Proficiencies

How proficiencies work in ACKSBERRON. See the Proficiency Index for every proficiency, General Proficiencies for the general list, and each class page (via Classes) for class lists.

Proficiency Basics

Proficiencies represent particular areas of expertise that your character has developed due to his background, homeland, and training. Each class has a class list of proficiencies, representing training that is particularly useful to the particular profession. In addition, there is a general list of proficiencies, which represent trade skills and knowledge that is widely available to all. Characters will learn proficiencies from both lists over time.

Starting Proficiencies

All characters begin with the Adventuring proficiency, a specific bonus proficiency based on their class, one proficiency chosen from their class list and one proficiency chosen from the general list. Characters with an INT bonus may choose to begin the game knowing additional general proficiencies equal to that bonus (+1, +2, or +3). The player may choose to leave one or more bonus proficiency “slots” open, to be filled during play as circumstances suggest appropriate choices.

Note that some proficiencies appear on both the general list and the class lists. For example, Military Strategy appears on both the general list and the fighter class list. This is because Military Strategy is both a common trade skill (general list) and specialized training that is useful to fighters (class list).

Gaining Proficiencies

Characters gain a general proficiency at levels 5, 9, and 13. Characters gain a new class proficiency each time they complete a two-point increase in their saving throw progression. This is summarized on the table below.

Unless its description says otherwise, a proficiency may only be selected once. If a general proficiency can be selected more than once, then the target value required for success is reduced by 4 each time the proficiency is selected. Some proficiencies may offer additional benefits if taken multiple times. Unless otherwise noted, all proficiency throws use 1d20.

Training Additional General Proficiencies

In addition to their starting and level-based proficiencies, all characters have four “implicit” general proficiency slots which represent their potential for natural accretion of knowledge over time. Characters who are not exceptionally diligent at practice automatically fill these slots after 5, 15, 35, and 70 years of work. This is how 0th level NPCs gain proficiencies without adventuring. In normal circumstances of play, these proficiencies are irrelevant to adventurers.

As an optional rule, however, the Judge can permit adventurers to accelerate their acquisition of these proficiency slots by deliberately training:

• 60 days (2 months) of accumulated study grants the first rank of one general proficiency.

• 240 days (8 months) of accumulated study grants the second rank or the first rank of a second proficiency.

• 540 days (18 months) of accumulated study grants the third rank or the first rank of a third proficiency.

• 960 days (32 months) of accumulated study grants the fourth rank or the first rank of a fourth proficiency.

One day of dedicated activity, or eight hours of ancillary activity, counts as a day of accumulated study. While training, the character must have access to either a tutor who knows the proficiency or to a treatise equal to the rank he is training. No more than four general proficiencies can be acquired from training. Training is considered a strenuous activity.

Retraining Proficiencies

Sometimes a character may choose a proficiency that was useful at a certain stage in his career, but which is no longer necessary as he advances in power. As an optional rule, the Judge can permit adventurers to retrain an existing class or general proficiency for another proficiency of the same type.

Retraining a proficiency requires 120 days of accumulated study, during which time the character must have access to either a tutor who knows the proficiency or to a treatise. A character can re-retrain back into a proficiency he previously knew with 60 days of accumulated study without need for a tutor or manual. The following proficiencies cannot be gained or lost by retraining: Beast Friendship, Divine Blessing, Divine Health, Elven Bloodline, Illusion Resistance, Laying on Hands, Prophecy, Soothsaying.

Proficiency Lists

General Proficiency List

Alchemy, Animal Husbandry, Animal Training, Art, Bargaining, Caving, Collegiate Wizardry, Craft, Diplomacy, Disguise, Driving, Endurance, Engineering, Folkways, Gambling, Healing, Hedge Wizardry, Intimidation, Knowledge, Labor, Language, Leadership, Lip Reading, Manual of Arms, Mapping, Military Strategy, Mimicry, Mountaineering, Naturalism, Navigation, Performance, Profession, Revelry, Riding, Romance, Seafaring, Siege Engineering, Signaling, Streetwise, Survival, Swimming, Theology, Tracking, Trapping, Village Wisdom