Pricing improved Job Rolls (without increasing skills)?

[vicky_molokh]

Greetings, all!

What would be the reasonable improvement per point spent on a hypothetical Improved Job Training? I'm thinking specifically of improvements that provide a benefit under routine, on-the-job circumstances subsumed into Job Rolls, but aren't good enough to affect rolls under other circumstances, let alone under outright adventurous conditions.

On one hand, there's Hyperspecialisation, which provides +5 to a narrow area, and surely most people with Hyperspecialisation would be working in such narrow niches. On the other, there's Efficient, which allows working at no penalty in 80% of the normal amount of time required (thus essentially providing free time equal to 1/5th of the normal workhours), and is very useful under all sorts of circumstances. On the third hand, +1 to Mixing Cocktails seems to be very narrow, and doesn't even fully cover a bartender's role (though it does seem to be handy for them).

So, how much is too much, and how little is too little? For Job Rolls Only, that is.

Thanks in advance!

[Turhan's Bey Company]

I'd be inclined to call this a leveled perk associated with a specific skill. I'd probably also put a fairly low cap on it (say, no more than +3); if you want to be better at your job, increase your skills.

[LemmingLord]

Perk: work handbook bond
Reputation: good employee
Contact: Related Field Person
Ally: Boss
Ally: Boss's Boss

[ericthered]

well, traditionally improving one aspect of a skill without improving the rest of a skill is called the technique.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Turhan's Bey Company

I'd be inclined to call this a leveled perk associated with a specific skill. I'd probably also put a fairly low cap on it (say, no more than +3); if you want to be better at your job, increase your skills.

I'd do it this way as well. There is a certain correlation with knowing how to do your job that comes from experience vs. having the skill for said job.

[Dwarf99]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

On the third hand, +1 to Mixing Cocktails seems to be very narrow, and doesn't even fully cover a bartender's role (though it does seem to be handy for them).

So, how much is too much, and how little is too little? For Job Rolls Only, that is.

Thanks in advance!

Originally Posted by ericthered

well, traditionally improving one aspect of a skill without improving the rest of a skill is called the technique.

I agree, Bartending seems to be a 'tip' profession i.e. they pay you half and you get the other half in tips. I'd allow a Bartender to have a technique (perhaps called Showmanship) that allowed them to increase earnings by 10% x Margin of Success.

[Kromm]

A leveled perk that gives +1 per level is functionally the same as an Average technique that defaults to full skill and can be raised above skill. Either would be fine, and amount to more reliably earning income with a skill by raising it at 1/4 cost. Such a trait would be utterly meaningless to most adventurers, and given that Independent Income also costs 1 point/level and "just works," I don't see it being especially easy to abuse.

However, while it might represent specific facility at the tasks mentioned in the skill write-up that are most central to the job, I would not try to explain the bonus in such terms. I'd leave it as a meta-game abstraction for "good at divining all the little touches that workplaces deem worthy of reward": rapport with coworkers, skill at handling bosses, aptitude for clock-watching, glued-on happy face, and knowing exactly what lines each company likes filled out on TPS reports.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Dwarf99

I agree, Bartending seems to be a 'tip' profession i.e. they pay you half and you get the other half in tips. I'd allow a Bartender to have a technique (perhaps called Showmanship) that allowed them to increase earnings by 10% x Margin of Success.

Mmmm. As someone with a little experience in the field, that's more a DX-based Professional Skill (Bartender) roll rather than a technique. I supposed you could use a technique if you wanted, allow it to go up to Skill+4, and make it an Average technique. I don't know if I'd say, "Use a technique instead of a skill" for a job roll though. That said, I'd definitely allow a character to use the better of the two attributes to make his job roll. Hell, depending on the venue and the bartender's gender, an HT-based roll might even be in order for drinking beverages bought by your patrons. People tend to give more tip-wise if they think of you as a "drinking buddy" rather than "someone who gets me my beer." When I worked as a bouncer/bartender in a gentleman's club, I used to get CRAZY good tips from most of the patrons, especially if they bought me a drink so "[They] didn't have to drink alone." Fun fact, most people who go to places like that don't want to stare at boobs (though that does factor into the equation) - they just want someone to talk to.

[Dwarf99]

Originally Posted by Kromm

TPS reports.

You just made me realize I've heard that term a lot and never known the meaning.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Kromm

A leveled perk that gives +1 per level is functionally the same as an Average technique that defaults to full skill and can be raised above skill. Either would be fine, and amount to more reliably earning income with a skill by raising it at 1/4 cost. Such a trait would be utterly meaningless to most adventurers, and given that Independent Income also costs 1 point/level and "just works," I don't see it being especially easy to abuse.

However, while it might represent specific facility at the tasks mentioned in the skill write-up that are most central to the job, I would not try to explain the bonus in such terms. I'd leave it as a meta-game abstraction for "good at divining all the little touches that workplaces deem worthy of reward": rapport with coworkers, skill at handling bosses, aptitude for clock-watching, glued-on happy face, and knowing exactly what lines each company likes filled out on TPS reports.

A perk feels better IMHO. Also, you are a terrible person for that last bit. Just terrible. Worse than RevBob.

Originally Posted by Dwarf99

You just made me realize I've heard that term a lot and never known the meaning.

Slight Derailement: It's from Office Space.