Ok. The professional skills listed in the manual for certain professions (like sword for fighters, close combat or critical strike for samuris); what is the difference that these professions get concerning these professional skills that other professions don't. For example, I can train my fighter in dual weapons but he has no dual weapon professional skill whereas a samuri has a dual weapon professional skill. Does the samuri get a higher point total for this skill? I'm trying to be exclusive of skill bonuses listed under special attributes (like the Lord gets a dual weapons skill bonus). What's the advantage? I seem to be able to train in most categories for most professions.

Each class has one skill for which they receive a 25% bonus. All fighter-types, as well rogues, can learn the dual-weapon skill. However, only Lords get the bonus.

This is not the same as special abilities. The Samurai lightning strike is an ability, exclusive to that class.

So there's a lot of overlap among the classes, but there is always one skill for each that gets a boost.

<center>Nightowl2</center>

I was trying to be separate from the special abilities. In Appendix 2 of the manual where Sirtech describes the professions, they list the special abilities and in the next paragraph they list profession skills. Those skills are not unique to the profession. They are not a part of the special skill bonus. Almost all can learn them. Do those professions that have them listed in their profession skills get any type of bonus or is that just a for your info you might want to level these skills up first? If there is no bonus for those skills then why did they list them separate?

Nightowl has already said that the bonus for professional skills is 25%. For example, Lords get a 25% bonus on dual-weapons, Samurais get the bonus on swords (I think), Monks get the bonus on martial arts, etc.

I realize the special abilities of the professions give each one a skill bonus. But the book also has a separate category for profession skills. For example: A Valkyrie has the special abilities of cheat death and polearms skill bonus. Below this, the book lists the profession skills as polearm, close combat, mythology, and axe. What's so special about close combat, mythology, and axe? The book then lists the required attributes and spellbooks.

No, he's asking about the skills listed for a character that are professional skills that don't have a bonus (that would be a special ability, not a profesional skill).

So far as I know all it means is that at level one, the character will start with a few points in that skill already. So for example, while both a fighter and samurai can dual, a samurai at level one will already have 5 points or so in the skill while the fighter starts with zero, but can develop it/has access to it.

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Tasmin:
I realize the special abilities of the professions give each one a skill bonus. But the book also has a separate category for profession skills. For example: A Valkyrie has the special abilities of cheat death and polearms skill bonus. Below this, the book lists the profession skills as polearm, close combat, mythology, and axe. What's so special about close combat, mythology, and axe? The book then lists the required attributes and spellbooks.<hr></blockquote>

Ah, I get you now, sorry for misunderstanding. And I think Gimli's answer is the correct one.

Good catch, Gimli, I'd forgotten about that one. You're absolutely correct. The professional skills are the ones that receive points automatically at generation time. How many points depends on how high the controlling stats are. Then you put the free points where you want.

Sorry I misunderstood you there, Tasmin.

<center>Nightowl2</center>

Thanks guys. A lot of writing in the book for a few startup points. But my Rogue is already getting use out of dual weapons early.