# Soda's professions
**URL:** https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/sodas-professions/907
**Category:** The Lab
**Created:** [April 19, 2013, 9:27pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/sodas-professions/907 "2013-04-19T21:27:55Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@sodapop](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/sodapop)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2013, 9:27pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/sodas-professions/907/1 "2013-04-19T21:27:55Z")
Want to get some professions added? Here’s a few I’ve made, already formatted and ready to plug in to your professions file.
[size=12pt]How to install[/size]
Pop open your Cataclysm directory
Cata \> Data \> Raw
Open up professions.json
Copy and paste the ones you like.
```auto
```
The lumberjack. Starts well equipped for cold weather, with the rare Wood Axe in hand as a powerful tool and weapon. There is no flannel shirt clothing yet, so I gave him a ‘Canadian tuxedo’ instead.
```auto
```
The hunter. The only camouflage clothing seems like it would be the army pants, which are a lot to start out with in addition to a single shot shotgun and stack of shells, so this one has khaki pants and a hunting (okay, Utility) vest.
More to come sooner or later, and I’d love to hear some feedback in terms of how to balance these. I feel like 2 or 3 points is good for starting with such good, and potentially rare gear, but having other people’s opinions would be great.
---
### Author:  [@Williham](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Williham)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2013, 9:36pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/sodas-professions/907/2 "2013-04-19T21:36:01Z")
The hunter should either have birdshot (rather than 00 shot) or be upped to 3 points; and while Army pants are a bit much, cargo pants would be fine.
The lumberjack is good as is.
The reason it’s crashing your game is because you’ve called the first term “indent”; it should be “ident”.
---
### Author:  [@sodapop](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/sodapop)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2013, 12:24am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/sodas-professions/907/3 "2013-04-20T00:24:36Z")
Ha! Thank you.
I had considered birdshot, but that’s intensely useless, so I gave the crappiest gun I could think of instead. Editing that now with a boost to 3 points and see if that’s not too expensive.
---
### Author:  [@Soron](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Soron)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2013, 5:24am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/sodas-professions/907/4 "2013-04-20T05:24:59Z")
Ah, yeah, the profession code’s JSON loading in 0.4 didn’t do too much error-checking. I’ve since made it easier to do JSON error checking, so it should now give you an actual error message, rather than just crashing on you.
---
### Author:  [@Misha](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Misha)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2013, 2:33pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/sodas-professions/907/5 "2013-04-20T14:33:29Z")
Speaking of crashing, I tried to make my own profession, and it crashes every time I get to the end of character creation. Anybody care to tell me what I’m doing wrong?
screenshot of the crash message: 
`{
"ident": "soldier",
"name": "Soldier",
"description":
"You were in the army before the cataclysm happened.\nYour skills will be invaluable in this new world.",
"points": 2,
"items": ["boots", "tshirt", "army_pants", "jacket_leather", "holster"]
}`
---
### Author:  [@Williham](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Williham)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2013, 4:42pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/sodas-professions/907/6 "2013-04-20T16:42:54Z")
It’s “pants\_army”, not “army\_pants”
---
### Author:  [@Misha](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Misha)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2013, 4:45pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/sodas-professions/907/7 "2013-04-20T16:45:52Z")
> [@Williham](#):
>
> It’s “pants\_army”, not “army\_pants”
Now I feel stupid.
Thanks for telling me.
---
### Author:  [@harrypsp](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/harrypsp)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2013, 12:23pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/sodas-professions/907/8 "2013-04-21T12:23:47Z")
Can some one help me with this please its to deal with crashes
[code]
{ “ident”: “soldier”, “name”: “Soldier”, “description”:“You always knew you would need your uniform again.”, “points”: 3, “items”: [“tshirt”, “pants\_army”, “army\_helmet”, “military\_rucksack”, “holster”, “mask\_gas”, “gloves\_fingerless”, “vest\_kevlar”, “belt\_rig”, “knife\_combat”, “boots”] },[/code]
---
### Author:  [@Soron](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Soron)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2013, 8:44pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/sodas-professions/907/9 "2013-04-21T20:44:12Z")
Ah, looks like you’re using the wrong item identifiers in some places. You can check the proper identifiers in itypedef.cpp (available [here](https://github.com/TheDarklingWolf/Cataclysm-DDA/blob/master/itypedef.cpp) if you don’t have a source version, although that is the dev version, so might not match yours exactly).
Army helmet should be “helmet\_army”, military rucksack should be “rucksack”, kevlar vest should be “kevlar”, belt rig is “beltrig” (as it is with the mechanic).
---
### Author:  [@detahramet](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/detahramet)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2013, 12:06am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/sodas-professions/907/10 "2013-04-23T00:06:42Z")
[code][
{
“ident”: “unemployed”,
“name”: “Unemployed”,
“description”:
“They say you don’t have any ‘useful skills’, but at least your clothes fit\nwell.”,
“points”: 0,
“items”: [“jeans”, “tshirt”, “sneakers”]
},
{
“ident”: “labtech”,
“name”: “Lab Technician”,
“description”:
“It was your first day in the lab when the cataclysm hit. You were evacuated\nwith all the civilians, but at least you kept your lab gear.”,
“points”: 1,
“items”: [“dress\_shirt”, “pants”, “boots”, “coat\_lab”, “gloves\_rubber”, “glasses\_safety”]
},
{
“ident”: “mechanic”,
“name”: “Wannabe Mechanic”,
“description”:
“Although you never got your driver’s license, you’ve always loved cars.\nYou start with a wrench, a toolbelt, and some car-related reading material.”,
“points”: 2,
“items”: [“tank\_top”, “jeans”, “beltrig”, “wrench”, “mag\_cars”, “manual\_mechanics”]
},
{
“ident”: “smoker”,
“name”: “Chain Smoker”,
“description”:
“Everyone at work knew you as the person who always had a cigarette or two\nin hand. Now, you’re down to a single pack, and you hope you find more soon.\nYou start out with a strong nicotine addiction, and 10 cigarettes.”,
“points”: -1,
“items”: [“pants”, “dress\_shirt”, “dress\_shoes”, “cig”]
}
{
“ident”: “clone”,
“name”: “Clone”,
“description”:
“You awoke in the lab, cold and alone.\nYou have nothing, not even clothes.\n Try to escape.”,
“points”: -1,
“items”: [],
}
][/code]
The clone profession isnt showing up at all.
What am i failing at?
---
### Author:  [@Soron](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Soron)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2013, 12:10am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/sodas-professions/907/11 "2013-04-23T00:10:05Z")
The closing “}” for chain smoker needs a comma after it for that clone profession to show up.
---
### Author:  [@detahramet](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/detahramet)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2013, 12:14am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/sodas-professions/907/12 "2013-04-23T00:14:30Z")
Well im a fucking idiot.
---
### Author:  [@Mrnocamera](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Mrnocamera)
#### Post date: [April 24, 2013, 7:52pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/sodas-professions/907/13 "2013-04-24T19:52:37Z")
I can’t even use any professions, it just comes up with a error message and refuses to open.
---
### Author:  [@Soron](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Soron)
#### Post date: [April 24, 2013, 10:26pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/sodas-professions/907/14 "2013-04-24T22:26:46Z")
If you’re upgrading from 0.3 to 0.4 (which is the only way I can think of to not have any professions), you need to delete your save folder.
---
### Author:  [@Mrnocamera](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Mrnocamera)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2013, 12:41pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/sodas-professions/907/15 "2013-04-25T12:41:58Z")
I did the first time it came up with a error message. turns out it was a waste of a month-old character.
---
### Author:  [@Mrnocamera](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Mrnocamera)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2013, 5:42pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/sodas-professions/907/16 "2013-04-25T17:42:10Z")
Okay, I got it to work, but the extra professions are not showing up.
---
### Author:  [@Nopkar](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Nopkar)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2013, 9:17am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/sodas-professions/907/17 "2013-04-26T09:17:29Z")
I’ve been thinking of one profession in particular and have been role playing it in game after I have the equipment
Ex-Mercenary: a short time in the military gave you most of the skills you needed to get by, but the pay just didn’t work. A friend turned you on to the private sector of the military, the mercenary trade. A decade spent in war zones all over the world has served to hone your skills and talents, now your true test awaits.
Starts with: Belt rig, cargo pants, boots, t-shirt, ball cap, a 9mm pistol of some kind and 30 rounds of ammunition.
4-5 points.
I play a character with this exact characteristics (a .45 instead of a 9mm, but for a starter a 9mm is pretty good) and I take martial arts and use the debug (only time used) to get krav maga and use that or a combat knife in CQB.
would that profession be balanced? I figured it’s a nice alternative to the ‘Soldier’ one everyone seems to want
---
### Author:  [@detahramet](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/detahramet)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2013, 4:23am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/sodas-professions/907/18 "2013-04-27T04:23:12Z")
Given how powerful that build is, perhaps a cost 8 - 10 points might be a tad bit more balanced.
You’ve got basically everything you need to survive right off the bat, perhaps a plastic canteen might be included as well.
---
### Author:  [@Nopkar](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Nopkar)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2013, 5:29am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/sodas-professions/907/19 "2013-05-01T05:29:43Z")
well, depending on if you take starting skills you’re going to be rubbish with that pistol. a Very last resort item. also you have no knife, no matches and only a very small amount of storage.
The boots also hinder you more so by encumbering your feet, making you slower.
If skills are added to the profession to start then yeah, cost increases as skills are added. I enjoy the theme of this character, even if it is inefficient at times (Gas mask, kevlar, hard arm guards = terrible ranged accuracy but it’s SO cool!!!)
---
### Author:  [@Austupaio](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Austupaio)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2013, 8:44am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/sodas-professions/907/20 "2013-05-04T08:44:43Z")
Plus if you try to use that pistol on Dynamic you’re biting off more than you can chew.
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