Weapon Proficiencies

Since I am trying to capture a sword & sorcery feel to the campaign as opposed to the standard Tolkien-esque/pseudo-medieval vibe that so many D&D campaigns aspire to, I’ve allowed any class to use any weapon. However, I can see how this could get out of control if no guidelines are established. So, as promised, I’ll be introducing a (hopefully) quick and easy weapon proficiency system at the next meeting. Since I find it easier to explain longer concepts in writing, here’s a preview of what we’ll be doing on Sunday.

Each character starts with an initial number of weapon proficiencies based on their class. Fighters begin knowing how to use four weapons competently; clerics can use three with skill, and magic-users are adept with only two. Dwarves are treated as fighters in this case, giving them four weapons of proficiency.

Any character attempting to use a weapon they aren’t adept with suffers a penalty to any and all attack rolls. Fighters using a weapon they aren’t trained in are -2 to hit; clerics are -3 to hit, and magic-users are -4 to their attack roll. As above, dwarves are treated as fighters and suffer a -2 penalty. For those of you who like charts, it breaks down like this:

Class	Number of weapon proficiencies	Penalty to hit with a non-proficient weapon
Fighters (including dwarves)	4	-2
Cleric	3	-3
Magic-users	2	-4

As characters advance in level, they will gain addition weapon proficiencies based on their class. As each class reaches the levels listed below, they gain another weapon proficiency chosen from the list at the bottom of the page. Fighters gain a new weapon proficiency every two levels after the 1^st; clerics gain one every three levels after the 1^st, and magic-users gain one every four levels after the 1^st. Again, in chart form, this looks like

	1st level	3rd level	5th level	7th level	9th level
Fighter	4	5	6	7	8
					p>
	1st level	4th level	7th level	10th level	13th level
Clerics	3	4	5	6	7
	1st level	5th level	9th level	13th level	17th level
Magic-users	2	3	4	5	6

Weapon Breakdown

I don’t want to get too crazy with this system so rather than make every single weapon cost its own proficiency, I’ve broken them down into categories, some broader than others. Being proficient in a category allows you to utilize any weapon in that class without penalty. These weapon categories are:

Weapon Category	Weapons Include…
Axe, long	Battle axe
Axe, short	Hand axe
Ball & chain	Flail, morning star
Blunt	Club, mace
Bow, long	Longbow
Bow, short	Short bow
Crossbow	Light and heavy crossbows
Dagger	Dagger, knife
Dart	Dart
Implements	Hammer, pick
Javelin	Javelin
Lance	Lance
Pole arm	Pole arms of many assorted styles and flavors
Sling	Sling
Spear	Spear (both in melee and thrown), trident
Staves	Quarterstaff, magical staves
Sword, great	Two-handed sword, bastard (two-handed
Sword, long	Long sword, scimitar, falchion, bastard (one-handed)
Sword, short	Short sword