Okay so I have been kicking this can around my brain all morning and have decided on how I want to do this. I will present the raw information here now, but understand the descriptions for the most part of copy-paste from Myth & Magic (the less said about that fiasco the better).
Obviously your mileage will vary on this subject, but for me this covers the basics nicely.
Classes will give NWPs as well as Backgrounds, which will come in later articles.
Submitted for your perusal;
Non-Weapon Revisited (NWP)
NWPs represent a selection of skills or non-magical, non-class abilities the character has learned over the course of their life. The amount received at first level for a character is based on their class, plus and bonus “Languages” from INT.
Martial Classes start with 2 NWPs and gain another every 4 levels.
Semi-Martial Classes start with 3 NWPs and gain another every 3 levels.
Non-Martial Classes start with 4 NWPs and gain another every 2 levels.
When you take an NWP the first time (Novice rank) you get a +1 to the governing Ability Score for the purposes of the Ability Check. A second level (Professional rank) gives a +2, and a third (Master rank) gives +2 and Advantage. Unskilled attemtps have Disadvantage by default.
NWP: Complexity of Checks
When attempting to use an NWP the character makes the appropriate Ability Check and attempts to roll under their governing Ability score. If there are levels of complexity, a penalty is applied to the Ability Score (not the roll) to achieve success;
Complexity | Penalty |
Easy | 0 |
Average | -3 |
Difficult | -6 |
Exceptional | -9 |
Legendary | -11 |
NWP: Descriptions
The following is the description of all the NWPs currently in the game;
Acrobatics (Dex): Acrobatics encompasses all forms of acrobatic moves, including tumbles, gymnastics, jumps and dives. It cannot be done with armor other than padded, leather, studded leather, elven chain or mithral chain, and a penalty equal to the normal DR Adjustment of the armor applies.
Animal Handling (Wis): The character knows how to care for, placate and train animals. This can work on wild animals, but the character is at Disadvantage with non-domesticated beasts.
Appraising (Int): Appraising encompasses the ability to gauge the value of objects that trade in the open market. Gems, jewelry, works of art, decorative suits of armor, and ancient weaponry are only some of the items that can be appraised.
Astronomy (Int): This encompasses the study of the stars and celestial bodies. Astronomers keep star charts and discover codes and meanings in the stars.
Athletics (Dex): An athletic character has trained and participated in sport-like activities. This training provides a greater chance to succeed at accuracy throwing, catching, running, jumping and other examples of athletic ability. This proficiency does not include activities covered under other skill sets, such as swimming or acrobatics, or in throwing attacks.
Climbing (Str): The character can scale trees, rocks, walls and other surfaces, with proper equipment if necessary. In most situations, a successful Climbing check allows the character to scale 20 feet as a full round action.
Craft (Varies): The craft proficiency reflects time spent working in a trade. Choosing one can represent your character’s past employment.
• Armorsmithing (Str): The character can create, alter and repair metal armor and shields. A forge is necessary.
• Blacksmithing (Str): Blacksmiths forge iron items, such as horseshoes and pitons. They may also work with other metals. Characters use this craft to create or repair metal or iron objects but not to forge weapons or armor.
• Bowyering (Dex): Bowyers are also fletchers. They repair and craft bows, arrows, crossbows and bolts. The character trained as a bowyer/fletcher can create a perfectly viable ranged weapon or missiles and can repair broken bows and crossbows. An Average check is generally suitable to create a short or longbow with one week’s worth of work or 6 arrows in a day.
• Brewing (Int): The character can primarily brew beer, mead, and ale, but could make wines and other spirits. Necessary materials, such as barrels, and the space to hold the barrels while the contents ferment, are required.
• Cobbling (Dex): Cobblers make and mend all manner of boots and shoes.
• Cooking (Int): Chefs know how to prepare elegant meals. Adventurers with a cooking background know how to safely prepare certain meats and to identify poisonous berries.
• Farming (Con): Farmers work crops. Within the context of farming, they are knowledgeable about agriculture, weather, animals and equipment.
• Gemcutting (Int): Gemcutters are jewelers. They know how to cut and appraise gems and fine metals.
• Leatherworking (Str): The character can, with proper materials, strip an animal of its hide and convert it into a suitable piece of leather for any purpose, including armor. This proficiency also encompasses knowledge of how to tan the leather and can be used for taxidermy.
• Locksmithing (Dex): Locksmiths craft and repair locks. The cost to create a lock varies based on the materials used, but the is generally 50 gold pieces per level of complexity.
• Masonry (Str): Masons cut, form and build with stone. Cutting requires a waterfront workstation.
• Mining (Wis): Miners mine rock for gems and alloy deposits. This craft requires a thorough understanding of the trade (ventilation, gases, lighting, equipment, etc.,) and an intuition to spot danger and treasure.
• Pottery (Dex): Armed with a wheel and kiln, the potter creates clay containers and can decorate them with glazes and paints.
• Tailoring (Dex): With a spinning wheel and loom, the tailor can create any number of wool, cotton or silk garments and decorations, such as suits, dresses, hats, wigs, decorative bags, tapestries and draperies.
• Weaponsmithing (Str): Weaponsmiths forge weapons. In most cases, creating a weapon requires a forge. On average, it takes 2 days to create a simple weapon (club, spear, etc.); 4 to 7 days to create a sword or axe; and as much as 40 days to create a two-handed sword.
• Woodworking (Str): Woodworking deals with the carving, curing, building and altering of wood.
Dark Arts (Int): There is a dark side to magic, such as demonology and exorcism. The character has studied this art and understands rituals and dark magic.
Decipher Script (Int): The character has studied the written form of many different languages. Although he cannot actually speak the languages, he has accumulated enough knowledge that he can discern the context of a writing. Simple uses identify glyphs or decipher the script of common languages.
Diplomacy (Cha): The character has a high level of social awareness and a deep understanding of the various castes in society. In the same evening, he can meld into high society and rub elbows with the gritty underworld. His understanding of social situations allows them to exemplify proper etiquette. Knowing the proper etiquette for a given situation does not guarantee that you will follow through. Roleplaying is still necessary.
Disguise (Cha): Disguise allows the character to disguise his person and voice. The complexity corresponds to how elaborate the disguise is intended to be, where Basic to Average disguises mask the character’s face or body to appear of the same sex, race and size. More complex checks could disguise sex, race, size and even voice.
Engineering (Int): Engineering is the knowledge of how to properly design a working structure and how to build things with utilitarian purpose, such as aqueducts and siege weaponry.
Forgery (Dex): A successful forgery check allows a character to perfectly mimic the handwriting of another person or design an official-looking document. Certain materials are required, such as an example writing, proper inks and molding wax.
Gambling (Cha): The character knows how to cheat at games of chance, such as dice, cards, chess and any other gambling game. In most cases, one’s Gambling check is opposed by the untrained subject’s WIS check. If both parties are trained in Gambling, the higher roll wins; the cheater wins the prize or his opponent notices the deception.
Gathering Information (Cha): Gathering information is a social proficiency that equates to the skillful mining for information using bluffs, persuasion or intimidation. It does not replace roleplaying. It provides clues and insight into how the proficient character should approach the task of uncovering vital information.
Geography (Int): The character has studied a region’s geography. The character could know the location of a certain geographic landmark and could recall the area’s terrain type, environment and local creatures.
Healing (Int): The character is skilled in handling and treating wounds with medicinal salves, herbs and bandages. He is also knowledgeable about illnesses, diseases, poisons and the effects of certain attacks, so Healing can be used to discern causes of death. A proficiency check to mend a wound requires a first aid kit, which includes the necessary tools, wraps, thread, herbs and salves. A portion of the kit is used completely on either a successful or failed check and heals 1d3 damage. Standard first aid kits cost 5 gold pieces, weighs one pound, and has 4 uses. (See the Equipment chapter.) Common uses of the Healing proficiency include staunching blood flow, stalling the effects of a minor poison, providing longer-term care and recognizing someone’s malady or cause of death.
History (Int): Historians retain a wealth of information on ancient cultures and past events in general.
Know Language (Int): There are two applications of this proficiency. Any character with an INT of 7 or less, or who is subject to illiteracy by a class restriction, must take this proficiency to read and write their native tongue. This proficiency may also be taken by any character with an INT score of 8 or higher that wishes to speak, read and write an additional language. Know Language is unlike any other proficiency. Most of the time, a character is not required to roll a proficiency check to speak, read or write a language. The DM is permitted to require a check when a character deals with a higher or lost form of the language or an obscure dialect.
Lip Reading (Int): The character can read the lips of a person nearby without that person noticing. The complexity relates to the distance between the character and his target and any other intervening distractions. A failed check could result in the character simply failing or the target noticing the character’s stare. The complexity relates to the distance between the lip reader and his target, and how well the target is concealing his lip movements. It’s generally easy to read the lips of a person within 20 feet that is not attempting to hide his words.
Local Lore (Int): The character accumulates knowledge on the history and current goings on in a specific location. Proficiency checks determine how much local lore is obtained, retained and/or recalled. The obscurity or secrecy of the information sought determines the complexity of a check. Local Lore also encompasses knowledge of the official positions in a government, the hierarchy of the local nobility and the knowledge of crests and banners. With the DM's permission, Local Lore checks can be made after sufficient time has been spent in a new location to learn the nobility and bureaucracy of the land.
Open Locks (Dex): The character is skilled at opening locks without a key. The character must use a lockpick, unless the DM rules it possible to do so without one, in which case the complexity shifts up at least one category. Locks are categorized by the complexity required to open them.
Mercantalism (Cha): The character is knowledgeable and comfortable with the trading practices of the times. He can negotiate with merchants, establish a trade route and even manage a country’s exports. Basic and Average mercantilism checks can lower or raise a negotiated price or uncover information in any location pertaining to the normal trade practices. Such information could include the who’s who in over-the-counter and black market trade. Exceptional or even Legendary acts of mercantilism can help gain a meeting with the most powerful merchants and certainly help to start a small trading initiative.
Mountaineering (Wis): Mountaineering encompasses the skills to climb, find trails, locate shelter, hunt game and navigate to a water source in mountainous terrain. Basic to Average checks often suffice to find well-trodden paths, to climb fairly shallow faces with proper equipment and to find shelter or sustenance. Exceptional checks help to locate a safe path where no path exists or to ensure the safety of many others in a mountain pass. Mountaineering is akin to Wilderness Survival, but focussed on the high-altitude and treacherous terrain of the mountain and the skills to climb rock faces, which is not provided in Wilderness Survival.
Perception (Int): A character with this proficiency no longer relies on simple instincts. He uses his training to locate a muffled conversation, to notice a secret door or to spot an assassin lying in wait. He also draws from experience to r act quickly to danger. A Perception check is used to search, spot and listen. Target complexities are set based on how muffled or hidden the sound or object may be. Perception checks can be used by characters to also oppose others actively attempting to sneak or hide.
Performance (Cha): Performance includes whatever forms of entertainment the character fancies. Some examples include juggling, singing, dancing, playing a musical instrument, oration and impersonation. The character chooses two mediums with one NWP proficiency slot. Successful performances earn coin, cause diversions or simply entertain.
Persuasion (Cha): The character to make a compelling argument to convince a subject NPC character to see things their way, respond more favorably, or comply with a request. The character engages the NPC in conversation for at least 10 rounds (meaning that the subject must be willing to talk with the character in the first place); subjects whose attitudes are threatening or hostile aren't affected by this proficiency. Basic complexity means that the subject's reaction is modified by +2 in favor of the character. This bonus is cumulative with any other reaction modifiers, such as those derived from CHA.
Religion (Int): Religion grants the character a vast amount of knowledge on the various deities and religions, both new and old. Devotion to a religion is not required.
Riding (Air-Based) (Dex): This proficiency allows a character to skillfully ride aerial mounts. It encompasses more than the simple ability to remain mounted while flying; proficiency here can allow for some truly inspiring feats, such as dives, turns, rolls and mounted aerial combat.
Riding (Land-Based) (Dex): This proficiency allows a character to ride land-based mounts and to perform feats of skill while riding, like hunting with ranged weapons, jumping from a galloping mount and engaging in melee combat while mounted. This proficiency also encompasses charioteering.
Rope Use (Dex): The character works well with all sorts of knots and lashings. He can tie or loosen a good knot with a Basic check or rig a knot to slip quickly with an Average check. Higher checks help with lassoing a nearby target and even assist in escaping tight bindings.
Sailing (Wis): A sailing character may have been a pirate, captain, deckhand or fisherman. Sailing provides the knowledge to navigate and maintain a ship.
Sciences (Int): Sciences other than astrology are often pursued, such as biology or mathematics, but such sciences are not as prevalent to a campaign in fantasy as astrology is. The character has a broad knowledge base of these more obscure sciences affecting the campaign. These sciences are usually limited to: anthropology (study of cultures), biology and physiology (study of life and the body), horology (study of time), mathematics (study of numbers and form), metallurgy (study of alloys and metals), and metaphysics (the philosophical study of nature and the being, also encompasses the scientific study of magic in the world).
Spellcraft (Int): The character has studied the art of magic in all its disciplines and spheres. This proficiency allows the character to attempt to discern an ongoing and visible spell effect and teaches the character about the intricacies of magical rituals. There is no requirement that the character be a spell caster. When rolling a Spellcraft check to discern an ongoing and visible spell effect, level 1 spells require a Basic check, spells of levels 2 – 3 require an Average check, spells of levels 4 – 5 require a Superior check and spells of levels 6 – 9 require an Exceptional check.
Stealth (Dex): Stealth encompasses hiding and moving silently. It helps a character remain unnoticed. A character uses his environment, whether it be shadows or underbrush, to hide or blend into the background. He also uses deliberate and silent movements to slip away unheard. Stealth cannot be done with armor other than padded, leather, studded leather, brigandine, elven chain or mithral chain, unless the armor is magically silenced or properly oiled. A penalty equal to the normal AC Adjustment of the armor applies.
Streetwise (Wis): There are victims and there are predators on the mean streets of any city. The character knows how to walk like a predator, or even a victim if looking to draw attention. They also know where to go to find things that are less than above-board. Overall this NWP is the lore and knowledge proficiency of the criminal world.
Swimming (Str): There are two different types of swimming. There is staying afloat, which most people can do without special training, and then there is swimming against a strong current in the open ocean, which only those proficient in swimming can do. An unarmored character can swim a number of feet equal to double his movement rate in one round. The complexity of a swim check relates to the waters and intended speed or distance of the swim. An open water swim in fairly rocky conditions is fairly difficult. A truly legendary swim check would be required in such an open water swim if the swimmer were armored.
Tracking (Wis): The character can identify and discern different types of tracks and can follow tracks without prints by analyzing underbrush, branches, soil and the indicators left on the surface. A successful check identifies the tracks and allows the character to follow them until the terrain or weather changes, which requires another check. All checks assume visible tracks, thus intervening precipitation or meddling could either require a higher complexity check or nullify the chances of success.
Trapworking (Int): The character is trained and skilled in the art of detecting, disabling and setting mechanical traps. Each use of the proficiency requires a different check. So, finding a hidden trap requires one check, disabling or resetting the trap requires another check; and setting a new trap requires a separate check, and so. Thus, while this skill requires only one slot, it actually provides three distinct proficiencies: Finding Traps, Disabling Traps and Setting Traps.
Wilderness Survival (Wis): The character is knowledgeable and intuitive about surviving in the wild, including how to gather nontoxic plants, berries and nuts for food and to find water; to avoid natural hazards; to hunt; to find the safest path; and to read the stars and weather. It also encompasses advanced fire-building. It is a very broad proficiency. Lower checks allow for the scavenging of enough rations, game and water for a number of days equal to the character’s WIS check.
Until next time...
Andrew Collasa.k.a. Celtic Viking, Grumpy Old Gamer, Bear
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