Cross training skill selections

[JuliusCreed]

Let's face it... unless you're a really serious role player, chances are your characters don't really have a lot of certain skills such as Domestic, Wilderness or even most Scholar/Technical... and even if they do, they are most often relegated to the occasional down-time uses rather than having any serious applications in the campaign you're playing. Not that this is a bad thing... I mean, what character is really worried about whether or not they can cook a decent meal or agonizing over how well they can sing a song when he or she is hip deep in combat with the bad guys, right? Thus, it seems that more often than not the humble Domestic skills are often passed over for more exciting choices of education.

Well, this particular thread is dedicated to giving these oft overlooked skills a much needed boost to make them more relevant to a character's needs in whatever world they happen to be adventuring in. As always these are optional rules/modifications that can be implemented or ignored as you all see fit, and I of course welcome any suggestions or additions that you may have used yourselves in your own campaigns. Fair warning, though; the only book I have immediately available is 2nd ed. PFRPG and my time is fairly limited so this post is going to be relatively short, but rest assured more will be added as I come up with them. Enjoy!

Domestic Skills (Expanded)

Cook: As noted in canon "Skill in selecting, planning and preparing meals...". However, having a certified chef for a wife has taught me that the ability to do that is just the tip of the iceberg in what a cooking skill actually entails. Truly professional cooks are masters of the senses of smell and taste, being able to identify the ingredients of most meals by taste and scent, up to and including the oils, herbs and spices used to season the meal. Having such a refined palette can be extremely useful in certain shadier circles (ie. thieves and assassins) where the goal is to administer a poison to one's target, not to mention how invaluable it could be to have such sensitive senses when attempting to detect said poison as well. Thus, taking the Cook skill as an OCC skill would grant the character a +5% bonus to the Use/Identify Poison Rogue skill. The Use/Identify Poison skill would also gain a +10% bonus to Use Poison IF the poison is administered in the target's food with a successful Cook skill.

Dance: Anyone who has ever gone out for a night of clubbing has hit the dance floor at least once in their lives. And anyone that has shaken their groove thang knows that it is a physically demanding exercise. So much so that there are multitudes of late night infomercials on the latest weight loss craze... that's right, DANCING! Well now, the Palladium Domestic Skill of Dance can allow your character to reap the benefits of this fitness sensation. Dance can now be available as both a Domestic OR Physical skill with the following benefits:
+1 to PS
+1 to PP
+1 to PE
+1d6 to SDC
+2 to Roll with Punch/Fall/Impact
Dance also gives a 5% bonus to Gymnastics and Acrobatics skills (Sense of Balance, Back Flip, etc.). Characters who have the Gymnastics OR Acrobatics skill will also get an additional 10% bonus to Dance. Characters with BOTH Gymnastics and Acrobatics get a +15% bonus to Dance.

Fishing: I got nothing for this one.... at least nothing yet... open for suggestions while I work something out.

Play Musical Instrument: Same as Fishing... I'm working on it though.

Sew: Nothing yet here either, though a possible small bonus to Medical skills if you have to stitch someone up? I dunno... suggestions anyone?

Sing: Years back I dated a semi-professional singer... her vocal range was incredible and I was rather amazed at how articulate she was, not to mention the control she had of her voice. The only real problem she had with her voice was just how deep set her Southern accent was... she always had that country sound no matter what it was she was singing. However, barring that kind of thing, having that kind of voice range lends itself perfectly to the skill of Imitate Voices/Impersonation, granting a hefty +10% bonus to that skill if one selects Sing as well, or vice versa.

That's all I got for now. More to follow as it comes to me. Until then, please feel free to comment, make suggestions or add your own.
Good luck and great gaming!

[Natasha]

We tend to use them for fun and cues. I have seen some some groups use them more seriously like to calm cultural clashes and such.

[The Oh So Amazing Nate]

I'm so excited to see you active again that I can't focus on the subject at hand. Seriously, JC you're one of my top 5 favorite posters.

I'll give it some thought though and get back to you.

The first half formed idea I have is that somehow Fishing relates to WP Targeting and/or WP Whip, detect concealment (the part about recognizing hidden structures, places of ambush.) A skilled fisherman can put their lure exactly where they want it with pinpoint accuracy repeatedly. Knowing the types of cover your particular fishy quarry prefers would aid in spotting similar structures above ground (or vice versa).

[RainbowDevil]

Actually, our gaming group uses a lot of domestic skills. After the Bomb is good that way - the domestic skills somehow seem more useful, plus some of the skills from other areas have been moved to domestic.

I think there should be a distinction between domestic skills chosen as secondary skills and those chosen as OCC skills. As you said, your wife is a *chef*, so she's honed her skills to a far greater level than any old sod who picks up a frying pan. So, I think those bonus abilities should only apply if you take them as OCC skills (or whatever Palladium Fantasy uses), not secondary.

How about if some of the skills give bonuses to MA or PB? Those attributes are so often unused, especially since not many things can improve them. If PB is also a measure of someone's grace, then it makes sense that dancing could add 1 to PB. Perhaps singing could add 1 to MA, since it makes your voice more melodic and pleasant to listen to. Fishing could add 1 to MA to reflect a more patient person. Sew could add 1 to PB to reflect someone who takes better care of their clothes and appearance. Again, though, none of these bonuses would apply to secondary skills.

RD

[Razzinold]

Maybe playing musical instrument could give bonuses to seduction skill, or maybe some kind of calming effect in general ?
Like the saying goes "music soothes even the most savage of beasts", or something like that, please even regular people have their moods affected by music. They could use it to pump up a crowd, mellow them out, cause sadness.

[tobefrnk]

Musical could be extrapolated to pattern recognition. Could help with things like language, or cryptography.

[RainbowDevil]

Perhaps music could give you a bonus to perception, due to the above pattern recognition?

[ShadowLogan]

Dance:
I'd also give them a bonus to dodge based on skill level (akin to perception rules), but only on a successful check. This gives the doge a certain flare to the action

Sing & Play Musical Instrument:
-give them Literacy: Musical Score.
-as a form of sonic attack (you know those people who can't carry a tune that sound just awful) that distracts, but one that can also break stuff (like glass)

Fishing:
-bonus to trap construction that uses lures or string

[RockJock]

I agree with the trap construction on fishing. Maybe a skill bonus to Wilderness Survival, or going with cook to give a preserve food bonus to limited foods(fish)?

[Nightmask]

Dance:
I'd also give them a bonus to dodge based on skill level (akin to perception rules), but only on a successful check. This gives the doge a certain flare to the action

Sing & Play Musical Instrument:
-give them Literacy: Musical Score.
-as a form of sonic attack (you know those people who can't carry a tune that sound just awful) that distracts, but one that can also break stuff (like glass)

Fishing:
-bonus to trap construction that uses lures or string

Singing and Playing Musical Instruments don't actually require the ability to read/write music though, having everyone with those proficiencies being able to read or write sheet music is a bit much (although I've no idea what percentage can, although it's likely higher today since it's generally a requirement of scholastic training unlike earlier eras).

[RainbowDevil]

I tend to use fishing as basically a "wilderness survival" skill when it comes to coastal areas.