Profession
Profession represents trained work, trade practice, and field experience that is broader than a single adventuring skill but narrower than a full craft. A profession is not usually used to make goods; that is what Craft is for. Instead, it covers skilled jobs such as Profession (Animal Handler), Profession (Guard), Profession (Mason), Profession (Scout), or Profession (Bounty Hunter).
Each Profession must name a specific line of work. Profession (Sailor), Profession (Inn Keeper), and Profession (Animal Handler) are separate skills. A character can have skill points in more than one Profession.
Using Profession
A Profession can replace another skill when the task clearly falls inside that profession's normal work. This should consolidate several related skills into one useful job skill without making the base skills obsolete.
When a Profession replaces another skill, increase the DC by 5. If the check is opposed, the character using Profession takes a -5 penalty on their roll instead. The base skill is always better when the character has it, but Profession is useful when the character's trade experience applies.
If the task is exactly the profession's core work and does not already belong to another skill, use the normal DC.
Examples:
- Profession (Guard) can replace Discern Intent to notice suspicious behavior during a watch, but the DC increases by 5.
- Profession (Hunter) can replace Bushcraft to track game or dress an animal, but the DC increases by 5.
- Profession (Mason) can replace Investigate to identify weak stonework, hidden repairs, or unsafe construction, but the DC increases by 5.
- Profession (Scout) can replace Spot or Listen to keep watch while moving through hostile terrain, but the DC increases by 5.
The Definition Master has final say on whether a Profession applies. A profession should cover 2 to 4 related skills in common job situations, not every skill that could ever be useful to the job.
Building a Profession
When creating a new Profession, define three things:
- Core Work: What the profession does without replacing another skill.
- Skill Replacements: Which 2 to 4 skills it can replace when the job context fits.
- Special Mechanics: Any unique rules the profession needs, such as training animals or running an inn.
Common replacement skills include Bushcraft, Discern Intent, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Investigate, Listen, Ride, Spot, and Use Rope. A Profession should not replace combat rolls, saving throws, spellcasting checks, or Craft checks unless a specific rule says it can.
Profession (Animal Handler)
Animal handlers know how to calm, train, direct, and care for animals. This profession covers working with domesticated animals, draft animals, trained pets, guard animals, and suitable wild animals that can reasonably be tamed.
Skill Replacements
Profession (Animal Handler) can replace:
- Diplomacy, when calming, coaxing, or gaining the trust of an animal.
- Discern Intent, when reading an animal's mood, fear, aggression, hunger, or discomfort.
- Ride, when directing a mount or draft animal from the ground.
- Bushcraft, when caring for animals during travel, identifying ordinary animal behavior, or finding suitable feed and shelter.
When replacing one of these skills, increase the DC by 5 as normal. Profession (Animal Handler) does not replace Ride checks to stay mounted, perform mounted maneuvers, or control a mount while riding in combat.
Taming Animals
Taming an animal requires time, food, safety, and repeated handling. The animal must be able to survive captivity and must not be intelligent enough to negotiate like a person. Magical beasts, monsters, and supernatural creatures may require a different profession or a special rule.
| Animal | Time Required | DC |
|---|---|---|
| Domesticated but unfamiliar animal | 1 hour | 10 |
| Skittish or poorly treated domesticated animal | 1 day | 15 |
| Wild but non-hostile animal | 1 week | 20 |
| Wild predator or aggressive animal | 2 weeks | 25 |
| Animal currently hostile to the handler | Cannot begin until safely contained or calmed | +5 to final DC |
The handler rolls at the end of the required time. On success, the animal becomes tame enough to be handled, housed, fed, led, and trained. On failure, no progress is made, but the animal is not automatically lost. If the check fails by 5 or more, the animal becomes distrustful and the next taming attempt takes twice as long.
Training Animals
Training teaches a tame animal a useful task. Each task requires 1 week of work and a Profession (Animal Handler) check.
| Training | DC |
|---|---|
| Come, stay, heel, carry, fetch, or other simple command | 10 |
| Guard, track by scent, pull a cart, or perform work under stress | 15 |
| Combat riding, attack command, scouting pattern, or complex routine | 20 |
| Unusual work against the animal's instincts | 25+ |
An animal can only learn tasks it is physically and mentally capable of performing. Training does not make an animal loyal in impossible circumstances, and it does not let an animal understand complex language.
Profession (Bounty Hunter)
Bounty hunters track, identify, apprehend, and restrain wanted targets.
Skill Replacements: Profession (Bounty Hunter) can replace Bushcraft to track a target, Gather Information to follow leads, Discern Intent to notice evasive behavior from a known target, and Use Rope to restrain a captured target. Increase the DC by 5 when replacing these skills.
Special: For every 5 skill points in Profession (Bounty Hunter), the character gains a +1 competency bonus on offensive grapple checks made to restrain or capture a specific bounty. This bonus does not apply to defensive grapple checks.
Profession (Guard)
Guards watch doors, patrol streets, read suspicious behavior, and keep order.
Skill Replacements: Profession (Guard) can replace Discern Intent to notice suspicious behavior, Listen or Spot while on watch, Intimidate when enforcing lawful authority, and Gather Information when asking routine security questions. Increase the DC by 5 when replacing these skills.
Profession (Hunter)
Hunters find, kill, dress, and preserve game.
Skill Replacements: Profession (Hunter) can replace Bushcraft to track game, Move Silently to stalk prey, Spot to notice animal signs or movement, and Use Rope to set snares. Increase the DC by 5 when replacing these skills.
Profession (Locksmith)
Locksmiths understand locks as objects, not just obstacles.
Skill Replacements: Profession (Locksmith) can replace Lock Picking to open ordinary locks, Investigate to identify how a lock or key was used, and Sabotage Device to disable or repair simple lock mechanisms. Increase the DC by 5 when replacing these skills.
Special: With proper tools and a Tinker's workbench, a locksmith can build a lock. The lock's DC is equal to the locksmith's Profession check result.
Profession (Mason)
Masons understand stone, brick, mortar, foundations, walls, and load-bearing construction.
Skill Replacements: Profession (Mason) can replace Investigate to inspect stonework, Knowledge to identify construction methods, Spot to notice cracks or hidden seams in masonry, and Sabotage Device to safely weaken or stabilize stone structures. Increase the DC by 5 when replacing these skills.
Profession (Scout)
Scouts move ahead of a group, read terrain, avoid attention, and report danger.
Skill Replacements: Profession (Scout) can replace Bushcraft to navigate overland, Conceal to hide in natural terrain, Listen or Spot while keeping watch, and Move Silently while advancing through hostile territory. Increase the DC by 5 when replacing these skills.