Open 4E SRD Wiki
Register
Advertisement

Levels of Proficiency[]

Skills, Weapon groups, and Armor types all have Proficiencies that you can train in. There are three levels of training that a character may have: Untrained, Proficient, and Expert.

For each of your Proficiencies, your proficiency check modifier for that proficiency is equal to:

Untrained[]

All characters have a basic capacity to performed actions, due to their ability scores. If you are untrained in a skill, armor type or weapon group, you use your base ability modifier as your check modifier.

Certain weapons, armors, skill actions, and other actions are listed as trained only, or even expert only. If an action is listed as trained only or expert only, you grant advantage while attempting the action if you do not have training. If a weapon or armor is listed as trained only or expert only, you grant advantage while wielding that weapon or wearing that armor.

When you are Untrained, Training always grants you Proficiency.

Proficient[]

Characters may gain training in one or more skills, armor types, or weapon groups.

Certain actions, weapons, and armor have the trained only property.

  • An action with the 'trained only' property may only be attempted as a stunt, and suffers a -5 penalty to your check result. While you attempt the stunt, you grant advantage.
  • A weapon with the 'trained only' property may not be effectively wielded by a character who is untrained in any of that weapon's weapon groups. A character may attempt to attack with such a weapon, but they may not perform opportunity attacks or gain advantage, and they grant advantage as long as they are wielding the weapon.
  • Armor may also have the 'trained only' property. A character wearing armor with this property that they are not proficient in grants advantage as long as they wear the armor, and may not gain advantage.

When you are Proficient in a skill, additional Training grants you Expertise.

Expert[]

Characters who are already Proficient in a skill, armor or weapon group may choose to gain Expertise in that skill or weapon group instead, when a feat or class feature would grant them Training. Expertise grants an additional +1 Expertise bonus to your check value, in addition to your +2 Training bonus.

  • When you make a skill check to perform an extended action using a skill you have Expertise in, you may choose to treat your check value for that extended action as if you had rolled a 10, instead of rolling. If there is no risk associated with failure, you may also choose to take ten times the normal amount of time required to perform an extended action to treat your check value for the extended action as if you had rolled a 20, instead of rolling.

Certain actions, weapons, and armor have the expert only property.

  • An action with the 'expert only' property may only be attempted as a stunt if you are trained, and suffers a -5 penalty to your check result. While you attempt the stunt, you grant advantage.
  • A weapon with the 'expert only' property may not be effectively wielded by a character who does not have Expertise in any of that weapon's weapon groups. A character may attempt to attack with such a weapon as a standard action, but they may not perform opportunity attacks or gain advantage, and they grant advantage as long as they are wielding the weapon.
  • Armor may also have the 'expert only' property. A character wearing armor they do not have Expertise in grants advantage as long as they wear the armor, and may not gain advantage.

Types of Proficiency[]

There are three main types of proficiency: Armor Proficiencies, Weapon Proficiencies, and Skill Proficiencies. While they all use the same rules, they apply them in different ways.

Armor and Shields[]

Armor is one of the most basic ways for your character to defend themselves from harm. There are two kinds of armor - light armor, which is flexible and doesn't encumber movement, and heavy armor, which offers better protection but at the cost of mobility.

Your Armor defense is equal to armor's base defense + your Proficiency with that armor type. Your light armor proficiency is based on your Dexterity, while your heavy armor proficiency is based on your Constitution. Most physical attacks, including basic melee and ranged attacks, target your Armor.

Weapons[]

Unless your character has access to magical powers, weapons are how you deal damage. There are many different kinds of melee and ranged weapons. While most weapons require some amount of training to use well, almost anyone can pick up a weapon and attempt to use it to deal damage to another creature.

Like all tools, weapons may be crafted as a masterwork or infused with magic to increase their damage and accuracy, and to give them additional magical properties. An enhanced weapon’s enhancement bonus is added to both the weapon’s attack and damage rolls.


Skills[]

Skills are more specific abilities that your character can learn. All characters in this game share 18 broad skills, which determine your success at most actions outside of combat, and many actions within combat. Each skill uses a proficiency check modifier dependent on an ability base (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma). Certain actions may be performed by any character (trained or no), while other actions may only be performed by trained characters.

Advertisement