A tale of nerd rage in (hopefully only) five parts.Proficiencies (Optional) - Overview and Weapon Specialization
- We're off to a good start.
- The PHB defines a proficiency as "a learned skill that isn't essential to the character's class". It then proceeds to use a ranger as an example, which is the one class that's defined by its ability to track, which is a nonweapon proficiency (NWP).
- "Weapon proficiencies are tournament-level rules." What is this I don't even
- Despite its previous assertion, the number of proficiencies your character knows is entirely dependent on his/her class and level. I'm tired of this double-talk game.
- Something I apparently missed from all the way back to my first update: Intelligence modifies the number of proficiency slots you get at 1st level. It's the "Number of Languages" column; instead of automatically learning extra languages, you instead get extra slots which you can use to purchase those languages.
- The classes have a fairly even NWP slot distribution. Warriors and rogues have the same number of starting NWPs (despite warriors having double the weapon proficiencies), and only have one less than wizards and rogues. Players of later editions may find it funny that rogues have the least initial (at 3) and worst progression of (1 every 4 levels) proficiency slots; this may be due to the fact that rogues already have access to a class-specific, proficiency-like system.
- When fighting with weapons they are not proficient with, warriors get a -2 penalty to attack rolls, rogues and priests -3, and wizards -5. I do not know what happens when a fighter/mage picks up a shillelagh.
- If you want to include instruction and training time into your game, good luck. The book touches on the subject, but doesn't give any guidelines.
- You have to fill out your proficiencies IMMEDIATELY, DO IT OR THEY'RE LOST. They don't have to be so dramatic about it.
- Table 35 is titled "Specialist Attacks Per Round". I assume, based on previous experience, this is the number of attacks a fighter gets per round when using a weapon he's specialized in, as it is an increased rate from what was discussed in the fighter class description. However, the text doesn't call out the table so who knows. Having worked on government documentation, this is a glaring error that I'm sure no one else cares about.
- If you use a weapon that you're not proficient in, but is kinda-sorta like a weapon you are proficient in, you halve your nonproficiency penalty. That's pretty cool. I think this idea later evolves into weapon groups detailed in Player's Option: Skills and Powers.
- Multi-class fighters can't use weapon specialization. That's bullshit.
- A fighter gets a +1 to hit and +2 to damage when he specializes in a melee weapon only omg. Somehow this horribly breaks the system if this bonus applies to bows; however, bows and crossbows get a +2 to hit when used at point blank range (within 30/60 feet, respectively). Also, as a nice hidden rule I never even heard of until now, bow and crossbow specialists can fire a shot at the beginning of an encounter, before initiative is even rolled, if they have an arrow/bolt ready and can see their target. That's pretty badass.
- Now they call out the table, two pages later. I wonder if it's just my PDF copy? I'll have to check my hard copy once I remember where it is.
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