Character Professions
Adventuring is a risky, difficult, and dangerous job. Any good adventurer picks up a few extra skills along their travels. Without some extra competence, the wilderness would be a much deadlier place. These extra skills are deemed "Professions" and are utilized to aid in survival. Professions are useful ways for adventurers to survive, strive, and thrive in both the wilderness and society.
Mechanics of Professions
Professions are the set of skills associated with doing a specific activity. For example, a fisherman may set up some bait and tackle, cast a line, and try to catch a meal for the night. Any adventurer can train any of the Gathering professions. A Production Profession, on the other hand, requires more specialized training. You may choose to train 1 Production Profession from the Production Professions table, provided you have met all the prerequisites for that profession. An adventurer can change the Production Profession they know when they gain a character level. Doing so does not reduce the level or XP a player gained in their previous profession, and if they were to switch back to it later, they would continue from where they left off.
Professions are skills that can be leveled up. They level up separately from your character or class levels. Each profession can reach a maximum of level 5. However, a 5th level profession is a difficult feat to achieve. Those who have obtained level 5 in a profession are legendary adventurers who have mastered their art.
Training a Profession
To train a profession, you must use it. Each time you use a profession, it will give you XP. Once you have obtained enough XP, you gain a level, and your XP returns to 0. Overcapping the XP required does not carry over into XP for the next level. Each profession will explain how to gain XP in its own section. You may choose to train 1 Gathering profession per long rest.
Using a profession typically involves making a skill check. This skill check is made like normal, with any modifiers you may have still taking effect. Spells and other features that may bolster your skill check also still apply if used. Rolling a natural 1 does count as a critical failure, however rolling a natural 20 does not necessarily mean a success or critical success.
A profession may require the use of different tools or items to train. If a profession lists an artisan's tool or a weapon in its requirements, the character must be proficient in that item to train the profession well. If they are not proficient in that item, then all skill checks associated with the profession are made at disadvantage. Some tools or items can be found in the 5th edition Player's Handbook and the page will be cited. Any tools or items not found in the Player's Handbook will be described here.
XP Required to Level a Profession
| Level |
Title |
XP Required |
| 1 |
Novice |
0 |
| 2 |
Apprentice |
10 |
| 3 |
Expert |
30 |
| 4 |
Master |
60 |
| 5 |
Legendary |
100 |
Gathering Professions
| Profession |
Prerequisites |
Type |
Actions/Day |
| Fishing |
12 STR or 12 WIS |
Gathering |
2 |
| Foraging |
12 INT or 12 WIS |
Gathering |
2 |
| Hunting |
12 DEX or 12 WIS |
Gathering |
2 |
| Mining |
14 STR |
Gathering |
1 |
| Woodcutting |
14 CON |
Gathering |
1 |
Production Professions
| Profession |
Prerequisites |
Type |
Actions/Day |
| Alchemy |
12 INT or 12 WIS |
Production |
1 (2) |
| Crafting |
12 CON or 12 DEX |
Production |
1 |
| Cooking |
14 DEX |
Production |
2 |
| Smithing |
10 CON and 10 STR |
Production |
1 |
Other Possible Professions
| Profession |
Prerequisites |
Type |
Actions/Day |
| Construction |
10 DEX and 10 STR |
Production |
1 |
| Jewel Crafting |
12 CON or 12 DEX |
Production |
1 |
| Enchanting |
14 INT |
Production |
1 |
| Tailoring |
12 CHA or 12 DEX |
Production |
1 |
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