[Basic] Skill of the week: Hobby Skill and Professional Skill

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by johndallman

OK, what other skill tells you where to go to catch fish, of the kind you have the right equipment for, at the current time of your?

A lot of the work done on a fishing boat is clearly Seamanship, and/or Mechanic (Ship), but there's knowledge needed to go find fish - it isn't just a question of putting the nets out. It might be Area Knowledge (Baltic Sea), but plenty of sailors on ferries and cargo vessels have that without being fishermen.

Sure, but on a ship of fishermen, you only need one person, and possibly one backup person in case the first person falls overboard, who has that skill. It doesn't fit my understanding of what a Profession skill should be.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

Sure, but on a ship of fishermen, you only need one person, and possibly one backup person in case the first person falls overboard, who has that skill. It doesn't fit my understanding of what a Profession skill should be.

And anyone who aspires to have his own boat should be learning it. Interpreting professions as always being tightly-bounded, like modern-day doctors or lawyers, means you don't have the flexibility to deal with a broad range of societies and TLs.

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by johndallman

And anyone who aspires to have his own boat should be learning it. Interpreting professions as always being tightly-bounded, like modern-day doctors or lawyers, means you don't have the flexibility to deal with a broad range of societies and TLs.

Yes, many aboard the ship will have it or will be acquiring it. But I believe I chose the word I used very carefully: need.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

Yes, many aboard the ship will have it or will be acquiring it. But I believe I chose the word I used very carefully: need.

So you're saying it can't be a professional skill, because it isn't absolutely necessary to have it to be employed in the general field? If that's the argument, I can only disagree.

[Anthony]

To me, a professional skill is just a skill a professional in a field is likely to have, that is neither the same as an existing skill, nor commonly enough adventuring relevant to have its own skill entry.

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by johndallman

So you're saying it can't be a professional skill, because it isn't absolutely necessary to have it to be employed in the general field? If that's the argument, I can only disagree.

There should be Profession (Sailor) for the profession type skill of being an "able seaman", and then there should be some kind of non-profession skill to represent knowing how to catch fish, and no default from the former to the latter.

[VariousRen]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Your post seems self-contradictory. On one hand, you say that point sinks make decisions meaningful. On the other, you seem to be saying that you charge [0] for point sinks.

I'm saying that if you are using profession skills, they are meaningful choices that a player should be making. If they need two points in Profession (Chimney Sweep) to justify all their nimble climbing abilities, they should take it. If you don't like that, or if the genre doesn't reflect it, allow people to pick background without charging them points or expecting them to actually be competent in them. In something like DF you don't need an unusual background to be unusual, but other genres you do, professional skills can act as that unusual background.

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by VariousRen

In something like DF you don't need an unusual background to be unusual, but other genres you do, professional skills can act as that unusual background.

False. Psionics is unusual enough it does require a UBC.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

There should be Profession (Sailor) for the profession type skill of being an "able seaman"

That exists: it's called Seamanship/TL, B185. Unless you think there should be a professional skill as well?

and then there should be some kind of non-profession skill to represent knowing how to catch fish, and no default from the former to the latter.

... and now I remember the Fishing skill, B195. It's a bit under-described.