Melee Weapons	Bows	-	Crossbows	Double Specialization
-	-	UA	-	-

Only members of the fighter class and the ranger sub-class can make
use of weapon specialization. This discipline is manifested in the
character’s choice of one weapon to practice and use, to the exclusion
of others. If weapon specialization is to be practiced by the
fighter or ranger, that decision must be made when the character is
initially created. Weapon specialization counts as two weapon proficiency
“slots”; that is, a fighter may choose a weapon of specialization
in addition to two other weapons of proficiency to count for the
character’s initial allotment of four proficient weapons, while a ranger
may have one weapon of specialization and a single weapon of proficiency
as well. Specializing in a bow other than a crossbow requires
an additional proficiency “slot,” so that a fighter who specializes in
the use of a bow may have only one other weapon of proficency to
start with, and a ranger specializing in the bow can have no other
weapon of proficiency at the start of his or her adventuring career, The
benefits of weapon specialization are as follows.

Multi-classed fighters cannot use weapon specialization;
this special skill is the province of only of humans and demi-human,
single-classed fighters. (D103.13)

Melee Weapons: The character is + 1 to hit and + 2 to damage with
the special weapon, on top of all other strength and magic bonuses.
The weapon must be a specific type, such as long sword or broad
sword, as opposed to a general sword. In addition, the fighter gets additional
attacks per round with the special weapon. The specifications
for these additional attacks override the figures given on the Attacks
Per Melee Round Table hereafter, and are summarized on the Weapon
Specialization Table below.

Weapon Specialization Table for Fighters and Rangers

Level of  Specialist	Melee  Weapon
1-6	3/2
7-12	2/1
13+	5/2

Bows:

Fighters and rangers using the long, short, or composite bow
as a special weapon are entitled to a “point blank” range category.
Point blank range is from 6’ to 30’. The character is + 2 “to hit” and
on damage rolls against targets within this range, and furthermore
any successful hit deals out double damage (a total of 6-16 points for
a non-magical arrow) to the victim, plus bonuses for strength or magic
if applicable. Additionally, a bow specialist who begins the round with
arrow nocked, shaft drawn, and target in sight is entitled to loose that
arrow prior to any initiative check. Short range for a bow specialist is
from 30‘ up to the lower limit of medium range for that bow. The bowman
is + l to hit and damage at short range. Bow specialists may also
gain additional attacks at higher levels.

Weapon Specialization Table for Fighters and Rangers

Level of  Specialist	Bow
1-6	2/1
7-12	3/1
13+	4/1

Crossbows: In the hands of a specialist, these weapons have a “point
blank” range of 6’ to 60’ (this completely overtakes the short range
of a light crossbow in the dungeon). The crossbow specialist is + 2
“to hit” and damage against targets in this range, and receives the
double damage benefit as for a bow; thus, a light crossbow bolt fired
by a specialist at point blank range will do 6-12 <(d4x2 + 4)> points of damage, exclusive
of bonuses (if any) for strength and magic. <How does STR apply to a crossbow?>
At short range the crossbowman is + 1 to hit and damage. At medium range the crossbow
specialist is + 1 to hit, but gains no bonus on damage by virtue of
specialization. Crossbow specialists also increase in rate of fire with
level, and the amount of this increase is dependent on whether a light
or heavy crossbow is used. Crossbowmen also gain the “aimed shot”
advantage of bowmen, so that if the crossbow is cocked and aimed
and the TARGET is in range, the crossbowman gets a free shot before
initiative is rolled.

Weapon Specialization Table for Fighters and Rangers

Level of  Specialist	Light  Crossbow	Heavy  Crossbow
1-6	1/1	1/2
7-12	3/2	1/1
13+	2/1	3/2

Double Specialization: A fighter or ranger may either initially or at a
later time decide to gain double specialization in his or her chosen
weapon. Only melee weapons, excluding pole arms and the two-handed
sword, may be used in double specialization. Double specialization
is taken instead of a proficiency “slot” whenever the character
qualifies for a new weapon, and can only be taken in the weapon type
that the character is already specialized in. Double specialization
gives the wielder + 3 to hit and + 3 to damage with that specific
weapon.

Quote:
...An exception was then listed for rangers who choose to use one of those proficiency slots to specialize in an allowed weapon, such that obtaining the fourth proficiency could be delayed until 7th level. Does this same exception apply to a ranger who chooses to double-specialize, or does he have to wait until after he's filled the other required slots (at 10th level) before he can spend a third slot in his chosen weapon?
 

No double specialization for rangers at all, in my campaign, but at 19th if you must coddle them...

Heh,
Gary
 

Final Note: All “to hit” bonuses granted by weapon specialization are
not magical in nature, and will not affect creatures that are only hit by
magical weapons. If a ranger or fighter is wielding a magic weapon
that is of the weapon type that he or she is specialized in, all magical
bonuses apply in addition to the bonuses gained for specialization.

Weapon Specialization Table for Fighters and Rangers

Level of  Specialist	Melee  Weapon	Bow	Light  Crossbow	Heavy  Crossbow	Lasso and  Staff Sling	Thrown  Dagger	Thrown  Dart	Other Missiles  and Hurled  Weapons
1-6	3/2	2/1	1/1	1/2	1/1	3/1	4/1	3/2
7-12	2/1	3/1	3/2	1/1	3/2	4/1	5/1	2/1
13+	5/2	4/1	2/1	3/2	2/1	5/1	6/1	5/2

Note: This table supersedes the normal Attacks Per Melee Round Table for fighters and rangers whenever such a character is using a weapon with which he or she is a specialist.
 

The Weapon Master (terrain: city, levels: any) (REF3.76)
 

Q: The article, ?Arcana update, part
1" in DRAGON issue # 103 (page 13)
says that only single-classed fighters
and rangers can specialize with a
weapon. Does this mean that dualclassed
fighters and rangers cannot
specialize?

A: Unearthed Arcana did not specifically
restrict weapon specialization to singleclassed
fighters and rangers, though the
update article (written by Kim Mohan,
with input from Gary Gygax, Frank Mentzer,
and Jeff Grubb) did. If Unearthed
Arcana alone is used, then multiclassed
and dual-classed fighters and rangers can
indeed specialize with weapons. If the
update is followed, the opposite is true.
Another option for the DM is to rule that a
fighter or ranger who assumes a second
class loses the benefits of specialization,
but a character of another class can
become specialized if he assumes a fighter
class. Fighters and rangers get their specialization
bonuses from concentrating on
one weapon, which requires constant
practice. When a character assumes a
second class, he ignores his original class
completely while learning the new class. A
fighter who does this loses the benefits of
specialization, as he no longer devotes any
effort to the weapon of specialization. If
the character started play as any other
class, he could specialize in a weapon
when he began learning the fighter class,
and would not incur any penalty except
the possibility of low hit points (see the
Players Handbook, page 33).
(139.33)
 

Q: The rules say that the option to
specialize in a weapon must be
made at 1st level. What about the
NPCs in my campaign that were
around before the specialization
rules came out? My players aren't
taking this sitting down, either.

A: A DM may allow already-created characters
to start weapon specialization retroactively
when he first introduces the
specialization rule into his campaign.
Thereafter, the decision to specialize must
be made when a character begins play.
(139.66)
 

Q: Can a character simply specialize
in ?sword,? and so gain specialization
bonuses with all types of
swords?

A: No. A character specializes with a specific
type of weapon, not a general class of
weapon.
(139.67)
 

Q: Can a fighter or ranger specialize
in more than one weapon if the
extra slots are available?

A: Fighters and rangers can specialize in
only one weapon, the number of available
proficiency slots notwithstanding.
(139.67)

Q: Can humanoids such as gnolls or
orcs use weapon specialization?
A: No; weapon specialization is for the
fighter class only. We suppose that some
very extraordinary humanoids might
actually have fighter training and so could
specialize. This would be very rare.
(144.6)
 

Quote:
Originally posted by Cias the Noble
3) Weapon specialization seems like a great feature that adds variety to the fighter class, but it is also accused of being overly powerful (esp. double specialization and bow specialization). Any changes here?

Too powerful?
Sounds like a mage-lover's whine (as are most complaints about the barbarian class).
Without the restrictions of 2E placed on magic, the changes affecting fighters and their ilk were simply things that brought them more on a par with spell-casters.
As for archery being too potent with doule specialization, hey! Real arrows can and did kill, were deadly, so why not?
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by mistere29
I was also thinking about weapon specialization. Did you use it in your campaign. I ask because the way it was presented seemed kind of half hearted. It was first presented in mixed topic "from the sorcerror's scroll" in dragon. I always thought you might not have had as much time to work on it before UA hit the printers.

Indeed, we played weapon specialization even before i wrote it up in Dragon Magazine.
By the time that article hit a couple of PCs in the campaign were doubly-specialized...