scores of individual trappers, bringing in massive quantities of furs that are then shipped to other parts of the world.

Woodcutter: Individual loggers might move from place to place, felling enough timber to sell to one small community at a time. Large logging operations can potentially clear entire regions of forest in a short time, preparing and shipping the wood—either as whole logs or sawn lumber—by water or caravan to sell anywhere growth and development occurs. Shipyards also require substantial amounts of lumber and make good customers.

< House Rules: Skills

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