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View Full Version : [D&D 3.99 Project] Job System Idea for D&D 3.5



Drako_Beoulve
2014-04-29, 02:13 PM
Hi guys,

I'm trying to do a Fighter fix for my D&D 3.5 rewrite, and while addressing the main flaw on the Fighter: utility outside of combat, doing research and looking on other player's fixes I come up with the idea of the Job system. I don't know If anyone came already with this idea in the past, anyway, here are my two cents splitted in half.

So, why fighter sucks outside of combat?, because they only know how to fight right?, dumb answer. Look at Roy from the order of the Stick, he is the Tactician of the group, he do plans and leads the group; but I can't just add Tactician features to Fighter class or all the Fighters are tied to be Tacticians and Planers. Then I started to research on other sources: Movies, books, Cartons, video games, other Pen and papers, etc. I saw that, in general, the fighters have a profession besides being capable of fight, (take the example of '300' movie, when Leonidas asked to is allies 'What is your profession?').

Actually in DnD you can start as Farmer (Lv 0), then take a level on a Class right?, so that Farmer became Fighter...and what?, he loses all Farmer skills and knowledge?, why not be a Blacksmith instead of Farmer, or a Chef, maybe a Potion maker or Miner, etc. This part of DnD is barely covered in the Profession skill, but why not actually do a Profession system, and give features that can synergy with the class system?, like if you were a Blacksmith Lv 3 you get a bonus to STR due blacksmithing is like doing gym and improves your muscles, or get a Fire Resistence +5 for being near fire during your labor hours, or as Farmer Lv 1 you have the improvised weapons Feat because you are used to handle tools that can be used as a weapon in time of need, maybe you get a craft(potion) +8 bonus if you are a Potion maker.

This new Profession system will not interfere with your class system, think about doing gestalt, but each side must be raised separately by getting EXP doing profession or class activities.

Also, think we will need to redo some classes like Artificer or Hunter to be Professions.

So, what do you guys think of this idea?

drew2u
2014-04-29, 05:24 PM
If you're going to expand and create new rules for Craft and Profession skills, then I'd be all for it, though I'm confused as to how one would be a "Lv>0" Job w/o crossclassing or interfering with normal class leveling. Could you elaborate?

(sidenote, I think a Job system would be fine for any class, really)

toapat
2014-04-29, 06:28 PM
So, what do you guys think of this idea?

Its a good idea, except for this:


I'm trying to do a Fighter fix

you see, the only correct Fix for the fighter is to replace them with a Warblade, with a Swordsage, with the barbarian. having a "Blank" class who the player defines through their choices is interesting, but as far as the system is concerned, its a liability.

Grod_The_Giant
2014-04-29, 06:40 PM
It's a solid idea. There are three issues that I can see cropping up:

Firstly, what about NPCs? Are they single-classed? If not, what's on the other side of the gestalt?

Secondly... I can't imagine "profession" classes being more than, oh, 5 levels long. Beyond that and you're getting, well, legendary. The sort of point where you begin to be defined by your abilities as a smith or whatnot. What do you do when you've finished your profession?

Thirdly, if you're talking about a "gestalt where you advance both sides separately"... that seems both unnecessarily convoluted, and prone to "flavor verses power" difficulties (do you advance the Blacksmith class that gives you flavor, or the Fighter that gives you power?). Either do a straight gestalt, or standard multiclassing.

Vedhin
2014-04-29, 08:52 PM
I think a better idea would be assigning benefits to having X ranks of a given Profession skill. Then, give each class bonus skill points/level that can only go towards Profession skills. The Tier system is helpful here-- high Tier classes generally are more focused on magic than skill, so they justifiably would get less bonus points towards Profession skills.

p.d0t
2014-04-30, 12:14 AM
I think 13th Age backgrounds would be a good starting point for this.

T.G. Oskar
2014-05-01, 02:38 PM
Dungeon Master's Guide II has a progression for NPC specialists where it usually determines which will be its expected bonus at each level, and the traits it gets: the Skill Focus feat for the specific feat, a masterwork tool, a magic item that boosts the item, an ability score booster, etc. You could use that as a frame for the "jobs", and leave the character's actual class undefined.

For example: the job "Baker" grants a starting +2~+3 bonus on Profession (baker) checks and treats Profession (baker) as a class skill. As it gains levels, it grants an additional skill point that can only be spent on Profession (baker), the Skill Focus feat related to Profession (baker), an Appraise bonus related to bakery, and so on. Perhaps every four levels they could get a combat-related bonus (i.e. 4th level Baker gets a +2 bonus to resist heat attacks because it has to deal with large ovens).

This means most jobs would be good for NPCs only, while others will be naturals for PCs (after all, that's a natural aspect of any game; some things will be better than others). Those jobs good for PCs (usually Alchemist, Apothecary, Blacksmith, Merchant, Poisoner, etc.) may sacrifice their minor combat bonuses for bonuses intended to assist them, as the profession as a whole will assist the player in combat (e.g. the Alchemist can create items without being a spellcaster, the Blacksmith can eventually create metal weapons and armor without spellcasting, the Apothecary can create potions without spellcasting, etc.).

Ideally, while the Craft skill would remain as-is, this would effectively eliminate the Profession skill (which may require an alteration to the prerequisites of certain feats and PrCs; perhaps only people with those jobs may gain access to those skills, making the "Sailor" a must-have job), since its benefit is so mild it eventually becomes pointless for a character other than flavor. More often than not, the replaced profession will have a skill tied to it (the Sailor, for example, may require Swim, Balance and maybe Use Rope, if you intend to retain that skill), though this means other jobs won't have a defined skill (Basket-Weaver, for example, though Craft [underwater basket-weaving] is apparently a thing; same for the example Baker, who doesn't have Craft [cooking]). It would require some work, but I can see it happen. It avoids having 20th level Experts that can't justify their XP but need the level just because the PCs may kill it or to justify having a Craft check of "yes".