Character Creation, Weapon Specialization.

[Hawker73]

Sorry I'm a Noob trying to relearn FG, and 2E again. I am working on creating characters and just learning to use books. (also looking for group) I am wondering how you do weapon specialization. So I drag and drop weapon into proficiencies area. But now say I want to specialize, what then? If I just add a bonus that does not take into account say range etc on bows? What is the correct way to do this?

Also is there a 2E FG guide that also considers someone mostly unfamiliar with FG? I have played C&C and 5E before but it has been awhile, and it was before Unity. It took me awhile to realize I had to create a campaign just to make a character. Would love a video on character creation etc. The majority of my RPG experience is all on 1E and 2E on paper back in the day, but I feel like I am relearning it all again.

Also THANK YOU Celestian. I have been wanting 1E or 2E on here for so long. I am a THAC0 player at heart, always will be. For me it's still the best AD&D. This is amazing to see on here.

[TXCBoy36]

I am learning this myself....you take the weapon / item and add it to the weapon specialization tab. It will also provide a bullet point tab where you can select the weapon to be specialized in. Then go to the PHB and select the Reference page and then go to Chapter 5. It has a section with tables that should assist in determining your weapon proficiency.

I am working on a Wizard and he gets 1 weapon specialization which allow his normal (-5) with his quarterstaff to drop down to a (-3). It does not give him any bonus on his damage roll.

Hope this helps! Still re-learning all of this myself. Had to break out my old PHB's.....exciting to be honest!! Love it!

[celestian]

Sorry I'm a Noob trying to relearn FG, and 2E again. I am working on creating characters and just learning to use books. (also looking for group) I am wondering how you do weapon specialization. So I drag and drop weapon into proficiencies area. But now say I want to specialize, what then? If I just add a bonus that does not take into account say range etc on bows? What is the correct way to do this?

Click on the gear for the entry in your Skills tab, there are hit/damage modifiers there you can set (+1 hit, +2 damage for specialization) and from that same menu you will select which weapons you currently have in your inventory to apply the skill to. Remember you'll need to do this if you get another weapon this skill needs to apply to later.

[TXCBoy36]

Celestian, was I close in my understanding on how to specialize these weapon slots?

[TheFlyingGribble]

Celestian, was I close in my understanding on how to specialize these weapon slots?

Not Celestian sorry, but I think you've mixed up Weapon Proficiency ("I know how to use this weapon") vs Weapon Specialisation ("I've trained extra hard in this weapon and know the moves to make it especially effective"). Anyone can pick up something and use it as a weapon. By default, it's assumed they've never been trained and get the non-proficiency penalty applied which varies according to class. That's the -5 in your Wizard example. If they're trained to use it effectively, by applying one of their weapon proficiencies to that weapon, then they can use it without any penalties, but without any special bonuses either. So then your Wizard attacks using that weapon goes from -5 to 0. You create that, as you said, by dragging the weapon to the skills tab. You then need to select the weapon proficiency in the 'skills' tab and tick which of your carried weapons that proficiency actually applies to.

Single-class Fighters can also apply Weapon Specialisation, by dedicating an additional weapon proficiency slot to a particular type of weapon. They then get a +1 hit and +2 damage bonus. As Celestian said, to apply that, you need to create an additional 'skill' using the cog on the skills tab, set the modifiers and then apply the skill to which ever weapons it is relevant to.

There are also Weapon Styles in the Complete Fighters ( 1-hand, 2-hand, sword+shield, 2-weapon ) but the way they're applied varies according to the particular style.

Cheers, TFG

[TXCBoy36]

Shoot, your right......there is a difference....My bad!!

[JohnD]

Like this;

Capture.JPG

[Hawker73]

In my characters situation it is for a bow specialization. That works a bit different. It only gives a bonus to hit and not to damage and only in a new range class called "pointblank" used by those who specialize in the bow or crossbow, 30 feet for bows, and 60 feet for crossbows. There is currently no way to apply range for the bonus in proficiency. That would be nice.

JohnD gave me good advice to simply set up multiple weapon listings one for pointblank, and one for everything else. I suppose you could also do this for proficiencies too but then the proficiencies at the top do not add up quite right.

Would be neat if specializations could be a check marked attribute that etc and more automated, but in the question of ranged I imagine that would be quite a headache to implement.

As a complete aside. I never understood in 2nd edition why shortbow and longbow have the same range for PB, or that a longbow would have shorter PB then say a light crossbow......but THOSE are the rules.

[TXCBoy36]

So, I get the point between Weapon Specialization and a weapon proficiency, how do you set this up on the Skills tab on the character sheet....so it reflects a specialized weapon selection...I know that you have to spend 2 slots for the proficiency, but not sure how to get it on the character sheet.

[JohnD]

So, I get the point between Weapon Specialization and a weapon proficiency, how do you set this up on the Skills tab on the character sheet....so it reflects a specialized weapon selection...I know that you have to spend 2 slots for the proficiency, but not sure how to get it on the character sheet.

I have a screenshot above.