Profession vs. Craft

[falloutimperial]

In regard to the two skills, which is applied when a profession involves creating objects?
For example, if there is a hatter, does he or she use profession (hatter) or craft (headwear) when practicing his or her trade? Is this merely DM fiat, more clearly defined in the rules, or something else entirely?
To cap it off, what if a character had ranks in both skills? Would they band together? Would the highest one take precedence? Would the skill that seemed to apply more take precedence?

[silverwolfer]

Do you want to do it as a hobby or as a career?

[falloutimperial]

This is just something that occurred to me: I have no specific plans for it. How would it matter either way?

[tonberrian]

Craft (Headwear) is someone that makes hats. Profession (Hat Shopkeeper) is someone who sells them. Presumably, someone who wants to sell hats that they make will have ranks in both - Craft (Headwear) is for special orders ("I want my hat like so." *takes notes*), while Profession represents your usual sales ("I'm looking for a hat." "Here, let me show you what I have.")

No, it's not a perfect system.

[docnessuno]

While a Craft skill represents ability in creating or making an item, a Profession skill represents an aptitude in a vocation requiring a broader range of less specific knowledge

Craft: Making items.
Profession: might include making items, but only if that's a minor part of the job.

As for the hat crafter, someone making his life on a business probably have more than one skill related to it
Craft (tailoring)
Profession (shopkeeper)

[snoopy13a]

Creating something is a craft. Profession tends to be for jobs where you don't typically make stuff like medicine, law, etc.

A hatter, since they make hats, should be a craft skill.

[Marnath]

Profession is the service industry. Craft is the goods industry. Anything that produces a tangible product, like cheese-making, is a Craft skill. Anything that provides a service, like being a waitress or a cook, is a Profession.

[Acanous]

Craft is also *Usually* reserved for expensive or permanent items. For instance, Poison is a Craft, but Brewmaster is a Profession. You can brew and sell alcohol without a Craft check, but in order to make actual debilitating poison requires a craft: Poison.

Basically, anything which is primarilly a good is a Craft, anything that is primarilly a service is a Profession, which is why most food and drink is covered in Profession.

Also, it's worth noting that Craft isn't as guerunteed to net you a steady income, where profession is.

[Marnath]

Craft is also *Usually* reserved for expensive or permanent items. For instance, Poison is a Craft, but Brewmaster is a Profession. You can brew and sell alcohol without a Craft check, but in order to make actual debilitating poison requires a craft: Poison.

This is incorrect. Alcohol production is a Craft skill, as set forth in the Arms&Equipment Guide. It's 3.0 edition, but it still applies to 3.5.

[Acanous]

Oh? I hadn't heard that one before. I thought it was part and parcel of running a tavern. Poor innkeepers need three class skills, now...

[Marnath]

Oh? I hadn't heard that one before. I thought it was part and parcel of running a tavern. Poor innkeepers need three class skills, now...

Not necessarily. You can hire a cook for only 1 sp a day, or have your spouse/children/salvaged golem do it. Alcohol can be bought from a supplier if you're too lazy or stupid to brew it yourself.

[Acanous]

Cooking is still a profession though, yes?

[Marnath]

Cooking is still a profession though, yes?

Yeah, it's a profession. Presumably because you don't actually create food, you just turn food into other food.

[Winter_Wolf]

Just echo/paraphrase what's been said:

Profession is more (customer) service, and crafting is more manufacturing type. I'm sure that's not a perfect for every case definition, but basically that's how it looks.

[AlchemicalMyst]

Kind of adding to the echos but directly from the craft and profession skills in the 3.5 PHB:
"A Craft skill is specifically focused on creating something. If nothing is created by the endeavor, it probably falls under the heading of a Profession skill."

"While a Craft skill represents ability in creating or making an item, a Profession skill represents an aptitude in a vocation requiring a broader range of less specific knowledge. To draw a modern analogy, if an occupation is a service industry, it’s probably a Profession skill. If it’s in the manufacturing
sector, it’s probably a Craft skill."

For a simple example, an architect with Profession (Architect) has knowledge of how structures are made and can design them. However, he/she would be unable to make a structure they designed without the needed craft skills such as Craft (Carpentry,) Craft (Stone Masonry,) etc.

[Curmudgeon]

In D&D, Profession () exists solely to generate an income for the character, without details about what the character actually does to earn it. Craft () is all about the details of making things.