PROFESSIONS AND PROFESSION CREATION

In TWERPS Professions are the fields of training a character has chosen to specialize in, giving the character bonuses within those fields. A Profession can be almost anything, but should focus on a single subject or small range of subjects. A character starts with a single Profession, but may purchase addition by reducing Strength. Each addition Profession costs one (1) Strength (ST). ST may not be reduced below two (2).
A character may choose the same Profession more then once. This has the effect of giving a +1 bonus to any of the fields listed for that Profession. For example, choosing Driver a second time would give the character +2 on vehicular Defense and any driving/maneuver Difficulty Rolls when driving any land vehicle, while choosing Medic a second time would give a +2 to Difficulty Rolls to repair injuries and give medical attention.

A short list of possible Professions follows (these being Generic in nature and probably usable in most modern-day or futuristic campaign settings);

1. ASTROGATOR: +2 to attempts to determine location and plot courses of items and/or vehicles in space.
2. DRIVER: +1 on vehicular Defense when driving any land vehicle and +1 to any driving/maneuver Difficulty Rolls with same.
3. ENGINEER: +1 to attempts to repair and trouble shoot damaged spaceships/ spaceship systems.
4. FLYER: +1 on vehicular Defense when piloting any aircraft, not including spaceships and +1 to any piloting/maneuver Difficulty Rolls with same.
5. GUNNER: +1 ACC with all vehicle mounted weapons.
6. MECHANIC: +2 to Difficulty Rolls to repair and trouble shoot damaged vehicles and mechanical devices.
7. MEDIC: +1 to Difficulty Rolls to repair injuries and give medical attention.
8. NAVIGATOR: +2 to Difficulty Rolls to determine location and plot courses of persons and/or vehicles on a planet.
9. PILOT: +1 on spaceship's Defense when character is at helm and +1 to any piloting/maneuver Difficulty Rolls with same.
10. RESEARCHER: +2 to research and library use Difficulty Rolls.
11. SENSOR OPERATOR: +2 to communicator and sensor Difficulty Rolls.
12. SCIENTIST (type): +2 to all (type) science-related Difficulty Rolls.
13. SCOUT: +2 to all survival and tracking Difficulty Rolls.
14. SPY: +2 to all deception and tailing Difficulty Rolls.
15. SOLDIER: +1 ACC with any personal weapon.
16. TECHNICIAN: +2 to Difficulty Rolls to repair and trouble shoot damaged equipment, not including spaceships or spaceship systems.
17. TRADER: +2 to Difficulty Rolls to buy and sell items/services or evaluate same.

Looking at this list, it's apparent that there are lots of things not covered, such as Miners, Shopkeepers, Farmers, Space Pirates, Computer Hackers, etc. and that a Profession doesn't seem to cover much by itself anyway. Both of these statements are true, BUT...
Professions are easy to make. If there is a Profession that you want (or another player wants) make it up! It's as simple as deciding a name and what bonuses it gives you. The guideline is if the Profession will be only some what useful, it gives a +2 bonus, while very useful Professions only give a +1.
Here are some quick examples;

EXAMPLE 1:
Sally (a player in my CorpsWars Campaign) has decided that her character is a hi-tech personal entertainer (i.e. a call girl/geisha) that was trained in conversion, dressing, dancing, party going and seduction. After a few moments of discussion, I decide the Profession will work as follows:

JOYGIRL: +2 to Difficulty Rolls related to seduction and Difficulty Rolls related to social companionship.

This covers everything that she stated and a few other things as well. Note that the somewhat broad wording of "social companionship" covers everything from proper formal dining (using the right fork, etc.) to ball room or even square dancing. However, the wording also implies that even though Sally's character could fit into almost any social gathering, she would probably look out of place if not on the arm of a man (or woman) that 'belonged' there.

EXAMPLE 2:
Mike wants his character to be an ex-marine 'DropTank' pilot. (a DropTank is a fusion powered ground combat vehicle that is dropped from orbit and lands under it's own power, combat ready). Forgetting about the Marine training (which would either SOLDIER or another created Profession, called MARINE), Mike decides that the DROPTANKER profession should focus on piloting the DropTank and using it's weapons. So again, after a few moments of discussion, I decide the Profession will work as follows:

DROPTANKER: +1 on vehicular Defense when driving/piloting a DropTank, +1 to any driving/maneuver Difficulty Rolls with same and +1 ACC with any DropTank mounted weapons.

Now looking at this skill, you are probably saying something like 'But that combines DRIVER and GUNNER into the same skill! Why wouldn't everybody take DROPTANKER instead!?!' Well calm down and I'll explain.
DROPTANKER only works with DropTanks... If mike's character finds an aircar with a PlasmaCannon bolted on it, he doesn't get his +1 ACC or with spaceship mounted weapons, etc. Also, doesn't get his +1 vehicle Defense unless piloting a DropTank (or something very DropTank-like).