Professions

Introduction

A profession is a package of skills, conditions, and equipment that are available for purchase with HP. Professions are essentially what some games systems call classes. Your character need not be part of a profession to play this game. The advantage of professions is that skills that are not otherwise available may be learned, and skills and conditions are gained more quickly than otherwise. All professions are centered around the idea of a term, this is an abstract measure used to assign what you gain for some time spent in the profession.

The first steps in developing a profession are to decide on its name and its basic idea. Then you get down to the meat of choosing the skills, conditions, and equipment available. The last step is calculating the cost in HP for a term in the profession.

The Idea of a Profession

The first question to ask is, "What is the purpose of the profession within the context of the game world?" Then, "What is the story behind it?" To the people in the game world it is more than just a collection of skills and equipment that you pay for in HP. There must be a reason for its existence.

Then you need a name for the profession. Warrior is a fine name, but I suspect that it will become difficult to tell the different types of warriors apart. Think about how things are today; people from the military can say, "I am a soldier," or they can say, "I was a paratrooper, or a Navy SEAL, or a Marine, etc."

What are the requirements for getting into the profession? Is it open to everyone? Does it require specific physical standards? Do you have to pass a test to get in?

What does the profession do, in specific? Does the profession grant benefits for higher terms in service? Does the profession provide for specializations? Are there detriments that are acquired for entering or for gaining a certain number of terms?

By answering these questions you will have a lot of information by the time you sit down to figure out the game details.

Now that you have some ideas about what you want for your profession, it is time to sit down and create the game details. The first task is to write the profession name and a brief description so that you do not have to tell people what it is all the time. Then you must decide what skills or conditions people get upon entering the profession. They will also get these for gaining new terms in the profession.

Now determine what equipment seems to go along with the skills or conditions they have. It is possible to require people to purchase or otherwise acquire their own equipment, but some should be provided.

What is their pay? How do they get paid and how often?

How much time does it take to be trained at each stage in the profession?

If they get benefits for later terms, what are they and when are they available? Are there any prerequisites for these benefits other than terms? What are they? Are some benefits optional? How much do they cost? What do you need to do to get them?

What specializations are there? What do you need to do to get them? What benefits are there for getting them?

What detriments are there for joining the profession, if any? How are they acquired? Can they be gotten rid of? If so, how?

The Cost of a Profession

How do you determine the cost of a profession? You work through the list of modifiers below. All professions begin with a base cost of 1 and they can never have a cost of less than 1

1. Determine the skills or conditions received by every member of the profession upon completion of their initial training. Every basic skill costs ½ HP, every difficult skill costs 1 HP, every extreme skill costs 2 HP, and every attribute increase costs 10 HP; magical, psychic, and religious powers are double the normal cost. All fractions are rounded up.
2. Determine what skills or conditions are received for every additional term of service after initial training. The costs are the same as above. Skills that can be purchased separately are not considered in the cost of the profession.
3. The daily salary, in standard monetary units (as determined by the GM), is added as HP.
4. Every ten mundane items count as 1 HP.
5. Every psychic or magical item counts as 2 HP for each basic effect, 4 HP for each difficult effect, and 6 HP for each extreme effect.
6. Detriments are subtracted from the cost at the rate for skills or powers. No profession may ever cost less than 1 HP per term.
7. If there are requirements that are similar to preadventures, then the HP cost is reduced by the cost of the preadventure.
8. If there are a number of required terms in the profession required prior to the new level, then that number reduces the cost.

Examples of a Profession: The Borigonian Warrior

What is the purpose?

The Borigon Warrior is trained as a defender of the people, and an instrument of national policy.

What is the story behind the warrior?

All Warriors enter service with a basic training jutre of 118 troops split into a headquarters tre of 10 troops and three kutre of thirty six troops (three tre of ten and a headquarters of six).

Who can become a warrior?

Anyone who is willing to submit to the three-year minimum service agreement.

What are some details?

The profession develops professional soldiers for time of war. There are numerous benefits in pay increases, and other aspects, as you gain higher terms of service. The profession has numerous specializations. The Borigon Warrior is trained as a defender of the people, and an instrument of national policy.

For further details see the Warrior.

Examples of a Profession: The Borigonian Shaman

What is the purpose?

These are the mystics of Borigon.

What is the story behind the warrior?

Intimately connected to the spirits of the land, they act as spiritual guides to the people and protectors from the many magical and spiritual dangers that lurk in the dark places.

Who can become a warrior?

Anyone who is willing to dedicate the rest of their lives to serving the people.

What are some details?

The profession develops mystics of amazing power, though such power is not immediate. There are numerous trials and benefits as you gain higher terms of service. The profession has no real specializations.

For further details see the Shaman.

To return to the Borigon home page.