Moonstar
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The potential rewards of adventuring in
and through the wilderness are
great - and equally great are the potential
problems
and hazards that will be encountered and
must be avoided or
overcome if a group of characters is to
survive and benefit from a
sojourn in the wild.
Of course, the best way to avoid or overcome
problems and
hazards is to be prepared to deal with
them - and that’s where
wilderness proficiencies come into play.
Described in this section
is a system for handling the concept of
wilderness proficiencies,
followed by definitions of what these
various skills allow a character
to accomplish.
The system is essentially the same as that
described in DSG for handling nonweapon proficiencies.
A character is entitled to possess a certain
number of proficiencies,
depending on his class and level. Some
of these are
weapon proficiencies - “slots” that can
be filled by skill with a
certain weapon. The others are nonweapon
proficiencies - slots
that can be filled with the skills described
in DSG, or the skills described herein, or any combination of
skills from both sources.
Readers who are familiar with DSG
will notice that some of the
proficiencies described here have the
same names as some of
the adventuring proficiencies outlined
in that other book, and in
many of these cases (such as fire-building
and land-based riding)
the definitions given here are essentially
the same as those given
in DSG. In such cases, the DM is
advised to rule that
the particular nonweapon proficiency can
be used to advantage
by a character whether he is in a subterranean
or an aboveground
environment. For example, a character
who is proficient
in riding a horse should be able to accomplish
the feats given for
that proficiency no matter where he is
located.
In other cases, a proficiency by its nature
will only apply in either
an underground or an aboveground locale.
For instance, the
proficiency of plant lore will probably
only be useful in the wilderness,
while fungus
identification (see page 28, DSG) is a skill
whose practice is limited to the underground
environment.
In other cases, a proficiency by its nature
will only apply in either
an underground or an aboveground locale.
For instance, the
proficiency of plant lore will probably
only be useful in the wilderness,
while fungus
identification (see page 28, DSG) is a skill
whose practice is limited to the underground
environment
The selection of NWPs for a character is
basically up to the player of that character.
However, in the interest
of faithful and accurate role-playing
it is recommended that
players take into account the background
of their characters and
not select initial NWPs for them that
seem illogical
in light of those facts. For instance,
a character who did
not grow up in a desert
environment or who has not spent a sizable
amount of time in the desert should not
be able to possess
proficiency in desert survival at first
level just because the player
thinks this would be a handy skill to
have. Conversely, a character
who did grow up in the desert and thus
has spent little or no
time in and around the water would not
logically have special skill
in swimming.
As an outgrowth of this reasoning, players
also should not be
frivolous about selecting proficiencies
as their characters advance
in experience levels and become eligible
to possess more
skills. Until and unless a character has
spent a sizable amount of
time in the desert (presumably during
an adventure), he should
not be able to acquire proficiency in
desert survival.
In contrast, some of these wilderness proficiencies
are not difficult
to justify for practically any character
at any time. For instance,
direction sense is something that any
first-level character
might be presumed to possess (indicating
an inborn knack for
such a talent), or that any character
of higher level might conceivably
pick up when he becomes eligible to add
a new skill (indicating
that part of his between-levels training
involved instruction in
this skill).
Ultimately, all selections of proficiencies
are subject to the approval
of the DM. If the arbiter of a campaign
feels
that a player’s selection is illogical,
then he is entitled -- even
obliged - to disallow that selection.
Unlike a WP, the possession of a NWP does
not always mean that the character can realize
the benefits of having a certain skill.
On some occasions, depending
upon the particular proficiency or the
circumstances surrounding
the use of the proficiency, it is necessary
for a character
to make a successful Proficiency Check
in order to be able to use
the skill.
A Proficiency Check is accomplished in
the same way as an
Ability Check. The player rolls 1d20,
applies modifiers (if any) to
the result, and compares that number to
the character’s score in
the Appropriate Ability for the proficiency
being used. If the modified
die-roll result is less than or equal
to the score of the Appropriate
Ability, the Proficiency Check is successful.
(In certain
circumstances, the Dungeon Master will
make a Proficiency
Check die roll instead of the player,
and he may or may not reveal
to the player the result of the attempt.
See the description of the
direction sense proficiency for an example
of this exception; the
Dungeon Master may declare other exceptions
of this sort when
he deems it appropriate.)
Any unmodified die roll of 19 or 20 on
a Proficiency Check indicates
automatic failure, regardless of modifiers
that would otherwise
bring the result down into the range needed
for success.
Also, for the purpose of a Proficiency
Check, any ability score
greater than 18 is treated as a score
of 18. This means that a
character with an Appropriate Ability
score of 18 or greater must
always make a successful Proficiency Check
without the aid of
any beneficial modifiers, and that even
a character with an Appropriate
Ability score of 18 or greater has at
least a 10% chance
(2 in 20) of failing any Proficiency Check
he attempts.
When a character becomes eligible to fill
an additional NWP slot gained at 3rd level or higher, the player
may elect to improve the character’s ability
in an existing profi
ciency instead of acquiring a new skill.
If a proficiency slot is used
to improve an existing proficiency, the
character receives an automatic
die-roll modifier of -2 on all subsequent
Proficiency
Checks (in effect increasing his Appropriate Ability score by 2 for
purposes of a Proficiency Check).
If a player desires improvement beyond
this first step, additional
modifiers of -2 are attached for every
additional proficiency
slot filled in this fashion. It is possible
for a character with
improved proficiency in a certain skill
to make a successful Proficiency
Check with an unmodified die roll of 19.
However, no matter
how much a proficiency is improved, an
unmodified die roll of
20 still represents automatic failure
on a Proficiency Check. Example:
A character with one step of improvement
in a proficiency
and an Appropriate Ability score of 17
can succeed on a Proficiency
Check with a die roll of 19, since the
-2 modifier for improvement
would bring the result down to the range
needed for
success.
Table 1: Character Proficiencies
| Class of Character | Initial # of Proficiencies
(Weapon / Nonweapon) |
Add Proficiency Per Level
(Weapon / Nonweapon) |
| CAVALIER* | 3 / 2 | 1 / 1 per 2 levels |
| Paladin* | 3 / 2 | 1 / 1 per 2 levels |
| CLERIC | 2 / 3 | 1 / 1 per 4 levels |
| Druid | 2 / 3 | 1 / 1 per 5 levels |
| FIGHTER | 4 / 2 | 1 / 1 per 3 levels |
| Barbarian | 6 / 3 | 1 / 1 per 2 levels |
| Ranger | 3 / 2 | 1 / 1 per 3 levels |
| MAGIC-USER | 1 / 3 | 1 / 2 per 6 levels |
| Illusionist | 1 / 3 | 1 / 2 per 6 levels |
| THIEF | 2 / 3 | 1 / 1 per 4 levels |
| Acrobat | 2 / 3 | 1 / 1 per 4 levels |
| Assassin | 3 / 2 | 1 / 1 per 4 levels |
| MONK | 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 per 2 levels |
| BARD | As other classes | 1 / 1 per 4 levels |
* -- 0-level horsemen and 0-level lancers
have one non-weapon proficiency,
and gain the second one upon their advancement
to the status of a 1st-level character.
lnitial # of Proficiencies shows
the number of proficiencies the
character has at the beginning of 1st
level. The number to the left
of the slash is the number of WPs;
the number to
the right is the number of NWPs. A weapon
proficiency slot can be filled with a
nonweapon proficiency if the
player desires to develop his character
in this fashion, but the reverse
is not allowed; a nonweapon proficiency
slot must be filled
with a nonweapon proficiency if it is
used at all.
Add Proficiency Per Level shows
the number of experience
levels that must be passed through before
the character is entitled
to add more proficiencies. First level
is included when counting
levels; thus, a cleric
must advance through 4th level and be
ready to begin 5th level before adding
new proficiencies, while an
illusionist does not become eligible for
new skills until he is ready
to begin adventuring as a 7th-level character.
The cleric gets his
next new proficiencies after finishing
8th level, while the illusionist
does not gain any new slots unti! he has
advanced through
12th level.
A character is not obliged to fill every
new proficiency slot immediately
upon gaining it, although there is usually
no good reason
for delaying the choice (especially one
involving a
nonweapon proficiency slot). However,
if the Dungeon Master allows
a player to delay a proficiency choice,
it is recommended
that he not allow the slot to be filled
during an adventure. (A character <>
in a lake, about to go down for the third
time, should not be
able to suddenly obtain proficiency in
swimming.)
Expanding Proficiency Slots (Optional Rule)
The proficiencies described in this book
greatly increase the
number of different skills available to
characters. If the proficiencies described
in DSG are used in addition
to the ones given here, and if the campaign
is an especially
difficult one, particularly for lower-level
characters, the DM may decide to allow each character 1 additional nonweapon
proficiency slot at 1st level - but only
if all of a character’s
nonweapon slots are filled right away;
if a player elects to
delay filling this extra slot, it is lost
and cannot be filled later.
Table 2: WILDERNESS PROFICIENCIES
| Proficiency | Slots Required | Appropriate Ability | Die Roll Modifier |
| Alertness | 1 | Wisdom | +1 |
| Animal Handling | 1 | Wisdom | +1 |
| Animal Lore | 1 | Intelligence | 0 |
| Blind-Fighting | 1 | NA | NA |
| Boating | 1 | Wisdom | -1 |
| Charioteering | 1 | Dexterity | -2 |
| Direction Sense | 1 | Wisdom | -1 |
| Endurance | 2 | NA | NA |
| Fire-building | 1 | Wisdom | +1 |
| Fishing | 1 | Wisdom | +1 |
| Foraging | 1 | Intelligence | +2 |
| Healing | 2 | Wisdom | -2 |
| Hunting | 1 | Wisdom | -1 |
| Mountaineering | 1 | NA | NA |
| Plant Lore | 1 | Intelligence | 0 |
| Riding, airborne | 2 | Wisdom | +2 |
| Riding, land-based * | 1 | Wisdom | -3 |
| Rope Use | 1 | Dexterity | 0 |
| Running | 2 | Constitution | 0 |
| Survival, cold | 1 | NA | NA |
| Survival, desert | 1 | NA | NA |
| Survival, heat | 1 | NA | NA |
| Swimming | 1 | Strength | 0 |
| Tracking | 1 | NA | NA |
| Weather Sense | 1 | Wisdom | +1 |
* <(Ride MonsterX: each monster requires it's own slot)>
Slots Required lists the number
of NWP slots
that must be available before this proficiency
can be selected.
Unless a proficiency requiring two slots
is selected when a character
is 1st level, this proficiency can only
be chosen after the
character has stored up an available slot
by not filling it at the first
available opportunity.
Appropriate Ability gives the ability
score that is used whenever
a Proficiency Check
is called for.
Die Roll Modifier shows the adjustment
to the 1d20 roll that
must be applied whenever a Proficiency
Check is made. A negative
modifier reduces the result of the die
roll, making success
easier to attain; a positive modifier
increases the die roll, making
success more difficult. Remember that
under normal circumstances,
an unmodified die roll of 19 or 20 indicates
automatic
failure, even if a negative modifier would
bring the result down
into the range needed for success.
NA stands for Not Applicable, meaning
that the use of this proficiency
never requires a Proficiency Check, and
therefore these
categories do not apply.
THE COMPLEAT LIST OF AD&D SKILLS
PH
Languages
DMG
Secondary Skills
+
Bowyer/Fletcher +
Farmer/Gardener +
Fisher (netting) +
Forester +
Gambler +
Hunter/Fisher (hook & line) +
Husbandman (animal husbandry) +
Jeweler/Lapidary +
Leather worker/Tanner +
Limner/Painter +
Mason/Carpenter +
Miner +
Navigator (fresh or salt water) +
Sailor (fresh or salt) +
Shipwright (boats or ships) +
Tailor/Weaver +
Teamster/Freighter +
Trader/Barterer +
Trapper/Furrier +
Woodworker/Cabinetmaker <Carpenter>
+
NO SKILL OF MEASURABLE WORTH
ROLL TWICE IGNORING THIS RESULT HEREAFTER
<(Cf. REF2 -- The above skills generally function as proficiences).>
OA / ARTISAN
Armorer, 2
Blacksmith
Bowyer^
Brewer
Carpenter^
Civil engineer, 2
Herbalist, 2
Jeweler^, 2
Masseur
Navigator
Paper-maker
Potter
Seamstress/tailor^
Silk maker
Stonemason^
Tanner/Leatherworker^
Weaponsmith, 3
Weaver^
OA \ BARBARIAN
Chanting
Fire building
Running
Signaling
Snare building
Sound imitation, 2
Survival, 2
Tracking, 3
OA \ COMMON
Agriculture^
Animal handling^, 2
Cooking
Dance
Fishing^
Gaming^
Horsemanship
Hunting^
Husbandry
Iaijutsu
Juggling
Music
Reading/writing
Sailing craft
Singing
Small water craft
Swimming
OA \ COURT
Calligraphy, 2
Etiquette
Falconry, 2
Flower arranging
Heraldry
Landscape gardening
Noh
Origami
Painting
Poetry
Religion
Tea ceremony, 2
DSG \ CRAFTSMAN
Animal
trainer^
Armorer^,
2
Blacksmith^
Boatwright
Bowyer/Fletcher^
Carpenter^
Gem Cutter, 2
Leatherworker^
Miner^, 2
Potter^
Smelter
Stonemason^
Weaponsmith^, 3
Weaver^
DSG \ ADVENTURING
Animal noise
Blind-fighting
Boating
Direction sense
Endurance, 2
Fire-building
Fishing
Fungus ID
Healing, 2
Mountaineering
Riding
Rope use
Slow respiration
Sound analysis
Swimming
WSG \ WILDERNESS
Alertness
Animal handling
Animal lore
Blind-fighting
Boating
Charioteering
Direction sense
Endurance, 2
Fire-building
Fishing
Foraging
Healing, 2
Hunting
Mountaineering
Plant lore
Riding, airborne, 2
Riding, land-based
Rope use
Running, 2
Survival, cold
Survival, desert, 2
Survival, heat
Swimming
Tracking
Weather sense
DLA
Astrology, 2
Dragon riding, 2
I am writing in opposition
to all of these new
nonweapon proficiency rules.
They are boring,
damaging to campaign balance,
and simply don?t
belong in AD&D
games. They are boring in that
they slow down play and give
players a whole
new set of statistics to
worry about. They damage
balance in cases such as
when a fair-size
party covers almost all of
the best proficiencies;
situations that normally
require thought and
problem solving are easily
taken care of. For
example, in the AD&D
module WG4 The Forgotten
Temple of Tharizdun,
there is a scene in
which the PCs are forced
to either have a desperate
battle in the dark or hold
off a demon
until they can find the secret
of lighting the
area. Thanks to proficiencies,
the local barbarian
could blind-fight the thing
to death, and the
party could figure out the
lighting at its leisure.
If you want proficiencies,
there are plenty of
games out there loaded with
proficiencies; play
them. The AD&D
game is one of DM's judgment
and improvising. If one of
my players had a
background of sailing, I
would assign him a
chance of doing so on a case-by-case
basis.
Bahman Rabii
Bryn Mawr PA
(Dragon
#137)
I am writing to disagree with
two letters
printed in issue #137: Bahman
Rabbi?s letter
complaining about nonweapon
proficiencies,
and David Howery?s comments
about the ?plain
old fighter.?
To the former: I would say
nonweapon proficiencies
allow players to develop
the personalities
of their characters and offer
opportunities
for role-playing. I?m in
a campaign that playtested
the AD&D® 2nd Edition
game. I think you
may like some of the changes
and new proficiencies
presented in this game. It
should be up
to the DM to mitigate imbalances
in his campaign.
A DM able to think on his
feet wouldn?t
allow his players to run
rampant over his welllaid
plans simply because one
character has a
blind-fighting proficiency.
As to the second letter commenting
on the
?fact? that other warrior
classes are more interesting
than the fighter class, I
say ?Come on!? It?s
up to the player to make
his character interesting.
For example, my 3rd-level
fighter is highborn,
cultured, and a gentleman
well versed in
the courtly skills of etiquette,
dancing, and the
singing and playing of musical
instruments. He
has high charisma and comeliness.
Recently, while spending a
few weeks in a
small town (one of our party
members needed
training), my character,
Harmony Madrigal
Greenwood, spent his nights
singing and playing
for tips in a local inn with
the party?s illusionist,
Taran, who accompanied Harmony
with a
beautiful light show and
pretty illusions. They
shared a percentage ?of their
take with the
innkeeper who, in turn, fed
and lodged them.
Due to my character?s high
comeliness and
charisma (and the deviously
clever mind of
Tracy Reed, my inventive
DM), the local women
became enamored with Harmony
and began
congregating at the inn to
see his performances.
During the second week of
his appearances, the
situation got out of hand
when a jealous husband
made his way through the
throng of
women to attack Harmony.
The innkeeper
attempted to control the
situation, but a bar
brawl ensued and Harmony
and Taran were
forced to flee.
The above is only one example
of my ?plain
old fighter?s? young but
already very interesting
career. If a player puts
no imagination into a
fighter character, I can
see how you can end up
with a boring hack-n-slash
type. But that?s the
player?s fault. It?s up to
you to build an interesting
personality into your character?you?re
only
limited by your imagination.
Valerie A. Valusek
Williams Bay WI
(Dragon
#148)
I'm writing in response to
H. K. McCoy?s letter
in issue #154 about
gaining nonweapon proficiencies
using experience points.
The idea is a
good one and provides for
well-rounded PCs,
but what I find fault with
is the use of a percentage
of a level to buy a NWP.
Why not just
assign an exact experience-point
cost to each
NWP, based on how difficult
the skill is to learn?
For example, Fishing and
Fire-building, two of
the easiest NWPs to learn,
could cost 1,000 xp.
Riding (Airborne) and Survival
(Desert) would
be a lot harder to master
and would therefore
cost more experience points?around
7,000 or
more, depending upon the
DM.
The reason why I think you
shouldn?t use a
percentage of a level to
find the cost of a NWP
is that at high levels, it?s
going to take outrageous
amounts of experience points
to purchase
a new NWP. For example, a
3rd-level fighter can
purchase a NWP at 25% level
value for 2,500 xp.
At 12th level, that same
25% costs him 62,500
xp. Granted, this makes players
think twice
about buying NWPs at high
levels, but what
would this accomplish? Nonweapon
proficiencies
don?t affect the game as
much as gaining
levels does.
Using a percentage of a level
for NWP cost
also affects the time it
takes to get the chance
learn a NWP; the time rises
critically when he
advances in level, since
it takes a lot longer to
gain the 62,500 xp needed
for the 12th-level
fighter to purchase a NWP
than it does for the
2,500 xp that your 3rd-level
fighter needs. Of
course, the question of how
much time it takes
to actually learn a certain
NWP is up to the DM.
Assigning a percentage cost
to NWPs also puts
AD&D 1st Edition
game barbarians at an extreme
disadvantage and puts thieves
at an
extreme advantage, considering
the amount of
experience points needed
for each to advance.
Assigning experience-point
values to the NWPs
keeps this system fair to
all involved. Isn?t that
what we look for in an RPG?
Rocky L. Sharier
Barberton OH
(Dragon
#157)