Professional Abilities

Has anyone else noticed how lame some professional abilities seem to be?
For example, in the Starfleet Operations Manual there's an ability that gives a Security Officer a +2 to their System Operation (Tactical) role when using a particular ship's weapon (phaser, torpedo, etc.). At first I thought that was pretty cool, then I thought about it a little bit:

• Professional Abilities cost 3 picks each.
• For 2 picks, a player in that profession could increase their System Operation skill by +2
• For 2 picks, a player could also buy the Skill Focus edge for 2 picks and get +4 to all their System Operation (Tactical) roles.

Why would anyone spend 3 picks on something so limited? Enlighten me, please. :confused:

I think its more of a roleplaying thing. instead of thinking about the best way to optimize the character by taking the 2 picks, it allows for some background. Such as after a huge firefight the commander tells the character how good he is with the phasers.

Well that is an easy question to answer !

Style issues asside - Your skill levels can be a maximum 12. Ok so yeah you can get your skill up to an effective 12+2+4 - not that is probably more than enough for anyone BUT then what if you want more, what if you want to make an officer who is better than than that !

That's the point with having things like professional abilities is it allows you to do things people who aren't in your profession can do!! You are also slightly missing the point that many of these abilities are requisites for even better one's which give you things NO ONE else can have through any means!

It's no different than in D&D where feats can give you bonuses to skills, enabling you to be better at them than your maximum ranks.

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Originally posted by Tobian
Well that is an easy question to answer !

Style issues asside - Your skill levels can be a maximum 12.

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Where is the rule that says you can't go past 12 and on that rule does anyone know if the rules state you can't go past +6 at character creation? What if your bonuses simply take you past +6 at character creation is that permitted?

You aren't allowed to have more than 6 skill picks in any one skill at character creation and you aren't allowed to have anything past 12 - much as you can't by your status past 12 (unless you have a natural modifyer - hence Vulcans and Klingons can and will be stronger usually)

If you have ability modifiers, professional ability modifyers, specialities or advantages which alter it, they are irrelevant, so yes it is quite possible to have alot more than a +6 if you spend your points in all the right places (usually hard, but then you do get loads of points to spend on cultures / languages etc)

i will have to look it up but I am fairly certain it is max 12.

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Originally posted by vecna35
Where is the rule that says you can't go past 12 and on that rule does anyone know if the rules state you can't go past +6 at character creation? What if your bonuses simply take you past +6 at character creation is that permitted?

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Attributes: Player's Guide p. 78. "Your maximum level in any attribute is 12 plus your species bonuses where applicaple"
Skills (max of 12): Player's Guide, page 98. "Skill levels range from 0 to 12..."
Skills (max of 6 during character creation): Player's Guide p. 85 "The maxmimum number of skill levels a character can begin the game with is 6." (and yes, it bold in the book, too.)

For skills, this applies to the skill levels only. Any modifiers from Attributes, edges, professional abilties, specialties, circumstances, what have you can increase the total test modifier to more than 12.

So to sum it up, the reasons for those particular professional abilities is 3-fold:

1. To allow you more options for customising your PC and making them unique.

2. To soak up advancement picks while trying to qualify for higher-tier abilities.

3. To push your PC's test modifier just a wee bit higher after you've maxed everything else out.

By Jove, I think he's got it! :D

So...in translation, unless you've been playing the character for years...there's no point what-so-ever! :p

Sadly, several of the Professional Abilities and Traits desperately need fixing (Skill Focus especially among the Edges). The majority of PAs are actually quite handy if you want to create a character who can accomplish all those miraculous last-minute feats which save the day. Scotty getting warp power or phasers back online in mere minutes (the Miracle Worker PA) comes to mind. I know I love PAs, but then I tend to build rather iconic characters.