Would You Allow It?

[GnomeGninjas]

Hypothetically A PC wants to take Craft (livestock). Not breeding animals, but growing them in test tubes and things like that.

Would you allow it?
Would you never allow it?
In what circumstances would it be acceptable?

The character in question would be a some what insane magic user.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Nope, it would fall under the Profession skill.

[GnomeGninjas]

Nope, it would fall under the Profession skill.

Why? Profession doesn't allow you to create things.

[AntiTrust]

sounds like a wizard type who doesn't like that profession, although a clearly better fit, uses wisdom and not int like craft does

[animewatcha]

Wouldn't growing them in testtubes and 'things like that' fall under craft alchemy along with some x spells?

[Deophaun]

Why not? All that craft really is a way to take a resource of x value and turn it into a product of 3x value. He has no more ability to break the game than if he took gem cutting and sunk all the money he made into purchasing animals. Same effect.

So, that just leaves the RP/fluff aspect, which he seems to have covered.

[Kelb_Panthera]

I would allow it in the hope that, when he brought it up to the other party members, someone would get green around the gills.

[DementedFellow]

The only problem I have with it is an entirely personal one. I don't like the Craft (livestock) part. Is there some other word that could be substituted? The other Craft avenues sound way more sophisticated.

[Flickerdart]

When growing animals in a vat, Wisdom (knowing what not to do) is just as important as Intelligence, if not more so.

[Crasical]

Sounds like he's growing them alchemically. have him take Craft: Alchemy instead.

[NavyBlue]

Or just use adapt the clone spell to livestock....which requires all the suitable equipment

[Greyfeld85]

Craft (Genetic Engineering)?

[GenghisDon]

Hypothetically A PC wants to take Craft (livestock). Not breeding animals, but growing them in test tubes and things like that.

Would you allow it?
Would you never allow it?
In what circumstances would it be acceptable?

The character in question would be a some what insane magic user.

Not in D&D
No, it would be fine for a sci-fi game. It wouldn't likely be called Craft: livestock however.

[Greyfeld85]

Not in D&D
No, it would be fine for a sci-fi game. It wouldn't likely be called Craft: livestock however.

Yeah, all jokes aside, this is how I feel about it. The sort of mechanical and scientific knowledge you'd need to create "test tube creatures" is way past what we currently have in the modern world. In your typical D&D setting, the only way you're going to get away with this sort of thing is by magic.

[Occasional Sage]

I would allow it in the hope that, when he brought it up to the other party members, someone would get green around the gills.

Yeah, but when was the last time you saw an aquatic campaign?

[Karoht]

Hypothetically A PC wants to take Craft (livestock). Not breeding animals, but growing them in test tubes and things like that.

Would you allow it?
Would you never allow it?
In what circumstances would it be acceptable?

The character in question would be a some what insane magic user.

I would make him ratify an agreement whereby the PC makes a commitment to Organic Only livestock and produce. And Free Range chicken. That's a big deal too.
Timeline for compliance is 6 months in or out of game, whichever is shorter.

[Lonely Tylenol]

It would be an item creation feat with a caster level requirement, and possibly rolled in with Craft (alchemy), either through rank requirements or something of that sort. Something akin to Craft Construct, but on a smaller scale.

Alternately, if the player is interested in "custom brewing" monsters, I would use the grafting rules.

But yes, I'd totally allow it.

[umbergod]

Yeah, all jokes aside, this is how I feel about it. The sort of mechanical and scientific knowledge you'd need to create "test tube creatures" is way past what we currently have in the modern world. In your typical D&D setting, the only way you're going to get away with this sort of thing is by magic.

What? The world as we know it grows living creatures in test tubes all the time, what do you mean its way past what we currently have in the modern world?

[Doorhandle]

Just skip the whole issue and get him to play this alchemist archtype. Problem solved!

[Urpriest]

If it's something people can do in your setting, then you already have rules for it (PF Alchemist as mentioned above, however Eberron guys make Magebred stuff, etc.). If it isn't possible in your setting, then it isn't possible in your setting.

[Gnomish Wanderer]

I agree, if it's possible, let him do it. But Id still probably make him use Craft (Alchemy) instead of Craft (Livestock) with special rules for growing animals.

I don't see what the point of this would be, though. I wouldn't allow him to really make money on it, the cost of growing an animal has to be above the cost of just buying an animal.

[Eldan]

No problem at all. In a world with alchemy, golems, summoning and conjuration (creation) spells, it's quite a bit less weird than a lot of other stuff he could do.

The cheapest animal I could find was the Donkey, at 8GP. Growing a Donkey costs, in that case, 2 and 2/3 of a gold piece.

I'd call a Donkey a complex item, so the base DC is 20. Interestingly, that means that he multiplies his check result by 20 to find how long it takes.

So, with a roll of 20 (minimum), he has a multiplied result of 400. That's five times the requirement, so it will only take him a bit over a day to make a donkey.

[King Atticus]

Yeah, but when was the last time you saw an aquatic campaign?

Nice

[CTrees]

Suspect he wants the skill to be livestock instead of alchemy because Craft (livestock) is much funnier.

Honestly? Seems like a reasonable alchemical exercise, and not gamebreaking. They shouldn't come out trained, though things like magebreeding or grafts may make sense and all have listed costs. As long as he could flavor it reasonably... i'd allow the skill as a refluffed craft (alchemy).

[KillianHawkeye]

The cheapest animal I could find was the Donkey, at 8GP.

Chickens only cost 2 cp. They're listed as trade goods.

[Lord_Kjeran]

Yes, I would allow it, but as a use of the "craft construct" feat in MMI. So, something a little higher level in usage than just using a skill.

[nedz]

Well some wizard once made a pair of Owlbears, that had to be possible somehow. RAW is unfortunately quite quiet on how that was done though.

I think that the character would also need some Knowledge skill ?

[eggs]

I have no idea where this would go, but I like it.

But my cynical side would make sure to lay out some clear limits. Monster emulation and creation are typically the most powerful abilities in the game, even without Fabricate churning out herds of Nightmares, Oni or Equinals.

[137beth]

It would depend on the campaign setting. In a sci-fi game, sure. But in a pseudo-medival world, no such genetic knowledge exists. They could do it magically, but in this case it would not be a craft skill, it would be a spell. So no, I would not allow it.

[Fighter1000]

No way would I allow it. It's just ridiculous and stupid.
Test tubes, in a medieval fantasy game? That doesn't make sense and sounds wrong.