New Proficiencies
Rangers of any character kit can acquire these proficiencies by spending the points listed in Table 55. The "Crossover Groups" mentioned at the end of the description are eligible to buy the proficiency at the normal cost. Groups not mentioned may buy the proficiency by paying one additional point beyond the listed cost.
Alertness
A character with this proficiency is exceptionally attuned to his surroundings, able to detect disturbances and notice discrepancies. A successful proficiency check reduces his chance of being surprised by 1. (This replaces the description of this proficiency in The Complete Thief's Handbook.)
Crossover Groups: General.
Boating
This proficiency allows the character to pilot any small boat, such as a kayak or canoe, operating it at maximum speed. It also allows him (or the character) to make minor repairs and improvements in these boats, such as waterproofing them and patching holes. A successful proficiency check enables the character to handle the craft in treacherous situations; for instance, maneuvering the boat though choppy water without capsizing it, or avoiding collisions when guiding it through a narrow channel choked with rocks or ice. Note that while the navigation and seamanship proficiencies deal with ships in oceans, seas, and other large bodies of water, the boating proficiency is confined to small craft on rivers, lakes, on oceans close to shore, and over similar terrain, usually on relatively calm waters.
Crossover Groups: General.
Camouflage
By using this proficiency, the character can attempt to conceal himself, his companions, and inanimate objects by using natural or man-made materials. Successful use assumes the availability of all necessary materials. In forests and jungles, the character can use shrubbery, mud, and other readily available resources. Arctic or similarly barren terrain usually requires special clothing, paints, or other artificial materials (although "digging in" is an old trick which may be applicable in such terrain, depending on local conditions). It takes a character a half-hour to camouflage himself or another person, two or three hours to conceal a cart or inanimate object of comparable size, and a half-day to hide a small building.
Neither human, demihuman, monster, nor animal passersby will be able to see a camouflaged character, presuming the character makes a successful proficiency check. Camouflaged companions will also go unnoticed; only one proficiency check is required for the entire group.
Objects may also be camouflaged. Objects the size of a person require no penalty to the check; cart-sized objects require a -1 penalty, while building-sized objects require a -3 penalty. The DM may adjust penalties based on these guidelines.
Camouflaging has no effect on predators that locate prey by scent or other keen senses; a hungry wolf can still sniff out a camouflaged human. A camouflaged person has no protection against a passerby who accidently brushes against or bumps into him. Likewise, a camouflaged person may reveal himself if he sneezes, cries out from the sting of a bee, or makes any other sound.
Note that camouflaging is only necessary for persons or objects that would otherwise be partially or entirely exposed. A person hiding behind a stone wall wouldn't need to be camouflaged to avoid detection, nor would a buried object.
Crossover Groups: Fighter, Rogue.
Cartography
This proficiency grants skill at map making. A character can draw maps to scale, complete with complex land formations, coastal outlines, and other geographic features. The character must be reasonably familiar with the area being mapped.
The DM makes a proficiency check in secret to determine the accuracy of the map. A successful proficiency check means that the map is correct in all significant details. If the roll fails, the map contains a few errors, possibly a significant one. A roll of exactly 20 means the map contains serious errors, making it useless.
Crossover Groups: General.
Distance Sense
This proficiency enables a character to estimate the total distance he's traveled in any given day, part of a day, or a number of consecutive days equal to his level. For instance, a 7th level character can estimate the distance he's traveled in the previous week. The estimate will be 90% accurate.
Crossover Groups: General.
Falconry
This is most properly the Animal Training (Falcon) proficiency. A character with this proficiency is an expert in training and handling falcons, enabling him to teach them tricks and tasks (This proficiency also allows the training of hawks at a -1 penalty. Owls are a separate proficiency and can be trained at -2).
A character can teach a falcon 2d4 (2-8) tricks or tasks in any combination. It takes 2d6 weeks to teach the falcon a trick, three months for a task. At the end of a training period, the character makes a proficiency check. If the check succeeds, the falcon has learned the trick or task. If the check fails, the falcon is incapable of learning more.
If not using falconry training equipment (see Chapter 7), the success roll required for training is penalized by -2.
Crossover Groups: General.
Note: The foregoing is the standard proficiency. Optionally, the training rules for rangers given in Chapter 3 can be used. Training times and number of tricks/tasks may vary.
Sample general tasks:
Hunting: The falcon is trained to hunt its natural prey: small mammals and game birds; and to return with them to the falconer. Nearly all trained falcons receive this training first.
Ferocity: The falcon receives a +1 bonus to all attack and damage rolls, and a +2 morale bonus.
Guard: The falcon shrieks at the approach of strangers. If approached closer than 20' or 30', the falcon will attack unless ordered not to. The bird can recognize designated friends.
Homing: The falcon recognizes one place as its roost and returns there upon command.
Loyalty: The falcon is exceptionally loyal to an individual selected by the trainer. It has a +4 saving throw bonus against charm, control, empathy, or friendship attempts by others. Further, it comes when the individual summons it, guards its master from attack and may perform unusual acts of loyalty as decided by the DM.
Species Enemy: The falcon is trained to recognize an entire species as a natural enemy. Its basic reaction will be hostile, it will reject empathy, and have a +4 saving throw bonus against the enemy's charm or control attempts. It will attack the species enemy in preference to others.
Track: The falcon will track a designated creature and return. It can retrace its path to lead the falconer to the creature.
Sample specific tricks:
Attack: The falcon will attack on command a creature designated by the falconer until called off. The falcon's base morale is at least 11. The falcon receives a save vs. rods against another ranger's animal empathy ability.
Capture Prey: A hunt-trained falcon will return with the prey alive and unharmed.
Catch Object: Upon command, the falcon will catch a small object thrown into the air or a small falling object and return to the falconer.
Distract: The falcon is trained to feint at an opponent. The opponent must make a saving throw vs. paralysis or lose its next action.
Eye Attack: The falcon is trained to strike at an opponent's eyes. A beak hit has a 25% chance of striking an eye. An opponent struck in the eye is blinded for 1d4 rounds and has a 10% chance of permanently losing sight in the eye.
Hand Signals: The falcon can be commanded by hand signals as well as by voice.
Hide Object: The falcon takes an object from the falconer, flies away with it, and conceals it. The falcon will retrieve the object on command.
Pit Fighting: The falcon is trained as a fighting bird. It has a +2 attack bonus against any fighting bird that is not so trained.
Recall: The falcon will immediately return to the falconer upon receiving the command.
Nemesis: The falcon is trained to attack a specific individual. The falcon never checks morale when attacking the individual.
Foraging
By using this proficiency, a character can search a wilderness area to locate a small amount of a desired material, such as a branch suitable for carving into a bow, enough kindling to start a fire, a medicinal herb, or a component required for a spell. The character must spend 2-8 (2d4) hours searching, and the material must theoretically be available in the area being searched (for instance an icicle isn't available in the desert, nor dry kindling on the ocean floor). The DM doesn't confirm if the material sought is actually available until after the character has searched for the designated period. If the DM decides the material isn't in the area, no proficiency check is necessary; he merely reveals that the search was in vain.
If the DM decides the material is indeed available, a successful proficiency check means the character has found what he's been looking for. As a rule of thumb, the character locates no more than a handful of the desired material, though the DM may make exceptions (if searching for a few leaves of a particular herb, the character may instead find an entire field).
If the check fails, the material isn't found. The character may search a different area, requiring another 2-8 hours and a new proficiency check.
Crossover Groups: Warrior, Rogue.
Persuasion
This proficiency enables the character to make a compelling argument to convince a subject NPC character to see things his 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.
A successful proficiency check means that the subject's reaction is modified by +2 in favor of the character (see Table 59 in Chapter 11 of the DUNGEON MASTER Guide). This bonus is not cumulative with any other reaction modifiers, such as those derived from Charisma; other reaction modifiers don't apply. For every additional slot a character spends on this proficiency, he boosts the reaction modifier by +1 (for example, spending two slots on this proficiency gives a +3 reaction bonus).
Crossover Groups: General.
Riding, Sea-based
This proficiency allows the character to handle a particular species of sea-based mount The type of mount must be specified when the proficiency is acquired. The character may spend additional slots to enable him to handle other species.
In addition to riding the mount, the proficiency enables the character to do the following:
· When the mount is on the surface of the water, the character can leap onto its back and spur it to move in the same round. No proficiency check is required.
· The character can urge the mount to leap over obstacles in the water that are less than 3' high and 5' across (in the direction of the jump). No proficiency check is required. Greater jumps require a proficiency check, with bonuses or penalties assigned by the DM according to the height and breadth of the obstacle and the type and size of mount. Failure means the mount balks; an immediate second check determines if the character stays on the mount or falls off.
· The character can spur the mount to great speeds. If an initial proficiency check fails, the mount resists moving faster than normal. Otherwise, the mount begins to move up to 2d6 feet per round beyond its normal rate. Proficiency checks must be made every five rounds. So long as the checks succeed, the mount continues to move at the faster rate for up to two turns. After the mount moves at this accelerated rate for two turns, its rate then drops to 2/3 of its normal rate. It can move no faster than 2/3 of its normal rate until allowed to rest for a full hour.
If the second or any subsequent check fails, the mount's movement drops to half its normal rate. It continues to move at this half-speed rate until allowed to rest for an hour.
· If a sea-based mount on the surface of the water is attacked, it will normally submerge unless it makes a successful morale roll. If the morale roll fails, the rider can command the mount to re-surface by making a successful proficiency check. If the check fails, the rider can attempt another check each round thereafter, so long as he is physically able. While submerged with the mount and attempting to force it to surface, the rider risks drowning (see Chapter 14 of the Player's Handbook). Because he's exerting himself, the number of rounds the rider can hold his breath is equal to half his Constitution score.
Crossover Groups: General.
Signaling
This proficiency gives the character the ability to send messages over long distances. The character must designate his preferred method for signaling. Typical methods include smoke signals, whistling, waving flags, drums, or reflecting mirrors. For each additional slot spent, the character may choose an additional method.
Because signaling is essentially a language, messages of reasonable complexity can be communicated. A practiced signaller can transmit as many as 10 words per combat round.
To interpret the signal, the recipient must be able to see or hear it. He must also have the signaling proficiency and know the same signaling method as the sender. To send a message and have it understood, both the signaler and the recipient must make successful proficiency checks. If one fails his roll, the message is distorted; the message can be sent again in the following round, and proficiency checks may be attempted again. If both checks fail, or if either character rolls a natural 20, an incorrect message was sent and received; the message has the opposite of the intended meaning. Characters without the signaling proficiency, as well as characters who have the proficiency but use a different signaling method, can't understand the signals.
Crossover Groups: General.
Spelunking
A character with this proficiency has a thorough understanding of caves and underground passages, including their geology, formation, and hazards. The character generally knows what natural hazards are possible and what general equipment a spelunking party should outfit itself with. A successful proficiency check can reveal the following information:
· Determine, by studying cracks in the walls and pebbles on the floor, sniffing the air, etc., the likelihood of a cave-in, flash flood, or other natural hazard. This only works with respect to natural formations, and is negated if the natural formations have been shored up, bricked in, or otherwise tampered with.
· Estimate the time required to excavate a passage blocked with rubble.
· While exploring extensive underground caverns, a successful check reduces the chance of getting hopelessly lost when confronted by multiple unmarked passages, sinkholes, etc. to a maximum of 30%, assuming good lighting (see DMG Table 81-82).
Crossover Groups: Warrior.
Trail Marking
By notching trees, scattering pebbles, piling stones, and clipping weeds, the character can mark a trail through any wilderness area. Providing he moves at 2/3 his normal movement rate, he can mark a continuous trail as long as he likes; however, the longer the trail, the less likely he'll be able to follow it back.
A successful proficiency check enables a backtracking character to follow his own trail for a distance equal to his level in miles. If he fails a check, he loses the trail. For instance, assume a 3rd level character marked a 12-mile trail. His first successful proficiency check enables him to follow this trail back three miles. A second successful proficiency check means he can follow the trail another three miles. The third check fails, and he loses the trail; he's only been able to follow his trail for a total of six miles.
The tracking proficiency isn't necessary to use the trail marking proficiency. However, when a ranger loses his own marked trail, he may still attempt to follow it using his tracking proficiency. Any other characters with the tracking proficiency may also attempt to follow a ranger's marked trail, using the rules applicable to the tracking proficiency.
A marked trail lasts unless it is obscured by precipitation, a forest fire, or the passage of time (an undisturbed trail marked in a forest should last for weeks, while an arctic trail may last less than a day during periods of heavy precipitation; the DM decides). A ranger or other character with the tracking proficiency may still attempt to follow an obscured trail using the tracking rules.
Crossover Groups: Warrior.
Trail Signs
A character with this proficiency can read symbolic messages indicated by an arrangement of stones or other physical objects. The character must designate the method of leaving messages preferred by his family, tribe, or culture. Typical methods include piling rocks, stacking branches, or building snow sculptures. When the character encounters such a message, he understands the meaning if he makes a successful proficiency check. ("A dragon dwells in these woods." "Eat the green berries for restored health.") The message is meaningless to characters without the trail signs proficiency. A character with the trail signs proficiency who uses methods other than the one encountered can try to read it at half the normal chance for success. This proficiency can also be used to identify the cultural group or tribe that has left a specific trail sign.
Crossover Groups: Warrior, Rogue.
Veterinary Healing
The character can attempt to heal all types of normal animals, following the same procedures described in the description of the healing proficiency (returns 1-3 hit points if done within one round of wounding, once per creature per day; continued care can restore 1 hit point per day during non-strenuous traveling for up to 6 creatures; gives a +2 to save vs. poison if treated for 5 rounds within a round after poisoning; diagnose disease, magical origins identified, natural diseases take mildest form and shortest duration). Supernatural creatures (such as skeletons or ghouls) or creatures from another plane (such as aerial servants or xorn) cannot be treated with this proficiency.
This proficiency is not cumulative with the healing proficiency--the first used will take precedence. The veterinary proficiency can be used on humans, demihumans, and humanoids at half the normal chance for success.
Crossover Groups: Priest.
Weaponsmithing, Crude
This proficiency allows the making simple weapons out of natural materials. This skill is most often found in those from a primitive, tribal, or savage background.
The crude weapons are limited to natural materials: stone, wood, bone, sinew, reed, and the like. Crude weapons take a certain amount of time to make. The DM may add additional primitive weapons to the basic list.
The chance for success is based on the character's Wisdom, with a -3 penalty. Any warrior or a character with the hunting proficiency has a +3 bonus. The fashioner must be proficient in the use of the weapon.
If successful, the weapon can be used normally. If failed, the weapon is so badly flawed as to be useless. On a roll of 20, the weapon seems sound, but will break upon first use. On a roll of 1, the weapon has no chance of breaking except against a harder material.
Optional: Crude weapons check for breaking upon inflicting damage; roll 1d6. Bone weapons break on a roll of 1 or 2, stone weapons break on a roll of 1.
Crossover groups: Warrior.
|
Weapon |
Construction Time |
|
Arrows |
7/day |
|
Axe, Battle |
4 days |
|
Axe, Hand |
1 day |
|
Axe, Throwing |
6 days |
|
Bow, Long* |
15 days |
|
Bow, Short |
12 days |
|
Dagger |
2 days |
|
Dart |
3 day |
|
Javelin |
1 day |
|
Knife |
2 days |
|
Quarterstaff |
1 day |
|
Spear |
2 days |
|
Staff Sling |
3 days |
|
Warhammer |
5 days |
|
* Seasoning the wood takes 1 year. |