This game has a Mature Rating

I. RULES
We will be using the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons First Edition ruleset. For players, this will be the Player's Handbook (PHB), and Unearthed Arcana (UA) along with any changes made within this list of house rules. Please keep in mind that everything in UA is considered optional.

II. CHARACTER CREATION
Character creation method to purchase Ability Scores on a one-to-one basis using 76 points (i.e. 17 points buys an Ability Score of 17). Each character will receive maximum hit points at first level and roll for hit points thereafter, re-rolling ones. Percentile strength is an additional skill point. i.e. you are 18 strength at 18 point and 18/xx% at 19 points.

Beginning level and starting money will be by mutual agreement.

III. RACES & CLASS LEVEL LIMITS
The following races and sub-races are available for play: human, half-orc, dwarf (hill and mountain), half-elf, elf (high, wood, wild and grey), halfling, and gnome. Race information regarding level limits and class opportunities, plus classes with specific limits (such as the monk, druid, and assassin) are in effect from the Unearthed Arcana with the exception of:
    * Demi-human player characters can advance beyond their level limit but they suffer a 30% XP penalty in doing so.
Note: Elves need sleep, just like everyone else. There is no "meditation" or "reverie" except for those extremely rare individuals who've travelled to the oriental lands and learnt the Meditation martial arts special manoeuvre (see the Oriental Adventures book).

IV: CLASSES
    1.) Only single class fighters and rangers are able to choose one (and only one) weapon to specialise in, and this must be done at 1st level. No character may gain double weapon specialization until 7th level or afterwards.
    2.) The Thief, Thief-acrobat, Monks and Assassin ignore Thief skill advancement table beyond first level and instead have thirty-five (35) points to add to their skill percentages per level. A character can add up to ten (10) points for level on a given skill.

Effects of Armour on Thief Functions
Type          Pick Pockets   Open Locks   Find/Remove Traps   Move Silently   Hide in Shadows  Hear Noise   Climb Walls
None              +5%            -               -                +10%             +5%             -           +10%
Elfin Chain      -20%           -5%             -5%               -10%            -10%            -5%          -20%
Studded
  or Padded      -30%          -10%            -10%               -20%            -20%           -10%          -30%
Ring/Chain       -40%          -15%            -15%               -40%            -30%           -20%          -40%
Scale/Banded     -50%          -20%            -20%               -60%            -50%           -30%          -90%
Plate Mail       -75%          -40%            -40%               -80%            -75%           -50%          -99%
Plate Armour    -100%          -80%            -80%              -100%           -110%           -70%          -99.9%

    3.) The Monk class 2d4 Hit Dice at first level and d6 every level thereafter, and their Dexterity defensive adjustment bonus applies towards their armour class. As well as humans, half-elves can be monks. Due to their difficulty mastering the monk skills, half elves have slower rate of advancement (-10% exp).
    4.) Magic users who wish to get a familiar should talk to me before rolling.  Note: there are no special familiars available at low level.

V: WEAPONS, ARMOUR, AND EQUIPMENT
Weapons, armour, and equipment used are from the PHB and the UA. Most weapons are available; if you think it may be questionable check with the DM. For example the hand crossbow is a weapon of thieves and assassins and as such is rarely found for sale by reputable merchants.
    1.) Weapon vs. Armour 'to hit' Adjustments will be used where applicable.
    2.) Warhammer (One handed). It does 1d6+1 damage vs. small and medium opponents and 1d4+1 damage vs. large opponents.
    3.) Maul (Two Handed), weighs 200 coins, does 1d10 damage vs. small and medium opponents, and 1d8 vs. large opponents, its length is 4’, space required 6’, speed factor is 10.
    4.) Quarrel, Heavy. This bolt inflicts 1d10/1d10 points of damage.
    5.) Quarrel, Light. This bolt inflicts 1d6+1/1d6+1.
    6.) Spear. Deals 1d8/1d12.
    7.) Bastard sword does 2-8/2-16 two handed and 1-8/1-12 single handed. It is always speed factor 6 and always uses the bastard sword weapon vs armour line. Can be used one handed with long sword proficiency.

VI: COMBAT
Surprise
With the various classes and races that gain different advantages to surprise (or being surprised) the original D6 model isn't exactly tenable. Therefore, the supplementary system presented in "The Dragon Magazine #133" will be used.
The initiative system that we will be using is taken straight from AD&D 2nd edition. We will use a d10 initiative system and the round begins at 0.  Your actions modify the initiative roll.
    * 1 Turn = 10 minutes/rounds = 60 segments.
    * You can accomplish one basic action per round (attack, cast a spell, use a magical item, bandage a wounded companion, etc.). Use common sense.
  Roll d10 for Initiative:
    * Add weapon speed factors to the roll (Magical pluses subtract from a weapon speed factor)
    * Add casting time to the roll
* Add or subtract any misc. bonuses or penalties due to spell effects, using a magical item, performing an action instead of fighting or spell casting, etc.

  Modifiers to Initiative:
    * Attacking with Weapon : Weapon Speed Factor
    * Casting a Spell       : Casting Time
    * Innate Spell Ability  : +3
    * Using a Magic Item    : +3
    * Perform Misc. Action  : +3
    * Attacking with natural weapons (monsters, polymorphed NPCs/PCs, animal companions, etc);
            SIZE              Init Mod
            Tiny                  0
            Small                +3
           Medium                +3
            Large                +6
            Huge                 +9
         Gargantuan             +12

  Movement, Multiple Attacks, and Initiative:
    * You can move up to half your movement rate and still make an attack (single attack, not a full range of attacks)
    * Multiple attacks occur at the same time during initiative
    * Casting a spell is a full action that starts at the die roll and ends (spell is cast) on the casters final initiative (roll plus spell casting time).
  Special Attacks and Modifiers:
    * Flank attacks: negates any shield bonus
    * Rear attacks: negates any shield, any DEX bonus, and the attacker gets a +2 to hit.
    * Stunned, Prone, or Motionless: same as Rear Attack, except the attacker gets a +4 to hit.
    * Charge: +2 to hit, no DEX bonus, or if no DEX bonus then -1 penalty to AC.
    * Magically sleeping or held: all strikes hit, and inflict max damage.
    * Invisible opponents: can only be hit if detected or known, attacks against invisible opponent take a -4 penalty.
  Attacking with Two Weapons:
    * Secondary weapon is: dagger, hand axe, shortsword, club, or other suitable small weapon:
      * Penalty is -2 to hit with primary hand and -4 to hit with secondary weapon (offhand)
    * Secondary weapon is: longsword, battle axe, mace, hammer, broadsword, scimitar or other suitable medium sized weapon.
      * Penalty is -4 to hit with primary weapon and -6 to hit with secondary weapon.
    * Dexterity Reaction/Attacking Adjustment score modifies the penalties for attacking with two weapons.
  Psionics:
    * Psionics will not be allowed in this campaign. I treat it as a sort of alien form of magic; inaccessible to PCs but it might be encountered.

VII SPELLS
Magic user and Illusionist spell books are required items. They have weights and dimensions as detailed in the Unearthed Arcana. All 1st edition AD&D spells are "in play" along with (on occasion) spells from The Dragon magazine up to around issue no 200 (give or take). Spells must be found on scrolls, copied from another casters book, or learnt from teachers.

Magic users who wish to get a familiar should talk to me before rolling. Note: there are no special familiars available at low level.

Use of the Identify spell will consume 100 gold pieces rather than the 100gp value pearl. On completion of the spell the gold turns to ashes.
If a bar for example of greater value than 100gp is used, the entire amount is used up (in other words, don't use a 10,000gp ingot!)
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:42, Sun 06 Nov 2016.

While this is possibly a unique occurrance I thought I'd better post the house rules for being in darkness and/or silenced...

Darkness:

No public visual comunication!! public verbal comunication only,  PM actions to DM,

From the combat perspective, darkness acts as if everyone friend and foe are invisible and therefore at -4 to hit, dex bonuses to init and A/C are void.

There is an additional element from invisible objects giving a chance to trip or bash dependant on your actions and familiarity with the location.

If in range, there is a 10% chance of any attack hitting friends.

Concerted operations only through verbal instructions.

Spells with a somantic (gestures) component have a significant chance to fail:
1d20+spell level v's dex

Silence:

No verbal comunication!! public actions only.

Concerted operations only through visual instructions

Rear attacks gain additional +2 to hit, (including backstab for thieves.)

Spells with verbal component are impossible.

Darkness and Silence:

As above with the following modifiers.

Only touch, smell and taste (yuck) are available for any information. PM everything to DM except where in direct contact with others where simple follow/guide instructions are possible, PM between those in contact.

Combat

To hit -6, chance to hit. Hit friend 30% on any attack within range.

Grappling is the only serious combat option with a to hit of -3 when you are aware of where you opponent is. 15% chance of grappeling the wrong person...

No rear attack bouns including backstab.

Disorientation: each round after the first spent in darkness and silence give a cumulative 10% chance of getting lost and a 5% cumulative chance of loosing balance.

Just to clarify the current rules...

There is no extra damage applied for critical hits and there are no fumbles for critical misses.

On injury and death, the DMG says this:


The house rules have the following differences:

At 0 hps a character/monster is conscious but incapable of any actions.

At -1 to -9 hps a character/monster is unconscious and incapable of any action except bleed. Each round they will loose a further 1hp unless they are treated or stabilise (10% chance, borrowed from D&D3 and 3.5) in which case they remain in that condition. A cure or heal spell will automatically stabilise that person at the healed hit points.

At -10 hps they are dead.
------------------------------

A character who dies may attempt to be raised or resurrected if the funding/clerical needs are met.

------------------------------

Players who's characters die may roll-up a new character with starting xp at the level of the previous character.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:47, Thu 18 Apr 2013.

From now on I will try and include an indication of health of the party and monsters during combat.  This will necessarily be vague as I do not want o get to much into game mechanics.  It will also occasionally be wrong as I am not perfect at long division, but we'll call that fog of war....

Dead or unconscious          <0% of hit points remaining
near death                   <24% - 0% of hit points remaining
badly wounded                <49% - 25% of hit points remaining
wounded                      <74% - 50% of hit points remaining
lightly wounded              <99% - 75% of hit points remaining

This message was last edited by the GM at 06:18, Fri 07 Mar 2014.

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 non-weapon proficiencies come into play. Described in this section is a system for handling the concept of non-weapon proficiencies, followed by definitions of what these various skills allow a character to accomplish.
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 non-weapon proficiencies – slots that can be filled with the skills described herein.
In some 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 is a skill whose practice is limited to the underground environment.

NONWEAPON PROFICIENCIES
Choosing skills
The selection of non-weapon proficiencies 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 non-weapon proficiencies 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 grew 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 Dungeon Master. If the arbiter of a campaign feels that a player’s selection is illogical, then he is entitled – even obliged - to disallow that selection.

Success and Failure
Unlike a weapon proficiency, the possession of a non-weapon proficiency 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 boatwright, for example, given all of the tools of his trade, plenty of raw materials, and time, is able to produce a boat to any realistic set of specifications. If the same boatwright is stranded in a dank underground cave with a few pieces of rope and whatever driftwood happens to float by, however, he must make a Proficiency Check to determine whether his attempt to build a crude boat is successful.
A Proficiency Check for use of a proficiency is necessary in two cases: to determine if the specific task is performed within a given set of limitations (as in the boatbuilding example), or to gauge the quality of a piece of work when such an evaluation is desired.
A Proficiency Check is accomplished in the same way as an Ability Check. The player rolls 1d20, applies modifiers (if any), 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. Thus, a +3 makes a d20 roll of 12 equal to a 15. In addition, as a character uses additional proficiency slots to improve a given proficiency (instead of adding a new one), the proficiency die roll modifier is increased by 2 for each additional slot. (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 the check is to determine the quality of workmanship, a successful roll means that the work is of superior craftsmanship. The exact amount of success determines the degree of perfection, so that a 1 equals a nearly flawless creation. If the character sells this product, the price earned is from 110%-200% of what would normally be offered.

Construction Time
Many proficiencies list a specific amount of time required for the use of the proficiency. This time requirement assumes that the character devotes his entire working day to his proficiency. If the character takes time out to hunt, fight, or yield to any other distractions, the time required to accomplish the task should be correspondingly increased.
In addition to the weapons proficiencies described in the Players Handbook and Unearthed Arcana, characters can learn proficiencies in various areas related to underground exploration.
Since all characters spend time engaged in pursuits other than combat, these non-weapon proficiencies reflect abilities gained through non-combat activities.
Non-weapon proficiencies allow players an additional opportunity to develop well-rounded characters. A variety of non-weapon proficiencies can help ensure the survival of a character and his party. Players are encouraged to distribute non-weapon proficiencies among their characters.
Non-weapon proficiencies also provide a means of adjudicating player characters’ use of Secondary Skills, as generated by the table on DMG page 12. Characters who have earned Secondary Skills in their campaign should be granted proficiencies in these areas of skill. Converting Secondary Skills to proficiencies requires one proficiency slot for every one or two Secondary Skills. Thus, characters with two Secondary Skills can earn proficiencies in both areas by using only one proficiency slot. Since some Secondary Skills do not have corresponding proficiencies in these rules, they continue to function as normal Secondary Skills.
This section includes two types of proficiencies: adventuring proficiencies and craftsman proficiencies.
Adventuring proficiencies represent skills that increase a character’s capacity for dealing with the underground environment. Some useful adventuring proficiencies include climbing, swimming and boating.
Craftsman proficiencies generally represent skills that help a character prepare for adventuring, and these skills often require a great deal more equipment and resources than adventuring skills do. Weapon smith, smelter, and boatwright are proficiencies of the craftsman class.

Improving Proficiencies
When a character becomes eligible to fill an additional non-weapon proficiency slot gained at 3rd level or higher, the player may elect to improve the character’s ability in an existing proficiency 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 PROFlClENClES

                 Initial #        Add Proficiency
Class of       Proficiencies        Per Level
Character     Weapon/Non-weapon  Weapon/Non-weapon
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.

Initial # 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 weapon proficiencies; the number to the right is the number of non-weapon proficiencies. A weapon proficiency slot can be filled with a non-weapon proficiency if the player desires to develop his character in this fashion, but the reverse is not allowed; a non-weapon proficiency slot must be filled with a non-weapon 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 until 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 non-weapon 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.)

Peaceful proficiencies are acquired during characters’ free time. There are normally gaps between adventures and there may even be unoccupied hours during the course of the adventures themselves. These free periods allow characters sufficient time to learn and develop new skills. The only requirements for learning a proficiency are that the character have the necessary tools at hand and, when first learning the skill, be in an environment where he can receive training and guidance from those skilled in the art. To learn to build a boat effectively, a character must have a body of water available, the wood, skins, reeds, or other material that he intends to build the boat with, and the presence and cooperation of a skilled boat builder.
It may occasionally be possible for a character to obtain a magical item that can aid in the use of a given proficiency. Such items are only useful if the character possesses the appropriate proficiency.
If the proficiency is known, the magical item can either improve the success rate of the character when employing the proficiency, or improve the quality of the product or function of the proficiency.
Proficiencies can also be improved as characters advance in levels and gain access to more proficiency slots. When a slot is added, it can be used to augment an existing proficiency instead of adding a new one. The modifier (the number that is added to the appropriate ability score for Proficiency Checks) of a proficiency thus enhanced is increased by two. For example, a character with a miner proficiency modifier of -1 could increase that rating to 1 by adding an additional slot of proficiency to his miner skill.

Artisans, Craftsmen, and Other NPCs
The non-weapon proficiencies are skills that can be learned by adventurers in addition to their primary vocations. Naturally, most adventurers do not have a great deal of time in which to pursue these extra skills.
Characters who do not devote much of their time to the mastering of character class skills, however, tend to become even more proficient in non-weapon skills than player characters. These artisans devote their lives to perfecting proficiencies that do not involve adventure and combat. In order to calculate the proficiency rating of these characters at an appropriately accomplished rate, a conversion is necessary.
NPCs who do not claim a weapon proficiency should be allowed to claim two non-weapon proficiency slots after passing through a period of training for a peaceful skill. This means that a character has progressed through the apprenticeship to the journeyman stage of his craft.
After one to four years of practice as a journeyman, the character advances to the master level of his profession, and is granted an additional proficiency slot. For every four years of work thereafter, he gains an additional proficiency slot. Thus, as a master craftsman gains decades of experience, he becomes very skilled at what he does. This creates a more realistic representation of the roles of such skilled non-combatant characters.
A character with an adventuring character class can elect to gain peaceful proficiencies in lieu of weapon proficiencies. As the character advances in level, he can elect to gain one additional non-weapon proficiency slot at a cost of one weapon proficiency slot. He cannot, however, gain additional weapon slots by sacrificing non-weapon slots.

Each proficiency on Table 2: Craftsman Proficiencies gives the number of proficiency slots required to gain that proficiency. In addition, any die roll modifiers that apply to the Proficiency Check are listed. Remember, the Proficiency Check is made like an Ability Check. When the slots required number is marked with an asterisk, a Proficiency Check is required every time that proficiency is used. The appropriate ability score to use for the Proficiency Check is given for each Proficiency.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:28, Tue 03 Aug 2010.

Table 2: CRAFTSMAN PROFICIENCIES

                  Slots     Appropriate      Die Roll
Proficiency     Required      Ability        Modifier
Animal Trainer      1*         Wisdom           0
Armourer            2*      Intelligence       -2
Blacksmith          1         Strength          0
Boatwright          1       Intelligence       -2
Bowyer/Fletcher     1*       Dexterity         -1
Carpenter           1         Strength          0
Gem Cutter          2        Dexterity         -2
Leatherworker       1       Intelligence        0
Miner               2*         Wisdom          -3
Potter              1        Dexterity         -2
Smelter             1       Intelligence       -2
Stonemason          1         Strength         -2
Weapon smith        3*      Intelligence       -3
Weaver              1       Intelligence       -1

* This proficiency requires a d20 roll for success each time it is used.

Animal Trainer: A character with this proficiency must declare what type of creature he will specialize in at the time the proficiency is first gained. Common examples include horses, dogs, falcons, pigeons, or elephants. A character can select a more exotic species if he wishes.
Any additional proficiency slots gained can be used to increase the character’s Proficiency Check modifier in the type of animal chosen, or can be used to add another type of animal that the character is able to train.
The training of an animal for a typical role requires three months. An animal trainer can have up to six animals in training - at a given time. Typical roles include guarding and attack (for dogs), riding (for horses), and heavy labour (for elephants). Such training grants a +10 modifier to the character’s Proficiency Check at the end of the training period.
Animals that have been trained in their typical areas can occasionally be given additional training to increase the number of functions that they can perform. Such additional training requires another three months, and an animal trainer can work with no more than three animals during this type of training. Examples of additional training include training elephants, horses, or dogs for war, and training falcons to retrieve specific objects. The DM must decide the chance of success if a character attempts to train an animal to perform a task at the very limits of possibility.
After the advanced training period is over, the character must make an unmodified Proficiency Check for each animal trained. Success means that the animal can perform the advanced tasks it has been taught.

Armourer: This character can make all of the types of armour listed in the Players Handbook and Unearthed Arcana tomes, given the proper materials and facilities. When making armour, the Proficiency Check is rolled at the end of the normal construction time.
The time required to make armour is equal to two weeks per level of AC below 10. For example, a shield would require two weeks of work, whereas a suit of full plate armour would require 18 weeks of work.
If the Proficiency Check indicates a failure but is within four of the amount needed for success, the armourer has created usable, but flawed, armour. Such armour functions as one Armour Class worse than usual, although it looks like the armour it was intended to be. Only a character with armourer proficiency can detect the flaws, and this requires careful and detailed inspection. If the flawed armour is struck in melee combat with a natural die roll of 19 or 20, it breaks. The character’s AC immediately drops four additional classes (although never above lo), and the broken armour hampers the character’s movement. Until the character can remove the broken armour (a process requiring ld4 rounds), the character moves at ½ of his normal rate and suffers a -4 modifier on all of his attack rolls.
If an armourer is creating a suit of field plate or full plate armour, the character who will use the armour must be present at least once a week during the creation of the armour, since such types of armour require very exact fittings.

Blacksmith: A character with blacksmith proficiency is capable of making tools and implements from iron. Use of the proficiency requires a forge with a coal-fed fire and bellows, as well as a hammer and anvil. The character cannot make armour or most weapons, but can craft crowbars, grappling hooks, horseshoes, nails, hinges, ploughs, and most other iron objects.
A blacksmith is also capable of making a limited collection of weapons, primarily hammers and maces. He can make a weapon provided that it does not have a sharp edge or sharp point.

Boatwright: The boatwright, or boatbuilding, proficiency allows a character to construct all sorts of watercraft, up to a maximum size of 60 feet long. Larger vessels require the skills of a character with shipbuilding proficiency, an area outside the province of underground exploration. The time period required to build a boat depends on its size. As a general guide, the boat requires one week of construction time per foot of length. Two characters with boatwright proficiency cut this time in half; three reduce it to one third, etc. A maximum of one boatwright per five-foot length of the boat can work on the vessel simultaneously.
The basic boat includes the hull, masts, deck, and benches as required. Additional features such as a cabin or sealed hold add about a week apiece to the construction time. Characters without boatwright proficiency can aid the boatwright in construction, but it takes two such characters to equal the time savings that one additional skilled boatwright would provide.

Bowyer/Fletcher: This character can make bows and arrows of the types given in the Players Handbook weapons lists on pages 37 and 38.
A weapon smith is required to fashion arrowheads, but the bowyer1fletcher can perform all other necessary functions. The construction time for a long or short bow is one week; composite bows require two weeks; ld6 arrows can be made in one day.
When the construction time for the weapon is completed, the player makes a Proficiency Check. If the check is successful, it means that the weapon is of fine quality and will sustain many years of normal use without breaking. If the check fails, the weapon is still usable, but has a limited lifespan: An arrow breaks on the first shot; a bow breaks if the character using it rolls an unmodified 1 on his d20 attack roll.
Option: If a character wishes to create a weapon of truly fine quality and the DM allows it, the player can opt to use this alternate procedure for determining the success of his attempt. When the Proficiency Check is made, any failure means that the weapon enables the character to use Strength bonuses to attack rolls and damage. Additionally, if the Proficiency Check is a natural 20, the range of the bow or arrow is increased by +2" for all range classes.

Carpenter: A character with carpenter proficiency is needed for the construction of wooden shelters, towers, barricades, and other structures. A single carpenter can build a wooden object the size of a 10-foot cube in a week. Helpers can reduce this time, so that seven characters-only one of whom must be a carpenter-can build a 10-foot cubic structure in a day. One carpenter is needed for every nine non-carpenter workers.

Gem Cutter: A character with this proficiency can finish the rough gems that are discovered through mining at a rate of ldl0 stones per day. A gem cutter derives no benefit from the assistance of non-proficient characters. Every gem-cutter must work with a good light source, and needs an assortment of chisels, small hammers, and especially hardened blades.

Leatherworker: This proficiency allows a character to tan and treat leather, and to make clothing and other leather objects. The character can make leather armour, as well as backpacks, saddlebags, saddles, and all sorts of harnesses.

Miner: The uses of this proficiency are primarily described and expanded upon in the rules on mining. A character with this proficiency is needed to find a site for a mine, and to supervise the operations of the mine.

Potter: A character with this proficiency can create any type of clay vessel or container commonly used in the campaign world. The character requires a wheel and a kiln, as well as a supply of clay and glaze. The character can generally create two items of small or medium size, or one item of large size per day. Then the pieces of pottery must be fired in the kiln for an additional day. The raw materials involved cost three cp to make a small item, five cp to make a medium-sized item, and one sp to make a large item.

Smelter: The smelter proficiency is closely tied to the miner proficiency, since between them they provide all of the metal used in the campaign world. A character with this proficiency can operate a smelter, which is essentially an extremely hot forge. Using this forge and the occasional application of certain liquids, including water and acids, the smelter separates the metal from the rocky ore with which it is usually mined. The amount of ore that can be processed is more a function of the size of the smelter than the character's working rate. A small smelter can process ore as fast as four miners can produce it. A medium smelter can process the ore excavated by up to 20 miners. A large smelter can process the ore excavated by up to 100 miners.
Because of the materials needed to operate it, a smelting operation costs money to maintain. This expense is in addition to the cost of the smelting equipment itself (listed on the new equipment tables). A small smelting operation costs five gp per day to operate; the cost of a medium smelting operation is 12 gp per day, and a large smelting operation costs 25 gp a day to run. The smelter only costs money when it is operating. Thus, it is common practice to collect a stockpile of ore before beginning to smelt it, so that the smelter can run at maximum efficiency until all the stockpiled ore has been processed.

Stonemason: A character with this proficiency is able to build structures from stone in such a fashion that they last for many years. The stones are often, but not always, mortared together. A stonemason equipped with chisels, hammers, wedges, and a block and tackle can build a section of wall one foot thick, 10 feet long, and five feet high in a day.

Weapon smith: This highly specialized proficiency allows a character to perform the difficult and highly exacting work involved in the making of metal weapons, particularly those with blades. The character blends some of the skill of the blacksmith with an ability to work fine detail to create blades of strength and sharpness. The times required to make various types of weapons are listed on Table 3: Weapon Making, along with the approximate cost in materials to make one of the weapons listed.

Table 3: WEAPON MAKING

Weapon          Construction Time   Material Cost
Arrowhead            1-2/day            1 cp
Battle Axe           10 days           10 sp
Hand Axe              5 days            5 sp
Dagger                5 days            2 sp
Crossbow, heavy      20 days           10 sp
Crossbow, light      15 days            5 sp
Fork, trident        20 days           10 sp
Spear, lance          4 days            4 sp
Shortsword           20 days            5 sp
Longsword            30 days           10 sp
Two-handed sword     45 days            2 gp

Players can gain estimates for the times required to make weapons that are not listed here by comparing them to listed weapons.
When the construction of a weapon is completed, the player must make a Proficiency Check. If the check is successful, it means that the weapon created is of very fine quality and will last through many combats. If the check fails, the weapon is still usable, but has a limited lifespan. The weapon breaks and becomes useless if the character wielding it rolls an unmodified 1 on his d20 attack roll.

Weaver: A character with weaving proficiency is able to create garments, tapestries, and draperies from wool or cotton. The character requires a spinning apparatus and a loom. A weaver can create two square yards of material per day.

Table 4: ADVENTURING PROFlClENClES

                      Slots    Appropriate    Die Roll
Proficiency         Required     Ability      Modifier
Alertness               1        Wisdom          +1
Animal Handling         1        Wisdom          +1
Animal Lore             1     Intelligence        0
Animal Noise            1        Wisdom          +1
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
Fungus Identification   1     Intelligence       -6
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
Slow Respiration        1          NA            NA
Sound Analysis          1        Wisdom          +1
Survival, cold          1          NA            NA
Survival, desert        2          NA            NA
Survival, heat          1          NA            NA
Swimming                1       Strength          0
Tracking                1          NA            NA
Weather Sense           1        Wisdom          +1

Slots Required lists the number of non-weapon proficiency 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 ld20 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.

Proficiency Descriptions
Alertness: A character with this proficiency is able to instinctively notice and recognize signs of a disturbance in the immediate vicinity, reducing by 1 in 6 the character’s chance of being surprised whenever he makes a successful Proficiency Check. Assuming that he is able to communicate his information to others in the party, their chance of being surprised is also reduced by that amount.

Animal Handling: Proficiency in this area enables a character to exercise a greater-than-normal degree of control over pack animals and beasts of burden. A successful Proficiency Check indicates that the character has succeeded in calming an excited or agitated animal; in contrast, a character without this proficiency has only a 20% chance of succeeding in the attempt (see the section on Mounts and Beasts of Burden).

Animal Lore: This proficiency represents the ability to interpret the sounds and behaviour of animals and thereby anticipate some impending threat or danger. This threat or danger may take many forms: a storm that is brewing, the approach of some large predator (perhaps the approach of the party itself, from the viewpoint of the animals), a forest fire, a volcano about to erupt, an earthquake about to occur, and so forth. A successful Proficiency Check indicates correct interpretation of the impending threat. If the modified die roll indicates a Proficiency Check that is failed by 4 or less, no information will be gained. If the Proficiency Check is failed by 5 or more, some sort of incorrect information will be obtained, either involving a mistake in the direction from which the threat is approaching or a mistake in identifying the nature of the danger.

Animal Noise: A character with this proficiency is capable of imitating noises made by various animals. A successful Proficiency Check means that only magical means can distinguish the noise from that of the actual animal being imitated. A failed die roll means that the sound varies from the correct noise in some slight way.
If the die roll fails, this does not mean that all creatures hearing the noise know that the sound was fake. While creatures and humanoids that are very familiar with the noise know this automatically, other creatures or characters in earshot are allowed Wisdom Checks to determine if they detect the fake.

Blind fighting: A character with this proficiency has trained himself to respond to sound, smell, and touch stimuli, and thus is less hampered by completely dark conditions than normal characters are. Blind-fighting proficiency is available to all character races, but is obviously most useful to those not possessing infravision. This proficiency can be used whenever a character cannot see, whether the reason is darkness, a blindfold, or some kind of natural or magical blindness.
His penalty on attack and damage rolls in total darkness is only -2 instead of -4; in natural darkness, his penalty is only - 1 instead of -3; and in any conditions of brighter illumination he suffers no penalties. (See the text on “Fighting in Poor Visibility” in the section on Combat Rules for Wilderness Play.) A character with proficiency in blind fighting suffers no penalty to armour class because of lack of illumination (he is just as hard to hit as he would be in daylight), and he retains special abilities and other proficiencies that would otherwise be lost in darkness. For instance, a character with blind-fighting proficiency and proficiency in direction sense would still be able to find his way around during a long journey in the dark (assuming that the Proficiency Check for direction sense is successful); a character with proficiency in tracking and in blind-fighting would still be able to follow a trail in total or natural darkness. Likewise a thief with blind-fighting proficiency could still score extra damage for a backstab in the dark, and a ranger would still inflict extra damage on giant class creatures.
This proficiency also reduces the character’s chance of stumbling or falling over an obstacle in his path during total or natural darkness, the chance of tumbling into a pit or over a cliff, and the chance of slipping and falling while climbing. In all such cases, the chance of an adverse occurrence is half that of a character without this proficiency.
Exceptions: Proficiency in blind-fighting does not impart the ability to see across long distances in the dark; the improved visual acuity granted by this skill only pertains to short-range uses of vision such as for tracking, in melee combat, and in the use of the fire-building proficiency. It does not enable the character to see out to the maximum range of visibility that would otherwise apply in daylight conditions, or to perform any skill or function that necessarily involves long-range vision.

Boating: A character with boating proficiency is needed to guide a boat down a rapid stream and to reduce the dangers of capsizing a canoe or kayak. If a character with this proficiency is piloting a boat, canoe, or other waterborne vessel, it can be moved at its fastest possible rate. Also, the presence of such a character reduces the chance of the craft capsizing in rough water or when it is on a body of water during high winds. For details on how the boating proficiency applies, see the text on “Movement in Waterborne Vehicles” in the section on Encumbrance and Movement.

Charioteering: A character with proficiency in this skill is able to safely guide a chariot over any type of terrain that can normally be negotiated at a rate one-third faster than the normal movement rate for a character without this proficiency. For the movement rates of chariots being drawn by animals, see the text on “Movement of Land-based Vehicles” in the section on Encumbrance and Movement. Note that this proficiency does not impart the ability to move a chariot over terrain that it cannot traverse; even the best charioteer in the world cannot take such a vehicle into the mountains.

Direction Sense: Any group containing at least one character with proficiency in direction sense has a reduced chance of becoming lost or disoriented in any type of terrain. The character must concentrate for ld6 rounds and then make a determination. A Proficiency Check is required whenever the Dungeon Master determines that the group has a chance of becoming lost or disoriented, and this die roll is always made by the Dungeon Master in secret. The check is made with a die roll modifier of +4 if the group is in total darkness, or +2 in conditions of partial darkness. Success indicates that the group has no chance of straying from its intended path or losing its sense of direction. If the check is unsuccessful but less than 20, the character has incorrectly sensed direction by an error of 90 degrees to the left or right (DM’s decision). If the Proficiency Check is a 20, the character determines a direction that is exactly the opposite of the intended path.
If a group includes more than one character with this proficiency, the Dungeon Master should make a Proficiency Check for each such character. If each character determines that a different direction is the one desired, then the party will have to decide among themselves which character’s sense is to be trusted.
If more than one character makes the same determination, it is likely that both of their Proficiency Checks have succeeded - but it is also possible that they have both made the same error.

Endurance: A character with endurance proficiency is able to perform continual strenuous physical activity for twice as long as a normal character can before becoming subject to the effects of fatigue and exhaustion. Note that this proficiency does not enable a character to extend the length of time that he can remain unaffected by a lack of food and/or water.

Fire building: If a character with this skill makes a successful Proficiency Check, he can start a fire without the use of flint and steel or a tinderbox given some dry wood and small pieces of tinder, he can start a fire in 2d20 minutes. Wet wood, high winds, or other adverse conditions increase the required time to 3d20 and a successful Proficiency Check must be made to start a fire. If such a character does have the abovementioned equipment, the time needed to start a fire is half as long as it would be for a character without this proficiency.

Fishing: A character with proficiency in this skill is generally more successful at netting or hooking a substantial catch.
For each hour that the character spends fishing, he can make a Proficiency Check. Failure means that no fish are caught. A successful check means that at least one fish is caught. To determine the number of fish, subtract the character’s d20 roll from his Wisdom score. One fish provides ½ of the daily rations needed to feed a single character. The DM can modify this amount to reflect the sizes and types of fish that are caught. Of course, if an area contains no fish then none are caught, regardless of the character’s rolls.
The DM can also modify the time required for the Proficiency Checks to reflect how many fish are in the area. The check might be made every turn, for example, in a crowded pool, while it might only be allowed after six hours of fishing in an area where the fish are few and far between.

Foraging: Similar to the fishing proficiency, this skill enables a character to locate and obtain edible plants more easily than a normal character can. A successful Proficiency Check indicates that twice as much food is obtained than a normal character would be able to obtain in the same length of time, or that the time needed to obtain a certain amount of food is half as long as a normal character would need to get the same results. See the section on Food and Water for details on how to determine the success of a foraging attempt.

Fungus Identification: This proficiency is very useful on extended underground expeditions where characters intend to live off the land. Fungi are the only plants that commonly grow underground, and approximately 50% of all fungi discovered there are deadly poisonous. For this reason, an edible fungus harvest is virtually impossible without the aid of a character proficient in fungus identification.
If the character has plentiful light and an opportunity to study the fungus in question for one turn, no Proficiency Check is necessary. However, if the character is unable to see the fungus clearly, or must make a hasty decision about whether or not it is edible, the check must be made.

Healing: A character with this proficiency knows how to use substances found in the wilderness to aid a wounded or ill character or creature, and also has some knowledge of “doctoring” techniques that can accelerate the healing of wounds.
If a character with healing proficiency tends to a wounded character within one round after a wound has been inflicted, and makes a successful Proficiency Check, his ministrations will cause the immediate restoration of a maximum of 1d3 hit points to the victim. No more hit points can be restored than were lost in the round preceding the application of treatment; if a wound caused only 1 or 2 hit points of damage, then only 1 or 2 hit points can be restored regardless of the result of the die roll.
If a wounded character remains under the care of someone with healing proficiency, he can recover lost hit points at the rate of 1 point per day even while travelling or engaging in non-strenuous activity. If the wounded character rests while he is being cared for, he can recover two hit points per day instead of the one point that is normally allowed. This “continuous care” aspect of the healing proficiency does not require a Proficiency Check, and is assumed to be benefiting the wounded character as long as the patient and the healer remain in the same group. However, this skill cannot be used on more than one character during the same day.
A character with healing proficiency can attempt to aid a character or creature who has been poisoned by venom entering his body through a wound. If the victim can be ministered to immediately (beginning in the same round that the poisoning occurs), then his saving throw versus poison is taken at a +2 bonus. No Proficiency Check is required to exercise this ability. However, the bonus to the saving throw can only be retained if the victim remains at complete rest for one turn thereafter, and if the healing character continues to aid the victim for at least five rounds following the round in which the poisoning took place. If either of these time requirements is not met, the victim must make another saving throw versus poison, with no bonus, and abide by the result of that roll. Note that unless someone in the party has proficiency in animal handling, it may be fruitless to try to aid (for instance) a horse that has been poisoned, since it is unlikely that anyone will be able to keep the animal calm and resting for one turn.
A character with healing proficiency can also attempt to help a character who has been taken ill, either by a disease occurring because of the condition of the character or the environment or by a disease resulting from parasitic infestation (see pages 13-14, Dungeon Masters Guide, for a discussion of both types of disease).
If the healing character begins tending to the victim within three turns of the onset of symptoms, and if that character makes a successful Proficiency Check, then the severity of the disease will be one step lower than indicated by the die roll (terminal becomes severe, or severe becomes mild). If the severity of the disease was already determined to be mild, then the disease will run its course in half the time that would have been required otherwise. These benefits will only continue to apply to the diseased character as long as he receives aid from the healing character at least twice per day, at regular intervals, until the disease runs its course. If two of these “medicine sessions” are missed consecutively, or if a total of three of them are missed during the duration of the disease, then the illness reverts to the level of severity that was originally indicated.
Note that in order for a character to be able to exercise his proficiency in healing, he must possess or have immediate access to any necessary materials or substances. See the section on First Aid and Medicine for details on the availability of medical equipment and medicinal substances.

Hunting: Similar in effect to the proficiencies of fishing and foraging (see above), the hunting proficiency enables a character to locate and kill wild game for food more easily than a normal character can.
The best chance for success at hunting is afforded when the hunter goes out by himself. For every additional character in the hunting party, the hunter’s Proficiency Check die roll is modified upward cumulatively according to the number of characters accompanying him: + 1 for one additional character, +3 for two additional, +6 for three, + 10 for four, and + 15 for five. Obviously, a hunting Proficiency Check will automatically fail (and thus need not be made) whenever a hunting party contains six or more members in addition to the hunter. This cumulative penalty applies even when other characters with hunting proficiency are in the hunting party.
See the section on Food and Water for details on how to determine the success of a hunting attempt.

Mountaineering: This proficiency allows a character to ascend steep, rocky terrain by using spikes that he drives into cracks in the rock face, thereby being able to negotiate a surface that is not normally able to be climbed. The character also gains a + 10% bonus to his Climbing Rating for each slot spent on this proficiency.

Plant Lore: A character with proficiency in this skill is able to more easily locate and positively identify plant life that is useful for some purpose other than its food value, such as plants that have medicinal use. If some medicinal plant is found and a Proficiency Check succeeds, then the plant will certainly be the correct sort (no chance of misidentification). See the section on Medicine and First Aid for details on how to determine the success of a search for a certain medicinal plant.

Riding, airborne: A character with this proficiency is especially skilled in the riding and handling of a flying mount. When this proficiency is selected, the player must indicate what type of mount it pertains to, according to the categories of flying mounts given in the section on Encumbrance and Movement. The player may select this proficiency more than once if he desires his character to have skill in handling more than one type of aerial mount.
A character with proficiency in airborne riding can perform all of the following feats, some of them automatically and others requiring a Proficiency Check to determine success.
1)  The character can leap onto the back or neck of his mount whenever the creature is at rest on the ground, or can drop onto his mount from a distance of no more than 10 feet above the mount without causing damage either to himself or to the mount. The former manoeuvre can be performed even if the character is wearing armour. However, the second manoeuvre cannot succeed if the character is wearing armour heavier than leather; in such a case, the character will suffer falling damage and his mount will panic (and perhaps also suffer incidental damage from the impact). Accomplishing either of these feats does not require a Proficiency Check, but the character must make a successful Proficiency Check if he intends to get the mount airborne during the same segment in which he landed. A successful Proficiency Check is also required if the character attempts to drop from above and land on the neck or back of a mount that is hovering a short distance off the ground. Failure on this check indicates either that the mount was driven to the ground by the impact (possibly causing it to suffer damage), or that the character’s leap was ill-timed and he ended up on the ground.
2)  The character can spur his mount on to greater speeds, adding 1 “ to the mount’s flying movement rate for as many as four consecutive turns. A successful Proficiency Check is required at the beginning of each turn in which this extra speed is desired. If the initial check fails, no more attempts can be made until at least three turns have passed, but the mount can still be made to move at its normal maximum movement rate. If the second or a later check fails, the mount has become fatigued from overexertion. It will immediately slow to 2/3 of its normal maximum movement rate and will perform as if it were one Manoeuvrability Class worse than it actually is. These conditions will persist until the mount is allowed to land and is given at least two turns to regain its strength. If the mount is successfully pushed to greater speeds for four consecutive turns, it will slow and become less manoeuvrable as described above and must be landed and rested before its normal levels of ability can be regained.
3)  The character can guide his mount with his knees or feet, leaving his hands free for the use of weapons or equipment that requires two hands. A Proficiency Check is not necessary to accomplish this feat unless the rider takes damage; in such a case, a check must be made. Failure indicates either that the character drops what he was holding and clutches his mount to keep from falling off (if the damage is slight), or that he is knocked off the mount and falls (if the damage is more than slight). Note that with some mounts of exceptionally large size, it may be prudent or necessary for a rider to use some sort of harness or series of straps to keep himself securely positioned on the mount. When a harness is being used, this aspect of the riding proficiency does not apply - but it may prove perilous to be strapped to a mount that has taken damage and is plummeting toward the ground.
4)  If his mount is hovering, the character can leap from the back of his mount to the ground from a height of 10 feet or less and, in the same round, make a melee attack against any character or creature within 10 feet of where he landed. This is a risky manoeuvre, requiring the character to make a successful Proficiency Check with a +4 modifier to the die roll. Failing this check indicates that the character lands in a heap, suffers ld3 points of damage, and has a -4 penalty to armour class for any melee attacks directed against him in the current round.

Riding, land-based: A player choosing this proficiency for his character must specify the type of mount to which it applies. Possibilities include horses, unicorns, dire wolves, and virtually any creatures used as mounts by humans, demihumans, or humanoids.
More than one proficiency in land-based riding may be taken if the player desires his character to be skilled in handling and riding more than one type of mount.
A character with land-based riding proficiency can perform all of the following feats, some of them automatically and others requiring a Proficiency Check for success.
1)  The character can vault into a saddle or onto the back of a mount whenever the mount is standing still, even if the character is wearing armour. A successful Proficiency Check is required if the character vaults into the saddle and then tries to get the mount moving during the same segment in which he landed on its back. The character can vault onto a moving mount by making a successful Proficiency Check. Failure indicates that the character falls to the ground, but he does not suffer any damage as a result.
2)  The character can urge his mount to jump tall obstacles or leap across gaps. No check is required if the obstacle is less than three feet tall, or the gap is less than 12 feet wide. If the character makes a Proficiency Check, the mount can be urged to leap obstacles up to seven feet high, or clear gaps of as much as 30 feet in width. Success means that the mount makes the leap. Failure indicates that the mount balks (stops suddenly just in front of the obstacle), and another Proficiency Check is required to determine whether the character keeps his seat or falls to the ground.
3)  The character can spur his mount on to great speeds, adding six feet per round to the animal’s maximum movement rate for up to four turns. A Proficiency Check is required at the beginning of each turn in order to accomplish this feat. If the initial check fails, no further attempt of this sort can be made until at least three turns have passed, but the mount can still move at its maximum rate. If the second or a later check fails, the mount immediately slows to a walk, and the character must dismount and lead the animal for a turn. In any event, after four turns of racing its dismounted rider must walk the steed for a turn.
4)  The character can guide his mount with his knees, allowing him to use equipment and weapons that require both hands to wield. This feat does not require a Proficiency Check unless the character takes damage while riding in this fashion. In this case, a check is required; failure means that the character falls to the ground and takes an additional ld6 points of damage.
5)  The character can drop down and hang alongside the mount, using it as a shield against attack. No Proficiency Check is required to accomplish this feat, and it can be performed while the mount is moving at full speed. However, the character cannot be wearing any armour heavier than leather, and he cannot make any attacks while in the shielded position. The character receives a bonus of 6 steps to his armour class (10 becomes 4, 8 becomes 2, etc.) while in the shielded position against attacks coming from the direction he is shielded from. However, any attacks directed against the mount and rider that would have struck the character’s armour class under normal circumstances are considered to have struck the mount instead of the rider.
6)  The character can leap from the back of his mount to the ground and make a melee attack, in the same round, against any character or creature within 10 feet of where he landed. However, this is a risky manoeuvre; the character must make a successful Proficiency Check with a +4 modifier to the die roll. Failure indicates that the character lands in a heap, suffers 1d3 points of damage, and must take 1-3 segments to get to his feet. If he is attacked before regaining an upright position, the opponent’s attack is made at +2 to hit because of the character’s vulnerable position.

Rope Use: A character with this proficiency has extraordinary knowledge in the use of rope, pertaining especially to the tying and releasing of knots. If the construction of a temporary shelter involves the use of rope (which is almost always the case), a character with proficiency in rope use can erect or take down the shelter in half the length of time that a normal character would require. Such a shelter erected by a character with this proficiency is half as likely to be adversely affected by inclement weather (high winds, heavy rain or snow) as a shelter erected by a normal character.
If a proficient character has his hands bound and tied with a rope or a cord, he can escape the bonds by making a successful Proficiency Check. This check is made with a +3 modifier to the die roll if the character’s hands are tied in front of his body, or with a +6 modifier if the character’s hands are tied behind his back.
A character with proficiency in rope use gains +2 to hit on all attacks made with a lasso. He also receives a 10% bonus on all Climbing Checks made while he is using a rope, including attempts to belay companions.

Running: This proficiency takes two forms: sprinting and distance running. Either skill can be employed separately, but both cannot be used at the same time. Proficiency in running is most often found in characters who were raised or have spent a considerable amount of time in a high-altitude environment, although other characters are capable of training themselves to acquire these skills.

Sprinting is the ability to move at high speed on foot for a relatively short period of time. A proficient character who is not encumbered and is not wearing armour heavier than leather can run at twice his normal maximum movement rate for five rounds, or one and one-half times as fast as normal (round up to the nearest whole number) for one turn, whichever is chosen by the character. Extended sprinting is possible if the character makes a series of Proficiency Checks, one per round beginning when the above mentioned time limit expires. Each Proficiency Check after the first one is made with a cumulative modifier of +3 to the die roll (+3 on round two, +6 on round three, etc.). Each successful Proficiency Check indicates that the character can keep sprinting for another round. One failed Proficiency Check indicates that the character has become fatigued. He can continue to sprint, but he runs the risk of becoming exhausted if he fails another Proficiency Check.
A character can choose to stop sprinting at any time. If he is fatigued when he stops, he will remain fatigued and is still subject to becoming exhausted if he performs any other strenuous activity. If he becomes exhausted, he must stop sprinting immediately and will remain exhausted until he has recovered. If a character stops sprinting before becoming fatigued, he can continue to move at his normal maximum rate for two turns and then begin sprinting again. If he slows to one-half his normal maximum rate, he can begin sprinting again in one turn.

Distance running is the ability to move at normal running speed for longer than a normal character can, without risking adverse effects. For the purpose of the rules governing fatigue and exhaustion, running is not considered a particularly strenuous activity for a character with this proficiency. All the time limits given for the fatigue rules in the section on Fatigue and Exhaustion are either doubled or halved (in favour of the character) for a character with running proficiency who is engaging in a long-distance run. For instance: A character with running proficiency can avoid the effects of fatigue by resting for one turn after exerting himself for eight turns. If a character spends twelve turns in long-distance running (without one turn of rest), the player must make a Constitution Check. If that check is successful and he continues to run for ten more turns, another check is required, and so on.
This alteration of the time requirements does not apply if the character becomes fatigued or exhausted. Also, the benefits of this aspect of the running proficiency are negated if the character stops in the middle of a long-distance run to engage in any other type of strenuous activity (such as fighting or climbing). In such a case, the character must immediately begin to abide by the standard rules governing fatigue and exhaustion, as if he had just begun to perform strenuous activity.

Survival, cold: A character with this proficiency is more resistant to the adverse effects of a cold climate. For this character, the effective temperature is considered to be 20 degrees warmer than it is for a character without this proficiency. This proficiency only applies when the effective temperature is 30 degrees or lower.

Survival, desert: A character with this proficiency is more easily able to anticipate or avoid the hazards of a desert environment. His chance of locating a water hole on any given day is twice as great as that of a normal character - perhaps the single most important aspect of this skill. This proficiency also includes foraging skill; the character can locate a certain quantity of edible plants in half the time it takes for a normal character to obtain the same quantity. At the Dungeon Master’s discretion, other advantages may be afforded to a character with desert survival skills and to the other members of his party. For instance, a proficient character may be able to better endure a long stretch of time when no fresh water is available - not because he can go without water for longer than anyone else, but because he knows how to conserve his supply.

Survival, heat: A character with this proficiency is more resistant to the adverse effects of a hot climate. For this character, the effective temperature is considered to be 20 degrees cooler than it is for a character without this proficiency. This proficiency only applies when the effective temperature is 80 degrees or higher.

Swimming: This is something of a special case among the so-called “normal” proficiencies (as opposed to something such as a survival skill, which might be called a “special” proficiency). A character without hunting proficiency still has a chance of being able to bring down some wild game for dinner; one without foraging proficiency is still able to gather plants that he believes to be edible. But a character without swimming proficiency cannot swim at all. He can hold his breath under water, and under the right circumstances he can float at the top of a body of water, but he cannot move through the water under his own power. Rules governing the swimming proficiency are given in the section on Encumbrance and Movement.

Tracking: A character with this proficiency is able to follow the trail of a character or creature in the same fashion that a ranger can track (see Unearthed Arcana, page 21) - except that the base chance for success is half that of a ranger: 5% per level of the character, plus an additional 5%, up to a maximum of 55%. A character without proficiency in tracking has a base chance of 0% on any attempt to follow a trail, but may still be able to engage in tracking if the total of all applicable modifiers is a positive number.

Slow Respiration: A character with this proficiency has the ability to enter a deep trance and greatly reduce the amount of air he needs to stay alive. In order to induce the trance, the character must be in a restful position, either sitting or lying down. After concentrating for one turn, the character’s pulse and breathing rate drop well below normal, so that he uses air only 10% as fast as when resting. The character can emerge from his trance at will. He is fully aware of anything happening nearby while the trance is in effect.

Sound Analysis: This proficiency allows a character to gauge the size of underground areas by creating noise and judging the echoes that return. Using this skill, the character can calculate distances of up to one mile. The proficiency can also be used to determine the direction of a sound.
To use sound analysis, the character must work in conditions of absolute silence. The sound he creates must have a sharp, somewhat staccato quality. A howl or wail is ineffective, but a clicking sound or loud “hey” works well. When this proficiency is used, the player must make a Proficiency Check. If the check is successful, the character has correctly analysed the size of the area in question, within the following margin of error:

    Length: + or -30%
    Width: + or -25%
    Height: + or - 25%

If the check fails, the echo has become garbled in the course of its reverberations. No further attempts to analyse the same area by that character will be successful. Other proficient characters may still try their luck, however.
A Proficiency Check of 5 or less means that the character has learned not only the size of the analysed area, but additional details about it as well. The DM should tell the player which aspects of an area it is possible to learn about in this way. Examples include the number of side passages branching off the analysed area, a sense of whether the area runs straight or winds around considerably, or even if the area contains a body of water. An obvious disadvantage of this ability is that while it is most useful for learning about an area totally new to the PCs, using it announces the presence of the party. Creatures hearing sound analysis used will certainly be prepared for some kind of intrusion and might even go looking for the perpetrators. This proficiency can be used in conjunction with the animal noise proficiency.

Weather sense: This proficiency enables a character to determine something about what the weather conditions will be in the place he is currently occupying during the coming six hours. A successful Proficiency Check indicates that the character correctly ascertains at least one general fact about the upcoming conditions: rain is on the way, rain is not on the way, it will get warmer, it will get cooler, conditions will remain basically the same, and so forth. The Dungeon Master always rolls Proficiency Checks for weather sense, and is not obliged to reveal the result of the attempt. The information gained from a successful check is whatever the Dungeon Master deems it appropriate for the character to know (and, of course, the information must be at least generally true). A failed check indicates that no definite information is gained, or (at the Dungeon Master’s discretion) some incorrect information is obtained.
This proficiency can only be used without penalty once in every 24-hour period. For every attempt beyond the first one on a given day, the Dungeon Master will attach a cumulative +2 modifier to the die roll (decreasing the chance that multiple Proficiency Checks during a single day will all succeed). Also, when a weather sense Proficiency Check is failed, any subsequent check in the next 12 hours will automatically fail.
Sometimes, impending weather is so obvious that even a character without this proficiency will be able to tell what is going to happen. In such cases, the Dungeon Master should not require, or even acknowledge, an attempt for a Proficiency Check and should instead simply describe the conditions, which would be apparent to anyone who can see. For instance, anyone ought to know that “a mass of dark clouds on the horizon, moving toward you” is a pretty clear sign that a rainstorm is on the way.
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:50, Wed 19 Feb 2014.

Pole Arms and Weapon Frontage
Pole arms and similar thrusting weapons are designed primarily for use in highly specialized formations. The average length of these weapons (12 to 20 feet) makes their use in individual combat silly, if not futile. An opponent can easily slip inside the reach of the pole arm, at which point the poor pikeman can only try to back up or drop his weapon. Little else is likely to be effective.
However, if the same man with a pike is lined up with 30 of his fellows in a nice tight formation, he  suddenly becomes very dangerous. Where one pikeman presented only a lone spear point, 30 pikemen present a deadly thicket.
The pole arm's big advantage is the small frontage each man needs to be effective. A man using a piercing pole arm can use his weapon effectively with just three feet of space, side-to-side. This allows a tightly packed line of pikemen.
In a group, men armed with pole arms should be set for defense or advancing slowly (1/4 normal movement rate). They automatically make their attack rolls prior to any opponent attempting to close with them. However, after the first round of combat any surviving opponents are inside the reach of the pole arms and the pikemen must drop their pikes and draw weapons more suitable for close-in work.

Shields and Weapon Frontage
A shield is an item of limited size, strapped to only one arm or slung on a character's back. Characters generally position a shield so it offers maximum protection. Usually, this means it protects the shield-arm side of the body, most frequently the left side of a right-handed character. In this position, attacks from the rear or rear flanks of the character can't be blocked by a shield. In these cases, the shield's AC bonus is not applied to the THAC0.
It is possible to strap a shield to one's back. If this is done, the shield bonus is applied to the rear of the character, but the character can't use the shield to protect his front. Furthermore, the straps hinder the character's movement, giving him a -2 penalty to his attack roll.