Explain to me about Professional Skills

[maximara]

Originally Posted by evileeyore

For me:

Hobby Skill is a nigh useless or extremely niche skill that covers some aspect of your background that isn't well covered by another actual skill, if a use does come up that could be served by another skill, you might be at either a -4 penalty or have some level of vagueness in your results (GM's call). Optionally, taking a very narrow, specialized Hobby Skill, say Hobby Skill (Poker), means they essentially have the skill Gambling (Poker), but cannot make rolls at skill -2 for gambling with other games as they simply don't know those games at all.

Example: Hobby (Comic Books) could be used to determine if a comic was worth a decent amount of money, but not any sort of exact amount, that would better be served by Connoisseur (Comic Books). However, Hobby (Comic Books) could be used to recognize that a specific set of circumstances were being acted out by a killer to mimic a comic book character, thus allowing the adventurers to either predict the next steps or give clues to the killer's identity.

Professional Skill is best summed up in Crewman, Soldier, and Survival. There are a lot of little 'skills' that are of value by themselves, but are learned together in a package because you really only know very specific applications of them. These skills often also cover learned behaviors, like a soldier always keeping his kit prepped and ready, a spacer stowing all loose items before leaving a room, a survivalist properly dousing the campfire before breaking camp.

Expert Skill for me is a souped up Professional skill, the topics are more 'cerebral' and the knowledge is broader. Honestly I most often see this come up as a Complimentary Skill to other skills* that would fall under its 'cross disciplinary' umbrella.

* And honestly that's how I usually pitch it to Players when I'm suggesting they take it.

These versions are so much better then the versions we did get. They do a far better job of explaining what they are and avoid a lot of the problems the versions that actually are in the game have.

Heck your version of Hobby skill actually harkens back to the 3.5 version where Hobby (Darts) existed and defaulted to thrown weapon at no penalty. In 4e it is now Games (Darts) which defaults to Thrown Weapon (Darts) no penalty. Interestingly in 3.5e Games itself was a Hobby Skill. Heck, Kite Flying is the only specifically mentioned 3.5e Hobby Skill that remained a Hobby Skill in 4e as Hobby (Chess) became Game (Chess)

Similarly the 3.5e Professional skill Exorcism became a "regular" skill as did Typing and Fortune Telling with Bartender beign the only example to be carried over (nearly verbatim). Then there was Video Production/TL which 3.5e had as both a Professional skill and a "regular" skill.

The rest (Abacus, Courtesan, Aviation/TL, Cyberdeck Operation, Musical Notation, Panhandling, Sailor/TL, Temporal Operation/TL) are unclear though some would not be Professional Skills as 4e defines them.

Your version of Expert Skill IMHO better fits the spirit of the skill rather then the awkward and somewhat confusing thing we got.

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by maximara

The rest (Abacus, Courtesan, Aviation/TL, Cyberdeck Operation, Musical Notation, Panhandling, Sailor/TL, Temporal Operation/TL) are unclear though some would not be Professional Skills as 4e defines them.

Hold on, Update is here to save the day!

Abacus: Removed, it's just equipment you learn to use with Accounting at low TLs.

Aviation/TL: Now covered by floating piloting to IQ.

Courtesan: Now Professional Skill (Prostitute) (Ouch, Update doesn't mince words)

Cyberdeck Operation: Computer Operation, probably high TL and a familiarity.

Musical Notation: Built into Instrument and Composition. Also, lack of can be a Quirk from Power Ups 6.

Panhandling: Exists as is.

Sailor/TL: Seamanship floated to IQ (no pun intended).

Temporal Operation/TL: Now Electronics Operation (Temporal)

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by Inky

Pretty much what the title says. Basic Set seems as if it might be implying that they're meant to be used for earning money on the side, not for adventuring. Can they be used for practical on-stage purposes? And if so, how do they differ from wildcards, which are more expensive but follow a silimar pattern of "things someone who does x for a living might be expected to know"? I'm generally all in favour of things that allow you to simplify a bunch of specialised skills!

Professional skills are deliberately left vague so that the GM can define how they work for a given campaign setting and profession.

It's not necessarily "rules as written" (RAW), but many GMs allow defaults from professional skills to other skills when performing relevant tasks.

Additionally:

* Professional skills can represent relevant professional experience within a given field necessary to justify traits such as Wealth or Security Clearance. For example, a smart HS or college hacker might have great Computer Programming skills, but he's less likely to get a senior level IT job (and associated Wealth and Administrative Rank) than someone with an equivalent number of points spent in Pro Skill (Computer Systems Administration).

* Professional skills can provide campaign-specific "background" skills for adventurers or help to define NPCs. For example, in a medieval European campaign there will be plenty of people with "artisan" style Professional Skills like Baker, Barber, Charcoal Burner, Cobbler, or Farrier. These folks won't necessarily be great artists with their materials in the same way that someone with Artist or Cooking skill might be, but they're able to make useful goods and perform useful services. Part-time adventurers might need to know such skills.

* With the GM's permission, certain pro skills can be turned into useful adventuring skills, especially when combined with other skills. Examples: Air/Space Traffic Controller, Antiquarian, Bounty Hunter, Firefighter, HVAC Technician, (Electrical or Telecom) Lineman, Mortician, Plumber, Nuclear Reactor Operator, or Stuntman.

* Even seemingly trivial pro skills can occasionally be turned to a character's advantage with a bit of planning and wit and an indulgent GM. Typically, they act as complementary skills to typical adventuring skills, reducing skill penalties or even giving bonuses to perform certain tasks. For example, if you have Pro Skill (Fast Food Worker) and you know that every McBurgerdeath franchise is laid out according to more or less the same plan. That might reduce penalties to Stealth skill if you need to move through a strange restaurant in the dark.

[cptbutton]

Originally Posted by Black Leviathan

Professional skills are the difference between a young man called to adventure from his ordinary life and a serial killer.

I joke but that's the mechanical picture that's painted when you have a character with no mechanical representation of a life outside of climbing into holds, killing folks, and taking their stuff is pretty grim. A setting where you don't know anything that you could do for money would be very strange. Beyond just creating a character that's more well-rounded and realistic in the game world, professional skills often create a character with surprise utility when knowing things about masonry or tile work, or how to recognize and treat the effects of a poison or have an understanding of the artistic style of different battleaxes, or know how to speak ancient languages.

Originally Posted by maximara

Was that a side reference to Team Fortress 2? :-)

Sniper: "Dad? Dad, I'm a- Ye- Not a "crazed gunman", dad, I'm an assassin! ...Well, the difference bein' one is a job and the other's a mental sickness!"

My first thought was Sousuke Sagara from Full Metal Panic!. He has been a soldier since he was eight and has no experience of civilian social life. So of course they assign him to go undercover as an Ordinary High School Student. Hilarity ensues.

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by cptbutton

My first thought was Sousuke Sagara from Full Metal Panic!. He has been a soldier since he was eight and has no experience of civilian social life. So of course they assign him to go undercover as an Ordinary High School Student. Hilarity ensues.

The alternative was the delicate and clumsy (but brilliant) Captain trying to play bodyguard, which would really not have worked. They had a limited number of personnel who could fit in at the school.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

The alternative was the delicate and clumsy (but brilliant) Captain trying to play bodyguard, which would really not have worked. They had a limited number of personnel who could fit in at the school.

Yes, but (a) they set up their cast of characters to create precisely that situation ("If you buy the premise, you buy the bit," as Bill Gresham told Robert Heinlein) and (b) IT'S FUNNY!