Adventuring Professions in D&D 4e
Of Introductions and Explanations
Fair greetings to you all…
As the Editor-in-Chief is indisposed this day, it falls to me, Quillian Valendiel, to expand your knowledge, and to expound upon the esoteric secrets and lost lore of the realms and worlds beyond your own. The Editor has assured me, between much sniffling and near consumptive wheezing, that his affliction has absolutely nothing to do with swine or pigs of any sort (as if that matters to me?), and that he will be right ready on the morrow to scribe his next treatise.
As I have been informed by the Editor that his readers may wish to know more about the customs and habits of Heroic Folk, I thought it might be of interest to discuss the diverse Professional Arts which are common to those who call themselves Adventurers!
The Diverse Professions of Far-away Realms
There are a myriad of ways that one may earn their daily copper pence (or even silver shillings) in order to support oneself and one’s family. But most of these labours are ill-suited to either the temperament or disposition of most heroes and adventurers. I, myself, can personally attest to this sort of misbehavior, having just recently borne witness to what transpired on one dark and foggy night -
A few evenings ago, a merchant beheld what he thought was a link-boy, carrying a lantern through the benighted streets, and threw a few copper pence at the boy’s head, demanding to be lead back to his estate. The link-boy was, in truth, none other than Calira the Sly, a Halfling cutpurse, of whom I have the dubious honour to be acquainted. Despite the fact that she had been offered fair wage for the most simple task of illuminating the merchant’s path homeward, she instead took great pains to relieve the merchant of the remainder of his coin, all of his clothing, and any shred of dignity he might have once possessed. Admittedly, Calira did light the merchant’s path back to his estate in the end – chasing his ill-clad self through the cobblestone streets all the way back to his door – at dagger-point!
And in almost every instance one can imagine, heroic adventurers will reap greater wealth by bounding off into unforeseen peril, and slaying hapless foes for their treasure, than they could earn in a century of cobbling boots, binding books, or engaging in enlightened fishmongery. So it is agreed then, that some labours and tasks are simply not well-suited to be assigned to heroic adventurers – doubtless of great comfort to hard-working link-boys, bootmakers, bookbinders, and fishmongers everywhere!
But yet, there are still some diverse professions which can be of great benefit to heroes and adventurers alike, and can actually assist them in prevailing over the perils, among which, they so often find themselves thrust. And so then, submitted for your enlightened entertainment, I present to you, these Feats of Professional Adventuring!
Editors Note: Our guest author, Quillian the Sage, has left what he called “the dull bits” to be completed by me, and has returned to the Feywild. Hopefully, we can entice him to return one day to write for us again sometime.
Profession Feats
- Profession: Apothecary
A student of herbal healing and medicinal remedies, you can speed the recovery of wounds.Pre-requisites: Trained in Arcana [or Religion], Healing, and Nature skills
Benefit: +2 HP recovered per Healing Surge during a short rest by using herbal remedies foraged during your travels
At 11th Level, this benefit increases to +4. At 21st level, it increases to +6. - Profession: Astrologer
Your knowledge of magic, the Gods, and the movements of the stars all combine to give you insight of your future.Pre-requisites: Trained in Arcana, History, and Religion skills
Benefit: Gain Second Chance (Halfling Racial power) as a Daily Power - Profession: Courtier
You have developed courtly manners, and always make the best impression on those around you.Pre-requisites: Trained in Diplomacy, History, and Insight skills
Benefit: If you fail a Diplomacy, History, or Insight skill roll during a Skill Challenge, you may make a second roll and ignore the failed attempt. - Profession: Ecclesiast
Regardless of the complexity of the Ritual, your incantations are precise and your gestures perfect.Pre-requisites: Trained in Diplomacy, History, and Religion skills
Benefit: +2 to Ritual success rolls
At 11th Level, this benefit increases to +3. At 21st level, it increases to +4. - Profession: Huntsman
No matter where you are, you can find food and water necessary for survival.Pre-requisites: Trained in Dungeoneering, Nature, and Perception skills
Benefit: +5 to Skill rolls when foraging - Profession: Mercenary
A cold stare from you is like a threat, and you can back that threat up anytime, anywhere.Pre-requisites: Trained in Athletics, Intimidate, and Streetwise skills
Benefit: You can increase your (personal) share of any monetary reward for completing an adventure by 25% with a successful Intimidate Skill Roll. Difficulty DC = Moderate for Adventure Level (see DMG for Difficulty Class by Level). - Profession: Peddler
Trading is in your blood, and you excel at the Art of the Deal.Pre-requisites: Trained in Bluff or Diplomacy, Insight, and Streetwise skills
Benefit: Allowed a Bluff or Diplomacy Skill Check to Buy items at 10% discount, or Sell items for 10% more than would normally be allowed. Difficulty DC = 15 + Level of Item - Profession: Scholar
Your studious nature has given you a vast knowledge of lore and surprising insights.Pre-requisites: Trained in any three of – Arcana, Dungeoneering, History, Nature, or Religion
Benefit: You learn a new language. Special: If you fail any Arcana, Dungeoneering, History, Nature, or Religion skill roll during a Skill Challenge, you may make a second roll and ignore the failed attempt. - Profession: Spy
You are the master of deception, and can know where to go to get the information you need.Pre-requisites: Trained in Insight, Stealth, and Perception skills
Benefit: +2 to Streetwise
Special: (Daily) If you fail your Bluff Check to cause a distraction as a diversion to hide, you can take a second roll to try and succeed. - Profession: Troubador
With wit and charm, you entertain the crowd with wonderful stories and feats of sleight of hand.Pre-requisites: Trained in History, Steetwise, and Thievery skills
Benefit: Gain a 20% discount on food and lodging if you spend at least 1 hour entertaining the host and his guests.
Special: (Daily) You can restart any Skill Challenge for you or your companions, where interacting with others is involved, as long as you do so before you reach a failure. (Example: you can restart a Skill challenge in which you are interacting with a nobleman to get him to release his hostages, but you cannot restart a Skill Challenge that involves being lost in the desert.)
About The Author
Very cool! I’m gonna pass these around the table to my players tonight!
What great ideas. I can think of a few more that would be useful to players. These are a great starting place for people to launch from. Thanks!
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(Daily) You can restart any Skill Challenge for you or your companions, where interacting with others is involved, as long as you do so before you reach a failure. (Example: you can restart a Skill challenge in which you are interacting with a nobleman to get him to release his hostages, but you cannot restart a Skill Challenge that involves being lost in the desert.)
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Why would you ever want to restart a skill challenge before you have reached a failure? All you would be doing is throwing away successes.
(Oh wait, do you mean “reach a failure” as in failure for the whole challenge, rather than failure on any one skill check?)
Yes – my intention was that if your Skill Challenge is tanking, and you’re say one failure away from complete loss, to be able to have a “do-over” and restart the Challenge would be quite handy I think!