Proficiency of the Week: A collection of small non-weapon proficiencies favored by NPCs

For a change, I thought I'd go with a brief listing of non-weapon proficiencies favored by NPCs.

Now, it's perfectly acceptable for a player to decide their character has one of these, and, indeed, many of them are 'free' proficiencies granted by social status or background rolls, but they aren't often that useful in game play. With that caveat, I will add this...I have DMed at least one situation in which someone having one of these skills completely changed the dynamics of the game.

Here are nine of these 'useless' non-weapon proficiencies. Each are from the "general" category. Remember that you don't need a proficiency to do something, you need a proficiency to do it at a professional level.

Their descriptions:

Baking: The character is familiar with the creation of breads, pastries and cakes, and can run brick ovens and similar kitchen implements.

Barristry: The character is proficient in laws, legal work and the manipulation of legal proceedings, and can represent himself or others in a court of law. Note that proficiency in Barristry doesn’t help in a courtroom using an alien legal system. In general, it is assumed this proficiency refers to the place where the character lives. Other places may be stipulated.

Candymaking: The character is proficient in working with scorching hot sugar and other substances to make various confections.

Cheesemaking: This proficiency allows the character who has it to expertly create cheese from the curds of soured milk. A proficiency check is required only when attempting to prepare a truly magnificent wheel of cheese as a special gift or for a special celebration.

Cobbling: The character can fashion and repair shoes, boots, and sandals.

Management: The character is skilled in directing people and delegating authority.

Maths: All characters with average or higher intelligence are assumed to be able to do basic sums, simple accounting and the like. The character with the maths proficiency exceeds this, with a working knowledge of algebra, geometry, trigonometry, descriptive statistics and generally any math not requiring calculus. Note that all characters with the Engineering Proficiency get maths for free.

Teamdriving: The character is skilled in driving large animals that pull large wagons, such as those used to move heavy loads, and draft animals for construction and logging. He can calm them from a panic, tell if they are likely to balk or spook and attempt to prevent it.

Throwing: Characters with this proficiency add 10' to each range category of thrown weapons, and increase the damage or the attack roll by +1 each time they throw a weapon. The player can elect to improve either the damage or attack roll, but the choice must be announced before the attack is made. For each character point spent on this proficiency (after its initial purchase) a character adds another 5' to thrown weapon ranges. For every 4 additional character points spent, another +1 on the damage or attack rolls is gained—this can be used as a +2 on one or the other, or split as a +1 to attack and +1 to damage. (Okay, this one was a trick to see if you were paying attention. YES, throwing is very useful.)

How these proficiencies changed an encounter:

Baking: The party found themselves in a Jack and The Beanstalk situation, and had approximately five minutes to hide themselves from a giant dog sniffing out the intruders on behalf of his giant master. The sympathetic (and also giant) kitchen maid was on their side. A character with the baking proficiency asked the DM how long it would be inside the dough of an (also giant)  as yet uncooked loaf of bread going into the giant oven, and the DM replied "based on your knowledge of bread, you'd probably be safe for about 15 minutes inside the loaf." 

Barristry: I think you can probably guess where this is going.  An assassin skilled in all forms of the law found a technicality in her arrest and was set free by the government. In another instance, a thief managed to convince a judge that not only was he not guilty, he was being persecuted by the crown, and the judge threw his accuser in jail overnight.

Candymaking: While avoiding an attack in the kitchens of the castle, a character started a pot of butter and sugar simmering, then left it over the door. the trap set with this rudimentary caramel performed similarly to flaming oil, and did continuing rounds of damage to the (full plate armor wearing) attackers, as if the armor was being hit with Heat Metal. Since one of these knights was largely immune to magic, this was a big deal. The same character also made flaming sugar syrup missiles. (Candymaking is considered one of the most dangerous things you can do in the kitchen. I will do it only with much precaution, and I'm trained as a laboratory manager.)

Cobbling: Character (who also had tracking) examined the footprints of his quarry and determined he was a city guard because of the pattern of his boots, and that he had a slight limp to the left, then later identified him on patrol by his boots. "I also have cobbling, is there anything weird about his shoes?" asked the player.

Management: Character walked into a collection of kobolds, told them he was from the boss, and got them into a wagon by identifying who the leaders were, what they were doing, and who the weakest leader was. He then blew up the wagon. What would've been a bluff/lie check or a charisma check at a minus was done without a roll (except a reaction roll on the monsters.)

Maths: Player, who was not getting the fact that the trap involved prime numbers, asked the DM "I'm stumped, but (my character) has math, can I roll to see if she gets it?" (She did.)

Teamdriving: Character (who also had engineering) spooked a group of bison in just the right direction to make them take out a bridge being used by the enemy. He knew exactly where, when, and how, to do so. (Something that might otherwise have required animal handling, or a roll with a minus, was essentially an automatic success (the bison still had a reaction roll, but a very small chance of none spooking.)

 

The Blackheart Storage Spell Chain, part two

Higher level variations

 Blackheart's Better Balls

SPELL TYPE: Level four mage spell

SCHOOLS: Enchantment
ELEMENTS: Elemental Magic
RANGE:0
COMPONENTS:V,S,M
DURATION:1 turn
CASTING TIME: 1 turn
AREA OF EFFECT: 1 marble/level
SAVING THROW: None
SOURCE: Aaron Blackheart (Aaron the Mad)
HANDEDNESS: G
INQUEST STATUS: Approved

SPELL DESCRIPTION: Aaron the Mad's spell storage spells vary greatly in type and number, but this one, an improvement on marvelous marbles, stores one spell effect per ball, and the spell effect is released upon shattering the glass ball. The spell effect can be preserved indefinately, but lasts the length of time a normal spell might last once triggered. Blackheart's peals of laughter as he named this spell might have been a warning about how he'd eventually end up being called 'the mad.' Only spells below level four may be stored in this way. A mage can prepare one glass ball per spell, with a total number of spells per casting equal to his level. The balls can be prepared by blowing glass in the laboratory or by having the spell Craft Glass Vessel in effect. It was not uncommon for Aaron to have an apprentice running the Craft Glass Vessel spell as he prepared these spells. It takes a total of two turns to fully run this spell: the turn of casting the spell and the turn in which one can use the dweomer to manipulate magic. The mage must be largely undisturbed at this time. A 10th level mage could prepare ten spells, but the spell's casting time must fit within the one turn of this spell's duration. To make, for example, three marbles each having the spell Fireball the mage would need to have three glass vessels for fireball, three small balls of bat guano (the material component for fireball) and have fireball memorized three times. He'd need a minimum of nine segments (the three segments needed to cast fireball [casting time of 3] times three) of time to cast the spell three times. Thus he could easily make ten vessels with quick to cast combat spells, but he couldn't even make one ball with the spell Identify. In addition to any material components needed for the spells added to the balls, the material components of this spell are hollow glass balls, no smaller than 2 inches in diameter, a piece of paper with the spell's name written on it and the spell itself. The spell and the paper are destroyed during casting (the mage can rememorize the spell another day.) All spells are captured by the balls at the moment of detonatation or the start of the effect. Thus a fireball enclosed in a Better Ball would explode the moment the ball shattered, and be centered where the mage threw or rolled the ball. Unlike marvelous marbles, where the cantrip effect goes off when the marble is shattered, a Better Ball can be detonated with a trigger word. Thus the ball can be thrown and shattered and detonate the spell in that manner, or the ball can be gently rolled or placed anywhere within the mage's normal sight and detonated with the power word for that ball. So a mage that could not throw a ball far enough to have the fireball clear the party could instead roll the ball and trigger it when it was close to the enemy or even have a party member (a halfling with a sling, for example) throw the ball and trigger it above the enemy for the idea affect. The mage must be able to see the ball when he triggers it. Speaking the trigger word without looking at the ball will do nothing. Thus, if the mage had a Better Ball with fireball in his pocket and accidentally spoke the trigger word nothing would happen.  Note that the spell in the ball cannot require directing the magic during the casting of the spell at a specific target. Spells must have an area (sphere, cube, circle, etc.) or cone effect to be used inside a Better Ball. Cone spells cast into a Better Ball will always point away from the mage, and originate at the ball itself, area effect spells will always have the Ball at the center of its area. Spells which normally allow the mage to direct the expenditure of energy must have their directions stated during their placement in the ball. Thus a mage could make a ball with the spell Lake Effect, but he would need to phrase it in terms of the ball and he could not alter how it went off, perhaps trapping himself in the blizzard. Spells that summon creatures may also be placed inside Better Balls, and the summoned creatures will be drawn to the spot where the ball detonates. Note, however, that the summoned creatures will be dependent on where the spell was cast, not where it went off. The spell inside the ball cannot be determined by normal means, but the caster can note the unique color/texture combinations each spell effect leaves, and keep track of them. The same effect, from the same mage, will be the same color/texture inside the ball every time. Gem access will also reveal the spell. While generally safe, there is a 50% chance that a Better Ball will react explosively if placed inside a bag of holding, unleashing its spell effect. 

Blackheart’s Nullentropy Sphere

Reversible

SPELL TYPE: Level four mage spell

SCHOOLS: Alteration

ELEMENTS: Elemental Magic, Time

RANGE:  10 feet    

COMPONENTS:  V, S, M, Special          

DURATION: One week/level  (see below)

CASTING TIME: 3 rounds       

AREA OF EFFECT: See below

SAVING THROW: None         

SOURCE: Aaron Blackheart (Aaron the Mad)

HANDEDNESS: G
INQUEST STATUS: Approved

SPELL DESCRIPTION:  This spell requires an opaque glass or metal ball of up to 1inch per caster level in diameter (thus a 10^th level mage could make one of 10 inches in diameter.) The ball need not be perfectly spherical, but the interior space must be. The ball must be able to be opened in the center, dividing into two halves. Most commonly, a steel ball that can be screwed and unscrewed is used. When an item is placed in the sphere it is timestopped. A flame ceases to burn, but does not go out, a sandwich stays at room temperature, an ice cube doesn’t melt, a cup of coffee stays hot and freshly brewed. Items stored in the sphere do not interact with each other, although the nullentropy effect ceases when the sphere is opened. A sphere may be opened once a day during the duration of the spell. A nullentropy sphere can be rendered permanent with permanency. The reverse of this spell,

Blackheart’s Extra-entropy sphere creates a sphere in which time moves at 60 times its normal rate. Thus a sandwich left inside for one minute would be an hour old.

Blackheart’s Lowentropy Flame

SPELL TYPE: Level five mage spell

SCHOOLS: Alteration

ELEMENTS: Fire

RANGE: 0               

COMPONENTS:  V, S, M, Special          

DURATION: One week/level  (see below)

CASTING TIME: 3 rounds       

AREA OF EFFECT: See below

SAVING THROW: None         

SOURCE: Aaron Blackheart (Aaron the Mad)

HANDEDNESS: G
INQUEST STATUS: Approved

SPELL DESCRIPTION: A variation on the incense sphere and Nullentropy sphere, the Lowentropy flame slows the burning of a flame down to a fragment of its speed. The result is a flame that emits only a dull light and a mild warmth. It can be stored in a metal or glass container with very little air, and will flicker into normal light/warmth at will. These attributes make it perfect for carrying as a spell component with spells that need a flame but do not extinguish it in the casting. This was Aaron the mad’s most common usage for it, and he carried it contained in a marble in a pouch of such things. If the flame is touched while in a lowentropy state, it will go out, so it is not uncommon to store lowentropy flames (such as that on the tip of a candle) in spheres or even bottles which hold the fuel source (in this example, a candle) in place and provide space around the flame. The material components of the spell are a flame and source (a lit lantern wick, torch or candle) and three hairs from a sloth, or the hand from a broken watch. Permanency cast on the flame extends the state until the fuel is exhausted. The lowentropy state takes about one year to burn a minute’s worth of fuel, but flaring the flame for lighting fires or touching off spells usually burns it away before that point. A mage can prepare a lowentropy flame for another that uses a control word, but usually they are keyed to the creator’s thoughts.

Proficiency of the Week: Thrown Dagger, Dagger, Knife

The Thrown Dagger proficiency gives the character proficiency in any knife or dagger designed to be thrown, as well as the ability to throw two such knives per round. These daggers are usually thrown simultaneously, and adjudicated by rolling two dice. Both throwing daggers and throwing knives are considered to be the same weapon, although stylistically they vary greatly. For game purposes, proficiency in one is proficiency in both.

The proficiency allows the character to wield a thrown dagger or knife as a melee weapon, although these blades usually do less damage (typical throwing daggers do 1d3/1d2 as melee weapons.)

The Thrown Dagger proficiency gives a "related weapon" penalty to most small blades that aren't thrown.

The Dagger proficiency, on the other hand, gives the character proficiency in any dagger or dagger-like weapon, including the thrown dagger when wielded as a melee weapon, and gives a related weapon penalty to small blades (such as the throwing knife) when thrown. The dagger proficiency includes all piercing small blades that are wielded in similar ways, including dirk, kris, and stiletto. Main-Gauche, Sai and Parrying dagger may be wielded without penalty by those proficient in dagger, but you can't get the AC bonus from them when wielded that way (essentially you're using them incorrectly.) Jambiya, (slashing) knives and Katar/Punching dagger, on the other hand, are their own proficiencies, requiring specialized training. These "small blades" take a related weapons bonus.

The Knife proficiency gives the character in slashing small blades, including the knife, folding knife, and, counter-intuitively, some daggers designed to slash, not pierce. This is made more complex by the fact that some weapons in the dagger class are considered piercing/slashing, and can sometimes be wielded with either proficiency.

The DM has a lot of leeway in deciding if a weapon takes a minus in these departments, and one way we reduced the 'stress' of having to pick in our own game was increasing the base weapon proficiencies for all characters by one slot, allowing even a mage to take both knife and dagger if the thought of not being able to wield them all was such a problem.

The chart below shows some of the common knives/daggers and how we place them on the proficiency chart:

The Blackheart Storage Spell Chain, part one

This spell chain (a group of spells that follow in a progression from each other as they go up in levels) has two 'sets' within it, spell storage and 'stuff storage' used primarily for storing spell components.

Base Spell

 

Blackheart's Marvelous Marbles
SPELL TYPE: Level one mage spell

SCHOOLS: Enchantment
ELEMENTS: Elemental Magic
RANGE: 0
COMPONENTS: V, S, M
DURATION: Instantaneous
CASTING TIME: 1 turn
AREA OF EFFECT: 1 marble/level
SAVING THROW: None
SOURCE: Aaron Blackheart (Aaron the Mad)
HANDEDNESS: G
INQUEST STATUS: Approved

SPELL DESCRIPTION: Aaron the Mad's spell storage spells vary greatly in type and number, but this one, the least of the spells, stores one cantrip effect per marble, and the cantrip effect is released upon shattering the marble. The cantrip effect can be preserved indefinitely, but lasts the length of time a normal cantrip might last once triggered. Only effects possible with the spell Cantrip may be stored. A mage can prepare one marble per level per casting of Cantrip. Thus, a level seven mage could store seven cantrip effects in seven marbles with one casting of Cantrip. The material components of this spell are hollow glass marbles, no larger than 1.5 inches in diameter, a piece of paper per effect describing the effect in detail, prepared before cantrip is cast, and the spell cantrip itself. The spell and the paper are destroyed during casting (the mage can rememorize cantrip another day.)  The marbles can be prepared by blowing glass yourself, buying glass floats from a glass blower or by the 3rd level spell craft glass vessel. The spell inside the marble cannot be determined by normal means, but the caster can note the unique color/texture combinations each cantrip effect leaves, and keep track of them. The same effect, from the same mage, will be the same color/texture inside the marble. Gem Access will also reveal the spell. While generally safe, there is a 25% chance that a Marvelous marble will react explosively if placed inside a bag of holding or similar extra-dimensional space. 

Variations:

 

 

Blackheart’s Sphere of Incense

Reversible

SPELL TYPE: Level three mage spell

SCHOOLS: Alteration

ELEMENTS: Air

RANGE: 10 feet     

COMPONENTS:  V, S, M, Special          

DURATION: Permanent (see below)

CASTING TIME: 3 rounds       

AREA OF EFFECT: One 2inch diameter glass ball 

SAVING THROW: Negates    

SOURCE: Aaron Blackheart (Aaron the Mad)

HANDEDNESS: G
INQUEST STATUS: Approved

SPELL DESCRIPTION: This spell can be used in two ways, the second of which is considered a reversal in terms of game mechanics. The first way requires the use of the spell craft glass vessel as well. In the first way, incense is burned while chanting under the effect of craft glass vessel. When the magic effects combine, the incense is placed into the ball, where its burning is slowed to a trickle that makes minutes take years and years take centuries. Kept in this state, the incense may be used as a spell component for any spell that uses incense, even burning incense, but does not require it to be exhausted for the spell. The sphere holds up to 1lb of incense and 10 cubic feet of smoke-filled air in an extradimensional space (in other words, if placed in a bag of holding it may explode.) If desired, this sphere may be filled with non-incense smoke, another gas, or even left empty, but incense will still be needed in the creation of the sphere. In its second usage, Blackheart’s Sphere of Vacuum, an already prepared Sphere of Incense  may be emptied and refilled with 10 cubic feet of gas-filled air, such as that emitted by a trap. If the thing the gas is pouring from (such as a chemical reaction) is one pound or less in weight, the ball will contain that as well. If the ball is shattered the contents spread, burn and age normally. The ball may be emptied without casting a spell, but creating or refilling the ball requires an instance of the spell. The reverse is used exclusively with already created balls, the original exclusively to create them. If found on a scroll, 99% of the time both versions will be present. If in a spellbook, both versions will always be present.