Single-Weapon Proficiency, Weapon Specialization

In the Player's Handbook, the only things you can do with Weapon Proficiencies are take single-weapon proficiencies and specialize in particular weapons.

To briefly review the information from that section:

A character must have a Proficiency with a weapon to use it normally. To become proficient, the character "spends" one of the Weapon Proficiency Slots he has on that weapon. Each slot can buy proficiency with one weapon. If he uses a weapon he's not proficient in, he suffers an attack penalty: –2 for weapons which are completely unfamiliar, or –1 for weapons similar to those with which he already has proficiency. (That penalty is worse for non-Warriors.)

To specialize in a particular weapon, the character must devote an extra weapon proficiency slot to it. (In the case of bows or crossbows, it takes two extra slots.) When using his special weapon, the character gets a +1 to attack rolls and +2 to damage. (With bows and crossbows, he instead gets a new range category, point-blank: 6–30 feet for crossbows, 6–60 feet for bows. Within that range, he gains a +2 to attack rolls. Also, if his weapon is ready and there's a target in sight, he can fire in the combat round before initiative is rolled.)

Only Fighters (but not paladins or rangers) can take weapon specialties. Such a character can only take one when he is first created, but may specialize in more weapons as he gains new slots.

With that in mind, let's elaborate on the use of weapon proficiencies . . .

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