Proficiencies

Proficiencies are a type of skill that represent more specialized training or knowledge. There are three types of Proficiencies, Trade, Lore, and Expertise. Trade Proficiencies can be used by anyone untrained, while Lore and Expertise Proficiencies require at least 1 Rank in that Proficiency to use them. Also unlike Skills, you often have the option to choose what Ability to link to a Proficiency, see below.

Characters are said to have training in a Proficiency if they have a rank in that Proficiency. A Character not trained in a Proficiency has no rank; only the Character’s basic Ability applies to checks involving the Proficiency, and more difficult tasks will suffer Disadvantage as well. Trained Characters have a Proficiency rank that adds to the actual d20 roll when making checks, instead of being applied as Advantage or Disadvantage like all other modifiers. Obviously, training in a Proficiency makes characters more effective at checks involving that Proficiency, often much more. In addition performing more advanced actions (any action with a Hard DC) may require training in a Proficiency to attempt. As stated above Lore and Expertise Proficiencies require training to make any checks with them, not just those with a Hard DC.

Each Proficiency is assigned a Rank from 0 to 40 (though you can increase or even decrease this number with Heritage ranks or negative ranks), measuring its effectiveness. Every Proficiency has a corresponding Ability, that can be selected from a list of options depending on the Proficiency. Whenever a Proficiency check is rolled add Advantage and subtract Disadvantage equal to any positive or negative ranks from the corresponding Ability. Remember, every check in the game is a Skill check at its base, and Proficiencies are a type of Skill, but the type of check determines what sources of Advantage and Disadvantage are used for that particular check. Below are the Proficiencies listed by Type with Ability options listed in parentheses.

TRADE
Artistry (Agility or Charisma)
Use for the creation of anything artistic or creative, like painting, sculpting, writing, or engraving. In addition, for every Rank in Artistry you gain an additional known specialty.

Build (Strength, Stamina, Intellect, or Wisdom)
Use for the creation of anything practical or functional, like smithing, carpentry, pottery, or masonry. In addition, for every Rank in Build you gain an additional known specialty.

Compete (Strength, Stamina, Intellect, or Wisdom)
Use for actions while playing games or competing, like jousting, gambling, chess, or fencing. In addition, for every Rank in Compete you gain an additional known specialty.

Perform (Agility or Charisma)
Use for actions while playing instruments or performing, like acting, violin, singing, or dancing. In addition, for every Rank in Perform you gain an additional known specialty.

LORE (Intellect or Wisdom)
Alchemy
You are educated in Alchemy and can answer both simple and complex questions about Alchemy, Science, Transmutations, and the Primordial Sea. You can also identify Draconic and Alchemical creatures, as well as their spoken and written language, Draconic, even if you can’t translate it.

Cosmology
You are educated in Cosmology and can answer both simple and complex questions about Cosmology, Space, Boons, and the Celestial Harmony. You can also identify Celestial creatures, as well as their spoken and written language, Celestial, even if you can’t translate it.

Elements
You are educated in Elements and can answer both simple and complex questions about Elements, Weather, Invocations, and the Elemental Tempest. You can also identify Elemental creatures, as well as their spoken and written language, Elemental, even if you can’t translate it.

Engineering
You are educated in Engineering and can answer both simple and complex questions about Engineering, Construction, Inovations, and Siege Warfare.

Fables
You are educated in Fables and can answer both simple and complex questions about Fables, Stories, Evocations, and the Other World. You can also identify Sidereal and Inspirational creatures, as well as their spoken and written language, Sidereal, even if you can’t translate it.

History
You are educated in History and can answer both simple and complex questions about History, Fate, Destinies, and the Mirror World. You can also identify Inevitable and Fatalistic creatures, as well as their spoken and written language, Inevitable, even if you can’t translate it.

Linguistics
You are educated in Linguistics and can answer both simple and complex questions about Linguistics, Order, Incantations, and the Nether World. You can also identify Gargant and Orderly creatures, as well as their spoken and written language, Gargant, even if you can’t translate it. In addition, for every Rank in Linguistics you gain an additional known language.

Mathematics
You are educated in Mathematics and can answer both simple and complex questions about Mathematics, Chaos, Pacts, and the Else World. You can also identify Efreet and Chaotic creatures, as well as their spoken and written language, Efreeti, even if you can’t translate it.

Mysticism
You are educated in Mysticism and can answer both simple and complex questions about Mysticism, Dreams, Mysteries, and the Dream World. You can also identify Somnium and Dreamy creatures, as well as their spoken and written language, Somnium, even if you can’t translate it.

Nature
You are educated in Nature and can answer both simple and complex questions about Nature, Animals, Rites, and the Ethereal Sea. You can also identify Beasts, Plants, Lunael and Primal creatures, as well as their spoken and written language, Lunael, even if you can’t translate it.

Occult
You are educated in Occult and can answer both simple and complex questions about Occult, Curses, Hexes, and the Under World. You can also identify Umbral and Shadowy creatures, as well as their spoken and written language, Umbral, even if you can’t translate it.

Philosophy
You are educated in Philosophy and can answer both simple and complex questions about Philosophy, Psionics, Disciplines, and the Astral Sea. You can also identify Edem and Psionic creatures, as well as their spoken and written language, Edem, even if you can’t translate it.

Politics
You are educated in Political Environments and can answer both simple and complex questions about Political Environments, Laws, Deeds, and the Noble Courts.

Religion
You are educated in Religion and can answer both simple and complex questions about Religion, Gods, Prayers, and the Supernal Opposition. You can also identify Supernal creatures, as well as their spoken and written language, Supernal, even if you can’t translate it.

Tactics
You are educated in Tactics and can answer both simple and complex questions about Tactics, Strategy, Exploits, and General Warfare.

Urban
You are educated in Urban Environments and can answer both simple and complex questions about Urban Environments, City Folk, Gambles, and the Criminal Underworld.

EXPERTISE (Strength, Stamina, Agility, Intellect, Wisdom, or Charisma)
Varies
Expertise can be used to create a Proficiency for any profession or knowledge you wish no matter how niche.

BUYING PROFICIENCY RANKS

You choose your hero’s Proficiency ranks by spending character points on them. Increasing a Proficiency rank by 1 costs 1/4 a character point, so 1 character point buys 4 ranks in any Proficiencies you want. The number of ranks you can buy in a Proficiency is capped at 2 x level. If you lack an Ability, you cannot choose it for any of your Proficiencies.

You can also buy up to 4 Heritage ranks in a Proficiency at 1st level or below, or even after if you have Affinity in that Proficiency. These Heritage ranks are not affected by the normal rank cap. You can also lower one or more of your character’s starting Trade Proficiency ranks from the starting value of 0. Each 2 ranks you lower a Trade Proficiency gives you an additional one character point to spend elsewhere. You cannot lower a Trade Proficiency rank below -4, these negative Heritage ranks do not affect the rank cap for your Proficiencies.

CONTACTS
For every Rank in a Trade or Expertise Proficiency you gain a Contact related to that Proficiency. Your total number of Contacts is called your Contact Score. These Contacts can be higher or lower level than you, but the total levels of your Contacts cannot exceed your Contact Score. Level 0 contacts count as 1/2 a level, while negative level Contacts subtract their level from the total levels of your Contacts.